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March 8, 2016 28 Jumada Al Ula 1437 AH

TUESDAY

13 40

MORNING MINUTE

At the Opening of the Fourth Term Session of The Majlis Oman, 2007

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTYTHE SULTAN

We expect the Council of Oman in general, and the Majlis Al Shura in particular, to take on more comprehensive responsibilities in the fields of economic and social development. In doing so, we hope that the experience gained will provide an impetus for further beneficial and constructive action in serving this dear nation, which is resolutely engaged in building its present, while looking towards its future, in the light of the ever-increasing demands and established realities of the modern age.

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’

d

Plans to make horror crash road safer

FAHAD AL GHADANIfahadnews@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Officials are discuss-ing a raft of measures to make the road where 18 people died last week safer.

Better maintenance of the road, improved lighting system and allocating a wider area for road shoulders are among the measures discussed to prevent accidents on the Qarat Al Milh-Uwaifiya-Ibri road, the scene of a horrific crash last week.

Eighteen people were killed and 16 suffered grave injuries in the early morning accident in Ibri. Three vehicles including a bus, a trailer and a car were in-volved in the accident.

As a response to the accident, the Majlis Al Shura held a meet-ing with the Ministry of Trans-

port and Communications to address the issue, a member of Majlis Al Shura confirmed to the Times of Oman.

“We have discussed in particu-lar this issue with the Minister of Transport and Communication and he has welcomed our sugges-tions. A team has been formed to study the issues relating to the road and come out with a report to find quick solutions,” said Ali Al Mashani, the Shura member.

He said Shura members’ sug-gestions included better mainte-nance of the road, proper lighting arrangements and earmarking a wider area for shoulders along the 214-kilometre road.

“Such things will definitely help save more lives in the fu-ture,” asserted Al Mashani.

Al Mashani explained that travelling on the Fahud-Ibri road saves almost 56km and around 30 minutes, for motorists trav-elling between Ibri and Dhofar. However, he cautioned that it is better to lose half-an-hour and avoid risky road than putting one’s life in peril.

He added that people tend to avoid the Adam-Nizwa-Thum-rait road as it is less busy com-pared to the other road.

“But it’s not worth risking your life for the sake of 30 minutes,” said Al Mashani.

“We couldn’t demand the con-struction of a new road as every-body is aware of the financial cri-sis. We had to be reasonable and ask for possible and quick solu-tions,” noted Al Mashani. >A6

To prevent crash on

Fahud-Ibri stretch,

steps are being

taken to improve the

lighting system and

maintenance works

REJIMON K FAHAD AL GHADANIreji@timesofoman.com fahadnews@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Rain has claimed its first victim as rescuers recovered the body of a person who was caught in an overflowing wadi in Rustaq on Monday evening.

“The body of a person who was caught in the overflowing Wadi Falaj Al Hadith has been recov-ered by the rescue team,” Public Authority of Civil Defence and Ambulances (PACDA) tweeted on its official twitter handle.

The Ministry of Education has called upon parents to fol-low updates from the directorate general of areas in which their children’s schools exist before sending them.

The ministry calls on every-one to be alert to the instructions given by the authorities con-

cerned for public safety. Four people trapped in their

car in Wadi Seeh Al Afiyah in Ibra were rescued by PACDA person-nel. One was injured in the inci-dent.

Saeed Al Sarmi, the Head of the Research Centre from Public Au-thority for Civil Aviation (PACA) told the Times of Oman, that heavy rain fell in Tanuf, Bahla, Rustaq, Buraimi, Ibra, Bidbid, Samail and Al Khoud resulting in the overflowing of wadis.

National Committee for Civil Defence tweeted that traffic was disrupted on Ibri-Rustaq road due to overflowing wadi.

The PACA official said late in the evening that Muscat will wit-ness heavy rain until Tuesday morning and after a short break, heavy rain will return on Wednes-day afternoon.

“It will continue till Thursday,” Saeed added. >A3

H E A V Y R A I N

OMANSailor battles for life

1An Indian sailor who suffered burns in a fire on a ship, is in a critical condition

in an Oman hospital. >A2

OMANOn gender parity path

2Women in Oman get equal opportunities as men, said Naashiah Al

Kharusi, a member of the State Council. >A3

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

A6New archaeological site discovered

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

Omani woman helping Syrian refugees arriving in GreeceTARIQ ZIAD AL HAREMI tariqh@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Oman is well known for its humanitarian values, hos-pitable culture, rushing to help victims of horrific traffic acci-dents and providing for the war-displaced seeking a safe haven.

One such Omani, who is fea-tured in today’s #OmanPride, is Dalal Mohammad Darwish, who since December 2015, has vol-unteered to help Syrian refugees upon their arrival on the shores of Greece, as well as acted as an associate producer for an up-coming documentary film called Citizen Xenos.

Darwish, a U.K. born Omani is the first Omani to volunteer in the refugee crisis that has hit Greece.

“I moved to Greece in Decem-ber 2015, with the initial aim to volunteer helping the refugees of war arriving on the shores. For a long time, a Greek friend of mine,

Valia Charalampidou had encour-aged me to do so. She embarked on a mission to document stories from the ground and I was im-mediately part of the team,” said Darwish.

She added, “My views on injus-tice and my passion for humanity and equality motivated me to be-come a part of this independent production.”

Darwish said there isn’t enough global awareness about the intri-cate level of human struggle dur-ing the crisis and the film could

help raise awareness. The team also took it upon themselves to use their personal resources and finances to document untold stories that the media does not portray about the refugees on a human level.

“I found out that the crisis in-volves more than crowds of refu-gees lining up for food, sleeping on the streets, the number of arrivals, number of deaths and number of those missing. Refu-gees have not been portrayed as humans with a beautiful culture and a rich history,” she said.>A6

V O L U N T E E R

Answer T20 quiz, win prize

TRAGEDY: The mangled remains of the bus. – Shabin E

MARKETPower capacity boost

3Oman’s Rural Areas Electricity Company will invest OMR126m to

boost power generation. >B1

SCAN THIS TO TAKE PART IN THE ONLINE QUIZ

Courtesy @RthatWeather

Body recovered from Rustaq wadi

A2 T U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

OMANIndian sailor battles for life in Oman hospital

REJIMON Kreji@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: An Indian sailor who suffered burns in a fatal fire which claimed two lives, while on board a vessel in Yemeni waters, is in a crit-

ical condition at the Sultan Qaboos Hospital in Salalah, India’s foreign minister said in an official tweet.

The sailor, along with two oth-ers, were brought to Oman for treatment on Friday.

“The three sailors injured in

Yemen are all Indians. They are admitted in Sultan Qaboos Hospi-tal Salalah (Oman). Alauddin from Lucknow is out of danger, Tajveer Singh from Ghaziabad is stable while Atul Borker from Chennai is critical. Our mission in Oman is providing all help,” Sushma Swaraj, the Indian minster, tweeted.

“Mahesh Kumar Rajagopal and Deepu Lathika Mohan lost their life due to fire in a vessel Al Sadaa. My condolences,” she tweeted.

Indra Mani Pandey, the Indian ambassador to Oman, told the Times of Oman that the incident

happened late on Friday night.“There were 11 Indian sailors on

board. Two died and five were in-jured in the fire. Three are under-going treatment in Salalah Sultan Qaboos Hospital. Our representa-tive in Salalah is following up the case,” the Indian ambassador said adding that the Oman government helped the mission in the admis-sion of injured sailors in Oman.

“After the sailors become stable, we will look into other procedures if they want to fly to India or go back to their company in Dubai,” the ambassador added.

The incident happened late on Friday night,

India’s ambassador to Oman said

International Day helps celebrate diverse culturesTimes News Service

MUSCAT: A diverse mix of cul-tures from 45 countries in one place brought people together at the International Day organ-ised by The American Interna-tional School of Muscat (TAISM) last Friday.

Visitors had the chance to try some of the best food from these countries, watch several perfor-mances by students and shop for homemade items, the revenues of some of which were also donated to charity.

The International Day is a way for students and staff at TAISM, who represent 67 nationalities this year, to celebrate being in the school by sharing each other’s cul-ture, Natasha Fernandes, parent volunteer coordinator, explained.

While initially the focus was on food, other activities, such as stage performances and typi-cal Omani activities, like apply-ing henna, were added, she ex-plained. She said the event has grown bigger in recent years.

“As we have grown to 67 na-tionalities, everyone wants to represent their culture,” Fre-nandes said.

The Indian booth for example, focuses on the wedding theme in India and its rituals, she ex-plained. She added that the Arabs had decided to get together and put Oman, being the host country, at the centre, with the hospitality tent serving coffee and dates.

The International Day also gives parents the opportunity to showcase their talent for mak-ing handicrafts and selling their products. Fernandes said the event is “like Muscat Festival, but on the school grounds.”

For a noble causeSome vendors at the Interna-tional Day donated their revenue earned to charity.

“Everything we sell, 100 per cent of it will go to dementia care in Oman,” one of the sellers at the “Bakesale Fundraiser” said. The proceeds raised will help fund the training of Omani nurses who want to become caregivers for people suffering from dementia.

Fernandes added that this is the only event where parents and teachers come together to organ-ise the food, activities, as well as stage performances. The event was well received by visitors.

T A I S M

There were 11 Indian sailors on board. Two died and

five were injured in the fire. Three are undergoing

treatment in Salalah Sultan Qaboos Hospital.

Indra Mani Pandey, India’s ambassador to Oman

German minister arrives in OmanMUSCAT: Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Federal Republic of Germany arrived on an official two-day visit to the Sultanate yesterday.

During the visit, Dr. Stein-meier will meet with a number of state officials.

The German guest was received

upon his arrival at Muscat Interna-tional Airport by Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Respon-sible for Foreign Affairs, the Am-bassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Sultanate, the Head of West Europe Depart-ment and the Head of the Proto-cols Department at the Foreign Ministry. -ONA

F O R E I G N M I N I S T E R

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Oman moving ahead on gender parity path

DEEBA HASANdeeba@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Women in Oman get equal opportunities as men, said Naashiah Al Kharusi, a member of the State Council, and Oman’s first female telecom engineer.

March 8 is celebrated as the In-ternational Women’s Day, and this year’s theme is “Pledge for Parity.”

“In terms of policies, women and men have equal rights and op-portunities. It is up to the two gen-ders to grab these opportunities, it is an open ocean and women are allowed to choose what career they want to go for,” Al Kharusi added.

Al Kharusi is Oman’s first fe-male telecom engineer and a member of the State Council of Oman since 2011. She was also appointed the Chairperson of the Omani Women’s Association from 2012 to 2014. Besides serv-ing these roles, she also helped es-tablish the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) and served on the Omantel board for 26 years.

“When I was studying, things were different-the people’s mind-sets and perspectives were not the same as now, today things have changed and women have better prospects. The only key is to work hard and not complain. There are lots of things Omani women can do today and the government is supporting them in a great way,” she added.

Al Kharusi stated that if a job advertisement in Oman is pub-lished with a gender specification, one can go and complain about it. “It is not allowed to specify a gender in job adverts, unless the company has a very strong reason to justify it.”

In 2014, Omani women refuted a survey conducted by Bayt.com, a popular career website in the Middle East, which said that 56 per cent of the women receive less pay than their male counterparts.

“We have equality in everything as men and I think we are one of the very lucky countries where we have the same job opportunities

and salaries as men. In fact, we have a whole day (Omani Wom-en’s Day-October 17) dedicated to us to celebrate our achievements and successes,” said Her High-ness Sayyida Basma Al Said, men-tal health expert and owner of the Whispers of Serenity Clinic.

Due to His Majesty the Sultan’s Royal decrees, women have sev-eral privileges, she noted. “Today, Omani women are everywhere and our biggest support is His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. So I think women need to stop complaining and start acting on the opportunities they have around them.

They can start their own SMEs and operate them from home, not many countries would offer this.”

Al Said also hoped that gradu-ally Omani women will be able to spread their reputation far and wide and outside Oman.

“Not a lot of people who live outside of Oman know about the amazing things that we have done, so I wish that happens. For that we need to work outwards to bring things inwards.”

Rumaitha Al Busaidi, adventur-er and aquaculture specialist, said women in Oman need to take up more leadership roles. “I wouldn’t say that we are on par with men, we need more women in execu-tive positions, in lead roles, and we need more women to take the spotlight so that they can pave the way for other women in the country. There are opportunities and the government is doing all it can to help create gender parity in the limits women want, because we do like to be treated as women with the privileges that we have.”

When she came back to Oman after completing her studies in “Environment” from the Neth-erlands, most of the jobs in her specialisation were for men, but she managed to challenge that. “If I didn’t know my rights, I wouldn’t have been able to challenge that but I only managed because of the fact that I was aware of my rights. So I think women need to educate themselves about their rights, that I feel is lacking in Oman.”

Speaking further, Al Busaidi also feels that lots of changes have taken place since the time she was little.

“Yes, definitely when we were younger, there was no female min-ister or an ambassador, however now there are female ministers and it is clearly visible that more women are coming into the work-force and demanding their rights, and are also as powerful as men in formulating strategy, thinking and getting the job done.”

March 8 is celebrated

as the International

Women’s Day, and

this year’s theme is

“Pledge for Parity”

Her Highness Sayyida Basma Al Said, mental health expert

Rumaitha Al Busaidi, adventur-er and aquaculture specialist

Naashiah Al Kharusi, Member of the State Council

Cases of marital violence rising in Oman: ExpertsHASAN SHABAN AL LAWATIhassan@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Marital violence is on the rise in the Sultanate, experts have revealed.

The growing incidence of mari-tal violence is also attributed to an increase in awareness among Omani women, who are now speaking out more openly against it, with a growing number of them holding firm that such violence must not be tolerated.

Dr. Kahwla Al Wahabi, a spe-cialist at the Department of Be-havioural Medicine at the Sul-tan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH), said, “Wives should immediately report any case of marital violence to the police or courts.”

Al Wahabi, who receives near-ly five cases related to marital violence per month, said mari-tal violence can lead to trauma and psychological problems, such as anxiety, depression and even suicidal tendencies among the victims.

One of the reasons women avoid reporting abusive partners to the authorities, is they fear for their children’s future. They also get bogged down by the thought that society tends to blame women for any marital conflict, according to the latest study by Al Wahabi on “Violence against married women in Oman.”

“Most women tolerate their spouse’s attitude thinking time will solve their issues,” she explained.

The study also revealed that most acts of violence were report-ed during the first few years or months of marriage, and most of abuse was in the form of repeated acts of violence.

Oman is a country, where the population of males and females are almost on parity, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

Maisa, a general prosecutor, echoed Al Wahabi’s view, saying many women lacked knowledge about their legal rights, making them vulnerable.

According to the study, which involved 140 Omani women, who have victims of violence, 90 of them (60 per cent) were in a tra-ditional arranged marriage.

“While violence comes in dif-ferent forms,” said Al Wahabi, “verbal violence tops the chart in Oman, followed by physical, financial and sexual violence, which is increasing dramatically among married Omani couples.”

She said the types of physical violence reported to her depart-ment involve hitting the body, slapping, pulling hair and punch-ing. Some men also bit their wives and used sharp tools to hit them.

The most common form of verbal violence includes insults, shaming family members, com-parison with other women, and making fun of the victim’s ap-pearance. What’s more, women with lower levels of education were found more likely to file complaints of marital violence in the courts.

Al Wahabi stressed the need to have a specialised court in Oman that only tackles martial violence.

While divorce seems to be the obvious solution, many men and women in Oman prefer having af-fairs rather than divorce, which is considered a stigma, as old as time, and which forces women to neglect the issue of gender-based violence which, according to the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, is “any act of gen-der-based violence that results

in, or is likely to result in, physi-cal, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.”

Al Wahabi said cheating among married couples is on the rise mainly due to early age marriages.

Since 2013, female victims of violence and discrimination in Oman were being housed in a cen-tre provided by the Ministry of Social Development to keep them safe. Around 54 females joined the centre in 2015, according to a ministry official.

However, such cases are not restricted to Oman as the glob-al prevalence figures indicate that about 1 in 3 (35 per cent) of women worldwide have expe-rienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.

Most of this violence is “inti-mate partner violence.” World-wide, almost one third (30 per cent) of women, who have been in a relationship, report that they have experienced some form of physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner, according to the World Health Organisation.

Recently, the Sultan Qa-boos University (SQU) held a workshop entitled, “Violence against women in the Omani society,” which highlighted the health, legal and social aspects of the problem.

SOC I ETY

One of the reasons women avoid reporting

abusive partners to the authorities, is they fear for

their children’s future. They also get bogged down

by the thought that society tends to blame women

for any marital conflict, according to the latest

study by Dr. Kahwla Al Wahabi

Flash flood forecastMeanwhile, weather enthusiast Bader Ali Al Baddaei, an admin-istrator of www.rthmc.net, a local Web-based forum that discusses weather in Oman, said that heavy rain fell in Samail, Barka, Quriyat, Amerat and other areas in Mus-cat.

Meanwhile, PACDA, in a tweet on its official twitter handle ad-vised the public to be cautious.

“Rescue teams are on alert,” the PACDA tweeted.According to meteorologists at Accuweather.com, a series of dis-turbances tracking across the Middle East this week will spark heavy thunderstorms, threat-ening to bring flash flooding to Oman.

“Locally heavy thunderstorms

will develop during the next few days, causing normally dry rivers to swell with water and some roads to become impassable. The great-est threat for flooding will stretch from eastern UAE and northern Oman into southeastern Iran,” the meteorologists said.

The meteorologists added that cities in northern Oman such as Muscat and Sohar will see the greatest risk for flash flooding this week as thunderstorms de-velop across the mountains just to the west.

“Low pressure passing across Iran from Tuesday into Wednes-day will cause an increase in thun-derstorms on these days, bringing the greatest threat for flooding,” the meteorologists said.

METEOROLOG I STS

< FROM

A1

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A4 T U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

OMAN

Crisis a chance to look beyond oil, gas sector

MOBIN MATHEW BLESSONmobinmathew@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: The current economic crisis offers abundant opportuni-ties to expand beyond the oil and gas sector, a top official from Petro-leum Development Oman (PDO) has said.

“Never lose the opportunity of this crisis; we have to think of diversification and expand our thoughts beyond oil and gas,” Suleiman Al Tobi, Oil Director of South, PDO, told the Times of Oman on the sidelines of the of-ficial opening of the 11th Annual Asset Integrity Management Sum-mit, on Monday.

“This is the time to look at things in different ways. Our ef-forts should be invested in where we can control our activities and try to do only the necessary,” Al Tobi said.

“Only through that can we con-tribute to the country,” he added. He also said it may take some time to overcome the current crisis.

“Even these tough times will help our country find opportuni-ties to diversify, which can add value to the country’s economic

situation,” Al Tobi asserted.Speaking about the job loss in

the market, he said, “We haven’t released any of our staff until now because of the oil price dip.”

“When there is some drop in our activities we will relocate our staff to other areas; our workers are still going on and we continue to drill wells.”

According to Al Tobi, many people are unaware of the current situation in Oman. People should follow what is happening in Oman and outside Oman and then only can they adapt to the situation, he stated. This is the fourth consecu-tive time Oman is hosting the An-nual Asset Integrity Management Summit. Experts in asset integ-rity, inspection, operations and maintenance from the leading oil and gas companies in Oman and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council region are the main par-ticipants in the summit.

The meeting kicked off with a discussion on how to maintain companies’ existing assets amidst the low oil price market through effective asset integrity manage-ment programmes and solutions.

The event was inaugurated with keynote addresses by PDO’s Al Tobi, Livio Accattatis, general manager, Technical Services Divi-sion, Orpic, Dave Campbell, chief

operating officer (COO) and vice president (VP), Oman Operations, BP Oman, and Chris Breeze, VP and Oman Country Chairman, Shell Development Oman.

Other notable speakers in-cluded experts from OOCEP, Salalah Methanol, Occidental Oman, Daleel Petroleum, Qatar Petroleum, ADNOC distribution and more.

The four-day event will also have presentations from Doosan Babcock, DNV GL, Aveva, Per-masense, Integrated Global Ser-vices, NMES Oman, Cortec and Texel, Mistras Group, SENES Engineering Consultants Oman, Integrity Smart Services and Al Takamol Al Hadith Cont. Co, who are also participating as sponsors of the event.

The Annual Asset Integrity Management Summit is organised by the International Quality and Productivity Centre (IQPC).

The first day produced a vari-ety of discussions and presenta-tions focused on adopting a lean approach to maintaining assets, implementing cost-optimisation strategies, given the current low oil price market scenario and improv-ing asset utilisation to maximise return on assets.

The summit will conclude on Wednesday.

Experts in asset

integrity, inspection,

operations and

maintenance are

participating in

the 11th Annual

Asset Integrity

Management Summit

DELIBERATIONS: This is the fourth consecutive time Oman is host-

ing the Annual Asset Integrity Management Summit. – OK Mohammad Ali

Promoting innovation in logistics to benefit OmanERIK PRINSerik@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Oman can benefit from cooperation between gov-ernment, industry and research institutes when it comes to pro-moting innovation in logistics, research and maritime activities.

This was one of the messages delivered by speakers during the first day of the Business Innova-tion Forum on Monday, organised by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Muscat and under the patronage of Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Sec-retary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The forum brought together many Omani and Dutch stakeholders in logis-tics, academia and industry.

Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Bu-saidi said he sees many opportu-nities coming from this forum, noting, “As Oman is strongly po-sitioning itself as a gateway for logistics and trade, I think there is so much [to gain] in terms of building a cluster of support for businesses, start-ups and SMEs. There is much to benefit from our Dutch friends.”

Barbara Joziasse, Ambassa-dor of the Kingdom of the Neth-erlands, told the Times of Oman that logistics, in particular, is a field which demands cooperation, keeping in mind the intercon-nectivity of problems faced in the sector. She said the Netherlands would like to bring to Oman the Dutch open cooperation model, in which stakeholders can deliver the innovation necessary to make economic progress.

“An example of an issue which, together, we can find a solution for, is the handling speed of goods in ports. You have to cooperate here to find the best solution, you can’t do it on your own,” she said.

Mark Frequin, Director Gen-eral for Mobility and Transport at the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Environ-ment, said he hopes to offer “a lot of knowledge about the way we face the same issues as Oman. How can help you create more

economic activities making use of the advantages you have, such as geographical location, port fa-cilities and a government which is eager to invest.”

Frequin provided examples of how to compete and cooperate with neighbouring ports and the importance of seamless logistics.

“In the Netherlands, we earn by moving fast. Every destination within Europe can be reached within a day,” he said.

He introduced the system of col-laboration between stakeholders, as alluded to by Joziasse, which enables progress in the field of in-novation. Referring to the Dutch polders, lands below sea-level re-covered from the sea, he said,“We can’t make progress without coop-eration between all the partners that recovered the land”.

This now applies to the three partners who are important to the field of innovation: government, industry and research institutes.

“You can’t make any progress if you don’t have close cooperation between these three partners”, he said. When asked about his re-sponse to the proposed dialogue between government, industry and research, Al Busaidi said such discussions are beneficial to the

economy. “Our strategic aim is to sustain a dynamic and diverse economy. And that undoubtedly requires collaboration between all stakeholders to fulfil that aim. The more we are able to facili-tate access to data, information, applications and training, and facilitate a much more effective and efficient support system, the more the environment is condu-cive for business to flourish and grow,” he said.

Michiel den Hond, Special En-voy of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said this forum is a next step in advancing the al-ready strong relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

“Especially in the field of trans-port and logistics, the Nether-lands has, throughout its history, developed an enormous amount of knowledge. This field is where we can offer a new boost to our bilateral relations, bringing it to a new level of cooperation,” he said.

Den Hond added that many ar-eas can benefit due to this forum.

“It’s spreading into many dif-ferent areas. It’s about technol-ogy, but it also has an educational aspect; there’s no limit to the side issues related to this forum.”

B U S I N E S S I N N O V A T I O N F O R U M

Photos by Mohamed Mostafa

This is the time to look at things in different ways.

Our efforts should be invested in where we can

control our activities and try to do only the necessary

Suleiman Al Tobi, Oil Director of South, PDO

STRONG RELATIONS : The Business Innovation Forum brought

together many Omani and Dutch stakeholders in logistics, aca-

demia and industry.

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State Council chief takes part in Islamic SummitJAKARTA: As delegated by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Dr. Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Man-theri, Chairman of the State Coun-cil took part in the Extraordinary Islamic Summit currently being held in Jakarta.

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo affirmed in his speech at the Summit that the Palestinians have suffered due to the Israeli occupation and that the member states of the Organisation of Is-lamic Cooperation should proceed well to have a solution for the Pal-estinian case.

He hoped that the Summit will come with decisions that will help in reaching an accord or restor-ing the rights of the Palestinian people.

Iyad Madani, Secretary General of the OIC affirmed the support of the OIC to achieving a compre-hensive reconciliation among the

Palestinian faction that will lead to forming a national unity gov-ernment , joining international agreements and organisations within their legal and political

endeavours to achieve justice, protect the rights of the Palestin-ian people and expanding interna-tional recognition of the State of Palestine. -ONA

J A K A R T A

Mantheri conveys His Majesty’s message to Indonesia presidentJAKARTA: Joko Widodo, Presi-dent of Indonesia, received yes-terday Dr. Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Mantheri, Chairman of the State Council, on the sidelines of the Emergency Islamic Summit cur-rently being held in Jakarta.

During the meeting, Dr Al Man-theri conveyed the greetings of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to the President of Indonesia and His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s best wishes of good health and happiness and for the Indonesian people further pro-gress and prosperity.

The Indonesian president told the State Council chairman to covey his greetings to His Maj-esty the Sultan along with his best wishes to him of good health and happiness and to the Oma-ni people further progress and prosperity.

