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RAMADAN PRAYER TIMINGSDhuhr 12.15pm

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Maghrib 7.02pm

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IFTAR

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FAJR

3.55AM

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Personal debt warning as Oman spending soars

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADIelham@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Oman needs to put a brake on consumerism as debtors increase, say experts.

Between January and March this year, Oman’s conventional banks have already issued loans and advances totalling OMR17.41 billion, and charities and legal fi rms have reported that the num-ber of people turning to them for help after getting into debt trap is rising.

The Holy Month of Ramadan is synonymous with self-control but temptations in the form of attrac-tive discounts on everything from cars to furniture entice people to buy more than their means or spend more than they can aff ord.

Real objective Some people forget the real objec-tive of Ramadan and end up hav-ing a huge debt, especially after the Eid frenzy. This shows that

there is a need for change in the mindset of the society.

Speaking to Times of Oman, legal and economy experts, bank offi cials, charity workers and or-dinary people have all emphasised the need for greater awareness about the consequences of over-spending, though they have ap-preciated the eff orts towards easy access to fi nancing.

Khalifa Al Rahbi, legal advisor and the chief executive offi cer of Khalifa Al Rahbi Lawyers and Le-gal Consultancy, says they receive clients with a simple fi nancial problem to those having debts of thousands of rials.

“Normally, we have two types of clients: Creditors and debtors. Creditors come to us to fi gure out the most appropriate way to re-cover their money while debtors seek ways to avoid legal penalties as a result of their failure to repay their debts,” he said.

ConsumerismAl Rahbi says that the growing number of these kinds of clients can be attributed to some fac-tors, including increasing con-sumerism in the society and the people’s love to show off without thinking of living within their budgetary limits.

According to him, Omani Law-yers Association and Khalifa Al Rahbi Lawyers and Legal Consul-tancy have organised a campaign during the holy month to collect donations from the members of the community for insolvent pris-oners with debts of not more than OMR5,000.

This is the third version of the campaign, Al Rahbi said, adding that 304 prisoners were released thanks to this campaign last year.

The legal advisor advised peo-ple not to take loans unless it be-comes essential such as for buying a house or land plot as unjustifi ed spending leads to debt.

Dar Al Atta’a charity organi-sation has also witnessed an in-crease in the number of people seeking fi nancial assistance to write off their debts.

Maryam Al Zadjali, chairperson of Dar Al Atta’a, says that increase in consumption of goods is one of the factors to blame.

According to her, between OMR3,000 and 5,000 is the aver-age debt of people seeking help.

“Sometimes, we receive people with debts, of over OMR30,000,” she said, adding that the highest amount of debt she has heard of is OMR120,000.

Al Zadjali said that Dar Al Atta’a does its best to help debtors after they submit a request supported by documents proving their claim.

Ahmed Al Hooti, a member of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), said that some people misuse their loans and then fi nd themselves in trou-ble when the time comes to repay the debt.

The organisations concerned and the media should join hands to raise awareness and promote the culture of saving, he said.

However, Al Hooti believes that some Omani private sector employees with a salary of OMR300 to OMR400 are not pro-vided with the fi nancing facilities which are given to the govern-ment employees.

The OCCI has been asking the authorities to provide better facil-ities to the private sector employ-ees, he added. >A3

Banks have already

loaned out OMR17.41

billion to consumers,

sparking calls for

caution in Ramadan

OMANOman Air to recruit more Omani pilots

2Oman Air is looking for more candidates to fl y its fl eet. Following 10 Omani

cadet pilots graduating in March, Oman Air is now recruiting more candidates from within the Sultanate. >A5

OMAN‘Macroeconomic scene favourable’

1 Despite lower oil prices in the second half of 2014, the macroeconomic

situation in Oman remained favourable. The major drivers of growth were higher sustained domestic demand, supported by large public expenditure and accommodative monetary policy pursued by the CBO. >A3

MARKETRenaissance sure of long-term growth

3Renaissance Services is an Omani multinational fi rm listed on the MSM

with a strong presence in oil servicing fi eld. Strong cash fl ows will help the company to service all it’s obligations and also to invest in future growth. >B1

T O P T H R E E I N S I D E S T O R I E S

C7The new Audi A6

Firefi ghters douse Sohar factory fi re REJIMON K reji@timesoman.com

MUSCAT: A fi re which broke out in Owhi industrial area in Sohar on Sunday was doused by fi refi ghters. Five fi re engines were used to control the blaze.

“The fi re, which broke out in a warehouse, spread nearby, causing panic in the area. Work-ers were seen running out of the warehouses. It took more than two hours for the fi refi ghters to contain the fi re,” sources said.

Motorists said thick clouds of smoke billowing out from the warehouses could be seen far from the area. “The roads to

that area were blocked by the police,” motorists said.

According to sources, rubber products and adhesives were stored in the warehouses which caught fi re.

Lorry fi reEarlier in the day, a lorry caught fi re near Falaj in Sohar.

“It started around 8am. There was bad odour in the entire area after the fi re. Police had to cor-don off the area,” witnesses said.

In another incident, a truck which drove off the road, was ly-ing overturned in Qantab area. Police vehicles and ambulances were seen at the accident site.

F I R E I N C I D E N T S

TRUCK IN FLAMES: Lorry catches fi re near Falaj in Sohar.

Sultanate’s population reaches 4.2m

MUSCAT: Oman’s population reached 4.18 million by May end, growing at 0.2 per cent, lat-est data from National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) shows.

“While the number of Omani citizens is 2,338,769, the num-ber of registered expatriates is 1,847,145. The statistics also indicate that there are 135,513 expatriates whose place of resi-dence is not recorded, a one per cent decrease compared to the fi gures recorded last April,” the data reveals. The data also show that the majority of population resides in Muscat Governorate, where the number of residents rose by 0.4 per cent compared to the fi gures recorded last April, reaching 1,288,330. >A6

M A Y - E N D D A T A

The numbers

17.43,000

5,000 30,000

billion

OMR

OMR

Loans and advances by conventional banks (between January and March 2015)

Average debt (OMR)

Expert view:

to

There are cases of people with debts more than

Loans are good if they are used in a proper way, for example for purchasing the necessary things or starting up a business.

A2 M O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

OMAN

Website to help Salalah touristsTARIQ AL HAREMItariqh@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Providing a stress-free travel guide to various at-tractions, services, activities and places in all the Wilayats of Dho-far, Sayyid Adil Al Busaidi, Advi-sor of Tourism Aff airs, Ministry of Tourism, offi cially launched the Traveller Oasis website on Sunday.

The website (www.travelleroa-sis.om) is currently online.

First time visitors to Dhofar will be able to use the website to plan their summer holiday by browsing hotels, restaurants and entertainment as well as making use of a list of phone numbers put up on the website and social me-

dia sites associated with Travel-ler Oasis.

Traveller Oasis is a tempo-rary rest area set up at the Sala-lah City Gate, staying open 24/7 from June 20 to September 20. The rest area features a number of luxury tents providing useful tourist information, car rental services and holiday planning assistance. “It was set up to act as a rest stop for travellers arriv-ing to Salalah by road. The Oasis creates a welcoming atmosphere for the visitors besides providing

free and immediate assistance in bookings, providing tourist infor-mation and off ering vehicles for rental,” said Al Busaidi.

Al Busaidi stressed the impor-tance of staying abreast of new technological trends as well as to eff ectively respond to challenges of global competition. He said by using the internet, it will be pos-sible to help tourists obtain the required information eff ortlessly.

The mobile version of the web-site will be launched next week on IOS and Android phones in both Arabic and English.

To visit the website, go to: www.travelleroasis.om; Instagram: @Traveller_Oasis; Twitter: @TravellerOasis; Facebook: Trav-ellerOasisDhofar.

T O U R I S M S E C T O R

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Traveller Oasis website

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The Traveller Oasis creates a welcoming atmosphere for the visitors besides providing free and immediate assistance in bookings, providing tourist information and off ering vehicles for rental

Sayyid Adil Al Busaidi, Advisor of Tourism Aff airs, Ministry of Tourism

State Council to discuss transport law

MUSCAT: Land Transport law will be discussed by the State Council at its regular sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday, under the chairmanship of Dr. Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Mantheri, Chairman of the State Council.

The law has been referred by the Council of Ministers. The report of Majlis Al Shura on the same law, in addition to the report of the Legal Committee and the proposal of the Social Committee on the review of the governing legislations of the wastewater sector, will also be discussed.

The Council will also discuss a proposal of the education committee on the educational development of persons with disabilities. The Council will also review the General Secre-tariat report on the activities of the Council for the earlier period, in addition to the letters from various institutions and reports from members.–ONA

L E G I S L A T U R E

A3

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Bankers caution against ‘excessive consumerism’

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADIelham@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Banks in Oman be-lieve that ease of access to fi nanc-ing and a wider range of options have enhanced the experience of customers but also hold the opin-ion that excessive consumerism should be avoided through edu-cating the society.

Yousuf Al Rawahi, deputy gen-eral manager - head of branches, retail and private banking at Ahli-bank, says that with the ease of available credit, any society will have consumerism, which has to be managed accordingly.

“Lower pricing for custom-ers, faster approvals, attractive

schemes etc have had a positive impact. However, this has been well controlled by the regulator by putting caps on debt burden ratio, tenors, bank credit policies etc, which will have a favourable impact,” said Al Rawahi.

However, he says more eff orts are required to promote the cul-ture of saving in Oman.

“This can be possible through attractive deposit savings schemes, insurance linked sav-ings plans for education, marriage

etc. Consumers should be encour-aged to apply for such schemes in order to secure their own as well as their family’s future,” said the offi cial at Ahlibank.

Salim Al Kalbani, acting head of retail products, business and segments department at Bank Dhofar, says that customers should know what their require-ments are.

“Many people around the world live on credit and they suff er the consequences. Customers in

Oman are generally more aware of their needs and fi nancial re-quirements, and hence they are less likely to indulge themselves in more than what they really need,” he said.

“Also, the banking rules and regulations in Oman are balanc-ing the credit for each customer by putting a limit based on the salary and other requirements, so customers can still enjoy at least 50 per cent of their salary after deducting instalments,” Al Kalbani noted.

Exponential growthAsad Batla, head of consumer banking at Bank Nizwa, Oman’s fi rst Islamic bank, believes that the rate of consumption in Oman has witnessed ‘exponential’ growth, especially with the in-crease in per capita income.

“The dominant trend is for con-sumers to borrow money to cover their purchases and consequently focus less on savings. Therefore, the lack of saving culture will lead to excessive consumption and ulti-mately the inability to manage fu-

ture plans or emergencies,” he said.Batla added that Bank Nizwa

encourages its customers to have discipline in their fi nancial deci-sions, while constantly focusing on helping them lead fi nancially-secure lifestyles.

Save, invest for their future“Islamic fi nance being asset backed, and Bank Nizwa being complaint with Sharia laws, we encourage customers to fi nance goods that they need rather than splurge on cash.

“In case of conventional bank-ing, most of the overburdened customers are those who have taken out cash loans and have spent on unnecessary luxury and non-tangible items,” he said.

“At Bank Nizwa, we have a suite of savings products to encourage customers to save and invest for their future. This way their in-vestments build up, while they get returns on their Sharia-compliant investments. We take our social responsibility and Islamic fi nan-cial values very seriously,” the of-fi cial added.

More eff orts are

required to promote

the culture of saving

Economy upbeat as loans rise

Heidar, an economic expert, said that loans are good if they are used in a proper way, for example for purchasing the necessary things or starting up a business.

“Some people get loans and spend them on unnecessary luxury stuff or expensive travels and end up repaying the loans for a long pe-riod of time,” he said.

According to Heidar, the growth in the number of loans being taken by people in Oman is a conse-quence of a combination of global and local factors, such as the in-crease in the population and per capita income and the fact that more people are entering the mar-ket and starting a family.

More education campaigns are required and banks should have one-to-one conversations with their customers when they apply for a loan, he said.

The economic expert also be-lieves that the decision of the Cen-tral Bank of Oman (CBO) to reduce the ceiling on personal loans from 40 per cent to 35 per cent of total bank credit has helped control overspending to some extent.

Abdul Wahab Abdulkarim Al Balushi, an ex-government em-ployee, says that as Oman is a free economy, fi nancing rules cannot be expected to become ‘stricter’.

“The banking regulator and oth-er authorities cannot be expected to play the role of a ‘parent’, and spending appropriately is an indi-vidual responsibility,” he said.

Children should be educated in the family and later in school as to how to spend their money wisely from an early age, said Al Balushi, adding that parents should be good role models for their children.

In this era of materialism, some people are attracted to the latest models of mobile phone, car and other items and get loans to pay for the things that they may not really need, he added. They should set their priorities right and have fore-sight, Al Balushi noted, adding that the banks should educate their customers instead of just encour-aging the people to take out loans.

E C O N O M Y

< FROM

A1

Economy on growth path despite oil price downslide MUSCAT: Despite lower oil pric-es in the second half of 2014, the macroeconomic situation in the Sultanate remained favourable, the Central Bank of Oman (CBO) has said in its Annual Report.

The major drivers of growth were higher sustained domestic demand, mainly supported by large public expenditure and ac-commodative monetary policy.

Following a negative growth in 2009 due to fallout of the global fi -nancial crisis, the average growth rate of Gross Domestic Prod-uct (GDP) at current prices be-tween 2010 and 2012 was around 16.5 per cent.

In 2013, the GDP at current prices grew at a modest pace of 2.4 per cent primarily due to weaker crude oil prices in the global market and in 2014 as the economic momentum picked up slightly the nominal GDP grew by 4.6 per cent.

While the petroleum sector nominal GDP declined by 2.4 per cent, the non-hydrocarbon nominal GDP grew by 10.1 per cent during 2014. As a result, the share of petroleum activities in the overall GDP at current market prices declined to 47.2 per cent in 2014 from 50.6 per cent in 2013.

Within the non-petroleum in-dustrial activities, manufacturing sector recorded a modest growth of 0.4 per cent in 2014 while elec-tricity and water supply, building and construction grew by 8.6 per cent and 8.3 per cent respectively.

Services sector grows 13%The services sector grew by 13.1 per cent in 2014 as compared to 9.2 per cent in the previous year. The share of services sector in GDP increased to 40.7 per cent in 2014 from 37.3 per cent in 2013.

The Government has been tak-ing several initiatives to create employment in public and pri-vate sectors that include aligning some of the benefi ts between the two sectors, so as to make private sector jobs more attractive to na-tionals. Employment opportuni-ties created in the public sector during the fi ve-year period 2009

to 2013 increased by an average rate of 6.6 per cent. During 2013, the employment in the public sec-tor increased by 8.6 per cent as compared to 5.4 per cent in the previous year.

During the fi ve-year period 2010 to 2014, average employ-ment growth in the private sector was 12.7 per cent. However, during 2014, the growth in employment in the private sector slowed down to 3.4 per cent as compared to 14.8 per cent in the previous year.

Omanisation gainsThe decline in employment with-in the private sector was mainly due to sharp fall in the growth rate of employment of expatriates in this sector from 16.0 per cent in 2013 to 2.8 per cent in 2014.

On the other hand, the growth in employment of Omanis in the private sector stood at 8.6 per cent during 2014 as compared to 5.7 per cent in the previous year, pointing to the potential of the private sector to employ more na-tionals.

While the growth momentum has been sustained, infl ation was also fairly contained in the Sul-tanate with the average infl ation based on CPI for the Sultanate being lower at 3.4 per cent dur-ing the three-year period 2010 to 2012. The year 2014 continued to witness low infl ation with the average infl ation registering an

increase of only 1.1 per cent.In 2014, the average infl ation

based on CPI for the Sultanate stood slightly lower at 1.0 per cent.The CBO and the Government have been keeping a close watch on the price situation. There have been eff orts towards increasing market awareness of consumers, proper monitoring of supply situ-ations and diversifying imports.

Infl ationThe recent moderate rise in pric-es owed to both demand and sup-ply side factors originating from the domestic, as well as external sources. Lower international food and metal prices helped in keeping the infl ation low as bulk of food items were imported.

Though the overall infl ation remained low, the contribution of the three groups “Foods and non-alcoholic beverages,” Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels,” and “Furnishing, house-hold equipment and routing housing maintenance” to overall infl ation were high during 2014.

Omani crude oil fetched an av-erage price of $98.7 per barrel be-tween 2010 and 2013. During the same period, oil production rose by an average of 3.8 per cent while oil exports rose by an average rate of 5.9 per cent. The Omani crude oil prices averaged $103.2 per bar-rel during 2014 as compared to $105.5 a barrel in 2013.– ONA

C B O R E P O R T

Yousuf Al Rawahi, DGM, Head

of Branches, at Ahlibank

Asad Batla,Head of Consumer

Banking, Bank Nizwa

Marine show could spur interest in seafaring TARIQ AL HAREMItariqh@timesofoman.com MUSCAT: In celebration of the Day of the Seafarer, the Ministry of Transport and Communica-tions launched a marine exhibi-tion in Qurum City Center, under the auspices of Said Hamdoon Al Harthy, Undersecretary of Ports and Maritime Aff airs.

The small exhibition show-cased ancient as well as mod-ern equipment, tools and maps used to sail the seas, in addition to old defence weapons such as cannons.

Patrick Wells, Deputy Dean for Academic Aff airs in International Maritime College Oman (IMCO), said, “Oman is an old seafaring nation but the awareness for the maritime industry in Oman is not that big at the moment. So for this, especially for young students, as they come through the door, it will create awareness and will be amazing for us.”

“The face of maritime educa-tion is changing very dramatically as we become more dependent on electronics, but if you look at celestial navigation, tides and current and the techniques used

today is pretty much the same as a thousand years ago. It is es-sentially part of the art of being a mariner.”

Seafaring is considered one of the most important professions contributing to the Omani econ-omy and a vital element of Omani heritage and culture.

During an award ceremony honouring Omani mariners, Rashid Al Kiyumi, Director Gen-eral of Maritime Aff airs in MOTC, said: “No doubt that appreciating and valuing them is vital, espe-cially since about 90 per cent of world trade moves by sea.”

D A Y O F T H E S E A F A R E R

VITAL ELEMENT: Seafaring is considered one of the most impor-

tant professions contributing to the Omani economy and a vital

element of Omani heritage and culture.–Talib Al Wahaibi/TIMES OF OMAN

NATIONAL ECONOMY: In 2014 as the economic momentum

picked up slightly the nominal GDP grew by 4.6 per cent.–File photo

A4 M O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

TODAY’S DUAAOur Lord! Make of us (Muslims, bowing to Your (Will), and of our offspring

a nation submissive unto You, and show us our Manasik and accept our repentance. Truly You are the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful.’

In the Holy Quran there are sev-eral passages that confi rm that the earlier Prophets (peace be upon them) were also commanded by Allah to establish prayer. Prophet

Ibrahim (PBUH) asked for support in his duty: “My Lord, make me one who establishes prayer and also my descendants.” (Quran 14:40). Allah spoke to Prophet Musa (PBUH) say-ing: “And establish prayer for My re-membrance. (Quran 20:14). Prophet Isa (Jesus) said of his Lord: “And He has enjoined upon me prayer and charity as long as I live. (Quran 19:31) Allah ordered Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him): “Recite what was revealed to you of the Book and estab-lish prayer. (Quran 29:45).

The second pillar of Islam, Salah is the prescribed daily prayers which consist in repeating and refreshing fi ve times a day the belief in which you re-pose your faith. Your day begins just before the sun rises and the fi rst duty you do is off er the Fajr prayers and ends up with Isha before you retire to sleep, and in between at day time, you pray Dhuhr (noon prayers), Asr (afternoon prayers) and Maghrib (at sunset). So, from the beginning of the day until you sleep you submit yourself to your Lord.

Eminent scholar Sheikh Abul A`la Mawdudi beautifully explains: “The various poses that you assume during your Prayers are the very embodiment of the spirit of submission; the various recitals remind you of your commit-

ments to your God. You seek His guid-ance and ask Him again and again to enable you to avoid His wrath and fol-low His chosen path. You read out from the Book of the Lord and express wit-ness to the truth of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and also refresh your be-lief in the Day of Judgment and enliven in your memory the fact that you have to appear before your Lord and give an account of your entire life.”

Besides the fi ve compulsory prayers there are other prayers. You can pray at any time once you feel that you need a counsellor or a guide to show you to the right path.

Salah is the communion between man and his Creator. The fact that it was ordered in Heaven on the night of Miraj, while all the other obligations were revealed to the Prophet (PBUH) on the earth, speaks of its utmost im-portance. Prayer is compulsory for every Muslim who is sane and of age. Salah is ordered repeatedly through-out the Holy Quran. It says, “Keep carefully to the prayers, not forgetting the middle prayer, and stand before Al-lah in obedience.” Surah 2;238. Again and again it is emphasised by Allah in the Holy Quran. “Certainly has prayer been decreed upon the believers - a de-cree of specifi ed times.” Surah 4;103. We know from the various Ahadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that an important purpose of prayer is to wash away sins. Another is its eff ect on the believer’s conscience. But most im-

portant is the remembrance of Allah, for He is the source of all benefi t.

Salah is obligatory in any situation, at home or while travelling, in security or in a state of fear. In certain circum-stances, Qasr and Jam’a (shortening and joining the prayers during a jour-ney) is permissible, but there is no per-mission to neglect or postpone prayer. Only women at the time of post-child-birth bleeding or monthly periods do not pray. Even a person too ill to move or threatened by an enemy must pray, even if only by making gestures with his eyes or in his heart or as much as he is able and as long as he is in the pos-session of mental faculties.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) stated, “The fi rst thing one will be held accountable for on the Day of Judgment is Salah (prayer).” In another Hadith it is mentioned, “On the Day of Judgement, the very fi rst question that will be asked to man out of his deeds will be about Salah; if his Salah is correct he will succeed but if it is incomplete, he will be disgraced and will suff er loss. - Tabarani.

One of India’s illustrious scholars, late Shaykh Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi writes, “There is nothing dry or me-chanical about Salah. It is not a soul-less ritual, frozen into rigidity, in which there is no scope for development and everyone is compelled to stay at the same level. On the contrary, its fi eld is very vast in which the devotee is car-ried forward from state to state, from

advancement to perfection and from perfection to heights that are beyond the imagination of man.

“In it, the position of one is diff erent from that of the other. The grade varies from person to person. A Salah per-formed with negligence and ignorance cannot be treated as equal to that of at-tention and awareness.”

It is said that off ering the obliga-tory prayers with the congregation in the mosque is much better and brings the worshipper much higher reward. In fact, praying with a congregation is given 27 times the reward for a prayer off ered alone. Writes Adil Salahi, a great scholar and writer, “Off ering prayers in a congregation is strongly encour-aged because it strengthens ties within the local community and brings people together. The Prophet (PBUH) encour-aged off ering some prayers at home. Taken together these Hadiths appear to encourage that we off er the recom-mended and voluntary prayers at home, leaving the obligatory ones to off er in the mosque with the congregation.”

Prayers also inculcate in Muslims a strong sense of discipline and obe-dience to the elected leader. In short, Prayers train them in all those virtues that make possible the development of a rich individual and collective life. The one who is steadfast in prayer is the one who prays at the prescribed times as ordered by Allah, without postpon-ing or neglecting its essential rituals. (Compiled from various sources).

Salah the most important form of Islamic worship

Islamic prayer gives a worshipper a clear sense of a direct link and a strong bond between him and the God, explains AFTAB H. KOLA

Hadith of the dayABDULLAH IBN `AMR reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘Fasting and the Quran will intercede on behalf of Allah’s servant on the Day of Judgment: Fasting will say, “O my Lord! I prevented him from food and desires during the day, so accept my intercession for him.” And the Quran will say, “O my Lord! I prevented him from sleeping by night, so accept my intercession for him.” The intercession of both will thus be accepted. (Ahmad and authenticated by Al-Albani)

A5

OMANM O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

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North Al Batinah tops in National Education CompetitionsMUSCAT: Results of the National Education Competitions for the School Year 2014/2015 were ap-proved on Sunday by Dr Madiha bint Ahmed Al Shibaniyah, Minis-ter of Education.

The Directorate General of Ed-ucation in the North Al Batinah came fi rst, followed by the Direc-torates General of Education in the Governorates of Al Dakhiliyah and Muscat.

In school media and literary arts, South Al Batinah came fi rst, followed by North Al Sharqiyah and Al Dhahirah.

In eloquence and classical Ara-bic, which was held in Egypt in col-laboration with the Arab League, Ismail Mohammed Al Rowahi from North Al Sharqiyah came fi rst among grade 12 students on the level of the Arab world. He came fi rst at the national level also.

Khoulah bint Abdullah Al Aisariyah from the Governorate of Muscat came fi rst among the grade 10 students at the Arab level and topped at the local level as well. At the marine environment competition, which was held in Kuwait at the regional level, Maya bint Masud Al Barwaniyah from the Governorate of Al Buraimi came fi rst.

In the e-newspaper competition

for males, Al Waddah bin Uqbah School for Basic Education in the Governorate of South Al Batinah came fi rst. In the female category, Al Manarah School for Basic Edu-cation in the Governorate of North Al Sharqiyah and Um Habibah School for Basic Education in the Governorate of South Al Batinah shared the fi rst place.

In the best presentation on tourism sites, Ayman bin Said Al

Shahoomi from the Governorate of Al Dhahirah came fi rst in 5-8 years group and Al Murdas bin Khalifa Al Shaqsi from the Gover-norate of Al Dakhiliyah came fi rst in 9-12 years group.

In the marine environment drawing competition in Kuwait, Bayan bint Mohammed Al Fur-qaniyah from the Governorate of Al Dakhiliyah came fi rst at the Gulf level.–ONA

S C H O O L A C A D E M I C S

More pilots to get Oman Air wings

Staff Reporter

MUSCAT: Oman Air, the nation-al carrier of the Sultanate, is look-ing for more Omani candidates to fl y its fl eet.

“As Oman Air continues its ambitious fl eet and network ex-pansion programme, we are also pleased to be recruiting more candidates. As a result, more Omani citizens than ever before will fl y our aircraft to destina-tions around the world,” Oman Air’s Captain Moosa Al Shidhani, Acting Chief Offi cer – Flight Op-erations, said in a statement is-sued while congratulating new 10 recruits.

Following 10 Omani cadet pi-lots graduating in March, Oman Air is now recruiting more can-didates from within the Sultan-ate, according to a statement by the airline.

The recent graduates trained at l’École Nationale de l’Aviation Civile (ENAC), the prestigious fl ying school based in Toulouse, France. They were person-ally congratulated on behalf of Oman Air by Captain Moosa Al Shidhani.

“A further 13 Omani candidates have now been enrolled at ENAC and are expected to graduate in 18 months’ time. Now Oman Air is recruiting further cadet pilot candidates, who will receive fl ight

training and be considered for roles with Oman Air’s operational fl ight crews,” the statement said.

Each of the cadet pilots will be carefully selected, according to their cognitive skills and abil-ity to multi-task, before under-taking an intensive programme of instruction. The cadet pilots will be off ered support by Oman Air throughout their training at ENAC. They will receive fi nancial assistance, as well as help with accommodation, insurance, fees and academic studies.

In addition to recruiting ca-det pilots, Oman Air is seeking applications from ab initio pi-lots – trainee pilots who are self-sponsored. Successful applicants are likely to be enrolled as Second Offi cers on a type rating course in one of the Oman Air’s narrow-body aircraft, depending on com-pany requirements.

“As the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, Oman Air is committed to ensuring that as many Omani citizens as possible have the opportunity to develop successful careers with us,” the offi cial said.

Applicants wishing to be con-sidered for positions as cadet pilots should be Omani citizens aged between 17 and 26 years.

They should have attained high

grades in English, Mathematics and Physics at secondary school. Diploma and university/college graduates should have achieved qualifi cations within a science stream. In addition, before being selected, each candidate will be required to pass a range of medi-cal and psychometric tests.

Applicants for ab initio pilot positions are also required to be Omani citizens and must pass a predetermined assessment process set out by an appointed Flight Training Organisation.

They must pass a range of med-ical and psychometric tests, and should be under 36 years of age. They should have achieved good academic grades, including a high level of profi ciency in English, Physics and Mathematics. Recog-nised professional qualifi cations should be held by candidates, who will also have a minimum of 200 hours of fl ying time, including 100 hours of solo fl ying.

Oman Air is emphasising on its plans to adhere to the Gov-ernment of Oman’s policy of Omanisation. This emphasises the importance of developing employment and career develop-ment opportunities for Omani citizens. Currently, around 60 per cent of Oman Air’s global work-force comprises Omani citizens .

After 10 Omani cadet

pilots who graduated

in March, Oman Air

is now recruiting

more candidates

from within Oman

NATIONAL CARRIER: Oman Air is focussed on implementing the

Government policy of Omanisation. –Supplied photo

Dr Madiha bint Ahmed Al Shiba-

niyah, Minister of Education.

SQU Council approves Strategic Plan 2016-40 MUSCAT: Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) Council on Sun-day adopted the Strategic Plan for Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) 2016 – 2040. The meeting was headed by the Minister of Higher Education and Chairperson of the Council the Stra-tegic Plan for Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). The Strategic Plan covers fi ve areas: teaching and learning at undergradu-ate, and teaching and learning at the post-graduate level, sci-entifi c research, creativity and innovation and community engagement. The plan includes seven fi elds, in addition to the areas, namely: governance and management, human re-sources, fi nancial capacity, international cooperation, student environment, infrastructure and support services, health and medical services for SQU Hospital.

Manpower Ministry panel focuses on labour marketMUSCAT: The Joint Omanisation Committee in the Minis-try of Manpower on Sunday discussed the developments in the labour market and discussed the results provided by the working team to follow up the recommendations. The meet-ing agreed on a set of recommendations to be submitted to the competent authorities. These recommendations aim to help the sector grow and availing new job opportunities. They also aim at cooperation with the institutes for the training of the national workforce in the sales and distribution sector.

Attorney-General holds meeting with ROP offi cial MUSCAT: Hussain bin Ali Al Hilali, the Attorney-General of Oman visited the Directorate General of Inquiries and Crimi-nal Investigations on Sunday. He was received by Brigadier Rashid bin Salim Al Badi, Director General of Inquiries and Criminal Investigations. During the meeting the two offi cials discussed means of enhancing cooperation in the fi eld of criminal work and plans to improve the investigative system of both ROP and the Public Prosecution.– ONA

B R I E F S

A6

OMANM O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

It’s actually Shakeaway Oman and it’s diff erent from Shakeaway Mexico or Shakeaway California

Peter Dickson, Shakeaway’s CEO

Shakeaway outlet dream realised

SARAH MACDONALDsarah@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: An eight-year dream came true for Omani business-woman Amina Al Zadjali on Friday night when her franchise of the British milkshake bar Shakeaway opened in Muscat Grand Mall.

Al Zadjali, GM of Bandera

Group, tried her fi rst Shakeaway milkshake when she was a stu-dent in Bournemouth, England and was immediately hooked. From then on she began emailing the company to see if she could bring it to Oman.

“It was eight years ago that I had my fi rst milkshake and I fell in love with it and the full concept. I emailed them from the fi rst milk shake and I’ve been emailing them every year,” Al Zadjali explained,

adding that she fi nally got a re-sponse fi ve years ago and two and half years ago began planning the fi rst location in Oman.

Shakeaway’s CEO, Peter Dick-son, said the company gets about 400 franchise requests a month but they are very particular about their partners. He liked Al Zadjali’s commitment to the brand, which is why it is now open in Muscat.

“For us the selection process is really about looking for people that

really love it and understand it, but that are family-based. We’re a fam-ily brand so we do business on a person level,” Dickson said.

The Shakeaway concept is unique. The milkshake bar off ers a minimum of 180 fl avours which can be combined all kinds of ways and served hot or cold, with ice cream or yogurt as the base.

Now open in seven countries, Shakeaway also localises its men-us so here in Oman there are famil-

iar fl avours. Approximately 35 to 40 per cent of the menus are local-ised, Dickson said.

Omani ingredients include dates, date mahmoul, Omani kahwa, Omani helwa and Nabil cookies, to name a few.

“It’s actually Shakeaway Oman and it’s diff erent from Shakeaway Mexico or Shakeaway California,” said Dickson, who has tried all the Omani fl avours himself.

The brand has been warmly welcomed in Oman. The launch on Friday evening saw long lineups of people waiting for their cus-tomised shakes which can include fl avours such as Twix, Skittles, Cadbury Creme Eggs, strawberry, apple pie or pre-made combina-tions such as the most popular, Dave, which combines Ferrero Rocher, Kinder Bueno and Flake chocolates. There is even one called the Millionaire which has 23 carat gold fl akes on it.

Customers in Oman quickly picked up on the idea of making their own unique combinations, added Paul Prince, Global Retail Director of Shakeaway.

“Amazingly on the fi rst night we had several requests for three or four products [in one milkshake]. That doesn’t usually happen that quickly but here the locals are get-ting the hang of it,” Prince said.

Dickson says one of the attrac-tions of Shakeaway is that it is a very emotive product. People can relive old memories and fa-vourite childhood treats through the shakes.

“The ingredients are gener-ally globally famous, well-known, some of them over 100 years old, billions spent on advertising, and we’re using their product to turn it into a milkshake that tastes like that product, and the customer chooses what they want to do,” he explained.

Al Zadjali has high expectations for Shakeaway in Oman. She said the fi rst few nights were very busy and she already has a few other po-tential locations in mind, though it’s too early to share details.

“I am very happy. It’s an eight-year dream and two and half years of work and we’re fi nally here,” she said.

The Shakeaway

milkshake bar which

opened in Muscat

Grand Mall off ers

a minimum of 180

fl avours which can

be combined and

served hot or cold

WARM WELCOME: The launch of Shakeaway milkshake bar on Friday evening saw long lines of people

waiting for their customised shakes. - Photos: Shabin E

Expats’ number rises

The fi gures also show that Mus-cat remains the only governorate where the number of expatriate residents surpasses the number of Omani residents.

The number of expatriates residing in Muscat reached 802,000 compared to 486,306 Omanis.

Al Batinah North Governo-rate came second on the list with 681,333 residents logging a growth rate of 0.2 per cent, com-pared to the fi gures recorded last April.

The number of Omani resi-dents in the governorate reached 461,859, compared to 219, 474 ex-patriates.

Al Buraimi, Dakhiliyah, Shar-qiyah South, Sharqiyah North and Dhahirah Governorates

also recorded a growth rate of 0.2 per cent.

