Times of Oman - December 8, 2016 by Muscat Media Group

THURSDAY December 8, 2016 8 Rabi Al Awal 1438 AH

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTY THE SULTAN

On the occasion of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Arab League, 1995

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’ We must, therefore, work together today, more than ever, with total abrogation and sincerity so as to achieve Arab solidarity and improve the role, activities and Charter of the Arab League. In this way, we can take care of all the requirements of our present and future at all levels using all the available means

Founded 1975 . Volume 41 No. 239 | 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

AUSTRIAN REPUBLIC

HM sends greetings

37TH GCC SUMMIT

GCC-UK Strategic Partnership to foster closer relations MANAMA: Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and heads of State of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) met in Bahrain to reaffirm and deepen the strong partnership and cooperation between the GCC and the UK. The leaders agreed to launch the GCC-UK Strategic Partnership to foster closer relations in all ﬁelds, including political, defence, security, and trade, as well as enhancing people-to-people contact, and developing collective approaches to regional issues to advance their shared interest in stability and prosperity, according to Bahrain News Agency (BNA) The GCC and UK have a strong

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of congratulations to Dr. Alexander Van der Bellen, PresidentElect for the Austrian Republic. In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere congratulations along with his best wishes of success to President Bellen in leading the people of Austria towards further progress and prosperity, and further progress to the relations between the two countries. -ONA HM confers Order >A6

ENDURING TIES: UK PM Theresa May with the GCC leaders at the 37th GCC Summit in Bahrain. – ONA

history in using all means at their disposal to secure their core interests in the Gulf region, including to tackle regional threats and threats to their security. The GCC and UK partners share a deep interest in supporting the political independence and territorial integrity of GCC member states. The UK remains committed to working with GCC states to deter external aggression and interference in their internal affairs contrary to international law and the UN Charter, just as it did during the Gulf War and on other occasions. >A6 Fahd meets Theresa >A6

‘PEOPLE ARE USING THEIR CARS AS WEAPONS ON THE ROAD’ SHRUTHI NAIR

shruthi@timesofoman.com

Oman International Motor Show provided platform to promote road safety

M E T E O R O L O G Y D E PA R T M E N T

Rain falls in Dhofar region

MUSCAT: “I can openly say that we have more respect for fellow contestants on a racetrack when we are competing for a podium position than what I just experienced while driving to this exhibition today.” This was Oman’s top racing driver, Ahmad Al Harthy, speaking at the grand opening of the Oman International Motor Show, which became a platform for social good. Al Harthy said people should stop using their cars as “weapons” on Oman’s roads and treat other drivers with respect. His views were echoed by HH Sayyid Tarik bin Shabib

WATCH THE VIDEO @ timesofoman.com

Al Said, a member of the royal family who was there to ofﬁcially open the prestigious motor show. Sayyid Tarik told TimesTV that there was a need to consider introducing average speed cameras besides educating drivers. Sayyid Tarik added: “A lot of people don’t realise that they are acting irresponsibly. For example, travelling with

H AY G R O U P PAY N E T D ATA

PLUG THE DEFICIT

SALARY INCREASE (%) Salary hike for 2017 compared to

2016 Forecast

predictions made at this time last year regarding 2016. Salaries in Oman grew by 4% in 2016 but after adjusting for inﬂation, it rose by 3.1

Times News Service

2017

Speed-up

Inﬂation

Slowdown

Oman plans sale of bonds worth $2b

Deﬂation

Real

Jordan Lebanon

Jordan and Lebanon are to see the highest real wage increases in the region

India China

11.5 10.3

Times News Service

10.0

9.3

MUSCAT: Rain fell along the northern Dhofar coast and in many parts of the interior region, according to the Oman’s meteorology department report. “Condensation clouds in the northern and southern parts as well as interior regions have brought rains to Dhofar,” the department tweeted. Sea conditions will be medium to harsh on the Dhofar and Wusta coasts.

Saudi Qatar OMAN Bahrain Kuwait Arabia 5.0

5.0

4.5

5.0 5.0

5.0

8.0

UAE 5.0

3.0 3.1

2.9 2.1

5.5

6.1 5.1

3.0 2.6

2.7 1.8

6.3

Inﬂation in Middle East tempers real wage increases

1.8 1.6

0.8

0.8 0.9

6.3

5.3

5.0 5.0

4.1

4.0

0.5

Source: 2017 Salary Forecast: Wage Increases Slow Globally, Korn Ferry Hay Group

6.1 5

4.7

4.8

4.0 3.0

3.0

2.7 1.9 0 Graphics

TOP THREE INSIDE STORIES

OMAN

Free Thai tourist visa for Oman residents

Residents in Oman can now avail free of cost Thai tourist visa until February end. >A3

PAKISTAN

40 feared dead in Pakistan plane crash

A jet carrying about 40 people crashed on a mountain in Pakistan. >A9

MARKET

Air Arabia plans more flight services

Air Arabia is planning to expand its operations to Oman. >B1

3% pay rise expected in 2017 Staff Reporter MUSCAT: Salaries in Oman are expected to rise by three per cent in 2017, according to a survey. Data from Hay Group Paynet reveals that salaries in Oman grew by four per cent in 2016. Though 2017 may witness a slowdown, salaries are still expected to rise. In 2016, after adjusting for inflation, salaries grew by 3.1 per cent and will rise in 2017 by 1.8 per cent. Wages are adjusted for inflation by subtracting percentage salary increase with inflation in that particular year. The data is collected from more than 20 million job holders in 25,000 organisations across 110 countries. The UAE is set to see the slowest real wage growth of 0.5 percent, followed by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait at 0.8 per cent each, Oman and Bahrain both at 1.8 percent while Qatar will perform the

children who are unrestrained in the car. Whenever I see that, I feel if people knew the consequences, they wouldn’t be doing that.” The 18th Oman International Motor Show at the new Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre was officially inaugurated yesterday by Sayyid Tarik with Al Harthy as the guest of honour. Some of the world’s biggest brands unveiled new cars. There were some classic cars on display as well as road safety products and tips. The show will run until Saturday. Al Harthy also announced that he intends to raise road safety awareness among the public and schoolchildren as part of his 2017 racing programme. >A4

best in the GCC with 2.1 per cent real increase in salary. Job market has suffered in the GCC region with oil prices falling sharply since 2014. A recent survey by Monster showed a steep decline in job postings. According to a report for job listings in October, Oman posted its first decline in job postings in six months. According to an HR manager in a leading firm in Oman, job market certainly witnessed a slump with lesser government projects than usual. “There has been significant restructuring in companies in Oman and that has led to a lot of people losing their jobs. Some people are offered new contracts with lower salaries to increase revenue while retaining manpower. I don’t think such a survey has taken into account decrease in salaries, else it would have been hard to register a four per cent increase in 2016,” he said. Officials from an HR company

said they did not agree with the survey as they haven’t seen any such rise in salaries. Mohammed Shafiqul Islam Bhuiyan, the general manager of a private company in Muscat, said a lot of companies are finding it tough to pay salaries on time. “But with oil prices going up, there is hope that salaries will increase,” he said. A managing director of a construction company said there was little likelihood of salaries going up in 2017. “Many projects are on hold and we don’t know if the situation will continue for long. Sooner or later, the impact will be felt by all the players in the market. Taking this into account, I doubt that companies will afford offering a raise to their employees in 2017,” he said. “The first quarter of 2017 is very important to Oman. If there is dramatic improvement in the first quarter, then there is a chance,” they admitted.

MUSCAT: Oman plans to sell between $1.5 billion to $2 billion of bonds internationally in 2017 to plug the deficit caused by low crude prices. “There’s still an appetite and I think even when interest rates are raised, there will still be appetite,” Ali Hamdan Al Raisi, vicepresident for banking oversight at the Central Bank of Oman, said in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. The size and exact timing has not yet been finalised, he said. The Sultanate sold $2.5 billion worth of bonds in June in the first such sale since 1997 and tapped the bonds for an additional $1.5 billion in September. The country also raised $1 billion from the international loan market in January to help bolster its finances. The country’s central bank

executive president, Hamoud Sangour Al Zadjali, said in October that Oman plans to borrow as much as $10 billion from overseas markets in the next four years to meet budget deficit in the aftermath of a severe fall in oil revenue. These borrowings, until 2020, will be in the form of euro bonds, deposits from international institutions and bonds. Al Zadjali said that as much as 60-70 per cent of the deficit will be met by way of external borrowings, while drawings from State General Reserve Fund will help cut deficit. There are several favourable factors for Oman to borrow money from overseas markets, which include low interest rates, appetite among foreign lenders to park their funds in Oman and reputation of the government among overseas lenders. >A5

Dar Al Atta’a gets award for humanitarian services

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

THE BRIEFING PAKISTAN

All 48 presumed dead in Pakistan plane crash Forty people died when a plane carrying 48 passengers crashed into a mountain in northern Pakistan on Wednesday and witnesses at the site of the ﬂaming wreckage said there were unlikely to be any survivors.. >A9

WORLD

Trump named Time Person of the Year

Time Magazine named US President-elect Donald Trump its person of the year on Wednesday, citing the upheaval in American politics brought about by the New York businessman’s election campaign and victory. >A12

OMAN

Muscat gears up for Red Bull Car Park Drift Final 2016 The smoky showdown, held in association with the Oman Automobile Association, will take place at the iconic Port Sultan Qaboos this Friday, December 9. >A5

OMAN

Sultan Qaboos Order for Culture, Science, Arts and Literature

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said conferred Sultan Qaboos Order for Culture, Science, Arts and Literature on Dr. Hamadoun Toure, former Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). >A6

OMAN

Majlis discusses higher education policies The discussion covered policies of higher education in the Sultanate, strategies and ﬁve-year plans, colleges of applied sciences, private higher education, student accommodation at institutions of the Ministry of Higher Education. >A6

LIFESTYLE

A teacher for life

REGION

IS militants attack Iraqi soldiers in Mosul IS militants attacked Iraqi soldiers in southeast Mosul, an army officer and the militant group’s new agency said. The ﬁghting came a day after the operations commander for Mosul said soldiers surged into the city and took over the Salam hospital. >A7

A parent is a child’s ﬁrst teacher and that’s a role we need to play to near perfection almost all our lives. And the learning begins right from when you bring your newborn home. >A14

INDIA

BUSINESS

The demonetisation decision was taken after detailed deliberations and not in haste, while nearly Rs 11.85 lakh crore or 80 per cent of junked notes have come back into the system, Reserve Bank of India(RBI) on Wednesday said promising to maintain steady supply of new currency to ease cash crunch “The decision was not and has not been taken in haste but after detailed deliberations,” said RBI Governor Urjit Patel.>A8

Galfar Engineering said that it has received an off plot mechanical contract worth OMR70m from Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) for Qarn Alam oil block. >B1

Demonetisation not done in haste: Patel

Galfar wins OMR70m contract from PDO

SPORTS

Khalid Al Zubair to seek another term Sultanate’s Olympic body has set January 31 as poll date and Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Zubair will seek another term . >C4

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

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OMAN

SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY SHARE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS

Free Thai visa for Oman residents Omanis, however, do not require a tourist visa to visit Thailand for a period of 30 days

Expatriates will not have to pay any money if their visa is issued from the Thailand Embassy in Muscat before travelling

Times News Service MUSCAT: Residents of Oman can now get free of cost tourist visa for Thailand until the end of February 2017. Speaking to the Times of Oman, a senior official of Thailand’s Embassy in Muscat said expatriates will not have to pay any money if

their visa is issued by the Thailand Embassy in Muscat. “Those who wish to apply for tourist visa at the Royal Thai Embassy in Muscat need to have a resident card in Oman,” the official stressed. However, if they obtain a visa on arrival, then they will have to pay 50 per cent of the visa fee.

For December to February 2017, visa on arrival fee has already been reduced from 2,000 Thai bhat (OMR20) to 1,000 Thai bhat (OMR10) for applicants affiliated

to nationalities entitled for visa on arrival at designated immigration checkpoints. The citizens of Andorra, Bulgaria, Bhutan, China, Cyprus, Ethio-

INCIDENT

Do-gooder ﬁnds, returns stolen wallet KHADIJA AL ZADJALI

khadija@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: When Natasha Malik decided to take a walk down the Love Street last Sunday at 7:30pm to unwind after a stressful day, little did she know that all her inner calm would go out of the window -literally. “I returned to the car after 45 minutes to ﬁnd the passenger window shattered. When I couldn’t ﬁnd my wallet, of course, the panic set in,” Malik said. The car had been parked under the street lights and, as always, the street was bustling with people. According to Malik, she had left her wallet out in plain sight along with other bags on the passenger seat. “Please don’t leave your things in the car. I am very careless and I learnt the hard way. I hope no one else has to learn that way,” she now offers some sane advice. Personnel from the ROP, CID and Crime Scene Unit were called, and procedures continued till around 11pm. Fingerprints were taken and she was asked to wait for 48 hours before applying for new

LUCKY AT LAST: Natasha Malik shows her wallet after Kristy Palmer traced her and returned it (left). Earlier her car’s window was smashed and the wallet she had left inside stolen. – Supplied photo

cards. The wallet had her resident card, driver’s licence, bank cards, and some other stuff. Luckily for her, there was just OMR10 in cash. The ROP informed her that thieves usually take the money and discard the wallet, which is exactly what happened next. “As soon as I reached my work place, somebody called me asking

if I was Natasha. They informed me that they found my wallet washed up on the shore. I couldn’t have been more excited,” she said. Eventful walk Good Samaritan Kristy Palmer and her husband were out for a morning stroll by the beach when they stumbled across the soaked

wallet. “There, next to a metrelong squid was the wallet lying. It turned out to be a fairly eventful walk,” Palmer said. According to Palmer, there was no actual contact information in the wallet and it took them about five attempts to finally reach Malik. “We originally planned to hand it over to the ROP but then thought it would reach the rightful person quickly if we tried to trace the owner. I tried looking up her name but couldn’t find a Facebook account, but she did have a twitter account. One of her health insurance cards had her employers’ name on it, so we called them and they gave us her work number,” Palmer said. Palmer took time out of her day to track down Malik, because she believes positivity is reciprocal. “You can add something positive anytime to somebody else’s day, it’s not only a positive for them but it’s a positive for you as well.” “We feel very safe in Oman and because of that, we sometimes let our guard down. It’s really important that we keep our valuables out of sight,” Palmer added.

pia, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan are entitled for visa on arrival in Thailand. Multiple-entry Omanis, however, do not require a tourist visa to visit Thailand for a period of 30 days. “They can also apply for a multiple-entry visa with six months validity and entitlement to stay for a period of 60 days at a time. Those wishing to seek medical treatment in Thailand can apply for a 60-day medical tourist visa, which can be renewed up to six months, depending on supporting documents from hospitals,” the official said.

More than 72,000 Omani tourists visited Thailand between January and August, 2016. “As of 31 October, 2016, we had a total of 27,076,308 tourists from all over the world visiting Thailand this year,” the official added. “Thailand is courting more tourists from all over the world and that is one of the reasons it is offering visa without any charges,” a leading travel agent said. Thailand recently welcomed its 30 millionth visitor for 2016, breaking tourism records. “Thailand’s Luckiest Visitor – An Amazing, Smashing Success” was Ms. Huang Junyi who ﬂew into Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport from Guangzhou, China on the auspicious day, December 5, 2016.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

OMAN TRANSPORT

INTERVIEW

Awareness ultimate solution to traffic safety question, says Sayyid Tarik

Culture of safety needed I think education is really important, so the process of learning how to drive, and instilling a culture of safety in drivers, should be the priority SHRUTHI NAIR

shruthi@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: Among the various dignitaries who attended the Oman International Motor Show was His Highness Sayyid Tarik bin Shabib Al Said, who had some interesting takes on the driving ethics in Oman and proposed a number of solutions suitable for the Sultanate. Safety, according to him, is a priority and in today’s day and age, a number of cars being brought to the market have certain safety features that allow them to manage some aspects. For instance, certain cars warn you before collision or apply the brakes automatically while some others shift lanes on their own. “We are on the route towards self-driving cars,” he said. Of all the accidents that occur every day on Oman’s roads, those that involve fatalities can usually be easily avoided, he said. Using a mobile phone, according to HH, was one of the main causes of most crashes. He also felt that people

213,924

vehicles were sold in Oman in 2014 almost double 114, 000 units sold in 2004

Cameras will help curb erratic driving Average speed cameras will basically prevent people from indulging in erratic driving behaviour shouldn’t be driving in certain conditions or they need to adjust their driving according to conditions. He said, “You should always follow the prescribed limits but you should also follow the limits that are relevant to your particular situation. Even if the speed limit is higher, that doesn’t mean that you should be driving at that speed.” He was very positive about the proposed average speed cameras. “I think perhaps if we have more cameras that are not necessarily just catching speeding drivers but are also monitoring the behaviour of drivers and linking those cameras to signage that can warn people of dangers ahead, it will help in early warnings.” He added, “Average Speed Cameras will basically prevent people from indulging in erratic driving behaviour.” However, he felt, the ultimate solution would be education and awareness. “I think education is really important, so the process of learning how to drive, and instilling a culture of safety in drivers, should be the priority.”

A1 Racing ace roots for safer driving < FROM

His comments will resonate with everyone who uses Oman’s roads. Al Harthy said: “My true honest opinion would be that I am not happy at all about it. “Sometimes, unfortunately, you see it as people using their cars as weapons. Jumping into someone’s space, or to move away from someone, is like using your vehicle as a weapon. “When I was a kid, the level of respect on the road was much greater, much higher. I used to see my parents and how they would drive - the courtesy on the road between one car and another. “There has to be more respect and I can openly say that we have more respect on a racetrack when we are competing for a podium position than what I had experienced while driving to this exhibition today. “So, more than respect, I would like to see more safety involved in the drive itself. Just pay attention to how many people are actually wearing seatbelts, and you will understand. “Let’s not complicate the matter. Just buckle up - it’s as simple as that. “The number of accidents is high but the number of fatalities are even higher -- that tells you something very important. “In 2017, my racing programme plan will involve educating the public in a friendly manner and, hopefully, we will do more road shows and more talks at schools because the younger generation in the schools is our next generation. Awareness is very important. “The same person who cut you off when you were trying to indicate to go into a lane and sped up and didn’t give you space to get in, won’t enter his house without letting you enter ﬁrst or won’t drink tea or coffee before you take a sip from your cup. So I think it’s a very difficult scenario to explain. Putting someone behind the wheel of a car somehow changes the person’s personality. “I would always say education is the most important thing. “What I can talk about is the educational level, knowing what to do while you are in the car because, let’s be honest, speeding on the highway in Muscat will only gain you a few minutes to reach before your rival. A lot of people leave their house and speed to work, but while that speeding is happening, if you look back and compare with someone who left their house at the same time, the difference will be two to three minutes, and one driver gets to work calm and relaxed and the other begins his work extremely frustrated.” He also advocated use of child restraint in cars, adding: “Some-

We have more respect on a racetrack

Speeding saves very little time

There has to be more respect and I can openly say that we have more respect on a racetrack when we are competing for a podium position than what I had experienced while driving to this exhibition today.

A lot of people leave their house and speed to work, but while that speeding is happening, if you look back and compare with someone who left their house at the same time, the difference will be two to three minutes

Same person, different behaviour

Parents not educated about child seats

The same person who cut you off when you were trying to indicate to go into a lane and sped up and didn’t give you space to get in, won’t enter his house without letting you enter ﬁrst or won’t drink tea or coffee before you take a sip from your cup.

I am sure parents love their children. They are just not educated in this aspect (child seats) and are not informed about the dangers of what happens when you’re in an accident and your child is actually sitting in the middle console of the car

thing that I always talk about is the use of child seats in the car. We really need to see improvement in this regard because you sit and watch other cars, and I am sure parents love their children. They are just not educated in this aspect and are not informed about the dangers of what happens when

you’re in an accident and your child is actually sitting in the middle console of the car, what happens to that child when there is an accident. “It could be such a small accident that everybody will come away unharmed, but in a situation when the child is in the wrong

place or obstructing an airbag space, it’s not what you want.” Expatriate deaths registered an 8.5 percent increase since the beginning of 2016 and until the end of October. There were 204 fatalities compared to 188 over the same period last year, according to government statistics.

‘Small firms can build their services around big automobile companies’ His Highness Sayyid Tarik Al Said inaugurated the 18th annual Oman International Motor Show yesterday at the Oman Exhibition and Convention Centre

TARIQ ZIAD AL HAREMI

tariqh@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: The need for “satellite” businesses built around big established companies in the automotive sector can prove advantageous for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and help improve the economy, said HH Sayyid Tarik bin Shabib Al Said. HH Sayyid Tarik Al Said inaugurated the 18th annual Oman International Motor Show yesterday at the Oman Exhibition and Convention Centre. Upon his arrival, Toyota unveiled its All New Corolla 2017 while Lexus unveiled its 2017 IS. The motor show is a platform where brands in the automotive industry market their products and enhance sales. This year’s mo-

UNVEILED: Upon the arrival of His Highness Sayyid Tarik Al Said, Toyota unveiled its All New Corolla 2017 while Lexus unveiled its 2017 IS. – Ismail Al Farsi

tor show witnessed an increase in the hybrid vehicles as car manufacturers are adapting to the current economic situation. “I found it quite interesting that the exhibitors are adapting to the new climate. As a result, there were a lot more fuel efficient cars. We’re noticing hybrids emerging on the scene,” said Sayyid Tarik. “Generally, the automotive sector can create many jobs. Also,

SMEs can beneﬁt by providing services built around the large players,” said Sayyid Tarik. Third biggest market According to the Oman Automotive Market Report 2016, the Sultanate is the third largest automotive market in the GCC after Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The automotive sector is expected to grow by approximately

7.5 per cent annually. The market boomed from 114,000 units in 2004 to 213,924 in 2014. “There is always a need for ‘satellite’ businesses around these big established businesses. This is where I see the real advantage, as the smaller business can beneﬁt from this trend,” said HH. Khalil Al Ouﬁ, Mitsubishi Motor’s Sales Manager, believed the automotive industry can help up-

lift the Omani economy. “It does help the economy in a way. With the increase in fuel prices, we should be more economic. Now we have SUVs for 7 passengers with all the features the consumer needs while ensuring that it is fuel efficient,” said Al Ouﬁ. The Oman Automotive Market Report 2016 stated that “Oman plans to establish an Iranian car production site through ﬁnancing

provided by the Sultanate, which can be one of the most important moves to develop the auto industry. “One of the plans is to build an automobile spare parts manufacturing project in Sohar to produce aluminum automobile wheels in cooperation with a South Korean company. A lot of efforts are made by the private sector to develop the automotive industry,” the report added.

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Oman labour market challenges discussed

Chairperson of Dar Al Atta’a Association, received the ‘Leading Charity Association’ award for the entire GCC region

KHADIJA AL ZADJALI

MUSCAT: Dar Al Atta’a Association has received its second award for humanitarian services in the Gulf region. Maryam Al Zadjali, chairperson of Dar Al Atta’a Association, received the ‘Leading Charity Association’ award for the whole GCC area. In preparation for 2017, Dar Al Atta’a plans to focus more on individual donors to help continue the gift of giving. “I’m really happy that we have been honoured with this award, this will allow us to keep giving like we have been. When somebody does something nice, they don’t wait for people to say thank

Drifting drivers to showcase skills

broo Parking to the event venue between 12pm-6pm. For spectators traveling via Darsait/Lulu Hypermarket Road, take a U-turn from Al Mina roundabout and follow the signs to Jibroo Parking. For those travelling from Wadi Kabir, turn left at the Al Bustan roundabout and follow the Muttrah corniche. At the Fish roundabout, take another left and follow the signs to Jibroo Parking where shuttle buses will be waiting. No spectator will be able to board the shuttle bus or enter the venue of the event without ticket. Ticket sales for the Red Bull Car Park Drift Final are in the last stages. Premium Grandstand tickets are already sold out and standing tickets are soon to be sold out. Remaining tickets are available for OMR3 (Standing) and OMR10 (Grandstand). For further information regarding tickets, please visit redbull.com/cpd. Official partners for the event include one of the world’s leading motor companies, Nissan,global oil and gas company Total, online shipping delivery service Shop and Ship, ultra high performance tires Falken Tires GoPro, MBC Action,Ministry of Tourism, Hi FM, Hala FM, the Times of Oman, Shabiba, Bank Muscat and Omran.

BOLSTER ITS FINANCES

< FROM

Plans to borrow $10b

A1 from abroad: CBO Also, Oman’s debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio (a common parameter used for measuring the indebtedness of a country) is low, compared to several developing countries. Oman joins several other governments and companies from the six-nation Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) in tapping the bond markets as they cope with low oil prices. The region is home to about a third of global crude reserves.

GREAT SERVICE: Dar Al Atta’a works professionally all the way from the board members to volunteers. – Supplied photo

khadija@timesofoman.com

E D B U L L C A R PA R K D R I FT F I NA L

MUSCAT: People in Muscat are gearing up for the Red Bull Car Park Drift Final 2016, the biggest motorsports event ever to hit Oman. The smoky showdown, held in association with the Oman Automobile Association, will take place at the iconic Port Sultan Qaboos this Friday, December 9. The Red Bull Car Park Drift is a much-loved annual series that showcases the best drifting talent from around the region. The unique event challenges the skills of the drifters and the capabilities of their cars. The year 2016 will be the ﬁrst time that the season ﬁnal will be held in Oman. Top drifters from the Middle East and Africa, including three from Oman, will battle it out for the coveted title of ‘King of Drift.’ In addition to intense drifting action, spectators will also be wowed by the side-acts, including champion rally driver Abdo Feghali and gravity defying stunt exhibition and enduro rider Brian Capper. On the event day, doors will open at 1pm for the 2:30pm kickoff. Parking will be available at Jibroo Parking (next to the Indian School Muscat). A shuttle service will be available from Ji-

MINISTRY OF MANPOWER

640 arrested for violation of labour law Times News Service

MUSCAT: Major challenges facing the Omani labour market and means of improving them in accordance with the aspirations of the next phase, were discussed at an Ithraa event yesterday. The Public Authority for Investment Promotion and Export Development, or Ithraa, organised the event, a workshop on “Labour Market Efficiency”, at the Diplomatic Club. “In the future, people will have shorter careers and more of them, and the idea of a single education, followed by a single career, ﬁnishing with a single pension is over. As a result, workers will constantly need to gain new skills throughout their working life,” pointed out Azzan Al Busaidi, Ithraa’s Director General of Planning and Studies. “People and their participation in the workforce are at the heart of our economy. It’s imperative we build the skilled labour Oman needs to succeed in today’s highly competitive global marketplace,” remarked al-Busaidi. The panelists debating in the workshop included Sayyid Dr. Adham bin Turki Al Said, Assistant Professor at the College of Economics and Political Science in Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), and many others. -ONA

Times News Service

OMAN

Dar Al Atta’a gets award for helping humanity

ITHRAA

Saudi Arabia sold $17.5 billion in bonds in a three-part bond sale in October; Qatar, the world’s biggest liqueﬁed natural gas exporter, raised $9 billion this year; while Abu Dhabi raised $5 billion in April. Oman’s budget deﬁcit widened 55 per cent year-on-year in September to OMR180.5 million. The country plans to raise OMR600 million in local debt next year, Al Raisi said. – With input from Bloomberg News

you, but receiving such an award makes us feel valued and recognized for our hard work over the years. It’s a beautiful feeling,” Al Zadjali said. While some companies are downsizing due to the oil crises, Dar Al Atta’a is looking to hire more people. Marketing Director May Al Bayat believes that the more the company expands the more staff members the company needs. “We are creating more programmes to get donations from individuals, and not focus so much on corporations. We are actually looking to recruit more and

expanding outside Muscat. The whole association has around 22 staff members, and less than ten are actually working in an office,” Al Bayat said. “I think I am more proud that an Omani association can compete on the same level as the rest of the GCC. The staff at Dar Al Atta’a works professionally all the way from the board members to volunteers. I think professionalism is still a new concept in Oman and I’m happy that we are able to represent Oman in this way,” Al Zadjali added. For the last fourteen years, Dar Al Atta’a has been working hard

to help those in need. Below are some of the reasons why Dar AlAta’aa has been recognized as the Leading Charity Organisation for the whole GCC region: Domestic: 57 new houses have been built, 347 houses maintained, 7,455 families supplied families with furniture and appliances and 363 people were provided medical devices. Children: 27,905 school uniforms were donated, 38,156 school bags donated, 13,995 daily school meals supplied, and 116 full and partial scholarships The charity still continued giving even for religious holidays and circumstances: 12267 families received Eid clothes, 28763 families received Ramadan Rations, 2047 families received Eid udhiya, 1300 people received daily iftar. The association has two main projects under their wing focusing on both sustainability and empowerment.

MUSCAT: More than 600 expatriates were arrested in the period between 27 November and 3 December for violating the Omani labour law, the Ministry of Manpower reported. Of the 640 arrested workers, 493 were commercial, 78 agricultural and 69 were domestic workers. North Al Batinah governorate recorded the highest number of violations with 193 workers while Al Buraimi came second with 132. Meanwhile, the ministry deported 409 illegal labourers during the same period. ARRESTED

Illegal alcohol dealer arrested Times News service MUSCAT: An Asian expatriate has been arrested for allegedly possessing and selling alcoholic beverages in Ibri, Royal Oman Police (ROP) reported on Wednesday. The police investigating team arrested the culprit at his house and seized more than 300 bottles of alcohol.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

OMAN L O N G - S TA N D I N G T I E S

AWA R D

BLESSED RENAISSANCE

Pakistan ambassador Sultan Qaboos Order conferred praises Times bond on ex-ITU secretary-general

Good footfall at Oman exhibition in Comoros

Times News Service

MORONI: Good turnout was witnessed at the documentary exhibition on Oman’s relations with African Horn countries being held in Comoros. A number of Comorians saw the achievements made by the Sultanate during the Blessed Renaissance. The exhibition provided the visitors with a chance to review the documents, correspondences, manuscripts and maps, as well as the recent pictures of exchanged official visits that document the relationship between their country and the Sultanate during the past periods. Mohammed Ahmed Janab, member of the Parliament in the Union of Comoros said that the conference will have agreat impact on the relationship between the countries. -ONA

MUSCAT: Ali Javed, the Pakistani ambassador to Oman, received recently Scott Armstrong, Chief Executive Editor of the Times of Oman. Extending a warm welcome to Armstrong, the ambassador praised the long-standing relationship between the Pakistani embassy and Times of Oman. During the meeting, the two sides discussed matters of mutual interest as well as new avenues of cooperation, focusing on its public initiatives and salient achievements of young Pakistani students as well as the activities undertaken by the Pakistan Social Club and community to promote the bonds of friendship with Oman. Armstrong welcomed the contributions of Pakistani community in Oman and praised the achievements of Pakistani youth in the ﬁeld of sports, arts and academics. He stated that Times of Oman

would partner with the embassy to accord appropriate coverage to the Pakistanis, who are the third largest expat community in the Sultanate. The ambassador also accorded a comprehensive brieﬁng on the strength and status of bilateral relations as well as salient prospective activities and presented a copy of inaugural edition of the embassy’s Newsletter.

PIA MAIDEN FLIGHT LANDS IN SALALAH Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) made history on December 1 when its first flight landed at Salalah Airport. The flight arrived directly from Lahore with 100 per cent occupancy and was accorded a traditional ‘water salute’ upon landing, keeping with the traditions of the aviation Sector to welcome the inaugural flights.