They reviewed bilateral rela-tions between the two countries,

in addition to the topics of the Emergency Islamic Summit.

Sayyid Dr. Ahmed bin Hilal Al Busaidi, Sultanate’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its Permanent Representa-

tive to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Sayyid Nizar bin al Julanda Al Said, Sultanate’s Am-bassador to the Republic of In-donesia and a number of officials attended the meeting. -ONA

R E V I E W T I E S

BILATERAL TIES: Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia, receives

yesterday Dr. Yahya bin Mahfoudh Al Mantheri, Chairman of the

State Council.– ONASUPPORT TO PALESTINE: OIC affirmed its support for the formation

of a national unity government for the Palestinians. – ONA

Fewer flights to Addis Ababa

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Ethiopian Airlines, the national carrier of Ethiopia, is now flying four times a week to Addis Ababa instead of seven from the Muscat International Airport, Sami Muctar, Ethiopian Airlines’ country manager in Oman, said.

This comes after Oman stopped issuing visas to domestic workers from Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, Guinea and Cameroon. “Besides this, economic downturn and un-certain future for many has forced us to take such a decision,” he told the Times of Oman on Monday.

He also admitted that busi-ness travel and tourism has also been affected due to the economic downturn. “Limited people are travelling for business or for lei-sure,” he said.

To woo more travellers, Ethio-pian Airlines is offering special offers for travel to Addis Ababa, Zanzibar, Dar-es-Salaam, Khar-toum, Nairobi and Mombasa and to almost all African destinations. “These special offers will help en-hance tourism and trade between the two countries and also benefit the Ethiopians currently living in Oman,” Muctar stated.

“The Ethiopian Airlines flies to over 50 destinations in Africa and

our passengers will have a wide range of options,” he said, adding that the carrier has been promot-ing holiday tour packages to Ethi-opia, Kenya, Tanzania, Seychelles and South Africa.

“We are also promoting our family fare whereby a family of four gets one free ticket for every three tickets purchased,” he said.

“Our current price for a return ticket between Muscat and Addis Ababa is around OMR169 but if you purchase a package, you can get a two-way ticket for OMR200 that also comes with a three-night stay in Addis Ababa including air-port transfers,” Muctar said.

He also explained that in the absence of embassies in the two capitals, Muscat and Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Airlines is now receiv-ing visa applications, and visas are issued.

The actual visa is stamped on the passport of the applicant upon arrival at the Addis Ababa airport.

Commenting on the average number of passengers travelling between Muscat and Addis Ababa, the official said, “We are operating a Boeing 737-700, which seats a total of 118 passengers, and a Boe-ing 737-800, which has a capacity of 154 passengers.”

Muctar said Ethiopia is one of the most ancient countries in the world and is becoming an increas-ingly popular tourist destination in Africa.

He encouraged Omanis and expatriates to explore the many tourist attractions of Ethiopia, saying that the tourism infra-structure in the African country has improved a lot and the avail-able accommodation caters to a wide range of tourists.

Muctar said in addition to the pleasant weather, tourists can enjoy a number of historic sites, including in the walled city of Harar, considered one of the holi-est places in the Muslim world, and Aksum city, which is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in Africa.

Other places worth visiting in-clude Gondar, which is a city full of ancient castles built by famous kings in the medieval era of Ethio-pia, and also Lalibela, home to one of the oldest rock hewn churches, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Sami Muctar,

Ethiopian Airlines’

country manager in

Oman, also admitted

that business travel

and tourism have

also been affected

due to the economic

downturn

Gallery Sarah to represent Oman at Art Dubai 2016Times News Service

MUSCAT: As the leading inter-national contemporary art fair for the Middle East and South Asia, Art Dubai has become the essen-tial gathering place for collectors, artists and art professionals from across the region and beyond.

Art Dubai 2016 is being heralded as the most internationally diverse edition to date, with galleries from Ghana, Lithuania, Oman, Pales-tine, and Sri Lanka, participating for the first time.

Gallery Sarah will be partici-pating this year with the work of Oman-born artist Radhika Kh-imji to represent the Gallery at Art Dubai Contemporary.

Radhika graduated from the Royal Academy of Art in 2005. Previous solo exhibitions include

B-Sides at Nature Morte Gallery in India (2009), Safe landings at Barka Castle in Oman (2010), Found Ges-ture at the Katara art Centre in Qa-tar (2012). Her work was also part of the Jogja Biennale (2013), Frag-ments 2 at Gallery Sarah (2014), the 4th Ghetto Biennale, Port-Au-Prince, Haiti (2015) and more re-cently at 6th Marrakesh Biennale, Marrakesh, Morocco (2016).

Khimji’s work is lodged at a crossroads between multiple po-larities. It is at once a painting, a drawing and a collage; it’s also an embroidery and a sculpture. By combining all of these elements, images overlap with one another to create strange, new hybrids. Her work is also informed primarily by the materiality and physicality of the making process. Existing in a state of transit, these works inhab-

it a space of movement and change. They reflect upon displacement and identity as a way to render them abstract from their loaded histories.

The tenth edition of Art Dubai will take place from March 16-19, 2016, at Madinat Jumeirah. Be-sides the gallery halls, the fair’s extensive programme includes commissioned projects and per-formances, artists’ and curators’ residencies, educational work-shops, the unveiling of works by the winners of the annual Abraaj Group Art Prize and the critically acclaimed Global Art Forum.

Art Dubai has become a corner-stone of the region’s fast-growing contemporary arts community. Recognised as one of the most globalised meeting points in the art world today, Art Dubai places

an emphasis on maintaining its intimate, human scale while fore-grounding quality and diversity.

This year, for the first time, Gal-lery Sarah will be representing Oman at the prestigious fair. Locat-ed in the historical part of Old Mus-cat and part of the Bait Al Zubair Museum complex, Gallery Sarah is a unique contemporary art gallery which opened its doors in 2013. The gallery exhibits artworks including, but not limited to, paintings, graph-ics, calligraphy, installations, sculp-ture and photography. Apart from trying to create a strong connection between established and emerg-ing Omani artists and the interna-tional art world, Gallery Sarah also supports and appreciates work by a wide variety of talented Arab art-ists from around the Gulf and inter-national artists.

A R T

WORK OF ART: ‘Sunken’ by Radhika Khimji who represents Gallery

Sarah at Art Dubai this year. – Supplied photo

OFFERS GALORE: To woo more travellers, Ethiopian Airlines is

offering special offers. – Supplied photo

Sami Muctar, Ethiopian Air-

lines’ country manager in Oman

NEW FIND: The site is a small settlement on an area of about

26,000 square metres. – ONA

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OMANT U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

I experienced many moments of feeling helpless as I

thought no matter how much I do, it is minimal in the

face of the larger impact of this crisis on humanity

Dalal Mohammad Darwish, Omani volunteer

New archaeological site discoveredSOHAR: A new archaeological site near the town of Al Tawyah in Wadi Hibi was discovered by the Department of Heritage and Cul-ture in the Governorate of North Al Batinah yesterday.

The new site’s huge stone foun-dations together constitute a small settlement on an area of about 26,000 square metres.

These foundations are charac-terised by huge white stones. It is noted that the largest of these trimmed stones exist in corners of rooms and stores of buildings.

Rashid bin Saleh Al Shayadi, Director of Heritage and Culture Department in the Governorate of North Al Batinah said that the site is made up of houses and rooms

and storage areas. There is also a place to collect water.

It is evident that the agricul-tural community was prolific in production, Al Shayadi explained.

At the entrance to the valley and on the opposite side there is a cem-etery, which is Islamic in character and pointing to Al Qiblah.

He said that it would be too early to talk about the history of the site, adding that the site could belong to the early Islamic period.

It is necessary to send samples of these pieces to the Department of Archaeological Studies at the Ministry of Heritage and Culture to clarify the matter and take de-cision about it, Al Shayadi further said. -ONA

A L T A W Y A H I N W A D I H I B I

‘Helping refugees is a tough job’Speaking about her experience Darwish said, “Being a volun-teer helping refugees during this historic event has honestly been tough. I learnt immediately that my sensitive heart needed train-ing to be strong in order to be a pillar for those that are vulnerable and relying on me for help.”

“I experienced many moments of feeling helpless as I thought no matter how much I do, it is mini-mal in the face of the larger im-pact of this crisis on humanity.”

Oman has always set an exam-ple for humanitarian values, both locally and globally. An example of this is when Cyclone Gonu hit the Sultanate in 2007 and local residents took it upon themselves to help those affected; by accept-ing Yemeni refugees amid the ongoing war.

When asked about what Dar-wish had gained considering Oman’s humanitarian values, she said, “Confirmation. Confirma-

tion that our humanitarian values are strong and stand true to us all; we are united in our values to help others; it is in our blood and our culture.”

“I am proud to say that we Oma-nis accept our diversity and may Allah give him long life, we are blessed with a great example, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who demonstrates humanitarian values on a local and global level,” she added.

Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in March 2011, the world has seen the worst refugee crisis since World War II.

According to the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees, an estimated 9 million people have fled their homes since the war started, while 6.5 million have been internally displaced. Some of those who fled tried to seek asy-lum in neighbouring countries, such as Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, while others fled to Eu-

ropean countries, such as Germa-ny, France and Greece.

However, many Europeans have not accepted Syrian refu-gees entering their countries, judging them by their ethnicity and religion.

The film is produced by Valia Charalampidou and directed by Lucas Oldwine.

Citizen Xenos, which is Greek for “stranger,” is an independent documentary shot more as a film than a traditional style documen-tary, which is scheduled to be out in the summer of 2016. The team is aiming to screen it in Oman in September 2016.

A human faceUsually, films of this calibre cost thousands of rials to make, but the team is trying to spend as little as possible and has an OMR6,500 budget to make the film.

“The film puts a human face on thousands of people with the

aim to fight the apprehension that many Europeans feel towards them. The European refugee cri-sis is a historic phenomenon, with many dimensions and a solution that is difficult to find,” explained Darwish.

“The film doesn’t examine the causes nor does it take a position. We focus on the people, this is our call,” she added.

Readers can make donations for the film’s production through Paypal at info@citizenxenos.com or wemakeit.com/projects/citi-zen-xenos. Sponsors and support-ers will receive film credit, unless they wish to stay anonymous.

“If donations exceed this amount we will directly channel the remaining funds to the refu-gees we meet along the way. We have already done that in many cases. It is impossible not to help when someone is in need, unless one is entirely apathetic,” Dar-wish said.

S T R O N G W I I L L

Sultanate does well on poverty removal front

TARIQ ZIAD AL HAREMItariqh@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Oman’s government has reached several of its own goals, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Infor-mation’s (NCSI) Millennium De-velopment Goals indicator, which was published on Monday.

Eight goals that have been met include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality; improving men-tal health; combating HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases; en-suring environmental sustain-ability; and developing a global

partnership for development.

Poverty and hungerAs of today, according to NCSI, there is a 0 per cent projection of people earning less than one dol-lar per day in the Sultanate, as well as the share of the poorest one-fifth in national consump-tion having increased to 6.1 per cent in 2011, compared to 5.1 per cent in 2000.

Part of the eradication of pov-erty is based upon the govern-ment’s working in achieving full and productive employment for all, including women and youths.

According to NCSI, the growth rate of the GDP per person em-ployed dropped to 1.8 per cent in 2014, compared to 3.0 per cent in 2000, although the employment-to-population ratio increased to 62.4 per cent in 2014, compared to 56.4 per cent in 1993.

The government also reached its goal to halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger between 1990 and 2015, noting that in 2014 9.7 per cent of chil-dren under five years of age were underweight, which was a drastic drop from 23 per cent in 1995.

Primary EducationEducation is arguably the most important aspect of a child’s life,and educators in the Sultan-

ate work hard to develop the fu-ture of Oman.

The government achieved its goal of ensuring that by 2015 both boys and girls will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling, where in 2014, 99.1 per cent of students who begin school in the first grade go on to complete the final stage of primary school, compared to 89.8 per cent record-ed in 1990.

The literacy rate has also in-creased for those between the ages of 15 and 24 to 98.9 per cent in 2014, from 92 per cent in 1993.

Gender equalityA move to eliminate gender dis-parity in primary and secondary education was to be met before 2015, but for all levels of educa-tion it was achieved before 2015.

According to NCSI, the ratio of boys to girls in primary education leapt to 0.96 in 2014, compared to 0.89 in 1990, as well as in second-ary schools to 0.95 from 0.83.

The largest achievement is the ratio of girls to boys in higher edu-cation, where 1.38 was recorded in 2014, compared to 0.83 in 1990.

The women’s share in wage em-ployment in the non-agricultural sector also increased to 22 per-cent in 2010, compared to just 8.2 per cent in 1993.

Further, women have a place in the nation’s parliament, where in Majlis Al Shura in Oman 9.5 percent of the seats were occu-pied by women between 2011 and 2015, compared to 4.9 per cent in 1997.

Eight goals that have

been met include

eradicating poverty,

hunger; achieving

universal primary

education; promoting

gender equality and

empowering women

among others

Source: National Centre for Statistics & Information Graphics

OMAN: Millennium Development GoalsMarch 2016

Acheived

Acheived with challenges

Haved by 2015 and began to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS

Achieved by 2010 universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it

Halted by 2015 and began to reverse the incidence of malaria and othermajor diseases

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases

6.A

6.B

6.C

Integrated the principles of sustainable development into country’s policies and programmes and reversed the loss of environmental resources

Reduced biodiversity loss, achieving by 2010 a significant reduction in the rate of loss

Halved by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water andbasic sanitation

Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability

7.A

7.B

7.C

In cooperation with pharmaceutical companies provided access to affordable essential drugs

In cooperation with the private sector made available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications

Goal 8: Develop a GlobalPartnership for Development

8.A

8.B

Halved between 1990 and 2015, zero per cent projection of people whose income is less than one dollar a day

Achieved full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people

Halved, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who sufferfrom hunger

Goal 1: Eradicate ExtremePoverty and Hunger

1.A

1.B

1.C

Ensured that by 2015, children, boys and girls were able to complete a full course of primary schooling

Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education

2.A

Eliminated gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of education by 2015

Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women

3.A

Reduced by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate

Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality4.A

Reduced the maternal mortality ratio by three quarters between 1990 and 2015

Achieved universal access to reproductive health by 2015

Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health

5.A

5.B

Road built to serve nearby villages

This road is mostly used by mo-torists heading from Ibri side as well as visitors coming from the Gulf countries, or trucks travel-ling between the Gulf countries and Salalah.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications also ex-plained that the road was built to serve the nearby villages and it is now making efforts to improve the road in terms of enhancing safety measures, in-cluding expansion of shoulders and pavement, providing better lighting at some of the inter-sections close to service roads, and providing a better com-munication network, accord-ing to the media department at the Ministry. The Ministry will also coordinate with the Tel-ecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) to look pro-viding coverage in areas where the communication network is not available. The Ministry will also organise public transport, especially bus transportation, in coordination with the Royal Oman Police (ROP) in terms of imposing guidelines and regulations for vehicles and drivers before obtaining the ap-provals and licences to practice such business.

MeetingThe meeting was chaired by Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Salim Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications, Eng. Salim Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport and Communica-tions for Transport, Moham-med Abu Bakar Al Ghassani, Vice Chairman of the Majlis Al Shura, and other members of the council.

I B R I R O A D

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REGIONT U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

Militants attack Tunisian forces, 53 killed in raid

TUNIS: Dozens of hardline fight-ers stormed through the Tunisian town of Ben Guerdan near the Libyan border on Monday attack-ing army and police posts in a raid that killed at least 53 people, in-cluding civilians, the government and residents said.

Local television broadcast images of soldiers and police crouched in doorways and on rooftops as gunshots echoed in the centre of the town. Bodies of dead militants lay in the streets near the military barracks after the army regained control.

Authorities sealed off the near-by beach resort town of Djerba, a popular destination for foreign and local tourists, imposed a cur-few on Ben Guerdan and closed two border crossings with Libya after the attack. “I saw a lot of mil-itants at dawn, they were running with their Kalashnikovs,” Hus-sein, a resident, told Reuters by telephone. “They said they were IS and they came to target the army and the police.”

It was not clear if the attackers crossed over the border, but it was the type of militant operation Tu-nisia’s government had feared as it prepares for potential spillover

from Libya, where IS militants have gained ground.

Since its 2011 revolt to oust ruler Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tu-nisia has struggled with militancy at home and over the border. Mili-tants trained in camps in Libya carried out two attacks last year in Tunisia. “This was an unprec-edented, well-organised attack,” President Beji Caid Essebsi told local radio. “But the people in the south can be confident the army and police will win against this barbarity across the border.”

Soldiers killed 35 militants and arrested six, the Interior Minis-try said. Hospital and security sources said at least seven civil-ians were killed along with 11 sol-diers. “If the army had not been ready, the terrorists would have been able to raise their flag over Ben Guerdan and gotten a sym-bolic victory,” said Abd Elhamid Jelassi, vice president of the Is-lamist party Ennahda, part of the government coalition.

More than 3,000 Tunisians have left to fight with IS and other groups in Syria and Iraq. Tunisian security officials say increasingly

they are returning to join the mili-tant group in Libya.

Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi five years ago, Libya has slipped into chaos, with two ri-val governments and armed fac-tions struggling for control. IS has grown in the turmoil, taking over Sirte city and drawing foreign re-cruits. Tunisian militants are tak-ing a lead role in IS camps in Lib-ya, Tunisian security sources say.

Tunisian forces have been on alert for possible militant infiltra-tions since last month when a US air strike targeted mostly Tuni-sian IS militants at a camp near the border in Libya’s Sabratha.

Western military advisers are starting to train Tunisian border forces to help better protect the frontier with electronic surveil-lance and drones and authorities have built a trench and barrier to help stop militants crossing.

Militant gunmen trained in Libyan camps carried out two of the three major attacks on Tuni-sia last year, including assaults on the Tunis Bardo museum and a Sousse beach hotel targeting for-eign tourists. — Reuters

Tunisia’s hospital

and security sources

said at least seven

civilians were

killed along with

eleven soldiers

‘Truce breaches may preclude peace talks’

GENEVA: Syria’s opposition will decide this week whether to attend forthcoming peace talks in Geneva and has complained to the United Nations that Rus-sian air strikes have carried on despite a truce, opposition coordinator Riad Hijab said on Monday.

Syrian government forces, backed by Russia’s air force, troops and militias, have con-tinually breached the tempo-rary ceasefire and used barrel bombs and toxic gas, he told re-porters on a conference call.

Syria’s armed forces have al-ways denied using barrel bombs or chemical weapons.

“Just a few minutes before we came on this conference there was a massacre commit-ted by the air forces of the Rus-sians and the regime in Abu Dhuhour,” he said, referring to a settlement in eastern Idlib gov-ernorate. — Reuters

S Y R I A

Protests intend to help reforms: SadrBAGHDAD: Powerful cleric Mo-qtada Al Sadr said on Monday street protests by his supporters demanding the Iraqi government’s resignation were intended to bol-ster the resolve of Prime Minis-ter Haider Al Abadi to deliver on promised reforms.

“The demonstrations are in sup-port of the prime minister to carry out comprehensive reforms and to form an independent government of technocrats,” Sadr said.

“Brother Abadi should use them in his favour before they turn against him.” — Reuters

I R A Q

TAKING POSITION: Tunisian special forces take position during

clashes with militants in the southern town of Ben Guerdane, near

the Libyan border, on Monday. – AFP

Tunisian authorities sealed off the nearby beach resort

town of Djerba, a popular destination for foreign and

local tourists, imposed a curfew on Ben Guerdan and

closed two border crossings with Libya after the attack.

A8

INDIAT U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

The drug has proved to be resistant to four types of dengue

virus. Sun Pharma has been tasked with launching the

drug commercially after conducting the trials

Mohammad Aslam, Senior advisor to DBT

High alert sounded after terror threat

NEW DELHI/AHMEDABAD: India remained on high alert ow-ing to a terror threat on ‘Maha Shivratri’ on Monday as temples and strategic places were under tight vigil amid inputs that 10 Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mo-hammad terrorists have entered India through Gujarat which saw an unprecedented security cover.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the internal security situation in the country at a high-level meeting in Delhi attended by top security officials including Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and Director of Intelligence Bu-reau Dineshwar Sharma.

As a multi-city alert remained in place, Singh took stock of the situation and the steps taken to prevent any possible terror at-tacks. An alert has already been sounded in Gujarat and other ma-jor metropolitan centres by cen-tral security agencies following reports that the 10 terrorists are on a mission to carry out attacks against high-value targets.

However, so far there is no clue about the suspected terrorists. A similar alert has also been sent to Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chandigarh.

In the national capital, Police presence and patrolling around temples which were teeming with devotees, popular markets, iconic buildings and other places like metro stations, railway stations and bus terminus, which wit-ness very high footfall, have been stepped up, a senior official said.

Four National Security Guard teams were stationed in Gujarat where massive police combing operations and robust security

were in place at major temples and other vital installations.

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandi-ben Patel held a high-level securi-ty meeting to review the situation.

Inspite of reports that terror-ists might strike in Delhi or other places, Gujarat Police has decided to not to let its guard down till they are 100 per cent sure that the state is safe.

“We have informed the CM about steps taken by state police to thwart any terror strike in Gu-jarat. We have also informed the CM about what kind of co-opera-tion we are getting from para-mil-itary forces and central agencies in our efforts to intensify the se-

curity cover in the state,” Gujarat DGP P. C. Thakur said.

Since Somnath temple in Gir-Somnath district has remained on the target of terrorists, more than 250 policemen along with State Reserve Police as well as National Security Guard commandos are deployed in and outside the tem-ple since Sunday.

Security was also tightened in Jammu and Kashmir, two days after a top army commander dis-closed that there were “disturb-ing” inputs about a terror attack in the country and also after the detection of a tunnel along the international border in Jammu region. - PTI

Home Minister

Rajnath Singh

reviewed the internal

security situation

in the country at a

high-level meeting

in Delhi attended

by top security

officials including

Home Secretary Rajiv

Mehrishi

Indian scientists develop breakthrough dengue drugNEW DELHI: In a breakthrough move that can help in the fight against dengue, a herbal medicine against it is claimed to have been developed by scientists in India, which accounts for 50 per cent of the global population estimated to be at risk from the disease.

Experts are now gearing up for the next step, which is to hold clinical trials and toxicity studies before seeking permission from the Ministry of Ayush and the Drug Controller of India (DCI) for commercial production.

The project was undertaken jointly by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science and Tech-nology, the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Bio-technology and and Sun Pharma, and employed Ayurveda in devis-ing the drug.

“Using the knowledge of tradi-tional Indian medicine — Ayur-veda — we developed a systematic bioassay-guided screening ap-proach to explore the indigenous

herbal bio- resource to identify plants with pan-DENV (dengue virus) inhibitory activity.

“Results showed that the al-coholic extract of Cissampelos pariera Linn (Cipa extract) was a potent inhibitor of all four DEN-Vs in cell-based assays, assessed in terms of viral NS1 antigen se-cretion using ELISA, as well as viral replication, based on plaque assays. Virus yield reduction as-says showed that Cipa extract could decrease viral titers by an order of magnitude. The extract conferred statistically significant protection against DENV infec-tion,” said Navin Khanna, senior scientist at ICGEB and the group leader of the project.

He added that preliminary evaluation of the clinical rel-evance of Cipa extract showed it had no adverse impact on platelet count and RBC viability.

It also showed no evidence of toxicity in Wistar rats, when ad-ministered doses as high as 2g/kg body weight for up to a week.

“We have tested it on rats and have got positive results, but now it needs to be tested on bigger ani-mals,” Khanna said.

Mohammad Aslam, senior ad-visor to DBT, which funded the project, said since the drug has been made from plant extracts and not chemicals, it has sought permission from both the Min-istry of Ayush and also the Drug Controller of India.

“The drug has proved to be re-sistant to four types of dengue vi-rus. Sun Pharma has been tasked with launching the drug commer-cially after conducting the trials,” Aslam said. Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease, poses a signif-icant global public health risk.In tropical countries such as India, where periodic dengue outbreaks can be correlated to the high prev-alence of the mosquito vector cir-culation of all four dengue viruses (DENVs) and the high population density, a drug for dengue is being increasingly recognised as an un-met public health need. - PTI

M O S Q U I T O - B O R N E V I R A L D I S E A S E

STRICT VIGIL: Police keep vigil at a temple on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri after high alert in

Surat on Monday. - PTI

Air India operates ‘world’s

longest all-women flight’

NEW DELHI: National carrier Air India on Monday said it flew the “world’s longest” all-women oper-ated and supported flight from the national capital to San Francisco.

The flight, which travelled a dis-tance of around 14,500 kilometre in close to 17 hours, was operated as part of International Women’s Day celebrations. The non-stop Delhi-San Francisco flight took off from here on March 6.

“This year for the first time, on the world’s longest non-stop flight, entire flight operations from cock-pit crew to cabin crew, check-in staff, doctor, customer care staff, ATC (air traffic control) and the

entire ground-handling... were handled by women,” Air India said in a release. Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani said it was a his-toric flight and “the longest oper-ated by all-women crew”. “The airline has immense respect for women and it is a symbol of wom-en empowerment,” he added.

The flight was under the com-mand of Kshamta Bajpayee and Shubhangi Singh, along with First Officers Ramya Kirti Gupta and Amrit Namdhari. The carrier has about 3,800 women employees, including pilots, cabin crew, engi-neers, technicians, doctors, secu-rity personnel and executives. - PTI

I N T E R N A T I O N A L W O M E N ’ S D A Y C E L E B R A T I O N S

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INDIAT U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

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Fitch lowers India growth forecast to 7.7%NEW DELHI: Fitch Ratings on Monday lowered India’s economic growth forecast for next fiscal to 7.7 per cent, but maintained the GDP projection for current fiscal at 7.5 per cent.