The population of Al Buraimi reached 102,911 persons. The fi g-ures of the Omani and expatriate populations were approximately equal as Omani residents number 51,407, while the expatriate resi-dents’ number reached 51,504.

The population of Dakhiliyah Governorate reached 416,332 in-cluding 321,511 Omanis, in addi-tion to 94, 821 expatriates.

In Al Sharqiyah South Gover-norate, the total population was 275,524 including 187,935 Oma-nis, in addition to 87,589 expatri-ates. Similarly, in Al Sharqiyah North Governorate, the popula-tion reached 249,716 persons including 162,644 Omanis and 87,072 expatriates.

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REGIONM O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

When a legal permit is issued it is absolutely wrong for other bodies to intervene when they have no legal right to do so. If the judiciary wants to act in this regard it should have legal justifi cation

Hassan Rouhani, President, Iran

UK warns of more attacks as country’s Tunisia toll is 15

LONDON: Three members of the same family were among at least 15 Britons killed in the Tunisia attack, reports said on Sunday, in Britain’s worst loss of life in a ter-ror incident since the 2005 Lon-don bombings.

Britain says militants may launch further attacks on tourist resorts in Tunisia.

Attacks may be carried out by “individuals who are unknown to the authorities and whose actions are inspired by terrorist groups via social media”, the Foreign Of-fi ce said in updated travel advice on its website late on Saturday.

Britain’s Defence Secretary Michael Fallon and Foreign Sec-retary Philip Hammond, writing in separate Sunday newspapers, said the Tunisian murders would inform Britain’s defence and se-curity this year and stiff en Lon-don’s resolve to tackle what they described as the poisonous narra-tive of extremism.

WarningAs ministers warned the toll would likely rise, details began to emerge of those gunned down in Friday’s massacre at a popu-lar beach resort. Among the dead were reportedly 19-year-old stu-dent Joel Richards, his uncle Adrian Evans, 49, and his grand-father. Joel’s 16-year-old brother Owen survived.

Other victims were named as 24-year-old Carly Lovett and a couple in their 40s, Sue Davey and Scott Chalkley. They were among at least 38 people from sev-eral countries killed in the attack in Port el Kantaoui near Sousse, about 140 kilometres (90 miles) south of Tunis.

Another 39 people were in-jured, including 25 Britons, in the

attack which was claimed by the IS militant group, which controls large parts of Iraq and Syria. An-nouncing the 15 dead, Foreign Offi ce minister Tobias Ellwood said the number “may well rise, as several more have been seriously injured in this horrifi c attack”.

Prime Minister David Cameron had earlier warned that Britain needed to prepare “for the fact that many of those killed in the at-tack were British”.

He condemned those respon-sible as “evil”, saying the victims were “innocent holidaymakers relaxing and enjoying time with their friends and families... they did not pose a threat to anybody”.

The attack represents the larg-est British loss of life in a terror incident since four suicide bomb-ers blew themselves up on the London transport system on July 7, 2005, killing 52 people.

“This is the most signifi cant terrorist attack on British people since 7/7 and highlights the on-going threat of IS,” said Ellwood, whose own brother died in the 2002 Bali bombings.

British police have sent forensic experts and detectives to Tunisia to help identify victims and gather evidence. Offi cers were also inter-viewing survivors who fl ew home from the resort on Saturday, in particular looking for any phone footage taken of the incident.

About 20,000 British tourists were on package holidays in Tu-nisia at the time of the attack, ac-cording to ABTA, the country’s largest travel association.

Several travel fi rms laid on spe-cial fl ights to repatriate holiday-makers desperate to get home.

The TUI group, which includes Thomson and First Choice, sent ten planes on Saturday to repat-riate 1,000 tourists and hopes to bring home a total of 2,500 by late Sunday. Jet2, which has more than 1,000 customers on holiday in Tunisia, said it had repatriated 205 people and would send two further planes to collect more over the weekend.

Both companies cancelled their holidays to Tunisia for the com-ing week. After returning home,

Olivia Leathley described how she and her boyfriend heard grenades and gunfi re and saw “hundreds of people running and screaming from the beach”.

“Somebody shouted, ‘they’re inside, run!’. We just ran as far away from the bullets as we could. It was all happening so quickly, it

was deafening,” she told the BBC.The shooting was the second at-

tack on tourists in Tunisia within three months, and came the same day as a bombing in Kuwait, which was also claimed by the IS group, and a suspected extremist murder at a factory in France.

Cameron on Saturday chaired a

meeting of the government’s Co-bra emergency committee, while interior minister Theresa May was due to chair another meeting.

After speaking to the leaders of Tunisia, France, Kuwait and Germany, Cameron tweeted: “To-gether, we’ll make sure terrorists do not win.” — Agencies

British police have

sent forensic experts

and detectives to

Tunisia to help

identify victims and

gather evidence

SOUSSE: Hundreds of armed police patrolled the streets of Tunisia’s beach resorts on Sunday and the government said it will deploy hundreds more inside hotels after the militant attack in Sousse that killed 39 foreigners.

Thousands of tourists have left Tunisia since Friday’s attack, which has shocked the North African country that relies heavily on tourism for jobs and foreign currency rev-enues. “We are going to deploy 1,000 armed police to protect hotels and tourists,” Tunisian Interior Minister Najem Gharsalli told reporters late on Saturday night.

The tourism minister has

described the Sousse attack as a catastrophe for the industry, which accounts for about seven percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

“Germans, French and Brit-ish offi cials informed us they would not prevent tourists from coming to Tunisia, but they want to participate in the investigation and to see clear security decisions,” tourism minister, Salma Loumi, told reporters on Sunday.

“We will receive all ambassadors on Tuesday to inform them of all security measures taken to protect tourists,” she said.

Loumi noted that many British tourists had decided to stay in Tunisia until the end of their holidays.

More than 3,000 tourists had already left the country a day after the attack.

“Tunisia is a beautiful country, and we will come back, but right now we need to leave, we need to forget what happened,” said Lucy, a young British tourist leaving from a local airport near Sousse. “It’s clear it is not safe here at the moment.” — Reuters

Hundreds of armed policemen patrol streets of Tunisian towns to protect hotels, tourists

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Iran president criticised over remarks on music concerts

TEHRAN: A cultural row in Iran over concerts being cancelled was reignited on Sunday when the country’s judiciary chief ap-peared to criticise President Has-san Rouhani’s liberal remarks on the subject.

Music and other public perfor-mances are a sensitive matter in the country given concerns among religious conservatives about creeping “Westernisation”. But there is a desire from other groups, particularly younger citizens, for greater artistic freedom.

Permissions are tightly con-trolled by the culture ministry but even offi cially approved events have recently been halted at short notice. Organisers, artists and re-formist media have blamed local governors and other offi cials for stopping the events.

Rouhani, addressing the subject on June 13, said that if a concert is offi cially approved and people buy tickets their plans should not be disrupted.

“Such interventions are a viola-tion of people’s rights,” he said.

“When a legal permit is issued it is absolutely wrong for other bod-ies to intervene when they have no legal right to do so. If the judiciary wants to act in this regard it should have legal justifi cation.” However, Sadegh Larijani, who heads up the judiciary responsible for prosecut-ing crime and administering courts, seemed to undercut Rouhani in a speech on Sunday attended by the president. “I was sorry to hear somewhere a cleric say that ban-ning these concerts was against the people’s rights,” said Larijani, who like Rouhani is also a cleric.

“This is really surprising. One of the rights of the people is that things should not be against rules.”

Having said the issue had been overblown by the media, given nine concerts out of 300 had been stopped since late March, Larijani went further in what seemed to be thinly-veiled criticism of Rouhani.

“Second and more important is that some executive offi cials of the country have an improper understanding and they say that if we have given a permit then no one has the right to revoke it,” Larijani said. “Well, this is wrong. The judiciary has responsibilities regarding forbidden conduct. Re-voking of permissions is depend-ent on the law.” — AFP

C U L T U R A L R O W

T I M E S O F O M A NM O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5 T I M E S O F O M A NA8

INDIA

Modi’s radio talk skips Lalit row, attracts opposition flak

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke about a number of social issues in his monthly radio address but chose to avoid any reference to the political storm that has been gen-erated by Lalit Modi row for which Congress warned him that the is-sue will continue to “haunt” him.

CPI and Aam Aadmi Party also attacked Modi for remaining si-lent on the controversy.

In his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ pro-gramme on radio, Modi refrained from speaking on politics or the recent controversies surround-ing Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and External Aff airs Minister Sushma Swaraj over the Lalit Modi issue which some quarters were expecting.

Among various topics, he talked about the girl child, voicing con-cern over the depleting sex ratio in 100 districts of the country, with

the situation being more serious in Haryana. He pitched for a mass campaign to save the girl child.

During the 20-minute pro-gramme, he also spoke about the recently-launched three social se-curity schemes and three develop-mental schemes, including ‘hous-ing for all’ by 2022, as well as the Yoga Day celebrated on June 21.

He also emphasised on the need for saving water and planting trees to preserve the environment.

Expressed disappointmentSpeaking soon after the ‘Man ki Baat’ programme was aired, Con-gress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad expressed disappointment over the “failure” of the prime minister to speak on Lalit controversy.

His other senior party col-leagues P. Chidambaram and Digvijay Singh as also CPI’s D Raja and AAP leader Ashish Khetan.

“All over India, no one is ready

to listen to ‘Mann Ki Baat....Eve-ryone wants to listen to voice of people in the programme,” said Azad, Leader of Opposition in Ra-jya Sabha.

Taking a dig at Modi, Azad said he continued to be a “dream mer-chant” in the programme as he has been merely selling dreams in In-dia and abroad.

“It is in the interest of the prime minister to take immediate ac-tion against those involved in corruption. Otherwise nationally and internationally, it is going to haunt him wherever he goes,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile in light of senior BJP leader L, K. Advani empha-sising the need for probity in public life, opposition parties on Sunday said Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhra Raje must “own up responsibility” in the Lalit Modi controversy.

“It is a very clear indication

from the senior-most leader of BJP that its ministers, when they are implicated, when there are allegations against them, should own up responsibility.

Veiled message“The Prime Minister should come out with a clear explana-tion. Nothing is happening. It is in this context that he (Advani) has given this opinion. So, I think that Advaniji’s opinion is the re-fl ection of thinking in general of the people,” said senior Congress leader P. C. Chacko.

In a veiled message to the Nar-endra Modi government in the wake of the row involving Swaraj and Raje, the BJP patriarch had on Saturday said there is a need to maintain probity in public life and recalled how he had resigned soon after his name cropped up in the Hawala scam.

“The very mention of Advaniji’s

resignation now means what? It is a hint that he wants that these two people should own moral respon-sibility,” added Chacko.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Ku-mar said it was now clear that the ruling BJP does not intend to walk on the path of political morality.

“They had claimed to be a party with a diff erence. What diff erence is that? They want to protect their own people... They might be feel-ing that if they take action against one it may trigger a process.

Political morality“By now, it is clear that they don’t intend to walk on the path of po-litical morality. This is what Ad-vaniji has also cautioned about,” Kumar said.

Advani had resigned as an MP in 1996 following allegations of his involvement in the infamous Hawala scam. He was conse-quently re-elected in 1998 after his name was cleared.

Entries found in the diaries of Hawala broker SK Jain were pre-sented as crucial evidence against top politicians, including Advani, in the court by CBI.

While in Jaipur, former Rajas-than chief minister Ashok Gehlot said that Advani’s message was clear and direct and Raje should put in her papers.

“Owing to moral responsibil-ity in the Lalit Modi row, Raje should consider words of her vet-eran leader Advani and step down so that a fair probe be conducted on the charges she was facing for signing documents,” Gehlot told reporters at his residence here.

“She should fi rst quit, allow investigation fairly, and if she is proved innocent then she can join chief ministership again,” Gehlot suggested. - PTI

In his ‘Mann Ki

Baat’ programme on

radio, Modi refrained

from speaking

on politics or the

recent controversies

surrounding

Vasundhara Raje and

Sushma Swaraj over

the Lalit Modi issueDEMANDING RESIGNATION: People protest against Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and

demand her resignation over the Lalit Modi aff air in Jaipur on Sunday. - PTI

Mumbai suburban train rams into dead end; woman injuredMUMBAI: A local train on Sun-day rammed into the dead end at Churchgate railway station here, leaving a woman seriously injured and disrupting suburban train ser-vices on the Western line.

The fast train coming from Bhayander rammed into the dead end on platform number 3 of Churchgate station at around 11.25am when the motorman could not stop the local. As a result, the fi rst coach of the train jumped onto the south-end concourse of the platform and was seen lying in a tilted position.

The reason for the motorman not being able to halt the train was

yet to be ascertained. “It would be premature to speak about the cause of the accident.

The exact reason can be ascer-tained only after proper investiga-tion,” Western Railway’s (WR) chief PRO Sharat Chandrayan said.

Services restoredWR General Manager S. K.Sood and Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Shailendra Kumar along with other senior offi cials reached the spot and launched restoration operation of the suburban services.

“We are enquiring with the mo-torman, L. S. Tiwary, who received mild injuries, and as per the nor-

mal procedure, we would also be checking whether he was under the infl uence of alcohol,” said an-other senior offi cial involved in the process of investigation.

The impact of the train’s colli-sion with the platform’s dead end was so huge that the wheels of the fi rst coach got hanged into the air, ripping apart all the technical equipment in its lower part and also the overhead wire.

After the incident, services orig-inating from and terminating at platform number 3 were suspend-ed till the restoration of services, Chandrayan said. The injured woman was admitted to hospital,

he said. The mishap aff ected the train services which were running late by almost an hour.

Ahead of time“I boarded the train at Vile Parle station at 12.15pm which reached Churchgate at 2pm when it should have ideally reached by around 1pm,” said Manisha Rege, a media professional.

Commuters were seen clicking pictures at the site from their mo-bile phones. “It looked like a scene from a Bollywood fi lm. I wonder what would have happened to those who were in the fi rst coach,” said commuter Kirti Khot. - PTI

A C C I D E N T

RUNAWAY ENGINE: Wrecked engine of a local train that derailed

from its platform after the driver lost control at Churchgate station

in Mumbai on Sunday. - PTI

43 offi cials in diplomatic missions to face action

NEW DELHI: Government is taking action with regard to com-plaints against 43 offi cials of Indi-an diplomatic missions in 17 coun-tries facing a variety of charges including corruption and derelic-tion of duty, top External Aff airs Ministry sources said on Sunday.

“Action is being taken in all 43 cases as per established procedure,” Spokesman of the Ministry of Ex-ternal Aff airs Vikas Swarup said.

Some of the complaints are against low-ranking offi cials and locally-hired staff and the cases are being dealt with as per laid down procedures, he said.

“The ministry takes seriously any complaint that it receives about the performance of its mis-sions and posts abroad. Com-plaints are dealt with as per estab-lished and prescribed procedures,” Swarup said from Bangkok.

The recall of India’s High Com-missioner to New Zealand Ravi Thapar following accusations of his wife assaulting a domestic help has brought the focus back on the conduct of the country’s diplomats posted abroad.

As per offi cial fi gures, six com-plaints against offi cials in Indian missions were received in 2012, 10 in 2013 and 27 in 2014. A maxi-mum of eight complaints each have been received from the mis-sions in UK and Madagascar in the last three years.

Complaints have also been re-ceived against Indian Embassy staff in Afghanistan, Austria, Can-ada, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kazakh-stan, Botswana, Thailand, Zambia, Mauritius, Morocco, Netherlands, South Africa and Mali.

Two complaints were received from UK in 2012, one in 2013 and fi ve last year. -PTI

V A R I E T Y O F C H A R G E S

T I M E S O F O M A N M O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5T I M E S O F O M A N A9

INDIA

India envisages more vigorous engagement with southeast Asia: SwarajBANGKOK: India on Sunday de-scribed Thailand as a valued part-ner in its ‘Act East Policy’ and said it envisages a more vigorous and proactive engagement with the strategic and economically vibrant Southeast Asia region as part of its eff orts to reposition itself at the world stage.

“Our Government is resolved to move with a great sense of pri-ority and speed to implement the ‘Act East Policy’,” External Aff airs Minister Sushma Swaraj said here on Sunday during an interaction with Indian business leaders.

“We envisage a more vigorous and proactive engagement with this economically vibrant region of our extended neighbourhood,” she said, insisting that the NDA gov-ernment has engaged closely with India’s neighbourhood, strength-ened bilateral ties with major countries, energised engagement with the East and repositioned In-dia at the world stage.

She said that India’s ‘Look East’ Policy of the last two decades has been elevated to ‘Act East’ Policy

under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“I am happy to say that we have reached new milestones in our global outreach and made signifi -cant achievements in the last one year in transforming our rela-tions with the outside world,” said Swaraj, who is here on a three-day bilateral visit and to attend the 16th World Sanskrit Conference.

Valued partnerDescribing Thailand as an impor-tant pillar of India’s policy and a valued partner, she said the rela-tionship between the two coun-tries has expanded to virtually all areas of bilateral cooperation in recent years.

“Our bilateral relations with Thailand are based on deep- root-ed cultural, religious and neigh-bourly association between the people of our two nations. Our common heritage of Buddhism and the philosophy of compassion, tolerance, non-violence and peace have laid strong foundations for this relationship,” she said.

“I am pleased to see that so many of you are in the leadership posi-tions in corporates in Thailand and the region. In you I see the strength of our people-to-people relations. And in you I also see an infl uential group of leaders who can contribute to the economic

growth of both Thailand and In-dia,” she told the leading Indian business leaders here. She said her government is working on the simple 3C mantra – Commerce, Culture and Connectivity.

“In all these three areas I cannot overemphasise the importance of

Thailand. We have embarked on ambitious projects for land con-nectivity with Thailand through Myanmar. We are also working on enhancing our sea connectivity with Thailand which is a maritime neighbour of India,” she said.

Make in India appeal“I would urge the Indian Diaspora in Thailand to also consider the avenues for collaboration and be integrated to a growing India and to contribute to the ambitious ini-tiatives of the Government of In-dia aimed at bringing welfare to its citizens,” Swaraj said.

“You would have noticed that there is new level of interest from across the world in building part-nerships of trade, investment and innovation in India. Let me convey the invitation from our PM to do business and make in India — for India and the world,” she said.

Swaraj said the government would be happy to provide all nec-essary support in their endeavour through Indian Embassy, which will channel their proposals to

various states of India and convey their concerns and suggestions to the government. This was Swaraj’s second interaction with Indian di-aspora during her Thailand visit.

Addressing them at dinner meeting last night, Swaraj had said, “I have come here to tell you to give some attention to India.”

“Invest a part of what you are earning here in works like con-struction of a toilet in your village...Do a bit for your country from whatever capacity and strength you have acquired here,” she said.

Many opportunitiesAssuming that Indians living here might have left their country ear-lier due to lack of opportunities in past, Swaraj said, “but today there are so many opportunities that time has now come to return to In-dia. Today when you have gained strength, time has come back to pay back to your soil. You should defi nitely spare a part of your earn-ing for India.” It is estimated that there are around two lakh people of Indian-origin in Thailand. - PTI

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

BOOSTING BONDS: External Aff airs Minister Sushma Swaraj inter-

acts with Indian Businessmen in Bangkok on Sunday. - PTI

85 vehicles torched by

miscreants in Pune

PUNE: In an early morning shocker, as many as 85 vehicles, most of them two-wheelers, were set on fi re by unknown miscre-ants in the parking lots of various residential societies in Sun City area here on Sunday.

The burnt vehicles included 77 two-wheelers and eight cars, po-lice inspector of Sinhagad police station B. Kashid said.

It was a nightmare for the resi-dents when they saw charred remains of the vehicles in the parking space of their respective housing societies, located in the same locality that also included a Pizza outlet where over 25 mo-torbikes parked outside the shop used by the delivery boys were

gutted in the fi re. “We are study-ing CCTV footage available. But no one has been arrested so far”, the offi cer told PTI on Sunday.

Police detained and inter-rogated a suspect, reportedly an anti-social element in the Sinhagad road area where Sun City is situated.

The culprits reportedly un-plugged the petrol tubes of the vehicles and set them on fi re be-tween 3am to 4am, the residents said. Based on the CCTV footage, police have issued two sketches of the suspects. The city wit-nessed a similar incident a few months ago in Dhankwadai area where number of vehicles burnt was much less. -PTI

P A R K I N G L O T S

Second Green Revolution needed without any delay

HAZARIBAGH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for second Green Revolution, say-ing it should start immediately from eastern India.

He said Indian agriculture has been lagging in several areas in-cluding inputs, irrigation, value addition and market linkages and his government was committed to modernising the sector and

making it more productive. “We have seen the fi rst Green Revolu-tion but it happened several years ago. Now it is the demand of time that there should be second Green Revolution without any delay. And where is it possible? It is possible in eastern UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, Odhisa,” Modi said while laying foundation stone of Indian Agricultural Research Institute at Barhi.

“That is why the government is focusing on the development of this area. For that we have started this research institute,” the prime minister said.

He said urea plants in this area have been closed and a decision has been taken to reopen them as farmers will need fertilizers.

Emphasising the need for use of scientifi c methods for farming to increase productivity, Modi said “Unless we prepare a balanced and a comprehensive integrated plan, we will not be able to change the lives of farmers.”

Pitching for ‘per drop, more crop’, Modi stressed the need for research in the fi eld of agriculture to deter-mine the health of soil and its needs in terms of seeds, water quantity, amount of fertilization etc.

He said the government was taking steps to train youth in soil testing so that such labs could be set up on the pattern of pathologi-cal labs for humans. “This will also lead to job creation,” he added.

Special packageTurning to pulses, he said India has to import these because of shortfall in production and noted that a special package has been given to farmers engaged in culti-vation of pulses. “The production of pulses in the country is very low and I urge farmers that if they have fi ve acres of farming land, use four acres for other crops but cul-tivate pulses on at least one acre,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister said that a process had began to help farm-ers maintain land by issuing “soil health cards”, quality seeds, pro-viding electricity, irrigation and giving them a proper market with value addition. “If there is no change in village economy, we can-not change lives of farmers. So the Centre’s endeavour is to introduce additional farming system to in-crease agricultural produce per hectare, which is now a cause for concern,” he said.

“But, there are ways (to address it) through government policies and training resource availability”, he said. - PTI

Indian agriculture

has been lagging

in several areas

including inputs,

irrigation, value

addition and market

linkages and his

government was

committed to

modernising the

sector, Modi said

RIGHT MOVE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Jharkhand

Chief Minister Raghubar Das during the foundation stone laying

ceremony of the Indian Agriculture Research Institute in Hazarib-

agh on Sunday. - PTI

2 militants killed in Meghalaya

SHILLONG: At least two armed militants were on Sunday killed in a gun battle with security forces in Meghalaya’s North Garo Hills district while four others were ar-rested with 144 gelatine sticks and 126 detonators in another dis-trict in two separate incidents.

Acting on intelligence inputs given by the armed men in the area, a special police team and troops from Assam’s 19 Dogra regiment raided the hideouts at

Rari on Saturday night, district SP Ramesh Singh said.

At around 4:40am on Sunday, the militants opened indiscrimi-nate fi re after spotting the secu-rity forces. Two militants were killed in the retaliatory attack, he said. It is suspected that they belong to militant outfi t A’chik Matgrik Elite Force (AMEF), he said. AMEF leader Jack Marak was gunned down earlier in May this year. - PTI

M I L I T A N C Y

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Ensure proper disposal of garbage.

Don’t litter a beautiful country like OMAN.

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Dr Dileep M.R.

Salalah, the emerald land in the Middle East, has been the mainstay of the Sultan-ate’s tourism, and indeed, the infl ux of in-

ternational tourists to this nature’s bounty is steadily increasing. Salalah enjoys a unique po-sition in the region with its inimitable Khareef and the greenery that lures nature lovers for an everlasting experience.

Salalah is all set to welcome Khareef, and this time an increased infl ow of tourists is expected af-ter the Ramadan ends. Tourism there is aptly being complemented by the continuous development of quality infrastructure.

Yet, Salalah faces inevitable diversifi cation of its attractions and amenities for tourism to gain the status most competent single tourist destination in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Us-ing greenery to promote tourism in the city draws tourists only during a single season of the year.

Careful and strategic diversifi cation is of para-mount signifi cance in order to achieve a year-round tourist season.

It cannot be questioned that tourism there is progressing at a faster rate as remarkable growth in tourist arrivals can be seen every year. In 2013, the total number of visitors during Khareef season (June 21 to September 21) increased by 23.5 per cent to 433,639, compared to 351,195 visitors dur-ing the same period in 2012.

A report of the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) says that Dhofar Governorate witnessed a year-on-year growth of 24.1 per cent last year. The overall number of visitors, includ-ing Omanis, stood at 352,755 in the period between June 21 and August 20, compared to 303,365 in the same period in 2013. This represented an annual growth of 16.3 per cent.

Khareef represents the breathtaking rainy sea-son when the mountains around the city and eve-ry inch of land turns to a bright green shade. The sparkling greenery, intermittent drizzling, cool temperatures, pristine wadies, picturesque water-falls and many other features entice tourists from in and out of the country.

Tourist infl ow to Salalah is very low in other seasons and tourism industry in those seasons is depending mainly on charter tourism and cruise tourism. The extreme dip in demand is adverse for the industry to survive, and such a situation does not help it to fl ourish. Cruise tourism is charac-terised by the short term visits of tourists to land

based attractions while most of their leisure time is spent aboard a luxurious and exclusive ship. Dur-ing the cruise the ship calls in to ports, staying for various lengths of time, ranging from a few hours to several days. Tourists visit local attractions and then return to the ship. Yet, their spending inside the destination where they visit is very low and hence economic benefi t of cruise tourism is rather very limited. Salalah is already an established as a leading transit point for cruise tourists. In the last season, port of Salalah received 38 cruises carrying 32,150 tourists from diff erent parts of the world.

Charter tourism is another major segment of tourism in Salalah. In this major hotels receive groups of tourists in a charter fl ight. Compared to cruise tourism, economic benefi ts of charter tourism are more. Charter tourism to Salalah has seen signifi cant growth in recent years. In the last winter season, it was estimated to have more than 20,000 charter tourists to visit Salalah from European countries including Sweden, Germany, Italy and Poland. Expansion of accommodation in-dustry in Salalah is very sluggish particularly due to the seasonal eff ect. As compared a few upmar-ket hotels, other accommodation units are rela-tively less. Establishing hotels and resorts have limitation as maintenance cost during off season becomes a matter of concern. The demand for ac-commodation during Khareef is extremely high and it is being primarily met by unclassifi ed apart-ments which do not have the industry characteris-tics and most of which are non-serviced.

Niche tourism or Special Interest Tourism (SIT) can be promoted well in Salalah. For instance, with Al Baleed, Khor Rori, and Shisr; the archeological remains of Salalah can be brought out as a SIT package to be promoted internationally. Tourism centred on fi shing, golf, health, mountaineering, adventure, desert, cultural heritage and business can all be promoted.

Assistant. Professor, Salalah College of Applied Sci-ences, Ministry of Higher Education

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

The whole procuction on crude oil in the world on 2014 was more than 92

million barrels. From that total, more than 1% was produced by Oman:

Those 951 thousand barrels are enough to form a

580km-line following a road from Muscat to Abu Dhabi

and ending in Dubai:

CRUDE OIL PRODUCTIONOF OMAN IN 2014

951,000barrels

MuscatAbu Dhabi 0 kms

502 kms

Dubai580 kms

Sailors lucky to have been rescued This refers to the online story, Coast guard, Oman LNG rescue 10 sailors from sinking boat (June 28). The seas have been very rough lately, the sailors were very lucky to have been rescued. The coastguards did a good job. Well done! — Lorraine Paton, Muscat

One should travel by air only in non-festival seasonsThis refers to the online story, Eid fl ight tickets out of bounds for

fl yers in Oman (June 27). One needs to react to such exploitation by not travel-ling by air during the festival season because in others times of the year they automatically cutdown the charge.— Ajesh Thickalveettil , Cannore, India

Can air fares be controlled?This refers to the online story, Eid fl ight tickets out of bounds for fl yers in Oman (June 27). The ticket fares are very high as if we are planning to go to certain European countries. Can this be limited somehow? — Himanshu Mandalia, Darsait

Need to have separate roads for trucks, trailers This refers to the online story, Oman’s logistics sector in advanced position

on global trade map (June 27.) In my opinion, looking at the conditions on the road it is necessary that the concerned authorities lay out separate trucks and trailers. In addition, it would be advisable that earth-moving vehicles with construction equipment do not ply on main roads at any period — Santosh Krishnapillai , Muscat

T I M E S O F O M A NM O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5A12

Tourism in Salalah needs diversifi cation

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Campaign against vandalism successfulThe campaign against vandalism, which was initiated a year ago by Muscat Municipality, has been successful in creat-ing a general awareness among the general public. Various measures were adopted to quell the problem. And now with the conclusion of the campaign, Royal Oman Police will continue monitoring all the public utilities that are prone to attract vandals. Municipality had initiated the campaign after repeated pleas through various awareness measures.

1675: Frederick William of Brandenburg crushes the Swedes. 1776 : Colonists repulse a British sea attack on Charleston, South Carolina

1902: US Congress passes the Spooner bill, authorizing a canal to be built across the isthmus of Panama. 1919: Germany signs the Treaty of Versailles under protest.

1976: The first women enter the US Air Force Academy..

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eff acement of history. The least attractive feature of the

Confederacy was its intolerance of dissent

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SALLY JENKINS

Ukraine’s leaders describe Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategy as a game of

“Pac-Man” — taking bite after bite out of Ukraine in small

enough portions that it does not trigger a large-scale international

responsebit.ly/ukrainerussiaconfl ict

JOHN MCCAIN

So why is it that mothers who work and who have a raison d’être

beyond their children’s lives are so often painted as neglectful

and selfi sh? (This is not to suggest stay-at-home mothers

have it easier; they face their own set of wrong-headed

assumptions, too.)bit.ly/workingmothersbetter

FIONA STURGES

F R O M O U R A R C H I V E S

T O D A Y I N H I S T O R Y

Debate over whether the Sultanate should stop subsiding the cost of petrol, electricity, water and even housing loans for nationals, has been reignited by the Central Bank of Oman

JUNE 1999

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2 Ban on commercial ties between municipality, staff in Omanbit.ly/bancommercialties

3 Omantel’s new off er for Hayyak subscribers bit.ly/omantelhayyakoff er

4 Oman’s logistic sector in advanced position on global trade map bit.ly/omanlogisticssector

5 Indian worker’s body to be repatriated from Omanbit.ly/indianworkersbody

1 Oman accident: Lorry catches fi re near Soharbit.ly/soharlorryfi re

2 Oman accident: Truck overturns in Qantab bit.ly/qantabtruckoverturns

3 Oman population reaches 4.18 millionhttp://bit.ly/omanpopulation

4 Oman’s Ghala industrial area residents seek better facilities bit.ly/seekbetterfacilities

5 Coast guard, Oman LNG rescue 10 sailors from sinking boatbit.ly/sailorsrescued

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Welcome to the new look #Trending page of the Times of Oman, our revamped home for views and opinion. Plus daily we‘ll be rounding up the stories making waves online, on social media, in pictures and on video. All the content can be found at our mobile, tablet and desktop-friendly website timesofoman.com. For instant access scan any of the QR codes via your smart phone as a qrcode in the story

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«

A13

PAKISTANM O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

313employees of the Chief Minister’s

Secretariat paid at least 35

diff erent types of allowances

Khyber-Pakhthunkhwa CM spends Rs40 million on giftsPESHAWAR: Chief Minis-ter Pervez Khattak’s generos-ity clearly knows no bounds. The leader of the house spent Rs40 million on buying gifts for digni-taries and guests during the fi scal year 2014-15, overtaking Gover-nor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan who spent Rs14 million.

The CM House’s total annual allocation was Rs264 million while an additional Rs60 million was spent. This is palpably the reason why, as budget documents reveal, Rs324 million has now been set aside for Khattak’s of-fi cial residence for the forthcom-ing fi scal year.

The CM took home a smaller pay cheque than his principal secretary (PS). Like Mehtab, who was paid less than his military secretary, Khattak’s monthly pay last year stood at Rs252,000 while his PS was paid Rs916,000.

The CM Secretariat employs as many as 313 people, out of which 71 are high-ranking offi -cials. The soaring expenditures were largely dominated by sala-ries of the aforementioned. Fur-thermore, the 313 employees are paid at least 35 diff erent types of allowances.

This in addition to the secre-tariat allowance, presidential

allowance and the honouree al-lowance are overburdening the national exchequer.

During the last fi nancial year, the CM House consumed elec-tricity worth Rs22 million and gas worth Rs650,000. Rs26 mil-lion has been allocated for gas ex-penditures for 2015-16.

A total of Rs3.65 million was spent on the registration of new vehicles, furniture worth Rs2 million was bought.

Additionally, Rs10.65 million was spent on construction and repairs while Rs13.8 million was spent to meet transportation costs. — Express Tribune

P E R V E Z K H A T T A K

23 militants killed in air strikesISLAMABAD: Pakistani air-strikes on Sunday killed 23 mili-tants including foreigners in the country’s restive tribal regions near the Afghan border, the mili-tary said, part of a major ongoing operation against the Taliban.

The attacks took place in areas close to the border with Afghani-stan in Khyber and North Wa-ziristan tribal districts.

“(A) huge ammunition dump was also blown up during the strikes in Khyber,” the military said in a statement, without giv-ing the identities of those killed or who they fought for.

Khyber is a known stronghold of militants belonging to the Pa-kistani Taliban and its Lashkar-e-Islam faction.

The area is remote and off -limits

to journalists, making it diffi cult to verify the army’s claims.

The military began an off ensive in Khyber in October 2014, carry-ing out air strikes and using artil-lery, mortars and ground troops.

Pakistan has been battling a homegrown extremist insur-gency for over a decade following the late 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan. — AFP

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French suspect confesses to crime

PARIS: The man suspected of decapitating his boss in an attack on a gas factory in France has con-fessed to the grisly crime, sources close to the investigation said on Sunday.

Yassin Salhi, 35, “has also given details about the circumstances” surrounding the killing, according to the sources, who said he would

be transferred to Paris for further questioning by anti-terrorist po-lice. Salhi’s confession came after it emerged the married father-of-three sent a gruesome selfi e photo of himself and the severed head to a WhatsApp number in Canada.