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said conferred Sultan Qaboos Order for Culture, Science, Arts and Literature on Dr. Hamadoun Toure, former secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in appreciation for his good efforts in serving the ITU and achieving its goals. The order was handed over by His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said when he received Dr. Toure yesterday, in the presence of Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Salim Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications, Dr. Hamad bin Salim bin Rashid Al Rawahi, CEO of the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority and Dr. Salim bin Sultan Al Raziqi, CEO of the Information Technology Authority. -ONA SCIENCE LEARNING

Project to refurbish school labs

HONOUR: The order was handed over by His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said to Dr. Hamadoun Toure, former Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union. –ONA

Fahd holds talks with British PM

Times News Service MUSCAT: A School Science Laboratories Refurbishment Project was inaugurated by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday. The event was held under the auspices of Dr. Madiha Al Shaibaniyah, Minister of Education. Shaikh Salim Al Alawoi, counsellor of the minister for school buildings affairs, welcomed the Minister of Education and the audience. He said, “It was a matter of pride that our ceremony coincides with the celebrations of the 46th National Day of the Sultanate. The implementation of the Refurnishing Project complements the Ministry’s plans to develop science laboratories in schools.” “Well designed and furnished school science laboratories play an important role in providing a perfect environment for learning. Therefore, the ministry has tried to provide schools with modern laboratories designed as per international standards,” he said.

Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said and Theresa May discussed the good historic relations binding the Sultanate and the UK in all spheres

MANAMA: His Highness Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers met Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK) in Bahrain yesterday. The two leaders discussed the good historic relations binding the Sultanate and the UK in all

HISTORIC TIES: Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said and Theresa May discussed issues of common concern and latest developments in the regional and international arenas. – ONA

spheres. They discussed issues of common concern and latest developments in the regional and international arenas. The meeting was attended by members of the official delegation accompanying Sayyid Fahd and some members of the delegation accompanying the UK

Prime Minister. Sayyid Fahd also met Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, prime minister of Bahrain. They discussed the existing ties between the two countries and means of enhancing them in all areas. Topics related to the GCC march and issues of common concern were discussed. -ONA

M I N I S T E R O F H I G H E R E D UC AT I O N

Majlis discusses higher education policies MUSCAT: Majlis Al Shura discussed the statement of Dr. Rawya bint Saud Al Busaidiyah, Minister of Higher Education yesterday. The discussion covered ﬁve main themes namely policies of higher education in the Sultanate, the strategies and the ﬁve-year plans, the colleges of applied sciences, the private higher education, the student accommodation at institutions of the Ministry of Higher Education.

Some Majlis Al Shura members presented a number of proposals that include cancelling the diploma certiﬁcate with scholarship system, approving admission tests to universities and colleges, providing soft loans for students and exempting outperforming students from study fees. The Majlis members also called on the Minister of Higher Education to simplify education procedures for the people with disabilities,

review experiences of some countries especially in the majors that are relevant to certain types of disabilities. Majlis held its 4th regular session of the 2nd annual sitting (2016/2017) of the 8th term (2015/2019) under the chair of Khalid bin Hilal Al Ma’awali. Majlis Al Shura will continue discussing the statement of the Minister of Higher Education at the next session on Thursday.

SUMMIT IN BAHRAIN

< FROM

A1 GCC-UK to deter external threats The GCC and UK expressed unequivocal commitment to secure, through the new GCC-UK Strategic Partnership, their shared security interests in the Gulf region, including to deter and respond to external aggression. They committed to strengthening engagement on security assistance, cooperation and training. The GCC and UK partners share a vision for a peaceful and prosperous region, and for addressing the most pressing regional conflicts (Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Libya, as well as the Middle East Peace Process), defeating violent extremists including IS, and countering Iran’s destabilising activities. On regional conflicts, the leaders decided on a set of common principles, including a shared recognition that there is no military solution to the region’s armed civil conflicts. These can only be resolved through political and peaceful means, respect for all states’ sovereignty and non-interference in their internal affairs contrary to international law, the need for inclusive governance in con-

flict-ridden societies, as well as protection of all minorities and of human rights. The leaders committed to continue working towards a sustainable political resolution in Syria that ends the war and establishes an inclusive government that protects all ethnic and religious communities, and preserves state institutions. The leaders reaffirmed that Assad has lost all legitimacy and has no role in Syria’s future. The international community needs to be united in calling for the Assad regime and its backers, including Russia and Iran, to support a meaningful end to the violence, sustained humanitarian access and an inclusive political process. The solution to the situation in Syria is an enduring political settlement based on transition away from the Assad regime to a government representative of all Syrians; and with which we work to fight terrorism. They agreed to increase regional pressure on the Assad regime and its backers by heightening financial disruption and economic constraints. They reaffirmed strong support for the Syrian opposition, brought

together by the High Negotiations Committee, and their vision for political transition in Syria. At the same time, they agreed to: (1) encourage the moderate Syrian opposition to work hard to promote its vision to the Syrian people and international community; (2) ensure the Syrian opposition remain committed to a negotiated political solution; and (3) emphasise that armed groups must comply with International Humanitarian Law and minimise civilian casualties. They strongly supported increased efforts to degrade and defeat IS in Syria, and warned against the inﬂuence of other extremist groups, such as AlNusrah, Hezbollah and other sectarian organisations and Al Qaeda-linked terrorist groups, that represent a danger to the Syrian people, to the region and to the international community. They expressed deep concern over the continuing deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Syria and condemned the prevention of aid distribution to the civilian population by the Assad regime or any other party. -ONA

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

REGION IS fights back, attacks Iraqi soldiers near Mosul hospital The military came under multiple attacks by IS suicide bombers in the Wahda district

BAGHDAD: IS militants attacked Iraqi soldiers near a hospital in southeast Mosul on Wednesday, an army officer and the militant group’s new agency said, trying to repel the army’s deepest advances of the sevenweek Mosul campaign. The fighting came a day after the army’s operations commander for Mosul said soldiers surged into the city and took over the Salam hospital, less than a mile (1.5 km) from the Tigris river which divides eastern and western Mosul. Tuesday’s rapid advance marked a change in military tactics after more than a month of gruelling fighting in the east of the city, in which the army has sought to capture and clear neighbourhoods block by block. But it left the attacking forces exposed, and the IS news agency Amaq said on Wednesday some of them were surrounded. It said a suicide bomber blew himself up near the hospital, killing 20 soldiers. Eight armoured personnel carriers were also destroyed in the fighting, Amaq said.

SURGING AHEAD: Iraqi forces backed by tribal militias during battle to retake a village from the IS on the eastern bank of the river Tigris, Iraq, on Wednesday. – Reuters

There was no official Iraqi military comment on the ﬁghting but the army officer, whose forces were involved in the clashes, said they had come under multiple attacks by suicide car bombers in the Wahda district where the hospital is located. “We managed to make a swift advance on Tuesday in Al Wahda but it seems that Daesh

(IS) militants were dragging us to an ambush and they managed later to surround some of our soldiers inside the hospital, he told Reuters by telephone, requesting anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to media. He said an armoured regiment and counter terrorism units, backed by US-led air strikes,

were sent to support the stranded troops early on Wednesday and had opened up a route out of the neighbourhood. “They have secured the position, evacuated the wounded and pulled out the destroyed military vehicles from around the hospital,” he said, adding that they were coming under ﬁre from snipers

and rocket-propelled grenades. Amaq said it attacked the relief convoy in Sumer district, south of Wahda near the outer edge of the city. Iraqi forces have been battling for seven weeks to crush IS in Mosul. The city was seized by the militants in 2014 and is the largest in Iraq or Syria under their control. — Reuters

ASSETS FROZEN

Egypt arrests women’s rights advocate Azza CAIRO: Egyptian police arrested prominent women’s rights advocate Azza Soliman on Wednesday, her foundation and a security source said, weeks after she was banned from travel and had her assets frozen. Soliman, founder of the Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance (CEWLA), was one of a number of activists, lawyers and journalists prevented from leaving Egypt in the last month. The rights lawyer told Reuters last week that she was turned back on November 19 at Cairo airport. Soon after, Soliman discovered that her personal assets and those of her group had been frozen. “The investigative judge has issued an arrest warrant against Azza Soliman,” CEWLA said in a tweet, adding that security forces had gone to Soliman’s house and taken her away to a Cairo police station. There was no immediate comment from the interior ministry. CEWLA did not give any more details. It was not immediately clear what charges, if any, Soliman was facing. Soliman’s arrest comes as Egyptian human rights activists say they are being subjected to the worst government clampdown ever, targeting organisations accused of fomenting unrest during the 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule. Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs), most involved in rights work, are embroiled in a long-running investigation, accused of receiving foreign funds to sow chaos. Am Egyptian rights lawyer said Soliman’s arrest warrant had been issued by the judge who is presiding over that case. — Reuters

WA R W I T H I N NAT I O N

Rebels seek truce with Syrian army closer to retaking Aleppo BEIRUT: Syrian rebels in besieged eastern Aleppo called on Wednesday for an immediate fiveday ceasefire and the evacuation of civilians and wounded, but gave no indication they were ready to withdraw as demanded by Damascus and Moscow. The Syrian army and allied forces have made rapid gains against insurgents in the past two weeks and look closer than ever to restoring full control over Aleppo, Syria’s most populous city before the war, and achieving their most important victory of the conflict now in its sixth year. In a statement calling for the truce, the rebels made no mention of evacuating the several thousand fighters who are defending an ever shrinking area of eastern Aleppo.

Syria and Russia, which supports Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, have said they want rebels to leave Aleppo and will not consider a ceasefire unless that happens. “It’s been a tragedy here for a long time, but I’ve never seen this kind of pressure on the city - you can’t rest for even five minutes, the bombardment is constant,” a resident said. “Any movement in the streets and there is bombardment (on that area) immediately,” said the east Aleppo resident contacted by Reuters, who declined to be identified. Fear gripped the remaining residents as food and water supplies were cut off. Retaking Aleppo would also be a success for President Vladimir Putin who intervened to save Mos-

cow’s ally in September 2015 with air strikes, and for Iran, whose elite Islamic Republic Guard Corps has suffered casualties ﬁghting for Assad. The Syrian government now appears closer to victory than at any point since 2012, the year after rebels took up arms to overthrow Assad in a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people, made more than half of Syrians homeless and created the world’s worst refugee crisis. Outside of Aleppo, the government and its allies are also putting severe pressure on remaining rebel redoubts. The Syrian army now controls all of the Old City of Aleppo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site including the Umayyad Mosque, which had been held by rebels, the Obser-

YOUR BIGGEST ROAD HAZARD IS IN YOUR HAND A TIMES OF OMAN HANDS-FREE DRIVING INITIATIVE

vatory said. Explosions and artillery ﬁre could be heard on Syrian state television in districts around the citadel which overlooks the Old City as the army pressed its offensive. More neighbourhoods were expected to fall but rebels were ﬁghting ferociously. Rebels have lost control of about 75 per cent of their territory in eastern Aleppo in under 10 days, Director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdulrahman, said. The “humanitarian initiative” published by rebels called for the evacuation of around 500 critical medical cases. The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a potential US-Russia deal to allow Syrian rebels to leave Aleppo safely was still on the agenda.

Damascus and Moscow have been calling on rebels to withdraw from the city, disarm and accept safe passage out, a procedure that has been carried out in other areas where rebels abandoned besieged territory in recent months. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet US Secretary of State John Kerry in Hamburg on Wednesday, Russian news agencies reported. Lavrov will also meet with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the agencies reported. Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Monday calling for a week-long ceaseﬁre. Moscow said rebels used such pauses in the past to reinforce. The Syrian army’s advance is a

“strategic victory” that will prevent foreign intervention and alter the political process, Reconciliation Minister Ali Haidar told reporters in Damascus. “Those who believed in the Syrian triumph, know that (the rebels’) morale is at its lowest and that these collapses that have begun are like domino tiles,” he said. An official with an Aleppo rebel group, who declined to be named, told Reuters the United States appeared to have no position on the Syrian army assault on Aleppo, just weeks before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office. “The Russians want the ﬁghters out and they (the Americans) are ready to coordinate over that”, said the Turkey-based official, citing indirect contacts with US officials. — Reuters

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

INDIA

Capital Express train travelling from Bihar’s Rajendra Nagar Terminal derailed at around 9pm on Tuesday night near Shamuktala Road station, about 32km from Alipurduar Railway Division headquarters, NF Railway officials said.

Demonetisation not done in haste, says RBI governor Government had announced that the old Rs500/1,000 notes will no longer be legal tender from November 9

SPELLING OUT: Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel speaks during a press conference in Mumbai on Wednesday. - PTI

MUMBAI: The demonetisation decision was taken after detailed deliberations and not in haste, while nearly Rs11.85 lakh crore or 80 per cent of junked notes have come back into the system, Reserve Bank of India(RBI) RBI on Wednesday said promising to maintain steady supply of new

currency to ease cash crunch. “The decision was not and has not been taken in haste but after detailed deliberations,” said RBI Governor Urjit Patel. “The consequences that have emanated from that were taken on board. That is why the planning, the process and implementation

was what it was, keeping in mind high secrecy had to be maintained. The central bank and the government were conscious of certain immediate difficulties for the public at large and all efforts were made to mitigate them,” he added. After the 5th Bi-monthly monetary policy review, Patel told the

media that the problems of the common person were at “the top of our radar” and all dispensation were put into the place so “that period for disruption is minimal while we recalibrate our note supply to the denomination that were not withdrawn in terms of legal tender character”. RBI Deputy Governor R. Gandhi said that almost Rs11.85 lakh crore in the scrapped Rs500/1,000 notes have come back to the banking system. Government had announced that the old Rs500/1,000 notes will no longer be legal tender from November 9. Public has been given time to exchange/withdraw the notes by December 30. Gandhi further said printing presses of RBI and the government are working to full capacity and all efforts are being made to reach the notes in every part of the country. “In fact, during this period that is from November 10 to December

5, the RBI supplied to the public banknotes of various denominations near about Rs4 lakh crore. “As regards lower denomination of notes, the RBI through its counters and bank branches have supplied 19.1 billion (pieces) in this period which is more than what RBI had supplied to the public in whole of last three years,” he said. Patel said presses have been recalibrated in the past two weeks to print more of new Rs500 and Rs100 notes. RBI also urged the public not to hoard the new currency and put it into circulation to ease the situation. “Large quantity of notes of various denomination have already been supplied... I appeal to the public that they may not worry about availability. It is continuously coming. If they freely re-circulate the notes...this problem will not be there,” Gandhi said, adding that “hoarding of notes helps nobody’s cause”. - PTI

NORTH BENGAL

Two killed as Capital Express derails ALIPURDUAR: Two persons were killed and six others injured when two coaches and engine of the Guwahati-bound Capital Express derailed in north Bengal, with initial investigations suggesting that the driver overshot the signal. An inquiry has been ordered into the derailment and three railway employees, including the driver, have been suspended in connection with the mishap. The train travelling from Bihar’s Rajendra Nagar Terminal derailed at around 9pm on Tuesday night near Shamuktala Road station, about 32 km from Alipurduar Railway Division headquarters, NF Railway officials said. Initial reports had said that 10 persons were injured. Two bodies were found from the coaches and they appeared to be those of monks going by their clothes and footwear, NF Railway CPRO Pranav Jyoti Sharma said. - PTI

PERFECT LAUNCH

ISRO successfully launches remote sensing satellite RESOURCESAT-2A BENGALURU: India on Wednesday successfully launched its latest remote sensing satellite, RESOURCESAT2A, which would be useful for agricultural applications like crop area and production estimation, drought monitoring, soil mapping, cropping system analysis and farm advisories generation. In a flawless mission, Indian Space Research Organisation’s workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C36 blasted off at 10.25am from the spaceport at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh and injected the satellite into orbit after a flight of 17 minutes 05 seconds. “It has been a perfect launch,” ISRO Chairman Kiran Kumar said. The satellite, once brought to its final operational configuration, will begin to provide imagery from its three cameras and the data will be useful for agricultural applications. The 1,235-kg RESOURCESAT2A is a follow on mission to RESOURCESAT-1 and RESOURCESAT-2, launched in 2003 and 2011 respectively. It is intended to continue the remote sensing data services to global users provided by RESOURCESAT-1 and 2.

BLAST OFF: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s PSLV C36 lifts off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Wednesday. - PTI

ISRO said PSLV-C36, the 38th flight of PSLV, blasted off from the First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre with the ignition of the first stage. Then the subsequent important flight events, namely strap on ignitions and separations, first stage separation, second stage ignition, pay-

load fairing separation, second stage separation, third stage ignition and separation, fourth stage ignition and cut-off, took place as planned, ISRO said. After a flight of 17 minutes 5 seconds, the vehicle achieved a polar Sun Synchronous Orbit of 824 km height inclined at an angle of 98.725 degree to the equator (very close to the intended orbit) and 47 seconds later, RESOURCESAT-2A was separated from the PSLV fourth stage. After separation, the two solar arrays of RESOURCESAT-2A deployed automatically and ISRO’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) here, took over the control of the satellite. ISRO said in the coming days, the satellite will be brought to its final operational configuration, following which it will begin to provide imagery from its three cameras. Kumar said the satellite is going to provide continuity to “our three tier imaging data, which will be extremely useful for various applications of land and water.” “I wish to congratulate the entire ISRO team for the wonderful job they have done and for putting one more operational satellite into orbit,” Kumar said. - PTI

AG E - R E L AT E D P R O B L E M S

Journalist Cho Ramaswamy passes away CHENNAI: Veteran journalist, former Rajya Sabha Member, political commentator and satirist Cho Ramaswamy passed away early Wednesday morning in a private hospital here due to agerelated problems. Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister O. Paneerselvam, DMK leader M. K. Stalin and superstar Rajnikanth were among those who paid ﬂoral tributes to Cho at his residence. The 82-year-old, who was admitted to Apollo Hospitals last week for respiratory problems,

is survived by his wife, son and daughter. In his tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described him as a multidimensional personality, towering intellectual and a great nationalist. “Cho Ramaswamy was insightful, frank & brilliant. Pained by his demise. Condolences to his family & countless readers of Thuglak,” Modi said. “Above all, Cho Ramaswamy was a dear friend. I have been to his annual readers meeting, which were an unprecedented editor reader interface,” he said. - PTI

END OF ERA: Cho Ramaswamy editor of ‘Thuglak’ passed away at Chennai’s Apollo Hospital on Wednesday after suffering a cardiac arrest. - PTI ﬁle photo

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PAKISTAN

40 killed as plane crashes in northern mountains Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said its plane lost contact with the control tower en route to the capital, Islamabad, from the northern region of Chitral

PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: At least 40 people died when a plane carrying 48 passengers crashed into a mountain in northern Pakistan on Wednesday and witnesses at the site of the ﬂaming wreckage said there were unlikely to be any survivors. The military said 40 bodies had been recovered and rescue efforts involved about 500 soldiers, doctors and paramedics. Shahzad Paracha, Country Manager Oman, Pakistan International Airlines, said there was no information on anyone from Oman being involved in the crash which took place on Wednesday afternoon. “But Pakistani expatriates can call up the helpline number in Pakistan at 021-99044890 for more information,” he told Times of

FATAL CRASH: A traffic policeman controls traffic on the entrance of Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad on Wednesday. A Pakistani plane carrying 48 people crashed in the country’s mountainous north and burst into ﬂames, authorities said, as rescue workers pulled dozens of bodies from the wreckage and officials expressed little hope for survivors. - AFP / FAROOQ NAEEM

Oman on Wednesday evening. The bodies were shifted to the Ayub Medical Centre in nearby Abbottabad, about 20km (12 miles) away. Junaid Jamshed, a well-known Pakistani pop star turned evangelical cleric, was among those feared dead, an airline official said. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said its plane lost contact with the control tower en route to the capital, Islamabad, from the northern region of Chitral. The airline said the plane crashed at 1642 local time (1142 GMT) in the Havelian area of

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, about 40km (25 miles) north of Islamabad. Chitral, where the ﬂight originated, is a very popular tourist destination in Pakistan. “All of the bodies are burned beyond recognition. The debris are scattered,” Taj Muhammad Khan, a government official based in Havelian, told Reuters. Khan, who was at the crash site, said witnesses told him “the aircraft has crashed in a mountainous area, and before it hit the ground it was on ﬁre”. Pakistani television showed

a trail of wreckage engulfed in flames on a mountain slope. Irfan Elahi, the government’s aviation secretary, told media the plane suffered engine problems but it was too early to determine the cause of the accident. PIA said the plane was carrying 48 people, including five crew members and a ground engineer. But Sohail Ahmed, a PIA official in Chitral, said there were 41 people on board. The airline said two Austrian citizens and one Chinese citizen, all men, had been on board. The flight manifest showed three people on board with foreign

ACHIEVEMENT

Pakistan wins big at APICTA 2016 ISLAMABAD: Leading the way were students from the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), who won gold for their project Clinical Decision Support System for Diagnosis of Movement Disorders. Another group, also from NUST, won gold for their Analysis of Optical Coherence Tomography Image for CDSS research and Development project. Wondertree, a startup from P@SHA’s Tech Incubator The Nest i/o also won a gold. The Silver awards were bagged by Amin Farid for his chatbot school project on Conversation Engineering and Mr Higgins, NUST for their project Sionser, UBL Fund Managers for their ﬁnancial product imPro, Trillium

EVENT: A total of 28 teams from Pakistan competed against 236 from 17 economies across the region for 2016 Asia Paciﬁc ICT Alliance Awards. - P@SHA

Information Systems for their Security product T-Eye and two startups of The Nest i/o – MandiExpress and Sheops. It is also worth mentioning that

Pakistan ranked fourth in overall award count, beating economic powerhouses like Australia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan and China. APICTA is an annual award ceremony held to create ICT awareness in communities and provide networking and product benchmarking opportunities to ICT innovators and entrepreneurs. Now in its 16th year, the programme also promotes economic and trade relations, facilitates technology transfer, and offers business opportunities and exposure to venture capitalists and investors. Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT and ITES (P@ SHA) took a delegation of 41 peo-

ple to the award ceremony this year. The four-day event is akin to the Oscars for the Asia Paciﬁc ICT community. A total of 28 teams from Pakistan competed against 236 from 17 economies across the region. Speaking on the occasion, P@ SHA president Jehan Ara said, “P@SHA showcases the true potential and diverse talent of the ICT industry time and again by providing them a platform allowing them to compete and win against companies and products deemed the best in the region. All credit goes to the hard work put in by these teams and the efforts of mentors and judges who have been working with them since October.” - Express Tribune

names. A local trader at the site of the crash said the fire was still burning nearly two hours after the crash. “They are removing body parts,” Nasim Gohar told Geo TV. The military said it had sent in troops and helicopters. “PIA is doing everything possible to help the families of passengers and crew members,” the airline said in a statement. Jamshed, a singer in one of Pakistan’s first successful rock bands in the 1990s, abandoned his singing career to join the Tableeghi Jamaat group, which travels across Pakistan and abroad preaching about Islam. In his last tweet, Jamshed posted pictures of a snow-capped mountain, calling Chitral “Heaven on Earth”. Plane crashes are not uncommon in Pakistan and safety standards are often criticised. In recent years, media have reported on multiple near-misses as planes over-ran runways and engines caught fire. In 2010, a passenger plane crashed in heavy rain near Islamabad, killing all 152 people on board. Two years later, a plane operated by a private Pakistani company, with 127 people on board, crashed near Islamabad. All on board were killed. PIA has also suffered major disasters in the past. In 1979 and 1992, PIA jets crashed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Kathmandu, killing 156 and 167 people, respectively. In 2006, a PIA plane crashed near the central city of Multan killing 45 people. - Agencies

N O T I F I C AT I O N I S S U E D

Justice Mian Saqib Nisar appointed next CJP ISLAMABAD: Senior judge of the Supreme Court Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has been appointed as new Chief Justice of Pakistan, Express News reported on Wednesday. Justice Nisar will take charge as chief justice of the apex court on December 31, a notiﬁcation issued by the Law Ministry said. Sources said the notiﬁcation has been issued after approval from President Mamnoon Hussain. Justice Nisar will replace Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali who is set to retire on December 30. In April this year, the senior Supreme Court judge took oath as the acting Chief Justice of Pakistan in Islamabad, on the account of CJP Anwar Zaheer Jamali’s seven-day official visit to Turkey. Following the oath taking ceremony, CJP Nisar told the media that despite his post, he does not have the authority to respond to the government’s letter, requesting the CJP to form an inquiry commission under broad-based terms of references (ToRs) to settle the Panama leaks controversy. - Express Tribune

A 10

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

SPECIAL

Aceh was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami centred on its western coast near the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, on December 26, 2004.

DEVASTATION: Residents gather outside a damaged mosque, its minaret reduced to rubble following its collapse, after a 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck the town of Pidie, Indonesia’s Aceh province in northern Sumatra, on Wednesday. – AFP

Quake kills 93, injures 500 in Aceh Pidie Jaya regency Aceh province, with a population of about 140,000, worst hit

PIDIE JAYA (INDONESIA): Nearly 100 people were killed and hundreds injured in Indonesia on Wednesday when a strong earthquake hit its Aceh province and rescuers used earth movers and bare hands to search for survivors in scores of toppled buildings. Medical volunteers rushed in fading evening light to get people to hospitals, which were straining to cope with the inﬂux of injured. The Aceh provincial government said in a statement 93 people had died and more than 500 were injured, many seriously. Sutopo Nugroho of Indonesia’s national disaster management agency, said a state of emergency had been declared in Aceh, which sits on the northern tip of Sumatra island. “We are now focusing on searching for victims and possible survivors,” said Nugroho. His agency put the death toll at 94. Aceh was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami centred on its western coast near the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, on December 26, 2004. That tsunami killed 226,000 people along Indian Ocean shorelines. Officials urged people to sleep outdoors as twi-

light fell, in case aftershocks caused more damage to already precarious buildings. President Joko Widodo was expected to visit the area on Thursday, his deputy told media. Wednesday’s quake hit the east coast of the province, about 170km (105 miles) from Banda Aceh. Nugroho said Aceh’s Pidie Jaya regency, with a population of about 140,000, was worst hit Many victims had suffered broken bones and gashes and had to be treated in hospital corridors and hastily erected disaster tents, a Reuters witness said. Television showed footage of flattened mosques, fallen electricity poles and crushed cars. A Red Crescent volunteer said health workers were struggling. “There aren’t enough medical staff,” the Red Crescent’s Muklis, who like many Indonesians uses one name, told TVOne. Nugroho said more than 1,000 personnel, including military officers and volunteers, had been deployed to help in disaster relief. The US Geological Survey said the quake struck just after 5am (2200 GMT Tuesday) at a depth of 17km (11 miles). No tsunami warning was issued. At least five aftershocks were felt after the initial quake, the disaster management agency said. The region suffered massive destruction in 2004 when a 9.2 magnitude quake triggered a tsunami that wiped out entire communities in Indonesia and other countries around the Indian Ocean. Indonesia was the hardest hit, with more than 120,000 people killed in Aceh. — Reuters

A state of emergency had been declared in Aceh. Many victims had suffered broken bones and gashes and had to be treated in hospital corridors and hastily erected disaster tents. At least five aftershocks were felt. People have been urged to sleep outdoors in case aftershocks caused more damage to already precarious buildings

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

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Duterte vows to protect police officers who killed mayor The National Bureau of Investigation disputed a police account that the mayor from central Leyte Province, Rolando Espinosa, was killed in a shootout in a jail when police came to search for guns and drugs last month MAKING A POINT: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during the change of command for the new Armed Forces chief at a military camp in Quezon city, Metro Manila, on Wednesday. - Reuters

MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday defended police officers who killed a detained mayor on a list of top drug suspects even after another law enforcement agency concluded the death was an extrajudicial killing. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Tuesday disputed a police account that the mayor from central Leyte Province, Rolando Espinosa, was killed in a shootout in a jail when police came to search for guns and drugs last month. The bureau described Espinosa’s killing as a “rub out”. “I will have to defend them,” Duterte said during a ceremony at the main army base in the capi-

tal, Manila, referring to the police officers. “I will listen to the story and I will take it as the true version... because they are under me, I should believe them.” Earlier, Duterte had put Espinosa’s name on a list of top drug suspects. The mayor, who denied involvement in narcotics, was arrested on October 5 on drugs and firearms charges. Anti-drug operations Police said Espinosa and a fellow prisoner, Raul Yap, fired at a police team that had come to search their cells. Police returned fire and killed them. Police say 2,004 people have

been shot and killed by officers in self-defense during anti-drug operations since the president took office on July 1. Espinosa’s killing was also investigated by senators, who doubted the police version of events because they said there were many inconsistencies in the official report and witness accounts. Duterte said he did not believe the investigation done by the NBI because they had no credible witnesses. “As a matter of fact, I’m ready to go to jail for them, no problem,” he added. Investigators have ﬁled murder cases against 21 police officers in

connection with Espinosa’s death. Meanwhile, Duterte has ordered the arrest of Jack Lam, one of Asia’s top casino kingpins, on charges of economic sabotage and bribery, according to the country’s police chief. Philippine authorities said they have also shut down two properties in the country that are owned by Lam, a Chinese citizen and head of Hong Kong-listed Jimei International. Lam is not in the Philippines currently, national police chief Ronald Dela Rosa told reporters on Wednesday. Last month, Philippine immigration authorities detained about

I N S U LT I N G M O N A R C H Y

1,200 Chinese men working in call centre-like facilities for running suspected online gambling operations out of a former US air base, Clark Field. Dela Rosa said in a radio interview on Saturday that an associate of Lam tried to secure their release. He said Duterte then ordered Lam’s arrest. On Wednesday, Dela Rosa said Lam had indicated to the authorities that he was willing to return to the Philippines and assist in any investigations. “The feelers were to me,” the police chief said. Lam’s casino operations in the cities of Laoag, which is in northern Luzon, and Clark, just north of Manila, have been shut down, according to local authorities and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. Jimei said in a statement on Tuesday that Lam’s gaming operations in the Philippines were personally owned and not part of the group’s business. “As at the date of this announcement, so far as the company is aware, Dr. Lam has not been held by the Philippine authorities,” it said. Jimei did not respond to requests for comment. Lam, who used to bring high rollers to Macau’s top casinos including Sands China and Wynn Macau, has faded from prominence over the past few years as Beijing’s crackdown on corruption has crippled so-called junket operations. At the same time, Lam’s operations in the Philippines have grown, including a rise in Chinese nationals gambling online at his gaming site. - Reuters

ASIAN DESCENT

NOTICE: A screenshot of New Zealand man Richard Lee’s passport photo rejection notice, supplied to Reuters on Wednesday. - Richard Lee/Handout via Reuters

New Zealand passport robot tells applicant to open eyes SYDNEY: A New Zealand man of Asian descent had his passport photograph rejected when facial recognition software mistakenly registered his eyes as being closed. Richard Lee’s attempt to renew his passport was blocked after he submitted the picture to an online passport photo checker run by New Zealand’s department of internal affairs. The automated system told the 22-year-old engineering student the photo was invalid because his eyes were closed, even though they were clearly open, according to a copy of the notiﬁcation posted on social media site Facebook. “No hard feelings on my part, I’ve always had very small eyes and facial recognition technology is relatively new and unsophisticated,” Lee said. “It was a robot, no hard feelings. I got my passport renewed in the end.” Up to 20 per cent of passport photos submitted online are rejected for various reasons, an Internal Affairs spokesman said. - Reuters

RULING

Thailand to investigate BBC over profile of new king, says minister BANGKOK: Thailand’s defence minister said on Wednesday authorities will investigate the BBC on suspicion of insulting the monarchy in connection with a Thai-language profile of the new king that has stirred social media anger. Offending the dignity of a reigning monarch, known by the French term lese-majeste, is a serious crime under Thai law and offenders can be punished with up to 15 years in prison. The constitutional monarchy has been in the international spotlight since King Bhumibol Adulyadej died on October 13 at the age of 88, after seven decades on the throne. His son was proclaimed King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun on Thursday last week and BBC Thai, the BBC’s Thai-language service, published a profile of him online. The piece was widely shared on social media and some Thais have said its content was insulting to the new king. “Authorities have to pursue the matter. It is their duty to pursue anything that is against the law,” Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told reporters. The BBC declined to comment. The Thai Ministry of Digital

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CONTROVERSY: Thailand’s Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan in this May 11, 2010 ﬁle photo. Authorities have to pursue the matter. It is their duty to pursue anything that is against the law, Wongsuwan said about the BBC article published online. - Reuters

Economy blocked a link to the proﬁle on the BBC’s Thai website on Tuesday and it remained blocked on Wednesday. A message on the site said it was blocked for “inappropriate content”.