Fitch, in December, forecast an 8 per cent GDP growth in 2016-17 supported by the govern-ment’s beefed-up capex spending and gradual implementation of a broad-based structural reform agenda. In its latest Global Eco-nomic Outlook (GEO), Fitch said gradual recovery in 2016-17 and 2017-18 would be supported by higher real disposable income, as-suming a normal monsoon after two years of below-average rainfall and a substantial wage increase for central government employees.

“Growth is expected to gradually accelerate to 7.7 per cent in FY’17 and 7.9 per cent in FY’18. This implies minor downward revi-sions from the December GEO but leaves India at the top of the global growth ladder,” it said.

Fitch said it is keeping the GDP growth forecast for the fiscal year ending March 2016 at 7.5 per cent.

Fitch observed that implemen-tation of legislative reforms has so far been difficult given the govern-ment’s limited support in the Ra-jya Sabha, but executive reforms continue to be rolled out. -PTI

N E X T F I S C A L Congress hits back at Modi saying ‘when will he hear’

NEW DELHI: Seeking to take the sting out of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attack, Congress has said “theatrics” in Parliament might be good entertainment for his supporters, but reminded him “it is his job to deliver”.In a scathing commentary where the Congress asks ‘How much does

he hear? When will he hear?’, an apparent retort to Finance Min-ister Arun Jaitley’s Facebook post ‘How much does he know — when will he know’ targeting Rahul Gandhi, the opposition party al-leged that Modi ignored the voices of farmers, Dalits, students and even his own ministers.

“It is time to get real. Theat-rics in Parliament may be good entertainment for his support-ers. But pulses are still selling at more than double the price when he took office. It is his job to de-

liver, and ours to ask questions,” the AICC said. The party said as one evolves from chief minister to prime minister, “people certainly expect a certain level of maturity, a certain degree of willingness to listen and outgrow the love of one’s own voice.”

Commentary“But after two years of unease, unrest and numerous confronta-tions, people have begun to won-der — “how much does he hear? — when will he hear?””

In the commentary posted on its website, Congress said that in May 2014, “India witnessed a phe-nomenon — a man castigated by the global community for his poli-tics of hatred, was elected to lead the world’s largest democracy.”

It noted that there was tremen-dous hope attached with that vic-tory — hope of a billion plus na-tion and its young impressionable minds who were enraptured by the billion dreams the man held out to them.

The party, however, lamented, “He didn’t hear the impassioned pleas of students who were fight-ing RSS imposed mediocrity in FTII. He didn’t hear the wails of the family of Mohammed Akhlaq, who was dragged out of his home and lynched by a mob on the sus-picion that he had stored beef.”

It also accused Modi of “not hearing the agonising pleas” of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula who was forced to end his life “because he had opposed the ABVP.”

He responded to Rohith’s pleas five days after his tragic death, when Dalit students embarrassed the PM by raising slogans during his speech, it claimed.

Besides, the party alleged that the prime minister didn’t hear Kanhaiya’s speech at Jawaharlal

Nehru University, but his govern-ment chose to listen to the “doc-tored” videos that were “circu-lated” by members/supporters of BJP. Targeting the prime minister on his Lahore stopover, it claimed Modi doesn’t even listen to own ministers.

“He himself decides when to stop talking to Pakistan and when to restart diplomacy by divert-ing plane. His ministers have to later scramble to find new words like ‘spontaneous diplomacy’ to describe his ill-advised moves hatched mid-air in his mind. The result — attack on our air instal-lation in Pathankot and death of seven brave soldiers.”

Posing the question whether the prime minister listened to India’s farmers and the ailing agriculture sector, it replied “if he did, they wouldn’t be commit-ting suicide.”

“Does he listen to pleas for ac-tion against corrupt Ministers — if he did, Foreign Minister Su-shma Swaraj, Gujarat Chief Min-ister Anandiben Patel, Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje, Chhattis-garh CM Raman Singh, Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Chouhan and Finance Minister Arun Jait-ley would have all been sacked by now,” it added. - PTI

The Congress party

said as one evolves

from chief minister

to prime minister,

‘people certainly

expect a certain

level of maturity, a

certain degree of

willingness to listen

and outgrow the love

of one’s own voice’

Alliance with BJP is like father’s ‘will’: MehboobaSRINAGAR: Hinting at going ahead with BJP in government formation, Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said her late father Mufti Sayeed’s decision to have the al-liance with the saffron party was like a “will” to be fufilled by his children even if they get “con-sumed” while doing so.

Mehbooba, seen as successor to Sayeed as chief minister, said her father’s decision to ally with BJP was “patther ki lakeer (something carved in stone)” and “I stand by his word”. At the same time, she maintained that forward move-ment on implementation of the

‘Agenda of Alliance’ by the BJP-led central government is a pre-requisite for government for-mation in Jammu and Kashmir which is under Governor’s Rule since January 8.

“I want to make one thing clear, that it (alliance with BJP) is a decision taken by Sayeed and I respect it. When a father makes a ‘will’ to his children, it’s their responsibility to fulfill that ‘will’ even if they get consumed while doing so,” the PDP leader said.

“For me, the decision of my father is ‘Patther ki lakeer’,” she told party workers at Kupwara in north Kashmir.

Mehbooba said the decision of Sayeed to form an alliance gov-ernment with BJP and “to shake hands with the government at the Centre was for the people of Jam-mu and Kashmir, to maintain uni-ty of the state, and for peace and development.” However, there is another aspect of that decision that it was aimed at benefiting the people of the state through implementation of the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ chalked out between the two parties, she said.

“The ‘Agenda of Alliance’ which they (his father and BJP) chalked out is also very important just like Mufti Sahib’s word,” she said. - PTI

G O V E R N M E N T F O R M A T I O N

PROTEST: Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Mak-

en along with Party workers during their protest against National

Democratic Alliance government in New Delhi on Monday. - PTI

A10

PAKISTAN T U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

10 killed as militants claim revenge attack

PESHAWAR: Pakistani mili-tants said a suicide bombing at a court on Monday in which at least 10 people were killed was revenge for the hanging of a man convicted of the 2011 killing a prominent lib-eral politician who had called for reform of blasphemy laws.

Police said the bomber had intended to enter the court in the northwestern town of Shabqadar, near the Mohmand ethnic Pashtun region, and set off his explosives when guards challenged him.

“The suicide bomber was try-ing to enter the judicial complex and he blew himself up when the police stopped him,” said police official Saeed Wazir.

Television news footage showed extensive damage includ-ing the charred remains of at least two vehicles.

Senior police official Sohail Khalid told Reuters two police personnel, as well as four women and two children were among at least 10 people killed.

Nearly 30 people were wound-ed. The Taliban’s Jamaatur Ahrar faction claimed responsibility for the attack in the town, about 150 km (90 miles) northwest of the capital, Islamabad.

Group spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said in an emailed state-ment the bombing “was especially

done as vengeance for the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri”. Qadri, a body-guard-turned-assassin, was exe-cuted last week for killing Salman Taseer, the then governor of Pun-jab province, after he had called for reform of blasphemy laws.

Human rights groups say the laws can be abused by people try-

ing to settle scores or involved in feuds and members of Pakistan’s religious minorities are vulner-able to unfair treatment under the legislation.

Ideological clashThe laws are at the heart of an ide-ological clash between reformers and religious conservatives in Pa-kistan. Conservative leaders have declared Qadri a hero and Ehsan said his faction would continue to attack courts.

“The Pakistani courts give deci-sions against the laws revealed by Allah, and convict and hang inno-cent people,” Ehsan said. Taliban militants have been waging an insurgency against the state since 2007, in a bid to impose obscuran-tist rule. — Reuters

Spokesman of

Taliban’s Jamaatur

Ahrar faction

said, the bombing

at a court in the

northwestern town

of Shabqadar ‘was

especially done as

vengeance for

the hanging of

Mumtaz Qadri’

CARNAGE: Pakistani security personnel and volunteers move victims injured in a suicide bombing to

a hospital in Peshawar on Monday, after an attack on a court complex in the town of Shabqadar. — AFP

Mumtaz Qadri, a bodyguard-turned-assassin, was

executed last week for killing Salman Taseer, the then

governor of Punjab province, after he had called for

reform of blasphemy laws

Former minister quits MQM, teams up with KamalKARACHI: Former Sindh health minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed on Monday announced his decision to join the newly-formed political party of Syed Mustafa Kamal.

“I have come here today to join Mustafa Kamal and Anis Kaim-khani for the development of Pa-kistan,” Dr Sagheer, a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) law-maker in the Sindh Assembly said while addressing media at the former Karachi mayor’s residence in Karachi.

In August 2014, the party’s Rabita Committee removed Dr Sagheer Ahmed from the panel, to “give him more time to address the health issues of the province”.

The announcement comes days after Kamal blew the whistle on MQM supremo Altaf Hussain in a dramatic two-hour-long press conference last week.

Kamal — who won wide support as mayor of Karachi from 2005 to 2010 for his efforts to ease traffic and improve public services — lev-elled blistering criticism at Altaf’s ‘strong-arm tactics’ and accused him of working for India’s premier spy agency, the Research and Anal-ysis Wing (RAW).

“I have seen this city being de-stroyed and deteriorated, and Ka-mal and Kaimkhani have provided me with an opportunity to stand up for a change,” Dr Sagheer said. “I think I need to play a clear and constructive role as a Karachiite and a dweller of this city.”

Oath of loyaltyIt is worth mentioning that two days ago, the MQM chief had taken an oath of loyalty from all party leaders, and Dr Sagheer was also among them.

“I couldn’t hold myself back from joining these two people. They have spoken the hearts of the people. I have never been in con-tact with any of them since they left the party,” the former Sindh

health minister continued.I stopped calling him bhai be-

cause there is no bhai-relationship now, says Kamal

He claimed no worker of the MQM or the Urdu-speaking com-munity was working against the country, urging those at the helm of affairs to bring them in the mainstream politics.

“I have always disagreed with the exploitation of common work-ers of the party,” he added. “I could not continue to see exploitation of workers and violence with the community.”

The former Sindh health minis-ter said he pleaded several times to the MQM chief to stop the politics of killing people but to no avail.

“The politics of strikes devastat-ed the country’s economy,” he said. “Today everyone knows about Al-taf’s links with RAW. I don’t want to say anything to any MQM mem-ber but I request Altaf to stop hav-ing innocent people killed.”

Dr Sagheer, who was elected from Karachi’s PS-117 constitu-ency in the May 2013 general elec-tions, also announced his decision to resign from the Sindh Assembly.

“I apologise to my voters be-cause I failed to serve them and an-nounce to resign from my post as MPA,” he said. — Express Tribune

D E F E C T I O N

The announcement comes

days after former Karachi

mayor Mustafa Kamal blew

the whistle on Muttahida

Qaumi Movement supremo

Altaf Hussain in a dramatic

two-hour-long press

conference last week

Red Mosque cleric Aziz’spre-arrestbail confirmed

ISLAMABAD: A sessions court in Islamabad on Monday confirmed the pre-arrest bail of firebrand cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz in two criminal cases regis-tered against him.

The court also dismissed ap-plications for FIRs against the Red Mosque cleric in three cas-es pertaining to IS and incite-ment of sectarian violence.

Earlier on February 26, Ad-ditional District and Sessions Judge Raja Asif Mehmood granted extension in bail till March 7 to the Red Mosque cleric after he appeared before the court.

ExemptionThe Aabpara Police had regis-tered a case under Section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) read with Section 3 and 4 of the Amplifier Act against Aziz and others. Further, a sep-arate case under Section 506 (ii) (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the PPC was also registered. When the case was taken up, Aziz’s counsel requested the court to grant ex-tension in the bail as well as ex-emption from personal appear-ance before the court owing to security concerns. — Express Tribune

T E R R O R A C T I V I T Y

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ASIAT U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

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North Korea threatens attack as South, US begin war games

SEOUL: South Korean and US troops began large-scale military exercises on Monday in an an-nual test of their defences against North Korea, which called the drills “nuclear war moves” and threatened to respond with an all-out offensive.

South Korea said the exercises would be the largest ever following North Korea’s fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch last month that triggered a UN Security Council resolution and tough new sanctions.

Rejected criticismIsolated North Korea has rejected criticism of is nuclear and rocket programmes, even from old ally China, and last week leader Kim Jong Un ordered his country to be ready to use nuclear weapons in

the face of what he sees as growing threats from enemies.

The joint US and South Korean military command said it had noti-fied North Korea of “the non-pro-vocative nature of this training” involving about 17,000 American troops and more than 300,000 South Koreans.

South Korea’s Defence Ministry said it had seen no sign of any unu-sual military activity by the North.

North Korea’s National Defence Commission said the North Kore-an army and people would “realise the greatest desire of the Korean nation through a sacred war of jus-tice for reunification”, in response to any attack by US and South Ko-rean forces.

“The army and people of the

DPRK will launch an all-out of-fensive to decisively counter the US and its followers’ hysterical nuclear war moves,” the North Ko-rean commission said in a state-ment carried by the North’s KCNA news agency. The North, the Dem-ocratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), as it is officially known, routinely issues threats of military action in response to the annual exercises that it sees as prepara-tion for war against it.

The threat on Monday was in

line with the usual rhetoric it uses to denounce the drills.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei noted that North Korea had already said it opposed the drills, adding that Bei-jing was “deeply concerned” about the exercises.

“China is linked to the Korean Peninsula. In terms of the pen-insula’s security, China is deeply concerned and firmly opposed to any trouble-making behaviour on the peninsula’s doorstep. We urge all sides to keep calm, exercise re-straint and not escalate tensions,” he told a daily news briefing.

The latest UN sanctions im-posed on North Korea were draft-ed by the United States and China as punishment for its nuclear test

and satellite launch, which the United States and others say was really a test of ballistic missile technology.

South Korea’s spy agency said it would hold an emergency cyber-security meeting on Tuesday to check readiness against any threat of cyber attack from the North, af-ter detecting evidence of attempts by the North to hack into South Korean mobile phones.

South Korea has been on height-ened cyber alert since the nuclear test and the rocket launch.

South Korea and the US mili-taries began talks on Friday on the deployment of an advanced anti-missile Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system in South Korea. - Reuters

The joint US and

South Korean military

command said it

had notified North

Korea of ‘the non-

provocative nature

of this training’

involving about

17,000 American

troops and more

than 300,000

South Koreans

MILITARY DRILL: A South Korean Marine amphibious assault vehicle, left, moves to a landing ship, right, as a South Korean submarine,

centre, is seen from the southeastern port of Pohang on Monday. - AFP

Pacquiao says TV bout cover will not violate election laws

MANILA: Former world box-ing champion Manny Pacquiao said on Monday TV coverage of his WBO welterweight bout with American Timothy Brad-ley would not violate Philippine election laws or give him an un-due advantage in his bid for a seat on the Senate.

In a five-page letter to the election commission, Pacquiao, 37, said that as a candidate for the May elections, he was al-lowed TV and radio air time for political advertisements and that his fight will not consume all of the allotted time.

The commission on Tuesday said it may bar broadcasts of Pacquiao’s bid to win back the world welterweight title next month from reigning WBO wel-terweight champion Bradley because it could give him an un-fair advantage in the elections. “There is obviously no case of undue advantage or undue exposure for Pacquiao as the same rights and privileges are extended by law to all said can-didates,” Pacquiao said through his lawyers.

The bout will take a maxi-mum of 36 minutes for a 12-round fight, or less if the fight does not go the distance.

Under the law, all candidates are given up to 120-minute TV and 180-minute radio adver-tisements per station.

The election commission is expected to make a ruling on the broadcasts soon.

On May 9, more than 54 mil-lion people in the Philippines will vote for a president, vice-president, 300 lawmakers and thousands of local government posts. Pacquiao is running for one of 12 vacant seats in the Senate, the upper house of par-liament. - Reuters

U N D U E A D V A N T A G E

China CO2 emissions may have peaked in 2014: StudyBEIJING: China’s carbon emis-sions, by far the world’s highest, may have peaked in 2014, accord-ing to a study published on Mon-day, potentially putting Beijing under pressure to toughen climate pledges perceived as too lax.

China has promised to bring greenhouse gas emissions to a peak by “around 2030” as part of its commitments to a global pact to combat global warming, signed in Paris last year. Any evidence that the country has peaked much ear-lier could lead to concerns that its existing targets are too easy.

In response to the report, Chi-na’s senior climate change envoy said on Monday the country’s emissions were still growing.

The study, however, by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environ-ment and the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy at the London School of Economics, said the 2030 peak

was a very conservative estimate.“It is quite possible that emis-

sions will fall modestly from now on, implying that 2014 was the peak,” said the report, noting that recent data already showed that China’s emissions fell in 2015.

“If emissions do grow above 2014 levels ... that growth trajecto-ry is likely to be relatively flat, and a peak would still be highly likely by 2025,” the authors said.

TargetAsked about the report during a press briefing on Monday, Xie Zhenhua, the climate change en-voy, said the target of “around 2030” was based on national con-ditions, with China still in the process of industrialisation and urbanisation.

“You asked whether our emis-sions had peaked in 2014 — cer-tainly not,” he said. “In fact, our carbon dioxide emissions are still increasing.”

While total energy consump-tion rose 0.9 percent to 4.3 billion tonnes of standard coal in 2015, coal consumption fell 2.2 per cent on a year earlier, according to Reu-ters calculations based on official data. Chinese carbon experts said

any fall in emissions in 2015 would be mainly due to a slowdown in China’s economy, and it was un-likely that emissions had peaked so early.

“I would like to believe that the peak will be around 2030, and if

stricter policies for carbon reduc-tion and some reforms in the way local leaders are evaluated on GDP growth, the peak will come in 2025,” said Xi Fengming, a carbon researcher with the China Acad-emy of Sciences.

“But I do not think China has reached peak emissions in 2014,” he said. The government said on Saturday that it would cap total energy consumption at 5 billion tonnes of standard coal by 2020, amounting to an increase of 16.3 percent from 2015.

It also said that it would cut carbon intensity — or the amount of CO2 emissions per unit of eco-nomic growth — by 18 per cent over the 2016-2020 period.

The 2030 peak pledge was made in a joint declaration with the United States in late 2014. China also agreed it would make its best efforts to peak earlier.

One of the main bones of conten-tion during the Paris climate talks was a regular five-year “stocktak-ing” process that would compel countries to adjust their targets in light of new economic or techno-logical circumstances, with China arguing that any such adjustments must be voluntary. - Reuters

C O N S E R V A T I V E E S T I M A T E

Philippines signs new GMO rules, food industry relievedMANILA: The Philippines has approved a new set of rules on genetically modified organisms after a top court demanded an overhaul of previous regulations, providing relief to farmers and importers worried that any delay would spark a food crisis.

The five ministers that needed to sign the rules had done so as of Monday, Merle Palacpac, chief of the plant quarantine service at the Bureau of Plant Industry, said.

The new rules will now be for-warded to the Department of Agriculture, with Palacpac say-ing they would likely take effect by April. The Supreme Court in December halted the issuance of fresh permits for planting or importing genetically modified crops until the new rules were in place, putting in limbo nearly 1 million corn farmers and buyers of GM soybean meal, the Philip-pines’ top GMO import.

The court was acting on a peti-tion by environmental activists led by Greenpeace, with the move

likely closely watched by govern-ments elsewhere as the Philip-pines is seen as a trailblazer for GMO. Greenpeace on Monday said it would take further action against the new GMO guidelines.

“Definitely there will be action but we haven’t decided (what it will be) yet,” said Greenpeace campaigner Leonora Lava, add-ing that it would discuss options with other petitioners and allied groups. The new rules are ex-pected to improve transparency in the approval process for per-mits to plant, import and com-mercialise GM products, includ-ing enhanced regulations on risk assessment and involvement of local governments, said Palacpac.

“The technical working group made sure that these concerns by the Supreme Court have been ad-dressed,” she said.

The government had aimed to have the regulations signed by the five ministers on February 24, but that was delayed as some officials were travelling.

While importers of soymeal welcomed the new regulations, they were concerned it could now take longer to get permission to ship in GM crops. Under the old rules, feed millers were only re-quired to get sanitary and phy-tosanitary import clearance for soybean meal that they shipped in, said an industry source.

But it is unclear whether they now will also have to get a separate biosafety permit, the source add-ed. The Philippines was the first in Asia to approve commercial cultivation of a GM crop for ani-mal feed and food in 2002 when it allowed GM corn planting.

It has also allowed GM crop imports for more than a decade. Around 70 per cent of its corn out-put is GM. GMO’s critics argue the technology poses risks to public health, while advocates say such fears have not been scientifically proven and that high-yielding ge-netically altered crops would help ensure food security as the world’s population grows. - Reuters

T R A I L B L A Z E R

China has promised to bring greenhouse gas emissions to a peak by ‘around 2030’ as part of its commitments to a global pact to combat global warming, signed in Paris last year

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Low oil prices bode ill for environment efforts Richard J. C. Galustian

There is a creeping, devastating problem that flows from the low price of oil and is poten-tially catastrophic for the Middle East: the

effect on plans to mitigate climate change.In 1989 a then young medical doctor, Dr

Robin Russell-Jones, wrote an editorial for the Lancet entitled “Health in the Greenhouse” It concluded as follows :

“Any strategy to combat global warming must be conducted on a global scale and is bound to involve enormous investment in energy conservation, re-afforestation, renewable sources of energy and changing patterns of agriculture and transporta-tion. This approach will require a new agenda for world leaders, a new role for the United Nations Environmental Programme, and a new awareness of man’s fundamental reliance on the integrity of world ecosystems. The expense may be consider-able, but the cost of doing nothing is incalculable.”

Twenty seven years later nothing much has changed except that annual emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, have risen by 60 per cent. Then there is the effect of the falling oil price. Over the past 18 months, oil prices declined from over $100 a barrel to less than $35 a barrel, and are remaining relatively stagnant. There is speculation that the price of oil many go up again by late 2017 or 2018 to $55 a barrel but these are just guestimates. The continuing stagnation of oil prices is hurting all Middle East countries where state budgets are woefully short of necessary rev-enue leading to an economic imbalance.

Significantly, an immense amount of financial damage is the result, resulting in a regional eco-nomic flu that is spreading across all economic sectors affecting the ability for both governments and the private sector to develop coherent strate-gies for dealing with the causes or the effects of climate change.

The cascade effect doesn’t stop here. A key point is whether states will postpone or cancel clean en-ergy options and fail to meet carbon reduction tar-gets as regional economies begin to tank.

Perhaps not one policymaker or stakeholder un-derstands the connection between the two trends. The low price of oil, with petroleum industry oper-ating at full capacity, is affecting the state budgets of the GCC countries and therefore is influencing the ability of these countries to support climate change “industries” such as solar power, electric

cars, energy storage, energy conservation, waste management and biogas to name just a few.

To be sure, low oil prices threaten the develop-ment of alternatives to fossil fuels and will have an immediate influence on the viability of strategies to mitigate climate change. However there is also a huge cost to not taking action: There is no coun-try in the world that will be unaffected by global warming If climate change disrupts agriculture in one country, through droughts, extreme storms or flooding, then food prices will rise everywhere. The interconnections between continents and regions are growing due to globalisation. As cli-mate change progresses, as it will in 2016 due to a strong El Nino effect, abnormal weather condi-tions will put pressure on supply chains , particu-larly in the Middle East where water resources are already critical. From a regional perspective, climate change poses a global threat, not only to commerce, but to traditional ways of life.

In many Middle Eastern countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, Governments have tradition-ally subsidised the price of petrol, which is sold at the pump below cost. However, the IMF have repeatedly emphasised, subsidising petrol prices inhibits the use of fuel-efficient cars, prevents the development of energy saving measures, and deters investment in renewables and other more sustainable sources of energy. In addition there is little incentive to develop technologies such as car-bon capture and storage, since it is cheaper to go on burning fossil fuels. This will not change until a carbon tax is introduced that reflects the true cost to health and the environment of fossil fuel com-bustion. According to the IMF that cost exceeds $5 trillion annually. We release 32 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year (excluding releases from deforestation etc) which places a price of $166 per tonne of CO2 , or approx-imately $600 per tonne of carbon. Currently the price of a tonne of carbon dioxide on the EU trad-ing scheme is less than 10 dollars

Climate change is now a primary security issues for many countries including the United States. In 2015, America’s Department of Defense released a major report on climate change and the impact on global security.

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Pacquiao seeking TV bout coverage akin to poll rigging This refers to the story, ‘Philippine boxer and poll candidate Pac-quiao says TV bout cover not a low blow’ (March 7). It is outrageous that Pacquiao wants his match to be shown as this will help voters

to think of him positive. It is sad to see that the great sportsman lacks the insight of a visionary. Such a person should stick to the nitty gritties of boxing and not concern himself with governance. By wanting to boost his image this way, it shows Pacquiao is stooping low and is just like election rig-ging. This tendency shows he is not ripe for public office and needs to stick to boxing. — Ariel Lopez, Ruwi

Players, officials need to be vetted This refers to the report ICC launches corruption probe on ‘international’ team (March 7). This inquiry highlights once again that there is no sporting spirit among sports people. Recently, we have seen the FIFA leadership being made to step down in face of widespread corruption cases. Apart from this, doping by athletes is a

common news story, which was bejewelled by Russia being booted from the sports’ competition. All this highlights that there is a need for better accountability of officials and players. — Reem Ahmed, Seeb

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Desert images on displayMUSCAT: ‘Desert Images: Arid Lands of Oman and America’ – a com-parative photographic exhibition of Omani and American landscapes by American photographer Tom Till – will conclude today. However, the exhibition will be conducted at Sultan Qaboos University from March 12 to 19. The exhibition, being held at Hotel Inter-Continental Muscat, is organized by the Directorate general of Tourism at the Min-istry of Commerce and Industry in association with the US embassy. Tom Till is one of America’s most published photographers, with over 13,000 of his images in print since 1977. His images depict landscape, nature, history and travel subjects worldwide, including all 50 Ameri-can states ad nearly 40 countries overseas.