Investigators have warned how-ever that it could be a relay number and the intended recipient could

be anywhere in the world. After several hours of silence, Salhi has begun to open up to investigators about the assault, which came six months after 17 were killed in at-tacks in Paris that began with the Charlie Hebdo massacre.

On Friday morning, Salhi rammed his van into the US-owned Air Products factory near France’s second city of Lyon in what President Francois Hol-lande said was a “terrorist” attack designed to blow up the whole building. He was overpowered by a fi refi ghter as he was trying to prise open a bottle of acetone in an ap-parent suicidal bid to destroy the factory. Police then made the gris-

ly discovery of the severed head of Salhi’s boss, 54-year-old Herve Cornara, lashed to the gates of the factory near two fl ags.

War against terrorismPrime Minister Manuel Valls re-peated that the world was engaged in a “war against terrorism”. “We cannot lose this war because it’s fundamentally a war of civilisa-tion. It’s our society, our civilisa-tion that we are defending,” Valls told iTELE rolling news channel.

France is facing “a major terror-ist threat” which needs to be fought “over the long-term”, warned the prime minister.

It’s not a question of whether

there will be another attack, but “when” and “where”, stressed Valls. No group has said it carried out the French operation.

Sources close to the investiga-tion said Salhi was radicalised more than a decade ago after con-tact with convert Frederic Jean Salvi -- known as “Ali” -- who is suspected of preparing attacks in Indonesia with Al Qaeda militants.

An autopsy on the victim has proved inconclusive, with experts unable to determine whether he was killed before being beheaded or decapitated alive.

The French probe is naturally focusing on Syria, where hun-dreds of people from France have

gone to wage war, offi cials said.Anti-terrorist authorities have

identifi ed 473 people who have left France to fi ght in Iraq or Syria and Valls said 1,800 people in France were “linked” in some way to the militant cause.

Nearly six months after the Charlie Hebdo massacre, the at-tack raised painful memories for France, which is still on high alert for potential repeats.

Around 200 people in the town of Saint-Quentin-Fallavier — where the attack took place — staged a minute’s silence in the vic-tim’s honour followed by a rousing and spontaneous rendition of the French national anthem. — AFP

Yassin Salhi, 35, has also given details about

the circumstances surrounding the killing

A15

WORLDM O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

‘Kuwait bomber was Saudi citizen’

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait on Sun-day identifi ed a suicide bomber who carried out the country’s worst militant attack as a Saudi citizen and said it had detained the driver of the vehicle that took him to a mosque where he killed 27 people.

The interior ministry named the bomber as Fahd Suliman Ab-dul Muhsen Al Qabaa and said he fl ew into Kuwait’s airport at dawn on Friday, only hours before he detonated explosives at Kuwait City’s Imam Al Sadeq mosque. IS militant group claimed responsi-bility for the suicide bombing at the mosque, where 2,000 people were praying at the time. “The interior ministry will continue its eff orts to uncover the circum-stances of this explosion,” inte-rior ministry spokesman Adel Ha-shash told Kuwait state television.

The bombing has sharply heightened regional security concerns because IS militant group appears to be making good on its threat to step up attacks in the Holy Month of Ramadan.

The group, seeking to expand from strongholds in Iraq and Syria, says its priority target is the Arabian peninsula and in par-ticular Saudi Arabia.

The ministry said the driver of the Japanese-made car, who left the mosque immediately after Friday’s bombing, was an illegal resident named Abdul Rahman Sabah Aidan.

The interior ministry, which had earlier reported the vehi-cle owner’s arrest, said Aidan, 26, was found hiding in one of

the houses in Al Riqqa residen-tial area. “Initial investigations showed that the owner of the house is a supporter of the devi-ant ideology,” the ministry said, employing a term often used by authorities in the Gulf Arab re-gion to refer to hardline militants.

The owner of the house, a Ku-waiti citizen, was also detained, the ministry said.

Offi cials said the bombing was clearly meant to stir enmity between majority and minority communities and harm the com-paratively harmonious ties be-tween the sects in Kuwait.

Kuwaitis reacted with out-rage to the bombing. Some said citizens who fund armed groups fi ghting in Syria and Iraq were to blame for any militancy in Kuwait.

“The wrath of Almighty will come upon IS and everyone who is supporting them and collecting funds for them under the cover of helping refugees and orphans,” wrote Hamad Al Baghli, a Ku-waiti, on Twitter.

“Everyone who is funding and donating to ISIS should be charged with treason because they want to burn Kuwait,” tweeted Asmaa Asiri. — Reuters

The bomber, Fahd

Suliman Abdul

Muhsen Al Qabaa,

fl ew into Kuwait on

Friday, only hours

before he detonated

explosives at Imam

Al Sadeq mosque

Taiwan park fi re injury toll rises to 500

TAIPEI: Witnesses described the scene at a Taiwan water park as “hell” after a ball of fi re ripped through a crowd, with authorities putting the injured at more than 500 on Sunday, almost 200 of them seriously hurt.

The injury toll in the blast late Saturday, which came as coloured powder being sprayed on the par-tygoers ignited, more than doubled

as offi cials began to track down victims who had taken themselves to hospital or been ferried there by others. Horrifying amateur video footage showed crowds of young revellers dancing in front of a stage and cheering as clouds of green and yellow powder covered them at the “colour party”. But their joy turned to terror when the powder suddenly erupted into fl ames en-

gulfi ng them in an inferno as they ran screaming for their lives.

Some were dressed only in swimwear and images from the scene show many with severe burns being tended by those who escaped. One male student who sustained minor injuries de-scribed the scene as “hell”.

“There was blood everywhere, including in the pool where lots of the injured were soaking them-

selves for relief from the pain,” he told reporters.

His visibly shaken girlfriend added: “I saw lots of people whose skin was gone.”

Ambulances had struggled to reach the scene, and victims were carried away on rubber rings and infl atable dinghies as friends des-perately tried to get them out.

Bystanders poured bottles of water on the scorched skin of the injured. Trails of bloody footprints leading away from the stage re-mained. Around 1,000 spectators had been at the Color Play Asia event at the Formosa Fun Coast water park, just outside the capital Taipei, according to offi cials. — AFP

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

THE BOMBER: Fahd Suliman

Abdul Muhsen Al Qabaa identi-

fi ed as the suicide bomber who

carried out a deadly attack

claimed by the IS militant

group. – AFP/HO/KUNA

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Iran nuclear talks to miss June 30 fi nal deal deadlineVIENNA: Iran and the US ad-mitted during tense talks on Sunday they are highly likely to miss a looming deadline to nail down a historic nuclear deal as they struggled to overcome major diff erences.

Offi cials in Vienna said how-ever that Tuesday’s target date would only be missed by a few days, with Iran saying there was “no desire or discussion yet” on a longer extension. A senior US offi cial would not go as far as to say there was no chance of meet-ing the deadline, but said “it’s fair to say the parties are planning to stay past the 30th to keep negoti-ating”. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif mean-while was set to return to Tehran for consultations, offi cials said, although the US offi cial said this was not a matter of concern.

British Foreign Secretary Phil-ip Hammond said as he joined the talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry and other for-eign ministers that the six powers were prepared to walk away.

“No deal is better than a bad deal. There are red lines that we cannot cross and some very diffi -cult decisions and tough choices are going to have to be made by all of us,” Hammond told reporters.

EU foreign policy head Fed-erica Mogherini said “political

will” was still needed to get a deal after almost two years of intense diplomatic eff orts to resolve the 13-year-old standoff . “It is going to be tough, it has always been tough but not impossible,” Mogherini told reporters. Iran and the P5+1 group -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the Unit-ed States -- are seeking to fl esh out the fi nal details of an accord that builds on a framework deal reached in Lausanne in April.

According to the Lausanne framework, Iran will slash the number of its uranium enrich-ment centrifuges, which can make nuclear fuel but also the core of a bomb, shrink its ura-nium stockpile and change the design of the Arak reactor.

In return it is seeking a lifting of a complicated web of EU, US and UN sanctions which have choked its economy and limited access to world oil markets. But tough remaining issues include the timing and pace of this sanc-tions relief and UN access to Ira-nian military bases to investigate any suspicious behaviour. — AFP

T E N S E N E G O T I A T I O N S

BALL OF FIRE: This frame grab from video footage provided to ‘Ap-

ple Daily’ from reader Miss Huang on Sunday shows the moment of

explosion, left, before revellers were engulfed by the fi reball at the

Formosa Fun Coast water park in Pali district, in New Taipei City, on

Saturday. – AFP/Apple Daily/Miss Huang

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Offi cials in Vienna said however that Tuesday’s (June 30) target date would only be missed by a few days, with Iran saying there was “no desire or discussion yet” on a longer extension.

BUJUMBURA: The head of Burundi’s parliament on Sun-day said he had fl ed the country on the eve of key elections fol-lowing weeks of violence, de-nouncing the president’s “illegal” third term bid.

Amid international criticism of the government’s defi ant refusal to delay the vote, parliament head Pie Ntavyohanyuma said on Sun-day he had fl ed to Belgium due to the violence, criticising President Pierre Nkurunziza’s bid to stay in power for a third term.

“For the moment, I am forced to stay in Brussels... I stayed here given the diffi culties in my country, diffi culties which are due to the illegal third mandate of the president,” parliament speaker Pie Ntavyohanyuma told France 24.

Several top offi cials -- including the deputy vice-president Gervais Rufyikiri as well as members of the election commission and con-stitutional court -- have also fl ed the poverty-stricken, landlocked

country. “On the eve of the elec-tion ... I would like to say to him (Nkurunziza) that the mandate he wants to have is illegal.

“ I would like to say to him that forcing through the election is senseless,” Ntavyohanyuma told the broadcaster.

Opponents say his bid for an-other term is unconstitutional

and violates a peace accord that paved the way to end 13 years of civil war in 2006.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for the elections due Monday to be delayed after the opposition said they would not take part, as Burundi faces its worst crisis since its civil war ended nine years ago.

But the government has defi ed all requests for a delay, and the electoral commission said Sunday all was ready for the polls.

“Everything is ready in the country,” election commission chief Pierre-Claver Ndayicariye told reporters on Sunday, saying all voting material had been deliv-ered to the more than 11,000 poll-ing centres across the country.

Failed coup Three people were killed over-night on Saturday, adding to the more than 70 killed in weeks of violence and a failed coup sparked by President Pierre Nkurunziza’s

bid to stay in power for a third term. One was shot while another was killed in a grenade blast, ac-cording to witnesses. A soldier was killed accidentally by a com-rade during a raid on a house.

Presidential voteThe Parliamentary and local elec-tions set to be held on Monday will be followed by a presidential vote on July 15. The opposition on Friday said it was boycotting the polls, claiming it is not possible to hold a fair vote, with over 127,000 people having fl ed into neighbour-ing countries, fearing further violence. — AFP

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Top Burundi offi cial fl ees on eve of electionsC O N T R O V E R S I A L P O L L S

QUESTIONABLE: Electoral commission offi cials register at a

polling station in Cibitoke, Bujumbura, on Sunday on the eve of

Burundi’s elections. — AFP

Western students leave Sudan to join IS

KHARTOUM: Twelve students including British, Canadian, Suda-nese and US citizens are feared to have left Khartoum for Turkey to try to join the IS, their university said on Sunday.

Another group of British stu-dents of Sudanese origin from the same private University of Medi-cal Sciences and Technology trav-elled to Turkey in March and it is believed they crossed into Syria.

“We confi rmed reports from multiple parties that 12 medical students at the university left for Turkey on Friday,” the dean for students Dr Ahmed Babikir said.

Khartoum airport authori-ties confi rmed the group had fl own to Turkey and the students’ families said they had not seen them since Friday and were una-ble to fi nd their passports, Babikir added. — AFP

O N W A Y T O S Y R I A

SpaceX rocket explodes

MIAMI: An unmanned SpaceX rocket exploded less than three minutes after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Sunday, in the fi rst major disaster for the fast-charging company headed by Internet tycoon Elon Musk.

Skies were sunny and clear for the 10:21 am (1421 GMT) launch of the gleaming white Falcon 9 rocket that was meant to propel the Dragon cargo ship to the In-ternational Space Station on a routine supply mission, the sev-enth for SpaceX so far.

But two minutes, 19 seconds into the fl ight, contact was lost. Live television images from SpaceX’s webcast and NASA television showed a huge puff of smoke billowing outward, then tiny bits of the rocket falling like confetti against a backdrop of blue sky.

“The vehicle has broken up,” said NASA commentator George Diller. “At this point it is not clear to the launch team exactly what happened.”

SpaceX’s live webcast of the

launch went silent as the rocket could be seen exploding and small pieces tumbling back to-ward Earth.

Moments later, a SpaceX com-mentator said the video link from the vehicle had been lost.

Anomaly“There was some kind of anom-aly during fi rst stage fl ight,” the commentator said, noting that the rocket had ignited its nine Merlin engines and reached su-personic speed.

Musk said the Falcon 9 “expe-rienced a problem shortly before fi rst stage shutdown,” referring to the stage of rocket fl ight be-fore the cargo ship would have been able to separate from the fi rst stage of the rocket and reach orbit.

“Will provide more info as soon as we review the data,” he wrote on Twitter.

Successful launchesMusk’s California-based com-pany has led a series of success-ful launches even as competitor Orbital Sciences lost one of its rockets in an explosion in Octo-ber, and a Russian Progress sup-ply ship was lost in April.

The Dragon cargo ship was carrying 4,000 pounds (1,800 kilograms) of gear to the space station, including a large park-ing space, known as an Interna-tional Docking Adaptor, designed to make it easier for an array of commercial crew spacecraft to dock at the orbiting lab in the future.

Serious ramifi cations“Very sorry to see @SpaceX launch failure. Serious ramifi ca-tions for Space Station resupply. Good thing it’s international,” wrote Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfi eld on Twitter.

After liftoff , SpaceX had planned to make a third try at a controlled, upright landing of its Falcon 9 rocket on an ocean platform with the goal of one day making rockets as reusable as airplanes. A press conference was scheduled for 12:30 pm (1630 GMT) to brief reporters on what happened. — AFP

Two minutes, 19

seconds into the

fl ight, contact was

lost. Live television

images from

SpaceX’s webcast

and NASA television

showed a huge puff

of smoke billowing

outward, then tiny

bits of the rocket

falling like confetti

against a backdrop

of blue sky

BLAST AFTER BLAST-OFF: The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with

the unmanned Dragon cargo capsule on board appears to ex-

plode shortly after launching from Cape Canaveral, US,

on Sunday. — AFP/NASA TV

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Muscat bourse suspends Renaissance share tradingTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Share trading of Re-naissance Services was suspend-ed by the Muscat Securities Mar-ket (MSM) on Thursday, after the market regulator called for more information about a contract the company recently won from BP. Renaissance Services recently said that BP has awarded the con-tract for Consolidated Camp Fa-cilities Management, to Renais-sance’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Tawoos Industrial Services Com-pany (Tisco). Renaissance on Sunday an-nounced that the initial phase of the contract, covering the 29 months commencing August

2015, has an estimated value of $48 million.

Capital Market Authority ex-ecutive president Abdullah Salem Al Salmi said that the company did not give the fi nancial impli-

cation of the contract in the dis-closure statement initially (on Thursday). The contract is for the provision of catering, mainte-nance and related facilities man-agement services to the BP Khaz-zan project camps in Oman.

Al Salmi explained that the investors are more interested in knowing the fi nancial implica-tion of the contract so that they can take the right decision on the stock — to hold, acquire or sell.

“We need to give the informa-tion to all investors (simultane-ously) so that they can act accord-ingly. We need to maintain that culture,” noted Al Salmi.

CMA has been vigilant recently on company disclosures.

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

Renaissance confident of meeting long-term growth

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Renaissance Services is an Omani multinational fi rm listed fi rm on the Muscat Securi-ties Market (MSM), with a strong presence in oil servicing fi eld. The company’s chief fi nancial of-fi cer (CFO) Vishal Goenka talks to Times of Oman on the company’s fi nancing, oil price impact and other issues. Excerpts:

As chief fi nancial offi cer, how would you describe the fi nan-cial health of Renaissance?

The balance sheet has never been stronger. Our fi nancing platform is diverse and competitive. We generate significant cash flows from our operating busi-nesses. The financial strength of the company is endorsed by the significant support we enjoy from local, regional and interna-tional banks. A recent example of this is the successful closure of the syndicat-ed $117 million fi nancing package for our Duqm Workers Accommo-dation project at 4.5 per cent inter-est on 12 year money.

But with your exposure to the oil and gas sector the business is aff ected by the oil price crisis in the industry?Our Topaz Off shore Support Ves-sel (OSV) fl eet works entirely in the oil and gas sector. Our Renais-sance Contract Services and In-tegrated Facilities Management (IFM) business works across all sectors, including oil and gas.

But it is true to say, both of these businesses are focused in oil and gas reliant geographical markets. So yes, we are seeing some tempo-rary impact arising from the vola-tility of oil prices.

Even so, our Contract Services business has continued to grow profi tably during this period, al-beit a little slower than would be the case in more normal times. Topaz has been aff ected in its spot markets and in its nascent West Africa businesses, but re-mains remarkably strong and stable in its core markets of the

Caspian and the Gulf.

But overall this has led to weaker performance in the fi rst quarter results this year? Yes, the fi rst quarter net profi t has been aff ected; but this should be viewed in the context of how well revenues and earnings before in-terest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) are hold-ing up in such turbulent times. This means our cash fl ows remain strong and we continue to service all our obligations and invest in future growth.

The real question is, how would you defi ne success in 2015?The OSV industry and other oil services sectors have been de-scribed as a “blood-bath.” Yet Topaz is at the very top of like-for-like peer group comparisons. This is because Topaz has built a signifi cant leadership position in markets with long-term stable

contracts that sustain the business through good times and bad.

We have already advised the markets to expect similar per-formance in the second quarter before we anticipate gradual im-provements in the second half of the year. But people will look back at 2015 and see our busi-nesses out-performed their re-spective markets.

You have announced you are considering a buy-back of your Mandatory Convertible Bonds (MCB), please tell us more about that?We have said we will off er to buy back the MCBs when we have ap-propriate fi nancing in place. It is a great option for MCB bondhold-ers, as well as being an excellent outcome for shareholders and the company. We are currently looking at a perpetual instrument that will provide a great yield of over 7.5 per cent to investors for the fi rst fi ve

years and an option to increase the coupon by a further 500 bps, should the company not call the bond back at that time.

If we go ahead with a perpetual instrument, we shall use the pro-ceeds to buy back the Mandatory Convertible Bonds.

Capital Intelligence (CI) has upgraded your rating but your share price remains under pressure. Why is that? CI has upgraded our rating from BBB- to BBB. Low gearing, a strong order backlog and great vis-ibility on future cash fl ows have no doubt all been considered in their decision to upgrade our rating. Topaz has an order backlog of $1 billion and Contract Services has won new contracts in 2015 in-creasing its backlog in excess of $50 million to create a new level of order backlog of $500 million just from its pure services business. > B4

Strong cash fl ows will help the company to

service all it’s obligations and also to invest

in future growth, a senior offi cial revealed

B2

MARKETM O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

Al Hassan inaugurates new facility in Nizwa

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Al Hassan Engineer-ing, one of Oman’s leading engi-neering, procurement and con-struction (EPC) contractors, has opened a state-of-the-art fabrica-tion and plant workshop in Nizwa.

The new facility is strategically located to cater to the require-ments of some of the company’s

key projects in the oil and gas sec-tor more effi ciently through re-ducing the distance by 200km.

The facility was inaugurated by Hassan bin Ali Salman, the group’s chairman, in a ceremony attended by Steve Scott, chief ex-ecutive offi cer of Al Hassan En-gineering, and other senior mem-bers of the management.

The newly built facility is spread over a 41,813 square me-tres land and is divided into three diff erent sections, namely fabri-

cation shop, plant central work-shop and central warehouse to feed all the projects. The purpose-built facility with modern infra-structure provides a conducive environment for the employees who will be working there.

The new facility has also re-ceived the ASME certifi cation following the assessment of the company’s capabilities to demon-strate working and process com-pliance to quality control manual and technical competence for de-

sign, manufacture and assembly of pressure vessels andboilers and execution of repair works.

The earlier certifi cations re-ceived by the company were U, S and R. As part of its continued improvement, this time the com-pany has added U2, PP and A to its previous certifi cations.

Commenting on the occasion, the chief executive offi cer of Al Hassan Engineering said, “To of-fer value to our customers has always been a priority for Al Has-san Engineering, and the launch of the new facility is testimony to that commitment. The new facility is well poised to enhance safety, maximise space utilisation and ensure faster deliveries for our projects.”

It is strategically

located to cater to

the requirements

of some of the key

projects in the oil and

gas sector effi ciently

Zubair SEC facilitates procurement agreement for its member fi rmTimes News Service

MUSCAT: A procurement agree-ment has been signed under the direct supervision of Zubair Small Enterprises Centre (Zubair SEC) between Victoria Lake Trading, one of the centre’s mem-bers, and Zubair International Heavy Equipment.

The facility provided by the Zubair SEC for its members is in line with its policy to support en-trepreneurs and small business owners and aligns with the agree-ment signed between the centre and Initlaaqah programme earli-er to join hands in providing sup-port to entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Mansoor Al Mahruqi, owner of Victoria Lake, member of Zubair SEC and Initlaaqah programme, singed the procurement agree-ment between Victoria Lake and Zubair International Heavy Equipment, one of Zubair Corpo-ration companies in the presence of executives from both compa-nies as well as the Zubair Corpo-ration and Zubair SEC.

The procurement agreement provides a range of facilities of-fered by Zubair International Heavy Equipment to Victoria Lake. One of most outstanding facilities is the extension of the credit period, which gives Victo-ria Lake a broader opportunity in the market to secure better commercial operations. This fa-cility will also ease the pressure endured by small entrepreneurs related to the short duration of

the credit period usually given.Ali Shaker,Zubair SEC adviser,

said, “One of the most signifi cant pillars of Zubair SEC is to open genuine partnerships that pro-vide added value to the owners of small businesses and enhance their presence in the market. The main role of the centre here was to facilitate the signing of the agree-ment between Victoria Lake and International Heavy Equipment.”

Preferential prices“This agreement provides a num-ber of facilities, some of which are providing competitive preferential prices and extending the credit pe-riod to correspond with the fi nan-cial capabilities of the company, for the fact that the owner of Victoria Lake is a member of Zubair SEC and such collaboration between the centre’s members and the Zubair Group of companies aligns with the collective eff orts to help those members succeed,” He added.

Additionally, Victoria Lake has been receiving technical and pro-fessional counseling based on the wide expertise and experience of Zubair International Heavy Equipment, he added.

Mansoor Al Mahruqi, owner of Victoria Lake, stated, “The agree-ment with International Heavy Equipment Company provides me with a wonderful opportunity to prove my presence in the mar-ket and to engage in greater com-mercial operations compared to the previous operations. This will strengthen my opportunities in the market.”

S U P P O R T I N G E N T R E P R E N E U R S

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Greece on the brink of repayment defaultBRUSSELS: It is past midnight on Saturday when the phone rings on the 13th fl oor of the European Commission, bringing news the EU is facing an unprecedented crisis after last-ditch talks with Greece collapsed.

Only a few hours earlier Greece’s leaders had agreed to con-tinue talks to avoid a default on the country’s debts that could force it to crash out of the single currency and even the European Union.

But now the government led by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has made the shock announce-ment that any deal with Greece’s creditors — the EU, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund — will be put to a

public referendum.In Brussels, a sense of stupor

prevails. The decision comes at the worst moment, in the fi nal stage of negotiations when ‘98-99 per cent’ of the deal had already been agreed, according to a par-ticipant in the talks.

The mood is still sombre hours later as EU ministers begin to ar-rive for their fi fth round of discus-sions in 10 days to end months of cash-for-reforms wranglings and years of economic crisis in Greece. “This is not the fi rst time that the Greek government has created more and more drama,” said the Slovakian Finance Min-ister Peter Kazimir.

Fatigue and frustration reign

among EU negotiators sick of the negotiating style of Athens’s left-wing leaders, with one offi cial quipping that they “learn the state of the talks via leaks” to the press. Greece’s Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis — seen in Brussels as a key troublemaker in the talks be-cause of his abrupt, and fl amboyant, style — arrives dressed all in black.

Greece’s request rejectedIn the meeting room, those on the other side of the negotiation table keep their distance. Varoufakis “lives in a parallel reality,” says one diplomat.

As the talks resume they swiftly hit a key stumbling block: the 18 other members of the eurozone

refuse Greece’s request to ex-tend its repayment deadline by a month to what would be after the July 5 referendum.

Just another ploy to win time, grumble the EU’s negotiators. Varoufakis says he plans to seek legal advice on whether the other eurozone states can make a deci-sion without his agreement.

In the packed press room, ru-mours fl y the talks are near an end, that Varoufakis is planning to hold a news conference. In the end it is the Netherland’s Jeroen Dijsselbloem, head of the Euro-group of fi nance ministers, who takes the stand. In a weak voice, he announces that Greece’s huge bailout plan. - AFP

D E B T C R I S I S

B3M O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

MARKET

Shadeed Iron’s rolling mill slated for commissioning by year-end

A. E. JAMESbusinesseditor@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Shadeed Iron and Steel, part of the $12 billion Indian steel conglomerate Jindal group, plans to open its rolling mill for manufacturing re-bars by the end of the year. This is part of further integration and the 1.4 million tonne per annum rolling mill is be-ing set up with a capital expendi-ture close to $200 million.

However, the Sohar-based com-pany is waiting for the market to

recover for fl oating its initial pub-lic off ering (IPO) on the Muscat Securities Market (MSM), N. A. Ansari, chief executive offi cer of Shadeed Iron and Steel told Times of Oman. “There is a major fall in prices of steel in the last nine months. We are waiting for the market to improve before we pro-ceed (with the IPO),” he added.

Ansari said the purpose of the initial public off ering is to install certain equipment for further re-ducing the cost of production and increase capacity. But the overall

business scene of steel industry across the world is not that good. “Valuation of the company again depends on the market scene.”

He said the proposed issue will be by way of a dilution of stake by promoters and enhancement of

the company’s capital. Shadeed Iron and Steel is a subsidiary of Jindal Steel and Power.

Ansari said the steel melting shop, which was commissioned last year with a capital expendi-ture of $400 million, produces

steel billets and rounds.The parent company has already

invested more than $1 billion in ac-quiring the Omani plant (a direct reduction plant for producing hot briquetted iorn) from an Abu Dha-bi group and for forward integra-

tion of a steel melting shop.

First integrated steel plantLocated at Sohar Port, Shadeed Iron and Steel is the fi rst inte-grated steel plant of a large capac-ity, which is helping Oman to meet its domestic demands in semi-fi nished steel — square and round billets and blooms, fi nished steel, rebars and wire rods. It also bears the potential for the development of ancillary industries to support many needs of the steel plant.

Jindal group is one of India’s major steel producers with a sig-nifi cant presence in sectors like mining, power generation and infrastructure.

This is part of further integration and the 1.4m

tonne per annum rolling mill is being set up

with a capital expenditure close to $200m

China’s central bank cuts interest rate BEIJING: China’s central bank said on Saturday it would again reduce interest rates by 25 ba-sis points, its fourth such cut since November as it tries to boost growth.

The benchmark interest rate would be reduced to 4.85 per cent and the deposit rate to 2 per cent from Sunday, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) said on its website.

The PBoC also announced that it will cut the reserve require-

ment ratios (RRR) by 50 basis points for commercial banks serving rural areas, agriculture and small businesses.

The PBoC has now cut interest rates four times since November and this year also reduced the amount of cash banks must keep in reserve three times, as well as using other measures to inject li-quidity into the market.

The bank said the latest moves were aimed at “stabilising

growth” and “to further enhance the effi ciency of monetary policy to (support) economic transfor-mations” and are similar to cuts made last month.

China’s economic growth has slowed, with gross domestic product (GDP) expanding at 7.4 per cent in 2014, the lowest rate in 24 years, prompting the cen-tral bank to intervene. The moves have had mixed success as indica-tors remain subdued. - AFP

E C O N O M Y

China-backed bank to take concrete shapeSHANGHAI/BEIJING: One of China’s biggest ever foreign policy successes will take concrete shape on Monday when delegates from 57 countries sign an agreement on the Asian Infrastructure Invest-ment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing.

The founding members of the China-backed AIIB will sign ar-ticles of agreement that decide each member’s share and the bank’s initial capital.

The multilateral institution, seen as a rival to the Western-dominated World Bank and Asian Development Bank, was initially opposed by the United States but has attracted many prominent US allies including Britain, Germany, Australia and South Korea.

Other founding members in-clude most Asian nations and countries from the Middle East and South America.

Japan and the United States are the most prominent nations not represented in the bank. China has said it has left the door

open for them to join. “It’s a huge diplomatic and strategic win for China,” said Malcolm Cook, a senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Sin-gapore, said of the AIIB.

“(But) the fact that so many have signed on will mean that the management of the AIIB will be quite complicated...The more countries you have on board, the more interests will be at play and more each member will of course want the institution to serve their own interests.”

One senior Western diplomat in Beijing said China had felt it had no choice but to set up its own bank after repeated attempts to reform existing institutions like the International Monetary Fund to take into account China’s role as the world’s second-largest economy were blocked in US.

“The United States only has it-self to blame,” said the diplomat, from a country which has signed up to the AIIB, speaking on con-dition of anonymity. - Reuters

D E V E L O P M E N T B A N K

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The Sohar-based

company is waiting for

the market to recover

to float its initial public

offering on the Muscat

Securities Market, said

N. A. Ansari, CEO

B4

MARKETM O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

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MUSCATSECURITIES MARKET

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR SUNDAY, JUNE 28

REGULAR MARKET .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY .....................................................28,827 .............12,413........................5 ........... 0.408 ........... 0.436 ...........0.408........... 0.430 .............0.422 ........... 0.008 ............. 1.896 ................0.436 ..............0.420...................0.438...................26,015,000 .........0.100

OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ............. 58,763 ............... 7,270......................12 ............0.126 ........... 0.126 ...........0.120 ........... 0.124 ............. 0.122 ........... 0.002 ............. 1.639 ................0.120 .............. 0.116...................0.120 ................... 11,160,000 .........0.100

OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY ..................................... 38,000 ............ 85,808........................5 ........... 2.250 ........... 2.275 ...........2.240 .......... 2.260 .............2.230 ........... 0.030 ............. 1.345 ............... 2.240 .............2.250...................2.275................. 202,722,000 .......0.100

OM0000001087 ............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE .................................98,706 ............ 28,033........................6 ........... 0.284 ...........0.284 ...........0.284 .......... 0.284 .............0.284 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.284............. 0.280...................0.284 ..................28,400,000 ........0.100

OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST ..................................................................... 20,600 ...............9,888........................2 ........... 0.480 ...........0.480 ...........0.480........... 0.480 .............0.480 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.480..............0.482...................0.486..................177,800,304 ........0.100

OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT ...........................................................157,431 ............ 83,438......................12 ........... 0.530 ........... 0.530 ...........0.530........... 0.530 .............0.530 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.530 ..............0.520...................0.530..................175,362,536 ........0.100

OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES ............................................30,379 .............11,240........................7 ........... 0.370 ........... 0.370 ...........0.370 ........... 0.370 .............0.370 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.370 ..............0.370...................0.376 ...................22,645,581 .........0.100

OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE .......................................................97,000 .............14,530..................... 10 ............0.150 ........... 0.150 ...........0.148 ........... 0.150 ............. 0.150............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.150 .............. 0.150................... 0.151 ................... 46,614,741 .........0.100

OM0000002614 ............ONIC. HOLDING .............................................................. 3,340 ............... 1,576........................3 ........... 0.472 ........... 0.472 ...........0.472 ........... 0.472 .............0.472 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.472 ..............0.472...................0.500 .................. 81,855,774 .........0.100

OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 174,617 ..........304,058.....................40 ............1.765 ........... 1.765 ............ 1.735 ............1.740 ............. 1.740 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................ 1.745 .............. 1.740................... 1.745 ................1,305,000,000 ......0.100

OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ................ 10,200,000 1,213,800........................ 1 ............0.119 ........... 0.119............ 0.119 ............0.119 ............. 0.119 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................ 0.119 ...............0.115................... 0.119 ...................23,800,000 ........0.100

OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO........................................................................ 90,000 .............70,192........................6 ............0.776 ........... 0.780 ...........0.776 ........... 0.780 ............. 0.780 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.780 .............. 0.776...................0.780 ..................507,736,499 ........0.100

OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .................................................. 139,650 .............27,930......................18 ........... 0.200 ...........0.200 ...........0.200 .......... 0.200 .............0.200 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.200 .............0.184...................0.200 .................142,881,268 ........0.100

OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ................................................ 190,404 ..........106,311..................... 47 ............0.558 ........... 0.560 ...........0.558 ........... 0.558 .............0.558 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.558 ..............0.558...................0.560 ..................29,295,000 .........0.100

OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 2,988,400 ..1,645,856.....................40 ........... 0.550 ........... 0.552 ...........0.550 ........... 0.550 .............0.552 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.362 ...............0.552 ..............0.550...................0.552................1,260,502,428 ......0.100

OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH ...................................................1,996 ............... 5,150........................ 1 ........... 2.580 ...........2.580 ...........2.580........... 2.580 .............2.590 ...........-0.010 ........... -0.386 ...............2.580..............2.550...................2.575 ..................246,279,563........1.000

OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE .............. 616,400 ......... 148,366..................... 33 ........... 0.242 ...........0.242 ...........0.240 .......... 0.241 .............0.242 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.413................0.241 ............. 0.240...................0.241 .................. 48,200,000 ........0.100

OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK .................................................................... 178,777 ............ 38,098......................11 ............0.212 ........... 0.214 ...........0.212 ........... 0.213 ............. 0.214 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.467 ...............0.214 .............. 0.211...................0.214 ..................303,532,699 .......0.100

OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 100,000 ........... 18,400........................3 ............0.184 ........... 0.184 ...........0.184 ........... 0.184 ............. 0.185............-0.001 ........... -0.541 ...............0.184 .............. 0.183...................0.184 ................. 265,224,960 .......0.100

OM0000001483 ............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ..................................... 6,673 ...............2,225........................2 ........... 0.332 ........... 0.334 ...........0.332........... 0.334 .............0.336 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.595 ...............0.334..............0.334...................0.336..................447,797,224 ........0.100

OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING .........................17,321 ...............2,154........................6 ............0.125 ........... 0.125 ...........0.123 ........... 0.124 ............. 0.125............-0.001 ........... -0.800 ...............0.123 ..............0.120...................0.123 .................... 3,720,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING ........... 144,000 ............ 16,714........................9 ............0.117 ........... 0.117 ............ 0.115 ............0.116 ............. 0.117 ............-0.001 ........... -0.855 ............... 0.115 .............. 0.114................... 0.116 ................... 14,137,500 .........0.100

OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER ................................................. 40,000 .............. 8,000......................12 ........... 0.200 ...........0.200 ...........0.200 .......... 0.200 .............0.202 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.990 ...............0.200 .............0.182...................0.200 .................134,977,486 ........0.100

OM0000001962 ............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 533,792............ 41,204..................... 22 ........... 0.079 ........... 0.079 ...........0.077 ........... 0.077 .............0.078 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.282 ...............0.078 ..............0.077...................0.078................... 15,950,657 .........0.100

OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 830,000 ......... 169,350...................108 ........... 0.204 ...........0.205 ...........0.201 ........... 0.204 .............0.207 ...........-0.003 ........... -1.449 ...............0.201 ..............0.201...................0.204 ..................26,622,000 ........0.100

OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 234,735 ........... 31,220..................... 20 ............0.133 ........... 0.133 ...........0.133 ............0.133 ............. 0.135 ............-0.002 ............-1.481 ................0.133 .............. 0.133...................0.134 .................... 7,826,148 ..........0.100

OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 468,892 ............ 58,115.....................40 ............0.126 ........... 0.126 ...........0.122 ........... 0.124 ............. 0.126............-0.002 ............-1.587................0.123 ..............0.122...................0.123 ................... 35,957,599 .........0.100

OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............. 25,000 ............... 5,750........................2 ........... 0.230 ...........0.230 ...........0.230........... 0.230 .............0.234 ...........-0.004 ............-1.709 ................0.230..............0.226...................0.233....................4,830,000 ..........0.100

OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL ............................................. 676,110 .............59,517......................15 ........... 0.089 ........... 0.089 ...........0.088........... 0.088 .............0.090 ...........-0.002 ........... -2.222 ...............0.088 ..............0.088...................0.089...................15,400,000 .........0.100

OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ........................................................... 165,000 ........... 60,560..................... 22 ........... 0.380 ...........0.380 ...........0.364........... 0.368 .............0.382 ...........-0.014 ........... -3.665 ...............0.364..............0.362...................0.364 ..................18,400,000 .........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 18,354,813 .4,287,166...................520 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......30........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ....................89,700 ...............3,508........................7 ........... 0.040 ...........0.040 ...........0.039........... 0.039 .............0.039 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.039 ..............0.039...................0.042 ................... 3,315,000 ..........0.100

OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 290,700 ............21,221........................8 ........... 0.073 ........... 0.073 ...........0.073 ........... 0.073 .............0.073 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.073 ..............0.073...................0.074..................109,500,000 .......0.100

OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 14,376,203 2,133,510...................987 ............0.148 ........... 0.150 ...........0.147 ........... 0.148 ............. 0.149............-0.001 ............-0.671................0.150 .............. 0.148...................0.149 ..................216,465,016 ........0.100

OM0000001590 ............MUSCAT FINANCE ...................................................... 35,318 ...............5,086........................2 ............0.144 ........... 0.144 ...........0.144 ........... 0.144 ............. 0.145............-0.001 ........... -0.690 ...............0.144 ..............0.144...................0.150 ...................36,233,060 .........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 14,791,921 .2,163,325............... 1,004 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 4........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS MARKET ........................................................................................................................................................................................ OM0000005971 ............B.MUSCAT COMPL. CONVR. B.B.3.5 .......................... 445 .................... 44........................ 1 ........... 0.098 ........... 0.098 ...........0.098............0.101 ............. 0.101 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.098 ..............0.098................... 0.101 ...................32,740,323 .........0.100

.............................................SUM: ......................................................................................... 445 .................... 44........................ 1 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. .........1........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

O M A N S T O C K S

INDICESIndex .................................................High .................Low ..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff %MSM30 Index ....................................... 6,450.40 .............. 6,432.29 ...................6,432.29 ................... 6,441.95 .................. -9.66 .................. -0.15Financial Index ..................................... 7,768.41 ............... 7,741.09 .................... 7,741.09 ....................7,768.41 ................-27.32 .................. -0.35Industrial Index ....................................8,350.12 ...............8,319.89 ....................8,345.61 ................... 8,334.18 .................. 11.43 ................... 0.14Services Index .......................................3,483.63 .............. 3,472.96 ....................3,473.01 ................... 3,478.95 .................. -5.94 .................. -0.17MSM SHARIAH INDEX.......................995.63 ..................994.14 .......................994.76 ......................994.08 ....................0.68 ................... 0.07

Trading SummaryVolume ................ Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up ............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded33,147,179 .................. 6,450,535 ..................1,525 ................15,033,331,175 .................. 3 ......................18 .................... 14 .........................35

Index still in red zone

MUSCAT: Oman’s general index — MSM30 Index — continued its negative run to close at 6,432.29 points, down by 0.15 per cent, whereas the MSM Shariah Index gained 0.07 per cent to close at 994.76 points.