Anyone can ﬁle a lese-majeste complaint against another person and police always investigate such cases, rights groups say. Plainclothes police and some soldiers in uniform went to the

BBC’s office in Bangkok on Tuesday, witnesses said. No BBC staff were there at the time and the officers later left. The BBC’s television coverage of Thailand has been repeatedly blocked since the death of King Bhumibol. Police said they would investigate the content of the profile of the new king. “Then we’ll proceed according to the law,” senior police official Chayapon Chatchaidej told reporters. He said nobody had filed a complaint against the BBC. Police on Saturday arrested a Thai democracy activist opposed to the military government that has been in power since a 2014 coup for sharing a link to the BBC profile. He was later released on bail. The military government has zealously pursued cases of alleged criticism of the monarchy since it took power. International rights groups say the lese-majeste law leave too much room for interpretation and that the penalties are too severe. -Reuters

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Bangladesh upholds death sentences over attack on British envoy DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Supreme Court upheld death sentences on Wednesday for three members of an outlawed militant group in connection with a grenade attack on the British ambassador in 2004. The hardliners, including the head of the Harkatul Jihad Islami group, were sentenced to death in 2008 for the attack in which three people were killed and about 50, including then British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury, were wounded. A panel of four judges headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha upheld the death sentences for the three, including the group’s leader, Mufti Abdul Hannan, Deputy Attorney General Bashir Ahmed told reporters. The court also upheld life imprisonment for two others for the May 21, 2004, attack, he said. Defence lawyer Mohammad Ali told reporters he would ﬁle petitions seeking a review of the court’s judgement. The attack came after Friday prayers at a shrine in the northeastern district of Sylhet. The Bangladeshborn British envoy was wounded in the leg. The militant group was blamed for several other attacks,

BRIEFING: Lawyer for Mufti

Abdul Hannan, the head of Harkatul Jihad Al Islami, Mohammad Ali, centre, speaks with media after his client’s death sentence was upheld at a court in Dhaka on Wednesday. - AFP

including a bomb blast later in 2004 on a rally by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was then the leader of the opposition. Twenty-three people were killed and more than 150 wounded in that attack. Hasina suffered partial hearing loss. The ruling came amid rising concern over the growth of militancy in the South Asian country of 160 million people, which has seen a string of deadly attacks recently, the most serious on July 1, when gunmen stormed a cafe killing 22 people, most of them foreigners. - Reuters

BIG CHALLENGE

Female Afghan cyclists push boundaries one wheelie at a time KABUL: Brushing aside suicide bombings and public scorn, the young women of Afghanistan’s ﬁrst freestyle cycling club hope their pop-a-wheelies, bunnyhops and backﬂips will trailblaze a new path for future generations in this nation. Fifteen women, mainly teenagers, are among 50 members of the small Kabul club, established two months ago to help keep young Afghans away from drugs, petty crime and violence. “Most of the time people are harassing us because they see girls cycling as a bad thing,” said Zahra Ronna, 18, wearing a black Nike hat on her red and white bicycle. “We are tired of war and we want to practise new things in our lives,” she told Reuters Television. Under the Taliban in the 1990s, women

in Afghanistan were banned from going to school or stepping outside their home without a male family member. Women’s rights have made gains since the hardline group’s ouster in 2001, but observers worry that progress is at risk as violence against women persists and they remain under-represented in politics. “We ask people to set their girls free so they can achieve their goals and liberty. Women are not only supposed to work at home,” Ronna said. Ronna and other cyclists gather three times a week at a concrete playground in the capital, using metal tables, wooden crates and boxes to perfect stunts they have seen performed on YouTube, Facebook and other social media. The club’s founder, Asghar Mehrzada, said the group is at-

tracting a lot of interest from young Afghans, who pay a membership fee of 400 afghanis ($6) per month. He hopes the Afghan government and international aid groups will help fund its expansion with better bicycles and facilities. “The big challenge that we face is insecurity. We are not conﬁdent of the security to go out and do this sport,” said Mehrzada, a civil society activist when he is not on his bike. For Fatima Mahdawi, another female cyclist, the club offers a much-needed escape from violence, which has worsened over the past year due to a resurgent Taliban. “There are lots of problems in this country we live in,” she said. “But whenever I come to the club, it gives me huge energy and joy. I feel like I’m ﬂying.” - Reuters

TRAILBLAZERS: Afghan young cyclists prepare themselves before an exercise in Kabul, Afghanistan November 15, 2016. Picture taken November 15, 2016. - Reuters/Omar Sobhani

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

WORLD PRINCE HARRY TURNS TRADER FOR CHARITY Britain’s Prince Harry mans the phones at the 24th annual ICAP Charity Day at the ofﬁces of ICAP brokers in central London, on Wednesday. Wearing a navy suit, the prince answered the phones alongside traders in fancy dress costumes for the charity day where all ICAP’s proﬁts from 60 offices are donated to more than 200 charities worldwide. —AFP/POOL/GEOFF PUGH

Time magazine names Trump its Person of the Year It’s hard to measure the scale of his (US president-elect) disruption, Time said in its announcement

ONLINE ABUSE

Merkel ally threatens Facebook with fines over hate speech ESSEN (GERMANY): A senior German conservative has warned Facebook it could face fines if it fails to act faster to tackle online hate speech, and he said the government could propose legislative measures in the new year. Speaking at a party conference of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) in Essen, western Germany, Volker Kauder suggested politicians were running out of patience with efforts by social media providers to crack down on hate speech. “I expect from big companies like Facebook that they adhere to laws. If they are not respected than we must think about new possibilities, fines for example,”

he said. Facebook declined immediate comment on his remarks. Germany is seen as a forerunner when it comes to forcing Facebook to step up efforts to police online hate speech, which has risen here following an inﬂux of almost one million migrants, mainly from the Middle East, last year. Sway public opinion Politicians are also worried about how hate speech and fake news could sway public opinion ahead of elections next year in which Merkel will be running for a fourth term and facing an increasingly popular far right. Kauder rejected an argument

by Facebook - which has around 1.6 billion monthly users - that it is hard to quickly remove content due to the volume of data it has to deal with. “They say there is too much. But a big auto manufacturer that produces millions of cars can’t say: ‘I produce so many cars that I can’t guarantee they are all secure.’ No, that is not on. I expect and demand from Facebook that laws are upheld.” Last year, Justice Minister Heiko Maas set up a task force made up of representatives from Facebook, Google’s YouTube and Twitter as well as nonproﬁt groups to discuss ways to combat the rise in online hate speech. — Reuters

WASHINGTON: Time Magazine named US President-elect Donald Trump its person of the year on Wednesday, citing the upheaval in American politics brought about by the New York businessman’s election campaign and victory. “It’s hard to measure the scale of his disruption,” Time said in its announcement, noting Trump’s career as real estate magnate and reality television star before he won the presidency on November 8. The Republican president-elect, who will be sworn in on January 20, ran an unconventional and controversial campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton. Time noted that views of him were deeply divided. “For those who believe this is all for the better, Trump’s victory represents a long-overdue rebuke to an entrenched and arrogant governing class,” the magazine said. “For those who see it as for the worse, the destruction extends to cherished norms of civility and discourse, a politics poisoned by vile streams of racism, sexism, nativism.” The magazine said its short list for person of the year included Clinton, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and singer Beyonce. “It’s a great honour, it means a lot,” Trump told NBC’s “Today” show in an interview

NEWSMAKER: This photo obtained December 7, 2016 courtesy of TIME shows US President-elect Donald Trump as Person of the Year cover. Time magazine on Wednesday named Donald Trump its “Person of the Year” for 2016. — AFP/TIME ,Inc./Nadav Kander

shortly after the announcement. But he rejected Time’s characterisation of the country as fractured. The magazine’s cover called him the “president of the divided states of America.” “I didn’t divide them, they’re divided now,” he told NBC. “We’re going to put it back together.” He added: “I think putting ‘divided’ is snarky.”

Time makes its annual choice based on the impact a person has on world events, for better or for worse. Last year the magazine chose German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Previous winners have ranged from Mahatma Gandhi to Adolf Hitler. — Reuters

EU DIVORCE

British parliament set to back May’s Brexit timetable LONDON: The British parliament was set to back Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit timetable on Wednesday after she headed off a rebellion in her Conservative Party over a lack of insight into the government’s strategy to leave the European Union. May has come under pressure from lawmakers, businesses and investors to set out at least a broad picture of how she sees Britain’s future relationship with the EU. She says giving too much away could weaken Britain’s hand in the country’s most important negotiations since World War II. In a sometimes rowdy session in parliament, the opposition Labour Party pressed its motion for a detailed plan setting out the gov-

ernment’s negotiating stance in its talks with the bloc before triggering the formal divorce procedure. But by agreeing to the government’s demand for parliament to endorse May’s timetable to trigger Article 50 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty by the end of March, Labour lawmakers were accused of falling into a trap -- allowing ministers to invoke the divorce without consultation. Labour Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer denied it was a vote on Article 50 but rather one on forcing the government to offer a plan with “enough detail and clarity to end the circus of uncertainty” over Britain’s future ties to the EU’s single market of 500 million consumers. “Asking for a plan setting out the

objectives is not to seek to undermine the UK’s negotiating hand nor is it to seek a running commentary, but it is in fact to have clarity, scrutiny and accountability,” he said. Detailed plan He said that if the government failed to a sufficiently detailed plan, Labour would challenge it again, he said, adding that the party aimed to head off a “hard Brexit”. The answer from government was clear -- it was offering information when it could and it would produce a plan. What was not clear was what would be included in that plan. “I will make as much information as possible available without prejudicing our negotiat-

ing position,” said David Davis, May’s Brexit minister. Some lawmakers have said they will oppose the motion, but with Labour on board, May should get parliamentary backing for her plan to trigger Article 50 by the end of March. May hopes to stick to her timetable but faces obstacles after a court ruled that the government needs parliament’s assent to invoke Article 50. The government is challenging that ruling in the Supreme Court. Earlier, government minister David Lidington said lawmakers who planned to vote against the government would “thwart the outcome of the referendum in the most profoundly undemocratic manner”. — Reuters

DISCUSSIONS: A video grab from footage broadcast by the UK Parliament’s Parliamentary Recording Unit (PRU) shows Britain’s Leader of the House of Commons David Lidington as he speaks in the House of Commons in London on Wednesday. - AFP/PRU

B I L AT E R A L T I E S

Trump’s pick for US envoy to termed ‘old friend’ by Beijing BEIJING/SHANGHAI: China said on Wednesday the governor of the US state of Iowa, Terry Branstad, was an “old friend” after a report that he had accepted an offer from US President-elect Donald Trump to become the next US ambassador to China. “We welcome him to play a greater role in advancing the development of China-US relations,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a daily press briefing when asked about the Bloomberg report. Lu did not confirm the story and said China would work with whoever became ambassador. Branstad’s office could not be immediately reached for comment and Trump’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. If Branstad’s appointment is confirmed it may help to ease trade tensions between the two countries, the world’s two biggest agricultural producers, diplomats and trade experts said. Branstad called Chinese President Xi Jinping a “long-time

Terry Branstad

friend” when Xi visited Iowa in February 2012, only nine months before he became the Chinese leader. Less combative stance It suggests that Trump may be ready to take a less combative stance towards the world’s second-largest economy than many expected, trade experts and diplomats said. Tensions have been worsening since Trump, who has said he in-

tends to declare China a currency manipulator when he gets into ofﬁce and has threatened to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese goods coming into the US, defeated Hillary Clinton in last month’s election. Speciﬁc US trade concerns include allegations that China is dumping steel and aluminum in global markets below the cost of production, hurting American producers. In the agricultural sector, the US has been unable to get Beijing to lift anti-dumping measures on US broiler chicken products and an animal feed ingredient known as distillers’ dried grains (DDGS). China is one of Iowa’s biggest export markets, so Branstad is well-placed to deal with ChinaUS trade issues, Professor Huang Jing, an expert on Chinese politics at the National University of Singapore. “This really sends a message that Donald Trump wants to handle China at the bilateral relationship level,” he said. — Reuters

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India’s previously booming economy has now ground to a halt. All indicators are down. Manmohan Singh estimates that India’s GDP will shrink by 1-2 per cent in the current ﬁscal year. But, as is so often the case, the impact is not being felt equally by all. India’s wealthy are relatively unaffected

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READERS’ FORUM Indian government needs to think of NRIs’ plight I refer the story, Modi’s note ban order had made people bankrupt (December 7), and looking at the problems which we NRIs are facing apart from the expressed issues of the commoners in India due to this ban, I fully agree with what Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati has said. This action has been taken up without keeping in mind its after effects on the common people. However, those residing in India will not lose their genuine hard earned money and deposit the old notes into their bank accounts but till date there Scan this QR code is no answer for the NRI’s problem of what to send letters to the to do with these notes. Most of the NRI’s liReaders’ Forum, ving in Oman carry cash amounts within lecontaining not more than 200 words with gal limitations with them to avoid lining up full name, address at currency exchanges at the airport while and telephone going back to India. It is very important that number, may be sent the government of India considers our pain by e-mail (akhtar@ timesofoman.com). seriously and authorises Indian banks operating in Oman to exchange the banned notes of Rs 500 and Rs1,000. We are still waiting for the reply from the Indian embassy over this issue. This is our hard earned money and it should not go waste. However, let us hope that the very purpose of this note ban is achieved and the country is free of black money. —Mohammad Osama Rawat, Ruwi

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Why did Trump choose this moment to ﬂy off the handle? It may have been to capitalise on a Washington Post expose about a Pentagon cover-up of a report on wasteful administrative spending. What better way to show some populist outrage at the outgoing administration than by cancelling new presidential planes

or centuries, women around the world have struggled for even the most basic rights. The fight for equality has been an uphill climb – one that is far from over. This is certainly the case in the Middle East, where the challenges women face are typically rooted in social norms, cultural systems, and religious doctrine, and can be enshrined in law. In some regional countries, women may not travel, work, or register to vote without permission from a man in her family. Even if it is not explicitly prohibited, joining the workforce is often very difficult for women, not least because of widespread resistance among the men who dominate these societies. Any woman who has sought to apply for a job knows just how vehement that opposition can be. The result of these norms and structures is that women in these countries are often subject to discrimination, isolation, and frustration. They are unable to participate freely in their societies or contribute to their countries’ economic development. But the world is changing fast. At a time of ever-deepening interconnectedness, people are more aware than ever of what is possible, and more motivated than ever to seek reforms – whether educational, economic, or political – that improve their lives. So which reforms are needed to advance gender equality? A central area of focus must be education. First and foremost, schools give girls the knowledge they need to fulfill their potential in the future. But it is also vital to instill in both girls and boys an understanding of the need for social and economic equality, to reflect the fundamental equality of opportunity that all deserve. Advancing gender equality also requires changes to policies and regulations. Beyond ensuring equal rights under the law, countries should work to boost the representation of women in politics and government. Women need to know that they can reach positions of genuine authority, even in domains from which they have historically been excluded – and they need encouragement to get there. The same is true for the economy. Women need opportunities and support to develop and

run their own businesses, to innovate, and to become financially independent. This would benefit not only women, but also their families, communities, and the economy as a whole. Even women who do not own or run businesses would have much to offer, if given the chance to enter the workforce and earn their own living. To this end, training is crucial. Women need access to guidance, workshops, and longerterm training programmes that prepare them to participate in the labor market, while ensuring that they know – and can defend – their rights. An important initiative that could provide a useful model for such efforts is the Springboard Women’s Development Programme, developed by the British Council. The programme aims to give women the confidence and capabilities they need to make a better life for themselves, both professionally and personally; to expand their role and influence in public life; and to help support open, stable, and inclusive societies across the Middle East and North Africa. The key to the programme’s success is its focus on empowering women to fulfill their potential. It helps participants explore and develop their abilities, and then apply them in practical settings, such as acquiring funding to start or expand their own businesses. It also prepares women to confront – and overcome – the obstacles they will inevitably face as they gain independence and influence. Delivered by a network of licenced trainers, the Springboard Women’s Development Programme has already been used by over 230,000 women in more than 40 countries. In just four years, the programme has trained more than 700 women in my country, Oman, through the Ministry of Education. And many more women are clamoring to participate. Achieving gender equality in the Middle East will be a long process, requiring fundamental educational, social, and economic reforms. But giving women the right training now can kickstart the process, enabling half the population finally to reach their potential – to the benefit of all. - Project Syndicate Arib Ali Al Mandhari is a senior official at the Ministry of Education, Sultanate of Oman.

CLIPPINGS FROM OUR ARCHIVES DECEMBER 2001 PDO plans pilot project to remove residual oil from saline water MUSCAT: For every oil producing nation, the leftover oil is creating environmental risks and many countries are adopting some kinds of solutions to overcome this menace. Petroleum Development Oman(PDO), the oil major of the Sultanate, has come up with a pilot project to get over the common problem of left-over oil by growing salt-resistant reeds at its Nimr oil producing region in the south of Oman.

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

1660: The first Shakespearian actress to appear on an English stage (she is believed to be a Ms. Norris) makes her debut as Desdemona. 1914: The German cruisers Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Nurnberg, and Leipzig are sunk by a British force in the Battle of the Falkland Islands. 0

1987: Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty is signed.

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LIFESTYLE FAMILY

A TEACHER FOR LIFE Story Farzeen Ashik

parent is a child’s first teacher and that’s a role we need to play to near perfection almost all our lives. And the learning begins right from when you bring your newborn home. In fact your home is the child’s first school and the lessons they learn there are deeply ingrained in their psyche and shape their character. The most valuable gift any child can be given is a secure, stable, loving, and comfortable home environment. This is where the child learns the basic values like respect for parents and others, a love of learning, an appetite for adventure and experimentation and more. Whether we realise it or not the environment we create at home is the one through which our child first sees the world and understands it. As a child progresses from infancy to adulthood the parent as a teacher has to keep reinventing herself to meet the need of the hour. Our children go through a series of physical, emotional, intellectual, and social developmental milestones and they need their most trusted advisor to help them traverse these tricky paths. No one knows your child as well as you do and this makes you the best person to help tackle age-appropriate challenges at every stage thereby making them ready for the

next level of development. To start with both parents have a crucial role to play in creating a healthy, secure attachment with the infant. This is a key-factor in the infant’s wellbeing. It creates an optimal foundation for later building blocks of life. Emotional

sensitivity is an essential virtue for all parents. This begins with apt responses right from infancy. Your eye contact with your little angel, your body language, the affection and appreciation you show, all go a long way in developing that little brain. Attachment theorists

Ainsworth and Bowlby define secure attachment as, “an enduring affective bond characterised by a tendency to seek and maintain proximity to a specific person, particularly when under stress”. The first three years of a child’s life are the most critical years for

brain development. It is a known fact that by the age of three almost 80 per cent of the brain is developed. Lessons learnt during this stage go on to determine the organisational and functional status of the brain. It also prepares the child to cope with adversity in the later years. Simple and natural lessons taught at home go a long way in making the child school-ready. These include simple hygiene like brushing and bathing to table manners and play dates with other children, tidying up the room after playing, understanding that ‘no means no’ and so on. Once routines and rules are established at home the child will ﬁnd it easier to accept and follow the rules at school. With both parents working it becomes quite a challenge to teach a child everything you’ve read about in books or heard from other parents. Rest easy, you don’t need to spend hours with them to teach them something new. Just 15 minutes of quality time with your child can be a valuable experience for him. You could indulge in a bath-time game or stack up Lego blocks into fancy towers or have a tea party with dolls. Talking has a huge impact especially on younger children. It helps in language development and also helps them understand everyday experiences better.

As children grow older your role as a teacher changes. It doesn’t just involve helping them with homework or completing their projects. You learn to listen more and give your tips only when asked for it. Once your child knows you are genuinely interested in her day she will be a fountain of information. Be ready to laugh at her jokes and anecdotes and cheer her victories and sympathise her failures. You will be presented with moral dilemmas that your child cannot solve. You may have to give tricky advice about dealing with a close but irritating friend or a jealous one or handling the ire of a teacher. You will be constantly reminding them about the importance of tidying up their room or not procrastinating when it comes to homework over the weekend. At every juncture the child has a problem and you need to give the best possible advice or solution because he is going to do the same thing the next time he is presented with a similar problem. It’s important to be a mindful parent. Sometimes we need to pause and take a moment to study the parenting landscape. We need to understand that we create our child’s belief system and our lessons need to be wellthought ones, lessons which will be the best for our children. —lifestyle@timesofoman.com

HOME FRONT

3 Ways to Turn Discarded Wood into Home Decor

The saying, “what’s old is new again” has been around for years, but most recently represents a popular trend in interior design — upcycling old items with a new purpose. Everyone from high-end designers to DIYers are enjoying and incorporating this trend into their everyday life. From five-star restaurants to suburban living rooms, people are seeking out weathered pieces of wood, discarded metal and unlikely antiques to create a unique, down to earth, and comfortable design aesthetic in their living spaces. An unusual hero of this new design trend is the wooden pallet, which can easily be purchased at any hardware store. With some creativity and know how, these inexpensive items can be re-purposed to create a personalised statement in your home that you’ll love. Re-imagine your wall Today, walls are for paint and pictures, but even if you’ve fallen in love with a certain colour for your living room, don’t you think your walls can have more personality? They absolutely can, and one way people are adding new life to their walls is by panelling them with reclaimed wood. To achieve this look, purchase a number of pallets, cut them into various sizes and arrange them on your wall. To enhance the natural beauty of the wood and to show off your own personal style, pick a few of your favourite stain colours and apply them to the wood. If you are looking for bright and bold colours or subtle cottage inspired tones, check out for water based wood stains. For traditional, rich wood tones, try wood finish. It’s a deep penetrating stain that offers an array of colours, so you can create a display of contrast and patterns on your walls that can be truly stunning. After staining your wood pallet, don’t forget to protect it with a clear protective finish. Create a fun and functional piece If you’re someone who is always looking to free up cabinet or counter space, use a wooden pallet to create a rustic mug holder. For this project, all you need to do is add hooks to a few of the wood slats for the mugs to hang from. Get creative with this pallet by painting a design or phrase such as “But First, Coffee” on the top wooden slat. You can add some dimension to wood by staining it. These convenient one-step cloths are pre-moistened with stain and finish allowing for easy application and clean up. Update your headboard If you are looking to give your bedroom a makeover, consider building a headboard for your bed out of pallet wood. The idea here isn’t to make an even, straight-edged piece; rather it’s to embrace a more rustic style. Start by gathering your wood pallets and applying prestain wood conditioner to prepare the bare wood surface for staining. It will help to prevent streaks and blotches by allowing for even stain absorption. Once the wood has been prepared, apply your favourite stain colour. With over 100 colours to choose from, you are sure to find a colour that will showcase your personal style. Using different lengths and widths, arrange the boards so they span the width of your bed. Attach a few long pieces across the back to serve as crossbeams that hold it together. The variation in sizes will create a jagged top and make a big statement. These are just a few of the many possibilities you can create with pallet wood. From wall decor to nightstands and tables, all you need is some wooden pallets, stain, clear protective finish and a little creativity, and you’ll be able to integrate this design trend into your home. –BPT

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

WEATHER

TEMPERATURE

HUMIDITY

29 - 20 83-48% 0

PRAYER TIMINGS

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Fajr (Tomorrow)

LIFESTYLE

ART FOR THE AGES

F U N FA C T

t can be very difficult for many animals to ﬁnd food in the winter. In order to survive, some animals migrate to warmer regions or adapt to harsh conditions; others hibernate. Hibernation is a deep sleep or “torpor” that allows a creature to conserve energy while eating little or no food. Many hibernators prepare for winter by storing food in their burrows or dens. They also eat as much as they can before winter sets in, storing body fat to be used as energy later. Groundhogs, also called woodchucks, are true hibernators. They dig deep dens where they sleep away the winter, and they are not easily awakened. A groundhog’s body temperature can drop to as low as 3 degrees Celsius, and its heart rate slows to about 5 beats per minute. It is not uncommon for the European hedgehog to wake up during its hibernation and move to another nest. When a hamster gets too cold, it can slip into a dormant state of hibernation. Raccoons do not hibernate, but they do sleep for days during cold winters. Many people think that squirrels hibernate, but these rodents can’t maintain the high levels of body fat needed for hibernation. Turtles hibernate in different ways. Water turtles dive to the bottom of a pond and snuggle into some mud and leaves. Their hearts slow down, and they stop breathing through their lungs. Box turtles don’t hibernate under water; they dig burrows. Their metabolism slows, and they stop eating. Bears are not considered true hibernators because their body

12.04pm 3.05pm 5.26pm 6.41pm 5.17am

A15

Children up to the age of 16 who would like to have their art considered for inclusion in “Art for the Ages” can e-mail their drawings or paintings (in jpeg or tiff format) to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

HIBERNATION temperature only drops a bit, and they can wake up. Like true hibernators, the bear’s heartbeat slows down, and it can go without food for long periods. During hibernation, a black bear’s heart can drop from 40 or 50 down to 8 beats per minute, and it can survive for up to 100 days without eating or drinking. In winter, American badgers may spend up to 70 days underground, and they do sleep a lot, but they do not enter full hibernation as their heartbeat does not slow by much. Reptile hibernation is called brumation. Garter snakes hibernate in groups. Where winters are very cold, hundreds or even thousands of these snakes winter together in dens. Frogs that hibernate need more

oxygen than turtles. They do not bury themselves in the mud, but go to sleep on top of the mud. Some toads and terrestrial frogs dig burrows for their winter sleep. Like bears, skunks go into a state of torpor with waking periods. Skunks hibernate in groups, sometimes sharing a den with up to 20 others. Many insects hibernate as adults. Ladybugs, wasps, honeybees and some butterﬂies like the mourning cloak butterﬂy are good examples. Hibernation or dormancy in insects is called diapause. A bat’s resting heart rate drops from 400 beats per minute to just 25, and some bats only take a breath every 2 hours. Bats are some of the longest hibernators around; some hibernate for 64 to 66 days. –lifestyle@timesofoman.com

Chaitanya Malviya, Grade 6, Indian School Wadi Kabir

Angel Rose, Grade 8, Indian School Wadi Kabir

Joyel Abhilash John, Grade 3, Indian School Muscat

M.Shree Akshaya, Grade 7, Indian School Wadi Kabir

BIRTHDAYS OF THE WEEK

BHAVAN D. DAVE 4-12-2005

ROHIT S. NAIR 10-12-2002

SYED MD. IBRAHIM Hussaini 8-12-2007

VISMAYA 6-12-2007

Safa M. Grade KG, Indian School Ibra

Adithya B. Nair, Grade 7, Indian School Wadi Kabir

Abhigyan Basant Kumar, Grade 3, ISM

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM THU RS DAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

OMAN CRUDE DROPS

MARKE

Oman Crude (February delivery) declined by 78 cents to $51.36 per barrel, said Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME). The average price of Oman Crude (December delivery) stabilised at $49.18 per barrel, $5.78 higher than September delivery. – ONA

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Muscat 5,656.35 + 1.61 + 0.03%

Dubai 3,495.73 + 43.32 + 1.25%

Abu Dhabi 4,433.74 + 77.91 + 1.79%

Saudi Arabia

7,124.10 - 31.10 - 0.43%

Kuwait 5,589.16 + 24.43 + 0.44%

Bahrain 1,181.46 - 0.21 - 0.02%

Qatar 9,989.29 + 11.53 + 0.12%

CRUDE OIL PRICE

CURRENCY RATES*

DRAFT RATES (OMR1)*

GOLD PRICES*

Type ............................Delivery...........Price

Forex rates vs OMR1* US Dollar ................................. 2.58 Euro ............................................ 2.39 Pound .......................................... 2.03 Indian Rs ............................. 175.87 Pakistan Rs ........................ 267.74 Bangla Taka..................... 204.00

Indian Rs ...................................176.55 Pakistan Rs ............................. 271.90 Sri Lanka Rs .................................. N/A Bangla Taka........................... 204.40 Phil Peso ................................... 128.60

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......15.00

Oman Crude............. (Spot) ..........$51.81 Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) ........$50.99 Murban Crude ........ (Spot) ........ $52.75 Arabian Light ......... (Spot) .........$51.85 N.Sea Brent............... (Spot) ........$53.56 West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ........$50.58

* Rates are as of December 7 Source: Bank Muscat

* Rates as of December 7 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

Air Arabia plans more flight service to Oman Sharjah-based budget airline plans more frequencies from Ras Al Khaima and from Sharjah to Muscat and Salalah, the airline’s CEO said

A E JAMES

Abdel Al Ali, group chief executive officer of Air Arabia.

businesseditor@timesofoman.com AMMAN/MUSCAT: Air Arabia, the leading budget airline in the Gulf region, is planning to expand its operations to Oman, said a senior official of the airline. “We have a substantial operation into Oman. Oman is a sizable big station for us. We are putting some more frequencies from Ras Al Khaima and from Sharjah to Muscat and Salalah,” Abdel Al Ali, group chief executive officer of Air Arabia, told Times of Oman, on the sidelines of the Arab Aviation

— Supplied picture

Summit at Dead Sea, Jordan. However, he did not specify how many more flights the airline is planning on a weekly basis to Omani cities. He said that Air Arabia started operation to Muscat with a daily flight, and now the airline has three flights per day. “Both Oman and the United Arab Emirates have an open bilateral relation. The capacity tends to increase and decrease depending on supply and demand,” he added.

Ali said that the airline plans to enhance ﬂight frequencies to Salalah (from the UAE) during the Khareef season. “But during offseason, we have a daily ﬂight and it seems ok.” Referring to the recent move to start a budget airline by Oman, he said “more of such airlines will strengthen the reality that the market needs budget airlines. I don’t think that the budget airlines have taken its right opportunities

in the Arab world.” “It is a business and the business will grow along with a growth in population. The more the competition, the better it is for the customers,” noted the Air Arabia chief. Ali also said that the passenger traffic in the region is expected to grow between 7 per cent to 10 per cent per annum next year. Air Arabia has achieved a 10 per cent growth in passenger traffic and a 30 per cent growth in profitability for the first nine months of 2016, over the same period of last year. Talking about the recent economic slowdown and its impact on airlines, he said “economic cycles do affect businesses. But the behavior of people has changed, travel is becoming a part of their lives.” In the Middle East region, including GCC, there was a massive capacity expansion of airlines and the economies started showing signs of slowdown. “These two factors have created a supply-demand imbalance.” Ali also noted that Air Arabia will get five aircraft every year between now and 2020. The airline has already taken the option to acquire five Airbus 320s and signed lease agreement for another 6 planes.