1790: G. Washington delivers first State of the Union address.

1855: First train crosses Niagara Falls on a suspension bridge.

1908: The House of Commons, London, turns down the women’s suffrage bill.

1941: Martial law is proclaimed in Holland.

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If there’s any consolation for Donald Trump, it’s in knowing that China’s

leaders appeared uncomfortable with Barack Obama’s populist appeal Trump, by virtue of his

background, won’t carry that kind of baggage. Rather, he’s just the

kind of guy that China’s leaders are accustomed to doing business with

ADAM MINTER

Addressing her first news conference upon her return to Karachi from the Oscars,

Sharmeen said there are people in Pakistan who find nothing wrong in murdering women. ‘Obviously working on changing that sort of

mindset comes with its own set of difficulties,’ she rightly pointed

KAMAL SIDDIQI

What helped clinch the case against Cunha and put Lula on the investigators’ radar was the

testimony of criminal suspects who agreed to name names in exchange

for milder punishment.Brazil is better for this ruling, but

you wouldn’t know it from the mood on the street, where public opinion

is already sharply polarised

MAC MARGOLIS

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

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly talks about the impact on his body after returning from the International Space Station

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A13

WORLDT U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

ARBIL CITADEL A picture taken on Monday, shows the Arbil Citadel and the City Park in the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. — AFP

Turkey proposes to ‘take back’ non-Syrian migrants

BRUSSELS: Turkey offered the European Union greater help on Monday to stem a flood of migrants into Europe but demanded more money, faster accession talks and quicker visa-free travel for its citi-zens in exchange, diplomats said.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto-glu said Ankara was willing to take back all non-Syrian migrants de-nied asylum in Europe as well as all those intercepted in its territorial waters, and to crack down harder on people smugglers, they said.

An emergency EU-Turkey sum-mit, originally planned to last half a day, was extended to give Davuto-glu a chance to present “new ideas” going beyond Ankara’s commit-ments so far.

The 28 EU leaders would de-liberate on his proposals in the afternoon and meet him again to discuss them over dinner, an EU official said.

“They (Turkey) are offering more and demanding more,” he said after the first working session.

A spokesman for Davutoglu confirmed that there were new proposals but declined to discuss the substance. Diplomats said that

at a preparatory meeting with Ger-man Chancellor Angela Merkel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Sunday night, Davuto-glu demanded more than the $3.29 billion earmarked so far to support Syrian refugees in Turkey.

One source said Ankara was seeking 20 billion euros.

“I am sure these challenges will be solved through our cooperation and Turkey is ready to work with the EU,” Davutoglu said.

“Turkey is ready to be a member of the EU as well.

Today I hope this summit will not just focus on irregular migra-tion but also the Turkish accession process to the EU.”

Among his demands, diplomats said, was to grant Turks visa-free travel in the EU from June instead of waiting for a planned October review of preparatory measures.

One EU diplomat said Ber-lin and some allies were open to bringing forward the date if An-kara met all the requirements in-

cluding changing its visa policy for Islamic states and introducing biometric passports.

With tens of thousands of mi-grants stranded in Greece by clos-ing borders, the summit may for-mally declare closed the Balkan route from Greece to Germany, although diplomats said Greek and German officials were fighting to soften the wording.

Leaders will pledge help to Ath-ens cope with the backlog and seek assurances that Turkey, with NATO naval back-up in the Ae-gean, will stop people smugglers putting migrants to sea.

Merkel and Rutte, whose coun-try holds the rotating EU presi-dency, spent five hours talking with Davutoglu until 2:45 a.m. to try to nail down commitments to halt the migrant flow after more than one million people - mostly Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans - en-tered Europe last year, most end-ing up in Germany. “It’s going to be a proper Turkish bazaar - first we

will throw our hands up in the air expressing shock about Turkey’s demands. Then we’ll offer to meet a tiny, tiny, tiny part of what they want. And then we’ll see how the bargaining goes from there,” said one EU diplomat.

Continued divisionsThere were also continued divi-sions among EU leaders, with Merkel resisting a push for a pub-lic endorsement by the summit of border closures by Austria and Greece’s Balkan neighbours.

Fellow EU leaders, long divided over how to end chaotic move-ments that have put Europe’s Schengen open border system in jeopardy, were to assure Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of help housing migrants now stranded in Greece.

Tsipras said the bloc must speed up the process of relocating regis-tered asylum seekers from Greece to other EU countries as promised last September. — Reuters

An emergency EU-

Turkey summit,

originally planned

to last half a day,

was extended

to give Turkish

Prime Minister

Ahmet Davutoglu a

chance to present

‘new ideas’ going

beyond Ankara’s

commitments so far

STUCK: Children and women sit on the ground as they waited overnight to register at the makeshift

camp at the Greek-Macedonian borders near the village of Idomeni where thousands of refugees and

migrants are stranded on Monday. — AFP

BRUSSELS: Britain would not join a possible EU common asylum system, British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday, adding that his country would be affected by the migrant crisis even if it votes to leave the European Union in June.

“We have an absolutely rock-solid opt-out from these things. There’s no prospect of Britain join-ing a common asylum process in Europe.

We’ll have our own asylum approach, our own way of doing things, keeping our borders,” Cameron said on arriving for an EU-Turkey summit aimed at stemming the flow of migrants into Europe.

Outside EU“Even outside the EU, we would be affected by a migration crisis like this.

But at the end of the day we maintain our borders and our own way of doing things because we have the best of both worlds,” he continued.

Under the EU’s current asylum system, known as the Dublin rules and which apply to Britain, individual EU coun-tries must register and process asylum claims on a national basis and that responsibility falls to the first EU state a refugee enters. — Reuters

Cameron against EU asylum system plan

Real-time tracking for planes toughened after MH370 tragedyMONTREAL: The UN’s aviation agency on Monday announced new requirements for the real-time tracking of civilian aircraft in distress, following the disappear-ance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 two years ago.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation’s governing council approved proposals for planes to carry tracking devices that can transmit their location at least once a minute in cases of distress.

Plane operators will have to en-sure their flight recorder data is recoverable, while the duration of cockpit voice recordings is being extended to 25 hours, ICAO said in a news release.

The requirements for the one-minute tracking and flight record-er data are performance-based, meaning individual airlines and plane-makers can choose the best option for them, from among ex-isting and emerging technologies,

ICAO said. The changes will take effect between now and 2021.

Last year Malaysia called for re-al-time aircraft tracking to become a priority for the aviation industry following the loss of MH370.

The flight disappeared on March 8, 2014 shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing with 239 people aboard.

“Taken together, these new pro-visions will ensure that in the case of an accident the location of the

site will be known immediately to within six nautical miles, and that investigators will be able to access the aircraft’s flight recorder data promptly and reliably,” said ICAO Council President Olumuyiwa Be-nard Aliu in the statement.

“They will also contribute to greatly improved and more cost-effective search and rescue operations.”

Two years on MH370 has still not been found. — Reuters

N E W R E Q U I R E M E N T S

MISSING IN ACTION: A woman leaves a message of support and

hope for the passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 in

central Kuala Lumpur March 16, 2014. — Reuters files

Foreign diplomats voice alarm about TrumpWASHINGTON: Foreign dip-lomats are expressing alarm to US government officials about what they say are inflammatory and insulting public statements by Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, according to senior US officials.

Officials from Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia have complained in recent private conversations, mostly about the xenophobic nature of Trump’s statements, said three US officials, who all declined to be identified.

“As the (Trump) rhetoric has continued, and in some cases amped up, so, too, have concerns by certain leaders around the world,” said one of the officials.

The three officials declined to disclose a full list of countries whose diplomats have com-plained, but two said they included at least India, South Korea, Japan and Mexico.

US officials said it was highly unusual for foreign diplomats to express concern, even privately, about candidates in the midst of a presidential campaign. — Reuters

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

Hungary plans to cut subsidiesfor refugeesBUDAPEST: Hungary plans to cut subsidies for refugees and radically reduce the space available in migrant detention centres in a move that a hu-man rights body says is aimed at forcing refugees to leave the country.

According to draft legislation published by the government on Monday, from April 1 those who were granted some kind of protection or asylum will be allowed to stay in a camp for only one month, instead of two months now.

The decree said the maxi-mum space available in holding centres should be identical to that prescribed in prisons.

The government, which has imposed hardline policies throughout Europe’s migrant crisis, will also eliminate some subsidies, such as funds aimed at supporting education, for those who receive protection.

“The main goal of the tighten-ing is to reduce social subsidies for asylum seekers and those who received international pro-tection,” the government said, adding that this could help pre-vent economic migrants seek-ing asylum in Hungary.

Last year, just 508 asylum seekers received some kind of protection in Hungary, includ-ing asylum, according to data from the immigration office.

Prime Minister Viktor Or-ban’s right-wing government erected a steel fence on Hun-gary’s southern borders to keep the migrants out and introduced tough legislation to punish those who tried to cross into Hungary illegally. The Hun-garian Helsinki Committee, a non-governmental human rights watchdog organisation, said the new rules would effec-tively abolish the integration of refugees in Hungary and push them to other countries. “The regulation shows the Hungarian government’s intention: no in-tegration help from the state in Hungary,” said Marta Pardavi, the group’s co-chair. — Reuters

H A R D L I N E P O L I C I E S

A14

GLOBAL EYET U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

UNITED STATES: A view of cars racing during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Koblat 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday in Las Vegas, United States. — Robert Laberge/Getty Images/AFP

CHINA: People pose on a 3D painting in a parking lot in Changsha, Hunan Province, China, on Sunday. — Reuters/Stringer

SWITZERLAND: A fisherman stands by the shore of Lake Leman in Rivaz near Vevey, Switzerland, on Monday. — Reuters

FRANCE: A model presents a creation by Stella McCartney on Mon-

day in Paris, France. — AFP

THAILAND: Panda sculptures are seen outside a shopping mall

during an exhibition by French artist Paulo Grangeon in Bangkok,

Thailand, on Monday. — Reuters

GERMANY: A man pulls children on a sledge through fresh snow

fallen on the clock park, a sculpture by Klaus Rinke made of 24 sta-

tion clocks, in Duesseldorf, Germany, on Monday. — AFP/dpa/ Maja Hitij

NETHERLANDS: An eagle of the Guard from Above company, grasps

a drone during a police exercise in Katwijk, on Monday. The bird of

prey can get drones from the air by catching them with his legs. -

AFP/ANP/Koen van Weel

A15

WORLDT U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

Fico asked to form governmentBRATISLAVA: Slovakia’s presi-dent said on Monday he will ask Prime Minister Robert Fico to try to form a new government, after Fi-co’s leftist Smer party won the most votes but lost its parliamentary ma-jority in Saturday’s election.

Fico faces a tough job as five of the eight parties elected to parlia-ment have taken an initial stance against working with him.

Rotating presidencySlovakia will hold the European Union’s rotating presidency in the second half of the year, giving it a central role in the EU’s migration crisis and, potentially, coping with the turmoil if Britain votes to leave

the EU in a referendum in June.“A complicated situation has

emerged, there are several divid-ing lines between the elected par-ties,” said President Andrej Kiska, a non-partisan figure who has the authority to appoint prime ministers. “Some of them cannot

be overcome and it would not be right to try. Some of them will be very hard to overcome but it will be inevitable.

Representatives of the parties will have to deal with it,” he said. Kiska will ask Fico to seek to form a government after he returns

from EU summit in Brussels.Fico had hoped an anti-immi-

gration stance and popular meas-ures such as a cut in the sales tax on food and free train rides for students and pensioners would secure him a third term. His party won 28.3 per cent of the vote, down from 44.4 per cent in the 2012 elec-tion, as many voters responded to opposition campaigning against corruption and shortcomings in healthcare and education.

Part of the anti-immigrant vote went to the far-right People’s Par-ty-Our Slovakia, a party none of the others will deal with as they see it as fascist group.

Fico is likely to try to lure

the centrist Siet, the Most-Hid (“Bridge”) party and the moderate nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS). But Siet said on Monday it would not join a Fico coalition and Most-Hid, a centrist party with links to the ethnic Hungarian minority, refuses to work with the SNS due to its nationalistic record.

The three biggest centre-right parties -- the libertarian Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), Ordinary People, and a new protest move-ment “We Are Family” -- said they would also not work with Fico.

SaS chief Richard Sulik could be given the next chance to try form a government if Fico fails, but would face similar obstacles. — Reuters

Slovakia’s Prime

Minister Robert Fico

faces a tough job

as five of the eight

parties elected to

parliament have

already said

‘no’ to him

Clashes kill 13 militants, two soldiers in Turkey

ISTANBUL: Thirteen Kurd-ish militants and two Turkish soldiers have been killed during two days of fighting in restive southeastern Turkey, officials said on Monday.

The militants from the Kurd-istan Workers Party (PKK) were killed on Monday when a firefight broke out in the town of Idil, which has been under a round-the-clock curfew since February 16 in an effort to root the rebels out.

The military said on Sunday a soldier had been killed in Idil. On Monday it said a soldier had been killed by a sharpshooter in Sur, a historic district in Di-yarbakir, the largest city of the mainly Kurdish southeast.

Sur is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and its monu-ments have been badly damaged since a curfew was imposed on December 2, photographs have shown.

Turkish Prime Minister Ah-met Davutoglu said on Sunday the lockdown in Sur would end by March 21. Hundreds of sol-diers and police officers, PKK fighters and civilians have been killed since July, when the PKK abandoned a 2-1/2 year cease-fire, igniting the worst violence in 20 years.

The autonomy-seeking PKK has waged an armed campaign against Turkey since 1984, and more than 40,000 people have died. President Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to continue the op-erations until the PKK gives up its weapons. Security forces dis-posed of hundreds of explosives in Idil, a town of two- and three-storey homes with a population of 73,000 people situated 25 km (15 miles) north of the Syrian border, sources said. Militants had built 500 ditches and barricades in the town, they said. — Reuters

S O U T H E A S T

Dissident Irish group claims Belfast bomb attack

BELFAST: An Irish militant group opposed to Northern Ire-land’s 1998 peace deal claimed responsibility for the attempt-ed murder of a prison officer in a bomb attack on Friday, in a statement to the BBC that warned of more attacks.

The prison officer was seri-ously injured by a bomb which exploded under his van in Bel-fast. Police said there was a “se-vere” threat to security forces as the centenary approaches of the 1916 anti-British Easter Rising.

The attack was claimed by a group known as the new IRA, one of a number of small militant groups opposed to a 1998 peace deal that largely ended three decades of violence in Northern Ireland between Protestants, who want to remain under Brit-ish rule, and Catholics favouring unification with Ireland.

The group said in the state-ment that it targeted the 52-year-old father of two be-cause he was responsible for the training of prison officers who work in a wing of the top secu-rity Maghaberry Prison in Co Antrim. — Reuters

M U R D E R C A S E

Prime Minister Robert Fico is likely to try to lure the centrist Siet, the Most-Hid (“Bridge”) party and the moderate nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS).

A16

WORLDT U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

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British Chambers of Commerce chief quits

LONDON: The head of a promi-nent British business lobby-ing group has quit his post after speaking in favour of Britain’s exit from the European Union and has accused Prime Minister David Cameron of trying to scare vot-ers into supporting continued EU membership.

British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) director general, John Longworth, resigned late on Sun-day after he breached the group’s neutral stance on the in-out ref-erendum to be held on June 23 by saying that the EU was incapable of meaningful reform and Britain could have a bright economic fu-ture outside the bloc.

After his resignation was an-nounced, Longworth criticised Cameron, who argues that Brit-ain’s national security and eco-nomic stability would be at risk if it votes to leave the 28-nation EU, though his ruling Conservative Party is deeply split.

Irresponsible“It is highly irresponsible of the government of the country to be peddling hyperbole,” Longworth told the Daily Telegraph news-paper in an interview published on Monday.

“If the government keeps ped-dling the line that it will be a dis-

aster if we leave, which it actually won’t be, they are going to put the country in a position where it will be damaged if we do.”

Longworth’s comments mark the latest spat in what is becoming an increasingly divisive battle over Britain’s future in the EU. Polls show public opinion is finely bal-anced and the issue has split sen-ior members of Cameron’s cabinet, pitting him against popular Lon-don Mayor Boris Johnson.

Announcing Longworth’s resig-nation, BCC president Nora Sen-ior said his personal views on the referendum were “likely to create confusion regarding the BCC’s

neutral stance”. Cameron’s of-fice rejected media reports which cited people close to Longworth as saying that it had pressured the BCC to remove him from his position.

“No pressure was applied,” Cameron’s spokeswoman said.

The BCC’s Senior also said “no external factors” had been involved.

“No politician or interest group had any influence on the BCC board decision to suspend Mr Longworth. His subsequent res-ignation was agreed mutually between Mr Longworth and the BCC,” she said.

Johnson, the ‘Out’ campaign’s most high-profile backer, said on Sunday it was “scandalous” that Longworth had been forced to step aside for what he said was a “a passionate optimistic view” on Britain’s future prospects outside the EU.

Conservative lawmaker and for-mer defence secretary Liam Fox, who is also campaigning for ‘Out’, said it was inappropriate to use “the apparatus of the state” to put pressure on those expressing their personal views.

The BCC represents thousands of British businesses and its own research indicates a majority of them favour Britain remaining in the EU.

Prominent British companies such as BP and GlaxoSmithKline have cautioned that Britain’s $2.9 trillion economy could face years of uncertain negotiations if voters chose to leave the EU. “Out” cam-paigners say such warnings are overblown. — Reuters

British Chambers of

Commerce director

general John

Longworth accuses

Prime Minister David

Cameron of European

Union exit ‘hyperbole’

Starving animals up for saleGAZA: A Gaza zoo owner is put-ting the last of his starving ani-mals up for sale.

Mohammad Oweida once hosted family and school out-ings at his zoo in Khan Younis in the southern part of the Pal-estinian territory. But war and economic hardship intervened to turn the venture into what is now a sad collection of 15 ema-ciated animals that he can no longer afford to feed.

“I have to sell them in order to save them,” said Oweida, 24, sit-ting near the cage of a tiger who had not eaten for four days.

In all, he said, some 200 ani-mals, many of them smuggled across the tightly controlled Egyptian border in tunnels, have starved to death in the zoo since a seven-week war between Israel and Palestinian fighters in 2014 prevented him getting enough food for them.

Oweida stuffed 15 of the ani-

mals he lost, including a lion, a tiger and a chimpanzee, and put them on display for children to pet. But the visitors now stay away. He said he was negotiating

to sell the hungry tiger for around $23,000 to a Gaza resident who used to raise lion cubs. Other ani-mals on offer included an ostrich, a turtle and a pelican. — Reuters

G A Z A Z O O

Australia’s ugly mammals fail to catch eye of scientistsSYDNEY: Pushed out of the limelight by cuddly koalas and kangaroos, Australia’s less glam-orous native bats and rodents have failed to catch the eyes of scientific researchers, a new study shows.

Just 11 per cent of scientific studies on Australian wildlife since 1901 have looked at native bats and rodents, although they make up 45 per cent of all species, says the study published in the Mammal Review Journal. Austral-ia has already had some unique bat species become extinct and there is a risk more could follow without anyone noticing, said Trish Flem-ing, a wildlife biologist from Mur-doch University.

“Research funding goes on big animals which are iconic and at-tract people’s attention because they are cute and charismatic,” Fleming told Reuters. “It’s very

hard to make a tourist attraction of a rodent.”

Fleming’s study focused on trends in Australia research, ana-lysing 1,400 university and gov-ernment funded research papers since 1901. Australia’s unique and

obscure marsupials and mono-tremes, such as the spiky echidna and the duck-billed platypus, which are the only egg-laying mammals in the world, attracted 77 per cent of research over the period. — Reuters

L E S S G L A M O R O U S

Japanese submarine to visit Philippines first time in 15 yearsTOKYO: A Japanese subma-rine will visit the Philippines for the first time in 15 years, along with two warships that will then sail on to Vietnam, in a show of support for nations opposed to Beijing’s ambitions in the South China Sea, a person familiar with the matter said.

The Japanese submarine, which is used for training, and the destroyers will arrive in the Philippines in April.

The escort vessels will later sail to Vietnam’s strategic Cam Ranh Bay base on the South Chi-na Sea, the source said.

“It sends a message. It is impor-tant for Japan to show its pres-ence,” the person with knowledge of the plan said on Monday.

He asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to talk to the media. A Japanese Ministry of Defence spokesman declined to comment on any sub-marine visit but said the navy normally conducted training voyages in March and April. “But we are still in the planning stage so are unable to provide details,” he said.

The visits were first reported by Japanese media, including the Sankei newspaper, on Sunday. Asked about the visits, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Japan occupied the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea during World War Two so China was on “high alert” for Japan’s military moves there.

Regional stability“The cooperation of relevant countries should benefit regional stability and should not be di-rected at third parties or harm another country’s sovereignty or security interests,” he told a daily news briefing in Beijing.

Of the countries bordering the South China Sea, the Philippines and Vietnam are most opposed to China expanding its influence in

the region by building bases on reclaimed islands.

The Philippine military had not received any official notifica-tion of a visit by a Japanese sub-marine, a military spokesman said, though a visit to the Subic Bay naval base was expected. “Informally, we know a Japa-nese submarine is visiting Subic in April,” said the Philippine spokesman, Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla.

Rich in natural resources, the South China Sea is also a major thoroughfare for global trade worth up to $5 billion a year, much of it coming to and from Japanese ports. The United States, which has asked China to halt reclama-tion work that could destabilize the region, has irritated China by conducting naval patrols close to the man-made outcrops in what are known as freedom-of-naviga-tion operations.

Rather than confronting China in such a direct way, Japan in-stead wants to build the capac-ity of nations in the region to improve their surveillance of Chinese forces. Japan’s Minister of Defence Gen Nakatani is due to travel to the Philippines in April to discuss cooperation. Japan has already offered to supply the Philippines with aircraft that will help bolster patrols over the dis-puted sea. - Reuters

S H O W O F S U P P O R T

PARTING OF WAYS: British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Director General, John Longworth, address-ing delegates at the British Chambers of Commerce in central London on February 10, 2015. – AFP

IN STRATEGIC WATERS: A Philippine coastguard patrol boat passes the US 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) docked at the South Harbor in Manila on Saturday. – Reuters

HUNGRY TIGER: Palestinian Mohammad Oweida, a zoo owner, looks at a tiger inside an enclosure in Khan Younis in the south-ern Gaza Strip on Monday. – Reuters

LESS ATTRACTIVE: Can Australian native animal known as a Ghost bat in this handout picture taken on July 19, 2010. – Reuters/

Department of Parks and Wildlife Western Australia/Handout

MARKEWWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMT U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6B

Muscat

5,396.36- 10.17

- 0.19%

Dubai

3,380.55+ 36.37

+ 1.09%

Abu Dhabi

4,546.43- 10.00

- 0.22%

Saudi Arabia

6,372.58- 23.78

- 0.37%

Kuwait

5,264.71- 15.87

- 0.30%

Bahrain

1,172.34- 2.74

- 0.23%

Qatar

10,288.64+ 152.07

+ 1.50%

CURRENCY RATES* DRAFT RATES (OMR1)* GOLD PRICES*Forex rates vs OMR1*

US Dollar .................................2.58

Euro ............................................ 2.33

Pound ............................................1.81

Indian Rs ..............................173.37

Pakistan Rs ........................267.38

Bangla Taka........................210.17* Rates are as of Mar. 7

Source: Bank Muscat

Indian Rs ...................................174.25

Pakistan Rs ..............................271.70

Sri Lanka Rs ..................................N/A

Bangla Taka........................... 203.40

Phil Peso .................................... 121.40

* Rates as of Mar. 7 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......16.50

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......15.50

Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............152.50

Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) .............143.25

* Rates as of Mar. 7

Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

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

Oman Crude ............. (Spot) ........ $34.57

Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) ........ $34.57

Murban Crude ........ (Spot) .........$37.54

Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ........ $33.57

N.Sea Brent ............... (Spot) ........$39.05

West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ........$36.39

CRUDE OIL PRICE

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Oman to invest OMR126m to further boost power capacity

INACIO OLIVEIRAinacio@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Keeping pace with growing power demand in Oman, the Rural Areas Electricity Com-pany will invest an estimated OMR126 million to improve pow-er generation capacity in rural areas in 2016, according to a top-level official.

“Various power projects that are in the pipeline include new power plants, expansion of electrical in-frastructure like transmission and

distribution networks, sub-sta-tions and renewable energy,” said Eng. Hamad bin Salim Al Magh-deri, chief executive officer of the Rural Areas Electricity Company.

Eng. Al Maghderi also told ‘Times of Oman’ that four new power plants in the Sultanate — Masirah, Thurmait, Khasab and Mazuna — which are due for com-pletion in 2016, will generate a to-tal of 200 megawatts of power.

He pointed out that the electric-ity sector in the country contin-ued to record growth in 2015 and

managed to reach new geographi-cal areas as a result of population growth and the increased indus-trial and commercial projects in the Sultanate.

“This year, the focus of the rural area electricity company will be in Duqm, as we will be adding ca-pacity and transmission system, with emphasis on the industrial units operating in the Duqm Spe-cial Economic Zone Authority (Sezad),” Eng. Al Maghderi said.