Phoenix Power was the most active in terms of volume as well as turnover. The top gainer was Voltamp Energy, up by 1.90 per cent, while National Gas, down by 3.66 per cent, lost the most.

As many as 1,525 trades were in the session generating a turno-ver of OMR6.45 million with over 33.1 million shares changing hands. Out of 35 traded securities, three advanced, 18 declined and 14 remained unchanged. At the close of the session, Omani inves-tors were net buyers to the tune of OMR949,000 worth of shares followed by GCC and Arab inves-tors at OMR680,000, while for-

eign Investors, who were the net sellers, sold shares amountiong to OMR1.62 million.

Financial Index declined 0.35 per cent to close at 7,741.09 points. Al Sharqia Investments increased 1.64 per cent to close at OMR0.124. Al Madina Takaful, Gulf Invest-ment Services, Al Anwar Holding, Al Madina Investments and Oman & Emirates Holding declined 2.22 per cent, 1.48 per cent, 1.45 per cent, 1.28 per cent and 0.85 per cent respectively.

Industrial Index ended on a pos-itive note at 8,345.61 points, up by 0.14 per cent. Voltamp Energy and Oman Cables gained 1.90 per cent and 1.35 per cent respectively. Gulf International Chemicals and Gal-far Engineering declined 1.71 per cent and 1.59 per cent respectively.

Services Sector Index retreated 0.17 per cent and closed at 3,473.01 points. – United Securities

The top gainer was Voltamp Energy, up by

1.90 per cent. National Gas, down by 3.66 per

cent, lost the most.

Renaissance

future growth

Besides the contract backlog, Contract Services generates addi-tional sustainable annual revenue of $100 million from its Perma-nent Accommodation for Con-tractors (PAC) projects for PDO in Oman’s oilfi elds.

The PAC contracts have more than 25 years to run, and we shall be adding a major new similar facility in the Duqm Special Eco-nomic Zone from mid-2016. As re-gards share price, we don’t manage share price, we manage the busi-ness, so it is not our place to com-ment on share price.

But I can comment on the busi-ness, and, as I have already de-scribed, the fundamentals of our business are strong in terms of the balance sheet, sound fi nancing, sustainable cash fl ows, and indus-try-leading operations.

C O N T R A C T S

Handwriting not on the wall for fax machinesPARIS: It may have slipped from its golden age into its golden years, but two decades into the In-ternet era, the fax machine is still, perhaps surprisingly, holding its place in many offi ces.

While it has been reduced to a small player in the rapidly grow-ing world of digital communica-tions, “millions of people still use fax machines daily worldwide and probably will continue to do so in the near future”, said Jona-than Coopersmith, an associate professor at Texas A&M Univer-sity, who has written a book on the history of the once ubiqui-tous offi ce machine.

Even more surprising, people and companies continue to buy new fax machines. “Sales are dropping regularly due to emails, but the market is far from disap-pearing,” said Nicolas Cintre, deputy director in France for Japanese company Brother, the market leader in fax machines.

Around 20 million fax terminals were sold in 2005, manufacturers estimate, while sales today are on the order of several million. “The market is holding up. Those who predicted the death of the fax 10 years ago were wrong,” said Cintre.

Part of the reason for the ma-chine’s survival is an attachment among “older generations” who spent most of their careers using it, he said. “Some habits are hard to break.”

It is considered by some as a tool for older employees reluctant to learn new technologies, but the fact that it embraces handwriting — in particular signatures — has also helped the fax avoid obsoles-cence. “Fax machines allow send-ing signed documents, which are considered as originals, which isn’t the case with email,” said Jean Champagne, head of Sagem-com Canada, the unit of the com-munications equipment company that markets fax systems.

Coopersmith noted that “in most countries, faxing is concen-trated in certain areas such as banking, real estate, legal commu-nications and medicine -- where a written signature is necessary.” Regulations may in fact require

faxing in some countries, he added.Champagne also pointed out

that faxes off er advantages in terms of confi dentiality and se-curity, another reason why the machines remain popular in the legal and medical fi elds. “It is nearly impossible to intercept fax transmissions. Documents can-not be manipulated,” he said.

Big in Japan The fax has aged better in some countries than others. In the United States, fax machines have pretty much disappeared. Xerox, which built the fi rst machine for the general public, stopped selling basic models several years ago.

But in Japan, where they’ve long been an essential feature of homes as well as offi ces, faxes are still in widespread use. They were even deployed by the authorities in 2011 to disseminate some in-formation during the Fukushima nuclear accident.

“Per capita, the greatest fax use still occurs in Japan, especially among older people who grew up writing by hand, not typing on a keypad,” said Coopersmith.

But it’s not just the elderly — many Japanese users of varying ages favour the fax for allowing them to send off hand-written notes using the thousands of char-

acters in the nation’s language.“For many people and small

businesses, faxing a written note or a form is easier than typing on a computer or smartphone,” added Coopersmith. Nearly 1.2 million basic fax machines were sold in Japan in 2014, and sales are forecast to dip to 1.1 million this year, according to the asso-ciation of telecommunications companies.

“The use of fax machines fell with the massive spread of com-puters and smartphones, but peo-ple over 60 who are not familiar with the new technologies prefer the fax,” said Miyuki Nakayama, spokesman for electronics manu-facturer Sharp.

Europe is somewhere in the middle, according to Brother’s Cintre. In France, some 40,000 basic fax machines were sold in 2013, according to the GfK mar-ket research company.

Though sales of simple fax ma-chines are declining, that does not necessarily mean that faxes are disappearing. Instead, the fax is increasingly being wrapped into “multi-function” or ‘all-in-one’ machines that are gaining popu-larity in the market.

These off er consumers print-ing, scanning, photocopying and faxing functions.- AFP

T E C H N O L O G Y

STILL POPULAR: While the fax machine has been reduced to a

small player in the rapidly growing world of digital communica-

tions, millions of people still use fax machines worldwide. – AFP

< FROM

B1

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMSECTION

E- IMESTECH STUFFTECH STUFF

BTWITTER OFFERS EAST WAY TO BLOCK ACCOUNTSThe company is also furthering its eff orts to help stop abuse and trolling on its service by letting users share their personal lists of blocked accounts — which could be useful among friends or organisations targeted by the same harassers. For those who want more information, the Twitter Help Centre has detailed instructions for exporting and importing “blocked lists” at support.twitter.com/articles/20172663.

M O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

S M A R T P H O N E A P P S

Stress no more to pack for your summer vacation

SLOW DOWNENJOY THE RIDE

SUMMER HAS ARRIVED, with long days and warm sun tempting us to experience the outdoors and travel. Getting the right apps for your phone and tablet can help you have a great time.

Packing for a vacation can be a chore. Stress no more: Pack-point has you covered. The app is a smart packing adviser that can build a list of necessary toi-letries, clothes and other items.

PackPoint starts by asking where you’re going and when. The app then fi nds the weather forecast for the destination and asks what kind of activities you are planning. Choose among the provided list of activities, including hiking, photography and fancy dinners, or supply your own activity (you’ll need to know what to pack for the custom event). With selections made, PackPoint generates a list of items you’ll need to suit the weather and activities. For example, you’ll need a camera bag for photography, and men will need a dress shirt for a fancy dinner.

Take the strain outAs you pack, you mark off items on the list. The idea is to take the strain out of packing. You can even share your list by instant message or social media with other members of your group to help them plan accordingly. Though the app seems simple, it’s really useful. PackPoint is free for Android and iOS, but access to some features, like custom activities, costs $2. Summer travellers will want to know what’s hap-pening at their destinations. Peek Tours, free on iOS, pulls together lots of information about places, like museums to visit, and activities, from walk-ing tours to more adventurous outdoor sports.

You can browse Peek’s rec-ommendations by category (like “sights and landmarks” and the handy “what to do with kids”), by date, location or spe-cial points of interest.

All the app’s recommenda-tions have a short description, and the app makes good use of images to sustain interest. You can even book some things to do from inside the app and browse Peek’s recommenda-

tions offl ine, which may save expensive mobile data bills.

Interesting alternativeA simpler but equally interest-ing alternative to Peek is Goog-le’s Field Trip app, which is free on iOS and Android. Field Trip pulls together a list of location-based recommendations about a wide variety of things to see and do, including good places to eat, landmarks and local events. Tapping on a recom-mendation on the list reveals more information like a map and hours of operation.

You can customise the rec-ommendations for your inter-ests by limiting the sources the app draws from. For example, you can turn off Art Nerd City Guides as a source if you’re not interested in art. The app is more sober-looking than Peek, its menus sometimes lack clear explanations, and in some cas-es the information provided about a place or an event can seem dry. But Field Trip will defi nitely help you discover what’s going on around you.

Music festivals are popular in the summer, and Bandsin-town Concerts, free on iOS and Android, is a fabulous way to fi nd out what performances and festivals are happening near you. Bandsintown can give you events lists for cities, for nearby places or for par-ticular bands, and includes a social media connection so you can invite, say, your Facebook friends to join you.

The app can even scan your musical libraries in services like iTunes and Spotify to more accurately recommend con-certs you may prefer, and you can often book tickets from inside the app. If you own an Apple Watch or Android Wear smartwatch you can even get Bandsintown concert alerts on your wrist. The app is easy and fun to use, but you must register through email or via Facebook.

Lastly, summer is perfect for outdoor cooking, either at home or if you’re camping. And if you’re used to cooking in the kitchen, you may not be certain if you’re grilling meat properly. Enter Grilltime, which is my new summer best friend. — KIT

EATON /The New York Times News Service

Start-ups now find the best employees

When Ron John-son was pitching his idea for an e-commerce de-livery company

to venture capitalists last year, one of the sticking points was his vision for how to treat employees.

Johnson’s company, called Enjoy, sends experts to deliver and set up tech products in homes and offi ces. But rather than requiring people to work as independent contractors, a practice championed by most so-called on-demand companies, includ-ing ride-hailing app Uber, Johnson wanted to actually employ the people who would be working for him.

“I said there’s a good chance that one day there could be a change in how the law qualifi es these contrac-tor jobs — and I’d rather be taking the high road from Day 1 and not be subject to that business risk,” said Johnson, the executive who found-ed Apple’s retail division and later ran J.C. Penney. The risk of relying on independent contractors became more salient with the revelation last week that the California Labour Commission recently ruled that an Uber driver should be classifi ed as an employee, not a contractor. While the ruling does not set a bind-ing precedent, it may push some in Silicon Valley to look for alterna-tives to the contractor model. John-son’s company is among a handful of app-based outfi ts that suggest there may be another way.

Although the start-ups that are avoiding the independent contrac-tor system are far smaller than Uber, which has contracted with hun-dreds of thousands of drivers across the world, their nascent success off ers hope that on-demand com-panies will be able to off er stable ca-reers rather than an unpredictable patchwork in which people stitch together app-based tasks to make a living. But it isn’t just the murky le-gality — or even what Johnson calls a moral obligation to do the right thing for workers — that has pushed these businesses to part with Uber’s vision for the future of work. In-stead, they argue, real employees are better employees.

“We’re providing a personal ser-vice — our product is a person,” Johnson told me. “The vision says that it’s really smart to make them employees, so we can get the best people to deliver the best service.”

If you’ve ever wondered why there are such vast diff erences in quality between Uber rides you’ve taken, this is why: Beyond customer ratings and warnings, Uber can’t tell drivers what to do.

A key featureUnder the independent contractor system, workers are considered to be tiny businesses responsible for their own expenses and taxes. A key feature of an independent contrac-tor relationship is autonomy. Ac-cording to the IRS, a business that hires an independent contractor is not entitled to dictate how or when the contractor performs a job. This limits a company’s power to train and schedule its workers.

The on-demand companies that have embraced the old-fashioned employee model all say they aim to deliver an experience that wows

customers. The best way to do that, they say, is to train and systemati-cally deploy their workers — a prac-tice that can be accomplished only with actual employees.

“This is MBA 101 stuff ,” said M. Diane Burton, a professor of human resource studies at Cornell Univer-sity. “When people are your source of competitive advantage, it’s clear that a long-term employment re-lationship and what we would call a ‘good job’ is good for the workers and good for the companies.”

At Beepi, a company that lets cus-tomers buy and sell used cars online, new auto inspectors are trained for three months to become “Beepi Cer-tifi ed” — a system that would not have been possible under the inde-pendent contractor model.

“The promise of our brand is that we are going to inspect every vehicle as if it’s one you’d sell to your mother or a good friend,” said Ale Resnik, the co-founder and chief executive of Beepi. “For that, you need people who are invested in the customer. They need to really care — and they only care when you invest in them.”

Tech people like to talk about “full-stack start-ups,” a new trend in entrepreneurialism in which companies aim to control every part of their service rather than just the technical aspects. Hiring front-line workers is the ultimate expression of the full stack.

“Fundamentally what it boiled down to was that we had to cre-ate good jobs to make sure that our operators were vested in our com-pany,” said Saman Rahmanian, a co-founder of Managed by Q, a start-up that provides commercial cleaning and supply services.

Creating ‘good jobs’Of course, creating “good jobs” en-tails costs. Managed by Q’s workers get an “above market” wage, plus full medical benefi ts. “They are the same benefi ts that our program-mers and engineers get,” Rahma-nian said, because “we didn’t want to create a company that had a di-vide between people that worked in headquarters and the others.”

Munchery, a dinner delivery ser-vice, pays drivers a base wage that exceeds the minimum wage, plus their driving expenses, plus tips. Taken together, it comes out to about $23 an hour in San Francisco, far higher than most other delivery jobs. Those who work more than 30 hours a week also get health and re-tirement benefi ts.

Beepi’s auto mechanics and de-livery people get an above-market salary, overtime pay and medical benefi ts. MoveLoot, a startup that sells and delivers used furniture, also provides above-market wages and benefi ts to its workers.

And at Enjoy, which began op-erating in San Francisco and New York this spring, delivery experts are paid either a full-time or part-time salary, not a per-customer fee. Johnson declined to specify the salary, but he said that it was above what workers at high-end technol-ogy retailers might make — meaning around $40,000 to $50,000 a year. Enjoy’s employees are also given benefi ts like health coverage and retirement plans, and they even get stock in the company. — FARHAD MAN-

JOO/The New York Times News Service

California Labour

Commission recently

ruled that an Uber

driver should be

classifi ed as an

employee, not a

contractor. While the

ruling does not set a

binding precedent,

it may push some in

Silicon Valley to look

for alternatives to the

contractor model

B6 M O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

ROUND-UP

Maisarah named ‘Islamic Bank of the Year’ for 2015

MUSCAT: Continuing to thrive and going from strength to strength, Maisarah Islamic Bank-ing Services has been announced the winner of ‘Islamic Bank of the Year - Oman’ award for 2015 by The Banker magazine.

Leading the Islamic banking sector in Oman, the competitive and fast-growing fi nancial ser-vices provider has been selected among Islamic fi nance institu-

tions in the Sultanate after achiev-ing striking growth fi gures since its launch in 2013. Maisarah has demonstrated a high degree of product and service innovation as well as strong activity in Oman’s burgeoning Islamic banking mar-ket, says a press release.

Maisarah has witnessed year-on-year remarkable capital, assets and profi tability growth since its launch. More impressively, the bank has generated a suite of 15 fi nancing products and services geared towards individuals, corpo-rate and government institutions.

“Since launch of Maisarah Is-lamic Banking Services two years ago, we set our vision to be the best fi nancial services and solu-

tions provider in the Sultanate of Oman, and we have taken concrete steps in that direction. Our team of dedicated and highly qualifi ed professionals off ers a wide array of banking solutions through in-novative products and services,” says Sohail Niazi, Maisarah’s chief Islamic banking offi cer.

Maisarah’s success in Oman has translated into tremendous growth in customers since its launch, in conjunction with signif-icant growth in fi nancing provided across its business segments. More notably, Maisarah has taken a leading role in providing fi nanc-ing solutions to corporate, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Signifi cant progress has also

been made with respect to product and services development. Maisa-rah off ers a number of trade fi -nance services and treasury prod-ucts, as well as an award-winning corporate overdraft facility based around the principle of Mudaraba.

Maisarah’s retail operations are based out of four dedicated branches located in Azaiba, Birkat Al Mouz, Salalah and Sohar. In 2015, the Islamic window plans to expand its presence across the country through the addition of new branches. This is in addition to a 24-hour call centre, cash de-posit machines and ATMs located across the Sultanate.

“As a part of our operational strategy, we have maintained high standards of corporate govern-ance, research and development, corporate social responsibility and customer service that placed Maisarah at the top of the best Is-lamic banking services providers in the country,” added Sohail Niazi.

As part of its future growth plan, Maisarah aims to distinguish itself by focusing on providing outstand-ing customer service, developing and launching new products, in-vesting in technology to provide the best customer experience in timely and convenient manner.

Maisarah reaffi rms

its position as one

of the leading and

fastest growing

Islamic banking

institutions in

Oman by winning

a prestigious

international award

KIMS Oman welcomes

Dr Abishek on board

MUSCAT: As part of its sincere eff orts to provide the commu-nity with the best practitioners, KIMS Oman Hospital (KOH) has announced the appointment of Dr Abishek Ajay Kaul, Medical Offi cer in Emergency Medicine, as a part of KOH’s professional medical team.

Dr Abishek has earned his MBBS in 2011, followed by Emergency Medicine Diploma, RCGP (UK), in 2014 from Apol-lo Hospital, Ahmedabad. He is also Advanced Cardiac, Trauma and Paediatric life support pro-gramme certifi ed. Along with his signifi cant professional accom-plishments, Dr Abishek comes with rich experience in Emer-gency Medicine, having served in reputed hospitals and esteemed health care institutions.

“We would like to welcome Dr. Abishek Ajay Kaul in our KOH family. With his strong educa-tional background and wide ex-perience, I am confi dent that Dr Kaul will be a positive addition to our medical team, and will pro-vide exceptional health care ser-vices to our community,” said Dr. Hussam Akoum, chief operating offi cer at KOH.

With the induction of Dr Abishek, KIMS Oman Hospital is adding yet another specialisation

ie Emergency Medicine, with the focus towards rapid and pri-oritised treatment in the ‘Golden Hour’ of the patient’s arrival in the Emergency Room.

A P P O I N T M E N T

Dr Abishek earned

his MBBS in 2011,

followed by Emergency

Medicine Diploma,

RCGP (UK), in 2014

from Apollo Hospital,

Ahmedabad

Ooredoo Goodwill Journey continues to spread smilesMUSCAT: Completing the fi rst week of their annual Goodwill Journey, Ooredoo volunteers trav-elled more than 1,400 kilometres to bring joy and smiles to people and communities in fi ve wilayats. Twenty two volunteers set off from Mussanah to bring their mis-sion of compassion to the northern and interior areas of the Sultanate.

Now in its 11th year, Ooredoo is taking the Goodwill Journey to new heights to enable human growth and support and empower women across the country.

Rather than simply providing one-time donations, the contribu-tions this year will support com-munities in the long term as well as spreading a little happiness in the short-term. Ooredoo is doing this by providing them with the means to enhance their skills through sustainable learning initiatives, says a press release.

Following the Incubator Pro-gramme graduation in Mussanah at the start of the Journey, volun-teers headed to the Omani Wom-en’s Association in Liwa where they were greeted with open arms by members of the community. Heading north, the Goodwill con-voy stopped at the Deaf Club in Al Buraimi, where volunteers distrib-uted iPads alongside other gifts to support their learning through

specialised applications. Ooredoo Goodwill messen-

gers then made their way to the Al Wafa Rehabilitation Centre in Ibri, where they donated an in-door playground set in addition to various educational materials and recourses to local schools – some-thing the children of the schools had never had before.

The next stop was Nizwa Hos-pital where they visited the Chil-dren’s Ward, bringing them joy and comfort during the holy month before heading to their last stop at the Omani Women’s Association in Samail.

The Goodwill Journey has al-ways been a key focus for Ooredoo and is their fl agship CSR initiative. It not only provides community engagement and support, but also

spiritual and personal growth for the volunteers that take part. Over the years, their ambassadors have travelled thousands of kilometres across the length and breadth of Oman changing lives and nurtur-ing development. This is some-thing that Ooredoo is very proud of, and is committed to continue building on, to help more and more communities in the future.

This year’s journey has already impacted over 500 people as Oore-doo volunteers give their time and eff ort to help grow human capital and community projects during Ramadan. The second leg of the journey will see volunteers driving south in Oman, passing through Quriyat, Dima Wa Al Tayeen, Ma-sirah Island and Duqm, before end-ing up in the Governorate of Dhofar.

M I S S I O N O F C O M P A S S I O N

Bank Sohar announces winners of its Twitter competitionMUSCAT: Bank Sohar recently invited all its Customer Service #here4u Twitter Competition winners to its head offi ce in MBD, which ended at the beginning of this month.

The competition, which had a prize pool of OMR800, was an-nounced in order to complement the ongoing bank-wide Customer Service Campaign that will see the bank further focus on its cus-tomer service platforms across all branches and divisions within the Sultanate, says a press release.

The award ceremony saw Mu-

nira Abdulnabi Macki, DGM of Human Resources and Corpo-rate Support at Bank Sohar pre-sent each of the winners with an OMR100 Bank Sohar account opening certifi cate.

FelicitationsOn congratulating each of the win-ners, Munira Abdulnabi Macki, commented: “On behalf of Bank Sohar I would like to thank all the participants of our twitter contest. I would also like to congratulate each of our winners for their in-sightful entries. We have always

valued customer feedback at the bank as it helps us identify the ar-eas to be developed in order to pro-vide our customers with the best possible banking experience.”

The competition which closed for entries on June 1, saw fol-lowers of the bank’s Twitter page invited to participate in the com-petition by submitting their sug-gestions and recommendation on how Bank Sohar can further im-prove customer service and make its overall banking experience even better.

All entries were then analysed

and fi ltered by a set panel compris-ing executive management of the bank, who subsequently picked the top eight entries.

In the past year, Bank Sohar’s social media identities have wit-nessed a tremendous growth, in addition to a high level of engage-ment from fans through questions, comments and responses. Having started the offi cial Twitter account and Facebook page in June 2013, followed by Instagram page there-after, Bank Sohar has come a long way in getting closer to its custom-ers and interacting with them.

C U S T O M E R S E R V I C E C A M P A I G N

ahlibank hosts Iftar for employees

MUSCAT: In celebration of the holy month of Ramadan, ahlibank hosted its annual Iftar banquet for employees at the InterContinen-tal Hotel. The event was held in the presence of ahlibank’s board members, says a press release.

“Our annual Iftar event is an enjoyable and informal gather-ing, allowing all colleagues to celebrate this special time of year together, within the ahlibank family,” said Lloyd Maddock, CEO, ahlibank.

C E L E B R A T I O N

Geepas awarded Superbrand status

DUBAI: Superbrands, the inde-pendent authority and arbiter of branding, awarded Geepas the Superbrand award at the annual Superbrands tribute event, which was held at the InterContinental Hotel in Dubai Festival City.

The award was handed over by Mike English, chairman, Su-perbrands Council to Nizar T. N., Director of Operations, Western International Group, parent com-pany of Geepas.

Leading brands from the UAE were awarded Superbrands sta-tus and the 2015 Superbrands book was unveiled at the event, also dubbed the ‘Oscars of brand-ing’, where the UAE’s strongest brands were honoured, says a press release.

Geepas is a constantly evolving brand experience in the fi eld of consumer electronics and home appliances and is a leading provid-er of a range of high performance quality products at aff ordable prices. Thriving on its exceptional customer service and off ering the widest range of products, Geepas has deserved the distinction of be-ing a ‘Superbrand’ in the UAE. This honour demonstrates Geepas’ reli-ability and its being the best choice for customers.

Speaking on the well-deserved win by Geepas, Nizar said, “We are thrilled for this achievement to be a Superbrand. Geepas, has

over the years, become a part of every home and our commitment towards our customers, and their love towards the brand is testimo-ny to where we stand today.”

With a history of over three decades of business behind it, Geepas has become a household name in the fi eld of electronics. Currently available in 86 coun-tries across the globe, the exten-sive range of deliverables of over 1,500 products caters to 360 de-gree requirements of a household.

This year, Superbrands were voted not only by the brand council but also by online voting, which has expanded the voting base to almost 2,500 senior man-agers and marketing profession-als. The Superbrands programme acknowledges and rewards the highest standards of branding. The organisation is committed to the cause of promoting excep-

tional brands and the discipline of branding in the region. Only brands that achieve the level of recognition set by the independ-ent Superbrands Council are eligible for inclusion in the Su-perbrands book, which traces the history and achievements of each of the brands. Geepas is proud and honoured to be featured in this year’s Superbrands book.

Nizar added, “Becoming a Su-perbrand is a great achievement for Geepas but one that would not have been possible without the endless support of its consumers. My belief is that only consumers can decide if a brand is great and they have chosen to make Geepas a Superbrand. It takes time for a brand to become trusted and re-lied upon. This award validates our belief in the quality of Geepas products and the excellent ser-vice that we off er.”

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Safrane now comes withmega Ramadan benefits

MUSCAT: Renault from the house of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles an-nounced mega Ramadan surprises on select Renault models.

The Renault Safrane V6 is fi tted with an automatic six-speed trans-mission that comes equipped with the Carminat TomTom navigation system, a solution as effi cient as it is easy to update and use, with the intuitive joystick.

2015 Ramadan highlights: •Scratch & Win (Two assured gifts)

1. With a unique scratch and win card, customers are eligible to win assured high value gifts from any one of the products comprising of LG 65”Ultra High Defi nition LED Curve TV, Apple iPhone 6-16GB, Lenovo Laptop-Intel Core i5 or a LG 42” LED TV.

2. Customers will also be eligible to win an assured service package gift up to fi ve years/ 100,000km

Periodic Maintenance Service (with minimum assured service package of two years/30,000km periodic maintenance service)

• Cash Gifts: Customers will also walk away with assured cash gift of OMR750 on purchasing the Renault Safrane 2.0L/2.5L/3.5L

• Other benefi ts: Customers will be entitled to receive free registra-tion for fi rst year for Oman only and free extended warranty period of up to six years / unlimited mile-age. Further, customers will also receive AAA Roadside Assistance card for the fi rst year only and as supported by AAA Oman.

• Grand raffl e drawCustomers purchasing any of

the Renault models during the Ramadan month will also get a chance to enter a mega raffl e draw which will be held on August 23. The grand prize winner will walk away with a new 2015 Renault

Duster 2L PE.

Upbeat stylingThe Safrane name has become synonymous with quality, dura-bility and performance. With the next generation Safrane, there is a growing buzz and excitement around the Renault range as the Safrane is a generously-dimen-sioned saloon car.

Its nicely balanced proportions, fl uid and elegant lines sweeping over the broad shoulders denote a powerful presence. A carefully engineered blend of comfort and performance, and a choice of mod-ern engines, the Safrane has an ef-fi cient new chassis including the Nissan multi-link rear suspension arrangement for enhanced ride comfort and driving pleasure.

Easy manoeuvring The hands-free card in Safrane al-

lows drivers to open and close the doors as well as start the engine, without even leaving your pocket. Bluetooth technology allows you to make calls in perfect safety.

For easy manoeuvring, the re-verse parking camera displays ob-stacles on the colour screen, while the parking brake is activated automatically when the engine is turned off . On board the Safrane, technology is also harnessed to provide onboard pleasure in the form of the Bose audio system giv-ing you larger-than-life sound.

Bespoke interior Renault Safrane combines unique facilities for a complete sense of well-being. The driver’s seat has multiple settings for optimal com-fort. Thanks to its pneumatic air-cushion system, it will massage the driver’s back, according to the mode and intensity of their choice, in perfect silence.

The Safrane also off ers an in-novative system of air quality management. Its toxicity sensor prevents polluted air entering the passenger compartment, while it’s combined pollen and active carbon fi lter removes these particles from the air. Suhail Bahwan Automo-biles is largely committed to sup-porting Renault Oman’s growth in the Sultanate through major em-phasis on customer satisfaction and by providing world-class after-sales services in Oman.

The Renault Safrane

name has become

synonymous with

quality, durability and

performance

Bank Muscat Sayyarati Ramadan campaign gathers momentumMUSCAT: A feature-packed automobile fi nance campaign launched by Bank Muscat coin-ciding with the Ramadan season has evoked strong response.

The Sayyarati auto fi nance is available at low interest rates starting from 3.5 per cent to 4.5 per cent on a reducing basis which is equivalent to 1.91 per cent to 2.41 per cent on a fl at basis.

The Sayyarati Ramadan pack-age includes fi nancing up to 8 years for new and used vehicles, the lowest monthly payment op-tion, on-the-spot approvals and motor insurance funding with the lowest monthly payment in the market, says a press release.

Hassle-free procedureCustomers are also not required to furnish post-dated cheques, making Sayyarati the easy, con-venient and completely hassle-free way to own a new car. No-tably, Sayyarati fi nance can be obtained from any of the bank’s branches spread across Oman.

This off er comes as a boon for newly recruited employees in government and quasi-govern-ment sector who can avail the auto fi nance if they have been employed for one month and three months in the case of em-ployees of approved private sec-tor companies.

“Unique in all aspects with

unparalleled benefi ts, Sayyarati is the preferred auto fi nance fa-cility in Oman for both citizens and expatriates. The Ramadan off er includes various unique benefi ts, making it quicker, easier and more aff ordable to own one’s dream vehicle. The Sayyarati Centre at Wattayah is open for customers from 8pm to 11:30pm during the holy month of Rama-dan, giving customers an oppor-tunity to apply for fi nancing their vehicles in the shortest possible time,” said Amjad Al Lawati, head – Products and Services.