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......14.45 Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ........... 142.00 Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) .............133.50 * Rates as of December 7 Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

OMR70 MILLION DEAL

Galfar wins OMR70m contract from PDO for Qarn Alam oil ﬁeld Times News Service MUSCAT: Galfar Engineering and Contracting Company, the Sultanate’s largest contracting firm, said that the company has received an off plot mechanical contract from Petroleum Development Oman for Qarn Alam oil field. The four-year service contract with an option to expend for further six years involves ﬂow lines, pipelines, well hook ups including all civil, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation works. Galfar expects to generate revenue of around OMR70 million during this four year period, according to a disclosure statement posted on MSM website. Healthy order book Galfar in its third quarter result said that the parent company continues to maintain healthy order book position of approximately OMR690 million or 25 months of backlog (against OMR650 million for the same period of last year). “We are expecting award of some more projects, which are already tendered, from a solid work pipeline,” the company said in its director’s report.

– File picture

The company has been awarded new projects and extensions on existing projects worth OMR285 million during the ﬁrst nine months of 2016 (against OMR132 million). Included in this are off plot delivery contract of North Oman extended for further two years till March, 2018, the award of the Yibal Khuff On Plot Construction project of OMR114 million and Duqm Fishery Port project of OMR60 million. Galfar shares surged ahead by 6.25 per cent to 102 baisas amid 2.5 million shares changing hands on the Muscat Securities Market on Wednesday.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

MARKET

India unexpectedly leaves rates unchanged before Fed decision Benchmark repurchase rate will stay at a six-year low of 6.25%, the Reserve Bank (RBI) of India said in a statement in Mumbai.

MUMBAI: India’s central bank unexpectedly kept interest rates unchanged before a possible increase in US borrowing costs this month, as Governor Urjit Patel awaits clarity on the impact of the cash clampdown. The benchmark repurchase rate will stay at a six-year low of 6.25 per cent, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in a statement in Mumbai on Wednesday. The move was predicted by only eight of 44 economists in a Bloomberg survey, while 31 expected a cut to 6 per cent and ﬁve saw a reduction

to 5.75 per cent. “The imminent tightening of monetary policy in the US is triggering bouts of high volatility in ﬁnancial markets,” the RBI said. Back home, while growth will probably slow in the current year due to the cash ban, it’s important to analyse more information amid threats to meeting the inﬂation target, it said. “Accordingly, the policy repo rate has been kept on hold in this review, while retaining an accommodative policy stance,” the RBI said. The decision risks souring ties with Prime Minister Narendra

Modi’s government, which said its cash ban would create room for lower borrowing costs. Economists predict India will lose its status as the world’s fastest-growing big economy as the currency clampdown dents demand. Inﬂation could slow by 10-15 basis points in October-December due to the cash clampdown. Consumer price gains are projected to be 5 per cent in January-March with risks tilted to the upside, though lower than what was seen in October Gross value added — a key input of gross domestic prod-

uct — will grow 7.1 per cent instead of the 7.6 per cent forecast earlier, with risks evenly balanced All six members of the monetary policy committee voted to hold rates. The yield on the benchmark note due September 2026 surged 13 basis points to 6.33 per cent after the policy decision. The rupee was little changed at 67.9150 a dollar. “Further rate action will be very much data driven, both domestically and on the international front,” said Rupa R. Nitsure, group chief economist at L&T Financial Services Ltd. in Mumbai, who’d

correctly predicted the central bank’s decision. “The global situation is very volatile.” Many leading private economists have slashed their growth forecasts for India as Modi’s shock Nov. 8 decision to ban 86 percent of currency in circulation dents demand in the cash-based economy. A steep economic slowdown risks hurting foreign investment into India and voters’ perceptions of Modi before key state elections next year. Patel, meanwhile is ﬁghting ﬁres on all fronts just three months into the job. — Bloomberg News

CRUDE SUPPLIES

Nigerian Oil Minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu. — Bloomberg ﬁle picture

Opec oil deal will go ahead even if only Russia commits: Nigeria ABU DHABI: Opec’s deal to cut oil production will go ahead even if Russia becomes the only non-Opec country to commit to reduce output at a meeting this week, Nigeria said on Wednesday, while the UAE voiced optimism that other producers would participate. Opec agreed last week to slash output by around 1.2 million barrels per day beginning in January in an effort to reduce global oversupply and prop up oil prices. It hopes non-Opec countries will contribute a further 600,000bpd of cuts. Russia has said it will reduce output by around 300,000bpd. “Yes, we will go ahead, but we will continue to work on the rest to come onboard,” Nigerian Oil Minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu said when asked whether Opec was ready to go ahead with the production agreement even if only Russia committed to cut. Non-Opec participate “We did clearly say we would like to see non-Opec participate, but we did not say we would not go ahead when they don’t,” Kachikwu told reporters on the sidelines of a Bloomberg Markets summit in Abu Dhabi. Nigeria, which is exempt from output cuts under the deal because of militant attacks on its oil infrastructure, hopes to boost production to 2.1 million bpd next month, the minister said. Fourteen non-Opec countries including Russia have been invited to meet with the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) in Vienna on Saturday to cement the pact. The United Arab Emirates’ energy minister said he was optimistic that non-Opec produc-

We did clearly say we would like to see non-Opec participate, but we did not say we would not go ahead when they don’t Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu Nigerian Oil Minister

ers would pledge cuts. “I think it’s reasonable what we set for them. It’s half of what Opec committed to,” Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazroui told reporters. Mazroui said the oil market needs prices that provide an incentive to invest in production. Investment was declining even at $50 a barrel, he said. “We have tested $40 and $50 prices and it hasn’t worked,” he said, adding that six months could be enough to correct the market to reasonable levels. “We will see in six months what will be the requirement and take the right measures.” Venezuelan Oil Minister Eulogio Del Pino told Russia’s TASS news agency in Caracas that the oil market would rebalance within six to nine months and that Opec aimed for moderate prices within a range of $60-70 a barrel. — Reuters

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

MARKET S H UA A C A P I TA L

Top Dubai ﬁrm needs to reveal its turnaround plan: NBAD DUBAI: Sharp swings in shares of Shuaa Capital are likely to persist as investors wait for the Dubaibased investment bank’s new shareholder to present its turnaround strategy for the company, said National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) Securities. Historical volatility in Shuaa stock reached a 23-month high on December 4, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Speculation among investors has increased that the Abu Dhabi Financial Group, which bought a 48 per cent stake in June, will set out plans for how it will stem losses at the company. The stock has more than tripled in value this year. “Volatility is going to prevail over stock performance for a while longer,” said Sanyalak Manibhandu, head of research at NBAD Securities, the second-biggest Dubai brokerage by value of stocks traded. “The incoming major shareholder should make a statement on business strategy, to allow the market to assess the direction and impute a more informed value to Shuaa stock.” In June, Shuaa’s biggest shareholder, the Dubai Banking Group, agreed to sell its 48.36 per cent stake to Abu Dhabi Financial Group (ADFG) for $93 million. Two months later, ADFG Chief Executive Officer Jassim Alseddiqi said the ﬁrm would effect a “massive turnaround” at Shuaa. Alseddiqi was last month month named chairman of Shuaa, which posted a loss of Dh35.3 million ($10 million) in the third quarter. — Bloomberg News

Passenger cars in Oman set to reach over 889,000 in 2020 Growing population and tourist arrivals

Regional governments’ diversification initiatives away from oil and gas could also permeate GCC automobile sector. The region continues to offer opportunities in areas of automotive manufacturing, aftermarket, and new technology development

is likely to revive demand in the years to 2020, according to the latest GCC Automobile Industry report published by

Siraj Bhavnagarwalla

Alpen Capital

Siraj Bhavnagarwalla, Managing Director, Alpen Capital LLC, Oman. - Supplied picture

Times News Service

2020. The Oman government‘s plan to develop various tourist spots and encourage private investments in development of tourism-related infrastructure is expected to increase international tourist arrivals by 6.3 per cent CAGR during the forecasted period. Consequently, new car sales in the country are forecasted to reach nearly 135,000 units in 2020 from 121,100 in 2015. Oman through its sovereign wealth fund has made over a couple of investments to develop local vehicle manufacturing landscape. Such investments are likely to strengthen the country’s automobile sector going forward. The report provides a perspective of the GCC automobile sector by presenting the current state of

MUSCAT: Number of passenger cars in use in Oman is projected to reach over 889,000 in 2020, translating into a ﬁve-year compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.6 per cent. Oman has witnessed a drop in new passenger car sales in the last couple of years due to economic slowdown, said the GCC Automobile Industry report published by Alpen Capital, an investment banking advisory ﬁrm. This phenomenon is anticipated to continue in the short-term. Accordingly, Oman‘s share of the total GCC passenger cars in use is likely to drop from an estimated 7.2 per cent in 2015 to 6.8 per cent in 2020. However, growing population and tourist arrivals is likely to revive demand in the years to

P O W E R - S AV I N G A P P L I A N C E S

the industry, market dynamics, and scope for future growth. It covers the recent trends, growth drivers, and challenges in the industry, along with an outlook until 2020. Lastly, the report proﬁles some of the prominent automobile companies in the region. “The GCC automobile sector is dynamic and one of the faster growing sectors in the world, primarily owing to the growing population and high disposable income coupled with signiﬁcant infrastructure developments in the region. The sector, however, is currently facing a slowdown amid a weak economic environment and low oil prices as consumers scale back new car purchases. Passenger car sales will remain under pressure in 2017 but are likely to rebound in 2018 and thereon grow

Managing Director, Alpen Capital (ME)

at a stable pace in anticipation of a recovery in oil. Other factors fueling growth include increasing disposable income, growing population and availability of attractive ﬁnancing options in the country,” said Sameena Ahmad, Managing Director, Alpen Capital (ME) Limited “The regional governments’ diversiﬁcation initiatives away from oil and gas could also permeate the GCC Automobile Sector which is overwhelmingly trade centric. The region continues to offer opportunities in the areas of automotive manufacturing, aftermarket, and new technology development,” said Siraj Bhavnagarwalla, managing director, Alpen Capital, Oman “While presently there are a limited number of vehicle manu-

facturers in the GCC, the situation could possibly change in the future, as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman are receiving investments to set up ancillary manufacturing plants which could signal the start of an interesting trend creating in its wake exciting opportunities for strategic and ﬁnancial investors alike,” he said. “While the sector is undergoing weakness in the near term, tacking the prevailing economic downturn, the long term growth drivers remain intact and underpin the strong positive outlook for the sector over the medium term,” he further added. According to Alpen Capital, number of passenger cars in use in the GCC is expected to grow at a 5 per cent CAGR from an estimated 10.3 million in 2015 to 13.2 million in 2020.

A R A B AV I AT I O N S U M M I T

India aims to extend Aviation experts project positive lighting efficiency outlook for travel and tourism sector programme to Asia Times News Service

NEW DELHI: India, the world’s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, is aiming to extend its lighting efficiency programme with the help of the World Bank to seven other Asian nations and to the UK while also applying it to other technologies at home. Initial agreements have been signed with the governments of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, while discussions are underway with Nepal, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand, according to Energy Efficiency Services Ltd. (EESL) , the state-backed company responsible for procuring and distributing power-saving appliances in India. Light-emitting diode “We’re talking to utilities and municipal bodies in the UK to get an order, as we need scale to bring light-emitting diode (LED) prices down like we have done in India,” EESL Managing Director Saurabh Kumar said in an interview in New Delhi, adding that he’s hopeful of implementing projects outside India in the next six months. “Our business model and procedures remain the same, while our officials posted to Colombo, Dhaka and Bangkok will begin work in February.” At home, India is looking to apply the same approach it used to expand the use of LED bulbs to higher energy-efficiency air-conditioners beginning in January. Under the LED model, payment for the bulb is made through power bill savings. “Unlike other energy-efficiency initiatives, for instance the nowdefunct GreenDeal in the UK

which required an assessment of the property for potential energy savings, simply moving to LEDs is a sure way to save energy,” said Vandana Gombar, global policy editor at Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

DEAD SEA/AMMAN: Arab Aviation Summit, the most prominent aviation event in Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, concluded on Monday as government officials, and senior executives from the civil aviation and tourism industry gathered by the Dead Sea in Jordan to reﬂect on the past developments and future trends shaping the future of the avia-tourism industry in the region. Taking place under the patronage of Lina Annab, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Jordan, the summit has brought together top executives from the aviation and tourism sector by the Dead Sea, Jordan to explore this year’s theme ‘Linking Cultures, Driving Economies’. In honour of the occasion, the Arab Tourism Organisation of the Arab League and the Arab Aviation Summit signed a memo-

World Bank support The World Bank sees an opportunity to support other countries in achieving more significant energy efficiency through a number of the models developed by EESL, said Simon Stolp, the lender’s lead energy specialist for South Asia. “The bank is interested in supporting EESL in dialogue with other countries due to the success of its own domestic energy-efficiency programs in India,” Stolp said in an e-mail, adding that the bank has recently received a request for $300 million to support an expansion of EESL’s program in India. The countries where the bank may cooperate with EESL have yet to be identified, Stolp said. Lighting accounts for nearly six percent of global CO2 emissions, according to The Climate Group, a London-based global non-profit. A global switch to energy-efficient light emitting diode (LED) technology could save more than 1,400 million tonnes of CO2 and avoid construction of 1,250 power stations, it says on its website. The LED market will total as much as $29.6 billion in 2016, rising to $33.1 billion the following year, TrendForce Corp., a marketintelligence provider, said in its 2017 global lighting outlook.

MUSCAT: Oman government has transferred its 168.74 million shares in Oman Cement Company to Oman Investment Fund at a price of OMR0.484 per share. These shares constitute 51 per cent of the equity capital of Oman Cement, according to a disclosure statement posted by the company on the MSM.

— Bloomberg News

— Times News Service

O M A N C E M E N T C O M PA N Y

Share transfer

SIGNING CEREMONY: The summit has brought together top executives from the aviation and tourism sector by the Dead Sea, Jordan to explore this year’s theme ‘Linking Cultures, Driving Economies.’ - Supplied picture

randum of understanding at the event, which marks a ﬁrm commitment to future cooperation. The summit opened with a welcome address by the Arab Aviation Summit Chairperson Adel Al Ali, in which he highlighted the

important relationship between aviation and tourism while encouraging a holistic, collaborative approach to the region’s travel industry to achieve further growth and momentum. Lina Annab said that avia-

tion and tourism cannot be seen in isolation. Commenting on growth in the travel and tourism sector, which is outpacing growth in other sectors in national economies, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities highlighted airport infrastructure, visa processes, and taxes and other levies as issues that need to be prioritised by governments and approached collectively. Dr. Bandar Fahad Al Fehaid, President, Arab Tourism Organisation of the Arab League, commented that there is no tourism without aviation, and no aviation without tourism. Speaking of the Organisation’s vision to support the growth of these vital industries in the coming years, Dr. Bandar Fahad Al Fehaid informed attendees that 12 per cent of the total working opportunities in the Arab world come from the tourism industry and there is signiﬁcant potential to increase this further.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

MARKET MSM index ends higher

OMAN STOCKS

MUSCAT SECURITIES MARKET

INDICES Index .................................................High .................Low..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff % MSM30 Index ....................................... 5,664.52 ...............5,654.31 ................... 5,656.35 ................... 5,654.74.....................1.61 ...................0.03 Financial Index .....................................7,518.44 ............... 7,475.77 ....................7,475.77 ....................7,516.68................-40.91 .................. -0.54 Industrial Index .................................... 7,367.16 ...............7,291.39 ....................7,359.60 ................... 7,288.91................. 70.69 ................... 0.97 Services Index .......................................3,045.21 .............. 3,035.40 ................... 3,045.08 ...................3,035.40....................9.68 ...................0.32 MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................854.64 ..................852.00 ...................... 854.23 ...................... 852.69.................... 1.54 ................... 0.18 Trading Summary Volume ................Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded 10,240,108 ................. 2,097,897 .....................585 ................17,250,939,521 ................ 10 ......................12 ....................20 .........................42

With a gain of 9.95%, Packaging Company was the top gainer while Bank Sohar, down

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7

by 1.85%, was the top loser ISIN ......................................SECURITY NAME ..................................................................VOLUME..... TURNOVER............TRADES ......OPEN PRICE......HIGH ............. LOW ........ CLOSE PR. ...PREV. CLOSE...DIFF (RO).........DIFF % .............LAST PR.....LAST BID .............LAST OFFER ........MARKET CAP.PAR VALUE

MUSCAT: Amid dull trading activity, the MSM30 Index ended on a ﬂat note at 5,656.35 points, up by 0.03 per cent. The MSM Sharia Index closed at 854.23 points, up by 0.18 per cent. Galfar Engineering was the most active in terms of volume and turnover. With a gain of 9.95 per cent, Packaging Company was the top gainer while Bank Sohar, down by 1.85 per cent, was the top loser. As many as 585 trades were executed on Wednesday, generating a turnover of OMR2.1 million with 10.2 million shares changing hands. Out of 42 traded securities, 10 advanced, 12 declined and 20 remained unchanged. GCC and Arab investors switched to net buyers for OMR191,000 while foreign investors were net sellers for OMR112,000 followed by Omani investors for OMR79,000 worth of shares. Financial Index retreated 0.54 per cent to close at 7,475.77 points. Bank Sohar, Al Izz Bank, Al Sharqia Investments, National Bank of Oman and Bank Nizwa declined by 1.85 per cent, 1.43 per cent, 1.41 per cent, 1.26 per cent and 1.22 per cent, respectively. Industrial Index rallies Industrial Index rallied 0.97 per cent to ﬁnish at 7,359.60 points. Packaging Company, Galfar Engineering, Oman Cement, Voltamp Energy and Al Jazeera Steel gained by 9.95 per cent, 6.25 per cent, 2.22 per cent, 2.13 per cent and 2.04 per cent, respectively. Al Anwar Ceramics and Gulf International Chemicals declined by 1.73 per cent and 0.37 per cent, respectively. Services Index ended at 3,045.08 points, up by 0.32 per cent. Port Services, Oman Telecommunications Company, Ooredoo Oman, Phoenix Power and National Gas increased by 2.55 per cent, 1.33 per cent, 1.28 per cent, 0.69 per cent and 0.68 T H I R D - PA R T Y R E P O R T S

Sohar port unveils major report on GCC logistics sector Times News Service MUSCAT: The management of Sohar Port has released a thirdparty report on 'GCC Logistics Industry 2017,' reviewing the state of the industry around the region, the latest trends and drivers for growth, as well as business predictions for the coming years. Released by Faisal Al Balushi, a keynote speaker from the commercial management team at Sohar Port and Freezone, the report is the latest in a series of thirdparty reports on themes especially relevant for the Omani logistical hub. Prepared by MEED Insight, a Dubai-based market research company, the report was launched this week at Transtec 2016, the leading Saudi Arabian logistics conference, in Dammam. Sohar’s use of Transtec 2016 to launch its latest report is signiﬁcant. As the port continues to grow and new hinterland connections from Sohar develop rapidly, Saudi Arabia is becoming an important and growing market. A new highway is due to open soon, directly connecting Sohar with Riyadh, completely avoiding the congested UAE-Saudi border crossing and reducing the journey for trucks by 800 kilometres and up to four days. Sohar sees this new link as a signiﬁcant win-win scenario for both sides, giving Saudi logistics operators a direct link to the Omani hub and another excellent option for inbound and outbound cargoes to and from the Kingdom. Like its predecessors, the logistics industry report is sure to become a must-read document for anyone involved in the sector in the Middle East.

per cent, respectively. OIFC and Al Jazeera Services declined by 0.96 per cent and 0.50 per cent, respectively.

REGULAR MARKET ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ....................... 265,934 ........... 64,078..................... 45 ........... 0.235 ...........0.249 ...........0.235........... 0.241 .............0.235 ........... 0.006............. 2.553 ................0.248..............0.247...................0.248 ................. 22,904,640 ........0.100 OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT .......................................................... 212,697 ............97,762.....................22 ........... 0.458 ...........0.460 ...........0.458........... 0.460 .............0.450 ............0.010 .............2.222 ................0.460..............0.456...................0.460 .................152,201,447........0.100 OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY .....................................................62,388 ............ 29,924........................8 ........... 0.472 ...........0.500 ...........0.472........... 0.480 .............0.470 ............0.010 ............. 2.128 ................0.480..............0.480...................0.488...................29,040,000 ........0.100 OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ........................ 181,732 ............ 45,485.....................22 ........... 0.255 ........... 0.255 ...........0.248........... 0.250 .............0.245 ........... 0.005............. 2.041 ................0.248..............0.246...................0.248 ..................31,224,490.........0.100

Sensex sheds 156 points The Reserve Bank’s decision to leave interest rates untouched caught the market by surprise as the Sensex switched gear by reversing its two days of gains and cracked 156 points today to close at 26,237. The 30-share index declined by 155.89 points, or 0.59 per cent, to 26,236.87 after shuttling between 26,540.83 and 26,164.82. The gauge had gained over 162 points in the previous two sessions. The wider Nifty hit a low of 8,077.50 before recovering partially to settle at 8,102.05, down 41.10 points or 0.50 per cent. It touched a high of 8,190.45 in early trade. “Markets traded cautiously along the flat line in the first half of trade today, only to witness a sharp drop after, contrary to market expectations, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept the repo rate unchanged at 6.25 per cent,” said Karthikraj Lakshmanan, Senior Fund Manager, Equities, BNP Paribas Mutual Fund. The Patel-led six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which in its first policy meet had cut interest rate by 0.25 per cent in October, this time belied expectations to keep the benchmark repo rate unchanged at 6.25 per cent unanimously. Interest rate-sensitive banking stocks such as SBI, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank reacted strongly, all of which fell by up to 2 per cent. Out of the 30-share Sensex pack, 25 ended lower while only 5 led by Adani Ports, HDFC, Hero MotoCorp, Tata Motors and M&M finished higher, which cushioned the fall.

OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ..........................78,027 ...........118,558......................19 ............1.520 ........... 1.520 ...........1.510 ........... 1.520 .............1.500 ........... 0.020............. 1.333 ................1.510 ..............1.500................... 1.510 ................1,140,000,000 ......0.100 OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 389,240 ......... 245,615..................... 26 ........... 0.632 ........... 0.632 ...........0.628........... 0.632 .............0.624 ........... 0.008............. 1.282 ................0.632..............0.632...................0.636.................. 411,396,753 ........0.100 OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 958,322 .........140,222..................... 39 ............0.145 ........... 0.150 ...........0.145 ........... 0.146 ............. 0.145.............0.001 ............. 0.690 ................0.147 .............. 0.147...................0.149..................213,539,813 ........0.100 OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ............................................................... 5,660 ...............3,328........................3 ........... 0.588 ........... 0.588 ...........0.588........... 0.588 .............0.584 ........... 0.004............. 0.685 ................0.588..............0.572...................0.588...................32,340,000 ........0.100 OM0000001087............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE .................................35,024 ............. 11,558........................5 ........... 0.330 ...........0.330 ...........0.330........... 0.330 .............0.330 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.330..............0.324...................0.330 ..................33,000,000.........0.100 OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ..............................................................130 ...................196........................1 ............1.505 ........... 1.505 ...........1.505 ........... 1.500 .............1.500 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................1.505 ..............1.500...................1.530................. 300,000,000 .......0.100 OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY......................................75,077 .......... 112,240..................... 10 ............1.495 ........... 1.495 ...........1.495 ............1.495 ............. 1.495............ 0.000.............0.000 ................1.495 .............. 1.495................... 1.510 ..................134,101,500 ........0.100 OM0000001962............AL MADINA INVESTMENT .....................................29,400 ............... 1,588........................5 ........... 0.054 ...........0.054 ...........0.054........... 0.054 .............0.054 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.054..............0.053...................0.054 ...................11,186,175..........0.100 OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 529,503 .........234,012..................... 27 ........... 0.442 ...........0.442 ...........0.440 .......... 0.442 .............0.442 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.440..............0.438...................0.440 ............... 1,103,342,614 ......0.100 OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 257,820 ............61,361........................4 ........... 0.238 ...........0.238 ...........0.238........... 0.238 .............0.238 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.238..............0.232...................0.240 .................. 71,109,087 .........0.100 OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL............................................. 105,000 .............. 7,475........................6 ............0.071 ...........0.072 ...........0.071 ............0.071 ............. 0.071............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.071 .............. 0.071...................0.072...................12,425,000.........0.100 OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER..................................................21,023 ...............3,889........................1 ............0.185 ........... 0.185 ...........0.185 ............0.185 ............. 0.185............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.185 .............. 0.185................... 0.191 ..................124,854,175 ........0.100 OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ................................................. 50,000 ............ 23,600........................1 ........... 0.472 ........... 0.472 ...........0.472........... 0.472 .............0.472 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.472..............0.470...................0.486...................24,780,000.........0.100 OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES ............................................ 69,733 .............13,894........................9 ........... 0.200...........0.200 ...........0.198 ........... 0.199 .............0.200 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.500 ...............0.198 .............. 0.196...................0.197................... 12,179,650 .........0.100 OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ...........................41,965 .............. 4,824........................7 ............0.115 ........... 0.115............0.114 ............0.115 ............. 0.116 ............-0.001 ........... -0.862 ...............0.115 .............. 0.114................... 0.115 .................... 6,766,970 ..........0.100 OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE............... 20,000 ...............4,140........................4 ........... 0.209...........0.209 ...........0.205........... 0.207 .............0.209 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.957 ...............0.209............. 0.206...................0.208 ..................41,400,000.........0.100 OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 693,013...........127,237..................... 29 ............0.183 ........... 0.184 ...........0.183 ........... 0.184 ............. 0.186............-0.002 ............-1.075................0.183 .............. 0.183...................0.184...................32,200,452.........0.100 OM0000001483............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 115,000.............27,025........................3 ........... 0.235 ........... 0.235 ...........0.235........... 0.235 .............0.238 ...........-0.003 ............-1.261................0.235..............0.231...................0.235..................346,573,600 .......0.100 OM0000002168............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ............................... 450,000........... 76,468..................... 36 ............0.171 ........... 0.171............0.168 ........... 0.170 ............. 0.173............-0.003 ............-1.734................0.168 .............. 0.167...................0.169...................50,356,326 .........0.100 OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 190,574............ 30,353......................14 ............0.163 ........... 0.163 ...........0.158 ............0.159 .............0.162............-0.003 ........... -1.852................0.159 .............. 0.159...................0.162..................255,115,395 ........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 4,837,262 ...1,484,833...................346 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......24........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000001046............PACKAGING CO. LTD .................................................... 2,100 ...............4,641........................1 ........... 2.210 ........... 2.210 ...........2.210........... 2.210 .............2.010 ........... 0.200............. 9.950 ................2.210............. 0.000...................0.000 ...................6,630,000 ..........1.000 OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 2,504,411 ......256,598...................126 ........... 0.096 ........... 0.105 ...........0.096........... 0.102 .............0.096 ........... 0.006............. 6.250 ................0.102.............. 0.101...................0.102...................29,578,025 .........0.100 OM0000001400 ...........OMAN FLOUR MILLS ...................................................4,500 ............... 3,150........................3 ........... 0.700 ........... 0.700 ...........0.700........... 0.700 .............0.700 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.700..............0.700...................0.712 ..................110,250,000........0.100 OM0000001509............DHOFAR INT.DEV.AND INV. HOLD......................10,000 ...............3,700........................2 ........... 0.370 ...........0.370 ...........0.370........... 0.370 .............0.370 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.370..............0.362...................0.370...................91,168,000 .........0.100 OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 1,172,900 ...... 133,584..................... 37 ............0.114 ........... 0.115............0.113 ............0.114 ............. 0.114............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.113 ...............0.113................... 0.114 ..................228,035,658........0.100 OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ......................................................... 6,100 .................. 372........................4 ............0.061 ........... 0.061 ...........0.061 ........... 0.061 ............. 0.061............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.061 ..............0.061...................0.062 ................... 7,625,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING ..................................... 4,679 ................9,171........................2 ............1.960 ........... 1.960 ...........1.960........... 1.960 .............1.960 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................1.960..............1.900...................1.960................. 186,200,000 .......0.100 OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ..........................5,000 ..................480........................1 ........... 0.096 ...........0.096 ...........0.096........... 0.098 .............0.098 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.096..............0.096...................0.098....................2,940,000..........0.100 OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH................................................10,000 .............. 2,340........................1 ........... 0.234 ...........0.234 ...........0.234........... 0.234 .............0.234 ........... 0.000.............0.000 ................0.234..............0.234...................0.240 .................223,369,836........0.100 OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER ................................................... 22,992 .............. 4,322........................1 ............0.188 ........... 0.188 ...........0.188 ........... 0.188 ............. 0.188............ 0.000.............0.000 ................0.188 ..............0.188...................0.190..................134,308,392........0.100 OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............. 24,500 ...............6,642........................7 ........... 0.273 ........... 0.273 ...........0.270............0.271 .............0.272 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.368 ...............0.270..............0.267...................0.270 ................... 5,691,000 ..........0.100 OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ............................................................ 301,447 ............67,826........................4 ........... 0.225 ...........0.228 ...........0.225........... 0.225 .............0.226 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.442 ...............0.228..............0.225...................0.228 .................427,320,315 ........0.100 OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 822,025 ........... 66,884.....................22 ............0.081 ...........0.082 ...........0.081 ........... 0.081 .............0.082 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.220 ...............0.081 ..............0.081...................0.082 .................121,500,000........0.100 OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 282,590 ............39,625......................13 ............0.143 ........... 0.143 ...........0.140........... 0.140 .............0.142 ...........-0.002 ........... -1.408 ...............0.140..............0.140...................0.142...................12,600,000.........0.100 OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 150,000 ............10,350........................7 ........... 0.069 ...........0.069 ...........0.069........... 0.069 .............0.070 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.429 ...............0.069..............0.069...................0.070...................69,000,000.........0.100 .............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 5,323,244......609,686................... 231 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ...... 15........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

— United Securities/PTI

BOOZ ALLEN REPORT

R E A L E S TAT E

Residential and commercial property rents decline in Sharjah, says Cluttons Times News Service MUSCAT: Rents in Sharjah’s residential and commercial property markets have fallen for a second year in a row, increasing tenancy options in the emirate, according to real estate consultancy Cluttons. The Cluttons Winter 2016/2017 Sharjah Property Market Snapshot highlights that for the residential rental market in particular, those who are willing to pay extra to upgrade, have more affordable options in Dubai, while tenants who are looking to get more for their money are moving towards Sharjah’s more spacious communities or the significantly more affordable community spaces in Ajman. Sharjah’s residential rental market has been tracking the market in Dubai for almost two years now, with rates in Dubai down 8 per cent on this time last year. After dipping by 5.7 per cent in first quarter, residential rents in Sharjah fell by 2.5 per cent in second quarter and a further -4.7 per cent during third quarter, marking a year to date change of -7.1 per cent. According to the Cluttons research, Sharjah’s landlords have been left with no choice but to lower rents in order to remain competitive to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. There has also been a marked decline in overall tenant requirements as tenants find themselves in the unique position of being spoilt for choice. Weaker jobs growth and the loss of tenants to Dubai has led to rising vacancy rates in Sharjah. Suzanne Eveleigh, property management director at Cluttons explains, “Despite the on-

Smart Grids to help Oman economy in diversiﬁcation Times News Service

STANDING TALL: According to the Cluttons research, Sharjah’s landlords have been left with no choice but to lower rents in order to remain competitive to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. - Supplied picture

going correction, average rents in Sharjah are still 30 per cent higher than they were at the start of 2012, highlighting the strength of rent rises in recent years. Still, Sharjah’s rents remain at almost half the levels seen in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, with one bedroom ﬂats in Sharjah rent for roughly Dh41,000 per annum, when compared to over Dh100,000 per annum in Dubai, or Abu Dhabi.” Eveleigh adds, “On the other side, rents in Ajman are even lower than those of Sharjah with buildings of equally good quality and similar facility offerings. The key to winning back those who have migrated to the more affordable options in Ajman would be through offering ﬂexible payment plans, in addition to better packages, including facilities such as parking.” Faisal Durrani, Head of Research at Cluttons said, “The residential rental market has felt

the impact of a falling market in Dubai and our expectation for a 10 per cent drop in average rents this year appears on track. While Dubai should see a reversal in the fortunes of its residential markets in the Autumn next year, any subsequent improvement in Sharjah, as has been the case historically, is likely to arrive shortly thereafter. Until we arrive at that tipping point, rents in Sharjah are likely to continue ebbing, with a further 5 per cent to 7 per cent fall next year before things stabilise.” Master-planned communities

Undoubtedly Sharjah’s economy is feeling the pinch from the wider slowdown across the rest of the UAE, but demand for a slice of Sharjah’s emerging master-planned land market remains high and continues to exceed expectations. Durrani added, “The game

changer for Sharjah’s property market came in 2014 when property ownership laws were amended to allow all expats domiciled in the UAE to acquire property in designated areas, starting with Tilal City. 1,800 mixed use plots went on sale at the end of 2014 and while the majority of buyers have been Emirati. Purchasers from Syria, Pakistan, Palestine and Kuwait also feature prominently”. Sharjah continues to surprise with its higher than expected proﬁle amongst the region’s wealthy property investors as demonstrated by its third place ranking within the GCC, behind Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in our 2016 Middle East Private Capital Survey. Further property investment opportunities in the form of additional gated community developments point to a bright future for the emirate’s rapidly emerging property market proﬁle. ”

MUSCAT: Historically the utilities sector has under-invested in information technology (IT), but an increasing number of utility companies in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region are waking up to the beneﬁts of smart technology — particularly smart grids, a Booz Allen Hamilton report has found. The developing industrial sector and growing population in Oman is increasing the demand for greater utility output capacity. With a population that has been forecasted to grow to 6.6 million by 2040, the Omani government has begun to implement initiatives that will incorporate and service rural areas of the country into the central utilities network. In its latest report Booz Allen states that customising smart grid strategies to suit an organisation’s objectives and mitigate challenges, while focusing on business transformation will determine the successful adoption of smart grids in Oman. Smart grids are a convergence of the electric power, communications and IT industries, built on the foundations of advanced metering infrastructure, or AMI—an integrated system that enables two-way communication between utilities and their customers. Using a blend of classic electric grid with information, communication and control technologies, smart grids help utilities companies overcome many of the operating and customer service obstacles that stand in their way, thus delivering results for both companies and consumers.