It may be noted that Sezad has been established in 2011 to imple-

ment long-term strategies for the development of Duqm and pro-mote the zone as industrial hub for attracting local and foreign direct investment.

The CEO further said that in Musandan, the Rural Areas Elec-tricity Company is continuing the project of connecting all the wilay-ats with transmission and primary systems.“Renewable projects like solar and wind in Masirah and Thurmait are also part of the com-pany’s ambitious plan this year,” he added. > B4

Four new power

plants at Masirah,

Thurmait, Khasab

and Mazuna will be

completed in 2016, a

senior official said Eng. Hamad bin Salim Al

Maghderi. — Jun Estrada/Times of Oman

Agro-terminal at Sohar to enhance agricultural sectorERIK PRINSerik@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: An agro-terminal, which will come up at the Port of Sohar, will add value to imported agricultural products for re-ex-ports, said a top official of Port of Sohar. This includes a sugar re-finery, warehousing and the con-struction of silos for the Oman Strategic Food Reserve.

Andre Toet, chief executive officer of Port of Sohar said that currently, an old container ter-minal is being converted into an agro-terminal, which will sup-port value addition of imported goods bound for re-exports.

He said the agro sector is the fourth pillar of the port, the oth-ers being metals, hydrocarbons and logistics, for which the port was established. While the port was focused on upstream activi-ties and hydrocarbons, Port of Sohar is now aiming to increase its downstream activities by ex-panding the petrochemical com-plex and free zone near the port.

“We are trying to become a gateway port, not only for Oman, but for the entire region. This in-cludes the GCC, India, Pakistan and Iran,” he said.

Toet stressed that ease of busi-ness should be improved. While the Port of Sohar has implement-ed a digital port management sys-tem and have been the first ones to use the Bayan customs system, he said he was “jealous” of some of the port’s competitors, like Je-bel Ali in UAE.

“Ease of business is what we need to become the logistics cen-tre of the region. The first steps

have been taken, but we’re not there yet,” he said.

Regarding Omanisation, he said that half of all staff working at Port of Sohar are Omanis. “In the short period we have been operating in since 2004, we have created 9,000 jobs in the port. About half of those working in the port are Omani, while the other half is expatriates. For the freezone, 2,000 jobs were created and about half of those employ-ees are Omani as well. As to job creation, Port of Sohar is doing well, above expectations,” he said.

Toet added that every job cre-ated inside the Port would create three jobs outside the port.

“If you look at how Sohar and its surrounding area has devel-oped, and take into account this multiplying of jobs, it is extraor-dinary,” he said.

Toet said that other companies that have started to come up near the port, like service companies, hotels and schools, have also sup-ported job creation for Omanis. He said that the ultimate goal of Port Sohar is to employ “as many Omanis as possible, with the right training and the right attitude”.

P O R T O F S O H A R

Andre Toet. — Times file picture

MUSCAT BOURSE ANNOUNCEMENTMuscat bourse on Monday said that the exchange has

decided to reduce the number of free floating days for

newly listed shares to one day from three days earlier.

The normal share trading, which is subject to a circuit

breaker (which is a safety net) of 10 per cent fluctua-

tion, will be applied from the second day in teh case of

newly listed shares as well. The circuit breaker helps

bring in stability on the Muscat Securities Market as it

checks the shares to go down or move up beyond 10 per

cent on a single trading session. — Times News Service

OMAN OIL PRICE RISES Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME) said that Oman oil price (May delivery) reached $35.81 per barrel. The DME said that the price of Oman Crude rose by $2.8 from Friday’s rate, which was $33.73 a barrel. - ONA

B2

MARKETT U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

Iran’s first post-sanctions oil tanker lands in Europe

MADRID: Monte Toledo oil tank-er covered the uneventful voyage from Iran to Europe with a haul of one million barrels of crude in just 17 days, but its journey has been four years in the making.

On Sunday, the tanker became the first to deliver Iranian crude into Europe since mid-2012, when Brussels imposed an oil embargo in an attempt to force the Middle Eastern nation to negotiate the end of its nuclear programme. The ban was lifted in January as part of a broader deal that ended a decade of sanctions.

The 275-metre tanker started offloading its cargo into a refinery owned by Espanola de Petroleos, near Algeciras, a few miles from Gibraltar. By midday, the ves-sel had already pumped to shore about a fifth of its cargo.

In southern Spain, the tanker’s arrival was met with little fanfare. It was a quiet Sunday at the refin-ery, and for the workers, the Mon-te Toledo is just one of the eight or so vessels they expect to receive this month. By the time the re-finery has taken in all the Iranian crude, another tanker from Alge-ria will be already waiting.

Nonetheless, there’s a wider significance. As the Monte To-ledo started to pump to shore through two 21-inch floating hos-

es connected to a giant buoy and a 1.8-kilometre submarine pipeline, Iranian President Hassan Rou-hani declared in Tehran that more oil exports “will be added soon.”

Twenty-nine tankersAround Europe, other tankers with Iranian oil are close behind the Monte Toledo. In February, 29 vessels loaded crude from the Middle Eastern nation, according to data. Of them, three are heading toward Europe — the Eurohope tanker is sailing to Constanta, an oil port in Romania, and the Atlantas is on its way to France. Another one, the Distya Akula, is anchored at the mouth of the Suez Canal, and is likely to head into a Mediterranean port.

The Monte Toledo and its com-panions are the vanguard in the return of Iran into the European oil market. Petro-Logistics, a Ge-neva-based tanker-tracking firm, estimated Iran exported in Febru-

ary about 1.4 million barrels a day, up 350,000 barrels a day from the average 2015 level.

Although the increase falls short of the 500,000 barrels a day that Tehran had promised, there are signs that exports into Europe will pick up this month. “It does take a while to get those fields back up,” said Petro-Logistics di-rector Daniel Gerber. “But I think they’re going to hit the increase of 500,000 barrels a day in March.”

Seth Kleinman, head of energy research at Citigroup in London, agreed, saying that in addition to higher export volumes this month, more countries were buying.

“You see tankers going to Spain, Romania, Tanzania, France and

the UAE. You got an uptick to In-dia in February too,” he said.

Still, hurdles remain. Linger-ing banking restraints mean some customers are finding it hard to transfer payments for Iranian crude and the National Iranian Oil Company has offered to swap crude for gasoline to get deals done, according to local reports.

Rival suppliersIran will want to win back cus-tomers in Europe, where Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and other rival suppliers stepped in after the em-bargo was imposed. Tehran also faces a rival unknown four years ago: the United States has started exporting crude and companies such as Exxon Mobil are shipping American Crude into refineries in the Mediterranean.

Before the embargo Europe im-ported on average about 400,000 barrels a day of oil from Iran, ac-cording to the International En-

ergy Agency. Cepsa alone was buying about 60,000 barrels a day. Total was among the biggest buyers and the French company is waiting to receive the Atlantas tanker later this month in its re-finery in Le Havre. Other Euro-pean top buyers in past, including Repsol, Eni and Hellenic Petrole-um, have yet to purchase any.

If all goes as Tehran has planned, the Middle Eastern country will boost its production back to the 3.6 million barrels a day it pumped in 2011. After the European embargo was imposed and the US tightened other sanctions, Iranian oil produc-tion dropped to about 2.8 mil-lion barrels a day. – Bloomberg News

Crude oil tanker

covered the

uneventful voyage

from Iran to southern

Spain with a haul of

one million barrels of

crude in just 17 days

Vijay Mallya in talks with lenders of Kingfisher

MUMBAI: Vijay Mallya, the In-dian business tycoon who started Kingfisher Airlines, said he is in talks with lenders to pay the car-rier’s dues and slammed the media for what he described as a ‘near-hysterical campaign’ against him.

Kingfisher Airlines was one of India’s leading carriers from 2005 until it stopped flying in 2012 as debt and losses mounted.

The airline owes about Rs70 bil-lion ($1.04 billion) to lenders, SBI-CAP Trustee, leader of a 17-bank consortium, said in a notice on its website last month.

Efforts are being made to reach a one-time settlement with lenders, and any deal will also cover future payments to them, Mallya said in an e-mailed statement to media on Sunday night. Lenders have a total of Rs24.94 billion of cash and se-curities available to them.

RecoveryKingfisher’s lenders have recov-ered a total of Rs12.44 billion in cash from the sale of pledged shares since April 2013, the state-ment said. In addition, Rs12.5 bil-lion — sale proceeds that Mallya’s United Breweries received from selling United Spirits shares to Diageo — have been deposited with the Karnataka High Court, according to the statement.

“Personally, I am not a borrower or a judgment defaulter,” Mallya said, employing a term used to de-scribe someone who has enough assets to pay his bills but chooses not to pay them. Mallya has been called a ‘willful defaulter’ in In-dian media reports and accused of causing ‘continuous pain and agony’ to employees for not paying their salaries.

Bad loansMallya is in the spotlight as India’s government grapples with ris-ing levels of stressed assets in the banking system. Mallya resigned last month as chairman of United Spirits, which Diageo bought in April 2014. He received $75 mil-lion for signing a five-year non-compete agreement with Diageo.

“I have neither the intention nor any reason to abscond,” Mallya said. Mallya said that by resign-ing from United Spirits he aimed to ‘gradually’ reduce his business commitments and leave him more time for his family. – Bloomberg News

D E B T T R A P

HAVE YOUR SAY Send us your comments at facebook.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com haveyoursay@timesofoman.com

MILESTONE: The Monte Toledo oil tanker delivering a consignment of Iranian oil to an offshore pumping station at the Espanola de

Petroleos refinery near Algeciras, in southern Spain, a few miles from Gibraltar, on Sunday. – Bloomberg News

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Riyada and Microsoft agreement to help empower Omani startups

Times News Service

MUSCAT: A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprise Devel-opment (Riyada) with Microsoft Oman to provide SME sector with collaboration technologies along with the required skill sets to grow their businesses.

This MoU comes in line with both institutions’ continued com-mitment to support the growth and development of the small and medium enterprises (SME) sec-tor and promote entrepreneurship

spirit in Oman, said a press release.

Supporting SMEsThe MoU was signed by Riyada chief executive officer Khalifa bin Said Al Abri and Microsoft Oman general manager Sherif Tawfik, in the presence of senior management teams from both organisations.

Under this agreement, both par-ties will be conducting continuous dialogue with the aim to identify

potential collaboration projects to promote technology use for micro and small enterprises as a key ena-bler for growth and productivity and support the development of the SME ecosystem in Oman.

Commenting on this announce-ment, Khalifa bin Said Al Abri said: “Riyada is committed to support Omani businesses throughout all their developmental stages and al-low them to grow and develop by

contributing positively to the Sul-tanate’s economy.”

“Microsoft has always been a valuable partner of Riyada and Oman and we are pleased to part-ner with them on this new initia-tive to give startups and SMEs ac-cess to available technology tools and systems which contribute to creating a nurturing entrepre-neurial business environment in Oman,” he added.

Some of the potential areas of collaboration include providing access to Microsoft Build Your Business through Riyada training channels, launching an interac-tive SME portal through a variety of free Microsoft tools designed to promote SME development and sustainability, linking Microsoft Virtual Academy to Riyada por-tal to provide a direct channel for SME capacity building in areas of productivity, hosting Microsoft-led technology workshops for technology based SMEs, inviting some of Microsoft regional execu-tives to sit on Riyada mentorship programmes with the objective of supporting Omani SMEs with the needed guidance and mentorship to promote their sustainability.

Value added services“We are proud to join hands with Riyada to equip the startups and the SME sector in Oman with ac-cess to the latest technologies and expertise and help them realise their ideas and grow their busi-nesses,” said Sherif Tawfik.

“Technology has opened up new avenues of expansion for startups and small businesses around the world; the services and products provided by Microsoft will allow Omani startups and SMEs to be

more productive with enterprise-level technology and value-added services. We hope this initiative will benefit Omani businesses as it will not only provide them access to genuine technology products but also knowledge exchange and ongoing support to help them focus on managing their core businesses and growing them,” added Tawfik.

A recent study by the Boston Consulting Group (B-CG) showed that tech-savvy SMEs grew rev-enues 15 per cent faster, created jobs nearly two times quicker than SMEs using technology lightly. Tech-savvy SMEs were also more likely to have international custom-ers and expand to other countries.

The memorandum of under-standing between Riyada and Microsoft will provide micro en-terprises and SMEs in Oman with the technology tools and help them develop modern skills to better utilise technology in building their businesses and making a differ-ence in the national economy and the overall future of Oman.

Microsoft Oman will

provide SME sector

with collaboration

technologies along

with the required skill

sets to grow their

businesses

PROVIDING TECHNOLOGY: Under the agreement, Riyada and Microsoft will identify potential collabo-

ration projects to promote technology use for micro and small enterprises and support the develop-

ment of the SME ecosystem in Oman. - Supplied picture

HAVE YOUR SAY Send us your comments at facebook.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com haveyoursay@timesofoman.com

Trade mission from Spain to visit SultanateTimes News Service

MUSCAT: A trade mission from Spain will visit the Sultanate on March 13 and 14, according to a statement released by the Eco-nomic and Trade Office of the Spanish embassy in Muscat.

The mission is organised by the-Terrasa Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The chamber will bring a del-egation of four members repre-senting Spanish companies led by the Chamber of Commerce of Tarrasa. The participating compa-nies represent several sectors and services, including lifts, escala-tors, moving walkways, automatic doors, management and operation of outsourced industrial services for heavy industry, paper, bread and pastry products.

The visit seeks to continue to build on the close bilateral rela-tionships. During the mission, the representatives will meet poten-tial distributors and agents.

B I L A T E R A L T R A D E

Bank Sohar revises proposed dividendMUSCAT: Bank Sohar has re-vised its proposed cash dividend to 5 per cent and stock dividend to 10 per cent (10 shares per every 100 shares held), instead of the 9 per cent cash dividend and 6 per cent stock dividend proposed earlier for 2015. This is based on the ad-vice of the Central Bank of Oman. The proposed dividends are sub-ject to approval of the sharehold-ers of the bank. - Times News Service

C O R P O R A T E

BASF exploring rival takeover bid for DuPontLONDON: BASF is working with advisers and financing banks on the merits of making a counter bid for DuPont, the $55 billion chemical company that agreed to a merger with Dow Chemical in December last year, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The German chemical pro-ducer hasn’t made a decision yet about proceeding with an offer, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. No for-mal approach has been made to DuPont, the people said.

The shares fell 1.7 per cent to €62.21 in Frankfurt. They have dropped 12 per cent since the start of the year.

BASF, the world’s biggest chemicals company, has been working with advisers since last year to explore a bid for DuPont, said the people. It held talks with the United States com-pany before it agreed to merge with Dow and those talks didn’t progress, the people said.

BASF has so far missed out on a wave of consolidation with-in the industry that has focused on crop products like pesticides and seeds.

This has come as years of low commodity prices continue to erode farmer incomes. Buy-ing DuPont would give it more profitable businesses from food ingredients to enzymes as well as the second-biggest producer of seeds such as genetically-

modified corn. Monsanto is the largest seed company.

Considered a dealBASF chief executive officer Kurt Bock said in a Bloomberg Television interview last month that he considered a deal in the field of agricultural chemicals before deciding to stay put. Dow and DuPont in December an-nounced the industry’s biggest ever deal, one that creates the world’s largest agriculture busi-ness and the second-biggest chemicals company after BASF. Last month, China National Chemical Company agreed to buy Switzerland’s Syngenta for about $43 billion, gaining the biggest pesticide maker.

“We look at the industry and try to understand what is our position,” Bock said.

“We feel comfortable with what we have. You have to look at multiples, price expectations in the market, and have to make up your mind whether that is something which is really creat-ing value or not.” - Bloomberg News

A C Q U I S I T I O N

B4

MARKETT U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

MUSCATSECURITIES MARKET

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR MONDAY, MARCH 7

REGULAR MARKET .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 131,000............ 12,270........................9 ........... 0.093 ........... 0.096 ...........0.093........... 0.094 ............. 0.091............ 0.003 ............. 3.297 ................0.093 ..............0.093...................0.094 ................... 5,531,262 ..........0.100

OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 4,102,288......263,920................... 107 ........... 0.062 ........... 0.065 ...........0.062........... 0.064 .............0.062 ........... 0.002 ............. 3.226 ................0.063 ..............0.063...................0.064 .................. 18,558,761 .........0.100

OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ....................... 1,437,480 ......284,895......................81 ............0.197 ........... 0.201 ...........0.195 ........... 0.198 ............. 0.192............ 0.006 ............. 3.125 ................0.196 .............. 0.195...................0.196 ................... 18,817,920 .........0.100

OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ........................97,000 ................7,317........................7 ........... 0.076 ........... 0.076 ...........0.075 ........... 0.075 .............0.073 ........... 0.002 ............. 2.740 ................0.075 ..............0.073...................0.075 ....................2,250,000 ..........0.100

OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 784,442 .........144,069..................... 39 ............0.185 ........... 0.185 ...........0.176 ........... 0.184 ............. 0.180 ........... 0.004 .............2.222 ................0.178 .............. 0.176...................0.178 ................... 53,479,788 .........0.100

OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 1,078,629 ...... 150,728..................... 35 ............0.138 ........... 0.140 ...........0.138 ........... 0.140 ............. 0.137 ............ 0.003 ............. 2.190 ................0.140 .............. 0.137...................0.140 ...................43,507,092 .........0.100

OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH .................................................. 5,500 ............. 13,750........................5 ........... 2.500 ...........2.500 ...........2.500 .......... 2.500 .............2.450 ........... 0.050 ............. 2.041 ................2.500 ............ 2.500...................2.550................. 238,642,988 .......1.000

OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING .............15,000 ............... 1,538........................4 ............0.102 ........... 0.103 ...........0.102 ........... 0.103 ............. 0.101 ............ 0.002 ............. 1.980 ................0.102 ..............0.102...................0.103 ....................9,270,000 ..........0.100

OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ................ 490,100 ........... 64,053......................16 ............0.131 ........... 0.131 ............0.130 ............0.131 ............. 0.129............ 0.002 ............. 1.550 ................0.130 ..............0.129...................0.133 .................. 26,200,000 ........0.100

OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ............................................................ 120,000 ........... 32,880........................7 ........... 0.274 ........... 0.274 ...........0.274 ........... 0.274 .............0.270 ........... 0.004 ..............1.481.................0.274 ............. 0.260...................0.270 .................423,255,622 .......0.100

OM0000001087 ............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 238,000 ............56,778......................15 ............0.241 ........... 0.241 ...........0.238........... 0.239 .............0.237 ........... 0.002 ............. 0.844 ................0.238 ..............0.236...................0.238...................23,900,000 ........0.100

OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ........................................................... 145,948 ........... 45,230......................13 ............0.310 ........... 0.310 ...........0.308........... 0.310 .............0.308 ........... 0.002 ............. 0.649 ................0.308..............0.306...................0.308 ..................15,500,000 .........0.100

OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............ 109,291 ............ 34,037..................... 28 ............0.312 ........... 0.316 ...........0.308........... 0.312 ............. 0.310............ 0.002 ............. 0.645 ................0.308..............0.308...................0.310 ....................6,552,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ............................................................. 500 ..................480........................ 1 ........... 0.960 ...........0.960 ...........0.960........... 0.964 .............0.964 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.960..............0.948...................0.960 ................ 192,800,000 .......0.100

OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST .........................................................................1,100 ...................517........................ 1 ........... 0.470 ........... 0.470 ...........0.470 ........... 0.468 .............0.468 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.470 ..............0.470...................0.480 .................258,739,248 ........0.100

OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY ......................................65,000 .......... 100,425........................3 ............1.545 ........... 1.545 ...........1.545 ............1.545 ............. 1.545............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................1.545 ..............1.540...................1.600 ..................138,586,500 ........0.100

OM0000001962 ............AL MADINA INVESTMENT .....................................88,050 ...............5,344........................7 ........... 0.062 ........... 0.062 ...........0.060........... 0.061 ............. 0.061............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.060..............0.060...................0.061 ...................12,636,234 .........0.100

OM0000002168 ............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ................................... 5,000 ............... 1,405........................ 1 ............0.281 ........... 0.281 ...........0.281 ........... 0.285 .............0.285 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.281 ............. 0.280...................0.285...................84,420,899.........0.100

OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 1,209,239 ...... 520,518..................... 57 ........... 0.430 ........... 0.434 ...........0.428........... 0.430 .............0.430 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.428..............0.426...................0.428 .................985,483,717 ........0.100

OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 106,815 .......... 170,666......................16 ............1.600 ........... 1.600 ...........1.590 ........... 1.600 ............. 1.600 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................1.595 .............. 1.590................... 1.595 ................1,200,000,000......0.100

OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER ....................................................................100 .....................33........................ 1 ........... 0.330 ........... 0.330 ...........0.330........... 0.352 .............0.352 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.330............. 0.000...................0.330 .................. 77,795,520 .........0.100

OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 243,386 ......... 169,397......................15 ........... 0.696 ........... 0.696 ...........0.696 ........... 0.696 .............0.696 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.696 ............. 0.000...................0.696..................453,057,184 ........0.100

OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL ............................................. 107,947 ............... 7,899......................13 ........... 0.074 ........... 0.074 ...........0.072........... 0.073 .............0.073 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.072 ..............0.072...................0.074................... 12,775,000 .........0.100

OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ....................................................2,460 ............... 1,014........................ 1 ............0.412 ........... 0.412 ...........0.412 ........... 0.412 ............. 0.412............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.412 ..............0.404...................0.414 ...................21,630,000 .........0.100

OM0000001483 ............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 345,000 ........... 92,606......................11 ........... 0.269 ........... 0.269 ...........0.267........... 0.268 .............0.269 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.372 ...............0.267..............0.267...................0.270 .................359,310,347 ........0.100

OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE .............. 1,098,198 ...... 223,132..................... 50 ........... 0.205 ...........0.207 ...........0.200 .......... 0.203 .............0.204 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.490 ...............0.200 ............ 0.000...................0.200 ..................40,600,000 ........0.100

OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 1,161,554 .......209,466..................... 75 ............0.182 ........... 0.182 ...........0.178 ........... 0.180 ............. 0.181 ............-0.001 ........... -0.552 ...............0.178 .............. 0.178...................0.180 ................... 27,013,500 .........0.100

OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN ..................................................... 20,000 ...............1,934........................4 ........... 0.096 ........... 0.098 ...........0.096........... 0.097 .............0.098 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.020 ...............0.097 ..............0.097...................0.100..................194,030,341 ........0.100

OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 432,936 ........... 65,892......................31 ............0.157 ........... 0.157 ...........0.149 ............0.152 ............. 0.155 ............-0.003 ............-1.935................0.149 .............. 0.149...................0.152 ..................219,098,880 ........0.100

OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING ..................................... 6,700 ............. 12,731........................3 ........... 1.900 ........... 1.910............1.900 ........... 1.900 ............. 1.950............-0.050 ........... -2.564 ...............1.900 .............. 1.905...................2.000 .................180,500,000 .......0.100

OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ........................ 278,265 ........... 38,969..................... 38 ............0.141 ........... 0.141............0.139 ........... 0.140 ............. 0.144 ...........-0.004 ........... -2.778 ...............0.139 .............. 0.139...................0.140 ....................17,485,714 .........0.100

OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK ...................................................................... 28,613 ................5,011........................4 ............0.178 ........... 0.178 ...........0.175 ............0.175 ............. 0.180 ...........-0.005 ........... -2.778 ...............0.176 .............. 0.176...................0.178 ..................249,381,325 ........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 13,955,541 ........2,738,902 ............698 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......32........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000004776 ...........TAKAFUL OMAN INSURANCE ..............................20,885 ...............2,130........................ 1 ............0.102 ........... 0.102 ...........0.102 ........... 0.102 .............0.100 ........... 0.002 .............2.000 ................0.102 ..............0.098...................0.103 ...................10,200,000 .........0.100

OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK.............................................. 1,350,338 ........ 76,803..................... 36 ........... 0.056 ........... 0.058 ...........0.055 ........... 0.057 .............0.056 ............0.001 ............. 1.786.................0.058 ..............0.057...................0.058...................57,000,000 .........0.100

OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES .......................................................56,952 ...............3,293........................8 ........... 0.058 ........... 0.058 ...........0.057 ........... 0.058 .............0.057 ............0.001 ............. 1.754.................0.058 ..............0.057...................0.058.................... 7,250,000 ..........0.100

OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 742,764 ..........107,659..................... 47 ............0.144 ........... 0.146 ...........0.144 ............0.145 ............. 0.144 ............0.001 ............. 0.694 ................0.145 .............. 0.145...................0.146 ..................212,077,212 ........0.100

OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ....................73,000 ...............2,336........................3 ........... 0.032 ........... 0.032 ...........0.032........... 0.032 .............0.032 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.032..............0.032...................0.033....................2,720,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001590 ............MUSCAT FINANCE .................................................... 424,000............55,120......................12 ............0.130 ........... 0.130 ...........0.130 ........... 0.130 ............. 0.130............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.130 ..............0.129...................0.130 ................... 32,710,401 .........0.100

OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING..........................................785 .....................50........................ 1 ........... 0.064 ...........0.064 ...........0.064........... 0.069 .............0.069 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.064..............0.064...................0.070.................... 5,189,352 ..........0.100

OM0000002580 ...........OMAN EDU. & TRIN. INV. HOLDING....................... 1,713 .................. 281........................2 ............0.164 ........... 0.164 ...........0.164 ............0.157 ............. 0.157 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.164 ..............0.160...................0.163 ...................10,990,000 .........0.100

OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 472,051 ........... 32,499......................14 ........... 0.069 ........... 0.069 ...........0.068........... 0.069 .............0.069 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.069 ..............0.068...................0.069..................103,500,000 .......0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 3,142,488 ...... 280,173...................124 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 9........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS AND SUKUK MARKET ...................................................................................................................................................................... OM0000005971 ............B.MUSCAT COMPL. CONVR. B.B.3.5 .......................... 800 .....................72........................ 1 ........... 0.090 ...........0.090 ...........0.090........... 0.095 .............0.095 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.090..............0.090...................0.095................... 30,795,353 .........0.100

.............................................SUM: ......................................................................................... 800 .....................72........................ 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 ....................................... 5,422.90 .............. 5,396.36 ................... 5,396.36 ...................5,406.53 ................ -10.17 .................. -0.19Financial Index .................................... 6,665.97 ...............6,628.77 ................... 6,628.77 ...................6,645.54 ................ -16.77 .................. -0.25Industrial Index ....................................6,638.75 .............. 6,629.03 ....................6,633.51 ................... 6,630.16 .................... 3.35 ................... 0.05Services Index .......................................3,097.54 ............... 3,081.77 ...................3,086.04 ................... 3,081.77 ....................4.27 ................... 0.14MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 836.71 ..................834.50 .......................834.51 ...................... 836.54 .................. -2.03 .................. -0.24

Trading SummaryVolume ................ Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up ............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded17,098,829................... 3,019,147 .....................823 ................16,419,641,307 ................ 17 ........................8 .................... 17 .........................42

MSM index ends lower

MUSCAT: Shares on the Mus-cat bourse edged down on lack of buying support. The MSM30 Index declined by 0.19 per cent to 5,396.36 points. The MSM Sharia Index ended on a negative note at 834.51 points, down 0.24 per cent. Galfar Engineering was the most active in terms of volume while Bank Muscat led in terms of turnover. The top gainer on Monday was Gulf Investment Services, up by 3.30 per cent, while Al Jazeera Steel was the top loser, down 2.78 per cent.