Due to strong partnership with leading auto dealers, Say-yarati signifi cantly enhances the value proposition off ered to cus-tomers, including motor insur-ance at low premium through the bancassurance channel of Bank Muscat. Post-dated cheques are not required and payment instalments are automatically debited from customer account on a monthly basis.

A U T O M O B I L E F I N A N C E

The Sayyarati Ramadan

package includes financing

up to 8 years for new and

used vehicles

B8

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Best time to benefi t from Dhofar Auto’s best deals

MUSCAT: In keeping with the spirit of the holy month of giving, Dhofar Automotive welcomes customers to their showrooms to experience their warm hospital-ity and generous Ramadan off ers across brands. Always endeavour-

ing to meet and exceed customer expectations, Dhofar Automotive is known to off er unique value propositions, especially during the month of Ramadan, says a press release.

A customer can choose from a vast line-up of cars, SUVs and pick-up trucks at Dhofar Automotive, all of which off er unique driving experiences. Sedan enthusiasts can opt from the muscular Dodge Charger or Challenger to the luxu-rious Chrysler 300, or even go for the recently introduced Italian brilliance such as the 240hp turbo

charged Alfa Romeo Giulietta and fun and trendy Fiat 500 models.

Those who prefer SUVs can choose from the stable of Jeep, the original 4x4 that is combined with great off road performance with exceptional safety features or ex-perience the suave Dodge Durango line-up. Also available is the versa-tile RAM pick-up trucks off ering utility, comfort and safety with ex-cellent off road capabilities.

“During the month of generos-ity, Dhofar Automotive is off ering customers plethora of our brands and variants at unbeatable prices,”

Chris Edwards, general manager Dhofar automotive, said.

“Customers buying a Chrysler, Jeep, RAM, Dodge, Alfa Romeo or Fiat during the month of Rama-dan are off ered an amazing cash gift upto OMR3,600 depending on the variant they choose.

“We also have many more off ers giving customers the freedom to choose,” he added.

Each vehicle from Dhofar Auto-motive is a class leader in its own right, off ering levels of perfor-mance, style and reliability that are at the forefront of the automo-tive industry. Coupled with this unique off er, customers can now not only experience the best of brands but also aff ordability, value and unique customer service from Dhofar Automotive.

Valid till August 17, the Rama-dan promotion covers all brands of Dhofar Automotive.

Dhofar Automotive show-rooms will be open from Satur-day to Thursday between 9am to 1pm and 8pm to 12am during the month of Ramadan.

Customers buying

a Chrysler, Jeep,

RAM, Dodge, Alfa

Romeo or Fiat during

Ramadan are off ered

an amazing cash

gift upto OMR3,600

depending on the

variant they choose

FRiENDi excites customers with summer off ersMUSCAT: FRiENDi mobile has launched very exciting summer off ers on its starter packs and data plans. The starter pack is priced at OMR2 and gives new FRiENDi mobile customers 1GB of data and OMR1 credit immedi-ately upon activation.

This is the best ever starter pack off er from FRiENDi mobile by which customers get instantly both data and credit. The 1GB data is valid for 30 days from the date of activation and the amaz-ing summer off ers will run for a complete three month period till August 29, says a press release.

As part of the summer off er, subscribers to FRiENDi mo-bile data plans can now take ad-vantage of doubling their data instantly on activation. The weekly 100MB subscription plan will entitle the user to an extra 100MB free data. For the 600MB per month subscribers, the special off er will give them another 600MB of data free. In a

truly great deal for the monthly 1GB subscribers, they get 2GB data plus extra 2GB free that can be used between 11pm to 4am. Along with the additional double data, new and existing FRiENDi mobile users can also enjoy the bonus data they receive on auto renewals of their data plans. The biggest advantage is that custom-ers get the additional double data every time they subscribe or auto renew during the entire period of the promotion till August 29.

“At FRiENDi mobile we be-lieve in rewarding customers for their endless loyalty to our ser-vices. We come up with thought-ful campaigns that customers can actually use and benefi t instantly. We know that in this fast-paced world, staying in touch and stay-ing connected are vital; and we will make sure that we are there to bring in the very best services according to the demands of the market,” said Adnan Al Alawi, COO, FRiENDi mobile.

V A L U E D E A L S

seaPearls launches ‘factory sale’ on diamond collectionMUSCAT: seaPearls Gold and Diamond Jewellery Oman, on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, has launched an exclu-sive ‘factory sale’ on their diamond collection, says a press release

In this exclusive off er custom-ers visiting the seaPearls stores during the month of Ramadan will receive up to 65 per cent off on diamond jewellery products that include an entire range of rings, earrings, pendants, bangles and lightweight necklaces across all their stores within the Sultanate.

A special factory sale exclu-sively on its diamond collection is currently available at its stores located in Ruwi and at the newly opened Oman Avenues Mall, Bausher till August 20.

seaPearls Gold and Diamond Jewellery caters to the modern woman of today and is best known for the combination of precious and innovative materials and dis-tinctive designs, for glamorous and exciting styles that fuses clas-sic and contemporary.

Exclusive designsThe collections of diamond and gold jewellery range from daily wear such as light weight neck-lace sets, chains, rings, pendants,

bracelets, earrings and bangles to more occasion-specifi c and ex-clusive designs. It houses an array of signature jewellery collections, namely Ishana, You & Me, Fella, Sol, Nava Graha and some unique bestsellers among others.

Commenting on this one of a kind initiative, P. A. Riyas, gen-eral manager of seaPearls Gold and Diamond Jewellery, said: “seaPearls introduces a new range of jewellery every month, catering to the demands and trends of the season. In our constant endeav-our to make diamond jewellery an aff ordable luxury, we intend to off er our existing range at an ac-cessible price through the factory sale initiative for our customers

every other season.” Riyas added: “We always have

special plans for our patrons, we understand that buying a diamond ring is an emotional choice and to encourage people to choose diamonds we now have over 40 designs at aff ordable price range.”

Social media platformValued patrons can get more information on the eclectic dia-mond collection on the offi cial Facebook page https://www.face-book.com/seapearlsjewelleryom. The page also provides a plethora of information on the wide range of gold collection on a daily basis to provide the latest information at all times comprising pictorial galleries, aesthetic details, and unique collection features. The page also regularly runs contests to keep viewers enticed and en-gaged at all times. The aim has been to be at par with customers’ requirements and needs.

“Showcasing jewellery, exem-plifying fi ne craftsmanship and exquisite designs, seaPearls Gold and Diamond Jewellery with over 10 years of experience off er com-plete customer centric shopping experience,” Riyas said in his concluding remarks.

A F F O R D A B L E L U X U R Y

NBO off ers 45 varsity scholarships

MUSCAT: National Bank of Oman (NBO) has announced it will give away 15 scholarships to study at some of the world’s most renowned universities to under-privileged students from across the Sultanate.

Additionally, it will create 25 new graduate employment roles within various divisions of the bank and off er fi ve existing employees the opportunity to study for an MBA at a top international business school, says a press release.

The 45 scholarships and job op-portunities are part of the bank’s 45th National Day celebrations and are in line with its ongoing

commitment to the community; to support and up skill Omani tal-ent and help them unlock their full potential.

NBO is now inviting high school graduates from underprivileged families across the Sultanate (from social welfare families), with a minimum scholastic achievement of 85%, who are unemployed and looking for a long-term career with NBO, to apply for the 15 university scholarships by sending an email with their documentations to wa-tani@nbo.co.om by July 24. Short-listed candidates will be invited to an assessment centre and will need to meet the university’s entry

requirements to be successful.Mohammed Mahfoodh Al Ar-

dhi, chairman of National Bank of Oman, said: “This year the Sultan-ate marks the 45th anniversary of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s reign. As part of our com-mitment to the community, we have continuously sought to de-velop and strengthen Omani tal-ent to contribute to the bank and the country’s success. We are ex-cited to extend these university scholarships to 15 students from underprivileged families across the Sultanate to help them build bright futures for themselves and their communities.”

4 5 T H N A T I O N A L D A Y C E L E B R A T I O N S

Customers visiting the

seaPearls stores during

the month of Ramadan

will receive up to 65

per cent off on diamond

jewellery products

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

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SECTIONC M O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

PRODUCTIVE SPA TEST PLEASES AL HARTHYWith just a month to go until the biggest race of Ahmad Al Harthy’s motorsport season, the Total 24 Hours of Spa, the Oman Racing Team driver is brimming with confi dence after a very productive test outing at the famous Belgian track last week. >C5. >C5

‘Sultanate of Oman’ sails to GC32victory in Round the Island Race

MUSCAT: After three days of intense racing in the 2015 Bullitt GC32 Racing Tour’s Cowes Cup, Oman Sail’s GC32 crew onboard ‘Sultanate of Oman’ participated in the JP Morgan Round the Island Race, one of the world’s largest yacht races, taking the GC32 class honour and fi nishing second over-all out of a 1,584 boat fl eet.

‘Sultanate of Oman’, which is supported by the Ministry of Tour-ism and EFG Bank (Monaco), crossed the fi nish-line to win the GC32 class with just 56 seconds ahead of Alinghi with whom they had jostled for the lead all the way round the course in tough condi-tions. The crew consisted of regu-lar Paul Campbell-James, one of the UK’s most experienced foiling experts who stepped in for skip-per and Olympian champion Leigh McMillan, Nasser Al Mashari, Ed Smyth, Alister Richardson and Pete Greenhalgh. After break-

ing his hand at the GC32 Cowes Cup on Thursday, Leigh McMil-lan passed helming duties over to Paul Campbell-James (CJ), but it was McMillan’s coaching tips that resonated as they were hur-tling around the back of the Isle of Wight crashing off waves at 30 knots, CJ said.

“Leigh McMillan spent some time with us all on Friday and it made a big diff erence. We hoped we would win and it helped that we had time in the boat. The crew did really well – they are the best in

the game, and already leading the GC32 series, so it was a nice posi-tion for me to slip into.”

“The back of the island was the most full on I have ever seen it – we were nose-diving just to slow the boat down so it didn’t do cart-wheels. It wasn’t easy to sail in those conditions and it was physi-

cally exhausting, but we have all got massive smiles on our faces now.”

“It was extremely lively round the back end of the island – 16-18 knots and very, very rough,” he explained. “We were crashing off the foils, leaping out of the water doing 25-30 knots and stopping down to 7-8 knots. These are the roughest conditions we have had in these boats and it was one of the roughest rides any of us have ever had. We are all a bit battered and bruised. There are not many people I would have gone round in

those conditions with, but CJ did us proud. He was superb.”

Back in 2010, bowman Nasser Al Mashari came second in the Ex-treme 40 class but this time around he went one better. “We were the third GC32 to go round the Nee-dles but fought hard, used every lit-tle bit of pressure and every wave. It was very choppy but from then on we had some great racing. I am very happy and extremely proud to have won our class at the Round the Island Race,” he said.

Concise, the MOD70 owned by

Tony Lawson, recorded a time of 03:30:24 to take the Freedom Chal-lenge Bowl, with just six minutes separating the fi rst and last GC32, with French boat Team ENGIE posting a time of 03:53:47 in third and Team ARGO from USA com-pleting the course in 03:56:06.

The GC32 class is a foiling cata-maran that is regarded as one of the most exciting newcomers on the high-performance racing scene. The next event of the 2015 Bullitt GC32 Racing Tour is in Kiel, Ger-many from July 29 to August 2.

‘Sultanate of Oman’,

which is supported

by the Ministry of

Tourism and EFG

Bank (Monaco),

crossed the fi nish-

line to win the GC32

class with just 56

seconds ahead of

Alinghi with whom

they had jostled for

the lead all the way

round the course in

tough conditions

RACING TO VICTORY: Oman Sail’s ‘Sultanate of Oman’ skippered by Paul Campbell-James is seen racing to the fi nish to complete a good GC32 Class win. Important crew

member Nasser Al Mashari (seen in inset) was a crucial crew member of the Oman Sail boat. – Supplied photo

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Prasad bowls Sri Lanka to winning position in Colombo

COLOMBO: Seamer Dhammika Prasad skittled Pakistan with a four-wicket haul to put Sri Lanka on top in the second Test in Co-lombo on Sunday despite a defi ant century from Azhar Ali.

Pakistan, who trailed by 177 runs in the fi rst innings, were bowled out for 329 in their second knock by tea on the fourth day to leave the hosts a target of 153 runs to level the three-match series.

Pakistan won the fi rst Test in Galle by 10 wickets.

Azhar anchored the Pakistan in-nings with a defi ant 117, his ninth Test innings, but found little sup-port at the other end as the last six wickets tumbled for 55 runs.

Wicket-keeper Dinesh Chandi-mal pouched fi ve catches and also

eff ected a stumping, while debu-tant fast bowler Dushmantha Cha-meera claimed three wickets in an impressive Sri Lankan display at the P. Sara Oval.

Azhar was reprieved twice dur-ing his marathon vigil that lasted eight hours and 33 minutes, in which he faced 308 deliveries and hit just six boundaries. Azhar had added four runs to his overnight score of 64 when he was dropped by a diving Kumar Sangakkara at fi rst slip off Prasad, a catch that Chandimal could have attempted.

When he moved to 114, Azhar was saved by a television review after umpire Sundaram Ravi had declared him leg-before off Prasad.

But the Pakistan number three was stumped soon after when he tried to hit left-arm spinner Rangana Herath out of the stadi-

um. Pakistan, who started the day at 171-2, lost two important wick-ets in the morning session to go to lunch at 244-4.

Sri Lanka secured a crucial wicket when overnight batsman Younis Khan edged an outswinger from Angelo Mathews to Chandi-mal, ending a 73-run stand for the third wicket with Azhar.

Younis, who had hoped for a big knock in his 100th Test appear-ance, scored 40 after making six in the fi rst innings.

Skipper Misbah-ul Haq, seem-ingly disturbed by a band playing in the stands, requested the um-pires to stop the music saying it upset his concentration.

The band obliged, but Misbah did not last long at the crease as he was trapped leg-before by Prasad for 22.

Pakistan lost Asad Shafi q after lunch when he was caught down the leg-side by Chandimal off Cha-meera for 27, triggering a collapse from a comfortable 274-4.

When Chandimal picked up his fourth catch in the innings to re-move Sarfraz Ahmed off Prasad for 16, Pakistan were only 124 runs ahead with four wickets in hand.

Between the two dismissals, Azhar reached his century off the 266th delivery he faced, driving Chameera for two runs.

Prasad bowled Yasir Shah for zero before Chameera claimed the last two wickets, including that of Wahab Riaz, who came out to bat despite suff ering a hairline frac-ture on his left hand.

The third and fi nal Test begins in Pallekele on July 3. - AFP

Pakistan, who trailed

by 177 runs in the

fi rst innings, were

bowled out for 329 in

their second knock by

tea on the fourth day

to leave the hosts a

target of 153 runs

to level the three-

match Test series

Pakistan 1st innings: 138 (Mohammed Hafeez 42, Tharindu Kaushal 5-42, Dham-mika Prasad 3-43)Sri Lanka 1st innings: 315 (K. Silva 80, A. Mathews 77, Yasir Shah 6-96)Pakistan 2nd innings (overnight 171-2):Mohd Hafeez c Sangakkara b Mathews 8A. Shehzad c Chandimal b Prasad 69A. Ali st Chandimal b Herath 117Y. Khan c Chandimal b Mathews 40Misbah-ul Haq lbw Prasad 22A. Shafi q c Chandimal b Chameera 27S. Ahmed c Chandimal b Prasad 16Y. Shah b Prasad 0Z. Babar not out 7J. Khan c Chandimal b Chameera 3W. Riaz lbw b Chameera 6Extras (b-2, lb-2, w-5, nb-5) 14Total (all out, 118.2 overs) 329Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Hafeez), 2-129 (She-hzad), 3-202 (Younis), 4-234 (Misbah), 5-274 (Shafi q), 6-301 (Sarfraz), 7-303 (Yasir), 8-313 (Azhar), 9-323 (Junaid), 10-329 (Wahab)Bowling: Prasad 29.3-3-92-4 (w1), Mathews 11-5-15-2, Herath 34-7-89-1 (w3), Chameera 18.5-1-53-3 (w1, nb3), Kaushal 25-3-76-0 (nb2)Pakistan lead by 152 runsToss: PakistanUmpires: Richard Illingworth (ENG) and Sundaram Ravi (IND)TV umpire: Paul Reiff el (AUS)Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)

S C O R E B O A R D

CELEBRATION: Sri Lanka’s Dhammika Prasad, centre, celebrates

with his teammates after taking a wicket. – Reuters

CLASSIC KNOCK: Pakistan’s

Azhar Ali celebrates scoring a

century in Colombo. – AP/PTI

Australia ease to Ashes-tour opening win despite Bell-Drummond centuryCANTERBURY: Daniel Bell-Drummond’s sparkling hundred for Kent could not prevent Aus-tralia winning the opening match of their Ashes tour by 255 runs at Canterbury on Sunday.

Almost 40 years to the day since England great Colin Cow-drey made a match-winning 151 not out for Kent against Australia on the same St Lawrence ground, Bell-Drummond delighted a new generation of fans with an innings of 127. However, the 21-year-old’s eff ort was in a losing cause with Kent, set an improbable 550 for victory, bowled out for 294 in their second innings shortly after tea on Sunday’s fourth and fi nal day.

After Australia had declared on their overnight 322 for four, opener Bell-Drummond — out for a duck in the fi rst innings — looked in good touch. He struck three fours in an over from fast bowler Ryan Harris including a fi ne straight drive.

Fellow opener Joe Denly made

a brisk 22 before he was bowled middle stump by fi rst change Pe-ter Siddle.

Former England batsman Rob Key had anchored Kent’s fi rst in-nings 280 — made in response to Australia’s imposing 507 for eight declared — with 87.

But Key could only manage 14 on Sunday before, for the second time in the match, he fell to leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed.

Mitchell Marsh, who made a quickfi re century in Australia’s second innings, continued to press his claim as a seam-bowling all-rounder in the side for the fi rst Test against England at Cardiff on July 8, by having Kent captain Sam Northeast caught behind for 11.

Bell-Drummond, however, ac-celerated in style after getting to lunch on 66 not out.

He was especially severe on Ahmed, taking 18 off one over from the leg-spinner including a cut four, a straight-drive six, an-other cut boundary and a clip off

his legs to the mid-wicket rope.Bell-Drummond, long regarded

as one of England’s most promis-ing young players, wasn’t fi nished with Ahmed as a pull for four and two successive sixes, in three balls from the spinner saw him to a 92-ball hundred.

Seventh tonWhat was just the seventh fi rst-class century of Bell Drummond’s fl edgling career contained 21 fours and three sixes. He was eventually lbw to Harris.

Not long afterwards, rain briefl y halted play with Kent, bottom of the Second Division of England’s County Championship, 203 for four. But when the match resumed they lost four wickets for 30 runs in slumping to 233 for eight.

Harris, who fi nished with fi g-ures of two for 59 in 14 overs, struck again to have Sam Bil-ings caught in the gully by Shaun Marsh. Leg-spinner Steven Smith, now better known as the world’s

number-one ranked Test bats-man, took two wickets for nine runs in two overs as Adam Ball and Ben Harmison, younger brother of Ashes-winner Stephen, both carelessly holed out. Adam Riley was then well-caught in the slips by Shane Watson off fast bowler Mitchell Johnson for nought.

Australia-born but England qualifi ed Mitchell Claydon enter-tained another good crowd with a 25-ball fi fty that included two soaring straight sixes off Smith before falling to Ahmed.

Smith, who scored a century in Australia’s second innings, ended the match when he dismissed last man Ivan Thomas for a duck.

Australia have one more four-day match, against Essex in Chelmsford starting on Wednes-day, before they begin the defence of the Ashes.

Brief scores: Australia 1st Innings 507-8 decl. Kent 1st Innings 280. Aus-tralia 2nd Innings 322 for 4 decl. Kent 2nd Innings 294 all out. — AFP

T O U R O P E N E R

Anderson will ‘cop it’ in Ashes: Warne

LONDON: Australia great Shane Warne has told England new-ball duo James Ander-son and Stuart Broad to expect plenty of “sledging”, or verbal abuse, to come their way during the upcoming Ashes series.

Anderson has contrasted the sporting atmosphere which prevailed during England’s re-cent series with New Zealand to the “needle” that existed during the last Ashes campaign, which Australia won 5-0 on home soil in 2013/14.

Infamously told by Australia captain Michael Clarke to “get ready for a broken arm” during the fi rst Test in Brisbane while batting as a tailender, Anderson said he hoped the latest series between the arch-rivals could be played in the same spirit as Eng-land’s series with New Zealand.

“That was a really positive se-ries and the nature of both sides’ cricket was helped by the spirit the game was played in,” Ander-son said on Wednesday.

However, retired leg-spin star Warne, in a column for Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper, wrote: “Are you for real Jimmy? Seri-ously! This is the Ashes and I can tell Jimmy now that he is going to cop it from the Aussies more than anyone. When he’s batting, it will be 11 against one in the middle. “I reckon Michael Clarke and his team will carry on from the last (Ashes) series and give it to Jimmy and Stuart Broad.”

Warne added: “When either of those two (Anderson and Broad) bat, the Aussie fi elders will be like koalas round a euca-lyptus tree.” — AFP

C R I C K E T

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SPORTSM O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

German threat for Djoko in opener

LONDON: Novak Djokovic will not have long to wait to discover whether his risky pre-Wimbledon schedule was foolhardy or the per-fect way to arrive fresh for the de-fence of his title.

As tradition demands the Serb will open play on Centre Court on Monday as defending men’s champion but rather than a gen-tle loosener the 28-year-old faces a real danger in the form of Ger-many’s Philipp Kohlschreiber, the world number 33.

It will be his fi rst competitive match since his French Open fi nal defeat by Stanislas Wawrinka -- a loss that left him mentally frazzled after a punishing year in which he has already bagged the Australian Open and four Masters 1000 titles.

Lleyton Hewitt, in 2003, was the last defending champion to lose in the fi rst round, and Djokovic knows that if he is half-cooked af-ter skipping the grasscourt warm-up events, Kohlschreiber could cause a huge fi rst-day shock.

“Well, if you see Kohlschreiber in the fi rst round, I think you have to stay where it is, take one match at a time,” Djokovic told reporters when asked if he had looked at his possible route to the latter stages.

“Considering the fact I haven’t played any offi cial grass court matches, I don’t allow myself to look more than that.

“Right now I think I’m 100 per-cent prepared. Hopefully tomor-row when I get on the court I’ll be able to perform my best because that’s something that is going to be very much needed in order to win against Kohlschreiber.

“It’s one of the toughest fi rst rounds I could get.”

Women’s top seed Serena Wil-liams also opens her account on Monday on Court One against Russia’s Margarita Gasparyan.

The American is bidding for a sixth Wimbledon title which would put her three quarters of the way to a rare calendar slam, some-thing Djokovic had been tipped to achieve before falling to Waw-rinka in the French Open fi nal this month. “If she manages to do that, obviously she’ll just confi rm that she’s, if not the greatest, then defi -nitely one of the greatest tennis

players that ever played the game,” Djokovic said of the 33-year-old who has 20 grand slam singles titles — third on the all-time list behind Margaret Court (24) and Steffi Graf (22).

Wawrinka will share the Centre Court stage with Djokovic on Mon-day when the fourth seed takes on Joao Sousa of Portugal while wom-en’s fourth seed Maria Sharapova, beaten by Williams in the Australi-an Open fi nal, plays Briton Johanna Konta. Women’s champion Petra Kvitova will hope to have shaken off a sore throat by the time she opens Centre Court on Tuesday against Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens. Home favourite Andy Murray and seven-times champion Roger Federer also start on Tuesday.

Ferrer outDavid Ferrer has been forced to withdraw from Wimbledon on the

eve of the tournament after the Spaniard suff ered an elbow injury.

Ferrer, 33, was due to face Brit-ain’s James Ward in the fi rst round of the grass-court Grand Slam, which starts on Monday.

But the eighth seed, a Wimble-don quarterfi nalist in 2012 and 2013, has decided against risking further damage to the elbow.

“David Ferrer has withdrawn from the Gentlemen’s singles due to an elbow injury,” a Wimbledon statement read on Sunday.

The former French Open fi nal-ist’s place is taken by lucky loser Luca Vanni, with the Italian due to face Ward on Tuesday.

Ferrer could have been a po-tential quarter-fi nal opponent for 2013 champion Andy Murray, and his withdrawal may also prove a boost for Rafael Nadal, who was scheduled to meet his compatriot in the last 16. -Reuters, AFP

As tradition demands

the Serb will open

play on Centre

Court on Monday

as defending men’s

champion but rather

than a gentle loosener

the 28-year-old faces

a real danger in the

form of Germany’s

Philipp Kohlschreiber,

the world number 33

READY FOR THE BATTLE ON GRASS: Novak Djokovic is seen at the

practice courts at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon. – AFP

LONDON: Serena Williams arrives at Wimbledon for the latest stage of her bid for an historic calendar Grand Slam with the praise of her peers ringing in her ears.

Williams has swept to victory at the Australian and French Opens over the last six months and a sixth Wimbledon crown would leave the world number one within touching distance of becoming the fi rst woman since Steffi Graf in 1988 to win all four majors in the same year.

The 33-year-old Ameri-can’s march to a memorable milestone has reached the All England Club, where she opens against Russian qualifi er Margarita Gasparyan.

And her exploits have cap-tured the attention of fellow players in both the female and male locker rooms.

Asked to assess Serena’s place in history and her chanc-es of achieving the calender Slam, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova all off ered glowing reviews of the 20-time Grand Slam champion.

Few know the pressures of competing for a place in his-tory more than Federer, who will attempt to win a record-breaking eighth Wimbledon title — which would take his all-time best tally of Grand Slam trophies to 18.

The Swiss great marvels at Serena’s longevity and believes the greatest threat to her chances is looking ahead to the fi nish line at the US Open in August.

“When she plays on her terms you would think Wim-bledon and the US Open would be the easier ones to win, especially with her serve. But that’s exactly when you have a hiccup,” Federer said.

“So it’s all about focus right now, sometimes just grinding through some matches.

“Once she gets to the fi nal, she’s always going to be the favourite.

“I’m not surprised she’s still at the top. To be mentally ready for the challenge, that’s what’s so admirable about her.”

Nadal has 14 Grand Slam titles to his name, including two at Wimbledon, and, like Serena, his success has often been achieved by overpow-ering opponents, so it is no surprise to see the Spaniard salute her blistering serve and thunderous ground-strokes.

“When Serena is playing well, it is very diffi cult to beat her. She won in Roland Garros, that probably was the most dif-fi cult one for her. She has the right game to play well in Wim-bledon. If she really does it, it will be amazing,” Nadal said. “My feeling is she has much

more power than the others. That’s a big advantage in the women’s game. Her shots are hit a lot diff erently than the other women.”

Credible challengerNo-one has had a more up-close look at Serena’s ability to blast her way to victory than Maria Sharapova, the fi ve-time Grand Slam champion who has now lost 17 of their 19 career meetings, including this year’s Australian Open fi nal.

Sharapova, who won her 2004 Wimbledon title with a famous fi nal upset of Serena, is regarded as one of the only credible challengers to Wil-liams’ bid to wrestle the trophy from defending champion Petra Kvitova.

But, despite a prickly relationship with Serena, she admitted the American, a po-tential semi-fi nal opponent, is the overwhelming favourite.

“Yeah, absolutely. She’s cer-tainly the player to beat having won the last three majors. I think those results speak for herself,” said Sharapova, whose Wimbledon opener is against

British wildcard Johanna Konta. “I think it always comes down to consistency. It’s one thing to do it at one or two events, but to have that level to be able to do it consistently is pretty incredible.”

After reaching the French Open fi nal and then the Wim-bledon semi-fi nals last year, Romanian third seed Simona Halep could also fl uster Ser-ena, who has failed to make the quarter-fi nals in her last two appearances at the All England Club. However, ahead of her fi rst round tie against Slova-kia’s Jana Cepelova, Halep ad-mitted she is in awe of Serena’s achievements and expects to see her succeed at Wimbledon and US Open over the coming months.

“Serena has two (Grand Slams) this year already, so she can do it. It’s pretty amazing,” Halep said.

“She’s a great champion. She has a lot of power. She’s very strong mentally.

“I admire her a lot. I have learned many things from her. You know, she is the best player in the world.” - AFP

Plaudits pour in for calendar girl Serena

GLOWING REVIEWS: Serena Williams of the U.S. leaves follow-

ing a practice session at Wimbledon in London. – Reuters

C4

SPORTSM O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

YOUR BIGGEST ROAD HAZARD IS IN YOUR HAND A TIMES OF OMAN

HANDS-FREE DRIVING INITIATIVE

FRENCH SCHOOL PARTICIPATES IN AEFE FOOTBALLThe women’s junior football team from the French School in Muscat is at the Women’s

Junior World Cup in Canada! In the context of the Women’s Football World Cup which

is being held in Canada, the AEFE (the Agency for French Education Abroad), which is

present in 135 countries including Oman across the globe, organized a soccer competi-

tion between schools from their international network. 12 players aged 11 to 13, as well as

2 coaches were in Quebec to defend the colors of the French School in Muscat. The French

School in Muscat which currently has an enrollment of 250 students, is getting ready to

move to their new campus in Airport Heights for the coming academic year. — Supplied photo

Fatma loses in Mauritius event

MUSCAT: Oman’s Fatma Al Nab-hani’s campaign in the Interna-tional Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Mauritius ended with a semifi nal exit in the doubles

event, according to information received from Oman Tennis As-sociation.

Fatma Al Nabhani partnered India’s Prerna Bhambri in the $10,000 Grand Baie La Croisette tournament and were the top seeds and favourites.

However, the duo lost to South African pair of Ilze Hattingh and Madrie le Roux 6-3, 7-6 (3).

Fatma and Prerna had defeated Liniques Theron (Namibia) and Shannon Wong Hon Chan (Mau-ritius) 6-1, 6-2 in the fi rst round of the doubles.

They als prevailed over Sabrina Bamburac (Britain) and Ani Van-gelova of Bulgaria 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfi nal.

In the singles, the third seeded Fatma Al Nabhani suff ered a fi rst round exit at the hands of unseed-ed 15-year-old Jaeda Daniel of USA. Jaeda won 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

Fatma Al Nabhani

partnered India’s

Prerna Bhambri in

the $10,000 Grand

Baie La Croisette

tournament in

Mauritius and were

the top seeds, but the

Indo-Oman pair could

not advance beyond

the semifi nals

Fatma Al Nabhani.

Cheema XI, Gitas, CSI Warriors and Strikers notch contrasting victories MUSCAT: Cheema XI, Gitas, CSI Warriors and Chaikwal Strikers won their respective matches in the ongoing Pakistan Social Club organised Omantel Ramadan Cricket Tournament 2015 at the Pakistan School ground. In the fi rst match, Cheema XI beat Agha XI by 13 runs, while Gitas trounced Matrah Boys by eight wickets. CSI Warriors were too good for Friends XI as they won by 37 runs, while Chaikwal Strikers defeated Masters XI by seven wickets.

Brief scores:Cheema XI 104 for 5 in 8 overs (Wasim 34, Irfan 21, Ali 2 for 16) beat Agha XI 88 for 3 in 8 overs (Waqas 28, Usman 21) by 13

runs. Man of the match: Wasim of Cheema XI.

Matrah Boys 97 fro 6 in 8 overs (Rana Jameel 24, Abbass 3 for 23) lost to Gitas 98 for 2 in 7.5 overs (Umair 45, Ifthikar 21) by 8 wick-ets. Man of the match: Umair,

CSI Warriors 92 for 5 in 8 overs (Waleed 21, Ali Hassan 18, Aqib 16, Rizwan 2 for 17) beat Friends XI 55 for 7 in 8 overs (Ashfaq 13, Maqs-sod 10, Aqib 2 for 7, Majeed 2 for 8) by 37 runs. Man of the match: Aqib of CSI Warriors.

Masters XI 85 for 3 in 8 overs (Fayyaz 26, Ramzan 25) lost to Chaikwal Striker 86 for 3 in 5.1 overs (Noman 40, Waleed 17) by 7 wickets. Man of the match: Noman of Chaikwal Strikers.

R A M A D A N C R I C K E T

MUSCAT: The fi rst and second round of Ramadan football tour-nament, organised and supervised by GPDC, a subsidiary of Nama Group, concluded recently.

The tournament saw the elec-tricity companies in Oman, along with other public and private or-ganizations, come together to play some good football and exhibit the spirit of sportsmanship,

At end of the fi rst week’s match-

es, GPDC and PACI lead the table with four points each, followed by Suhail Bahwan with three points and Electricity Holding Company with no points in Group 1.

While in other Group, MEDC was leading with 6 points, followed by PASI with 3 points, and MZEC

and OETC got 1 point each.The matches were well attended

by football enthusiasts from city and fi lled with exciting moments. The tournament also includes daily prizes for most enthusiastic of fans. The participants are pleased to be part of this initiative which is or-

ganized by various institutions that support sports and looks after the interest of employees, with focus on their health and entertainment.

The third round of the football tournament will be held this week, where the qualifi ed teams will play along with the remaining teams who still have a chance to qualify for the third round. The tournament is being held on GPDC football fi eld and will continue till July 6.

S O C C E R F I E S T A

GPDC Ramadan football tournament enters third round

The tournament will conclude on July 6 at GPDC ground

McLeod smashes personal best timeKINGSTON: Omar McLeod ran a world leading time of 12.97 seconds to capture the men’s 110 metre hurdles at the Jamaican national trials on Saturday night.

The 21-year-old McLeod, who is the US college 60-metre indoor sprint champion, was overjoyed as he shattered his personal best time of 13.21 seconds by 0.24 sec-onds to take the world leading time over France’s Pascal Mar-tinot-Lagarde (13.06).

“It is just a scintillating feel-ing,” he said. “I am tremendously happy with my performance. I knew once I had the perfect wind I knew I could run under 13 sec-onds. “It was great to do it right here in front of my home crowd.”

Olympic Games bronze med-allist Hansle Parchment was second in 13.08 seconds, while Commonwealth Games cham-pion Andrew Riley was third in 13.25 seconds. McLeod said he is now getting set for Beijing in August where he will compete in the 2015 World Championships. He plans to prepare for Beijing by competing in the Diamond League circuit of events.