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SPAR Kelloggs Youth Open Scrabble Tournament on Dec. 29 MUSCAT: How many words do you know? Did you know that “ai” is a word? Well, if you feel that you could be a Scrabble champion or you are the top player in your house, why not participate in SPAR Oman Kelloggs Youth Open Scrabble Tournament 2016. Spar Oman and Kellogg’s has teamed up to hold the Oman Youth Open Scrabble Tournament 2016 in Muscat, says a press release. Scrabble is a popular indoor sports played worldwide. It provides an incredible opportunity to develop children’s thinking skills, competitive edge and their grasp of the English language and is loads of fun. The exciting championship will commence on Thursday, December 29 at 10am with a workshop hosted by Karen Richards at ABA, an IB World School, in Al Khuwair. Karen is an Australian Scrabble

professional player who has participated in numerous world championships. Her willingness to develop the sport has seen her take multiple visits to the Gulf organising a number of tournaments. Her experience in the development of youth scrabble comes at an opportune time and she will be sharing her skills and tips with the participants in Muscat. This is an incredible boon for the Scrabble community in Oman. On December 30, the best youth players in Oman will gather at ABA, to pit their wits against each other, with the aim of claiming numerous age group prizes and the title of Oman Youth Open Scrabble Champion. As this is an open tournament anyone can participate, as long as you register early enough. This will be a unique chance to experience what tournament Scrabble feels like while developing lan-

guage skills. There will be different prizes for the age groups for Under 10, Under 13 and Under 18. A tournament for adults will also be running alongside. For both events there will be prizes, trophies and certiﬁcates of participation. According to M. Sridhar, CEO,

KR Consumer Product Group, “From an early age, it is important to provide children with a variety of balanced meals consisting of foods that meet their body’s daily nutritional requirements, such as cereal with milk and a piece of fruit or vegetable for a balanced

Lincoln MKZ comes with cash gift offer The MKZ is one ﬁne example that signals a signiﬁcant step in Lincoln’s reinvention, providing a clear vision of its nextgeneration vehicles

MUSCAT: The Lincoln MKZ is one of the finest luxury sedans that abound with the latest in features and technologies too. The MKZ is one fine example that signals a significant step in Lincoln’s reinvention, providing a clear vision of its next-generation vehicles. Customers looking to own the MKZ now have a huge reason to rejoice. The MKZ is now available with impressive cash gift of OMR5,000 and 0% interest on EMI (Conditions apply. Visit showroom for details), says a press release.

The MKZ’s shape is a vision of simplicity completed with just a few strokes. Warm hues are evident in every aspect of the new vehicle’s exterior. The deep finish is achieved with a rich base coat covered in multiple layers of tinted clear-coat finishes. By retaining key, recognisable brand design elements, the MKZ remains clearly identifiable as a Lincoln. One example is the more refined interpretation of the split-wing grille, introduced on the 1938 Lincoln-Zephyr. The sedan’s profile is dominated by a long, sleek and sweeping

roofline that allows the design to break away from the traditional sedan three-box shape. The lengthening of the roofline enables a more flowing, elegant and more naturally aerodynamic appearance. A panoramic glass roof spans uninterrupted from the windshield to the top of the backlight. Integrated into the sedan’s aluminium and boron steel superstructure, the fixed-glass expanse extends to the side roof rails of the cabin, creating an airy, open interior. LED technology enabled an extremely thin and distinctive

full-width tail lamp graphic. Exhaust tips are cleanly integrated into the rear fascia. The Lincoln MKZ’s four-seat interior is open, warm and inviting. The front graphic is repeated in the dramatic sweep of the instrument panel, helping tie the interior to the exterior. Innovative interior features include push-button transmission gear selection, an open, tiered centre console and liquid crystal instrumentation. The reconfigurable 10.1-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) LCD positioned ahead of the driver operates with the latest version of MyLincoln Touch as does the nearly flushmounted centre 8-inch LCD touch screen. Responsibly harvested poplar wood, aluminium in bright and satin finishes as well as leather help create a sculptural, luxurious and comfortable interior space. Champagne-coloured leather seats with dark taupe accents feature a champagne perforation pattern, so-called because the perforations on the seat backs conjure the image of champagne bubbles rising from the bottom of a glass. In Oman, Lincoln vehicles are brought to you by Arabian Car Marketing Co.

TRADING ENTERPRISE

Al Ansari opens new sales outlet in Mabelah MUSCAT: Al Ansari Trading Enterprise, one of Oman’s leading building material suppliers has expanded its network and opened a new branch in Mabelah. Yusuf Nalwala, managing director, inaugurated the opening of new sales outlet. The nauguration was attended by Adnan Nalwala, executive director, Sajan Jose, CEO, Zoeb Hathiyari, senior marketing manager, Mohammed Shaffi, marketing manager, A. P. Suresh, Mabelah Branch in-charge and several guests and well-wishers, says a press release. The Building Material Trading Division specialises in the trading of deformed steel bars from Oman and Turkey. The division also sells a wide range of building products such as ﬁlm faced shuttering plywood, commercial plywood, redwood, whitewood, steel props, binding wire and other basic building materials. “The opening of the Ibra sales outlet is in line with the company’s strategy of providing high

quality material at fair price to our valued customers. Al Ansari believes in being a catalyst in the dynamic growth of Oman in the era of Renaissance under the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. We wish to serve as many customers as possible to give them fair value and an enjoyable experience in their commercial dealings with us. The company is also looking to engage

and train Omanis in keeping with their value system of promoting local talent and local products,” said Nalwala. “We always maintain the highest quality materials in our product range. Currently we have sales outlets in Ghala, Musannah, Sohar, Ibri, Sur, Al Kamil, Nizwa, Salalah, Ibra and now in Mabelah. We intend to expand our sales network by adding more sales

outlets. We would like to reach closer to the customers as much as possible, so that it is convenient for them to interact with us for their requirements and we can ensure timely delivery. Our trained sales team ensures that we give the right material at a fair price and as usual, the best services to our customers.” “Recently we had entered into a strategic business tie up with Jindal Shadeed Iron and Steel LC as its authorised distributor in Oman for Jindal Panther Rebar. We are the exclusive distributor of Russian made SVEZA Birch Film Faced Shuttering Plywood in Oman. Our ability to adapt to the changing customer needs and market demands enables us to maintain our growth momentum,” said Sajan Jose. Al Ansari with it main focus on the customer service at a competitive price, has evolved as one of the leading building materials trading company in Sultanate of Oman.

breakfast.” He added, “Scrabble is brain game of word power and a healthy breakfast can provide best nutrition for the development of our brain. Kellogg’s is proud to be associated with this event.” “At SPAR, we always look for opportunities to enhance our shopper’s experience. SPAR Oman has already broken the barrier of just being a destination supermarket offering fresh, choice, value and service but also engaging shoppers in activities where they can participate and enjoy with their family,” said Devendra Kumar – head, SPAR Oman. “When it comes to Scrabble, which is a very popular indoor family game, we happily agreed to be a part of this exciting event. Interested participants can walk into a SPAR outlet to register for the event and can win a free gift from Kellogg’s, added Kumar.

The tournament in Oman is the brainchild of Megel Barker, an expatriate British/Jamaican who is Middle School assistant principal at ABA. “Scrabble is one of the sports that will help students to develop important thinking skills, it is played at home as a family game but I believe that children who play scrabble competitively, will grow to love the language,” he explained. “I play scrabble online and in Gulf tournaments, but I felt that there was not enough of the sport being played among kids. When I saw that Qatar had 20 kids in the recent World Youth Championships in Lille, I wondered, why shouldn’t Oman be doing the same?” For the youth tournament, you can enter by completing the forms available at any SPAR outlets in Muscat, in schools, online, or in the Times of Oman.

AL BASMA ELECTRONICS OPENS NEW SHOWROOM IN BIDIYAH Al Basma Electronics opened its new showroom in Bidiyah. Amin Khamis Al Sa’adi, vice chairman of OCCI Al Batina South governorate, inaugurated the new showroom. Mohammed Musthafa, general manager and Kunjhammad, managing director were present during the occasion. — Supplied picture

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

ROUND-UP NBO applauds its SME client Shuwa Express Shuwa Express signed franchising deal with Saudi-based Jibal Al Rustaq to open multiple outlets in Saudi Arabia

MUSCAT: National Bank of Oman (NBO) congratulated its SME banking client Shuwa Express on plans to open its first international chain. Shuwa Express is the first Omani fast food restaurant serving the traditional Omani dish Shuwa in a modern style. The concept has proved hugely popular with both residents and tourists and has attracted interest from overseas investors. The company has signed a franchising agreement with Jibal Al Rustaqto open multiple outlets across Saudi Arabia, with the first due to open in the first quarter of 2017, says a press release. NBO has been involved with

Shuwa Express since the company was established in 2013, including providing support, mentoring and a comprehensive suite of ﬁnancial products that have helped the business to grow. Nasser Al Rashdi, general manager and chief commercial banking officer at NBO, said: “NBO is proud to be a key enabling partner in the Shuwa Express success story from the very beginning. The company proves what talented young Omanis with innovative ideas can achieve with the right attitude. Omani entrepreneurs like Shuwa Express are playing an essential role in diversifying the Omani economy and creating

new employment opportunities. NBO congratulates them on this achievement, and we look forward to their next phase of growth as they join the numerous local entrepreneurs who are making their mark in the Sultanate and the wider region.” Ali Al Abdul Latif, one of the owners of Shuwa Express commented: “NBO has been a key enabler in the Shuwa Express journey, and we thank the team for all its support. The response from customers in Oman to our offering has been exceptional and we are now ready to take our business international. We are delighted to have partnered with Jibal Al Rustaq to

open our first overseas outlets, and we look forward to bringing the Shuwa Express concept to whole new audience in Saudi Arabia.” Ibrahim Al Aqeeli of Jibal Al Rustaq added: “Shuwa Express has rapidly emerged as an important brand in Oman and has gained a large and loyal customer base in a very short time. We think there is a great opportunity to take the concept to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and we look forward to introducing this fast-growing brand to our customers in early 2017.” Supporting Oman’s SME sector is a strategic priority for NBO. The bank has developed its market leading suite of Tijarati Banking products, including comprehensive financing solutions, to give SMEs the tools they need to succeed. The bank operates dedicated SME Hubs staffed by specially trained staff to provide SMEs with financial and technical support. NBO also provides mentorship, guidance and inspiration to entrepreneurs through initiatives such as the NBO Innovation in SME Award and NBO Chairman’s Speaker Series. Additionally, as the only Omani bank with operations in the UAE, NBO plays an important role in facilitating trade flows between Oman and the UAE.

SPECIAL OCCASION

Al Haikal Group celebrates Oman’s 46th National Day MUSCAT: Joining in the national spirit, Al Haikal Group of Restaurants celebrated 46th National Day of Oman at a colourful cakecutting ceremony held recently at its main outlet in Ghubra. Shaukat Ali Chaudhry, Counsellor at Embassy of Pakistan, was the chief guest. Haji Abdul Rehman, director, Al Haikal Group, welcomed the distinguished guests including senior officials of Pakistan Social Club, Pakistan International Airlines and prominent community mem-

bers, says a press release. Carrying replicas of Omani ﬂag and portraits of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the participants prayed for the health and long life of HM, continued progress of Oman and further strengthening of Pakistan-Oman brotherly relations. The ceremony concluded with the cake-cutting and singing of the two countries’ national anthems. Abdul Rehman then treated his guests to an array of delicious Pakistani cuisine.

FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND

OAB hosts town hall meeting to review progress and future developments MUSCAT: Oman Arab Bank (OAB) held its ﬁrst town hall meeting open to all staff members at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa. Lead by Amin Al Husseini, CEO of OAB, the meeting highlighted the bank’s achievements throughout the year and shed light on its development plans for 2017. At the event, Amin Al Husseini welcomed the attendees by congratulating them on another suc-

in our revenue and portfolio of services is only an indication of the level of progress that is yet to come. Our history of success established over the last three decades has been possible due to the strong support of our loyal customers and the skills and expertise of our employees and moving forward, it is important for us to continue investing in our strengths and work towards our aim of becoming the leading bank

cessful year and thanked them for their contribution to the bank’s growth. He then touched upon the various milestones achieved by the bank during the year and discussed the bank’s direction going forward for the next year and business strategies to ensure consistent progress, says a press release. Al Husseini said, “Oman Arab Bank has grown leaps and bounds in the past few years and the growth S I LV E R J U B I L E E

in the Sultanate.” Rashad bin Ali Al-Musaﬁr, deputy CEO of OAB remarked, “Our strategy for the next year entails advancing our customer service to the next level and expanding our present portfolio of banking services and solutions. We are also looking to introduce several more trainings to augment the expertise of our national workforce which will further strengthen the operations of the bank.” SPONSOR

Grand show marks milestone achieved by Indian School Ghubra McDonald’s takes part in Oman Flag Candles 2016 MUSCAT: Indian School Al Ghubra (ISG) celebrated its Silver Jubilee on December 4. Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Sarmi, undersecretary, Ministry of Higher Education, was the chief guest for the occasion. Dignitaries from the Ministry of Education, members of the Board of Directors, Indian Schools in Oman and the principals of the Indian Schools in the Muscat area were also present, says a press release. Papri Ghosh, the principal, in her address expressed her deep felt gratitude to all those who have been associated with the school in the past and the present. The annual report in the form of a video presentation showcased the highlights of the academic year 2015 – 2016. In his address, the founder exhorted ISG to continue to be a trend setter and not to rest on its laurels. He encouraged staff and students to work hard and keep raising the

bar. Ahmed Rayees, the president of SMC, recalled the long distance covered and the many challenges overcome. He spoke of the alumni of the school who have carved out brilliant careers for themselves. He thanked the founder for providing the best infrastructure. The high point of the evening was the presentation of the Long Service Awards by the chief guest. The members of the staff who had served for 25, 20, 15 and 10 years were felicitated. The video presentation ‘Indian School Al Ghubra - A journey over 25 years’ captured the excitement and thrill of the glorious history of ISG ﬁlled with remarkable achievements and amazing events. To mark the Silver Jubilee celebrations, the longest serving members of Team ISG presented a memento to the founder as a token of their respect and regard. The cultural extravaganza commenced with the soulful rendition of the song titled Ekla

Cholo Re by Swaratma, the school choir. The Mélange of Broadway Musicals presented over 25 years on Founder’s Day showcased the talents of over 500 students. The majestic sets, dazzling costumes, innovative use of sound and light effects and the ﬂawless performance by the students enthralled the audience. The glimpses of the musicals strung together by a creative narrative brought back fond memories of ISG at its resplendent best. Scenes from Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat, Cats, Les Miserables, Fiddler on the Roof, Aladdin, King and I, Cleopatra, Mikado, Anastasia and other famous musicals transported the audience to different countries and mirrored the myriad of cultures and traditions that enrich human civilisation. The memorable evening inspired the staff and students to rededicate themselves with renewed vigour to the school’s motto ‘Strive for the Best.’

MUSCAT: McDonald’s Oman (Al Daud Restaurants) was a sponsor of Oman Flag Candles 2016, an event that made Oman successfully set a new world record and entered the Guinness Book of Records for its candle-lit Omani national flag. Organised by the National Initiative Fellowship Fund for the benefit of Ministry of Health employees, the Oman Flag Candles 2016 lit up the Qurum amphitheatre forming the shape and colours of the Oman flag, marking the celebration of the country’s 46th National Day. The event was said to be the largest of its kind with over 2,000 school children taking part in the celebration and singing patriotic songs. McDonald’s Oman took part in such an event congratulating His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and all the people in Oman in the celebration of the country’s 46th National Day.

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ROUND-UP

Hyundai announces its ‘Super Value Festival’ This attractive promotion scheme is available until January 27

MUSCAT: Hyundai has 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, says a press release. 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 with every purchase. Promotion elements may vary for different models and exact details are available at all Hyundai showrooms. Hyundai Arena at the Oman Motor Show Visit the Hyundai Arena at the Oman Motor Show 2016 currently ongoing at the Convention and Exhibition Centre at Muscat. The Hyundai Arena with its grey-

white theme ensures an inviting appeal while allowing plenty of space for visitors to move and interact with the cars and representatives. There are special engagement spaces created within the stand- a lounge for customers and visitors, kiosks for discussion and product information as well as sufficient space to connect and interact with Hyundai’s attractive model lineup. The Hyundai Arena also utilises the concept of ‘Open Ar-

chitecture’ to allow access to visitors from three sides within the motor show pavilion. 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 and Grand Santa Fe are also acclaimed for their capability and appeal to the automobile aﬁ-

cionados in the Sultanate. Hyundai’s well recognised Fluidic Sculpture design philosophy has given a new dimension to the aesthetics and sophistication of its cars. It is the combination of reﬁnement, sophistication, technology and high performance that together craft the Hyundai experience. Hyundai’s brand direction of ‘Modern Premium’ propels the brand to surpass customers’ expectations by combining exceptional performance and emotional elegance. Hyundai, today, ranks among the top automotive brands in the world. Being one of the top-shopped vehicles, Hyundai cars command a very strong resale value- in Oman and across other global markets as well. OTE Group is the exclusive dealer of 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 centre.

PAT R I O T I S M

Lulu celebrates National Day in style

MUSCAT: Lulu Hypermarket Oman celebrated the 46th glorious National Day of Oman across all its 19 outlets in the country. A special cake-cutting ceremony and an array of cultural activities and promotions were organised to coincide with the event. Top officials from various wilayats and senior employees of Lulu group were part of the event, says a press release.

The outlets were decked up with balloons, craftwork and ribbons depicting the tricolours of the national ﬂag. There was a grand display of loyalty and tribute at all the stores, which evoked a sense of patriotism and loyalty to the country and its great leader His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. A variety of cultural events and fascinating performances were also organised to enthral

the audiences. Expresses gratitude Speaking on the event, Ananth A. V. – director, Lulu Oman & India said, “We are happy to be a part of the National Day celebrations every year. It is a matter of pride for each one of us. It is an opportunity for us to express our gratitude and honour to His Majesty and the people of this noble country for

their love and kindness. This occasion reminds us of the unparalleled progress and prosperity achieved under the able guidance of His Majesty. The vision of His Majesty has indeed transformed Oman into a nation of prosperity. The encouragement and support received from this country and its citizens all these years have remained driving forces for us to achieve all our goals.”

PROMOTION

Three months free subscription with My Arab channels MUSCAT: Mustafa Sultan Enterprises (MSE), the authorised distributor of My Arab through its My HD brand has announced an attractive offer for its subscribers. New subscribers can now avail My Arab 3-month free subscription with Humax STB for OMR16 only, says a press release. My Arab is a complete balance of Arabic and Global television entertainment that is both respectful to the Arab culture and still provides entertainment for the whole Arab family from My HD. My HD Established in 2012 and headquartered in Dubai Media City, My-HD is the ﬁrst and only ultra-low Direct to Home (DTH) HD Pay-TV platform in the region. The High Deﬁnition satellite Pay-TV provider aims to provide the best viewing experience to consumers in the Mena region at an affordable price. My-HD offers a range of packages to serve the various needs of the different communities in the Mena region. The new packages are now available with MSE - Al Khuwair. My Arab was introduced in March 2016. My Arab offers more than 40 premium channels, with more than 25 of the content in Arabic language. The package comprises Arabic channels such as Mime TV, Al NaharAlyoum HD, Al Nahar Drama HD and English Movie Channels like Fox Family Movies HD, Fox action Movies HD, Film Box HD, Film Box Art House HD, My Cinema with Arabic subtitles along with MBC Family of channels like MBC Drama HD, MBC Variety HD and MBC+ Drama HD. The package also compris-

My Arab is a complete balance of Arabic and Global television entertainment that is both respectful to the Arab culture and still provides entertainment for the whole Arab family from My HD

es the info entertainment channels like Animal Planet HD, Discovery Science HD, H2 HD, Doc Box HD, Travel HD and Anuimux. My-HD is also in ties with a number of receiver brands such as Humax, Altech, Galaxis Cambridge, Truview & Dansat in GCC countries. My-HD exclusive channels are best viewed with Arabsat low band satellite positioned to 26 degrees east. MSE Entertainment Factory (Pay-TV) division is pioneer in Pay TV business for more than 20 years and is the distributor for OSN in Oman. Besides OSN, MSE-EF is a leading distributor for beIN Sports. It has a showroom in Al Khuwair and four kiosks at Muscat City Centre, Qurum City Centre, Muscat Grand Mall and Sohar Safeer Mall.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

ROUND-UP

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Countdown begins for al Mazyona OMR1 million year-end grand prizes The 2016 al Mazyona savings scheme offering a total prize money of OMR10 million has been rewarding and fulﬁlling the dreams of customers with high value prizes throughout the year, ranging from OMR1,000 a week to OMR10,000 a month and OMR100,000 every quarter besides special draws coinciding with festivals and national celebrations

MUSCAT: Countdown has begun for the climax of 2016 al Mazyona savings scheme as Bank Muscat, the ﬂagship ﬁnancial services provider in the Sultanate, is all set to reward al Mazyona customers with the biggest OMR1 million prizes

in the year-end draw. Aimed at further strengthening the savings culture in Oman, momentum has started building up for the grand al Mazyona year-end bonanza. The 2016 al Mazyona savings scheme offering a total prize

money of OMR10 million has been rewarding and fulﬁlling the dreams of customers with high value prizes throughout the year, ranging from OMR1,000 a week to OMR10,000 a month and OMR100,000 every quarter besides special draws coinciding with festivals and national celebrations, says a press release. Biggest surprise Springing the biggest surprise, the focus of al Mazyona now shifts to the grand year-end prize of OMR1 million to be shared by two customers, including one asalah Priority Banking customer, who will receive OMR500,000 each. By maintaining a minimum balance of OMR1,000, customers are eligible to win the OMR1 million grand prizes to be shared by two customers at the end of the year. For every OMR100 balance, customers get 1 chance to win – so with OMR1,000, they get 10 chances to win. The more the saving, the better the chances to win. al Mazyona, the Sultanate’s

CHRISTMAS OFFERS

ﬂagship savings scheme, has been successful in its objective of inculcating a strong savings culture in Oman with the series of big prizes offering fair and transparent winning chances for all segments of customers across the Sultanate. al Mazyona reaffirms the bank’s vision and constant efforts to fulﬁl the aspirations and ambitions of the largest banking family in Oman with attractive weekly, monthly, quarterly, special and year-end prizes. The upcoming monthly prize draw of al Mazyona Savings Scheme will be celebrated in the historical setting of Ibri Fort on December 14 Wednesday in which customers will receive high value prizes ranging from OMR10,000 to OMR50,000. The monthly draw is a day of high rewards for Premier banking clients as two prizes of OMR50,000 each have been earmarked for asalah Priority banking customers and two prizes of OMR25,000 each for al Jawhar Privilege banking customers. The monthly draw will also reward 28

customers covering all the regions who will receive OMR10,000 each. All through the 24-year journey of al Mazyona, the core focus has been to encourage customers to sustain a strong savings culture and be rewarded with the biggest aspirational prizes. The 2016 al Mazyona scheme now offers customers a golden opportunity to save more and earn more chances to win the thumping OMR1 million prizes on offer. Anchor role At a time when savings are most critical to ensure a secure future for individuals and families, al Mazyona plays an anchor role to encourage ﬁnancial discipline. The objective of al Mazyona is to create a savings habit that makes a lasting difference in the wellbeing of families. al Mazyona offers the biggest prize money in the savings scheme history in Oman. Bank Muscat understands customer expectations and during the past 24 years, the ﬂagship savings scheme has re-

warded numerous customers and enriched their lives. The scheme is targeted to accommodate all segments, including ladies, youth, children and high saving customers, thereby strengthening prudent savings habit among citizens who will be responsible for the future development of Oman. al Mazyona continues to reflect innovative customer segmentation based on two principles - region and demographics – ensuring higher winning chances to all customers across the Sultanate. al Mazyona is the only savings scheme to recognise and reward loyalty for customers based on their association with the bank. For example, if a customer has been saving for 5 years, his chances of winning get multiplied by five times and similarly if he has been maintaining al Mazyona savings account for 20 years, his chances get multiplied 20 times and so on. This benefit is unique only to al Mazyona savings scheme holders and no other bank offers this loyalty reward.

R E A L E S TAT E

Lulu gets ready for festive season Alargan Towell showcases its projects MUSCAT: With Christmas round the corner, Lulu hypermarket has launched an array of delightful surprises to help its customers celebrate the festive season. The special Christmas offers launched across all the outlets will enable shoppers to stock up their Christmas goodies and everything needed for their family for this festive season. The hypermarket will provide a range of products across selected categories relevant for the season at the lowest and best prices. From festive attire to food items, decorations and gifts, Lulu has it all, says a press release. To emphasise the joyous mood and capture the magic of the season, Lulu has adorned all its hypermarkets with X mas trees, and other decorative trimmings. Lulu has specials paces for Xmas goodies like freshly baked cookies, brownies, pastries, cakes, imported chocolates and desserts. A wide selection of meat and poultry products, including fresh chicken,

at Oman Property Roadshow 2016

frozen duck and turkeys, and dairy products will be available for customers to make their Xmas feast complete. Lovely decoration items like sparkling stars and balls, glittering tinsels,reindeers, snowmen and decorative lights are also be available for shoppers to adorn their homes to enhance the charm of the season. Commenting on the Xmas promotion, Ananth A. V., director – Lulu Oman & India said, “Like every year, Lulu has made all arrangements for Christmas shop-

ping with special offers to incentivise our diverse customers with their year-end festive shopping. We hope that all our initiatives will add to the excitement and joy of this season. Lulu will offer a range of products to ensure that visitors enjoy a delightful and stress-free Christmas shopping experience,” he added. The special offers and exclusive seasonal activities are part of Lulu hypermarket’s initiative to continuously bring the best of the world to their customers.

WORKSHOP

Starcare India streams live surgery, cadaver dissection to educate ENT doctors in Oman

MUSCAT: Alargan Towell Investment recently witnessed a large turnout at Oman Property Roadshow 2016 following the recent reveal of its unique offer for residential villas and land plots at the Al Waha Project. Organised by the Oman Real Estate Association, in cooperation with Muscat Grand Mall, the roadshow continued for two days from December 4 to 5. The roadshow was launched under the auspices of Sayyid Salim bin Musallam Al Busaidi, undersecretary at the Ministry of Civil Services. Mohammed AlKindi, member of Commercial Commission at Shura Council, together with Eng. Mohammed AlBusaidi, chairman of Oman Real Estate Association, in addition to a number of other board members of the Oman Real Estate Association and representatives from other real estate companies also attended, says a press release. Commenting on the importance of this participation, Eng. Hisham Moussa, CEO of Alargan Towell noted, “These roadshows provide us with an opportunity to showcase our current and future projects, in addition to promoting any investment opportunities available in our current projects to visitors. Such events also allow us meet with and talk to potential customers in person, thereby giving us a clearer understanding of the needs of the market. “At this roadshow we focused primarily on the recently launched second phase of the Al Waha Project and its accompanying offer. It was this offer that received considerable attention from visitors due to the wonderful advantages it presented.”