As many as 823 trades were executed on Monday, generat-ing turnover of OMR3 million with 17.1 million shares changing hands. Out of 42 traded securi-ties, 17 advanced, eight declined and 17 remained unchanged. Omani investors remained net buyers for OMR304,000 while GCC and Arab investors stayed net sellers for OMR294,000 fol-lowed by foreign investors for OMR10,000 worth of shares.

Financial Index retreated 0.25 per cent to close at 6,628.77 points. Gulf Investment Services, Al Batinah Development, United

Finance, Takaful Oman and Al Sharqia Investments gained by 3.30 per cent, 2.74 per cent, 2.19 per cent, 2 per cent and 1.98 per cent, respectively. Ahli Bank, Bank Sohar, HSBC Bank, Al An-war Holding and NBO declined by 2.78 per cent, 1.94 per cent, 1.02 per cent, 0.55 per cent and 0.37 per cent, respectively.

Industrial Index ended the ses-sion at 6,633.51 points, up by 0.05 per cent. Galfar Engineering, Oman Fisheries and Gulf Inter-national Chemicals increased by 3.23 per cent, 1.75 per cent and 0.65 per cent, respectively. Al Ja-zeera Steel declined by 2.78 per cent to close at OMR0.140.

Services Index gained by 0.14 per cent to close at 3,086.04 points. Port Services, Renais-sance Services, Sembcorp Salalah, Phoenix Power and National Gas increased by 3.13 per cent, 2.22 per cent, 2.04 per cent, 0.69 per cent and 0.65 per cent, respectively.

Shell Oman Marketing and OIFC declined by 2.56 per cent and 0.49 per cent, respectively.

– United Securities

The top gainer was Gulf Investment Services,

up by 3.30 per cent, while Al Jazeera Steel

was the top loser, down 2.78 per cent

'Vital to support small businesses'

While stressing the need to encourage small and medium enterprises (SMEs), Eng. Al Maghderi said that 150 small and medium enterprises, which provide equipment and services, are registered in the power sector and that the company provides all kinds of assistance to them.

“Some of the SMEs are new. We give them guidelines on how to start a project, maintain qual-ity control as well as HSE (Health Safety and Environment) re-quirements. We also encourage Omanis in the colleges and tech-nical institutes to take up such projects,” he added.

Eng. Hamad bin Salim Al Maghderi, who is also the chair-man of the Distribution Code Review Panel (DCRP), while announcing the DCRP forum scheduled to take place on March 9, said that number of Omanis working in the electricity firms registered at DCRP reached more than 4,000 workers.

He said that DCRP plans to meet on an annual basis with the companies operating in the sec-tor, including contractors and suppliers to discuss the challeng-es and developments in the la-bour market and the mechanisms to facilitate and overcomethem.

P O W E R S E C T O R

< FROM

B1

InterCon seeks new

Asian luxury hotels

BERLIN: InterContinental Ho-tels Group, the third-biggest ho-tels operator in Asia by number of rooms, is seeking to add new luxury chains in that region, ei-ther by acquiring a competitor or by developing its own brand, according to Chief Executive Of-ficer Richard Solomons.

“There’s clearly an opportunity to add another luxury brand or two, particularly in Asia,” Solo-mons said on the sidelines of the International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin on Monday.

Hoteliers are expanding in Asia to take advantage of rising tour-ism in region. The Asia and Pacif-ic region had 277 million interna-tional tourist arrivals in 2015, five per cent more than a year earlier,

according to data compiled by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. InterContinental started the luxury Hualuxe brand in the region in 2012.

Holiday Inn, Crowne PlazaInterContinental, whose brands include Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza, acquired US-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants last year for $430 million. It will continue to grow the Kimpton brand globally, after opening in its first location outside the US in January in Amsterdam, Solomons said.

“Paris, Rome, London, those are the sorts of markets we’re looking at. It may also open in Asia, he said. — Bloomberg News

A C Q U I S I T I O N S

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TEDx event inspires OMC students

MUSCAT: As part of unifying the nation with a mission of “ideas worth spreading”, the Oman Medi-cal College (OMC), hosted TEDx Muscat Salon under the theme ‘Cornerstones’.

TEDx Muscat Salon comes un-der an international initiative, TEDx, in which members who stand out in their communities are chosen to speak about interesting or innovative ideas to motivate au-diences, says a press release.

“Our society is full of talent, and our aim is not only to recognise that talent but also to showcase it as an example to the rest of our youth,” said Mohammed Saleem Al Khabori, one of the main organ-isers of the event.

“The objective of TEDx Muscat event is to unify the nation with one brand whose goal is to have ideas worth sharing which could lead to ideas worth doing. This is for the first time that we are or-ganising this event and it is a great achievement as far as OMC is con-cerned,” added Mohammed who is also a student at OMC.

The programme was divided into four sessions, where the

speakers explored the theme 'Cor-nerstones' starting from the build-ing blocks of success in the first session which was conducted by Mariam Haji, Bachelor of Health Science and Syed Samir Anis, a medical student at OMC.

Dr Khalid Al Hamadani, a surgi-cal resident and Sharif Ba’Alawi, a medical student at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) proved that medical students are more than bookworms in the second session. Another interesting session was conducted by inventor Hilal Al Siyabi and Haider Al Zaabi, a per-sonal development business inno-vative consultant who focused on how you can discover and market

yourself in the third session. “TEDx Muscat Salon was my

lifelong dream, until six months ago it started seeing light. With the help of three of my colleagues we began searching and brainstorm-ing about TEDx Muscat Salon,” said Afaf Rashid Al Hatmi, the team leader.

“The planning of the event was not initially easy; it required a lot of effort since the establishment of such events needs an international license. When the vision became clear we have agreed on the date and place of the event. The next step was recruiting organisers who have the passion to work, but the most difficult mission was to

find ideas worth spreading,” Afaf pointed out.

“The biggest challenge the crea-tive team faced was turning the designs into reality while staying within the limits of the budget. This event eventually proved to me that team work is the secret be-hind every success.

"It taught me that when you be-lieve in your capabilities, you can work through obstacles, overcome challenges and endure hardship,” said Gaitha Saleh Al Rashdi, one of the organisers.

Speaking about hosting the event at OMC, Dr Saleh Al Khu-saiby, the Dean, said: “As the Dean of OMC, I’m very proud of what

my students have accomplished and thankful for introducing the Ted culture into the OMC society. It was really enjoyable and a good learning experience for all.”

“Such programmes should be held more often to inspire and mo-tivate students. It was well organ-ized and attracted many partici-pants from different professions,” said Dr Yassin Al Lawati.

“Hosting it in OMC was a goal that was accomplished to inspire the students. Being one of the main organisers, I was impressed with the team dedication,” said Anfal Al Raisi.

“As one of the main organisers of the event, I am thankful for having the opportunity to work with such a great team. The event wouldn’t have been as big as it was without their hard work,” added Moham-med Saleem Al Khabori.

The event was concluded by two senior consultants trauma surgeons at SQUH Dr Abdullah Al Harthy and Dr Hani Al Qadhi, who shared their secret to a successful career. The event was supported by Orpic, Veolia, Majees, Sohar Port, Oman Oil and Media Star.

To conduct a TEDx Muscat Sa-lon event in schools, colleges and corporates, email to community@tedxmuscat.com

OMC students prove

their leadership

credentials by

bringing TEDx,

an international

initiative, to the

Oman Medical

College for the

first time

Al Zaman to bring Fuddruckers to OmanMUSCAT: The Al Zaman Group of Companies has signed up to bring American hamburger giant Fuddruckers in the Sultanate, fur-ther expanding its activities.

The deal comes close on the heels of the group including top-end Indus restaurant in its roster and signing the opening of Cara-mel Restaurant and Lounge in Oman, says a press release.

“Hospitality is one of the areas where Al Zaman Group wants to expand significantly as we strongly believe that a robust and success-ful hospitality sector is very im-portant for national progress and global recognition. Fuddruckers is a unique restaurant – though ham-burger is its signature, its engag-ing menu offers variety for many tastes and likings with an array of sandwiches, platters and salads, all based on the principal of ‘freshly prepared, best ingredients and prepared as the customer wants,’ says, Khalid Zaman, director, Al Zaman Group of Companies.

“This casual dining restaurant is also known across the world for its fun and relaxed family-orien-tated dining experience. Moreo-ver, in this region, Fuddruckers has changed its menu and tastes to

a great extent according to the lo-cal milieu. This explains why this chain is doing extremely well in this part of the globe. We are truly honoured to bring Fuddruckers to Oman, with its first outlet coming up soon in Qurum, in the heart of Muscat city,” he added.

Othman Kolaghassi, managing director, Fuddruckers, expressed his joy: “We are thrilled to be ex-panding in the Middle East region and look forward to becoming an integral part of the Omani social circles. Fuddruckers is known for

its hamburgers but to many it may be a surprise, that Fuddruckers’ most popular dish is the dynamite shrimp – a recipe par excellence that has been especially selected by Sheikh Saleh – the franchisee owner of Fuddruckers in Arabia. We are very excited to start our outlet in Oman and want to thank the Al Zaman Group for their sup-port and look forward to a long-standing fruitful association.”

The first Fuddruckers Restau-rant was established in 1980 by Phil Romano to cater to discern-

ing gourmets who were concerned about the quality of burger, its ingredients and the way it was cooked. The Fuddruckers Burger was thus created and it came to be known as the 'World’s Great-est Burger' with 100 per cent pure quality freshly ground beef, cooked according to individual requests and served up in a freshly baked bun resulting in a juicy and deli-cious burger. An additional feature is the Toppings Bar which allows the customer to create the ulti-mate burger, exactly the way he or she wants. Even today the original concept is the benchmark of the renowned Fuddruckers Burger.

Al Zaman is an Oman based business group, active in several key economic areas with global diversity. It owns, operates and manages professionally run busi-nesses in Sultanate of Oman, the UAE, United Kingdom, Italy and Singapore. With its network of associates and subsidiaries, Al Zaman operates a portfolio of businesses that are challenging in their own individual discipline. Some of its operating companies in the retail sector are Ajmal Inter-national, Gallery Argan, Summit Hotels and Hospitality.

A M E R I C A N C H A I N

Zubair Corporation organises unique training

programme for parents with autistic children

MUSCAT: To equip parents of au-tistic children with skills to better manage their children, The Zubair Corporation (TZC) organised a training programme titled ‘For Them’ at Mudhaibi recently.

Over 30 families attended the two-day programme which came out with a number of coping strat-egies for parents to consider while dealing with their autistic chil-dren. Specialists, trainers, parents, community members and officials from The Zubair Corporation at-tended the programme, says a press release.

The training programme ‘For Them’ aimed at helping parents with autistic children was previous-ly held in Muscat, Sohar and Nizwa.

‘For Them’ is designed to train and empower parents of autistic children with best practices. The training at the initiative is pro-vided by a group of people who themselves have autistic children. It may be recalled that The Zubair Corporation had arranged a train-ing programme for a group of par-ents with autistic children at an in-ternational institute in the United States to qualify them as trainers. These trained parents transfer their expertise to other families with autistic children at the ‘For Them’ sessions being held in vari-ous governorates of the Sultanate.

This initiative ‘For Them’ is part of TZC’s CSR strategy to reach out and engage with society. ‘For Them’ programme is the brain-child of the Social Advisory Com-mittee formed by The Zubair Cor-poration. The committee consists

of eminent personalities from the Omani society who choose social responsibility projects to be un-dertaken by them according to the society’s needs and priorities.

“To meet our social responsibil-ity we have put in place a process to integrate social, environmental and human concerns into our busi-ness operations and core strategy. This community outreach pro-gramme organised by the group that focuses on autism has been welcomed by the participants es-pecially the parents. We believe that all people are born different but equal and valuable and we want society to better understand children with autism so they can enjoy equal and harmonious lives,” said Mohammed Al Hasani, chief of Corporate Communication at The Zubair Corporation.

“The programme aimed at help-ing children with autism has re-ceived a positive response from parents and society at all the places we have organised the session. For parents of a child with autism, find-ing ways to help with everything from diagnosis to coping is vital.

The Zubair Corporation is thankful to the experts and trainers who par-ticipated in the initiative and shared valuable knowledge," he added.

Emphasising that ‘For Them’ is based on its vision and strategy to serve society Al Hasani said: “The Zubair Corporation is keen to launch such initiatives that are closely linked to the needs of the community. We are certain that this initiative will benefit the community and contribute in raising awareness.”

The training team included Walid Al Balushi, Zahrah Al Jerdanih, Mohammad Al Rashidi and Fayza Al Rashidiya.

Walid Al Balushi, member of the training team, said: “When a child is diagnosed with autism, many parents feel very upset. While this is a very challenging time, there are steps parents can take to accept the diagnosis and move forward. Our aim as trainers is to help them cope and deal with everyday situa-tion. We shared what we learnt at the institutes we attended.”

Thanking The Zubair Corpo-ration for putting together the

initiative, Al Balushi said, “The programme is of immense help for parents with autistic children. At the training sessions parents not only learn from trainers but also engage with others in the autism community. It is very important for families dealing with autism to have an outlet, such as other parents who are going through the same thing. Sometimes other par-ents can be one of the best sources of support, understanding, and in-formation. At these sessions they also have access to evidence-based information and advice.”

Trainers shared real life exam-ples on how to deal with autistic children. Participants were also shown documentaries on autistic children who later become influ-ential in their communities. Train-ers spoke about a number of posi-tive educational approaches that parents can adapt to help children with autism.

One of the trainers said: “At every workshop of ‘For Them’ we or-ganise, we see parents being over-whelmed with information they are provided. It really helps them cope with situation. Each one of them extend their gratitude to The Zubair Corporation for their efforts and devotion to the community.”

Another trainer said: “It is en-couraging that we live in a time when energy and resources are be-ing devoted to better understanding and treating autism. Every parent appreciates that The Zubair Corpo-ration is connecting and empower-ing effected families with informa-tion, resources and opportunities.”

‘ F O R T H E M ’ I N I T I A T I V E

McDonald’s set to open its new outletMUSCAT: McDonald’s Oman (Al Daud Restaurants) will soon open its 20th restaurant in Al Somhan North, Barka.

The newest McDonald’s will have the world-renowned Drive-Thru, contemporary design, par-ty area and enjoyable play place for children and a private section for families, says a press release.

“We are proud to open the 20th McDonald’s restaurant for our customers in Barka. The new McDonald’s restaurant will provide a delightful eating out

experience and good times for families, young adults and chil-dren in Barka and its neighbour-ing communities.

“People in Barka have been looking forward to have a Mc-Donald’s restaurant in the area and now we are proud to open our newest restaurant for them to enjoy McDonald’s great tast-ing food, value for money and pleasurable family eating out experience,” said Ali K. Daud, development licensee and presi-dent of McDonald’s Oman.

E X P A N S I O N

Valedictory ceremony

held at IS Salalah

SALALAH: The valedictory cer-emony which marks the prepara-tory phase of the transition from a student to an alumni was cel-ebrated at Indian School Salalah recently on the school premises.

The event was attended by Ram Santhanam, president SMC, other members of the SMC, par-ents of the valedictorians and the staff of Indian School Salalah.

The pretty girls clad in their long yards of saree and the young lads in their suits enhanced the elegance of the occasion, says a press release.

Anita Rose, (faculty of com-puter science) before setting off to anchor started the function with a prayer beseeching the blessings of the Almighty to sow the minds with love, faith, hope, light, and joy.

Mukesh (faculty of commerce) welcomed the gathering to the ceremony. He urged the students to enjoy the wonders around but never forget responsibilities.

This was followed by the candle lighting ceremony. T. R. Brown, principal held the light of wisdom, reality and courage which dispels the darkness of ignorance, falsity and fear. The bright flame was passed on to the

excited group of students while the citations were read out by Rachel Abraham, Royi Antony, C. T. Ramasamy, HOD, English and Mini Ramesh of English de-partment. The citations were ea-gerly awaited by each and every student and were befitting and often humorous. Ramachandran and Bindukala of the music de-partment rendered a melodious number Saadhanakegulkhilavo, gyaankasaagarbahao.

Omana Mathews, vice princi-pal, expressed with concern that the biggest problem today’s gen-eration faces is lack of direction and clarity of vision. She advised the students to have a purpose in life and never to give up.

In his speech Brown told the students to believe and have faith in themselves.

Yousuf Ali, the school head boy, Nayonika Bhattacharya, the school head girl, Archana Bal-asubramanian, Jacquetta John, Vishnu Dev, Kavita Kumawat, Ar-lyn Anto, Shubha Ojha, Aiswarya Devi, Shawn Joshua Samuel, Sa-sha D’Silva, Duaa Ayaz, Adil Ma-jeed, Aamir Hussain, Mariya John, Shivank Saran Singh were some of them who waded through the fond memories gifted by the school.

F A R E W E L L

B6 T U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

ROUND-UPNissan X-Trail available with unique incentives

MUSCAT: Suhail Bahwan Auto-mobiles, the exclusive importers and distributors of Nissan vehicles in Oman, unveiled its most antici-pated vehicle last year – The Nis-san X-Trail.

This compact SUV that comes with a 2.5-litre 4 cylinder engine, mated to a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) is all set to offer — class-leading comfort, thoughtful technology and a re-warding driving experience with a completely refurbished interior and exterior styling.

Auto enthusiasts can now avail exciting benefits on the Nissan X-Trail that include guaranteed cash back of OMR500, periodic maintenance service only up to 2 years/20,000km whichever is ear-lier (offer includes only on the new service intervals of 10,000km), free registration, six years unlim-ited mileage warranty and easy financing options, a loan term up to eight years with Bank Muscat attractive interest rates. Flexible EMIs can also be tailor made for any individual requirement from in-house Auto Finance team.

The X-Trail not only provides capability with spacious seating for seven, and an intuitive 4 Wheel Drive System, but it also resets the standard for the segment with an unprecedented level of premium style, comfort, fuel economy and thoughtful technology.

The X-Trail enters the Nissan range at a time when demand for SUVs in Oman continues to show considerable growth. With the fea-ture-packed all-new X-Trail, Nis-san is confident of capitalising on this growth and strengthening its position in the off-road segment.

TechnologyThe X-Trail will be one of the most advanced cars on the road. Fully

connected, the X-Trail is equipped with the latest generation Nissan Connect in-car navigation, infor-mation and entertainment system. Drivers will also benefit from a comprehensive suite of assistance features that make up the X-Trail’s Nissan Safety Shield system.

In its latest form, Nissan Con-nect has evolved to offer smart-phone connectivity, to keep own-ers connected to the outside world wherever their journey takes them. In addition to mobile phone integration, the system also in-cludes Bluetooth audio streaming. The driver also benefits from one of the most advanced meter dis-plays developed.

DesignThe design brief behind the new X-Trail was to blend the sleek and stylish lines of a modern crosso-ver with the robust appeal of a typical SUV. In place of the rugged, squared off lines of the previous generation, the X-Trail has a pre-mium and dynamic appearance.

Sculptured muscular lines cre-ate a distinctive silhouette framed by elegant curves and high wheel

arches. Its features include a num-ber of Nissan signature cues such as the ‘boomerang’ rear lights, structured headlights with LED daytime running lamps and the characteristic D-pillar shape.

LED headlights, for both high and low beams, are standard on high grade models while 18-inch alloy wheels also give new X-Trail an imposing look.

Inside, premium features in-clude chrome, geometric metallic and piano black finishes making the new interior look modern and refined. The use of high quality and soft touch materials, elements like double stitching on the door panel, seats and centre armrest com-bined with a very classy design puts the new Nissan X-Trail in a league of its own.

The spacious interior has thea-tre-style seating making every row higher than the row in front to in-crease the visibility of all passen-gers. The option of two extra seats to make room for seven inside is unique for the category.

ChassisIn keeping with the class lead-

ing standards set by the previous generation model, the new X-Trail adopts Nissan’s advanced elec-tronic four-wheel drive system, all mode 4x4i. Controlled via a rotary switch on the centre console, it of-fers a choice between two-wheel drive, Auto mode or Lock offering permanent four-wheel drive.

DrivetrainDuring the X-Trail’s development; refinement, environment and economy targets were to be best in-class.

This has been achieved on all counts by reducing weight wher-ever possible, even though new X-Trail has a larger surface area than the previous model. The tailgate, for example, is largely plastic, sav-ing seven kilograms.

A great deal of attention has been paid to the car’s aerodynam-ics with carefully shaped door mir-rors and even a spoiler that covers the exhaust box and rear panel.

Engineering innovation will also allow the new X-Trail to lead its class in terms of engine effi-ciency thanks to downsizing. By reducing power sapping friction in its drivetrains, new X-Trail pro-vides excellent performance from the latest generation of downsized engines, providing the pace of a bigger powerplant with the econo-my and emissions of a smaller one.

SBA is largely committed to supporting Nissan’s growth in the Sultanate through major emphasis on customer satisfaction and by providing world-class after-sales services in Oman.

Auto enthusiasts

can now avail

guaranteed cash

back and exciting

unlimited benefits

Dhofar Automotive launches its newly designed websiteMUSCAT: Dhofar Automotive, the authorised dealers of FCA for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, RAM, Alfa Romeo and Fiat brands, an-nounced the launch of its newly designed website.

The new website www.dhofa-rautomotive.com is designed to be intuitive, simple, engaging and offer user friendly experience for people looking to purchase a ve-hicle or source any auto related information on any vehicle, says a press release.

The website provides a pleth-ora of information on the wide range of models from Dhofar Automotive which is updated regularly to provide the latest in-formation at all times comprising international and local news, pic-torial galleries, aesthetic details, and unique model features. The aim has been to be at par with cus-tomers’ requirements and needs.

To ensure the website experi-ence is simple and intuitive, the site delivers content that is rel-evant for individuals.

For example, once a user has decided which model they are interested in, the homepage con-tent will guide them to a relevant page with information pertaining to that particular model like over-view, design specifications, tech-nology, safety features, picture gallery, etc.

“Our main aim was to make the new website engaging and user-friendly. We have developed a host of features to help custom-ers make decisions and choose a vehicle that is absolutely right

for them. Tailoring the website to the user allows a relevant and customer-focused digital expe-rience. Our Arabic website will help to increase the number of online viewers and it will con-tinue to complement the demand for Dhofar Automotive vehicles in the future. The new portal is also linked to Dhofar Automotive Fa-cebook page, which will serve as a platform to interact and share information with existing and po-tential customers,” commented, Chris Edwards, general manager.

U S E R F R I E N D L Y

Smile Hypermarket picks raffle winnersMUSCAT: Smile Hypermar-ket, Saham recently announced the winners of the raffle draw promotion.

Salah Othman Al Siabi, direc-tor of Smile Hypermarket, hand-ed over the keys to two winners of Toyota Land Cruiser.

Bachu Sulaiman, AGM - Smile Hypermarket, Anoop HR man-ager, Noushad, administration manager, Abdul Mubarak, mar-keting manager, Ajnas, accounts manager, Anzeer Khan, store manager and other officials were also present, says a press release.

P R O M O T I O N

Mamas & Papas opens its first outlet in Oman

MUSCAT: Mamas & Papas, UK’s designer nursery brand, is thrilled to debut in Muscat with the launch of its first store at Muscat City Centre, marking the 18th store in the Middle East.

Spanned across more than 3,000 square feet, the store offers a comprehensive range of afford-able luxury products including ready-to-wear items for babies, award-winning travel and trans-portation systems, furniture, toys, gifts, and much more. The spacious store incorporates a wide range of room styles allow-ing expectant parents to visually determine the best interiors for their nursery, says a press release.

‘Mamas & Papas understands the needs of parents and children and have always championed high quality British design. We

value a parent’s desire to want the best for their baby and our vi-sion is to be accessible to the lo-cal population. We aim to deliver quality and style with attention to detail and look forward to open-ing more branches in the near fu-ture,” said Richard Peace – senior vice president – Lifestyle.