For the fi rst time Jamaica will have two women who are auto-matic qualifi ers in the 800 metres at a global championship after Na-toya Goule (1:59.63) and Simoya Campbell (1:59.92) both ran per-sonal best times. Kimarra McDon-ald was third in 2:02.08. — AFP

A T H L E T I C S

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Productive test in Spa pleases Oman Racing Team’s Ahmad

MUSCAT: With just a month to go until the biggest race of Ahmad Al Harthy’s motorsport season, the To-tal 24 Hours of Spa, the Oman Rac-ing Team driver is brimming with confi dence after a very productive test outing at the famous Belgian track last week.

Just a few days removed from the previous round of the Blanc-pain Endurance Series at Paul Ricard in France last weekend, where the 33-year-old and team-mates Jonny Adam and Daniel Lloyd secured their fi rst Pro Cup points fi nish of the season, the squad headed straight to Spa for the practice, where they shared an extremely busy track with almost 60 other cars.

Enjoying a productive and confi -dence assuring outing, the trio con-centrated on key set-up work for the No.44 Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 ahead of July’s huge twice-round-the-clock encounter, which will be Ahmad’s third appearance in the most challenging GT race in the world.

As the blue riband event of the Blancpain season, the Total 24 Hours of Spa carries with it im-mense prestige and Oman Air, Oman Ministry of Sports Aff airs, Ooredoo, National Bank of Oman and Al Hashar Group-backed racer Ahmad says the motivation to do well there has never been higher.

“We didn’t run new tyres at all in the test, there was no focus on lap

times as we just wanted to concen-trate on getting everything com-fortable for the 24 Hours”, he com-mented, “It was good to familiarise myself with the track again and we defi nitely accomplished everything we wanted – it was a productive day. “The team is very motivated for Spa, we’re very much ready for it and we know we have a good car and set-up for the event.

“We tested with the 24 Hour race spec on the Aston on Wednesday so we learnt a lot and we know what’s possible. It’s a huge event, the biggest of our season, so to do well there and achieve a respectable fi nish would be a massive achievement.”

Prior to the Total 24 Hours of Spa, which gets underway on Satur-

day, 25th July, the next round of the Avon Tyres British GT Champion-ship – in which Ahmad and Lloyd are currently fi fth in the driver standings with the Oman Racing Team leading the entrant’s bat-tle – will also take place at Spa, on Saturday, 11th July. Last Wednes-day’s test, therefore, had double the importance.

“It’s worked very nicely having the 24 Hour race test before we go to Spa for the next round of British GT, the track time we had and eve-rything we learned with the car will be a big help for that event where we’re determined to be back on the podium”, added the Aston Mar-tin Middle East and North Africa ambassador.

Enjoying a productive and confi dence

assuring outing, the trio concentrated

on key set-up work for the No.44

Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 ahead

of July’s huge twice-round-the-clock

encounter, which will be Ahmad’s

third appearance in the most

challenging GT race in the world

ACTION AT BLANCPAIN: File photo of Ahmad Al Harthy driving during the Blancpain Endurance Series at Paul Ricard. – Supplied photo

It was good to

familiarise myself with

the track again

Ahmad Al HarthyORT

Oman crush Cork County in World T20 qualifi ers build-up MUSCAT: The Oman national cricket team recorded a massive 59-run win against a strong com-bined Cork County cricket team in their last practice match played in Cork, Ireland.

The team will after a few net sessions travel to Belfast on July 3 for the warm up matches against Nepal on July 6 and Ireland on July 7 prior to the commencement of the tournament proper.

Batting fi rst the Oman team piled up 179 runs off the 20 allotted overs with solid contributions from Jatinder Singh 66 (7x4 and 1x6), Mehran Khan 33 (3x4 and 2x6) and skipper Sultan Ahmed 31 (5x4).

With a required run rate of 9 runs per over the hosts managed to get only to 119 with Aamir Kaleem grabbing four wickets conceding 24 runs. Munis Ansari, Sufyan Mahmood and Rajesh Ranpura claimed a wicket each.

At a presentation ceremony held after the completion of the match mementos were awarded to Ajay Lalacheta as the best bowler while Khawar Ali was adjudged the best batsman.

The Oman tam are raring to pro-ceed for the ICC T20 World Cup qualifi ers.

Oman has been pooled in Group B with Afghanistan, UAE, The Netherlands, Scotland, Canada and Kenya. The top three from the group, along with three from the other pool, will progress to the

World T20, to be played next year.The other group in the qualify-

ing competition comprises Ire-land, Nepal, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Namibia, the United States and Jersey.

Oman face Kenya in the open-ing match on July 11, followed by Canada on July 12 and The Neth-erlands on July 14. They play Af-ghanistan on July 15, UAE on July 17 and Canada on July 18.

C R I C K E T

PREPARING THE HARD WAY: Oman Cricket Team with technical adviser Derek Pringle and coach Du-

leep Mendis during training session. – Supplied photo

TIPS FROM THE BOSS: Oman cricketers getting some batting tips

from the technical adviser Derek Pringle. – Supplied photo

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Argentine coaches to square off in Copa America last four action

SANTIAGO: Only four teams are left in the Copa America and whichever lifts the trophy next weekend, one thing is guaranteed — the winning coach will be an Argentine. With Brazil’s shock exit in the quarterfi nals on Saturday, the semifi nal lineup is complete. Hosts Chile will face Peru in San-tiago on Monday before favourites Argentina take on Paraguay in the southern Chilean city of Concep-cion on Tuesday.

All four teams have Argentine coaches. Chile are led by Jorge Sampaoli, Peru by Ricardo Gareca, Argentina by Gerardo Martino and Paraguay by Ramon Diaz.

“It’s a source of great happiness for the whole country that we not only have top-class players but

also top-class coaches,” Diaz said after his side disposed of Brazil in a penalty shootout on Saturday.

Buoyed by a home crowd, Chile will be favourites to beat Peru but are still waiting to hear if their centre back Gonzalo Jara will be cleared to play.

He is at the centre of the now infamous incident after televi-sion images showed him sticking his fi nger up an opponent’s back-

side during Chile’s quarter-fi nal victory over Uruguay. The South American football federation is reviewing the case and is expected to rule on it before the semi-fi nal. The chances are that Jara will be banned for at least one match.

That would be a blow to Chile’s chances of containing Peru’s “fantastic four” — strikers Paolo Guerrero and Claudio Pizarro and attacking midfi elders Jeff erson

Farfan and Juan Vargas. They have turned an otherwise unremarkable team into serious title contenders and Guerrero in particular is in fi ne form having scored a hat-trick in their quarter-fi nal defeat of Bolivia.

Argentina looked good in their last match against Colombia but once again struggled to find the net, despite having attack-ing talents Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Angel di Maria in

their starting lineup. In the end it was their reserve striker, Carlos Tevez, who eased them into the last four with the decisive penalty in a shootout.

Their opponents Paraguay are perhaps the most unlikely of the semifi nalists, although they have already faced the three most suc-cessful sides in South American football history — Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay — and come

through unbeaten. Tuesday’s match will be a repeat of their group clash against Argentina, when they battled back from 2-0 down to earn a 2-2 draw.

Thirteen players go into the semis on yellow cards and if they are booked would miss the fi nal. They include Messi, his Argentine team mate Javier Mascherano and Chile’s infl uential playmaker Jorge Valdivia. - Reuters

All four teams have

Argentine coaches.

Chile are led by

Jorge Sampaoli,

Peru by Ricardo

Gareca, Argentina by

Gerardo Martino and

Paraguay, who beat

Brazil is coached

by Ramon Diaz

OVER THE MOON: Paraguay’s players celebrate after scoring the winning penalty kick during a Copa America quarterfi nal soccer match against Brazil at the Ester Roa Re-

bolledo Stadium in Concepcion, Chile. – AP/PTI

Dunga blames virus for Brazil woeCONCEPCION: Brazil coach Dunga blamed a mystery virus for his team’s shock Copa America exit to Paraguay on Saturday as the most successful footballing nation on the planet struggled to digest another tournament setback.

Dunga said as many as 15 mem-bers of his squad had been aff ected by the virus, which he said had dis-rupted preparations for the quarter-fi nal against the Paraguayans. “I’m not making excuses, but around 15 players had viruses which limited our training,” Dunga said.

“Some had headaches, back pain, body aches. Some players felt it more than others and had to reduce training, some players vomited. Today was a game where we needed speed and we didn’t have it,” he added.

Dunga’s explanation caused confusion amongst members of his squad, with midfi elder Filipe Luis telling reporters he was una-ware of any mass illness amongst his team-mates.

“I didn’t know anything about that,” the Chelsea player said. “Some of the other guys might

have had a problem, but I didn’t.”Goalkeeper Jeff erson however

backed his manager. “Everyone woke up with a fever, headache and body aches,” he said, before playing down the extent to which it had aff ected the result.

Brazil on sick bed?For the second Copa America in succession, Brazil exited at the quarterfi nal stage to the Para-guayans on penalties.

Dunga’s side looked to be in control during the fi rst half when

Robinho fi red them into a 15th-minute lead.

But Derlis Gonzalez leveled from the penalty spot for Para-guay in the second half, and then struck the winning spot-kick in the shoot-out to clinch a famous win and set up a semi-fi nal with Argentina.

While Dunga talked about a mystery virus, others will be left asking whether Brazilian football in general is on its sick bed.

Dunga had looked to have been nursing the Selecao back to health as the team recovered from the traumatic humiliation of last year’s World Cup semi-fi nal drub-bing by Germany, overseeing 10 consecutive wins in friendlies leading up to the Copa America.

But those results merely cam-oufl aged the same problems that existed at the World Cup, a dearth of creative fl air and an over-reli-ance on Neymar.

Brazil needed a late, Neymar-inspired goal to squeeze past Peru in their opening game, and were then derailed 1-0 by Colombia in their second match.

Neymar’s frustration boiled over resulting in the four-match ban that ended his participation in the tournament. Brazil fared slightly better in a 2-1 win over Venezuela, before Saturday’s loss to Paraguay.

‘Useless to cry’“We knew from the beginning it would not be easy,” Dunga said. “We had many victories but we still were not happy. We will try to come back and react.

“There’s always pressure on Brazil when you win or when you lose. We will try to get better and better. Many great players have failed on penalties.

“If it was easy a lot of people could do my job, but it’s not ... It’s useless to cry about it.”

Dunga meanwhile acknowl-edged the deeper problems facing Brazil as they attempt to reclaim their place at the summit of the global game.

“We all have to think about Bra-zilian football,” he said. “We can’t ignore the fact that other teams have got a lot better.” — AFP

C O P A A M E R I C A

NOT MAKING EXCUSES: Dunga

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

GearSECTIONC L I F E STY L E

Tech-loaded, engaging driving dynamics, and handsome interiors, the Audi A6 has long been among the top favourites in its class. The 2015 version raises

the bar a notch higher, Nishad Padiyarath reports

M O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

LIFESTYLEC8 M O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

Fascinating at fi rst glance, the new Audi A6 design exudes progress and sportiness, with a look that is smartly refi ned. What excited me most though was the technol-ogy behind the beautiful facade. I wasn’t disappointed, with the 2015 model, the company continues to build on its reputa-tion for high-tech, if conservative, luxury.

Though the A6 sits in the shadow of its mechanically similar A7 hatchback sedan, the car scores highly on the design and I

enjoyed the mix of rich fi nishes and comfortable seat-ing. The plush interiors of the A6 sway you the mo-ment you slide in, with an impressive sense of space combined with a comfort-oriented interior design.

The highlight for me of course, was the long list of featured technologies, especially the latest genera-tion of Audi infotainment system. The large 8-inch TFT colour display integrates a wide range of func-tions in a user-friendly manner. From Google Earth maps, to in-car wireless Internet access, to an inno-vative system that lets you trace out letters with your fi nger, the new system goes above and beyond with tech options.

An impressive sound quality in every seat is yet another highlight, thanks to the standard surround sound system. With 14 loudspeakers and a total out-

put of more than 600 watts, Audi off ers arguably the best sound system in its segment. Customers can choose between Bose, Bang and Olufsen speakers for their cars.

The active-safety features include front and rear parking sensors, a top-view camera, blind-spot moni-tors, a night-vision system, and a head-up display.

The driving experience is excellent in Audi A6. The base model carries a 220-horsepower, 2.0 li-tre four with either a continuously variable trans-mission (CVT) and front-wheel drive, or an eight-speed automatic and Quattro all-wheel drive. The V6 cylinder is faster; expect 0-100km in about 8.1 seconds with a top speed of 235 km/h. The CVT here performs its best. All TFSI engines comply with the EU6 emission standard.

Fuel consumption and emissions are consistently being reduced in Audi A6. For instance, the further developed start-stop system automatically switches off the engine in stationary phases. The Audi drive mode selector provides the highest effi ciency while driving. As standard, with fi ve modes – from comfort to dynamic, it ensures individual vehicle adjustment, to suit diff erent driving conditions.

Overall, driving the A6 is sheer pleasure. The fan-tastic car does everything that is asked of it with con-fi dence and class. ‘Engineered Intuition’, as they say.

Audi A6 FSI Quattro 220hp S tronic

EngineV6 cylinder petrol engine with direct fuel injectionMax. output: 220hp / 5,750 - 6,500

PerformanceTop speed: 235 km/hAcceleration 0-100 km: 8.1 seconds

Fuel consumptionFuel consumption urban/extra urban combined: 6.2 l/100km CO2 emissions: 145 g/km

Power transmissionDrive type: Quattro all wheel driveTransmission type: S tronic (7-speed)

VolumeLuggage capacity: 530 LitresTank capacity: 65 Litres

Audi slogan and ethos “Vorsprung durch Technik” is a German language

phrase that roughly translates to “Advancement through technology”

Scan to see

the Audi A6

2015 Promo

How to Re-Purpose Your Old Phone

Question: I’m buying

a new mobile phone,

what should I do with

the old one?

Tech Support: Don’t just trash it, put it to good use.

In-store trade-in programmesWant immediate

credit? Check with your local store or retailer if they ex-change old phones for credit.

Give it to your kids or young cousinsYou could consider

giving it to your children as a toy, or more likely than not, they are already pretty good at using yours for games and calling, but are not yet old enough to care about having the latest model.

To test appsTesting and creating your own apps on your old phone makes sense before

installing it on your new phone or tablets.

Sell it One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Try selling

it in your local market. If it is in mint condition, it will defi nitely be of some value, or consider donating it to someone in need.

Some online sites you could consider if you want to sell your old phones:

• BuyMyTronics (www.gamestop.com)• Gazelle (www.gazelle.com)• YouRenew (www.yourenew.com)• USell (www.usell.com)• NextWorth (www.nextworth.com)• FlipSwap (www.crunchbase.com)• Cash for smartphones (www.smartphonetradein.com)• Amazon (www.amazon.com)

LIFESTYLEC9M O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

Ease of useStandard full face helmets have a fi xed chin bar. Once on, all else is off ; no talking, no eating, just look down the straight stretch. Want to have water? Yeah, well take it off .

Flip up helmets (with their sun shield) are much more conveni-ent to use — having a hinged chin bar that can be rotated up — handy when you’re fi lling your bike at the gas station or explaining your awesome ride to some amazed on-looker.Full face: Modular:

ComfortModulars with their bigger split design are heavier, putting more strain on the neck. Also, if you are into racing, the modular helmet could really make your head go gaga at high speeds (we are talking 200 kmph plus), as the bigger size battles more inward air pressure, making it shaky.

The full face are more stream-lined, light weight and thus more stable. A more sung fi t means they are less of a bother on the neck, and at high speeds.Full face: Modular:

Noise When air rushes past the helmet while riding, it creates noise as well as turbulence. Although it varies according to the bike you’re on and the shape of your head, and whether you have the ventilation vents open or closed, air disturbance is signifi -cantly more intense in the modular helmets.

The full face helmets are com-paratively quieter and most us-ers experience only the mildest of breezes at head level. Full face: Modular:

SafetyFull face helmets off er better protec-tion to the chin and jaw with its fi xed chin bar and stronger single frame construction.

Modulars have a moveable chin bar, and what you gain in conveni-ence, you defi nitely loose in pro-tection. The hinge mechanism of a modular helmet is not strong enough to withstand chin impact. The split design construction of the modular is also not as strong as that of a full face.Full face: Modular:

ModularThe modulars, also known as fl ip-ups, are similar to full-face helmets as they also cover the whole face. However, you can lift the visor, so you do not have to take the helmet off every time you stop. The fl ip-front helmet is a compromise between a full-face and an open-face helmet, off ering the benefi ts of both.

Full faceA full-face helmet covers the entire head, and therefore this is the safest option avail-able. The full-face helmets also optimally protects the lower part of the face, the chin, and the jaw with their single frame construction.

Riding a motorcycle can make you look and feel cool, exuding an air of bold fear-

lessness as you hit the open road. However, as a motorcycle rider, you should always think of safety fi rst, and when it comes to safety, protecting your head is the most vi-tal concern. Helmets are life-sav-ers for riders, but when choosing a lid to protect your scull, what is the

best option? Full-face or modular? Debates have raged over this topic, so here I’m off ering a break-down of the pros and cons of these two popular options. There are other types of head gear as well, like the three quarters and half-helmets (or skull caps), but we excuse ourselves from exam-ining them, as they are more for show than protection.

ModularThe modulars, also known as

FuA fentthisable optparthecon

iding a make youexuding a

lessness as you However, as a you should alwafi rst, and when iprotecting your htal concern. Helers for riders, bulid to protect you

ROADTESTED

Have tech queries? Ask Mahran Shaukat Ali, TOO Tech Support, at mahran@timesofoman.com

TECHSUPPORT

The key to modular helmets’ suc-cess is their versatility. With the moveable chin-bar, they off er the same weather protection as a full-coverage helmet (if not the same crash protection, since rubber or plastic is typically used to line the chin-bar instead of EPS), as well as the convenience of half helmets once the chin-bar is up.

However the more serious bik-ers would still prefer the full face — safer, quieter and lighter. The remaining question is the safety

of modular helmets. Though most branded helmets are at least DOT (Department of Transport) approved, none of the modular helmets pass stricter helmet test-ing, such as the Snell or ECE 22-05 standards.

Some people believe in these tests and some don’t. Again, it’s a personal decision, but my verdict goes to the Full Face.

TOO Choice: The Full FaceHave feedback? Contact faisal@timesofoman.com

Verdict

FULL FACE VS MODULARBy Faisal Mohammed Naim

Scan to choose

your perfect

helmet

FIND-IT-ALL

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MARY GRACE June 29

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Emergencies and inquiries: 9999

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EMBASSIES IN OMAN

Afghanistan 24698 791/4

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Turkey 24697050/1/2

UAE 24400000

United Kingdom 24609000

United States 24643400

Yemen 24600815

PHARMACIES

Round the clock

Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

Appolo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24782666

Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi 24702542

Salalah 23291635;

Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra 24503585

Muscat Region

Apollo, Al Hamriya 24787766

Muscat, A Seeb Market 24421691

Muscat, Al Khuwair 24485740

Muscat, Al Hail South 24537080

Dhofar Region

Muscat, Al Nahdha Road,

Salalah 23291635

HOSPITALS

Al Amal Medical & Health Care Centre

24485052

Atlas Hospital

Ruwi 24811743/

Ghubra 24504000

Al Musafir Specialised

Medical Clinic 24706453

Hatat Polyclinic LLC,

Ruwi 24563641

Azaiba 24499269

Sohar 2683006

Al Raffah Hospital 24618900/1/2

Al Massaraat Clinic &

Laboratory 24566435

Al Makook Medical

Coordinance Centre 24499434

Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24787766, 24787780

Capital Polyclinic 24707549

Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic,

Ruwi 24799760/1/2

Capital Clinic, Seeb 24420740

Ceregem National Raak 24485633

Dr Harub’s Clinic 24563217

Elixir Health Centre 24565802

Emirates Medical Centre 24604540

1st Chiropractic Centre 24472274

Hamdan Hospital 23212340

International Medical

Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5

Kims Oman Hospital 24760100

24 Hrs Emergency 24760123

Lama Polyclinic, Sohar 26751128

MBD 24799077

Al Khuwair 24478818

Magrabi Eye and

Ear Hospital 24568870

Muscat Private Hospital 24583600

Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment

Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666

Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC 22004000

AIRLINE OFFICES

Muscat Airport Flight information

(24 hours) 24519456/24519223

Aeroflot 24704455

Air Arabia 24700828

Air France 24562153

Air India 24799801

Air New Zealand 24700732

Biman Bangladesh Airlines 24701128

British Airways 24568777

Cathay Pacific 24789818

Egypt Air 24794113

Emirates Air 24404400

Ethiopian Airlines 24660313

Gulf Air 80072424

Indian 24791914

Iran Air 24787423

Japan Airlines 24704455

Jazeera Airways 23294848

Jet Airways 24787248

Kenya Airways 24660300

KML Royal Dutch Airlines 24566737

Kuwait Airways 24701262

LOT Polish Airlines 24796387

Lufthansa 24796692

Malaysian Airlines 24560796

Middle East Airlines 24796680

Oman Air 24531111

Pakistan International

Airlines 24792471

Qatar Airways 24771900

Qantas 24559941

Royal Jordanian 24796693

Saudi Arabian Airlines 24789485

Singapore Airlines 24791233

Shaheen Air 24816565

SriLankan Airlines 24784545

Swiss International

Airlines 24796692

Thai Airways 24705934

LISTINGS

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

CINEMA SCHEDULE

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

Dept Destination Arrival Operatingtime time days

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36)

15:00 Quriyat 16:30 Daily

15:00 Sur 18:00 Daily

15:00 Jaalan 19:30 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

06:30 Sohar 08:50 Daily

06:30 Buraimi 11:00 Daily

08:00 Buraimi 14:30 Daily via Ibri

13:00 Sohar 15:45 Daily

13:00 Buraimi 17:40 Daily

16.00 Sohar 18.35 Daily

16.00 Buraimi 20:20 Daily

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

17:30 Sinaw 20:50 Daily

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

14:30 Nizwa 16:50 Daily

14:30 Yanqul 19:30 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

08:00 Nizwa 10:20 Daily

08:00 Al Araqi 12:30 Daily

TO SUR (ROUTE 55)

07:30 Sur 12:00 Daily

14:30 Sur 18:45 Daily

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (ROUTE 62)

06:30 Fahud 10:30 Daily

06:30 Yibal 11:15 Daily

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (ROUTE 100)

07:00 Salalah 20:00 Daily

10:00 Marmul 20:30 Daily

10:00 Salalah 23:30 Daily

19:00 Salalah 07:40 Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

06:00 Marmul 16:50 Daily

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102)

15:00 Dubai 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)

06:00 Sohar 08:30 Daily

06:00 Dubai 11:30 Daily

13:00 Sohar 15:30 Wed,Thur

13:00 Dubai 18:30 Wed,Thur

15:00 Sohar 17:35 Daily

15:00 Dubai 20:55 Daily

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily

07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily

07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

CITY CINEMAContact (10 am to 6pm) 24567664 | 68 . www.citycinemaoman.net facebook.com/citycinemaoman

SHATTI

Love & Mercy (Biography, Drama) (12+)Cast: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks9:30 pm Jurassic World (Action, Adventure) (3D) (PG12)Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins 9:15, 11:30 pm Guardian (Action, Thriller) (15+)Cast: Sarah Carter, Tio Pakusodewo, Nino Fernandez11:45 pm ABCD 2 (Dance, Musical) (PG)Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, 9:45 pm

MUSCAT GRAND MALL

Jurassic World (3D) (Action/Adventure) (PG12)Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins9:15, 11:45 pmGold Class: 9:00 pm ABCD 2 (2D) (Dance/Romance) Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhudheva, Raghav, Dharmesh9:00 pm

Guardian (2D) (Action / Thriller) (15+)Cast: Sarah Carter, Tio Pakusodewo, Nino FernandezGold Class: 11:15 pm

Just The Way You Are (2D) (Dance/Romance) (12+) (Language - Tagalog)Cast: Enrique Gil, Liza Soberano, Yves Flores11:45 pm

RUWI

SCREEN 1

ABCD 2 (Dance/Musical) Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhudeva, Raghav and Dharmesh9.45 pm (PG)

SCREEN 2

Hamari Adhori Kahani (Romance/Drama) – PGCast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan and Rajkummar Rao9.45 pm

SCREEN 3

Dil Dhadakne Do (Romance/Drama/Comedy ) – PG12Cast: Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Shefali Shetty, Anushka Sharma, Priyanka Chopra 9.45 pm

SOHARJurassic World - 3D (PG12) (Action |Adventure | Sci-Fi) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins9:15, 11:45 pm Premam - 2D (M) (PG) (Comedy | Romance)Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran, Jude Anthany Joseph9:00 pm Guardian (15+ ) (Action, Thriller)Cast: Sarah Carter, Tio Pakusodewo, Nino Fernandez 11:45 pmABCD 2 - 2D (TBC) Dance | MusicalCast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhudheva,Raghav, Dharmesh 9:00 pm Love & Mercy (12+) DramaCast: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks 9:15 pm Forbidden Empire (12+) Adventure

Cast: Jason Flemyng, Andrey Smolyakov, Aleksey Chadov 11:30 pm

BURAIMI

Jurassic World - 3D (Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi) (PG12)Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins9:15 pm

Premam – 2D (Comedy, Romance) (PG)Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran, Jude Anthany Joseph9:00 pm

Guardian 2D (Action/Thriller) (15+)Cast: Sarah Carter, Tio Pakusodewo, Nino Fernandez11:30pmForbidden Empire 2D (Action/Fantasy/Mystery) (12+)Cast: Jason Flemyng, Andrey Smolyakov, Aleksey Chadov 11:55pm

SUR

Jurassic World (3D) (Action | Adventure |

Sci-Fi) (PG12)

Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas

9:00, 11:15pm

Guardian ( Action ) (15+)

Cast: Sarah Carter, Tio Pakusodewo, Nino

Fernandez

9:15pm

Premam (Mal) (Comedy | Romance) (TBC)

Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran,

Jude Anthany Joseph

11:00 pm

SALALAH

Jurassic World (3D) (PG12)

(Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi )

Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty

Simpkins

9:15, 11:30 pm

BAHJA CINEMAJurassic World (Action / Adventure)

Cast: Chris Pratt, Judy Greer, Ty Simkins

9.30 pm

CP No: 1495 (PG12)

Guardian (Action, Thriller) (15+)

Cast: Sarah Carter, Tio Pakusodewo, Nino

Fernandez

9.30, 11:45 pm

CP No: 1613 ( 15+)

Forbidden Empire (Action/Fantasy/Mystery)

(12+)

Cast: Jason Flemyng, Andrey Smolyakov,

Aleksey Chadov

11:45pm

CP No: 1614 (12+)

STAR CINEMAFilm information 24791641 / 24786776

Premam (Mal) (Comedy)

Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran

and Sai Pallavi

10:00 pm at Cinema Main

Eli (Tamil) (Action/Comedy)

Cast: Vadivelu and Sadha

9:30 pm at Cinema -2

Kakka Muttai (Tamil) (Drama/Comedy)

Cast: Ramesh and Silam Barasan

9:45 pm at Cinema-3

Chandrettan Evideeya (Mal ) (Romance/

Comedy)

Cast: Dileep, Namitha and Annu Sree

9:45 pm at Cinema -4

(Programmes are subject to change)

TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

Dept Destination Arrival Operatingtime time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily

05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily

05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

07:00 Sohar 08:55 Daily

07:00 Ruwi 11:40 Daily

13:30 Ruwi 20:20 Daily via Ibri

13:00 Sohar 14:55 Daily

13:00 Ruwi 17:40 Daily

13:00 Sohar 19:20 Daily

17:00 Ruwi 22:15 Daily

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

07:00 Ruwi 10:25 Daily

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

06:00 Nizwa 08:40 Daily

06:00 Ruwi 11:00 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

15:40 Nizwa 17:55 Daily

15:40 Ruwi 20:20 Daily

TO SUR (ROUTE 55)

06:00 Ruwi 10:45 Daily

14:30 Ruwi 19:00 Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

12:30 Fahud 13:15 Daily

12:30 Ruwi 17:30 Daily

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100)

07:00 Ruwi 19:50 Daily

10:00 Marmul 13:15 Daily

10:00 Ruwi 22:30 Daily

19:00 Ruwi 07:30 Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

06:00 Marmul 16:30 Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

15:00 Salalah 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)

07:30 Sohar 10:50 Daily

07:30 Ruwi 13:40 Daily

13:00 Sohar 16:15 Thur-Fri

13:00 Ruwi 19:10 Thur-Fri

15:30 Sohar 18:45 Daily

15:30 Ruwi 21:35 Daily

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily

16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily

16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

Gold Class: 11:15 pm 9:15, 11:30 pm 9:45 pm 11:00 pm 11:45 pm

@MGM @SHATTI @RUWI @SUR @SALALAH

GUARDIAN

(Act, Adv) (2D) (15+), Cast: Sarah Carter, Tio Pakusodewo

JURASSIC WORLD

(Act, Adv) (3D) (PG12), Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard

ABCD 2

(Hindi, Musical) Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhudeva

PREMAM

(Mal) (Com) Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran

OUT OF THE DARK (2D)

(Horror) Cast: Frank Cuervo, Pixie Davies, Alejandro Furth

WEATHER

440

Maximum

330

Minimum

C10 M O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

TEMPERATURE

10-35%RELATIVE HUMIDITY

ABCD 2 (2D) (PG) (Dance, Musical) Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhudheva,Raghav, Dharmesh9:00 pm

Guardian (2D) (15+) (Action, Thriller) Cast: Sarah Carter, Tio Pakusodewo, Nino Fernandez11:55 pm

Out of the Dark (2D) (15+) (Horror) Cast: Frank Cuervo, Pixie Davies,

Premam (2D) (PG) (Romance, Comedy) Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Paramesh-waran, Jude Anthany Joseph9:00 pm

Look Forward to Lighter

Cars in the Near Future

LIFESTYLEC11M O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

Okay, so everybody loves roaring sound when it comes to cars and bikes. And not just any sound,

but the one that comes growling out of the exhaust pipes. This is espe-cially true for bikers — they say half the money in a bike is in its sound.

While most know pretty well about Akrapovics, Cobras, and Vanes & Hines, they are unaware of a cru-cial fact: By merely installing the louder aftermarket exhausts (or de-baffl ing one’s stock exhaust), rather than freeing a few more ponies, you are in fact seriously damaging your engine. Yes, you heard it right; in-stalling aftermarket exhausts can seriously destroy your engine — if it is not tuned accordingly.

The ignorance around this issue may stem from a big myth among the circles of automobile lovers, that exhausts are just vents to release the burnt gas out of the vehicle, which is not at all true. Exhausts control the compression of the engine. The more restricted the pipes, the more silent they are, and more compact the air-fl ow, and vice-versa.

Tweaking your exhaust tweaks

the whole combustion cycle of the engine, and not just the sound (they are exhausts, and not speakers af-ter all), and once the exhausts are changed, the air and fuel settings need to be remapped accordingly.

To comply with the latest emis-sion norms, the factory fi tted ex-hausts on modern, road-legal vehi-cles, are fully restricted, requiring lesser amount of fuel and air for optimal combustion cycle. Once you replace the stock pipes with the semi or fully unrestricted ones, the engine requires more air and fuel for combustion.

Most of the modern vehicles are ECU (Electronic Control Unit) gov-erned, which have pre-installed fi xed values of fuel and air ratio, in com-patibility with the stock pipes. Once the pipes are changed, these values need to be modifi ed as well; else you run the risk of running your engine lean, damaging its power-house, the combustion chamber.

The ECU needs to be refl ashed with modifi ed air and fuel values. This, however, can prove quite a dif-fi cult task, as most brands keep the ECU locked.

To over-ride the stock values up-loaded in the ECU, there are many fuel and air management systems available in the market, like the Dynojet Power Commander, Fuel Pak, Juice Box Pro and many more. These devices automatically detect and modify the fuel-air values ac-cording to the engine requirements, by overriding the original ECU map-pings. Most of them come with pre-loaded dyno-tuned and tested maps for the specifi c brand and make of exhaust installed on the vehicle.

Another very important compo-nent which needs to be upgraded is the air fi lter. As the fl ow of air increases with unrestricted pipes, increased intake of air is to be sup-plicated with high performance air fi lters like K&N, BMC, else the en-gine might choke on air and run rich, leading to power loss and decreased fuel effi ciency.

And you thought it was a child’s play to get that ride of yours roar-ing and running, huh? See you next Monday with more on motoring. Ride Safe. Have a question for the educated motorist?

Contact him at faisal@timesofoman.com

Mass produced cars are set to be-come lighter as an Australian com-pany begins development of carbon fi bre automotive parts. Sydney-based advanced manufacturing and Australian Stock Exchange (ASX)-listed company Quickstep Holdings, which makes carbon fi bre compos-ites for the aerospace and defence industries, announced it would es-tablish a dedicated automotive re-search division at Australia’s Deak-

in University following the award of an A$1.76-million (US$1.37 million) grant. Australian media reported that demand for carbon fi bre com-posites is forecast to rise by about 23 per cent per year across all industry sectors as governments around the world, including China and the US, seek to reduce carbon emissions. The automotive sector itself is fore-cast to grow worldwide by 50 per cent per annum to 2020. -IANS

Abu Dhabi surgeons rebuild jaw using 3D printing

A team of maxillofacial surgeons or head and neck specialists in an Abu Dhabi-based hospital, has rebuilt a teenager’s jaw using 3D technology after removing a tumour. A mirrored image of the 16-year-old boy’s jaw was created, which helped the doc-tors transplant a bone from his hip to his face through micro-surgery, Khaleej Times reported recently.

“Our patient was in the hospital for only nine days and is now at home, enjoying life,” doctor John Devine, who led the maxillofa-cial team, said. The boy’s father believes that although the expe-rience of fi nding a lump on his son’s face was traumatising, he is happy with the success of the surgery. The team has performed ten major facial and head reconstructive surgeries since Janu-ary 2015, all of which have been successful.

A security slip exposes Samsung smartphonesSamsung smartphones are vul-nerable to remote attacks be-cause of the way the company implemented the SwiftKey key-board, NowSecure researcher Ryan Welton warned. A phone can be attacked if it’s connected to a compromised or malicious WiFi network and the SwiftKey app is updating existing languag-es or adding a new language pack, said an article on technews-world.com.