Alargan Towell recently launched the second phase of the Al-Waha Project – one of the company’s most prominent projects in Barka. At the same event, the company also revealed a unique offer which allows potential buyers a choice of land plots of various sizes in the project at attractive prices starting from only OMR14,500. Additionally, Alargan Towell will provide plot owners with free villa designs for those wishing to build a uniquely designed home on their plot. The offer also provides customers with an opportunity to own a new villa at competitive prices starting from just OMR53,800. Should they wish to do so, they can also purchase a villa from the ﬁrst phase together with an additional plot of their choosing from the second phase, within the same project, at discounted prices starting from just OMR64,900. This offer provides Alargan clients with the best possible ﬂexibility when choosing their new or future homes. Eng. Hisham Moussa concluded, “Our participation in this roadshow stems from our belief in the importance of supporting events organised by the Oman Real Estate Association; which

EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE

THIRD ROUND

Nabil picks promo winners MUSCAT: Top ear surgeons from around the world gathered in the new Starcare Hospital, Calicut, India recently to share their wealth of experience on the emerging trends in ear surgeries. The advance centre for ENT at Starcare Hospital, Calicut, headed by pioneering surgeon Prof Ashok Kumar welcomed the international faculty from France, Italy, Australia and other leading centres. Starcare was the chosen centre for live surgery demonstration and live cadaveric dissection as part of the largest annual conference of ear surgeons in India, ISOCON 2016 held in Calicut, Kerala, India which attracted 1,200 ENT surgeons not only from throughout India, but also from neighbouring countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Oman. The delegates of the conference watched the complex surgical procedures performed at Starcare Hospital live sitting in a conference hall several kilometres away, says a press release. Starcare Hospital, Muscat

meanwhile used the opportunity of this mega scientific event to educate ENT doctors in Oman who could not attend the conference in India. In a first of kind effort, the workshop was streamed live to the training hall of Starcare Hospital, Muscat where several ENT surgeons gathered to watched as world’s leading surgeons operated in India. Leading the programme in Muscat, Dr K. Sridhar, senior consultant ENT surgeon at Starcare Hospital, Muscat said that use of technology has made continuous medical education much more easier than in the past. All doctors need to continuously update their knowledge and skills to remain as experts in the field and opportunities such this are much welcome in that aspect, he said. Twenty complex Ear surgeries like Stapedectomy, Cochlear implant, Trigeminal neuralgia surgery were some of the procedures demonstrated live. The two day workshop ended up with fresh cadaveric dissection to refresh the

anatomy knowledge of surgeons. Use of such cadavers specially prepared for this purpose bought from USA, preserved with special blood like ﬂuids was a new experience to most of the young and senior doctors alike. Dr Askar Kukkadi, managing director of Starcare Group of Hospitals and Medical Centres in Oman remarked, “The Advanced Centre for ENT at the new Starcare Hospital, Calicut is highly resourceful in terms of expertise and equipments, which made it an obvious choice for such large conference venue. I am happy to note that Starcare in Oman also has a highly skilled team of ENT surgeons and only very few cases need to be currently referred to our centre in Calicut.” Excellence in healthcare comes from constant upskilling and private sector has a larger role to play in this. The more updated your doctors are the better care that you can provide, added Dr Naseem, CEO of Starcare Hospital, Muscat.

MUSCAT: National Biscuit Industries, the makers of the brand ‘Nabil’ range of biscuits, wafers and snacks announced its third round of six winners in the ‘Nabil Winter Surprises’ promotion. In the third round, the winners of iPhone 7 are Husannah Mohammed Salem Al Hinai and Khamis, while Samsung TVs were won by Swathi Gopakumar and Sarath Sasakan. The Samsung Tablet was won by Manjima M. T. and Fahed Abdullah Salem, says a press release. The ﬁrst draw was held at the headquarters of National Biscuits Industries by Yusuf Al

in turn exerts great effort towards serving and developing the real estate sector in the country. On behalf of Alargan Towell Investment I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for organising the roadshow and their dedication towards the development of the real estate sector in the country.” The Al Waha residential community is one of the newest integrated residential projects in Barka. Located at the heart of Barka, the project boasts a total area of nearly 690,000 square metres and is just 25 minutes from the capital city of Muscat. Having successfully completed its ﬁrst phase, the Al Waha project is differentiated by the quality and variety of residential buildings it provides to its customers, including villas and apartments of various sizes. It is also located just off the main road and close to shopping centres, offering immense levels of convenience to those residing within the project. Moreover, to give the surroundings a unique trait, the integrated project features landscaped gardens, and commercial space, in addition to schools, mosques and other amenities, making the project more akin to a full-ﬂedged township.

Jabri, official from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It congratulated the six lucky winners. A total of 14 customers have won 4 iPhone 7, 6 Samsung LED 40” TVs and 4 Samsung 9.6” Tablets so far. Unnit Mankodi, head of Sales & Marketing said, “This promotion has already created a huge excitement amongst the consumers and the entries are increasing every day. Such a unique concept of winning prizes throughout the period of the promotion has deﬁnitely caught the attention of the consumers and the excitement will further increase with each passing day.”

Moana all set to hover over multiplexes in Oman today MUSCAT: City Cinema in association with 104.8 Radio Merge successfully hosted an exclusive premiere preview for their avid fans at City Cinema Shatti yesterday. This event included singingand-dancing along with Maui, voiced with verve by (Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson) & Moana (voice of Auli’i Cravalho), the tribal princess guiding Maui on a sea-crossing mission to fulﬁl a mythic quest into ocean depths like fairground distorting mirrors. The Disney princess tradition has held onto its charm as it has changed with the times, widening its cultural frame of reference. Moana’s triumph should not be missed so get set to witness this visually dazzling and musical journey of Moana at City Cinema in 2D & 3D today.

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM THU RS DAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016 0 16

SECTION

SEPANG CIRCUIT IS GREAT, SAYS OMAN’S KHALID AL WAHAIBI >C3

SPOR YOUR GAME

CONFIDENT TEAM INDIA READY TO WRAP UP SERIES A dominant India will be eyeing to clinch the five-Test series against England with yet another comprehensive victory when the two teams square off in the fourth match of the series starting on Thursday. >C2

Top drag flicker Rupinder vows his best for title defenders Ahli-Sidab Having strengthened their ranks with

Every match is played on its merit and every team wants to win Rupinder Pal Singh

the induction of Indian hockey star Rupinder Pal Singh, defending champions

India drag flicker

Ahli-Sidab are all pumped for the ﬁnal cruise in the His Majesty’s Cup Hockey Championship

T.K. MOHANDOSS sportseditor@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: With the 2016 His Majesty’s Cup Hockey Championship title race heating up, defending champions Ahli-Sidab Club have sprung a surprise by boosting their ranks to the optimum. To be seen in action at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher on Thursday evening will be none other than the latest star of the hockey arena and India’s best drag ﬂicker Rupinder Pal Singh. Very recently he was seen being adjudged the player of the tournament, where India won the Asian Champions Trophy in Kuantan and he was also seen at his best in India’s recent tour of Australia. For Ahli-Sidab, coached by K.K.

Poonacha, their tall ambition to defend the title in style will now have a 6 foot 4 inch giant in Rupinder to propel their cause. “This is indeed for the first time I am in Oman and I promise to provide my best to help the team extend the reign as champions,” said Rupinder during a casual chat with Times Sport soon after arriving in Muscat. For Rupinder, who is based in Chennai working and playing for Indian Overseas Bank, playing in Oman will be a new experience. “I am looking forward for the first match tomorrow (Thursday) and hope to make a first good impression,” he said. Ahli-Sidab, having topped the first round, is looking for a winning start in the crucial round ahead of the knockout phase and they will be facing the lucky and plucky Salalah Club, who clinched the sixth spot after a play-off on Tuesday. Born in Punjab’s Faridkot, this unassuming Indian star, is confident of gelling with his teammates and also is curious of knowing about the opponent teams, who this season have improved drastically with enforcements of young

Mohammed Imran helps Dhofar stun Seeb MUSCAT: Dhofar Club caused a ﬂutter in the second phase of His Majesty’s Cup Hockey Championship at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher on

and experienced professionals from Pakistan. For a man who towered over others in dual wins over Pakistan in the Asian Champions Trophy, he opined to take every match seriously. “It doesn’t matter who I play against or where or for whom, I stick to the plans and strategies of the team and do my best to score,” said Rupinder, who also was the top-notch purchase for the HIL franchise Delhi Waveriders. Referring to the emotions while playing against Pakistan, he said there are no special thoughts or feelings. “Every match is played on its merit and every team wants to

Wednesday. Riding on Mohammed Imran’s 68th minute goal, Dhofar stunned the former champions Seeb Club 1-0 in a pulsating match. Meanwhile,

win. On the pitch, whoever the opponents are, we go all out for a win,” the Indian, who too faced times when his short corner conversion failed to ﬁnd the mark, said. “That happens and I have been working hard since then and also have gone in for some innovations, which are bearing fruits,” he pointed out. While in Oman he expressed his desire to speak to the upcoming national players and highlight on the ethics of the game. “My little experience has given me a good knowledge. Being united and understanding each other brings the best out of a team and that is what is happening with the

on Tuesday, Salalah took the sixth spot beating Sohar 3-1 in play-off and will now test their might against defending champions Ahli-Sidab on Thursday.

Indian team now,” he explained, praising chief coach Roelant Oltmans, who he credited for the transformation. “There are still some gaps, which was evident in our recent matches in Australia. We need to plug those as 2018 World Cup is our next big target,” he said, who also mentioned certain lack of experience to be the reason. He also expressed hope on the Indian juniors to deliver the goods in the Junior World Cup beginning on Thursday. “They have the capabilities to upset any team,” said Rupinder, whose international debut was during the Sultan Azlan

Shah Cup in 2010. Rupinder having been a standout player for whichever team he played for, is now Poonacha’s trump card in his and Ahli-Sidab’s quest to defend the His Majesty’s Cup. However, Poonach is wary of all the teams this season. “No match is easy this time and each and every team is playing great hockey,” said Poonacha. “The Pakistani players — Mushtaq, Adnan and Irfan — playing for Salalah Club are very good upfront,” said Poonacha after having a first glimpse of them in action on Tuesday. Pradhan Somanna, who is another Ahli-Sidab recruit, too vouched for his coach’s opinion. “No team is an easy prey this time. We must work hard to finish on top,” said Pradhan. “Performance on the day is vital.” Poonacha also said teams from south like Al Nasr and Dhofar too have become stronger outfits. “Mentally we are highly motivated and there are no injury worries,” said Poonacha, who later took off to the Bausher stadium with Rupinder and Pradhan for a practice session.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

SPORTS

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Confident Team India ready to wrap up series against England Pandey in for injured Rahane, Thakur back-up for Shami

With an unassailable 2-0 lead after three Tests, the conﬁdence of the Virat Kohli-led team is sky high and they would like to regain the Anthony de Mello Trophy which they had lost to Alastair Cook’s side back in 2012

TALKING STRATEGIES: Indian team captain Virat Kohli, left, speaks to coach Anil Kumble and selector Jatin Paranjpe during a practice session in Mumbai on Wednesday. – PTI

MUMBAI: A dominant India will be eyeing to clinch the five-Test series against England with yet another comprehensive victory when the two teams square off in the fourth match of the series starting on Thursday. With an unassailable 2-0 lead after three Tests, the confidence of the Virat Kohli-led team is sky high and they would like to regain the Anthony de Mello Trophy which they had lost to Alastair Cook’s side back in 2012. Even if England manage a draw, India will win the series after the visitors’ hat-trick of wins- 2011 in England, 2012 in India and 2014 in England again. In their last two Test meetings at the Wankhede, England had prevailed over India and the 2012 Test match will always be remembered as one where Kevin Pietersen played perhaps one of the finest knocks by an overseas batsman on Indian soil. Thursday’s Test match gives India a chance to exact revenge for the two earlier defeats and also make the Chennai Test inconsequential. The tourists suffered a heavy loss in Mohali and are now expected to come hard at the hosts after spending a week away from the sub-continent — in Dubai — licking their wounds and recharging their batteries. In the interim, England had also

replaced two injured Asian-origin players - impressive teenage opener Haseeb Hameed and left arm spinner Zafar Ansari — with two uncapped players — Keaton Jennings and Liam Dawson. Hameed’s loss due to a ﬁnger fracture sustained in Mohali is a big blow to England who will be hoping that the South Africa-born Jennings will step into the other youngster’s shoes seamlessly and perform well the difficult role of opening the batting with skipper Alastair Cook. India, too, have had injury concerns but as head coach Anil Kumble pointed out at a media conference on Tuesday, the newcomers had slipped in and performed well to contribute to the hosts’ domination of the rubber after having played second ﬁddle to the tourists in the series opener at Rajkot. India’s top-order batting has been shored up by the sublime form exhibited by No 3 Cheteshwar Pujara and captain Virat Kohli and any subsequent wobble has been arrested by the lower order batsmen led by Ravichandran Ashwin. Parthiv Patel, who was recalled to the team after an eight-year gap, took on the unenviable job of opening the batting against the top-class England new-ball attack led by the redoubtable James Anderson with élan in Mohali, mak-

ing 42 and 67 respectively. With the return to fitness after a forearm injury of KL Rahul, who did not play the third game of the series, the pint-sized wicket keeper is expected to bat in the middle-order. The lone change that is likely to happen is replacement of Karun Nair, who made his debut in Mohali, making way for Rahul, as the rest of the combination is unlikely to be tinkered with unless there’s a last-minute injury. Excellent form Although the Indian batting has held up, thanks to the excellent form of Pujara and Kohli higher up and the resilience of the lower order, the poor run of opener Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane must be causing some concern. Vijay started off the series well scoring a hundred at Rajkot while Rahane had scored a 188 at Indore in the final Test against New Zealand. Vijay has been out on a few occasions, fending awkwardly at the short ball directed at his rib cage by Anderson and company and the England fast bowlers must be licking their fingers to have another go at the Tamil Nadu player on a track, which has helped pacers in the past. Rahane, on the other hand, has been out to poor shot selection and has had a stint with his personal coach Praveen Amre prior

to entering the high-octane arena and the team would be hoping he comes good at his home ground. The Indian bowling attack is expected to remain the same — with Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav using the new ball before the spin trio of Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and impressive newcomer Jayant Yadav coming on to torment the England batsmen. The seven days’ break after the third Test must have been a great help to the bowlers, especially the two pacers, to recover from their exertions, and they would be eager to have another tilt at the unsettled England batting line-up. England’s woes have started because Cook’s form has dipped along with that of their other main batsman, Joe Root, after Rajkot and they will take comfort from the fact that it was at the Wankhede that Cook thrived four years ago in the company of Kevin Pietersen to mark a turnaround in the series. Broad ﬁt The good news for them is Stuart Broad’s expected return to full ﬁtness after having taken almost a fortnight to recover from his foot injury sustained in the Visakhapatnam Test match. England, thus, are expected to go in with a four-pronged pace attack to try and unsettle the Indian batsmen on a track that is expected

to take slow turn, backed up two spinners. However, the visitors are up against a team on the cusp of repeating their previous best unbeaten streak in Tests. Since losing to Sri Lanka in Galle last August, the hosts have not tasted defeat in their last 16 Tests, winning 12 and drawing the other four. Unbeaten record India are now just one short of equaling their own unbeaten record of 17 games without a loss, set between 1985 and 1987 and would be keen to repeat the three-decade old record and wrap up the series with one game in hand. The stretch started on September 14, 1985 with a drawn Test against Sri Lanka at Candy and remained till March 9, 1987 during the drawn Test against Pakistan at Ahmedabad. The spell was broken during the last Test of the series in Bangalore which Pakistan won by 16 runs but it became famous for Sunil Gavaskar’s epic 96 on a mineﬁeld which is still considered as an education on how to play on rank turners. However during that stretch of unbeaten run, when India was led by Kapil Dev, there were more draws than victories. The four wins came against Sri Lanka (two at home) and two against England during the successful tour of 86. — PTI

MUMBAI: India are sweating over injury issues with batsman Ajinkya Rahane being ruled out of the remaining two Tests matches against England after sustaining an avulsion fracture on his right index finger during the team’s practice session and has been replaced by Manish Pandey. A ball struck Rahane on Wednesday in the nets and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) medical team confirmed that he would not be able to play in the last two matches of the ongoing five-Test series against England, which India are leading 2-0. While Pandey has been included as Rahane’s replacement, medium pacer Shardul Thakur has been called as back-up for India pacer Mohammed Shami, who is nursing a sore knee. “The BCCI medical team is closely monitoring his (Shami) progress and a decision on his participation will be taken before the start of the fourth Test match,” a BCCI release said. Earlier in the day, India captain Virat Kohli said that a call on whether the UP-born Bengal pace bowler Shami will play would be taken this evening. “We are going to take a call in the evening in terms of how he is feeling with his knee,” said Kohli. - PTI

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

SPORTS Sepang circuit is great, says Khalid Al Wahaibi

N E W P E N A LT I E S

NEW DECISIONS: MCC Cricket Committee members, from left, John Stephenson, Ricky Pointing, Mike Brearley and Ramiz Raja pictured during a press conference in Mumbai on Wednesday. – PTI

Cricketers can be red-carded: MCC

Oman’s Khalid Al Wahaibi taking part in the fourth round of the FIA certiﬁed Formula 4 South East

MUMBAI: Cricketers could be ‘red-carded’ by umpires and ejected from the ground for the duration of a match from next October after the sport’s lawmakers on Wednesday recommended on-ﬁeld sanctions to address declining standards of player behaviour. The world cricket committee of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the guardian of the game’s laws, has recommended that a player should be removed from the ﬁeld for threatening an umpire, physical assault or any other act of violence. Match officials currently report players or incidents to the match referee at the end of the day after which action is taken. Following a two-day meeting in Mumbai, MCC world cricket committee chairman Mike Brearley said umpires needed to be empowered to impose on-thespot sanctions, noting that there were more disciplinary problems in the lower-tier leagues. “There was a survey done of the umpires and 40 percent said they are considering giving up the game or giving up umpiring because of verbal abuse,” former England captain Brearley told reporters at the Wankhede Stadium. “Anecdotal evidence from people who are familiar with leagues in parts of England say that the behaviour has got worse. “The umpires have to be respected and given the best possible chance and I think cricket is the only game in which there isn’t

this possibility of an in-match punishment or deterrent.” Role models The committee discussed sanctions like run penalties and sin bins but felt it would be hard to apply them consistently around the world. “It got to the state where something had to happen to prevent those things happening on the international stage,” former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, a member of the committee, said. “The modern player now understands their role in society, about being role models, and want to play the game the right way for younger kids.” The committee also decided that no changes were required to the current ball-tampering laws despite recent incidents. The age-old practice of shining the cricket ball has become a grey area for some cricketers who called for clarity after South Africa captain Faf du Plessis was declared guilty of ball-tampering by the International Cricket Council (ICC) last month. Television footage appeared to show du Plessis applying saliva to the ball while sucking on a sweet during the Hobart test against Australia leading to him being sanctioned and losing his entire match fee. The committee also agreed that the game had tilted too far in favour of the batsmen and therefore recommended speciﬁc bat size limitations to the edges and depth of a bat. — Reuters

Asia Championship had a good test session on the Sepang Circuit

SEPANG: Oman’s Khalid Al Wahaibi drove on the exciting Sepang International Circuit for the first time during a test session ahead of the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship (FIA certified) on Wednesday. The full day test session was designed to help the young drivers like Khalid Al Wahaibi to familiarise themselves and acclimatise to the 5.54km long Sepang circuit. The highly technical circuit features 15 corners with a mix of sweeping, fast and tight corners in addition to its trademark two long straights. Amongst the drivers who took part in the collective test session were local hopefuls, Isyraf Danish, Eric Louis and Adam Khalid. Whilst the majority of the field were already familiar with the Sepang track, this was the first time for Oman’s Khalid Al Wahaibi as well as for debutant David Tatinclaux of France After finishing the test drive, Oman’s Khalid Al Wahaibi said he simply loved the circuit. “Compared to Sentul (Indonesia) and Clark (Philippines), I really liked the Sepang Circuit. It has a

IN ACTION AT SEPANG: Oman’s Khalid Al Wahaibi doing the test rounds at the Sepang Circuit.

lot of fast, flowing corners, where it flows from one corner to the next,” said Khalid Al Wahaibi. “Every corner almost has a straight after and you need to maintain a good pace on the exits, otherwise you can lose a lot of time. I really like the characteristics of the track and my favourite corners were the sweeping, flatout Turns 5 and 6,” he added. The F4/SEA Event 4 race proceedings will commence on Thursday with practice and qualifying, followed by the first race of six scheduled for the weekend. Four of the races will be contested on Friday with the remaining race

ODI SERIES

Aussies keen on sweep of Kiwis: Marsh MELBOURNE: Australia will not be taking their collective foot off the gas in Friday’s third Oneday International (ODI) against New Zealand in Melbourne, despite it being a dead rubber, according to all-rounder Mitchell Marsh. Marsh clubbed an impressive 76 not out from 40 balls in the second game in Canberra on Tuesday as Steve Smith’s side scored 378 for five. They then dismissed New Zealand for 262 in 47.2 overs to take a 2-0 lead in the three-match series. “We’re representing our country in the series and we want to win 3-0,” said Marsh, who was part of the side swept 5-0 in South Africa and knows the dent in confidence that can bring. Despite his own return to form in Canberra, Marsh felt that would not be enough to earn a recall for the Test series against Pakistan. “I’m not in a rush to get back in the Test side,” said the 25-yearold, who was dropped from the side after scoring 0 and 26 in the first Test match against South Africa in Perth last month. “But I know that I’ve got to score runs to get back, so that’s all I want to do.” The innings at Manuka Oval showcased how dangerous he could be as he belted seven sixes, including three in the final over from Matt Henry, and he felt an aggressive approach may help him in future. “When you’re not scoring runs, you tend to try play with things in the nets to try and

Only pain Neesham shows is in defeat MELBOURNE: The ﬁrst thing that went through allrounder Jimmy Neesham’s mind when he was struck by a Mitchell Starc bouncer was the words of from former captain Brendon McCullum -- “show no pain”. Neesham failed to pick up a 148kph delivery from the left-arm fast bowler in their second One-day International (ODI) in Canberra on Tuesday and was hit on the right forearm. The 26-year-old, outwardly at least, showed little effect of the blow and stared down Starc, who had come down the pitch to offer him some ‘advice’, before receiving treatment. But the words of McCullum: ‘not to ﬂinch, show no pain.

make something work,” he said. “I think in red ball cricket, over the last couple of years, I probably haven’t played my natural game. “For me, I’m a hitter of the cricket ball. Probably over the next few months, I’m just going to bat like that and really back myself. “I might get out a few ugly ways

Even if you think it’s broken’, were all he could think of, said Neesham, who scored 74 in the 116-run loss to Steve Smith’s side that secured the three-match series for the hosts with a game to spare. “That’s something you were taught very quickly under Baz’s captaincy, not to show much pain when that happens,” Neesham told reporters on Wednesday. “Obviously he’s still got a bit of that legacy holding on there.” The left-handed Neesham was on 57 at the time and said his big concern was whether he could continue to bat as the visitors attempted to chase 379 for victory after David Warner top scored with 119 in

at times but I feel like it’s going to give me the best chance to score runs and score big runs.” Despite his pessimism about earning a recall for the series against Pakistan, which starts with a day-night Test at the Gabba in Brisbane on Dec. 15, he still held out hopes of being named for the

Australia’s 378 for ﬁve. “It was more seeing whether I could hold the bat with the top hand. I gave it bit of a test and realised I might need couple of minutes to get feeling back in my hand,” said Neesham, who will have the arm examined. “Batting wasn’t all that easy after that.” With the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy now lost, Neesham said the team had been given a dressing down by coach Mike Hesson and captain Kane Williamson. “Hess and Kane came out and made it pretty clear they weren’t all that happy with the performance and that’s fair enough,” Neesham said. “We know that’s not the sort of performances we want to be putting out on the park.” — Reuters

tour of India next February. “I’ve obviously got the (Twenty20) Big Bash but throughout that period, you’ve got a lot of time to work on your game so I’ll certainly be doing that,” he said. “Hopefully in the second half of the year when I get a chance in the (Sheffield) Shield, I can perform.” - Reuters

scheduled for Saturday. Another Star Driver award trophy will again be up for grabs for the most successful driver from the weekend, as the young drivers will again be vying to out-score their compatriots over the course of the six scheduled races that will be contested over the weekend. With the overall event champion scored on a reverse to the F4/ SEA championship points, drivers aim to score the lowest points to be in the running for the coveted trophy on Saturday. Meanwhile, the top 10 drivers earn FIA F4 championship points, which are aligned to follow the F1

points scoring system with the top seven championship drivers eligible to also earn valuable FIA Super License points at the end of the season. The FIA single-operated F4/ SEA championship — certiﬁed by FIA is one of 12 worldwide championships in the FIA’s F4 global format. F4/SEA is uniquely designed to help harness and develop Asia’s young motorsports talent through a cost-effective programme. The F4/SEA is the ﬁrst step on the FIA’s streamlined ladder to developing professional careers in the sport.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2016

SPORTS Khalid Al Zubair to seek another term as Oman Olympic Committee chief Sheikh Khalid Al Zubair and Taha Al Kishry for the posts.

With the OOC deciding to conduct the board elections on January 31, Sheikh Khalid Al Zubiar and Taha Al Kishry have expressed their desire to run for the post of chairman and secretary-general respectively

A. SESHAGIRI RAO raoas@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: The Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) has ﬁnalised the date of the General Assembly and the board elections for the 2016-2020 term during a meeting on Wednesday. While the Sultanate’s Olympic body has set January 31 as the date for the elections, it also emerged after the meeting that Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Zubair will seek another term as the chairman of the Oman Olympic Committee. And so will be the Secretary-General Taha Al Kishry. Speaking to Times Sport right after the meeting, OOC SecretaryGeneral Taha Al Kishry conﬁrmed the date of the General Assembly

and elections as well as the news of Sheikh Khalid Al Zubair seeking another term of office. The OOC board members met on Wednesday following the completion of mandatory period required after the elections of all associations, to announce the dates and process of the OOC elections. “The date for the general assembly and elections has been set. The elections will take place on January 31,” Taha said. “We will soon start the election process. The OOC election committee will start receiving the nominations from December 20 and that process will continue for a period of one week,” he said. Taha also conﬁrmed that Al Zubair will be seeking another term while also revealing his de-

Sheikh Khalid Al Zubair

sire to continue his good work as the Secretary-General for another four-year period. “Sheikh Khalid Al Zubair will be running for the post of chairman for the second time. I would also like to continue and carry forward the good work as the secretarygeneral,” Taha said. Sheikh Khalid Al Zubair’s present tenure started on April 25 in

Taha bin Sulaieman Al Kishry

2013 when he became the ﬁrst democratically elected chairman of the OOC after defeating Sayyid Khalid Al Busaidi, the then chairman of the Oman Football Association, and Habib Abdulnabi Macki, the Ministry of Sports Affairs-appointed OCC chairman of that time. In the past, Sheikh Khalid Al Zubair also served as the chairman of the Oman Tennis Association,

FOOTBALL

while Taha, who was recently reelected as chief of Oman Swimming Association, is an experienced sports administrator who holds highly responsible roles both at the local and international sports bodies, including secretarygeneral’s post at the Asian Swimming Federation. It remains to be seen who will now come forward to challenge

Committees formed The OOC, meanwhile, also approved the formation of Women’s Sports Committee and the Athletes Committee during the meeting. “As per the OOC statutes, both the Women’s Sports Committee and the Athletes Committee are to be formed before the elections,” informed Taha. Both the committees will have a say in the OOC General Assembly and the new OOC board. “Both the committees can nominate one person each and they will automatically become the new board members without contesting the elections. Similarly the women’s committee can nominate one member to the general assembly and the athletes committee are eligible to send two — one male and one female — members to the general assembly. All three will have the voting rights,” Taha informed. New website launched Prior to Wednesday’s meeting, the OOC organised a ceremony to launch the Olympic body’s new website with Dr. Hammad bin Hamad Al Ghafri, Advisor to the Ministry of Civil Service, officially inaugurating the site.

ISC TENNIS

Football Fives World Championship Suhail and Amaan Oman qualifiers to start in January enter semifinals MUSCAT: The Football Fives World Championship (F5WC) Oman qualifiers will kick off simultanously across the Sultanate in January next year. According to information received from the organisers, the qualifiers will be held in Muscat, Dakhiliya, South and North Batinah, South and North Sharqiyah, Al Wusta and Dhofar governorates. The qualifiers will see 32 teams making it to the F5WC Oman final to be organised in Muscat in February. The winning team from the final will represent Oman amateurs football players in the F5WC Finals which will take place in Beijing in May 2017. Oman will be hosting the qualifiers of the F5WC for the first time along with other 39 countries from all over the world. The F5WC Oman will be organised by Sport Makers Company, an Omani SME, and in cooperation with Ministry of Sports Affairs, Ministry of Tourism, Muscat Municipality, Oman Olympic Committee, Oman Football Association and National Youth Commission. F5WC is considered the world’s

largest amateurs tournament. The championship is a global initiative to discover and select talented amateur football players through regional qualifying rounds in 40 countries to then compete in the

Beijing 2017 ﬁnals. The tournament aims to ﬁnd undiscovered talent, showcased in Beijing and gives a platform for professional football clubs to scout and sign these talents.

Founded in 2014, the Football Fives World Championship is created and managed by Sport Events International, speciﬁcally for amateur football players aged 16 and over from around the world. All those interested to register their teams in F5WC Oman, are advised to follow Facebook and Instagram pages of F5WC Oman. Manpreet Singh, Indian Embassy’s Honorary Consular Agent of Dhofar Region, has been appointed as the supervisor for F5WC Dhofar qualiﬁers which will take place in Salalah.

MUSCAT: Suhail Khan and Amaan Kazi booked their places in the semifinals of the men’s singles at the Falcon Insurance Company-sponsored Annual Tennis Tournament organised by the Indian Social Club (ISC). In the quarterfinals, third seed Suhail Khan was at the top of his game and hardly put a foot wrong on the way to an impressive 8-3 victory over seasoned campaigner R. Murali. The match started on an even note as Murali attacked the flanks but with little success. Suhail was brisk and showed good anticipation as he made some brilliant retrievals. Fourth seed Amaan Kazi joined Suhail in the last four with an emphatic 8-0 victory over Mohamed Azharuddin. The teenager fired in good first serves and played strong groundstrokes to counter the hard-hitting Azharuddin who found former too hot to handle. Meanwhile, the second seeded team of Surya Mariappan and Vatsal Manikandan advanced to the final of the junior doubles event. In the semifinal, Surya and

Vatsal proved too strong for Subodh Achar and Abhinav Raghu in a 6-1, 6-1 win. In a men’s doubles ﬁrst round match, the teenage duo of Varun Deepak and Rishabh Kant Jha were cruising at 5-1 against the team of S. Vishwanathan and N. Raina before the seniors staged a partial recovery and won three games on the trot. Varun and Rishabh held their game together and progressed to the next round with a 8-4 victory. Chess tourney on Monday Meanwhile, the ISC, following up on the success of the ﬁrst tournament held last month and in response to demands from chess enthusiasts, has decided to organise a Swiss League chess tournament on Monday at the club premises in Darsait. The tournament will comprise three categories - under-11, under-14 and open categories. The registration of entries closes at 8.30 a.m. on Monday and the action begins at 9.30 pm. For further information please contact the organisers on 97889384.

CRICKET

Oman Cricket to conduct Level 2 coaching course

Iqbal Sikander

Aminul Islam

MUSCAT: Oman Cricket will host the Level 2 Coaching course, organized by the ICC as part o their development programme. According to a press statement issued by Oman Cricket on Wednesday, the course will be conducted by regional development

Venkatapathi Raju

officials — Aminul Islam, Iqbal Sikander and Venkatapathi Raju. The course will commence on December 10 and will run till December 14 at Al Falaj Hotel. Candidates from Oman, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and UAE will participate in the course.