“Following the success of our current locations in the Middle East, we are thrilled to expand into another market. Mamas & Papas is the one stop solution for expecting mothers and our award winning collections are sure to surprise and delight all expectant and new parents in Oman. We look forward to mak-ing their journey to parenthood become smooth and joyful,” said Ander Kloster, International Business director.

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BankDhofar continues to reward its customers

MUSCAT: With increasing num-ber of winners and more valuable cash prizes, BankDhofar continues its weekly and monthly prize draws in different parts of the Sultanate as part of its 2016 Savings Scheme.

Khalid Al Amri, senior executive manager at Retail Products, Busi-ness & Segments, elaborated on the exclusive savings programme. “The Savings Scheme 2016 aims to

enrich the banking experience of our customers and to reward those who save. There is growing aware-ness and emphasis on the culture of saving all over Oman,” he said.

This year BankDhofar increased the number and the value of cash prizes, added customised winner categories and allocated prizes to cover all governorates and all branches in the Sultanate to en-sure more customers are included in the scheme, says a press release.

“This year we increased the number of winners to 524 through-

out the year, and the total value of cash prizes has also been raised and a new customised prize for Al Ria-dah priority banking customers has been introduced,” added Al Amri.

As per the new scheme, BankD-hofar customers who save a mini-mum of OMR100 in their accounts are eligible to enter the weekly and monthly draws where five lucky winners will win cash prizes worth OMR5,000 (OMR1,000 for each winner) and five more lucky win-ners will win cash prizes worth OMR10,000 (OMR2,000 for each

winner) in the weekly draw. In the monthly draw, one lucky

winner will win a cash prize of OMR10,000 while one lucky Al Riadah customer will win a OMR25,000 cash prize.

Prize draws will be conducted across BankDhofar branches in all governorates throughout the year. Every week the draw will be conducted in one of the governo-rates and will exclusively include customers from that governorate, allowing more customers the chance to win.

This year BankDhofar

increased the

number and value of

cash prizes, added

customised winner

categories and

allocated prizes

to cover

all governorates

and branches

The Savings Scheme 2016 aims to enrich the banking

experience of our customers and to reward those who

save. There is growing awareness and emphasis on

the culture of saving all over Oman

Khalid Al AmriSenior executive manager at Retail Products, Business & Segments

Senior lecturer of Majan

College attends second

Asia Pacific conference

MUSCAT: Majan University College in furtherance of its pol-icy on research, continually sup-ports academic staff with neces-sary resources and environment to carry out research and partici-pates in seminars, conferences and colloquiums locally, region-ally and internationally.

Prof. Venkoba, senior lecturer and director of Studies of the MBA Programme at Majan Uni-versity College, recently attended the 2nd Asia Pacific Conference on Advanced Research (AP-CAR-2016) held recently in Mel-bourne, Victoria, Australia, says a press release.

Majan University College’s Re-search Committee is primarily concerned with promoting and

cultivating a research culture in the institution.

The main theme of the confer-ence was ‘Making a Difference’. Prof Venkoba’s research paper titled ‘Innovation through Em-ployee Engagement’ was well re-ceived by the audience.

The paper would be published in Asia Pacific Journal of Ad-vanced Business and Social Stud-ies in its forthcoming issue. The professor also chaired a session during the conference.

Sharing his thoughts and ex-periences, Venkoba commented on the enriching nature of the conference and the opportunity it provided to gain awareness of several contemporary issues across various business streams.

A D V A N C E D R E S E A R C H

Muscat Finance to set up kiosk at MCCMUSCAT: Building on the suc-cessful rollout of kiosk-based cus-tomer services last year – the first by a non-banking finance company (NBFC) in the Sultanate, Muscat Finance is now preparing to repli-cate this novel initiative at Oman’s premier retail destination – Mus-cat City Centre (MCC), Seeb.

Effective from tomorrow, a new customer service kiosk will be for-mally unveiled at the capital’s top shopping address, suitably staffed and equipped to offer a complete and customised solution to the customers’ financial needs, with an array of Muscat Finance’s high-ly-rated products and services.

A key player in the Sultanate’s rapidly expanding non-banking financial services domain, Mus-cat Finance enjoys a formidable

reputation as a highly-regarded provider of finance for both new and used vehicles, consumer dura-ble finance, plant and machinery, commercial equipment, as well as customised services relating to working capital finance and the fi-nancing of receivables.

Heartening responseA presence at the retail landmark allows Muscat Finance to con-nect directly with shoppers and visitors, a significant chunk of who fit the company’s target cus-tomer profile. A similar customer service kiosk set up at Muscat Grand Mall in August last year – Muscat Finance’s maiden kiosk-based initiative – evoked a heart-ening response from mall visitors with sizable numbers availing the

company’s products and services.

Reaching outCommenting on the underlying goal behind the rollout of cus-tomer service kiosks, Bikram S. Rishi, chief executive officer, stat-ed, “As part of our drive towards increased customer centricity, we are no longer waiting for custom-ers to come to our head office or branches, but reaching out to po-tential customers in locations they frequent. And what better setting to touch base with them than in Muscat City Centre, which offers customers convenient timings as we are open seven days a week from 10am to 10pm. Addition-ally, business hours at Muscat City Centre extend up to midnight on Thursdays and Fridays.”

N O V E L I N I T I A T I V E

Solitaire One: An exclusive brand

from Malabar Gold & Diamonds

MUSCAT: Indian film star Ka-reena Kapoor Khan recently un-veiled Solitaire One, an exclusive collection of solitaires from Ma-labar Gold & Diamonds showcas-ing a wide collection of loose soli-taires in various sizes, colour and quality.

Every Solitaire One gemstone is certified by leading international certification agencies like GIA, IGI and HRD, says a press release.

“As a preferred jewellery re-tailer for diamonds, we have de-veloped Solitaire One to show-case a wide collection of loose solitaires in various sizes, col-our and quality,” said Shamlal Ahamed, managing director – In-ternational Operations at Mala-bar Gold & Diamonds.

Solitaire is used to describe a single diamond or gemstone set into piece of jeweller. People pre-fer to buy solitaire diamond rings for their engagement or wedding. A single diamond in which the

size varies from 0.3 to 1 carat is normally used and the fast mov-ing. Solitaire rings are very popu-lar because of their elegance.

The confidence of customers in diamonds, especially solitaire diamonds, is increasing day by day and this is a promising trend. The preference seems to be due to the eye catching inherent beauty of solitaires and the fact that soli-taires do appreciate its value in

the long term. “While buying a solitaire dia-

mond, the customer should ex-ercise great attention and ensure that they buy only from reputed jewellery retailers. One should also demand certificates for the diamonds from leading certifi-cation agencies like IGI or GIA,” said K. P. Abdul Salam, group ex-ecutive director – Malabar Gold & Diamonds.

P R I Z E D P O S S E S S I O N

Badr Al Samaa dermatologist

takes part in cosmetology meet

MUSCAT: Dr Shibu Moham-med, leading consultant der-matologist from Badr Al Samaa Hospital, was the key speaker during the recently held cosme-tology meet, conducted by EGO Pharmaceutical Company at Inter-Continental Muscat.

Dr Shibu Mohammed, a well known dermatologist, presented advanced cosmetic procedures in skin and explained the mer-its and demerits of these proce-dures. Various videos of botox, fillers, and platelet rich plasma were shown to the guests, says a press release.

Dr Abdulla Mufti Al Qurashi welcomed the guests with his speech. Haitham, country man-ager of EGO, was also present in

the meeting. Hossam presented about various dermatology prod-ucts from EGO.

Dr Shibu also showed videos

of various lasers from Italy and France, which he uses in Badr Al Samaa and explained how they work.

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Bank Muscat honours merchant partners at PiP awards ceremony

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flag-ship financial services provider in the Sultanate, celebrated the 11th annual Partners in Progress (PiP) awards ceremony at InterCon-tinental Hotel Gardens as mer-chant partners were honoured for outstanding contributions to card business in 2015.

AbdulRazak Ali Issa, chief ex-ecutive, presented the awards to senior executives of winning insti-tutions and companies covering a total of 35 categories ranging from government services to automo-biles, airlines, telecommunica-tions, hotels and hypermarkets, says a press release.

The Royal Oman Police was honoured with a special award in recognition as the pioneer in pro-moting electronic payments in the government sector as well as the frontrunner of e-governance in the Sultanate.

The Landmark Group won the special award for Outstanding Re-tail Group and Lulu Hypermarket was recognised as the Best Hyper-market in the Sultanate. The win-ners from the government sector for special contribution in grow-ing card payments and reducing cash were the Ministry of Hous-ing, Muscat Municipality, and the Ministry of Regional Municipali-ties & Water Resources.

The Special Merchant Con-tribution awards were shared by Muscat Duty Free, Carrefour and Oman Investment and Finance Company (OIFC). The award in recognition of contributions to e-commerce, which is gaining im-portance in Oman, was won by Al Madina Development and Supply.

Aimed at promoting electronic payments in all parts of Oman, The Best Merchants in Interior awards were shared by Al Badyah Hyper-

market in Suwaiq, Oman Interna-tional Container Terminal in So-har, and Al Karama Hypermarket in Suwaiq.

The 2015 Partners in Progress award winners include Ooredoo (Telecom Operator), Qatar Air-ways (Airlines), Muscat Private Hospital (Medical services), AIG Oman Branch (Insurance), Al Sh-aya International (Perfumes and cosmetics), Homes r Us (Furni-ture), EXTRA (Electronics), Saud Bahwan Automotive (Automo-tive Sales and Services), Elegant Rent A Car (Car rentals), Apparel International (Clothing & Fash-ion), Al Fair (Supermarkets), Pizza Hut (Casual dining), Kar-geen Café (Restaurants), Al Lilac Beauty Centre (Beauty salon & spas), Malabar Gold & Diamonds (Jewellery), Horizon Fitness (Health & fitness centres), Global Money Exchange (Best Exchange House), OUA Travels (Travel and Tourism), Muscat China Com-mercial Centre (Building mate-rial suppliers), Oman Oil Mar-

keting Company (Fuel stations), Crowne Plaza (4 Star hotels), Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Re-sort and Spa (5 Star hotels).

AbdulRazak Ali Issa said: “Bank Muscat is proud to celebrate the 11-year journey together and joint successes with merchant partners. The year 2015 was an exciting as well as challenging period for the bank’s Cards and eBanking team as merchant partners recorded a 20 per cent increase in card trans-action volumes and merchant out-lets network grew by 25 per cent.

“In line with the e-governance initiatives by the government, the outstanding growth in card payment reflects that electronic payment is fast becoming the pre-ferred mode of secure payment in the Sultanate.”

In 2015, the bank continued its journey of enhancing the elec-tronic payment infrastructure in the country. The bank introduced a state-of-the-art and secure unat-tended point of sale terminal. In line with the latest Chip and PIN

technology standards, the terminal allows customers to conduct trans-actions at standalone Kiosk ma-chines in a safe and secure manner.

The bank’s IP terminals reduced transaction processing time at large volume merchants, leading to significant reduction in telecom-munication costs.

The solution was implemented at several large volume outlets. The bank initiated proactive steps to enhance technical and opera-tional support to merchant part-ners by deploying more resources.

The bank is currently working on mobile POS (mPOS) solution to fur-ther enhance innovative payment solutions in the country. mPOS has the potential to provide an electron-ic payment acceptance instrument to the smallest business owner in the country besides adding value to large retailers as well.

The bank’s endeavours to im-prove card acceptance levels in the interior regions resulted in en-hancing the acquiring footprint in these areas. The bank recorded a

phenomenal 130 per cent increase in merchant sign-ups showing im-mense potential for card transac-tions outside the capital area.

Amjad Al Lawati, AGM – Cards & eBanking, said: “Bank Muscat has one of the most competent teams in the payments industry. It is this ‘dedication’ and ‘commitment to service’ that has made Bank Mus-cat the preferred electronic pay-ment service provider to the nation. Our ability and flexibility to adapt, innovate and provide customised payment solutions have made us unique in the market.”

Bank Muscat commenced card acquiring operations in 2002 and since then has crossed many mile-stones to become the largest ac-quirer and issuer of cards in Oman. As the leading electronic payment service provider in Oman, Bank Muscat merchant outlet network has grown to over 9,000 with more than 14,000 POS terminals de-ployed across the country to sup-port e-payment and continues to expand rapidly.

AbdulRazak Ali Issa, chief executive,

presented the awards to senior executives

of winning institutions and companies

covering a total of 35 categories ranging

from government services to automobiles,

airlines, telecommunications, hotels

and hypermarkets

Ooredoo bags coveted award at ‘Partners in Progress’ event MUSCAT: For the second con-secutive year, Ooredoo was named the top Telecommunica-tions Merchant at the annual ‘Partners in Progress’ awards for its commitment to delivering in-spiring and innovative services to customers across Oman.

Celebrated at the InterConti-nental Muscat, the award was ac-cepted on behalf of the company by Johan Buse, chief commercial officer who was joined by leading

executives from Oman’s largest companies and institutions, says a press release.

The ‘Partners in Progress’ Awards are organised by Bank Muscat, the flagship financial ser-vices provider in the Sultanate, to honour merchant partners in the public and private sector for their outstanding contributions to the card business. The winning insti-tutions and companies were cho-sen from different sectors.

T O P T E L E C O M M U N I C A T I O N S M E R C H A N T

Kia offers a chance to own its model at 0% interest on EMI

MUSCAT: If you have been dreaming of owning your favour-ite Kia but are waiting for the right moment, then this will be the per-fect time to strike the bargain.

Now purchase any Kia of your choice at 0 per cent interest on EMI, says a press release.

According to a spokesperson from Reliable International Auto-motive, “At Kia we have realised the affection the customers in Oman have for the brand. We have

received a lot of feedback from our customers and have introduced this unique offer that gives fans of Kia a chance to own their favour-ite model at 0 per cent interest on EMI on select models and specific loan tenure along with cash bene-fits to further ease the initial down payment. With 0% Interest EMI, all that the customers have to do is to pay only the cash price of the vehicle in instalments.”

“Now customer has to just pay

a visit with as low as OMR199 and drive out with a brand new Kia se-dan – Cerato, Koup or Optima. Of-fer is applicable on certain grades of these models.”

Other benefits of service and in-surance can also be opted in a dif-ferent package. Terms and condi-tions will apply.

Reliable International Automo-tive (RIA), the distributor for Kia in Oman, provides a rewarding own-ership experience for customers.

U N I Q U E O F F E R

Mercedes-Benz Oman announces cash back offer MUSCAT: Admirers who seek ‘the best or nothing’ can now fulfil their ambition of owning a brand new iconic vehicle with Mercedes-Benz Oman’s special spring cash-back offer of up to OMR2,000.

Available on all models, this outstanding new season deal is an exceptional way to experience the exclusivity, luxury and intel-ligent drive of Mercedes-Benz, says a press release.

“Taking inspiration from the new season and also appreciating the fact that Spring is a time of year when many people consider buying a new vehicle, we have created a fresh cash-back March deal which includes our new-est and most popular models,” enthused Clive Hammond, Mer-cedes-Benz Oman CEO. “Our in-credible vehicles are renowned for their global leadership in de-sign and engineering but we have also developed a track record for delivering value-added offers to the market. This new offer is a tribute to our customer-centric approach which has and will con-

tinue to make Mercedes-Benz Oman the partner of choice to drivers in the Sultanate.”

Available only until March 31 or while stocks last, the offer encompasses all the Mercedes-Benz line-up which includes some of Oman’s favourite luxury sedans such as the S-Class, E-Class and the C-Class as well as the top-selling trail-blazing GLE, GLC and GLA SUVs, and the new-generation hot-hatch A-Class. The extraordinary cash-back savings are calculated ac-cording to the vehicle selected with incredible value-return of up to OMR2,000. Not included in the offer are the G-Class and Mercedes-AMG GTS.

V A L U E D E A L S

Specialist general physician joins KimsMUSCAT: Kims Oman Hospi-tal announced the appointment of Dr Vrunda Janardhan, gen-eral physician, to join its highly skilled medical staff.

Dr Vrunda has completed MBBS as well as MD in Internal Medicine from Indira Gandhi Government Medical College, Nagpur, India. She has also achieved the fellowship in Car-diac Rehabilitation from Wash-ington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, USA, says a press release.

She gained her rich experi-ence and deep knowledge dur-ing her many years of practice in internal medicine while working in several reputed healthcare institutes as well as academic organisations in India and the USA. “I am very happy and extremely excited to be part of Kims Oman Hos-pital and look forward to serv-ing the Omani community,” said Dr Vrunda.“We are glad to welcome Dr Vrunda in Kims Oman,” stated Dr Hussam Ak-oum, COO of KOH.

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Oman Sports Conference and Exhibition to focus on administration, development

MUSCAT: Sports administra-tion and finance, and youth de-velopment will be major subjects of discussion when the Ministry of Sports Affairs hosts the 2016 Oman Sports Conference and Ex-hibition in April.

The annual event, to be organ-ised by the Ministry of Sports Af-fairs General Directorate of Sports Development and Welfare, will this year be hosted as two separate programmes — the conference

and the exhibition. According to Fahd Al Raisi, Director General of Sports Development and Welfare, this year’s events will take place from April 18 to 21 starting with the conference.

Speaking at a press conference organised at the Ministry of Sports Affairs Headquarters on Monday, Fahd Al Raisi said: “This year we will start with the conference on April 18. This is our fourth edition of the conference and it will be a one day affair to be organised at Grand Hyatt.”

Stating that conference will be of higher level than the previous years, he said: “This year’s confer-ence will be different and we trying to take it to the next ‘higher’ level in terms of the themes, objectives, the speakers and participants.”

“This year’s conference will fo-cus on three major areas - sports administration, financing and funding in sports sector and devel-opment of youth sector,” he said.

“Each of these three sessions, will have three speakers — all big names in their field, and there will be host

of other presenters both local and international,” he informed without revealing the names of the person-alities expected to present their pa-pers and deliver the lectures.

He also revealed that the Min-istry of Sports Affairs has roped in Oman International Trading Es-tablishment (OITE) Exhibitions to co-ordinate the organisation of

this year’s exhibition. “This year’s exhibition will run from April 19 to 21 at the Oman International Ex-hibition Centre.

“The exhibits will be spread across 600 square metres and will include those from Oman, the gulf region and beyond.”

“We are trying to involve as many Omani sports bodies as pos-sible. Besides that there will be a host of international organisations and companies at the exhibition,” he added.

Giving further details of lo-cal participation, he said: “From within Oman, there will be around 40 sports bodies — including as-sociations, clubs and various com-mittees - exhibiting and marketing their services and facilities.”

While starting that Ministry’s plan is to involve as many private sector organisations as possible, he said: “There will also be a Fun Zone, the main objective of which is to ‘exhibit’ different local as-pects, including Omani traditional sports and create an awareness in a fun environment.”

Dynamic expoMeanwhile, Tarek Ali, General Manager of OITE Exhibitions, said this year’s event will be a ‘dynamic exhibition’ that will not only bring international expertise into the Sultanate but also promote Oman, country’s sports and the facilities.

“The sports exhibition will be held concurrently with Ministry of Higher Education’s Oman Higher Education Summit and GHEDEX Exhibition. So there will be more attention and it will also attract those who come for the other exhi-bitions, especially the youth.”

Stating that OITE is delighted to be associated with the event, he said: “A lot of international sports companies have shown interest and add to that the local participa-tion, it will be a very diverse port-folio from each sector. And most importantly the exhibition will provide an opportunity to share ideas and concepts.”

“It is also a great opportunity to promote Oman as an ideal sport-ing destination with it’s excellent infrastructure facilities,” he added.

The 2016 edition of

the Ministry of Sports

Affairs’ ambitious

programme will be

organised from

April 18 to 21

ICC confident about Dharamsala, Delhi hosting WT20 gamesNEW DELHI: Unfazed by the uncertainty that looms over the World Twenty20 clash between India and Pakistan in Dharamsala, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday said it is confi-dent of the marquee game going ahead as scheduled and has no plans of shifting the venue.

Besides, the world body is also not too concerned about the lo-gistical issues faced by Delhi’s

Ferozeshah Kotla ground. The ICC said it has no intention to change the venues which were decided al-most a year back.

“Challenges in respect to those two venues, they are there. But we are dealing with those problems,” ICC Chief Executive Dave Rich-ardson said addressing reporters at a city hotel here.

“The venues were decided a year back and all arrangements are in

place to stage the matches at those two venues. These challenges have reasons not through the fault of the BCCI or the ICC. But the fact is that we are dealing with these and we are confident that the matches will proceed at those two venues.”

A two-member security team from Pakistan has arrived in India on Monday to review the secu-rity situation ahead of the national side’s visit to Kolkata, where they

are scheduled to play their first game of the World T20 on March 16 against the winner of the Group A qualifier. The visit comes amid controversy over the India and Pakistan match scheduled to be played in Dharamsala on March 19.

The fate of the match became uncertain after Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh wrote to the Home Ministry stat-ing that the state government can-

not provide security for the game in the wake of the recent terror attack on the Pathankot air base during which two soldiers of the state were martyred. “The Indian government has shown a commitment to make sure that adequate security meas-ures are in place at all the venues for all the teams,” Richardson said.

He also said the ICC are working closely with the BCCI and PCB to sort out the issue. - PTI

C R I C K E T

AMBITIOUS PROGRAMME: Fahd Al Raisi, Director General of Sports

Development and Welfare at the Ministry of Sports Affairs, speaks

as OITE Exhibitions General Manager Tarek Ali, right, looks on dur-

ing a press conference on Monday. – Photo: JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

ICC is also not too concerned about the logistical issues faced by Ferozeshah Kotla

India to issue 250 visas for Pakistan fans each matchNEW DELHI: India will issue 250 visas to Pakistani specta-tors for each match their team plays during the forthcoming World Twenty20 cricket tour-nament, including a high-volt-age game against the hosts at Dharamsala.

“As of now, we have decided to issue 250 visas to Pakistani cricket fans for each match Pa-kistani team will play in the T20 tournament,” a senior Home Ministry official said.

The five-day visa will be issued accordingly after furnishing of tickets of matches, return tickets by road or rail or air transport and accommodation bookings.

However, the official indi-cated that the number of visas to Pakistani spectators may be increased if the team reaches semifinal or final. A strict vigil will be maintained by security agencies on Pakistani fans. - PTI

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After the dust-storm that hit Dhaka a couple of hours before start

of play in the Asia Cup final between India and Bangladesh petered out and the rains died down, and as the Bangla fans got ready for what could have been a nail-biting final two overs and a dramatic triumph at the end of a long, wet night, MS Dhoni sent the first of the 12 balls over the midwicket boundary for a huge six.

That may have sucked life out of the sick mind who had posted on Twitter the revolt-ing morphed image of Taskin Ahmed giving out a victory cry holding the severed head of the Indian skipper. That was cocky, cavalier 104-metre-long justice to a pathetic mindset.

The Asian issue was ruth-lessly settled by Dhoni and Virat Kohli in just five balls, knocking up 20 runs with an over and a ball to spare, denying the home team an honorable chance of taking the matter to the final ball that may have taken some sting off the defeat and offered fresh fodder for the sick mind to morph more mischief.

Curiously, the villain of the Sunday piece was Taskin, the man who was morphed into a hero-in-the making soon after the home team had dumped Pakistan and booked

a title clash with India. Taskin bowled well.

He conceded just 14 runs in his three overs, broke the almost-match-winning part-nership picking up the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan in the 13th over and, at that stage, with In-dia needing 22 runs from just 14 balls, it looked like it was the best thing that happened to turn the tide in favour of the home team.

The best thing, if only it wasn’t Dhoni who walked out onto the pitch at that tricky, quirky but hopeful moment for Bangladesh.

What Dhoni did in seven minutes he was at the crease was magic he was known to conjure up at short notice, but he owed a warm ‘thank you’ to his deputy, Kohli, for building the perfect platform for him to step in and wave the band.

Without Kohli walking in at No. 3 when one or both openers perish inside the first couple of overs with pretty little to feel at ease on the scoreboard, and then driving the opposition to

the point of hopeless frustra-tion, it wouldn’t have been easy for the lower-order guys to sit comfortably in their seats in the dugout.

The difference between Kohli and the others — those who share the dressing room with him at the moment and the ones who turned up in the Indian colours before him — comes down to what it really matters: winning.

Kohli is a match-winner on almost all occasions he plays a big game, while most others were or are not, even though they crafted impressive per-sonal scores.

It’s this fact, which gets proven match after match, that puts the rivals into a spot of bother as Kohli strolls in and gets used to the pitch and the proceedings.

One of the best things that happened to Kohli, as we get know from his frank confes-sion about his perceived limitations, is his acceptance of what he couldn’t do — playing a Dhoni or Chris Gayle kind of game that packs brutish punch and awesome six-appeal — and his adjustment to compensate for the shortcoming.

Kohli’s total honesty about his limitations has only com-pounded his rivals’ problems.

Here’s a man who picks the

gaps at will and takes the risk seldom, who’s not going to gift his wicket with any silly rush of blood, and who turns every second he spends at the crease into runs, in singles, twos, fours and that occasional six.

And he’s just 27 years and a few months old: the best is yet to be.

Now that Ravi Shastri’s boys have got the ‘bloody job done’ the way the team director had wanted them to in the Asian context of things in the short-est format of the game, the world is the next limit.

Obviously, Dhoni is feeling cheeky, sassy about “13-14 match-winners” at his disposal — what a pleasant, positive turnaround for the Indian skipper who until a year ago used to drag on with a poker face about the lack of resources at his command, both in bowling and at the lower order.

Now is the time Dhoni could look forward to walking into the sunset with a cute, naughty smile.