Cockroach-inspired robot can travel cluttered environs

Researchers have taken inspira-tion from cockroaches to create a robot that can use its body shape to manoeuvre through a densely cluttered environment. Fitted with the characteristic rounded shell of the discoid cockroach, the running robot can perform a roll manoeuvre to slip through gaps between grass-like vertical beam

obstacles without the need for additional sensors or motors. “We showed that our robot can traverse grass-like beam obstacles at high probability without adding any sensory feedback or chang-es in motor control, thanks to the thin, rounded shell that allows the robot body to roll to reduce terrain resistance,” said lead au-thor Chen Li from the University of California, Berkeley. The study appeared in the journal Bioinspiration & Biomimetics. -IANS

T E C H N E W S

B A C K T O T H E F U T U R E

Fast and loud is the latest motto with mean machine lovers. However, making your ride scream

louder requires more than just putting ripped pipes, Faisal Mohammed Naim explains

THEEDUCATEDMOTORIST

Scan this QR

code to check

performance

exhausts for

motorcycles

Scan this

QR code

for installing

performance

exhaust on cars

A VIRAL WHATSAPP MESSAGE and many videos on YouTube have been doing rounds since the last few days, stating Samsung has set up a conspiracy in stealing the user’s data and uploading it to their serv-ers without the user’s knowledge. One video demonstrates how Sam-sung has intelligently placed a chip in its smartphones concealed in the battery sticker, hidden from the user, to send the data to their servers — in-cluding call records, messages, pho-tos and videos.

The person demonstrating the ‘conspiracy’ by Samsung in the video, shows the chip placed behind the bat-tery. He peels off the sticker on the battery to reveal the paper-thin chip, provoking people to remove the chip before their data is stolen. He goes ahead to show how to reveal the chip and remove it, stating that removing the chip will not damage the phone or hamper its working in any way.

The videos however are only mis-leading the audiences. The paper-thin component, the videos are urg-ing people to remove, is nothing but NFC (Near Field Communication) antenna, a feature that is available in most high-end smartphones, and is

meant for communicating between two devices. The NFC antenna is placed on the battery on some devices because it needs to be placed as close as possible to the back of the phone. This video has been viral for a few days and people falling for the hoax message are opening up their devices and removing the NFC antenna from the battery. Samsung would have no intention of stealing anyone’s data, and even if they did, they could easily embed it on the motherboard itself. The video is being reported going viral on Facebook and e-mails. Don’t believe any of it.

LIFESTYLEC12 M O N DAY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

Hoax or Reality?

Hoax vs. Reality:

Spy Chip or NFC?

Check out the

Video

To know why the

NFC antenna is

on a battery, scan

this code

BY THE NUMBERS

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

CONNECT H E D A I LY G U I D E

D

D4 VACANCY CARGO D7

M O N D AY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

RENT D2

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifi eds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

Furnished room for rent at

Al Khuwair R.O 225/- for family only.

Contact: 99251975

Villa AL Ghobrah, 6 bedroom 1200/-

R.O. Contact: 99340055/97557555

New building in Wadi Kabir, 2 bed-

room fl ats. Contact: 99313274

Workshop for rent Ground fl oor 126

SQM. Workshop fi rst fl oor 108 SQM

furnished offi ce with storage

accommodation for 50 Labors.

Contact: 92410691

1.2.3 BHK fl ats. Contact: 92144045

1BHK with A/C Mumtaz. R.O 250/-.

Contact 9779175

2BHK for commercial M.B.D R.O

300/-. Contact: 92144045

2BHK with A.C Darsait R.O 300/-.

Contact: 92144045

2BHK Wadi Kabeer R.O 300/-.

Contact: 92144045

2BHK without A.C Ghobrah R.O

325/- Contact: 92144045

Fabulous AC fl at at Al Khoud 3 bed-

rooms, hall and kitchen RO 270/- for

rent. Contact: 99334699

Flat for rent in Walja Ruwi, 2

bedrooms, 2 toilets and kitchen for

further enquiry. Contact: 95464607

2BHK near Oman house behind

Khimji, H.O. Contact: 95865686

Room for rent, street 18Nov. Azaiba.

Contact: 99785561

For rent in Qantab European style 4

bedrooms, 4 baths, Guest toilet, fully

equipped modern kitchen, covered

car park for two cars, approximately

150 meters from the beach. For

enquiries, please Contact: Yasser at

92606005

Spacious well maintained 2BHK at

Rex Road. Contact: 92227165

Flat for rent 1BHK Rex Road Ruwi

R.O 215/-. Contact: 92833408

Deluxe 3 BHK Penthouse with

Seaview, ideal for offi ce / residence

at Qurum near PDO.

Contact: 9772 1313 / 9507 0421

2BHK / I BHK newly renovated fl ats

at Wattaya R/O – Near the Mosque

for Families. Preferably for one

company. Contact : 96457757 -

9 am to 7 Pm.

Shop /Comn /Resi building 1 & 2

bed fl at available in Wadi Kabir

(near Lulu). Contact: 99451168

One bed rooms fl at RO 200/-

Wadi Al Kabir. Contact: 99451168

Misfa land for rent 1000 SQM.

Contact: 99451168

1 BHK fl at in Al Khuwair, 2 months

only. Contact 99792181

3 BHK Flat in Azaiba.

Contact 99792181

Labour Camp for Rent in Wadi

Kabir. Contact 99792181

AL Khuwair 2 rooms, toilet & Kitch-

en sharing prefer Indian couples or

execute lades rent 200/- R.O include

Elect & water. Contact: 99546410

D2 M O N D AY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

2 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99792181

4 BHK single villa in Al Khuwair.

Contact: 97616158

4 & 5 BHK villa in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99792181

5BHK villa available for rent, near

Hamriya roundabout.

Contact-99366191

Two bed room fl at with attached

bathroom near Omani Boys School

Ruwi . Contact: 91214537

Spacious room with bathroom

(separate) available for small family

or couples near Oman Boys School

Ruwi. Contact : 91214537

506sqm space with mezzanine

available for rent in AL Wadi Al

Kabir, Suitable for carpentry / Auto

workshop and / or electrical shop

interested parties may.

Contact: 24703981

Villa for rent in Al Khuwair 33,

8 bedrooms & 5 bathrooms with

parking area near Taimur Mosque.

Contact: 99366624

Luxurious villa in Mumtaz area,

Ruwi with 3BR, 2 Lounges, Dining,

car park, kitchen. Contact: 99430943

Deluxe 3&4 bedroom, hall, kitchen

spacious living area with split AC,

at Ghobrah. Contact: 95282986

1BHK fl at one room, kitchen,

bath room near Wadi Adai R/A.

Contact : 96464598

3 Bedroom fl at with 3 attached

toilets, split A/C, brand new

available, behind Kims Hospital.

Contact 95225662

Apartments near Al Nahdha Tow-

ers/ Vachas Hypermarket Azaiba –

Ghala (1 & 2 BHK with split AC units).

Contact 94652485 / 99273774 /

99202278

1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Mis-

fah Industrial area near to Khanco.

OMR 1,500 Monthly. It has Electricity

and boundary wall. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

500 sq mtrs offi ce space on mezza-

nine fl oor near Royal Hospital. OMR

6.500 per sq mtr. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

Apartments near Indian School

Ghubra (2 BHK with 5 split AC units).

Contact 94652485 / 99273774 /

99202278

Villa for rent (family residence) :

New 4 bedroom villa with majlis,

family hall and outside kitchen. With

split AC in Al Khoudh phase 7 close

to Seeb polyclinic. Call 99332525

(owner).

Flats shops and store for rent in

Ruwi, MBD Honda road.

Contact 97293708 / 92433127

3 rooms with attached bath room,

hall Brand new in Mabelah near

Sharahe Noor. Contact 99663905/

99415119

Apartment in Al Khuwair 33/1,

4 bedroom 550/-R.O. Contact :

99340055 / 97557555

3000 sq mtrs Industrial landß,

in Barka Sanaiya, with electricity

400KW, shed, staff accommodation

and offi ce. Ready to start any kind

of factory. Contact 99384255.

2BHK 230/- south Hail near Cale-

donian collage. Contact: 97717962

PL 24538790

1BHK, 2BHK, 3BHK new fl at avail-

able at Mabela in front of Modern

English School Contact: 96239126

One & two bedroom apartment

available for rent, near Grand Mall,

close to Atlas hospital next to Diwan

building. Contact: 99833747

Small old house for rent Al Ghobrah.

Contact 95112461

2 BHK commercial /

residential fl at at Honda Road.

Contact: 99342733/99795241

Room for rent in CBD (near Costa

coff ee). Contact: 96568110

Showroom available 250sqm – near

bank Sohar, CBD area ideal for phar-

macy, clinic, Travel agency, money

exchange, fast foods, departmental

store etc. Contact: Tel: 24707088

fax: 24706099 GSM: 98283633

Email: alyounistrading@gmail.com

DAILY GUIDE

For rent if require fl ats for rent in

Wadi Kabir please send me mes-

sages through Whatsapp.

Contact: 99376454

Flat for rent in Mabela 7, 2BHK + 3

bathroom 220/-R.O.

Contact: 92712996

Double bedroom near

Lulu Wadi Kabeer. Contact:

92022816/99468133/99719471

FOR RENTBuilding In Rusail Industrial

comprising a store divisible area 266 sq. meters.

The building includes Studios

residence.Preferably to be leased to

one company.

Mob + 968 96177505

Furnished fl ats for rent in

Al Buraimi, daily, weekly, monthly.

Contact 97819981 / 93593336

Deluxe 1, 2 BHK fl ats in Darsait,

AL Khuwair 1deal for offi ce &

residence. Contact 99369081

/99142314

Flat at Darsait. Contact 99326879

Flat for rent Ruwi near Badr al

Sama, 2 bed rooms, attach toilet in

rooms big hall big kitchen.

Contact: 99345137

12 Ton Volvo Truck Monthly lease or

rent with driver. Contact: 98713900

Flat for rent in AL Wadi AL Kabir

next to Kuwaiti Mosque 2 bedrooms,

2 bathrooms, kitchen, balcony & 1

living room 220/-R.O

Contact: 99425958

Brand new warehouse 3500SQM

(2800SQM built up area) at

Rusayl industrial area adjacent

to Amiantit Oman with ceil-

ing fans, light fi ttings, extract

fans &provision for ACs. Contact:

94652485/99273774/99202278

Apartments for rent near

Indian school Ghobrah & AL

Maha international hotel (2BHK

with 5 split AC units) Contact:

94652485/99273774/99202278

Apartments for rent near Al Nahdha

Towers/ Vachas hypermarket Azaiba

Ghala (1& 2 BHK with split AC units)

Contact: 94652485/ 99273774/

99202278

2BHK with split AC near PDO Gate

no -2 at Qurum. Contact: 94057023

2BHK with split AC at Al Khuwair

33. Contact: 94057023

Offi ce / shop near Oman house

Muttrah. Contact: 99233116

Three bedroom fl ats for rent near

NIT Institute Darsait.

Contact: 93494098

Room with bath AC

furnished AL Khuwair.

Contact: 97004265/99643569

2 BHK Flats for rent Muttrah

near Oman house.

Contact: 97009734/92629232

3BHK fl at for rent in Al Khuwair.

Villa type building with only 2 fl ats,

separate entrance, fully renovated.

Way No. 3922, building No 1839,

behind Al Aktham Restaurant.

Contact: 99462980

Flat for rent in CBD Ruwi.

Contact : 92820734

New fl ats for rent in Wadi Kabir.

Contact : 92130703 / 96045478

2 bedroom fl at at Hamriya, main

road with A/C. Contact 99331448

Flat in South Al Hail, 2 bedrooms,

Majlis, 2 bathrooms, kitchen RO

250/-. Contact 93221474

Flat in Ruwi Mumtaz 2 BHK RO

300 or 1 BHK 250 RO.

Contact 98588240

Flats for rent behind Indian School.

in Wadi Kabir. Contact 99777122

For rent in Darsait new fl ats.

Contact: 99777351

Luxury 3 BHK fl at in Al Wattaya

with split A/C & private parking.

RO.500/- Contact – 93191111

Villa of 5 BHK in Al Ansab with split

A/C. RO.650/- Contact – 93191111

2 BHK fl at in Al Ansab with

split A/C. RO.250/-

Contact – 93191111

Villa for rent - Al Seeb/Al Mawelah

- Block 5 - 4 bedrooms with attached

bathrooms, Majlis, 2 halls, kitchen

and storeroom. split Ac and carpark.

Contact 99564616

Bath attached room for rent

Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569

Commercial 3 BHK fl at in Al Ghobra

18 Nov Street. RO 700/-

Contact 93191111

2 BHK fl at in Al Azaiba near sea,

with split A/C. RO.340/- Contact

93191111

For rent 3 industrial land.

Contact 92702891/ 95490842

Flat for rent in Mabellah 8th.

Contact: 97147240

For rent in Darsait, new fl ats.

Contact: 99311525

Flats/villas owned by ROP

pension fund available for rent in

Muscat. Contact 99349526

DAILY GUIDEM O N D AY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5 D3

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

BUYING/SELLING

MOTOR VEHICLE FOR SALE

2014 Grand Cherokee 5.7 liter full

option, low mileage, under warranty,

agency maintained expat driven.

Call 92502684. Immediate sale.

Expat owned mint condition Toyota

Camry Type1 Model 2009 done

190500 kms fi rst registered in 2011

company maintained still under

warranty. Call 98446733.

Toyota Corolla 2012 exclusive

model, Expat driven done 27,000

kms excellent condition.

Contact: 97717152

Prado ,2012. Contact : 99336093

Sportage, 2013. Contact: 99336093

Suzuki Vitara 2007, 95000km,

single owner, for sale. Contact:

92183619

Expatriate driven Yaris 2008 model

100,000 kms & land rover 2005

model 93000 Kms, excellent condi-

tions. Contact : 97094797

Nissan Altima 2.55, 2008 Model,

Metallic Gold Colour, 60, 000 K.M,

Excellent condition, all routine main-

tenance updated & all four tyres new,

owned by diplomat & driven by own-

er. Contact 24684534/91382680

Dodge Challenger SRT Gulf spec.

Expat owned Warranty and insur-

ance by the end of 2015 Perfect

exterior and interior. All service done

at the original Dodge service Price

slightly negotiable 65750 km 2010

Automatic, price: 9500/- OMR.

Contact - 95909465

Land Cruiser 2012. Contact

99336093

Peugeot 206-2007 Model, expat

driven. Contact 99209285

2 Prime Movers Man 2008 with 40

ton petrol tank each working at the

moment in Al Maha. Price OMR 35

Thousand each. Contact 97000155

or 92688692

ACC. AVAILABLE

ACC. AVAILABLE

ACC. AVAILABLE

NRI

Telecom and net work accessories

shop for sale Ruwi.

Contact: 99481931

6 bedroom, 6 bath rooms, sitting &

dining villa at Qurum.

Contact: 99342733

Darsait near Labor Card medical

Business offi ce furniture for sale /

rent 260/- Contact: 93893878 pm

Grade IT company with 5 clearanc-

es & oil Gas activity for sale serious

buyers. Contact: 99329216

Car polishing shop for sale or lease.

Contact: 98903073

Fully decorated & Equipped kitchen

cabinet and marble showroom for

sale at Mabela industrial area road

no – 10 only serious buyers can.

Contact: 99337670/97763560

60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in

Misfah, can be changed to Industrial

Land. OMR 29 Per Square Meter.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Well furnished meat shop in

Amerat. Contact: services custom-

ers. Contact 92454250/96374850

Spacious room with bathroom and

kitchen. Contact: 91214537

Fully furnished room for a decent

expatriate. independent kitchen,

bathroom in Wadi Adai.

Contact 96243086 at 5p.m.

Bed space available for

ex- bachelors at Al Khuwair.

Contact: 94143636

Furnished bedroom with Sep –

bathroom, sharing, and kitchen for

ex- bachelors at AL Khuwair.

Contact: 99636550

Fully furnished 1BHK with all house-

hold items in Darsait near Lulu on

monthly Basis. Contact : 99378397

One room for rent (A/C +bed +bath)

at Al Khuwair. Contact: 99382008

Excellent room, with A/C kitchen

available for bachelor / family near

ONTC bus station (Ruwi).

Contact: 95885736

Furnished room with attached bath-

room in W/K. Contact: 97167857

Single furnished room.

Contact: 24833609

Furnished bath, attached sharing

accommodation available behind

Al Nahdha hospital.

Contact: 99030037

Sharing for non cooking executive

bachelor in CBD area WIFI free, Ad-

vance deposit. Contact: 95094504

Excellent room, with A/C kitchen

available near ONTC bus station for

family / bachelor (Ruwi).

Contact 95569740

Sharing fl at in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 99335057

One room separate bathroom for

Indian Executive bachelor near

Al Khuwair R/A. Contact: 99659513

Furnished attached bathroom at

Mumtaz area. Contact: 93103337 /

95212017

2.5 BHK Flat for sale having 1260

sq ft and Vehicle Parking space of

144 Sq ft. At Bhrama Avenue, NIBM

Road, Pune. Contact 93068804 /

99263581

Villa for sale in Al Khoudh close to

Dan super market, 3room , 3 bath-

room , 1 hall ,1 setting room, 1 store

, kitchen & maid room with garden

plot 600sq with car parking selling

price 135.000/-. Contact: 91010668

Commercial land for sale 3000 m

in quriyat road main high way can

use as a petrol station license

available asking price 350,000

For more information please call on

99070701 with out name

2,560 sq mtrs industrial land in

Wadi Kabir main road, First line on

way to Al Bustan hotel. Possible to

make petrol station or hotel. OMR

990 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

5 Flats of 1 bedroom for Sale in

Boushar: OMR 35 Thousand each.

Monthly income OMR 270

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land

with water well in Al Salwa, Barka.

OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479

or 95215360

3 fl oor commercial building in

Muttrah behind Police. Generating

income of OMR 18 Thousand annu-

ally. Neat and well maintained. Built

on 197 sq mtrs land. 2 tailor shops

on ground fl oor and 6 fl ats. OMR

207 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

Training center with license.

Contact: 91121277

All type of car scanner available

easy car diagnostic for professional

and self use Authorize LAUNCH and

Autel dealer

www.omancartools.com 92393972

Furnished single rooms available

for Executive bachelors at Ruwi.

Contact: 98049288

Furnished room attached bath for

lady in Wadikabir (Mars Hypermar-

ket) – 95941515

Independent rooms in Qurum /

Al Hail. Contact 95529970

DAILY GUIDED4 M O N D AY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifi eds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

CATERING

BEAUTICIAN

DOMESTIC HELPER

ADMIN

ENGINEER

EDUCATION

SALES / MARKETING

SALES / MARKETING

Housemaid wanted for an Indian

family in Al Hail. Must be able to

cook and take care of baby. Full-time

position. 96532872

Small Omani family wanted

educated female House maid visa is

available. Contact - 98500222

Keralite family in MBD area (near

pizza hut) want a Keralite house-

maid on fulltime basis.

Contact 94736916.

Required looking for full time Housemaid for Omani family at

Mabela, visa available.

Contact 92454170

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

Required Offi ce Assistant

160+25+Acc, Contact 99454425

ACCOUNTANT

Teachers required: Teachers for KG,

Grade I to IV class in English, Maths,

Science, Computer & Art. Qualifi ca-

tion: Degree in relevant subjects & B

Ed; IELTS or TOFEL plus two years

experience preferred. Please apply

to: burj@alhakkim.com

Required professional Teachers

for teaching Science, Mathematics,

Accountancy, Business Studies &

English IELTS/ TOFEL

in schools & Universities.

Contact 99674870

Male 24, B.Com /PGD having 2

years experience in accounts and

inventory fi eld looking for suitable

job on visit visa. Contact: 94129550

Young lady MBA fi nances 10 yr exp

in Finance exp management.

Contact: 93201929

Chartered Accountant with ICWA

Inter having 5 years experience in

Finance, Accounts, Costing, Budget-

ing, Insurance, Treasury & Banking

operations - NOC Available + Oman

Driving License Contact : 97881548

Email-fi nancecost2@gmail.com

Indian female 25 MBA looking for a

suitable opening in Accounts, Admin/

Hr. Contact 97013375

Indian male, well experienced in

accounts and admin looking for a

suitable vacancy. NOC available.

Contact: 98717938

Accountant 8 yrs experience looking

part time job. Contact 99867456

Looking for accounting and Admin-

istration job have two and half years

experience in United Arab Emirates

in a trading company and I have

bachelor degree in Administration

nationality Indian. Contact: 93016252

Senior accountant Indian male

35 years, MBA (fi nance) 8 years

experience in a multinational FMCG

company with valid Oman D/L NOC

available can join immediately,

looking for suitable position fi nance.

Contact: 95645945

Young, energetic 24, ACCA fi nalist,

Advanced diploma in Accounting and

business, seeking suitable placement

in accounts, fi nance or audit.

Contact: 92430152

Email: rau_dey@yahoo.com

13 years exp (7.5 years gulf exp)

B.Com Graduate, looking for Account-

ant job, GSM No:-92957064 with NOC.

Indian male, 32 years, M. Com.

7 out of 9 years experience in Oman

in Accounts/fi nance. Having NOC and

valid Oman D/L. Contact 98277143,

Email: anzarks@gmail.com

Senior Document Controller MCA

Indian male 9+ year’s total experience

5+ years experience in Gulf in oil &

gas sector and construction fi eld on

visit visa in Oman. Contact: 95388197

Email: rojanchristopher@gmail.com

Indian male, B.Com, well experienced

in Accounts & Admin, knowledge

of Tally ERP 9 experience in Oman

with valid Oman driving license. NOC

available, looking for suitable job in

Oman, join immediately.

Contact 94245039

Sudanese Accountant seeking job

in Nizwa state experience 10 years 3

years in Saudi Arabia, 7 yrs in Sudan.

Contact : 97796394 / 94003247

MBA Indian male looking for suita-

ble position having 2 years working

experience as an accountant now in

Oman a visiting visa.

Contact 99424803

Indian male 22 yrs B. Com Graduate

1 year exp in Accounts, currently on

visit visa. Looking for suitable job.

Contact 94341848 /

Email – mohdhaji7272@gmail.com

Accounts part time works up to

fi nalization on monthly basis. Profi t

& loss A/C and fi nancial statements,

MS Reports Etc. Contact: 96247295

Chinese/ Arab/ continental cook & helper wanted. Contact 95529970

Requires experience Cook for an Om-

ani family 1Nos. Contact: 99228046

Email: oman518@gmail.com

Chinese / Arab / Continental cook & helper wanted. Contact 95529970

Family in Muscat seeking to hire an experienced butler. Hotel experi-

ence is preferred. Candidate must

hold a valid driver’s license.

Please send CV’s on

vacancyinmuscat@gmail.com

Required male Accountant, 8 -10

yrs experience, D/L tally 9 opera-

tions, until fi nalization. Email CV to

jnstpmco@gmail.com

Urgently required femaleaccountant with an experience

minimum 3years Email CV on

cv.hrcharity@gmail.com

Reputed Construction Company required Accountant experience in

Construction Company with

accountancy degree. Email:

jvacancy05@gmail.com

Required Accountant with 3 yrs.

exp. in construction company.

Email : wadcocareers@gmail.com

Urgently required Junior Account-ant. Please send CV:

hr.azatllc@gmail.com

MEDICAL

SKILLED

Specialist physiotherapy is

required from the Philippines prefer-

ably has a license to practice.

Contact :91257624

Email: belgouthii@yahoo.fr

Required for a reputed Medical

Center in Al Khuwair. General Practi-tioner Doctor, X- Ray technician. Please send CV: absmc2013@gmail.

com Fax: 24488660

Urgently required G.P doctor with or

without MOH license for one month

from 01/07/2015. Contact 93824902

Required Gynecology, General Phy-sician, Dentist, Staff Nurses, Lab technicians, Pharmacists,X Ray technicians. Contact : 95133572 / 96064925

Email: kunoozghala@gmail.com

Required Omani Driver light / heavy duty & Marketing Executive. Contact: 24816774 / 99020458

Required Heavy Duty Truck Driver holding Omani driving license w/

5 years experience please

contact 92001111

Indian driver required for light ve-

hicle with construction experience.

Contact: 92888337

DRIVER

Leading construction & Mainte-

nance Company urgently requires Civil Foreman, 8 -10 yrs experience

D/L. Email CV to jnstpmco@gmail.

com

Urgently required a silk Screen printer with good knowledge and

release letter or NOC. Contact:

93280288 or send CV to

albayanstamps@gmail.com

Urgent requirement Civil Engineers Nos for Supervi-sion 8 yrs experience. Contact:

99244481/24551029 Email:

secons.engineers@gmail.com

Leading Construction Company requires Project Engineer, Degree

holder with minimum 5 to 6 years

experience in building construction

line. (NOC require) Send your CV to –

degree.engineer2015@gmail.com

Required Site Supervisor with 5

yrs. exp. in construction company,

electronic technician with 3 yrs

experience in gate motors systems.

Email : wadcocareers@gmail.com

Leading Construction company requires HSE Offi cer with minimum

4 to 5 years experience in building

construction line. Send your CV :

hseoman2015@gmail.com

(NOC require).

Construction Company in Oman

urgently requires following candi-

dates: BE Civil Engineer, minimum

3-5 years gulf experience & Civil site foreman, minimum 5 years gulf

experience, diploma not required.

Email: applyforoman@gmail.com

ADMIN

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

SITUATION WANTEDSIT. WANTED

Required Large format printer operator – for HP. Graphic Designer. Send CV to hr.oman@yahoo.com

DESIGNER

Vacancy for Omani PRO Email:

abid673@yahoo.com Mob 94192526

Urgently Required: Administra-tion with an experience minimum

in 3 years in building construc-

tion, required immediately join

and MUST have NOC. Apply, fax

00968–24605955, emails

sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com,

sbeoman@yahoo.com.

Urgently Required: Administra-tion with an experience minimum

in 3 years in building construc-

tion, required immediately join

and MUST have NOC.Apply, fax

00968–24605955,

emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com,

sbeoman@yahoo.com.

Vacancy for Omani PRO for Customs duties in Sohar. Email:

arabianseabridge@gmail.com,

Mob: 97990844

MBA Graduate with 6 yrs exp in

fi nance/accounts/ auditing. Special-

ized in accounts payable dept, Ora-

cle app user, profi cient in Sap (fi co)

end user & tally 9.0. lean &six sigma

certifi ed trainer on visit visa.

Contact – 91967213 / 99064780

Finance Manager, CPA, with more

than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC.

Fully knowledgeable in Finance,

General & Management Accounting

. NOC available. Contact 96209331

ACCA affi liate , BSc Honors in ap-

plied Accountancy advance diploma

in Accounting and Business, CAT

Affi liate 1 year hand on working ex-

perience of Oman, with Oman driving

license looking for a suitable place-

ment in Audit fi rm. Having NOC can

join immediately. Contact : 98989970

Motivated and energetic male 25

having 4 years of experience in

fi nance with Master’s degree in Eco-

nomics and CAT Certifi ed seeking

opportunity in Accounts/fi nance/

audit in a reputable organization.

Cell no: 00968-94626209 E-Mail:

omerjawedshah@gmail.com

Indian male with total 5 year experi-

ence (2 years experience in Account-

ant cum sales co ordinator in a FMCG

Company in Oman) in accounts fi eld

and NOC available. Looking for suit-

able job Contact 92130188

Indian Accountant: Male, M com,

7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to

fi nalization, having knowledge

of ERP, Tally, seeks suitable plac-

ment.Contact 93950138 Email:

lijinrajan123@gmail.com

MANAGER

Urgently required for a fi rst grade construction company Graduate Civil Engineer (5 years experienced)

shuttering carpenter mason (Block,

Plaster, Tile Fixing) Civil Foreman

building work. Contact: 24700373/

99427674 Fax: 24701368

Email: rajma@omantel.net.om

A leading marketing company is

looking for outdoor Sales Executives on part time or full

time basis in Salalah.

Contact – 92760281 / 96436719

Required Sales & Marketing execu-tive with valid D/L and NOC with 2

years Oman experience for Foodstuff

Trading Company. Interested may

send their CV to

virjis@omantel.net.om

Urgently required sale people with

local experience & Omani driving

license ready with NOC. Send CV to:

nationalbluesky@yahoo.com

A reputed media company required female Marketing Executives with

minimum 3 years experiences in

Public relations, punishing & adver-

tising (with driving license).

Contact: 93946622 or FW: CV

job0808@gmail.com

A leading trading company is look-

ing for Sales Executives & outdoor sales coordinators with driving

license & release /NOC. Email CV:

alhajoil@omantel.net.om or

fax: 24701683

Urgently required outdoor Sales Executive for furnishing company

with valid Oman D/L and minimum 3

years experience. Contact 93231403 /

rainbowfurnishing156@gmail.com

Required male or female candidate with 5 years experience in renting

of properties. Interested candidates

may please mail to

alqurumprop@gmail.com

Minimum 2 years of experience

with valid gulf light driving license

interested candidates please

Contact: 99222086 /98585851

Need crane operator having two

years experience & need salesman

for mobile shop having two years

experience. Contact: 92891888

Marketing Executive for digi-

tal printing company. Contact:

94356769 / 96936564

Required sales man for spare parts

shop preferably with driving license.

Contact : 96378289

Required Beautician for Beauty

Saloon at Ghubra. Clearance / visa

available. Contact no. 95924910

Well established company in

selling chocolate, Arabian sweets

and fresh fl owers, opening ITS fi rst

branch in Muscat seeking:

1- sweets and chocolates Sales man 2- fl ower arranger (Asian/ Filipino Nationality)

Contact: 94490011

Email: labelleoman@gmail.com

A company from UAE require 2 merchandisers in retail food

supply, store keeper with English

and invoicing experience. Email:

yesterdaysun@hotmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS

Urgently Required: Male – handles overall store operations of the Su-

permarket, Prior Experience a MUST,

knowledgeable in MSOffi ce. Send CV

to chanda@dolphin-oman.com or

fax to 244-92718.

Mason, C.C.T.V, Technician, Electrician cum Plumber.Contact - 99383044

Indian Female MBA 3 Year Experi-

ence in Admin MIS, Family Visa.

Contact - 98234427,

jkjsmith01@gmail.com

Indian Female: B.Com & MBA-HR.

looking for full or part time job im-

mediately. Prior recruitment experi-

ence in Muscat and India.98460262.

System administrator with 3 years

experience hold a degree, MCITP,

CCNA , CCTV biometric , seeking job

in a company.

Contact: 99630084/98129845

Indian male 2+yrs oman exp in HR.

joing immediatly. release available.

Contact :93671437

MBA (international business) from

London, 4 years of UK experience in

operations with D/L, looking for suit-

able position. Contact 91710075

Male admin/ HR offi ce 6 years exp

with NOC. Contact: 93275467

Buyer / Purchases / Administration

/ Stores with 7+ years local experi-

ence seeking suitable placement.

NOC available. Contact – 94045405

Indian Male 27Yrs, Having 6+ yrs (3

India + 3 Oman) experience in HR/

Admin looking for suitable position

Contact 91507099.

Indian female 29 MBA (HR) BSc,

4 yrs exp in HR& Admin looking

suitable placement.

Contact : 95619537

Indian female with 10 yrs of experi-

ence in HR/Banking/Operations

seeks a suitable placement.

Can be contacted on 98919015 or

sherianne.coelho@gmail.com

Required Sales man - 1 Person

Qualifi cation. Gulf Experienced

- Minimum 5 Years with Oman

Driving Licence Language - English

Education:- Any Degree Further Con-

tact :Mr. Abdul Hameed

Nashabat - Mobile No: 97414307 and

-92807399 amn@yaqeeneng.com

Required Salesman, Tailor andBarber. Contact: 96964767

Looking for Outdoor Salesman for

heavy equipment spare parts.

Contact - 93292015,

Email: mail.om@gulfcenter.co

Urgently required Sales and Market-ing Executive for Graphic designing

company. Contact: 96727631

mail: smartgraphic518@gmail.com

*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text,

should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to

space availability

DAILY GUIDEM O N D AY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5 D5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

DESIGNER

AUTO CAD/DRAUGHTS-

MEDICAL

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

BE ,Electrical Engineer with 5 Years

Gulf Experience in Underground

cable & Overhead line in HT and LT,

Distribution Substation, MEP. Oman

D/L available. NOC available.

Contact: 95054644,

00918807888109,

speninsam@gmail.com

Civil Engineer, 8 years experience

BOQ establishing, 5 years experience

in Oman Building and S.T.P experi-

ence, good knowledge of computer,

MS Excel, AutoCAD .

Contact: 99471944

Indian male Civil (B.E) with 2 yrs

well known E tabs staad, safe look-

ing for structural position. Contact:

98768045 / 96698342 Email:

qadeertom@gmail.com

26 years Oman experienced person

in automobiles, showroom & work-

shop areas seeks suitable replace-

ment. currently working as General

Manager in a local company.

Contact no: +968-92009700

CARPENTER-15 years gulf exp. In-

dian male looking for suitable post.

Present working in Crown Plaza.

NOC available. Please contact Jacob

96940120. jacob.sabu11@gmail.com

B.Tech mechanical Engineer, Indian

1 years experience HVAC (MEP)

available in Muscat on visit visa

seeking suitable job.

Contact 93670280

Email: jinu.avm@gmail.com

Indian male , diploma in electrical

Engineering with 10 years of suc-

cessful experience , presently avail-

able on visit visa seeking suitable

positions in projects and mainte-

nance electrical fi elds.

Contact: 91270686

Email: ajithgopa@rediff mail.com

Iraqi male B.ch civil Engineering, 17

yrs experience in Oman experience

in project management with valid

Oman D/L NOC available and can

join immediately looking suitable

position in Muscat area.

Contact: 93809093

Email: mohanad_kuba@yahoo.com

Indian male Mechanical Techni-cian with 22 year experience (6.5

year in Oman)-as mill Wright fi tter &

maintenance fabrication work seeks

suitable placement NOC available.

Contact: 95922696

Chemical Engineer with 04 years

experience in petrochemical refi nery

sector seeking for & suitable position

in petrochemical oil & gas, refi nery

EPC Companies.

Contact : 00968-91748400

Indian male Electrical Engineer

seeking for a job good core technical

knowledge as well as fl uent commu-

nication skill. Contact: 95980857

Electrical Engineer Indian male

having valid driving license and NOC,

BE 1 yrs experience sealing suitable

placement. Contact: 96347995

Email: shyjalpk@gmail.com

Civil Engineer B.E, 5 years experi-

ence with GCC D/L Consultancy job

preference. Contact: 91693008

B.Tech mechanical Engineer 16 yrs

experience 3 yrs exp in Oman now

production manager in Galvanizing

and steel fabrication area looking for

suitable placement NOC available.