AL BAHIHI LIFT ETIHAD CATERING CUP CRICKET TITLE Al Bahihi emerged the winners of the Etihad Catering Cup cricket tournament organised by Holiday Cricket Club here recently. In a trilling ﬁnal, Al Bahihi defeated Al Khoud Cricket Club by seven runs to lift the cup. Sahil of Al Bahihi was declared the man of the series while Nasar of Al Khoud Cricket Club and Clive of Al Bahihi won the best batsman and best bowler awards respectively. Jay Victor, Managing Director of Etihad Catering Co, presented handed over the trophies. — Supplied photo

W W W.T I M E S O F O M A N . C O M T H U R S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 6

SECTION

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

VACANCY

HP 2130 3in1 Printer RO 10.900 only All Cartridges also available on UNBEATABLE prices All HP, Epson, Canon, Lexmark, Samsung Cartridges also available.

Ruwi: 24 792 792 Sohar: 2684 2420

GOOD PRICE!!!

Available on UNBEATABLE prices

GOOD PRICE!!!

RENT

GOOD PRICE!!!

CARGO

T H U R S D AY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 6 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DAILY GUIDE FOR RENT

*Tourist visa arranged

AN EXISTING FARM FOR RENT in the Wilayat of Barka, with an area of 45 acres, out of which large area is planted with fodder and 7 acres are planted with vegetables. It has also 14 greenhouses as well as 3 artesian wells and a plowing tractor as well as cutting and bundling tools and plowing equipments with their accessories. The farm has a good financial income.

Contact: 99340378 OFFICE PROPERTY FOR SALE/RENT DAYS AWAY FROM DELIVERY - PREMIUM OFFICE SPACE AT PRIME LOCATION AT BAUSHER ON 2ND FLOOR BUILD UP AREA – 163 SQ. MTRS. SALE PRICE RO.1,050/- PER SQ. MTR -RENT PER MONTH RO.10/- PER SQ. MTR. OPTIONS WITH OR WITHOUT FURNITURE.

PREMIUM VILLA FOR SALE SANTINI A3 TYPE 2 STOREY VILLA WITH 4 BEDROOMS PLUS MAID ROOM AT AL MOUJ PHASE 4. GREAT LOCATION WITH CUL DE SAC FOR PARKING. PURCHASE OPEN TO NON-OMANIS AS WELL.

CONTACT NO. 91257475

Building consists of 3 ﬂoors with 12 ﬂats in Sohar, Falaj Al aohe. Contact: 95411354 2 BHK with split / AC in Muttrah, Dar Al Maha. Contact: 96708000

Flat for rent including 2 Rooms, Sitting hall, Kitchen, Three Bathrooms With A/C, Car Parkingincluding Electricity and Water, Total monthly RO 320, Al Ansab Phase 2 Near Petrol pump. Contact 99420022

Flats & shops for rent at Ruwi Honda road Mumtaz area. Contact: 97293708 / 92433127

A well recognized steel workshop in Sohar is looking for long lease contract for its existing welders. Interested party can select welder skills as per their needs. If interested call GSM : 95852097 / 94805758

Room Al Khuwair R.O 110/-. Contact: 92144045 / 97799175

2BR ﬂat in old ﬁsh market Ruwi. Contact: 92705331

Store for rent in W.K. Contact: 96708000

One / Two, B/R ﬂats in new building near Dolphin near dolphin complex, Bausher directly from owner. Contact: 92158031 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.

Two apartments for rent in the ﬁrst Ansab consisting of 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a living room, kitchen, 2 Balcony and the second consisting of 5 rooms and 5 bathrooms, a living room, kitchen and balcony with Split Air Conditioners. Contact 99319620 / 97771121 Medical clinic for rent in Samail 1000/- Rial per month with all equipment in laboratory & X- Ray without medical staff. Contact: 99319104 2BHK ﬂat in Wadi Kabir near the Indian Primary School with split A/Cs. Contact: 99367627

1,2 BHK Darsait. Contact: 92144045 / 97799175

1 BHK Flat for rent in Darsait. Contact: 99357586 / 97500021

1,2 BHK Wadi Kabir. Contact: 92144045 / 97799175

Single & double BHK ﬂats behind German Embassy near to Al Nahdha Hospital Ruwi & near to Indian School Al Ghubrah. Contact: 99203954

2 BHK Azaiba R.O 300/-. Contact: 92144045 / 97799175 For Rent 2BHK, AC R.O 260/- Wadi Kabir. Contact: 95455181 Room for rent in Qurum attached bathroom. Contact: 97128083 1 BHK near Medical Darsait Muttrah house R.O 180/-. Contact: 95070201 1,2,3 BHK ﬂats & villas. Contact: 92144045 / 97799175

Flat for rent in Al Ghobra, 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 1 family sitting room, 1 kitchen. RO 400/Contact - 95919059 Office for rent in Shatti Al Qurum in Al Masa mall. Contact: 91153933 Brand new shoe room at heart of Azaiba city for rent. Contact : 98294753

T H U R S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

FOR RENT

FOR RENT - OPEN PLOT AVAILABLE 3500 SQM INDUSTRIAL/ COMMERCIAL PLOT WITH COMPOUND WALL SUITABLE FOR OPEN WAREHOUSING, HEAVY MACHINERY/ VEHICLE LOADING/ UNLOADING. PARKING FACILITY ALSO AVAILABLE ON BOTH SIDES

SITUATION WANTED BUSINESS

CONTACT : 99273774 - 99202278 House in Darsait, 3 rooms, 1 bathroom, 1 kitchen with A/C. Contact: 95522405 1 room with living room 250/- & 2 rooms with living room 300/-, Bowshar near Modern College, with split AC & ample car park. Contact: 90999945 / 92222045 One bedroom flats, family hall 1.5 bathrooms, and kitchen. Quality Design and Finishing in brand New Building in Ghala. Contact Real Estate Services Co (RESCO): 91246444 / 92905432 / 24222345 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 Spacious shop available for perfumes cosmetics, near Oman house. Contact: 92150455 Garage for rent in Wadi Kabir 250 Sqm built area equipped with one hydraulic lift and vehicle pit. Serious tenants may Contact: 97224477 New flats for rent at Darsait near to ministry of sports, Mumtaz area the flats includes 1 living room , 2 bedrooms, kitchen, 3 toilets, every room with split A/C & high quality finishing. Rent per flat is RO 320/-. Interested candidates please Contact: 00968 – 92225523 New flats for rent at Al Ghubra near to Atlas Hospital, opposite to Panorama mall. Interested candidates Contact: 00968 – 97093283 Two bed room flat available near Honda Show room. Contact: 99022675 1Bedroom sharing K& T, family / ladies in Al Khuwair R.O 90. Contact 95154331 6 Bedroom villas available for rent at North Al Hail, near Wave, complex with swimming pool and Gym. Contact: 99833747 1 BHK flat in Wadi Kabir RO 160/-. Contact: 99376454 2 BR apartments available for rent, close to Muscat Grand Mall, next to Diwan’s Office, South Ghubra. Contact: 2456256 / 99833747 Flat for rent, 1 BHK in Bowshar. Contact: 91153933

Flat in Wadi Al Kabir, 3 rooms with AC. Contact: 99333639 Room for rent in Bowshar. Contact: 91153933 2 BHK near Oman house behind Khimiji, H.O. Contact: 95865686

MANPOWER

Fully furnished room for executive bachelor in CBD area, WiFi internet free, advance deposit. Contact: 90631572 Villa for Rent behind mazoon mousqe 7 bedroom, living room, dining room . Contact 95150809 for 750 R.O nogotiable 3 bedroom ground ﬂoor house for rent in South Al Hail behind Al Hail Hypermarket. Contact: 95047657 Room in Azaiba. Contact: 99555843

AVAILABLE 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

FOR SALE Good Condition Sanyo washing machine, semi automatic, RO 30 for sale in MBD Contact; 99737812 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. 400 square meters residential land in Al Ghubra south near Millenium Hypermarket. OMR 134 thousand. Telephone: 99333479 or 95215360 or 97509955. No Brokers Please. New building in Bowshar for sale. Contact: 91155779 Villa in MQ for sale. Contact: 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 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 Ducab – FRLS cables of various sizes for sale. # 98048952, 99815190 Farm in Barka for sale. Contact: 91155779 Ice cream Shop, Prime location, Ruwi for sale. Contact: 92150455 Running restaurant for sale Al Khuwair area. Contact: 92660947 Used & refurbished porta cabins, toilets unit available for sales. Contact: 99215560 Email: omegaunitedoman@gmail.com Expat leaving, house hold items for sale. Fridge, AC, dining table with chairs etc. Contact: 92323377 Shop for sale heart of Ruwi near happy center. Contact 96728595 / 99335013

MV SALE Camry, No. 2, 2012 model, 66000 kms, Gray. Contact: 92781260 Toyota corolla 1.6 automatic, 2011, 78000 km only, dealer serviced. Contact: 92323377

FOR SALE BUILDING MATERIAL SHOP FOR SALEWell-furnished running building material-electrical shop (4 shutter / 200sqm) in Al- Khoudh- 6, for immediate sale- shop with stock or stock only. Serious buyers may please Contact: 94320909 Industrial land in Rusail.4000 sqm. Contact 99323957 / 95490842. Land for sale in the village of Bimmah on the coastal road Qurayat/ Sur with a space of 604 square meters for an attractive price. Contact 92905222 Beauty parlour for sale in Ruwi. Contact: 92430239 RESTAURANT for sale in Ruwi. Contact: 99378964

Prado 2014. Contact 99336093

NRI One B/R spacious ﬂat, Quepem Goa, full furnished all facilities. Contact: 97094797

Mercedes C155, 2008, white, 130000 KM, 10100/- R.O. Contact: 92857111

For rent, 3 bedroom furnished ﬂat at Edapally Kochi Kerala. Contact: 99722457

Honda Accord 2008 model, 4 cylinder, number 1 full options with navigation/ camera, full insurance. No accident history, 1640000 km, well maintained. OMR 3300/-. Contact – 95919059

WANTED Urgently required looking to immediately buy used Grit blasting & airless spray equipment 1 No each. Contact 968 24810930 / 93203772 / 93203773 /93203778

ACC.WANTED ACC. AVAILABLE Big room with separate bath room available in Al Khuwair, opposite Muscat Pharmacy R.O 100/- , with E/W. Contact: 95250161 Well furnished single / sharing room for Exe. Bachelor at Rex road (Kannada, Telugu, Tamil). Contact: 92873832

Restaurant for sale well modiﬁed well equipped good location in Sur. Contact: 99554114

Furnished sharing ﬂat at Honda Read. #96093266 / 91398730

Shop for sale at Honda road and Rex Road. Contact: 96093266 / 91398730

Furnished room sep / entrance Wadi Kabir Executives. Contact: 99336206

Villa for sale in Al Amerat 8/1 upscale ﬁnishes. Contact: 91153933

Room for rent available at Al Khuwair. Contact: 91512037

Containers for sale Total 40 feet & quantity 70 Nos for more details, please Contact: +968 95068854

Furnished room in ruwi and azaiba for rent for executive bachelors. Gsm 99058344

FJ Cruiser 2009 GCC, yellow, 210000 KM, RO 6300/Contact: 92857111

Very small office space / shop required in Muscat governorate for registration of new office. Contact: 92781260

ACC. AVAILABLE Sharing accommodation available at honda road Ruwi. Contact 99040590 Sharing accommodation available with W/E at Al Khuwair 33. For a small family or non-cooking bachelors. Contact - 92834145 Furnished room for non cooking bachelor near Softy Ice cream, Ruwi. Contact 91107383 / 93120054

Dihatsu Terrios Trend 4WD, 2012 Registration, dealer service registration up to August 2017. Contact No: 92812144

BUYING Buying cars for cash. Contact 90202090

MATRIMONIAL Wanted Pakistani widow / divorcee lady for Pakistani, age 45, staying in Oman. Contact: 98604960 Kerala Thiyya girl, 26 yrs, 167 cm working as Software programmer in Muscat invite suitable proposal. Contact: 95772465 / 98696102

LOST Aklima Khatun has lost Bangladeshi Passport No. BK 0946800 . Finder please handover to ROP. Yasoda Gora has lost Indian Passport No. L 4033938. Finder please handover to ROP.

T H U R S D AY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 6 Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classiﬁeds@timesofoman.com Tel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION SITUATION WANTED VACANT

HR MANAGER A Prominent Trading & Contracting Company requires

HR Manager. Only for Omani Nationals. Min. 5 Years’ Experience Required. Candidates with Graduation preferred. Interested candidates may contact:

Mail: cv4gcc@gmail.com Fax: 24614202 ACCOUNTS Accountant 2-3 years experience. Candidate should be Indian, English speakers. NOC is a must. Email: mohammad.jwabreh@ bearingcitysc.com. Fax: 24509312

CATERING Excellent male cook w/ experience 200 Riyals salary + accommodation & food. Must be in Oman have own visa. Contact: Whatsapp: 95887572 Urgently required Sous Chef commis Chef for a new restaurant. Contact: 91919255 Urgently required Lab Technician, Pharmacist on leave vacancy and Dental Technician for a reputed polyclinic. Send CV to carecare003@gmail. com or call 97706453.

DRIVER Wanted Driver for heavy (sewage vehicle) and light vehicle with valid Oman driving license. Contact: 97991654 / 97991652 Kindly send CV at Email: construction@remasalseeb.com / remaschandran2020@gmail.com

ENGINEER SURVEYOR /DRAFTSMAN ITI Surveyor with 2 years experience in Oman in OHL transmission lines with valid D/L and knowledge in drafting preferred Contact: 93339586 Email: hromancv@gmail.com Required Urgently Engineer with Driving License & Foreman for construction company in Suwaiq, Al Batinah Contact: 96322202 / 93677795, mail your cv’s to: unionnationalhouse@gmail.com Site Engineer with diploma & minimum 7 years Gulf experienced required 1 No. Email: omaniantrad@gmail.com Wanted Electrician / Electrical foreman with knowledge of estimation & building wirings. Fire & Safety installation foreman with knowledge of estimation & installations. Contact: 99634048 Email: bvcsmuscat@gmail.com Required Pipeline, Architect / planning engineer, Civil Engineer & Commercial Secretary (UK, USA, Germany), Mechanical Engineer, MEP Engineer, Indian Secretary. Email : joboman2017@gmail.com

EDUCATION Urgently required Arabic Instructor for spoken Arabic classes for private group of 10 People. Contact: 91919255

IT An IT Company urgently requires an Executive Secretary to MD with 4 year’s experience. Candidates with NOC can apply. Email CV to: hr@cityvago.com

MISCELLANEOUS Required Regional Coordinator we are looking for a business development cum Projects Coordinator for an engineering and project management organization. Qualiﬁcation – B.E (Civil) / MEP experience 10+ years work experience in Oman is essential. Send your CV to hr@syconepmc.com Candidates with the following should apply: Previous experience in a similar, working for a security company Proven experience of designing and estimating large integrated CCTV, Access Control, and Perimeter detection systems. Detailed technical knowledge of database and operating security systems associated with CCTV, access Control, with Oman license. Send CV by mail info@sahabit.com

Excellent Grade Construction Company Requires the following:-

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER & FINANCE MANAGER

Site Engineers (Civil), Senior MEP Engineer, MEP Engineers, QA/QC Civil, HSE Supervisor, Foreman (Civil), Foremen Electrical, Foremen Plumbing. Draft Man - Civil, Draft Man - Mechanical, Draft Man - Electrical, QS - Civil, QS - MEP, Experienced Purchaser, Store Keepers, Experienced person in Water Proofing Combo System.

Looking for dynamic and talented individuals to join our team in Oman for the position of

Interested Candidates to send CV to below email.

SITUATION VACANT FOR CIVIL & MEP DIVISION

with Omani driving license

Contact - 90372638 MEDICAL Urgently required male pharmacist, Male lab technician, Female OT nurse, Female hair implantation nurse. Contact: 95634573 Email: hr@gshoman.com,

send your C.V kbd@f-m.fm issa767a@gmail.com

Email: info@durat.om

Reputed mineral water company required the following HEAVY/LIGHT DUTY DRIVERS VAN SALESMAN SALES SUPERVISOR/SALES CO ORDINATOR with Omani driving license HELPERS Experience 3 to5 years

1. Chief Financial Oﬃcer 2. Finance Manager with at least 5 years experience in the relevant field for a group of companies associated with Petroleum, Please apply, with confidence and

1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

Project Engineer (D/L) Structural Engineer (D/L) Planning Engineer (D/L) HSE Inspector (D/L) Draftsman

6) 7) 8) 9)

Inventory controller Accounts Assistant Oﬃce assistant Receptionist (Male/Female)

5 years GCC experience with good communication skills

Send Your CV to surcivilmep@surunited.com

SITUATION WANTED

Urgently required GP doctor with NOC for well known running clinic ready to work in Bidbid. Contact 96746460

ACCOUNTS

A MOH license Staff Nurse needed to work in a clinic in Medha 400 Rial salary with accommodation. Contact: 94220240

Male Accountant, MBA (ﬁnance) 5 yrs experience including UAE & India up to ﬁnalization available immediately (on visit) Contact: 91704866 Email: anees0989@gmail.com

Arabic speaking doctor preferably with MOH License, internal medicine specialty would be a plus. E-mail gccmedicalrecruitment@ gmail.com Require Orthodontist in Bahla. Contact: 99237436 Required Optometrist for a leading Optical group in Oman. Email : albasilopticals@gmail.com Contact 93822557 Muscat wants GP, staff Nurse holding MOH license & Receptionist (Omani) Contact 97698004 email: medicare@fusionlogicoman.com Wanted female & Male Nurse with or without license (good salary, food & accommodation with other beneﬁts. Contact 92989109, Email: medicoport@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS Urgent required : Store labors. Candidate should be Indian, English speakers. NOC is a must. Email: mohammad.jwabreh @bearingcitysc.com, Fax: 24509312

SALES / MARKETING Urgently required hard core Sales & marketing person for computer shop at Ruwi (IT knowledge) Oman driving license will be an advantage (preference for Kerala). Contact: 98048903 Email: info@smartpointcomputer.com Required well experienced dynamic candidate in Real Estate Evaluation Field beside Building Management Techniques. Contact 91246444, Email: rescooman@gmail.com

SKILLED LABOUR Male 42 electricians & plumber, looking for job NOC available. Contact: 98081227 Watch repair and service looking for job, 24 yrs experience. Contact: 99530405

MISCELLANEOUS

Required experienced UPVC/ Aluminium fabricators for a reputed well established Company. (NOC holders have priority). Contact 93029860 / 92853008, Email : ibnaldhahira@gmail.com Required Experienced Auto Electrician and Automobile Mechanic for a reputed service station. Contact : 91232638 hashim@ramainvestment.com A petroleum ﬁeld (SAOC) company seeking for JCB operator with ROP license & having 2 years experience to work at PDO site. Contact: 24484045, Fax: 24485908, GSM : 98083550 Email: said.maqshan@gmail.com Construction company looking for foreman with Gulf experience. Contact : 95758004

SECRETARIAL / OFFICE Wanted Office clerk having two years experience. Contact: 92891888

SALES / MARKETING Sales man & designer for Offset printing press. Contact: whatsapp 94756618 A digital & offset printing press ready to cooperate with sales freelancers. Contact: Whatsapp: 94756618 Sales merchandiser for food Stuff Company with valid Omani driving license. Please send the C.V to osamanimer1999@gmail.com

English/Arabic speaking Marketing Major with experience in sales. Please e-mail gccmedicalrecruitment@gmail.com

SITUATION WANTED SIT. WANTED

SKILLED LABOUR Required Salesman, Tailor and Barber. Contact: 91114884

Required sales and marketing executive for a 4-star hotel in muscat.candidate with excellent communication skills and having 3+ years experience need apply. driving license will be an advantage. email: hoteljobsmuscat@gmail.com

Mechanical engineer/hvac/indian: 1year experienced mechanical engineer with piping engineering & quality control certification, on visitvisa. 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. #97227062 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 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 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, M.Com, 6 years experience in the field of accountancy and Stores. Good knowledge in SAP, Tally, MS office and Excel seeks suitable placement. #92859733 Indian Female Nurse with MOH License, looking for suitable placement in Muscat. #95537685.

MISCELLANEOUS 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 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 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 Indian Graduated MBA from UK, Seeking for suitable position in Sales & Marketing, 3 years experience. Mob. 99642275, Email: Navas.shereef13@gmail.com 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 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) Contact No:90146616

Indian (M) 25 years looking a job for Accountant post 3 years experience in Indian as an Accountant for trading co. well knowledge in tally, software visit visa will expire on 10th December. Contact: 91939830 Email: sinanch98@gmail.com 10+ Years Experience in Accounts & Finance upto Finalisation, NOC & License available. Contact – 96239126 Indian (m) B.Com MBA well experienced in accounts & finance speaks English & Arabic, having driving license & NOC. Contact: 95588565 Male Accountant, 34 yrs, MBA finance, 12 yrs experience up to finalization of accounts, NOC available. Contact: 98733509 Email: abdulvasi6832@gmail.com 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 Accountant male holder of diploma Chartered Accountancy and student of CA institute inter CA, with 3 years experience in finance, available at Muscat ready to join immediately. Contact: 79049355 / 99220572 Email: ahamedfiham777@gmail.com Indian male BBA Finance, Tally & Excel, 1 year experience. Contact: 00968 98829488 Email: ashiqashraf6789@gmail.com ACCA qualified Chartered Accountant, 7 years experience & permanent resident of Oman looking for suitable placement. Contact: 94521899 ACCA Finance Manager having 9 years experience, Oracle certified is looking for a change, NOC available. Contact: 91147885 Chief accountant Senior 16 yrs exp can handle accounts up to finalization, MIS, C. flow budgeting, ERP costing & leasing with auditing, NOC available, seeking job. Contact: 94885686 Email: zahid233368@gmail.com Indian male 26 yrs on visit visa B.SC Mathematics 4 years experience as an Accountant seeks suitable job. Contact: 98615171 / 95374978 Email: worksite.tinson@gmail.com Accountant & Admin 18 years exp (7 yrs in UAE) good knowledge of accounting software’s & English. Contact: 92170065

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:-+96897017866.

Indian male, Accountant, 22 yrs, BBM, Diploma in E-Office & Office & E-ﬁnance, experience 1 yr under CA as Accounts Assistant looking for suitable placement. Contact 95268346, Email : ms6678379@gmail.com

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

Indian male with 7.5 yrs experience in accounting, AR/AP ﬁnalization, Tax Queries with good, Knowledge of tally SAP, Focus, having valid D/L. Contact: 96625046 Email: thmsb182@gmail.com

Indian female, M.Com, having 4 yr’s experience in Accounts looking for Job in Accounts OR suitable placement. Contact: 98418533 / 99338639 Indian male MBA (finance) Accounts, Customer service, 2 yearsExperience.(Dubai Airport) Iran Airlines. GCC driving licensevalid till 2025. On Visit Visa (Till 20 Dec 2016).Looking for suitable job. Contact – 71093532. Emailmirzahassanbaig89@gmail.com Experienced Indian female 23 B.Com with computer application on visit looking for suitable position. Contact: 94964860 / 92436404 MBA Finance Indian 25 Male 2 years experience seeking opportunities in Finance sector. Immediately available.contact:92498840 sachu_0318@yahoo.com Indian male MBA finance 31 years working as Admin Manager in Muscat since 2012, total 8 years experience in administration and accounts valid Omani driving license. NOC is available. Contact : 94030054 Indian male with NOC , 12 yrs Oman experience in Operations, facility management banking project coordination with Oman D/L looking for suitable placement. Contact: 98183667 Indian male 34yrs looking for Accounts Asst job, Oman with valid driving license Cont. 92092486, email:sagarjohn28@gmail.com Indian male Accountant available with NOC & D/L having 10 yrs experience including India, Oman & Saudi ready to join immediately. Contact: 91729720 ACCA finalist looking for a job in accounts & finance or in audit firm, having Omani D/L & NOC available with 4 years Oman working experience. Contact: 95661169 Email: mohsin_zaman4u@hotmail.com Male MBA Finance, 10 Year experience in Accounting, Finance, Business Development, Administration & Banking (Import & Export). Proficient in Quickbook & Microsoft Suite. Contact 91462125, Valid Oman Driving License. Accounts part time services available to handle all accounts up to finalization on monthly basis, finalization works. Contact: 96247295 Experienced Jordanian banker with 22 years of experience gained across top global banks and financial institutions in UAE, Jordan and Oman. Contact : 9290 9198 Accountant B.Com/ M.Com, Indian male 10 years exp seeks suitable job NOC available valid ROP driving license. Contact: 97375608 Email: vincentdsouza1979@gmail. com Indian (m) MBA ( f) more than 6 years of experience in accounts, proficiently in various A/C software SAP ( F1/CO) seeking for suitable placement. Contact: 95920740 Email Id : abdulhameed1527@gmail.com Looking for Assistant Accountant, experience in Ayurgreen Hospital. Email: samkumar871@gmail.com

T H U R S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED B.COM GRADUATE With 30 years Oman experience in various fields like Accounts, Administration, Operation, Credit control etc. worked in reputed companies as Manager with Oman driving license and knowledge of basic Arabic language.

Contact - 98185350

Indian male, 33 yrs, M.Com, Having 7 yrs experience in Accounting with knowledge of Tally & focus ability of finalization of account, financial reports looking for a suitable job, with valid D/L, NOC available.

Experienced IT Professional

Contact - 93864278

Contact # 96654216

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.

ACCOUNTS Indian male 30 yrs, B.Com 4 years experience in GCC, Sales / Accounts looking for suitable vacancy, currently on visit. Contact: 99727595 Email: samie61@gmail.com Indian male, B.Com, MBA in Finance, 4 yrs in Larsen & Tourbo, 26 yrs in Oman, English/ Arabic speaking with driving license. NOC available. Contact 95588565 Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in commerce, overall 5 yrs exp in accounts/ finance field. On visit visa. Immediately available. Contact 92836216 / muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com ACCA member with 6 yrs of experience in Oman looking for a suitable job in finance. Contact 99284193 MBA Finance having 6 years experience (4 years) in Oman as an Accountant, local release. NOC available can join immediately. Contact: 96742474 Indian male 22 years, B.Com Graduate with one yr experience in accounts, looking for suitable position. Contact: 91247507 Indian, Kerala, CMA-USA, ICWA, Mcom10+Years Experience Budgeting Planning MIS Accounts&finance.Cont.94064931shijupnarayanan@gmail.com Sudanese Accountant, Alexandria University Graduate bachelor of commerce Diploma of Marketing professional photographer worked in PR and social media for 2 years looking for a job in public relations media, social media or marketing. Contact: 96976240 Accountant available with NOC, 7 years experience in Oman. Ready to join immediately. Contact 98263394 Accountant 8 Years Experience with D/L and NOC. Contact 97712084 Indian female 28 yrs B.Com 4 yrs experience in MNC’s currently in Muscat seeking suitable placement in Finance / Admin. Contact :94743790 Certified Public Accountant (Filipino, Male, 27-yrs-old) with four years experience, seeking suitable placement in accounting/ audit, currently on visit. Contact 94959606, email: czesar.42@gmail.com Indian, Kerala Male B.COM & B.PE, Currently on Visit Visa. Looking for a suitable job in Accounts, Store Keeper, Sales etc. Ready to join as early as possible. Contact 96988923 email:- sajith3969@gmail.com 7 Years experience as Financial Analyst, MBA in finance. Responsibilities- research contributor, financial statement analysis, generating MIS & efficiency report, managing TAT, business & clients. On visit visa in Muscat. Contact 90191628 / 96175780 Indian female, 26 years,brought up in oman,M.COM(FINANCE) CA Foundation(CPT),CA , INTER (DOING) presently on family visa seeking for immediate and suitable placement. Contact -97174201/99663957 Email-anishasasi@gmail.com 8 yrs exp. in Admin & Accounts (3 yrs in Oman), MBA, exp. in Tally ERP 9, Indian (F) seeks placement. Contact 97243806 Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA Finance and marketing with IT skills, 7+ yrs of experience, Looking for suitable placement. Contact 94879615, Emailsajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com 28/male/MBA - finance/B.Com Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/ India experience looking for a suitable placement. Contact 90187483 shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com

Please contact: 931 42923 ACCOUNTS

ADMIN

DRIVER

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, Email-allen.mathew83@gmail.com

Indian male M.SW (HR) 2 years exp in India, 27 years age. Contact: 93353912

L-driver with valid Oman D/L, looking for suitable job. Contact: 95489480

Indian male 24 years BBA currently on visit visa looking for suitable job in Accounts, Administration customer logistic operations etc ready to join as early as possible. Contact: 96987802

Looking for job light driving. Contact: 93779819

Indian male age 26, Accountant one year experience in accounts looking for suitable job. Contact Email: anishkhan991867@gmail. com Mobile: +968 9565 9415

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

Accountant B.com Indian male 12 yrs exp seeks suitable job.NOC available . Contact : 91212471 Email: rennyj6@gmail.com

Driver with license looking for suitable job. Contact: 93502627 Have 6 years experience in Oman as driving license private light. Contact: 96550836 / 92854178 Driver available for job. Contact: 96381406 Driver looking for job with visa. Contact: 95154610

Omani female Accountant, 32 years, having 10 years exp in admin/accounts seeks suitable placement. Contact: 93295953

8 years experience in administration and guest relations department in Oman With valid omani driving licence. Seeking suitable jobs. Ph: 98145825 email: getcb@rediffmail.com

Search job for light driver, 5 yrs, language Hindi, Arabic & English. Contact: 97941771

Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA Finance and marketing with IT skills, 7+ yrs of experience, Looking for suitable placement. Contact 94879615, Emailsajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com

Omani, male, 26 yrs experience looking for job in reputed Companies as PR, having experience at airport / Emigration, Ministries/ Manpower with Oman D/L. Contact 95445779

Female family driver. Contact: 98044188

Indian (M), 31 yrs, M Com 9 yrs experience in Oman, looking for Manager or Executive position in Fin & Accounts, NOC Available. Contact 968 96166178/ +919768537435: mohammednajeem@yahoo.com

Post Graduate Indian female 30 experiences in office Admin & tech support looking for suitable opening. Contact: 97148570 Email: maryjose86@gmail.com

Finance Manager, 17 + years Gulf exp. in Accounts, MIS, budgets, strategic planning, cost control, cash ﬂow management, seeks job. Contact 99489784, E mail :- vijay.564@hotmail.com

ADMIN 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 Administrator B.Com with D/L on release, 30 years India & Gulf experience in office. project documentation & logistics. Contact: 92324789 / 97281023 IND 10 yrs experience in outdoor Admin & HR activities, valid GCC driving license looking suitable vacancy. Contact: 71233079 Indian female MBA- HR & Marketing having 8+ experience in Admin / HR support and office coordination, Now on visit visa ready to join immediately. Contact: 97059495 Email: priyaviswan@gmail.com Indian female BSC IT, having 3 years experience in Oman in Admin / HR seeking for suitable job. Contact: 92308229 Email: maluvyayan40@gmail.com Indian Female, MBA-HR having 8+ experience in Administration/HR, Customer Support, Office Coordinator with good Computer skill, Now on Visit Visa, looking for suitable position.Contact 90196235 Sri Lankan female, 31 years 7 years experience in administration & secretarial currently in Muscat seeking suitable placement in ﬁnance / Admin / secretary. Contact: 94767990

Egyptian woman resident, considerable experience in the Administration and Secretarial Executive for company. Contact : 97221126

ARCH./ INTERIOR DEC. Indian male, 23 yrs, Architect, 1 year experience, looking for suitable placement. Contact: 98192299 Architect 3 years experience in consultant office proﬁcient in 3D Max – Photoshop, AutoCAD. Contact: 98245746 Architect Engineer seeking for suitable job, 8 years experience. GSM : 96075000, Email : haytham_201046@yahoo.com

DESIGNER/ DRAUGHTSMAN Free lance Autocad works experienced (arch, struct, MEP, shop drw) rate a0/a1 sheet ( 10-17 OMR) ph : 97103168 Free lance / part time autocad works / make boq 2d /3d arch , structural, shop drawings interior drawings. Contact 97103168 mkgroupoman@gmail.com Interior designer seeking job in Muscat with 6 years of related experience as an interior designer with a strong background in work place interiors. Contact: 91291502 Email: ahmad.jassem025@gmail.com 9 years Gulf experience AutoCAD Draughtsman. Contact: 93528255 Revit, Autocad D/man, expected salary 200 OMR. PH : 92279784 Filipino Senior Revit/AutoCAD Draftsman with 20 years professional experience is looking for suitable job in Oman.Please Contact: 96489798, (+974) 66653780.

CATERING

Filipino HRD especialist / material controller supervisor with 18 yrs experience looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact: (+968) 98037142 / (+968) 92659817

Bangladeshi male commis Chef looking for suitable placement. Contact: 95494310

Pakistani, Male, MBA, 11 yrs exposure in Admin & HR and Business Development for HEALTHCARE, construction and banking industries, 4 yrs as Asst Manager, in Oman, Available to join, Cont:95761982, umerok@hotmail.com

Looking for driving job. Contact: 95396905

DRIVER

Experienced driver available with 4WD willing to work fulltime / part-time, familiar with all tourist destinations in Oman. Contact: 24814231 / 91941545

Driver with Car. Contact: 99716938 / 96048707

Pakistani, 10 years experience in Saudi, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, license 3 years in Oman. Contact: 94350734 / 97665807 Looking for job exp having driving license. Contact: 97363138 Driver looking for job. #95892363 Looking for light driver job. Contac: 93782166 / 94356465 Looking for light driver job. Contact: 95604741 Looking for job light driver 17 years exp Oman. Contact: 95541940 Looking for driving job language English, Arabic & Hindi. Contact Whatsapp: 95283531 Light Driver with 7 years experience looking for job. Contact: 92617293 Driver job wanted. Contact: 96393082 Crane Operator. Contact: 91317691 / 97489287 Looking for driving job. Contact: 94802988 / 94435912 Light driver. Contact: 97020205

DOMESTIC HELP Indian Cook 25 yrs, 6 yrs experience 1 yr in Oman, NOC available, ready to join immediately. Contact: 93136713

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Site Engineer Indian male, 7 years of experience in building construction commercial and residential seeking suitable placement, NOC available. Contact: 94817010 Email: mohamoodmct@gmail.com Civil Engineer (Indian male) 12 years of experience in construction ﬁeld having Omani D/L and NOC looking for suitable job. Contact: 94194399 Email: saashibly@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 no: 95148894, 99726963. Email: sadathali0003@gmail.com Indian female, 22 yrs, BE (Electronics & Communication) searching for suitable placement. Contact: 96008324 Indian male B.E Automobile Engineering experience in Administration customer care, Supervisor job mechanical job, on visit visa. Contact: 96033372 / 96304190, Email: arunsaravanan2931@gmail.com

with over 20 years in Oman. Can manage ERP systems, Hardware, Network, Wi-Fi and Biometric Devices. NOC available.

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Indian Male 22, BE Civil Engineer with few site and internship experiences looking for a suitable position in your firm. Got knowledge in (Primavera, Autocad, Staad pro). Currently In visit visa. 98327644 or shakib842@gmail.com Indian male 26 years Mechanical Engineer with 2 yrs exp in Oman. Looking for suitable placement. Contact - 91328079 Civil Engineer 8 years experience Structural buildings marine. Available NOC release. #92451323. Email: zubairali134@yahoo.com Indian male Civil Engineer 1.6 yrs exp, having Omani D/L, looking for suitable position. NOC available. Contact – 92157694 / mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com Diploma in Mechanical Engg, 10 years exp in steel fabrication site work with valid Oman driving license. Contact: 94696192 Civil Engineer with 8 years experience performs multi- task job to structural work , building construction , infrastructure , planning , site development & architectural finishing works, NOC available valid Oman D/L. Contact:97474593 Email: a.baraka.om@gmail.com Civil Engineer with 3 years in Oman working in international company in field of building construction and infrastructure have Omani license. Contact: 98826802 / 94903195 Email: eng.mn12@gmail.com HSE Manager / Project HSE Manager HSE Engineer having 16 years experience in Gulf region obtained NEBOSH diploma, Diploma in civil looking for job. Contact: 94549278 or Email: ram_hk2003@yahoo.com Automobile Engineering Fire & Safety Engineering, 2 years Oman experience, 2 years India experience driving license. Contact: 92848439 Structure Engineer/civil BSC, worked in mega projects with 2 years experience, soft ware skills (Cad, staad, Revit, Robot, Sap, Hilti), Fluent Arabic, English. Contact :99814536 HSE Engineer having 10+ years experience in both Construction and Oil & Gas (PDO). Looking for suitable position, NOC & valid driving license available. Contact: 97717468 SriLankan Quantity Surveyor Male, 25 Years. Over 5 year Exp. (3 Yrs. in Oman), NOC available, looking for Suitable position. Contact: 98436414, Email:Hassaan.mt@live.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 Sudanese Civil Engineer 2 years experience. Contact: 94028027 Experienced auto mobile Engineer seeking job. Contact: 91487747 Indian Mechanical Engineer with one year experience in oil & gas refinery as piping QC Engineer seeks suitable placements. Contact: 95900813 Email: jinu8888@gmail.com HSE Supervisor Indian male 2 yrs experience relevant field with MSC ENV science industrial safety NEBOSH, IOSH first aid IT MS work excel PPT looking for suitable opportunity. Contact: 97047859 Mechanical Engineer, 3 years experience, 1 year in Oman, with driving license & NOC. Contact: 94887665 Email: mechatron_mt@yahoo.com Indian male 24 years B.Tech Electronics Telecommunications Engineering 1.5 years experienced Supervisory Engineer with appreciable ELV expertise seeking suitable position. Contact: 92519146 Email: afsalafoos95@gmail.com

Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrs exp seeks suitable position in a reputed company. NOC available. Contact 96789711 B.E Mechanical Engineer, age 24 with almost 1 year experience as Production Shift Engineer, has achieved training on HVAC Engineering design and has good hands on software like AutoCAD and HAP.Currently in Oman on a visit visa, looking for a suitable placement.Contact: 95065955 email: mjs.jazeb@gmail.com B. Tech Mechanical HVAC site Engineer 4 years experience, currently on visit. Contact 92837696 / mdabdulather@gmail.com An Iraqi civil with more than 30 years experience in (Iraq and G.C.C) looking for a job, (N.O.C) available. Contact: 96561306 Email: iq.bgd.mnsr@gmail.com Indian male, Mechanical Engineer having 1year experience, on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact: 97416564, Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com Civil Engineer 8 years experience in Oman as a project engineer for governmental & private projects. Contact – 90164912 Indian male Electrical Engineer, having 6 years gulf experience in designing, assembling, commissioning execution etc having valid GCC license too looking for a suitable. Contact: 00968-98052942 Email: azamjeelani78@gmail.com B.Tech Mechanical Engineer, Indian 25 years male, seeking for suitable job. Contact: +968 90417679 / +968 92193763, Email : sintocj88@gmail.com Diploma Electrical Engineer 15 yrs experience in electrical, commercial & industrial ﬁeld 3.5 yrs Gulf experience presently on visit visa. Contact: 97937868 Graduate female with 7 years experience in retail, looking for a suitable position. Contact : 96234434 Indian male 29 yrs, 6 years exp at East Africa now on visit visa seeking for store in charge or related job. Contact: 99695002 Email: arafathw880i@gmail.com Construction Machinery repairs Engineer, 5 years, driving license, Contact - 94001961 Indian female 25 yrs B.Tech IT technically skilled in Date base operating systems, Oracle utilities seeking suitable position, good communication skill. Contact: 94152561 Indian male B.Tech in Automobile Engineer with 2 years experience in service adviser, currently in Oman on visit visa, looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 97195645 Email: akram_75@gmail.com Master of Engineering (Civil), 5 years experience. Contact: 96658456 Chemical Engineer 2 years experience in petrochemical & polyethylene industry looking for valuable offer, NOC available. Contact: 91359260 Email: jibinjoseph484@gmail.com B. Eng Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineer with 2 years good working experience searching for suitable job in Oman, driving license on visit visa. Contact: 97705533 Email: engirfan91@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer 3 years of experience in oil & gas and heavy equipments, ﬂuent in English language with valid driving license. Contact: 91366140 Indian male 16 years experience (GCC) in construction (civil & electro, mechanical) purchasing seeking suitable placement having valid Oman driving license NOC available. Contact: 99109533 Syrian Civil Engineer with 2 years experience in construction with driving license. Contact: 94799791

T H U R S D AY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian male 24 years with 1+years Indian experience,(Certiﬁed in Staad Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).Looking for a Suitable position. Available In Sultanate of Oman (Muscat) on Visit Visa. Contact: 92157694. E-mail: mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer having 16 years experience in switchgear / Transformer / over head lines & trading for Sales / Procurement & Project Execution with valid Omani D/L, also available on contracts basis. Contact: 968 - 95994727 Email: qurm340@gmail.com

Young Structural Design Engineer, 2 yrs well experienced with good knowledge on Etabs, Staad. PRO & AutoCAD, looking for suitable job (full time / part time). Contact: 96118135 Email: raju.alam50@gmail.com

Indian male, Structural Engineer looking for job in structural design ﬁeld. Having 6 years of experience in design ﬁeld. Residing in Muscat. Contact - 91176187 Email: syam036@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer (B.Tech) male 12 years experience in MEP looking for job NOC available. Contact: 94743659 BE MECH Engr, Indian male, 23 yrs having 2 yrs experience in Mechanical Engg on visit visa seeks suitable position. Contact: 98827544 Email: sibi.a.b.varghese@gmail.com B.T.S microwave link installation & commissioning Engineer B.Sc (Hons), B.Tech Electronics & Communication Engineer ( 2.7 years exp) currently on visit visa. Contact: 96756964 Email: qayamzaidi8@gmail.com B.S.c Civil Engineer with 7 years experience in managing & supervising of construction & oil & gas fields (NOC) Available. Contact: 96086214 Email: engmohamedosaman@outlook.com Sr. Electrical Engineer with17+ yrs of exceptional exp in spear heading strategic planning and project management initiatives & executing various high rise residential & commercial building as well as roads and highway project with proficiency in installation, seeking a challenging position in a dynamic organization. Contact 96570891 29 years male Civil Engineer (B.Tech) roads / highways and buildings 08 years experience in Oman only having valid GCC driving license Oman available to join immediately with NOC. Contact: 95994968 Email: engr.aamir04@gmail.com Indian male 25 years Civil Engineer (B.Tech) 04 years experience in bridges / structures and buildings working in a reputable company in Oman since 1.6 years available to join with NOC. Contact: 95495797 Email: sarfarazahmad30@gmail.com Civil Engineer (Indian male) 5 years experience in Oman with valid Omani driving license & NOC looking for suitable opportunity. Contact: 93101283 Electrical Engineer, 24 yrs, Indian Male, Fresher, Training Undertaken in Electrical Draughtsman, Fire Alarm, Fire Fighting and Industrial Automation. Contact: 94989767, Email: Junaiz987@gmail.com 32 years male senior land surveyor roads/ building / pipelines, PDO , 11 years experience in Oman / Dubai. Working in reputable company and available to join immediately with NOC. Contact: 97640625 Email: qasiryasir@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer Sudanese 6 years exp in Gulf HVAC fire protection plumbing with D/L. Contact: 90609377 Electrical & Electronics Engr, knows autocad & revit. PH: 93837973 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 Mechanical/ Piping Engineer (B.Tech.) on visit visa looking for suitable job. Contact 94703350 Email: nadeembcoolboy@gmail.com Indian male 25 B.Tech Electrical, 3 years experience in industrial automation & supervision. Contact: 97207570 / 90481773 Pakistani male Diploma Civil Engineer 4yrs exp in Oman bulling & mega projects, valid license Oman. Contact: 98921022 Civil Engineer, young Indian having almost 2 years experience looking for a challenging position seeks suitable position in Oman/ GCC. Please contact 92718490, Email ID: uvais.pk82@gmail.com

Indian male, B.E Mechanical with 2 years experience as Maintenance Engineer in Cochin Reﬁnery and 1 year experience in Chevrolet seeking job. Contact : 97964862, Email:jossyabraham20@gmail.com Mechanical Engineer, Indian, Male, 30yrs. Experienced in Steam turbines and Thermal Power house seek employment. Contact - +91 8130553668 or mohamedshah7@gmail.com Site Supervisor, Diploma in Civil Engg (cert attested) knows autocad revit, salary exp: 250 Ph : 92279784 Indian male 24 ,B.E ( E.C.E ) graduate with 3 years of experience in the ﬁelds of BMS and Low current systems and has good knowledge about Electronic Security Systems, currently working in Oman, NOC Available. Contact: 94737033/ mohdmuhafez45@gmail.com

EDUCATION/TRAINING Indian female 24. Masters in Computer science engineering, seeking job in colleges, schools and institutes. Having in good skill in teaching and advanced technologies. Contact : 93356858 Email id : annielino11@gmail.com Indian Female, Phd in Chemistry having 3.5 yrs of Experience in India. Staying here on Family Visa & seeking for a suitable placement. Contact – 99675828, Email anupam.tiwari67@gmail.com Indian Female (Dual MBA Marketing & Operations, BTech Civil on Family Visa looking for suitable Openings. Contact 93287567 Female B. Ed English teacher, 7 yrs exp seeking suitable placement. Contact 99739415 / 92091528

HOSPITALITY Indian male having Diploma in Hotel Management with 16 years of experience in F x B Service at India, K.S.A & Oman, having valid Oman D/L, seeking for available placement. Contact: 92100141 / 92221956 Indian male 31yrs old with hotel management degree,03 yrs experience in F&B services at 5 star hotel Dubai, 05 yrs in American 06 star cruiseliner has butler. Has oman driving license. Contact 99859150. Indian male, 24 yrs , Diploma in Hotel management, 2 years experience front office management in 4 star hotel Dubai, currently on visit visa. Contact: 97937504 Email: febinpalathingal01@gmail.com

IT IT Engineer male, 28 yrs, over 7 yrs experience with NOC, D/L available seeking placement in IT / Network / Telecom ﬁeld. Contact 93563297 Email: monuzv24@gmail.com B. Tech IT Graduate 5 years experience in web dev, networking have valid Oman license looking for suitable placement. Contact: 9882577 Email: ajaybin.joy@gmail.com Indian Male Diploma, 4 Year Experience in IT Hardware and Networking, System Admin (2 Years in Oman), Seeking for suitable job. Contact: 91010146, e-mail: pranav.tp587@gmail.com Indian male seeking suitable vacancies, having 8 years experience in computer hardware maintenance and 2 years in CCTV, Presently on visit visa. Contact: 99641209, Email: adersh.kr@gmail.com Indian male, Post Graduate Diploma holder in IT, CCNA & MCSA Certiﬁed have 5 years experience in software & hardware technical support. Contact: 93988511

MEDICAL

Indian Male, MCA Graduate, 15 yrs exp in ERP, CSM Certiﬁed, seeking suitable role.NOC Available. Contact : GSM : 90189284 Email: meetlibran@gmail.com

Filipino male Medical / Sales representative with 3 yrs experience is looking for suitable job in Oman. Contact: 92610394

B.Tech (IT) graduate having 1 year experience in Search Engine Optimization, seeking a job in IT ﬁeld. Contact :nazrinkhan.s@gmail. com, 96336292 Indian female M.Sc Computer Science seeking suitable placement in Muscat area. Contact 98660672 Indian male, 26 yrs, 4 yrs work experience in M.N.C , IBM , ITIL foundation certiﬁed looking for suitable jobs in Training / learning / Development / HR/ MIS. Contact: 92306613 Email: michael.rinku@gmail.com CFA level 1 cleared (pursuing level 2) MBA operations research, female, 5 yrs experience as Analyst, have a valid Oman driving license, looking for related openings.Contact 95818892 27, Indian male: Software Developer having 5years+ experience in oracle forms & reports 10 g, BI publisher. Contact:91156571 IT Support Engineer, Exp 3 years in Oman 2 years in India. Contact 94672759 Indian male 4 years experience in IT as Programmer / Web Support/ CCNA/ Network on visit visa seeking placement. Contact 93069694 Email: mrabrar14@gmail.com Indian male 4 years experience in IT as Programmer / Web Support/ CCNA/ Network on visit visa seeking placement. Contact 93069694 Email: mrabrar14@gmail.com Female, master in mass communication, B.Ed, experience in media channel and teaching PH : 99362024

LOGISTICS Procurement, Warehouse & Logistics, Pakistani Male, Graduate, Over 10 years experience, Looking for Suitable Placement, Currently on Visit Visa. Contact: 91257663

MISCELLANEOUS Omani male, 21 years graduate, (bachelor in management studies) seeks suitable placement. Contact: 97904200 21, Indian female B.com graduate on family visa looking for immediate and suitable placement. Holds valid Omani Driver’s license. Contact: 97208869 Indian male, 28, post graduate, 6+ yrs exp in Oman in sales (back office) & credit control with valid Oman D/L looking for suitable placements. NOC available. Contact: 92066 523 B.Com,IICL Certiﬁed Container Inspector(No.150850),Visit Visa, Six months experience, need placement. Contact: 90880935, 99023279, Email solexyesudas@gmail.com Sudanese male bachelor geology and mining with 3 years experience in MUD logging and training in soil investigation. Contact 92956848 BS in Electrical Engineering, Experience: 5 years(Power Plants). Contact: 92475206 Email: zahaibzafar007@gmail.com 9 year experienced industrial painter and sand blaster with Oman driving licence. NOC available. Seeks suitable placement. Contact ZakeerHussain 96681934.

Indian male Nurse, with well experience in profession and working in Oman. Seeking for a suitable placement. (Preferring opportunity in as Rig Medic). Has BLS and ACLS. Contact : 97236545 Female Staff Nurse, with 6 yrs experience MOH license and NOC available date flow completed looking for a suitable job in Muscat. Contact: 97440718 Indian Nurse with MOH viva prometric, dataflow completed looking for suitable job. Contact: 95984538 Indian No: +91 8606470884 Email: josephneethu2014@gmail.com Dentist Indian male with 5 years experience including 2 years Oman working experience, MOH license seeking suitable placement. Contact: 94116459 Email: sayedmabeel87@yahoo.com Pakistani male MBBS, 1 year exp. Contact: 0092345 4557131, Email: drluqman101@gmail.com Indian male, Nurse with more 7 years experience MOH license, P.D.O license, dataflow, NOC available looking for job in Oman. Contact: 93604827 Email: subinraj37@gmail.com Veterinary Doctor: Indian Female looking for a suitable placement. Contact: 96906534 /99014885, Email: monishmajeed@gmail.com Dr.Ayman Abduljalil Ali, E.N.T Specialist (Otolaryngologist), Yemeni-male, looking for job. Mobile: 00201096542706, Email: aymanjalilorl@gmail.com

MANAGER / SUPERVISOR General Manager Indian National With 20 yr Experience In managing Civil Construction Business Seek Opening in reputed Civil Company. Contact-97464650. Manager receivables 12 years Oman experience. Contact: 99466318 Email:binulukechacko@gmail.com CEO, CEO Assistant, Managing Director, Senior Level Manager, A senior level business developments executive with 18 Yrs of experiences in USA, Africa, GCC, with MBA from Texas A&M ,USA). Contact 92010247 Indian male (40 yrs), looking for warehousing /logistics supervisor position, having 12 yrs Oman Exp with D/L, currently with a leading distribution company in Oman, NOC available PH: 94337320 ; Email: truefails@rediffmail.com 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 Manager customer service with over 20 years exposure in the Middle East with leading companies like Burj AL Arab the address & millennium, having excellence in operational management & training seeking suitable opportunity. Contact : 96383636 Joinery / Woodworking Production Supervisor, Indian, with knowledge in estimation, 18 years experience (5 years in Oman). Contact: 92975314, praveen777prabhakar@gmail.com.

Indian male Nurse with 7 years seeking for a suitable job in Muscat. Data ﬂow, prometric completed. Contact: 93519957 / 98275068 Email: mammenv24@gmail.com

Joinery / Woodworking Purchase Manager, Indian, with 12+ years experience in UAE, Qatar & Oman. Experience in Trading & Manufacturing divisions, having valid Omani D/L. Knowledge in Materials Management, Finance, Office Administration and Operations. Contact: 98040421, vinodthattayil@gmail.com.

Indian male 27, B.Tech Graduate, having 3 years Oman experience in installation and maintenance of security products, having Omani driving license and NOC. Contact 96485624

Purchase Manager / Officer Indian male 16 years GCC experience in construction Industry NOC available having Oman driving license looking suitable placement. Contact: 99109533

Indian female, B.SC Staff Nurse Prometric exam passed (63%) having 5+ years experience, seeking better opportunity. Contact: 94082308 Email: dhanya4sarath@gmail.com

Plumping Supervisor (Indian male) 12 years experience in Oman with valid driving license having more than 8 years in India looking for a suitable job. Contact: 95154414

MEDICAL

SALES / MARKETING Purchase Manager / Officer Indian male having 16 years GCC experience in construction (Civil& MEP) looking for suitable placement, having Oman driving license (NOC available). Contact: 99109533 Experience Sales / Business development professional, with 5 years Oman experience, holding valid Oman D/L. Contact: 90133601 Email: gbkoshy@gmail.com Egyptian male experienced Sales Executive with 12 years sales experience in Egypt, KSA and Oman with leading FMCG companies. Holds Omani driving license. Contact : 96202040, Email: ahmedghoniem618@gmail.com Indian male, Keralite Post Graduate Diploma and Graduate have 6 years experience in Sales and Marketing have experience in Ecommerce, IT, Security and FMCG Sales & Marketing. Contact: 93988511 Omani national, fluent in English looking for suitable placement. Contact: 97173753 BBA Bachelor of business administration exp in custom clearance procedure, also done international logistics management & Nimb National Institute business management (US) certification all documentation work related logistics. contact – 91949050 / akram.chaush001@gmail.com INDIAN male, BBA with 4 years experience in SALES & MARKETING, holding omani driving license. seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95607037 Email: raaz0jannat@gmail.com. Sales man looking for a suitable placement with 2 years experience, NOC available. Contact: 71293044 B.Com, Sales building material, accounts, marketing, 10 years experience in India. Contact: 92870992 Email: aboosheikh@yahoo.com Freight forwarding Graduate with 8 years experience in freight forwarding (Govt. of India) seek suitable placement. Contact: Shaji 99102497 / 98637889 Indian male MBA (Marketing) with Oman D/L more than 10 years of experience in sales & marketing, seeks job, NOC available. Contact: 91939227 Have 10 years experience in Oman as foreman pump operator Scada Operator have valid Oman driving license, Arabic & English fluent. Contact: 95641025 / 92854178 Graduate Indian male 26 yrs, 3 yrs experience logistics & management seeking suitable opportunity in reputed organization. #98847095 MCA Graduate with 1.6 years experience Indian female looking for any suitable job currently on visit visa. Contact 97993250 / 91447261 Indian female 29 years Post Graduate with computer Knowledge 2 years of Oman experience in coordinator & 5 years of experience in customer service, client relation officer with excellent communication skill seeks suitable placement. Contact: 95337665 Multinational FMGC experienced, qualified Sri Lankan lady seeking employment in Muscat. Strategy, Marketing, Brands, Sales, Communication. Oman exp & D/L available. 98250829 Looking for sales cum driver job. Contact: 94235254 Sales & Marketing Indian (M) having 8 years experience of commercial light vehicles, cranes, forklifts & construction equipments in Qatar, Oman & India holds driving license. Contact: +968 93992275 Email: azmath700@gmail.com Indian male 26 yrs, B.Com, 5 years sales experience in Oman seeking suitable job. Contact: 92507253 / 99414642 Key Accounts Manager of sales.. with an experience of 13 yrs, across the country. Bsc, MBA seeks suitable placement. Contact- 92100116 Indian male 37 years MBA graduate in marketing with 9yrs of experience in UAE in field of brand promotions & marketing with UAE D/L on a visit seeking suitable position. Conatct 95792820

Indian male around 7.5yrs technical product sales, new agency development experience in Oman B.E mechanical PGP.MKT , IB , Oman D/L urgent placement (m). # 91536968 Resident in Oman 18 years, 10 years experience in setup marketing plans and strategies, sales, import & logistics, procurement, Omani government tenders, organizing projects & events, import fireworks for festivals, NOC available, have car. Contact 94123939. Email: 002015r@gmail.com Marketing Executive with 10 years experience in Gulf on visit visa. Contact: 90116693 MBA (UK), raised in Oman & with 2 yrs work experience holding valid Oman driving license, seeks job in sales / business development. Contact: 99513132 Indian male, looking for sales & marketing job, Oman license holder. Contact: 95642740 Email: shaijichakkara@gmail.com Indian male 8 years experience as Sales Executive with Oman driving license NOC available. Contact: 92233068 Email: shipsnarayanan@gmail.con India PG diploma in Business Administration, 24 year experiences (22 years in Oman) in diverse field handling office independently administration, Sales and Marketing, highly motivated, hard working skillful and willing to work in challenging environments seeks suitable placement. Having valid Omani driving license. Contact 99120500 Omani female 6 years experience in management, fluent in English & French searching for new opportunity. Contact: 90998255 Egyptian male experienced sales executive with 12 years sales experience in Egypt, KSA and Oman with leading FMCG companies. Holds Omani driving license. Tel: 96202040, Email: ahmedghoniem618@gmail.com 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. Tel: 90157073 Indian male Graduate with 18 years of Marketing experience presently in Oman on family visit visa, looking for best opportunity. Contact: 96168687 Email: dhibupaul@gmail.com Indian male 26 years of experience of sales & marketing in surgical and laboratory equipments. Looking for good replacement. Contact – 92015894 /95774854 Indian male age 24, B.Com. having 2 year experience and currently in visit visa. Looking for suitable placement in Sales, Marketing & finance. Contact: 90766307 Email: shhaazz.007@gmail.com Indian male MBA and Diploma in management from Australia. On visit visa, looking for a suitable job in sales & marketing. #71189884 Indian male with 6 years experience in sales in oman. NOC available, looking for suitable placement. Contact 95364128 Indian male 25, MBA (marketing, finance) seeking for a suitable job having 1 year experience, currently on visit visa. Contact: 95469149 Email: surajar.inbox@gmail.com Marketing Manager 29 years professional experience in GCC / Oman in marketing in building materials / High tech products. Contact: 92284066 / 98559317 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 Oil & gas experienced Indian lady with 6 years in sales & marketing to PDO and having valid Omani driving license. #96143430 / 99875919 Indian Male, MBA marketing 5 yrs exp. in sales & 4 yrs in FMCG sector, looking for best opportunity. NOC available. Conatct 96001877 Sales Engineer, Indian male, 28 yrs, 3 years experience looking for suitable placement. # 93938727 CONTD ON PG NO 8

T H U R S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE SITUATION WANTED CARGO

RENT A CAR

25 - 50 seater bus with PDO & BP speciﬁcation for monthly rent & small car with driver. Contact 99839898

SITUATION WANTTOURS Enjoy Camping in Wahiba desert & all over Oman & tour. Contact: 92226866

SITUATION WANTED TOURS

SITUATION WANTED COMPUTER/WEB./ EDU./CLASSES

We arrange tours & accommodation at all the beautiful places in Oman. Contact 99839898

DRIVING Muscat Driving School. Contact 94085688

TRANSPORTATION

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

in Azaiba and Ruwi

• Learn in two months • Satisfaction guaranteed

Tel: 95244310

Transportation. Contact 94297820

Specialist for road test drum and slope. Contact 94022250

TRANSPORTATION

Picking & drop (Ruwi to Rusayl). Contact: 98957524

Transportation. Contact: 97128083

Transportation. Contact 92015894

Transportation. Contact: 99099714

From Ruwi to Ghala. Contact: 99562527 Transportation. Contact 94510847

Transportation. Contact:94087276 Al Khuwair, Qurum, Ghubra & Azaiba. #: 95937789 / 94501264

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

T H U R S D AY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

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

SITUATION WANTED DINING DELIGHTS

SITUATION WANT- SITUATION WANTGOOD NEWS SERVICES ED WE SERVE OMAN

Ayurvedic treatments & massage – Ayurvedic Clinic Al Khuwair. Contact 97263637 / 93309131 Ayurvedic treatment for backache, paralysis, arthritis etc & massage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact 24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980 www.siddhayur.com 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

SITUATION WANTED SERVICES

SITUATION WANTSIT.WANTED ED SALES / MARKETING Indian male 1 yr exp in sales automotive (TBL) looking for best opportunity , NOC available. Contact# 97793879 Email: shyampkn@gmail.com House shifting with carpenter and transport. Contact: 96737158 Window unit & split unit A.C servicing & repairing Barka, Mabela , Ruwi area. Contact: 99557080

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

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

Water prooﬁng ABUQABASContact 99320217/24788722 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, Email : globalaccessunited@gmail.com Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile polishing, pest control & anti-termite treatment, general cleaning painting, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting. Contact Mundhir AlRizaiqi trading. L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130 Installation & maintenance for Modular Kitchen, UPVC Doors & Windows, Furniture, Electrical & Air-conditions Contact @ 92383882/91443786

SITUATION WANTFOR LADIES We undertake new construction & maintenance & gypsum works. Contact 92711506, ammarayyub@gmail.com

General cleaning new villas cleaning Barka , Mabela, Hail area. Contact: 99557080 / 95323517

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing, Contact 99314807 /24792998

Split unit & window unit A.C servicing & maintenance Barka, Mabela, Ruwi area. Contact: 96236476

Special packages, Facial, Pedicure, Eyebrow, only 10 RO. Al doom Beauty Parlour #99619409

Client Relations and Sales Professional with 8 years in the Business Process Outsourcing industry, looking for suitable opportunity in Muscat. Contact +96879050752

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE Secretarial & Office: Indian(F), MBA in Finance, 2 years experience as Associate in Branch Operations (Record Keeping, Desk job)on family visa. Ph: 93186865 ; email: ddthoppil@gmail.com Lady Secretary / Sales Co-coordinator 12 years experience in Oman in reputed companies, seek immediate Employment. Contact: 95244761 India PG diploma in Business Administration, 24 year experiences (22 years in Oman) in diverse ﬁeld handling office administration independently, Sales and Marketing, highly motivated, hard working skillful and willing to work in hallenging environments seeks suitable placement. Having valid Omani driving license. Contact 99120500 Looking for part time job Secretarial / Data Entry / Documentation available every day after 5:00 pm Friday / Saturday full day area preferred Ruwi/ CBD/ MBD / Al Khuwair. Contact: 90414827