Contact: 93714500/91395765

Indian male 24 yrs B. Tech (Mech.

Eng) on visit 1 yr experience in

production fi eld looking for suitable

placement. Contact: 98925685

Indian female, B.Tech biotechnology with strong computer

skills and 2 years experience as

associate research analyst (Media

Monitoring) in Nasdaq Oman seek-

ing growth oriented jobs. Contact

92044603 /918056169148 or

angeline.babithac@gmail.com.

BSc Civil Engineer, 6 months

working experience in UAE as a Site

Engineer currently in Oman on visit

visa and looking for a job.

Contact : 98157833

Email: waqas.pasha22@gmail.com

Indian male B.Tech (ECE), MBA (HR)

2 years of experience in CCNA, CCNP

and hands on practice in Linux and

MCSE, looking for suitable job.

Contact: 93487225

MEDICAL

Indian female Dentist MOH Oman

passed seeking a suitable placement

in capital region. Contact– 91377681

hashimsarawat@gmail.com

Male B.Sc Nurse, 27 years,4 years

experience, prometric passed, re-

quire job in hospital/ oil rig / indus-

try /ship. Contact 97284508

M.Sc Nursing in Obstetrics and

Gynecology 3 yrs exp in teaching &

2 yrs at bed side looking for suitable

position, Indian female on visit visa.

Contact: 96220839

Male BSC Nurse parametric passed

ACLS BLS holder now in visit visa

seeking for suitable post.

Contact: 96516406

Indian male Nurse, 31 years

Oman prometric passed 6 yrs ICU

experience. Contact : 94195150 /

92758895

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

IT

IT

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

Indian male, B.E ( computer science

engineer), MBA (fi nance), OCA certi-

fi ed, having 5 years of experience in

oracle Dba/ oracle apps Dba, seeks

a suitable position in the fi eld of IT.

Contact: 96212062

email: zubairkhan11@gmail.com

Well experienced MOH Licensed

Indian GP Doctor looking for locum /

permanent position in the

Capital area. Contact 98140024

email:drgpoman@yahoo.com

Interior Designer: Indian male 31,

8 years exp. in GCC, NOC available.

95217586

Architect designer experience in

Architecture design in 2D, 3D visit-

ing to site : 2 years experience (in

Oman), fl uent Hindi & English. Email:

zhussain9950@gmail.com

Contact: 94253074

20 Years exp Auto Cad 3DS Max

available for teaching part time.

Contact - 94412557

Electrical draftsman AutoCAD

switch gear & MEP control panel

7 years experience Qatar. Contact:

92546203/96228100

10 yrs exp in managerial role in

India, Dubai, Oman. Proven track

record turnaround specialist. NOC

AVV. Contact: 96783565

B.com, diploma in material manage-

ment having 12 years experience in

overseas / local puritans, logistics

ware house seeks suitable place-

ment NOC available.

Contact: 96477638

Indian male, with 8 yrs exp. in

Oman (BA- Graduate) working as

a project Sales Coordinator, with

Oman D/L, looking for suitable job,

ready to join immediately with NOC.

Contact 95245057

SALES / MARKETING

SALES / MARKETING

Indian female (MTECH) having Gulf

experience in family visa seeking

suitable placement in Oman.

Contact : 94306164 / 91001194

Indian male MBA 7 years experience

in Hospitality industry, operation,

sales & marketing looking for suitable

vacancy. Contact 92115860

Email vibin.py@gmail.com

Indian MBA 18 yr exp in sales /

Markt, looking for manager position.

Contact Oman / UAE 93893878

Indian male Science Graduate 11 yrs

of sales exp in India & Oman, having

valid D/L seeking job in sales with

family benefi ts. Contact – 94255249

Indian female B.com Graduate hav-

ing 8 years experience in Indian & 2

years experience in Oman as sales

coordinator, secretary, customer

service seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 95433987

Pakistani male 34 yrs Intermedi-

ate 2 yrs exp in sales & marketing

in Oman. Looking for suitable job.

Contact - 92146864

Indian male with 5 years experi-

ence in building material sales and

marketing education qualifi cation

BA electronics. Contact: 92228538

Indian male. 27, Post Graduate, 5+

yrs exp in Oman in Sales & Credit

Control, with valid Oman driving

License, NOC available, looking for

suitable placements. Ph: 9199 3376

Indian Lady 24 yrs with fi ve years

experience as cabin crew in National

& International airlines seeking suit-

able job vacancy in good position.

Contact: 97623267

MBA graduate having 6 years exp

in sales & marketing, presently

working in PepsiCo India seeks suit-

able placement in Oman.

Contact: + 91 9895388937

Email: samir.pag@gmail.com

Indian worked MNC 15 years Oman

experience as Marketing FMCG /

TRAD Purchasing with visa license.

Contact: 98796982

MBA Graduate with D/L looking for

sales or marketing jobs.

Contact 94143154

Email: rinojnathen008@gmail.com

Omani Citizen searching a job in

the fi eld of computer especially in

data base professional in operating

Oracle SQL, PL/ SQL, form6i, Report

6i. Contact 96977368

Email: talaloml@yahoo.com

Indian female BCA, MCA SAP ABAD

certifi cation, ASP. Net certifi cation, 2

years of experience looking for a job.

Contact: 99109121

Business development manager IT & Non – IT, 7 years experience

Oman driving license seeks position

good prospects. Contact: 99329216

Indian male, completed diploma in

Computer technology fresher, seek-

ing suitable position, currently on

visit visa. Contact : 93596096

CERTIFIED (CCNA) NETWORK AD-

MINISTRATOR 4 years experienced

looking for Suitable placement.

Contact: 99002390

Indian male 26 years B.Tech (IT)

M.Tech CCNA certifi ed MCSE certi-

fi ed 3 yrs experience currently a

visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 91006851

Male BA with D/L having 6 years

exp Oman wanted suitable job in

sales, inventory, procure.

Contact : 92191026

Indian female MSc, MPHIL (Chem-

istry) 3 years Teaching experience

currently on visit visa seeking suit-

able position. Contact : 96916534 /

91969756

Looking for good job 2 years

experience Oman sales marketing

valid driving license Indian Kerala.

Contact : 98626682

Omani female exp in PRO with Oman

D/L. Contact: 91161736

Outdoor salesman with car looking

for job. Contact 91615715

Indian Male, B.Com Graduate,

23, with experience in Sales looking

for suitable placements. .

Contact 98371144

Pakistani Female Bachelor of

Information Technology with 8

years’ experience in Banking, Sales,

business development, retail & cus-

tomer service seeking for a suitable

placement. Having valid D/L& NOC

available. Contact 94699970

shehla.chohan@gmail.com

Indian male 45+ yrs , 20 yrs exp as

sales supervisor in India looking for

indoor sales /stores /cashier or any

suitable placement can speak Hindi

, English, Malayalam, Tamil, kannada

can join immediately on visit visa.

Contact 93086105/33016546

EDUCATION

Looking for driving job. Contact: 98219182

Male driver is available 7 years in

Oman 3 years experience as a driver

7 month is Muscat driving license

holder. Contact: 92046159

Pakistani male light vehicle driver,

looking for job. Contact - 94435912

Light driver looking for job.

Contact: 99704122/ 97762303

Light driver looking for job.

Contact: 96435795

Pakistani light duty driver

2 yrs experience seeks placement.

Contact: 96342684

Light driver. Contact: 99035942

Light driver looking for job, 4 yrs

exp in Oman. Contact: 94241385

Driver looking for job. Contact:

99507039

Paksitani Driver with 6 yrs ex-

perience looking for job. Contact:

93985087

Driver with car 3 years experience

looking for job. Contact: 92041902

Light driver. Contact: 96313100

Pakistani male light vehicle driver

with 2 yrs exp looking for job.

Contact : 96342684

Driver available with car and with-

out car. Contact 96771598

Pakistani, male light vehicle driver

looking for job.

Contact 97943750

Driver with car. Contact:

97705694/98988208

Looking for job driving Bangla-

deshi. Contact: 97418036

Light driver for job. Contact 95779594

Pakistani driving available.

Contact : 96913836

DRIVER

Controls & automation Engineer with 7 years experience in ( RO BOT

/PLC/CNC programming , LV panel

building , Installation & commis-

sioning service & support of ma-

chines) mostly overseas experience

for complete execution of Machine

projects in China, USA, Thailand

ETC. Contact : +97430847848,

Email: bensonvar@gmail.com

Quantity Surveyor or Site Engineer

in civil, 5 years experience in Oman

have valid Oman driving license

looking for suitable posts, NOC avail-

able. Contact: 96394948/ 98294919.

Email: asvinsha@gmail.com

Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need

suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.

Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com

Civil Engineer, Expatriate Female, 3

yrs experience, on visit visa seeking

suitable placement. #99195433

Iraqi Engineer specialized in

telecommunication net working &

PC experience in nuking network

and security systems. Contact:

92898329 / 99249124

Electronics & communications

Indian male, 2 years experience

seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 99456725 / 94678625

Indian male, 28 yrs, Electronics &

Instrumentation Engineer with 4 yrs

experience in Industrial Automa-

tion (SCADA) seeking suitable job.

Contact 93154156 / 98416190

Electrical Engineer Pakistani male

4 years B. Tech & 3 years’ diploma

seeking a suitable placement.

Contact: 96752080

Email: ilyasoader97@gmail.com

Indian Male, IT Support Engineer,

2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experi-

ence. Contact 97311847

Btech computer science graduate

2015 passout.. Android application

marketing.. Having good communi-

cation skills and mindset to work in

a team. Contact 91024385

D.A.E Civil 4 years exp in land sur-

veyor and building work worked on

AutoCAD, T.S and G.P.S 1 year exp in

Oman looking for placement.

Contact: 92140890 / 98780156

Email: engrsafi ullah91@gmail.com

Engineer with 3 yrs experience in

Indian in MEP, HVAC& mechanical

maintained fi eld on visit visa looking

for suitable job. Contact 99191535

Email: fareed029@gmail.com

ADMIN

MBA, B.Com Indian female having

two yrs exp as lecturer seeks place-

ment in teaching fi led. Presently on

family visit visa. Contact – 96259171/

Email: bhumipandya@gmail.com

Indian female MCA, Three years

experience in teaching fi eld, seeks

placement currently on visit visa.

Contact: 93431567

Email: fi vona.mel@gmail.com

English Teacher female (M. A. B.

Ed) Having 14 years experience with

11 years experience in Oman with

reputed institute and school.

Contact: 92289080 / 99318276

Email: babujosev@yahoo.com

Indian male present in Oman can

join immediately. Diploma civil

with CAD & 3d. Contact: 92875345

/92887561

Email: jubincivileng@gmail.com

Warehouse in charge with 14 years

gulf experience 1.5 years in Oman

NOC available looking for suitable

placement contact 97440902

MCA Indian male 6 month experi-

ence India seeking suitable place-

ment. Contact 00918547068891

Email: koneeradh@gmail.com

Male Indian BBM Graduate 8 years

experience in logistics and ware

housing in a reputed company valid

driving license NOC available look-

ing for suitable position. Contact :

96311786 Email: ubinfs@gmail.com

Filipino Male looking for a job &

have experience in sales, waiter,

barista, technical support / customer

service with good communication

skills. Contact 91789465

Indian material controller/ store

keeper seeking job in Oman NOC /

Release available. Contact: 91946174

Indian Female with over 9 yrs ex-

perience with good communication

skills seeks jobs in customer service

or sales fi eld. Contact : 96108289,

shijipaul84@gmail.com

Part- Time Accountant, well experi-

ence senior accountant ,doing all

type of accounting works, Finaliza-

tion, Budgeting available.

Contact :98803439

MCA, BCA with 2 yrs relevant expe-

rience seeking suitable opportunity.

Contact: 96377039

13 Years UAE experienced in MNC &

reputed fi rms logistics distribution

looking for a suitable placement, on

visit visa contact 99838743,

gani.dawood@gmail.com

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

Over 14 years of gulf experience

in Admin /HR /Logistics, fl uent in

Arabic & English with D/L looking

for suitable position.

Contact 95824598

Indian male 25 yrs exp in Adminis-

tration, Telecom, Optical Fiber Com-

munication, Networking, MS Offi ce.

Seeks any job. On visit visa. Contact

– 91385373 /

sridharbsnlma1455@gmail.com

B.E Computer Science, Indian lady,

with 2 years experience in Oman

looking for suitable job in Muscat

having valid GCC driving license.

Contact: 97738624

Computer Networking/Facility

Mgmt 5 Yrs of Exp Holds B.E(ECE),

CCNA Looking for Good Opportunity,

Indian - Visit Visa. Contact 91911792/

arafakdnl@gmail.com

Network system Engineer B.E / ECE

+ CCNA & Ms certifi ed with 4+ yrs

exp looking for a job. Currently in

Oman on visit visa.

Contact: 92589502

Email: careersjegan@gmail.com

Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf ex-

perience) looking for a suitable job

(NOC available) Contact-93344378

Indian female looking for suitable

position 2nd rank in MSC microbiol-

ogy, fresher now on visiting visa.

Contact : 91633089

Email: mansytk4@gmail.com

TOURS & TRAVELS

25 Indian female B.S.C. Fashion

Technology. 5 years experience in

textile industry as a merchandiser

and good in fashion marketing.

Currently available on visit visa,

seeking for a suitable job.

Contact 96990368.

Email: simmy.missy@gmail.com

24 Years, indian male 2.5 Years ex-

perience in admin & accounts, dubai.

Currently on visit visa. Seeking suit-

able placement in admin & accounts.

M: 93016252 EMAIL:

shahabaskp@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer, 29, Indian Male,

having 7+ years exp. in reputed com-

panies. Seeking suitable placement

in any Oman. Contact - 97693456.

Mail ID : venkatbadri23@gmail.com

CCNA MCITP network support /net-

work technician with 2 years experi-

ence indian male having bachelors

degree on visit visa.

Contact : 93080871

sean.f.peters@outlook.com

Video Editor 29 years Indian male

with 8 years experience on visit visa

looking for a suitable placement

contact: 91275969

leomoorkoth@gmail.com

Omani male , BBA ,with 6 year

experience in HR &Admin looking for

opportunity in HR & Admin in Mus-

cat. Joint date after one month notice

period . Mobile 92223279

24 years, Indian Chartered Account-

ant male with 3 yrs of experience

is seeking suitable placement in

Muscat, currently on visit visa &

ready to join immediately. Kindly

contact him on 98201476 or email at

lokeshkaluri@gmail.com

Indian male 25 years B.tech com-

puters (Having 3 years of experience

in customer service/Admin/IT Sup-

port) looking for suitable position.

Visa Transfer/NOC Available im-

mediate to join. Contact: 98402389,

Mail: naresh6672@gmail.com

Having 9+ years exp. in Admin,

Purchase, Stores & Warehouse in re-

puted companies. Presently working

in Muscat and seeking for suitable

placement. Contact +968 97693456.

email : muralimahdav77@gmail.com

Innovative Indian Male 29, B.E &

M.Tech Web designer / developer

with over 5.5 years of work experi-

ence in HTML 5, CSS 3, SEO, Digital

marketing (DFP & DCM), Magento,

CMS, Photoshop and Dreamweaver.

Can join ASAP. # 00968 9630 3055

/ email: aditya.khandkar@gmail.com

10 YEAR Experienced PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER.

Currently working at Kerala, India.

Seeks placement. #95872030 ,

email: - sajith3969@gmail.com

Indian male 48yrs with driving

license looking for a job to work as

driver / salesman. Residing at Al

Khoudh. Contact: 99551310

DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com

D6 M O N D AY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

Omani Mechanical Engineer, has

3 years experience ,has HSE, H2S,

Riggers/Banks men Permit, Drawing

/ cad, SCBA, Safety Leadership and

Initial Fire Response Courses. good

with computer and English language

looking for suitable job.

Contact 99224319-98454500

Indian male 22 Mechanical Diploma

holder Engg with HVAC certifi ed,

having 1 year exp. seeking suitable

position. Currently available on visit

visa. Contact - 92835952

Tanzanian male, 25 yrs Accountant

successful experience in Tanzania

looking for suitable placement in any

fi eld. Contact : 96710154

Tunisian lady has Professorship in

social and economical sciences and

accounting, diploma in Experimen-

tal Sciences degree in English for

media. Contact 95391050,

aysser2013@gmail.com

Indian male Diploma, Civil engineer

4.3 year experience at building

construction and consulting

company with Oman driving licence

and N.O.C available seeking

suitable placement

Contact 95989500

email cv.shihabedappal@gmail.com

Content Executive, freshers with

good communication skills and will-

ingness to learn may apply on

job@socioholics.com

MISCELLANEOUS

Business development Manager/Executive. Preferably minimum of

2 years experience. Valid driving

licence can apply on

job@socioholics.com

Filipino Male looking for a job &

have experience in sales, waiter,

barista, technical support / customer

service with good communication

skills. # 91789465

PART TIME ACCOUNTANT, Indian

male, M. Com, 35 years, 12 Years exp.

in Accounts, 8 years in Oman. Knowl-

edge upto fi nalization. Having valid

D/L, seeks suitable Placement.GSM:

96249124

Egyptian Civil Engineer, total expe-

rience 7 years - 2 years experience

in Oman. I am looking for Project

Engineer, I have good experience in

site & offi ce works.

Contact number:91148708

Indian Male 24 years, Looking for a

Suitable Job in Telecom / Network-

ing. 1 year sales experience. MSc.

Communications Engineering &

Valid Driving license.

Ph: 91280121.

Email: jackrprasad@yahoo.com.

ACCOUNTING – Indian male seeking

accounting job with 2 years

experience in accounting.

Contact: 94263445, E mail –

contactantonyxavieranand@gmail.

com

Sudanese male: 27 yrs, 2 years ex-

perience in accounting, other experi-

ence (purchasing – HR - Coordinat-

ing and Offi ce Management), looking

for a job Omani Driving License,

NOC. Contact: 94174403

24 year Indian Chartered Account-

ant male with 3yrs of experience is

seeking suitable placement in Mus-

cat, currently on visit visa & ready

to join immediately. Contact him on

98201476 or email at

lokeshkaluri@gmail.com

Sudanese male (B.Sc, computer sci-

ence) (diploma computer engineer-

ing), 6 yrs. experience DBA oracle

PL-SQL, MS SQL - Server, MS visual

studio vba, network.

Contact 91415886

Syrian male 3yrs. exp in IT support,

Networking, Security systems, Serv-

er support, IT sales and marketing.

Valid Omani D/L seeking suitable

placement. Contact 91055584

PRODUCTION OPERATOR – Indian

male seeking production operator or

related jobs with 4 years of experi-

ence in oil & gas fi eld. #94263445.

Email: tonyxavier4u@gmail.com

Indian Keralite Male 35 looking for

Scaff olding supervisor post having 5

years of Supervisor and HSE experi-

ence in GCC Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Fluent in English Arabic and Hindi .

Contact 96155921, or mail

fysal.nellaya@gmail.com

Indian Male 28 yrs, having 7 years

Gulf + Indian experience in

HR and Admin fi eld, looking for

suitable placement.

Contact: 97914340,

Email: rajkv3086@gmail.com

Indian Male 28 years MSM, B. Com

having 6years experience in Gulf

and India as a HR and Admin looking

for suitable placement.# :97914340.

Email: rajkv30@gmail.com

B.Sc. Mechanical Engineer Suda-

nese 3 yrs of exp. In industrial fi eld

available in muscat on vist visa

seeking suitable job .

Contact: 95868922, Email:

almouthanaosman@yahoo.com

IT system and Printer engineer ME,

5Years bank IT Management exp in

India looking for full time job visit

visa contact 94462150

24 year Indian Chartered Account-

ant male with 3yrs of experience is

seeking suitable placement in Mus-

cat, currently on visit visa & ready

to join immediately. Contact him on

98201476 or email at

lokeshkaluri@gmail.com

MCA IT Professional Indian Female

seek placement in Teaching/ Non

Teaching fi eld. Presently on visit

visa. 9588 7051,

ashwininakod@gmail.com

ACCA Affi liate, Indian, 2.5Years

experience in Audit/ Finance in Big

6 Audit Firm and Oil Accounting in

PDO, For Permanent Placement for

Finance or Accounts or Audit. Re-

lease NOC Available on hand.

Contact #95140445,

a.saran891@gmail.com

Finance ACCA Affi liate, Worked as

an Auditor with 2.5 Years Experience

in reputed fi rm, Handled independ-

ent audit/fi nance assignments,

Looking for permanent placement,

NOC available. #95140445.

a.saran891@gmail.com

Piping Design Engineer, Indian

male 27, looking for suitable place-

ment in Piping Design & Engineer-

ing. Having 7 years of experience in

AutoCAD. Also familiar with PDMS

(11.6 Version),CAESAR ll. Contact :

97351786 / 96143708, E-mail :

mohammednazeer07@gmail.com

Sudanese male (B.Sc Computer sci-

ence) (diploma computer engineer-

ing) 6 yrs. experience DBA Oracle pl-

sql, MS sql-server ,ms visual studio

vba, network. Contact :91415886

Indian male with 8 yrs experience

in FMCG in Oman as Sales Supervi-

sor looking for suitable placement.

NOC available. Gsm: 96495206

Indian Male, Graduate, 11 years

Sales experience in Lighting /

Industrial products, ready to join

immediately. GSM: 9710 5356

Indian heavy duty driver with 8

years experience in oman available

with NOC. GSM : 93601943

GSM : 94496457

Over 15 years experience in Gulf.

Interior Architect, Lebanese Nation-

ality, on visit visa seeking a suitable

Placement. 96268005.

Indian male, 28 yrs MBA (HR/M) 2

years experience in Indian Oman in

HR & admin seeks suitable place-

ments. NOC available. # 97484159

Email: rameshkapa86@gmail.com

M.Sc 3+ years exp from France &

India in IT Support Engineer / Hard-

ware & Networking / Server support

/ scientifi c system support looking

for suitable positions. Indian, male

on visit visa, contact 98898781/

anoopys@gmail.com

Looking for managerial post (full

time ), More than Ten years of

experience in Team Development

,Training, planning, Administration,

Sales & Marketing, Advertisement

and Credit Control and Logistics.

#91076608 / 99322748. Release &

noc available

Indian male, 34years having 10

years of experience in Sales, Sales

Coordination and Administration.

Experienced in SAP and

MS Offi ce. NOC available.

Contact # 94686594

Indian Male MBA Marketing/HRM

3 year experience with Omani D/L,

seeking suitable jobs.

Contact: 97424188

email: dharwesh@gmail.com

Indian, Male, 23 years, BE Electri-

cal, having 2 years experience in

Electrical Works-H.T. cabling etc,

& Construction, looking for a suit-

able placement. # +968 96927880

(Oman), +91 9765376109 (India),

Email: rahulrevi6@gmail.com

Indian Female M.Com with Com-

puter Skills and Four Month Experi-

ence as Accountant ,Currently On

Family Visa Looking for a Suitable

Placement, Available Immediately.

Contact : 95846642,

Email : dhanyashree91@yahoo.com

ACCA Affi liate, Experience in audit/

fi nance of 2.5 years in Big 6 Firm

and Oil industry, looking for suitable

permanent placement, Release NOC

available. Contact: #95140445

a.saran891@gmail.com

B.Tech Computer Engineer Wanted

job to work on(IT/Banking/Admin-

istrator/Technical/Offi ce works)

having NOC with the limited time

from (04/06/2015 to 13/06/2015).

Mobile:98402389

email:naresh6672@gmail.com

British Beauty Therapist looking

for suitable position. please contact

:97175240

Highly Qualifi ed & Experienced

Finance Manager Pakistani with

USA , UK & Canadian Degrees , CPA

,ACCA-UK . MBA-USA ,IFA- Finan-

cial Consultants Canada , Corporate

Analyst USA Professional of Bank-

ing , Audits ,ERPs & Profi t Maximi-

zations ( NOC available ) call 94

504505 – 94403270

27 year Indian female who has 4

years of experience with logistics

function in distribution of spares

for both heavy machinery & wind

turbine parts. Kindly contact me on

+91 9790769104

E-mail: joemohana@yahoo.co.in

Indian male Executive Secretary

having vast experience in admin,

logistics & procurement well versed

with computer .seek suitable place-

ment. Contact : 99514286

Indian male MBA (U.K), 10 Years

of experience in Admin, Sales, HR,

stores and logistics seeks suitable

placement. Contact 99271903.

Indian Female MCA, 4 plus Years

of experience in Web designing, Ad-

min, P.A, seeks suitable placement.

Contact 99486374

8 Years successful experience,

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, Indian

male,29 years. Presently working in

Oman as a Senior Accountant

with oman Driving license seeks suit-

able opportunity. GSM: 97705854

7 and half years experience working

accounts / inventory manager look-

ing suitable job. Contact: 96991782

Email: srinivasu.sp@gmail.com

Indian female , MCA BCA, certifi ca-

tion PL SQL , 6months training PHP,

date warehouse looking for suitable

placement. #95694330 Email:

mondkashyapodl@gmail.com

B.Com with more than 5 yrs exp.

looking for an accounts part tome

job work. know with tally.

Email-shilpa_62@yahoo.com

Part- time accountant, well experi-

ence senior accountant , doing all

type of accounting works, fi naliza-

tion, budgeting available.

Contact : 98803439

Indian male, looking for a part time

accounting job. Having additional

knowledge & experience in

HR admin & purchase.

Contact 99196621

HSE Advisor, NEBOSH IGC, Indian

male, 4 years experience in con-

struction and oil fi elds, seeking suit-

able jobs. Gsm: 97458900,

Mail: miroshbabu@gmail.com

Highly Experienced Finance

Manager, CPA ,ACCA-UK . MBA-USA

, Professional of Banking, Audits ,

ERPs Sap , Management as Team

Leader and Problem Solver call 94

504505 / 94403270

Indian male MBA Finance presently

OMAN IN visit visa, 26 years, look-

ing for an accountant job.

Contact 95240641, email Id

mohammadabdulazharuddin@

gmail.com

Admin Executive, 31, Indian Male,

having 9+ years exp. in reputed

companies. Seeking suitable place-

ment in any gulf region. Contact

+968 99276601 & 97693456. email :

muralimahdav77@gmail.com

Indian Female, 24yrs, M.COM (Ac-

counts) having 3yrs experience

in Accounts, HR, Administration,

Customer Service. Good Computer

Profi ciency. Seeking Suitable Posi-

tion. Visa Transfer/NOC Available.

Contact: 99654913

MEP Quantity Surveyor-Estima-

tion-Project, 10 Years Experience

(3 years in Oman). Having NOC &

Oman D/L, looking for suitable job,

Contact - 98291626

Indian house maid looking full time

job. Contact : 98254909

B.E. Civil Engineer age 27, total 3

years of experience in Mumbai look-

ing for placement asap in oman now

on visit visa of 1 month ph 9571 3441

Email. Khatrialeem@gmail.com

Indian Male, 29 years, CCNP, MCITP

having Bachelor degree and 6 years

of experience in Networking looking

for job. 96760618 /

varghese.manthara@gmail.com

Sudanese male, 31 year old, have 3

year Diploma in electrical engineer,

5 years experience in diff erent activ-

ities . Mobile No ; +96894549609

Tunisian women looking for a job,

khnows english,frensh, italian and

arabic. Contact: 91171838

Young Indian Chartered Accountant,

female, Having 6 years experience

in Oman and India. Accounts and

Finance Manager, Auditor. Urgently

seeking suitable positions.

Contact-92530131,

jobcareer44@gmail.com

Indian female Nurse with 5 yrs of

experience, presently working in

Oman, seeking for suitable place-

ment. NOC available can join imme-

diately. Contact: 98329941

Email: ancyanish2011@gmail.com

Looking for part time jobs in Mus-

cat, Auto cad Draughtsman (Civil).

contact:-+968-99070584

email: remluvp@gmail.com

Indian female MA. B.Ed. with one

year three months teaching experi-

ence. Subject: English Seeking for

a Better placement. Now working

in Oman # 93961142, 92184408

Email:anoopkesavan78@gmail.com

B.Sc. Mechanical Engineer Suda-

nese 3 yrs of exp. In industrial fi eld

available in Muscat on visit visa

seeking suitable job .

Contact: 95868922, Email:

almouthanaosman@yahoo.com

Indian Male MBA with two year

experience in H.R as a H.R As-

sistant, Now in India, Seeking

for an urgent suitable position.

Contact:-98620260 / 93895992 ,

Email:-deepakmb4@gmail.com

Indian male auto cad draughts-

man (civil) 8 years experience,

seeking for part time job mobile no:

0096899070584

email: remluvp@gmail.com

8 years successful experience.

Senior Accountant, Indian male,

29 years, presently working in oman

as a senior accountant with oman

driving license. NOC available. seek

suitable opportunity.

gsm: 97705854

ACCA affi liate, with 2.5 years

experience in Big6 audit fi rm and

Oil industry, looking for permanent

placement in Accounts/Audit.

Release available Contact :95140445

a.saran891@gmail.com

Indian Female, Commerce Gradu-

ate, Total 9 yrs of experience in

India. worked as Accounts Assistant

and Business executive seeking for

suitable placement.

Tel : 96173533/24222457

Email : topranidivya@gmail.com

Indian Male, 29 years, CCNP, MCITP

having Bachelor degree and 6 years

of experience in Networking looking

for job. 96760618 /

varghese.manthara@gmail.com

Female Executive Assistant/Execu-

tive Secretary with 27+ experience,

worked with top management/Board

in fi nancial services with shorthand

skills & Omani driving license,

seeks suitable placement.

call 95941515

B.E. Civil Engineer from India with

3 years of experience looking for

suitable vacancy in oman now on

visit visa. Contact 9571 3441,

Email . Khatrialeem@gmail.com

Indian male 21 IT Eng. networking &

computer hardware diploma, 1 year

experience, currently on visit visa

looking for a suitable job.# 96036273

email: faizanfarooqui23@gmail.com

DAILY GUIDEM O N D AY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5 D7

SITUATION WANTEDCARGO

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise

with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain

Marine Tours Contact- 98029602,

92808636

RENT A CAR

RENT A CAR

TOURS

GOOD NEWS

GOOD NEWS

Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain,

backache, paralysis massage, steam

bath, obesity, spondylitis IDEAL ,

CARE Ayurvedic Clinic 18 November

street, Azaiba. Contact 99639695 /

99117987

FREE INFORMATION ABOUT IS-LAM. If you would like to know more

about Islam, please call: 99425598,

96050000, 99353988, 99253818,

99341395, and 99379133.

For ladies: 99415818, 99321360,

99730723

Orvisit: www.islamfact.com

Ayurvedic treatment for backache,

paralysis, arthritis etc & massage,

All Season (Vaidyaratnam).

Contact 24475280 / 95371554 /

92504980 www.siddhayur.com

Genuine Ayurvedic treatments &

massage, Ayurvedic clinic at

Al Khuwair. Contact 24478618 /

97263637 /93309131

Butter cup rent a car presents fantastic off ers all vehicles are model 2016.

Contact : 97249449

Available car with driver daily,

weekly and monthly basis.

Contact : 95518612

DRIVING

Learn driving with professional

only automatic. Contact

94022250

*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text,

should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to

space availability

DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com

D8 M O N D AY, J U N E 2 9, 2 0 1 5

SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

SITUATION WANT-SERVICES

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

Carpet, curtain, sofa, fl oor,

cleaning, shampooing, marble &

mosaic tiles grinding, polishing

and painting. Contact : 93630133 /

95821193

House shifting packing.

99657644 / 98518013

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile

polishing, pest control & anti-ter-

mite treatment, general cleaning

painting, Plumbing, Electrical,

shifting. Contact Mundhir

Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C.

# 24810137, 99450130

WEBSITE

WEB, ERP and Business Intelli-

gence (BI) creation and man-

agement at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

CLASSES COMPUTER

ACCOUNTANTS AND CONSULTANTS

WE ARE PROVIDINGACCOUNTING/ AUDITING

TAX/ CONSULTINGCONTACT: 24 567 251 / 95 498 033

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet

& sofa shampooing, Contact

99314807/24792998

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of

your marble. Contact 24793614/

99314807

House shifting. Contact 99708138

Admission Open: CAMBRIDGE /

BILINGUAL CURRICULUM

admission started in Al Burj Private

School, Azaiba for KG and Grade I to

IV. Please register soonest.

Contact: 93211417 / 92887809.

Learn Cup cakes, exotic cakes, Icing

decorations, handicrafts.

Contact 95941515

SITUATION WANT-MANPOWER

Split & window A.C servic-

ing & maintenance. Contact

93769089/95323517

Air condition maintenance split

and window services AC specialist

ducted and package type unites.

Contact: 98667326

Split & widow unit A.C servicing &

repairing. Contact: 99557080

Split & window unit A.C servicing &

maintenance.

Contact: 96236476

Window & split unit A.C servicing &

maintenance. Contact : 93769089 /

95323517

Pest control Treatments, termites,

cockroaches, bedbugs Ocean Center

LLC. Contact: 99344723

Carpet, Sofa Shampooing. Ocean

Center LLC. Contact: 99884591

AC servicing maintenance fi xing.

Contact: 99540621

MATRIMONIAL

Indian male 39 yrs Christian, work-

ing in Muscat, looking for life part-

ner. divorced or widow. Any caste.

contact:96059801

Water proofi ng ABUQABAS-

Contact 99320217/24788722

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles

polishing, carpet shampooing,

maintenance.Contact ABU QABAS-

99320217 /24788722

*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text,

should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication.

* Subject to space availability

AVAILABLE

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting,

Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crock-

ery, Glassware, Chafi ng Dishes, Ice

Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems

and spectacular lighting. Call Andrea

9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden

9623 5555 for Sound & Light.

www.tunesoman.com,

E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation. Contact 99508282

Pick & drop any time. Contact:

98522914 / 99512270

Transportation. Contact:

98178135

Transportation. Contact:

98505294

Transportation. Contact:

98244078

Transportation. Contact:

95190627

Pick & Drop any time. Contact:

97014786

BUSINESS

Due to busy schedule, looking

for investor / business partner

in management & marketing for

travel & tourism offi ce in Muscat.

Contact: 99318581

General Investors. Contact

99674870