The writer is a freelance con-tributor based in India. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of Times of Oman

How Kohli morphed Dhoni into the moodCOMMENTARY

Hope final defeat does not affect us in World T20, says MashrafeMIRPUR: Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza is dejected that his team was not able to gift the cricket crazy home fans a victory which would have been “huge” for them but at the same time wants to quickly shrug off the disappoint-ment ahead of their ICC World T20 campaign.

Bangladesh play an ICC World T20 match against the Nether-lands in two days time and Mortaza wants his men to go into the tour-nament with a positive mindset.

“We are taking a lot of positives from the tournament as we have a played the final which is a huge achievement. But in two days we have a qualifying match in the World T20. We have to qualify first and then also we will be in the group of death. We have to be mentally ready and ensure that this final loss does not affect us as playing in India is a tough thing,” Mortaza said after losing the Asia Cup final to India by eight wickets on Sunday night.

He urged the Bangladeshi sup-porters to be a bit more patient with the team.

“I know they had all kept their work aside and expected that we gift them a memorable victory. But we have a good team and these

prayers have been with us. We would request them to be patient with us. Today had we scored 20 runs more, the contest would have been more even. The toss became crucial and also the pitch became better for batting in the second half,” Mortaza said.

He said the ICC World T20 would be a new tournament where they have to start from scratch.

“We have to start from zero. We have got a team that has balance and potential. The boys have self belief. But one needs to understand that T20 is such a format where it is very difficult to win every game,” the skipper said.

“It was a huge scope for us (Asia Cup) but then a lot of people did not expect us to reach the finals but we did reach the finals. I have full confidence that the future of Bangladesh cricket is very bright,” Mortaza concluded. - PTI

CR I CKET

Carneiro wants public apology from Mourinho

LONDON: Former Chelsea team doctor Eva Carneiro has called for a public apology from Jose Mourinho as part of her constructive dismissal and sex discrimination claim against the Premier League champions and the club’s former manager.

Carneiro’s barrister also said the club and the Gibraltar-born doctor were nowhere near agree-ing compensation over her de-parture ahead of a hearing at an employment tribunal on Monday.

“The two sides are so far apart financially. And we want Mr. Mourinho to make a public apol-ogy,” Mary O’Rourke, represent-ing Carneiro, said. - Reuters

FOOTBALL

C3

SPORTST U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

Assarain rout Enhance by 192 runs

MUSCAT: Assarain routed En-hance CT by a massive 192-run margin in a Muscat Pharmacy and Stores-sponsored Premier Division match at the Ministry of Sports Affairs ground on Saturday.

Batting first, Assarain team filed up 299 runs while losing all

their wickets in 50 overs. Arun Poulose slammed 105 runs while Ram Kumar contributed 55 runs. Zafar Iqbal claimed four scalps for Enhance.

In reply, Enhance CT were bowled out for 107 in 28 overs.

Sindo Mical and Kaleem Ul-

lah claimed three wickets each as Assarain sealed an easy victory over Enhance CT.

Brief scores: Assarain 299 in 50 overs (Arun Poulose 105) bt Enhance CT 107 in 28 overs (Kaleem Ullah 2/22). Points: As-sarain - 3, Enhance CT – 0.

C R I C K E T

ASSARAIN HEROES: Arun Poulose, Ramkumar, Kaleemullah and Sindo Michael. – Supplied photo

Rampaging India firm favourites

NAGPUR: Their build-up cam-paign has been nothing short of spectacular and inaugural champi-ons India would be the firm favour-ites to be the first two-time trophy winners when the ICC World Twenty20 gets underway with the qualifiers, here on Tuesday.

The tournament-proper will be-gin on March 15 when India take on New Zealand and the qualifiers before that will fill in two slots for the Super 10 stage.

The opening day double-header

in qualifiers features games be-tween Zimbabwe and Hong Kong besides a Scotland-Afghanistan clash. Both the matches will be played in Nagpur.

The other teams in the quali-

fying round are Ireland and the Netherlands.

The top two teams from the qual-ifiers will join India, Australia, Eng-land, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the West

Indies in the Super 10 stage, which will be played alongside the wom-en’s event from March 15 to 28.

Although Sri Lanka are the de-fending men’s champions, they hardly seem to be an intimidating

force having endured a 1-2 loss as recently as in February, to India.

On the contrary, 2007 champi-ons India are looking like an un-stoppable force which will be fur-ther galvanised by the passionate support from its adoring home fans.

The Asia Cup triumph, during which Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men did not lose a single match, is the latest confidence-booster that the Indians received heading into the big event after victories over Australia and Sri Lanka in the run-up. India are in Super 10 Group 2 along with 2009 winners Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and a yet-to-be-decided qualifier.

India will launch their campaign in Nagpur against New Zealand on March 15 before they go head to head with Pakistan on March 19. Their other matches will be against a qualifier in Bengaluru on March 13 and Australia in Mohali on March 27.

Even though they are placed in a tough group, India are expected to make the semifinals given the stu-pendous form the team is in coupled with the distinct home advantage.

Sri Lanka have been placed in Super 10 Group 1 along with South Africa, West Indies, England and a yet-to-be-decided qualifier. They will open their title defence against the qualifier in Kolkata on March 17, and play West Indies in Bengaluru on March 20, England on March 26 and South Africa on March 28. - PTI

The tournament-

proper will begin

on March 15 when

India take on New

Zealand but qualifiers

before that will fill in

two slots for Super

10 stage with the

opening day double-

header featuring

Zimbabwe-Hong

Kong tie and a match

between Scotland

and AfghanistanOPENING QUALIFIER: Zimbabwe’s Tendai Chisoro, centre, looks on during a training session ahead of their opening match against Hong

Kong at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on Monday. Hong Kong captain Tanvir Afzal, right in right photo, takes part

in a training session. – AFP

C4

SPORTST U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

OFA, Oman Oil join hands to find Oman’s future beach soccer stars

MUSCAT: The Oman Football Association (OFA), in partner-ship with Oman Oil, on Monday announced a nationwide talent search and community beach soc-cer tournament to be held in all the regions of the Sultanate.

“Every legend has a beginning, and it is with the very purpose of finding Oman’s next legend that the OFA, supported by Oman Oil, bring you a nation-wide beach soc-cer tournament which is also a tal-ent hunt,” an OFA statement said.

The four-leg tournament, ti-tled the “Oman Oil Beach Soccer Tournament”, will be played in Sharqiya, Al Batinah, Dhofar and Muscat regions.

Each leg of the tournament will be scouted by national beach soc-

cer coach Talib Hilal. He will then invite the best selected players to the camp to prepare for the Asian Beach Soccer Championships.

The tournament is open to all and will be played on four separate dates. The Sharqiya leg will take place in Sur on April 9, Batinah round in Sohar on April 16, Dhofar in Salalah on April 23 and in Mus-cat April 30.

“It is very important to con-tribute to the community and be responsible as an organisation. Beach soccer is in the very fabric of Omani culture, one need only go to the beach every evening to see how much people enjoy the sport,” said Jaber Sulaiman Al Busaidi, Corpo-rate Affairs Manager at the Oman Oil Marketing Company.

“Through this tournament, we can take what is a recreational activity and turn it into an oppor-tunity for a young person to rep-resent his country at the highest level. The kind of impact that can create is monumental,” he added.

“Beach soccer is a growing sport and Oman side is one of its strong-er teams. There are many young Omani players who are nurtured everyday on the Sultanate’s beach-es but do not have the opportunity to achieve that potential,” Talib Hilal, Oman national beach soccer coach, said.

“With the support of Oman Oil, we are hoping to tap into the vast amount of talent and make those players realise their potential,” Talib Hilal added.

F O O T B A L L

OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUTH: Oman Football Association CEO and General Secretary Sultan Ameen Al

Zadjali, second right, speaks as national beach soccer coach Talib Hilal, right, and Oman Oil officials

looks on during a press conference at Seen Sports Stadium on Monday. – Supplied photo

Casey and Daud win BMW Muscat Ladies Open titles

MUSCAT: Lynn Casey and Ja-meela Daud emerged winners at the BMW Muscat Ladies Open golf tournament, a two-day event, jointly organised by Almouj Golf and Ghala Golf Club here recently.

The tournament, held under the patronage of Her Highness Sayy-ida Basma Al Said, featured a 36 hole stableford competition and an academy nine hole competition.

Jameela Daud won the stabl-eford competition with a gross 76, while Yvonne Welling was runner-up with a gross 73.

Lynn Casey emerged the gross winner recording a gross score of 148 and Sanjoli Singh secured the runner-up position with a gross 171.

The academy competition saw the team of Delaney Leigh, Fiona Burke and Jumana Ibrahim with

64 points emerge winners while Leigh claimed the academy best individual score with 28 points.

During the prize-giving ceremo-ny, the organisers honoured some of the Sultanate’s and the region’s best women golfers.

“We organised the BMW Mus-cat Ladies Open 2016 to develop ladies golf not only in Oman but also in neighbouring GCC coun-

tries. We are proud to provide a platform for women to enjoy the timeless game, while develop and nurture their skills, whether ama-teur golfers or those with a reg-istered handicap,” said Mubarak Hill, Club Manager of Almouj Golf.

“Joining forces with Ghala Golf Club, we offered ladies from both clubs the chance to have a unique opportunity of playing both cours-

es and enjoy what each has to of-fer,” he added.

Speaking on behalf of title spon-sors, BMW, Divyendu Kumar, Managing Director, Al Jenaibi In-ternational Automobiles said: “We are honoured to support the efforts of both Almouj Golf and Ghala Golf Club to elevate ladies golf in Oman to the next level. We very much look forward to continuing this collaboration and seeing this sporting and social event develop further in the future.”

The traditional Muscat Ladies Open is always held at Ghala Golf Club. This year’s edition was ex-tended to two days of play to in-clude Almouj Golf, offering the golfers more challenges in two of Oman’s biggest clubs.

The two golfing destinations were also part of the unique Sum-mer Golf Passport initiative in 2015, adding extra levels of excite-ment and convenience for the golf-ing community. In addition to title sponsors, BMW, the 2016 Open was sponsored by Muscat Laser Eye Centre, Amouage and Patchi.

The tournament, held

under the patronage

of Her Highness

Sayyida Basma

Al Said, featured a

36 hole stableford

competition and

an academy nine

hole competition

UNIQUE EVENT: Winners in various categories pose for a group photo along with chief guest Her High-

ness Sayyida Basma Al Said. – OK MOHAMMED ALI/Times of Oman

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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

ISC GOAN WING TO ORGANISE CRICKET TOURNAMENT ON FRIDAYThe first 8-a-side cricket

tournament organised by

the Indian Social Club (ISC)

Goan Wing will kick-off at

the Muscat Glub ground in

Al Wadi Al Kabir at 7 a.m.

on Friday. The tournament

attracted 18 teams. The

tournament draw was held

on March 5 at ISC hall in

Darsait. — Supplied photo

Arsenal will not give up on title, says WengerLONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is refusing to write off his side’s chances of lifting the Premier League tro-phy this season after Saturday’s 2-2 draw with north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur left them eight points behind lead-ers Leicester City.

A three-game winless run in the league has severely dented Arsenal’s hopes of ending their 12-year wait for the league title.However, they still have nine games to turn their for-tunes around.

“The championship is far from over,” Wenger told report-ers on Monday ahead of his club’s FA Cup fifth round replay against second tier side Hull City on Tuesday. “We have beat-en twice Leicester. People have to look at the other teams. We will not give up in the champion-ship. We will fight until the end.”

Wenger also confirmed he will make a few changes to his side for Tuesday’s game as they bid to become the first club since Blackburn Rovers in the 1880s to lift the FA Cup trophy three years in a row and only the third club ever to do so.

“I will have to make (changes). I’m not concerned by replacing one player for another. I have to rotate a bit and keep the balance in the team,” Wenger said.

Wenger heaped praise on goal-keeper David Ospina, who made nine saves during Saturday’s draw with Spurs, after doubts were raised about the Colombi-an’s ability to fill in for the injured Petr Cech, who has been a major factor in this season’s successes.

“I rate him as a world-class goalkeeper and he had been un-fairly treated,” the Frenchman said of Ospina. “I played him against Olympiakos (Piraeus) and it’s a shame at that time his stats did not come out in the press, but I never questioned his quality.” - Reuters

F O O T B A L L

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

DiningSECTIONC L I F E S T Y L E T U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

Volare PizzeriaStart with ‘You rock my world’ salad. It is rich in flavours with fresh rocket

leaves, goji berries, walnuts, cheese, and mushroom and topped up with healthy

dressing. Try their delicious seafood appetiser, their signature pizza, and the

risotto balls. If you have a sweet tooth try the warm Italian cinnamon sugar

dough balls with vanilla ice cream.Shatti Qurum

+ 968 2460 1310

Trattoria The menu of Trattoria offers starters, soups, salads, pastas, other mains, and desserts. Order Penne Con Pomodoro E Manzo (which is penne pasta with

beef, artichokes, black olives, asparagus, chilli, and tomato sauces, or Deliziosa, a pizza of Danish mozzarella, tomato sauce, turkey bacon, and gorgonzola

cheese on top. Trattoria offers a variety of cakes and gelato for desserts.

Al Asalah Towers, Ghubra+ 968 2421 0451

WHO EATS WELL, LIVES WELL

EatalianWelcome to the new kid in the block.

With its bistro-style setup, Eatalian at the Avenues Mall is a new home for

pastas, pizzas, and antipasti. Experience some of the mouth-watering and taste

fulfilling flavours that include, insalata, picolli piatta, pizza, pasta, piatto and

dolci. Try the grilled calamari, cheese ravioli fritte, gnocchi, and the parmesan chicken. If you are too hungry and look-

ing for something really filling try the Mezzo Metro pizza which is a combina-tion of two types of pizza. Classic Italian

is equally enticing. Avenues Mall, Ghubra

+968 2206 0025

Romano’s Macaroni GrillHave you tried the Penne Rustica at

Romano’s Macaroni Grill? If not, this week make sure you make a trip to the

Avenues Mall to have a bite. This pasta dish in a savoury cream sauce, served

with a green or Caesar salad and home-made garlic bread sticks is out of the

world. The portion sizes are large and the menu offers many choices on sea-

food. If you are a shrimp lover try Pesto Shrimp Avocado Crostini. If not then go for the hot spicy Ricotta meatballs. For those who are real health conscious try

the Chicken Florentine salad.Avenues Mall, Ghubra

+968 2200 5650

Italiano Are you in search of traditional Italian dishes? What about having freshly made thin and crispy hand tossed crust pizza, some healthy salads, Italian pasta with a variety of tasty sauces, lasagna, or a creative selection of home-made desserts,? For all of these visit Italiano.Qurum Gardens Centre+ 968 2456 0823

Rossini, The CaveIf you are looking for a fine dining Italian cuisine, a visit to Rossini at The Cave is a must. Try the tournedos of polenta and mousse of cod fish, carnaroli rice saffron veloute’, bresaola, meringue, and alba truffle infusion.The Cave Complex, Darsait+ 968 2465 1066

Tuscany, Grand HyattTry scallop leek tart, pan fried scallop, Alaskan king crab, cous-cous, braised

endive and apple curry sauce, fresh maltagliati pasta, broad beans, taleggio cheese, crispy beef bacon or asparagus

ricotta ravioli, butter, sage, pumpkin cream from the long list in the menu.

There’s more in the list at this exclusive Italian restaurant which has specialty

menus from regional areas of Italy, bringing the essence of authentic Italian

cooking in Oman. Grand Hyatt, Shatti Al Qurum

+968 2464 1234

O Sole Mio, Raddison Blu MuscatFor a true Italian treat O Sole Mio at the Raddison Blu is the place to be, for an ultimate fine dining experience. Though it is difficult to remember the lengthy names, you must sink your teeth in Almone Girgilato Con Salsa Di Zafrano, that is grilled salmon fillet with saffron sauce, Spaghetti Alla Marinara; spaghetti pasta with mix seafood, and tomato sauce and parmesan cheese or Rucola E Parmigiano Ripieni Di Manzo Rotolo Carpaccio Con Al Limone, rucola, and parmesan cheese stuffed beef carpacio roll with lemon dressing. And if you are looking for a bigger spread then opt for the special nights. While Saturdays are steak night, Sundays are seafood special.Raddison Blu Muscat, Al Khuwair+ 968 2447 9869

Stagioni The first Italian takeaway restaurant in

Muscat has home-made pasta, Italian pizzas, grilled panini sandwiches, fresh

salads, and delicious Italian desserts. Muscat Grand Mall, Ghubra

+968 9425 8440

Gelo FredoItalian ice creams, gelatos, sorbets, frozen yoghurt, desserts, burgers, sandwiches and pasta this place situated at Al Araimi centre is famous for.Al Araimi Complex, Qurum+968 2202 2622

If someone asks me, what’s that one thing that makes Italian cuisine special in your eyes? I would say its simplicity. The cuisine that was ranked

the best in the world by CNN in 2013 has been a favourite of many for years, minimalism being

its biggest attraction. And if you are living with the notion that Italian cuisine is all about pizzas

and pastas, then visit some of these Italian restaurants in Muscat. Something different and

authentic is awaiting you.-swati@timesofoman.com

Story Swati Dasgupta

FIND-IT-ALLC6 T U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

Dhuhr 12.23pmAsr 3.46pmMaghrib 6.18pmIsha 7.28pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 5.07am

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Directorate General

of Customs 24521109

Traffic violations inquiries 24510228

Public Relations Admin 24560099

EMBASSIES IN OMAN

Afghanistan 24698 791/4

Algeria 24605 593

Bahrain 24 605 074/133

Bangladesh 24 698 660

Brazil 24640100

Brunei 24 603533

China 24 696782

Cyprus 24 699815

Egypt 24 600 982/411

France 24681 800

Germany 24835000

India 24684500

Indonesia 2469 1050

Iran 24 696 944/7

Iraq 24603642

Italy 24693727

Japan 24 601 028

Jordan 24692760/1/3

Kazakhstan 24 692418

Kenya 24 697664

South Korea 24 691490

Kuwait 24 699628

Lebanon 24 693208

Libya 24603466

Malaysia 24698329/643

Morocco 24696152/3

Nepal 24696177

Netherlands 24603706

Pakistan 24603439

Palestine 24601312

Philippines 24605335

Qatar 24 691 153/2/4

Russia 24602894

Saudi Arabia 24601705

Senegal 24694139

Somalia 24697977

South Africa 24647300

Spain 24691101

Sri Lanka 24697841/2

Sudan 24697875

Switzerland 24603267

Syria 24697904

Tanzania 24601 174

Thailand 24 602684/5

Tunisia 24603486

Turkey 24697050/1/2

UAE 24400000

United Kingdom 24609000

United States 24643400

Yemen 24600815

PHARMACIES

Round the clock

Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

Apollo 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

Lifeline Hospital Salalah 23212340

International Medical

Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5

Kims Oman Hospital 24760100

24 Hrs Emergency 24760123

Lama Polyclinic, Sohar 26751128

MBD 24799077

Al Khuwair 24478818

Magrabi Eye and

Ear Hospital 24568870

Muscat Private Hospital 24583600

Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment

Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666

Al-Hayat 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

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

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

@AZAIBA @SHATTI

Jai GangaaJal (Hindi) (2D) (Action | Drama) (TBC) Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Rahul Bhat, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Prakash Jha3:15, 6:00, 8:45, 10:00, 11:30 PM

London Has Fallen (Action| Crime) PG12Cast: Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman, Charlotte Riley3:15, 7:45, 9:45 & 11:45PM

BAHJA CINEMAFilm information 24540856 / Advance Booking

24540855

Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

London Has Fallen (Action / Crime / Thriller)Cast: Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart 3.30, 8.00, 10.00, & 11.55 PM CP No: 351 (PG12)

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi Cast: John Krasinski, Pablo Schreiber, James Badge Dale4.30 7.00, 9.30. & 11.55 PM CP No: 352 (15+)

Race (Biography / Drama / Sports)Cast: Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis, Eli Goree2.00, & 5.30 PM CP No: 353 (PG)

Kings of Egypt (Adventure / Fantasy)Cast: Brenton Thwaites, Gerard Butler1.15 PM CP No: 341 (12+)

STAR CINEMAFilm information 24791641 / 24786776

Website: www.isurf.co.om

Action Hero Biju (Mal) (Act\Comedy) Cast: Nivin Pauly & Anu Emmanuel 3-30, 6-30 & 9-30 pm Cinema Main

Jai GangaaJal (Hindi) (Act\ Drama) Cast: Priyanka Chopra & Manav Kaul 3:45, 6:45 & 9:45 PM Cinema-3

Pokkiri Raja (Tamil) (Act\ Drama) Cast: Jiva & Hansika Matwani 3-30, 6-30 & 9-30 pm Cinema -2

Kalyna Vaibhogame (Telugu) (Drama \ Com) Cast: Naga Shourya & Malavika Nair 3:45, 6:45 & 9:45 PM Cinema -4 Next Change: Puthiya Niyamam (Mal) Kadhalum Kadandhu Pogum (Tamil)

Programmes are subject to change

@PANORAMA MALL

13 Hours: The Secret Soldier of Benghazi (Action, Drama)(2D)(15+)Cast : John Krasinski, Pablo Schreiber, James Badge Dale6:15, 11:45 pm

WEATHER

290

Maximum

200

Minimum

TEMPERATURE

95-50%RELATIVE HUMIDITY

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 16 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and

parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to

extra@timesofoman.com

MOHD SAFWAAN March 8, 2007

MOHD FARAZ MAHMUD March 8, 2004

ISHANYA RAJA March 8, 2009

WITH LOVE

LIFESTYLEC7T U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

Eating nutrient-packed pears as a snack or as part of a meal is a great way to meet the daily recommenda-

tion of fruit. Sweet and juicy, pears are an excellent source whole-some treat and a perfect addi-tion to sweet and savoury dishes. Pears make the perfect partner for wholesome snacking. Pears are often considered best eaten fresh and just-sliced, making them a perfect partner for wholesome, simple snacking — think sliced pears atop whole-grain toast, wrapped with prosciutto, dipped in nut butters or partnered with blue or aged, hard cheeses.

Here are few interesting recipes:

Pear Lettuce WrapsThese chicken and crunchy pear lettuce wraps combine crisp pears with lean, protein-rich ground

chicken for a budget- and family-friendly winter meal.

Ingredients 1tbsp cornstarch 2tbsp peanut oil 1tbsp minced garlic 1-1/2tbsp grated ginger root 6 scallions, thinly sliced, green and white parts separated 1 pound ground chicken, dark meat 1tbsp chilli sauce 2tbsp hoisin sauce 2tbsp soy sauce 1 pear peeled, cored and cut in matchsticks Toasted sesame oil to taste 12 large tender lettuce leaves, such as bib, butter or red leaf Cilantro sprigs

Preparation In a small bowl, mix the corn-starch with 3tbsp of water to form a smooth paste and set

aside. Warm the peanut oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and white parts of the scallion and stir-fry until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently until it breaks into small pieces and is no longer pink, about eight minutes. Add the chilli sauce, hoisin sauce and soy sauce, stirring to com-bine and evenly distribute the ingredients. Add the reserved cornstarch slurry and stir until the sauce is clear. Finish with the reserved scallion greens, pear matchsticks and a splash of sesame oil.

To serve Place a heaping tablespoon of fill-ing in the middle of a lettuce leaf with a few cilantro leaves, if de-sired. Wrap the lettuce around the contents and eat.

Warm Winter Greens with Balsamic Lentils and Roasted PearsIngredients

2 bunches of winter greens, washed, dried and torn into

large pieces Lentils 2tsp olive oil 1 small sweet onion, cut into half rings 1/2tsp salt Freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 3/4 cup brown lentils, rinsed 1 cup cold water Roasted pears 2 firm, ripe pears 2tsp olive oil 2tsp honey 6-8 sage leaves, torn

Preparation Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pre-pare greens and transfer to large

bowl. Place saucepan over me-dium heat. Once hot, add olive oil, onions, salt and pepper, and sauté until onions begin to caramelise. Add vinegar to deglaze pan, stirring to pick up bits that may be stuck to the bottom. Cook until vinegar re-duces and pan is nearly dry, about three minutes. Add lentils and wa-ter, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15-18 minutes, or until lentils are al dente. Spread pears onto sheet pan. Stir olive oil and honey together and drizzle over pears. Add sage leaves, toss pears gently with mixture and transfer to oven. Roast pears for 12-15 minutes, or until just tender.

When lentils are done, pour atop the winter greens while still hot. Using tongs, toss lentils and greens together until greens are softened and glossy. Transfer mixture to a clean bowl and drizzle with more olive oil. Top

the warm salad with roasted pears and sage leaves. Serve immediately.Honey sweet roasted pears and

tangy balsamic lentils are tossed with winter greens to make this simple and balanced meal, packed full of es-sential nutrients, including fibre, vi-tamin C, antioxidants, folate and iron.

Serve salad warm. If you desire a little more richness, try top-ping the salad with long curls of parmesan cheese.

Think Outside the BoxSlice pears atop whole-grain toastWrap pear slices in prosciuttoPair pears with blue cheese

parmesan or aged white cheddar Dip pears into yoghurtPack a pear with a small portion

of nutsSmear slices with almond or

cashew butterSprinkle diced pears onto pudding.

— News USA

Lunches with Celebrities: A Meal for the Body and MindTHERE COULD BE no better way to understand someone, especially the people who help shape our world, than engaging with them one-to-one over a relaxed meal. Various reasons unfortunately dic-tate that for many of us, any such desire is fated to remain an im-probable daydream. But there is a way to fulfil it — vicariously.

This book may assuage your wish, offering wide gamut of free-wheeling discussions over lunch with an equally wide range of ce-lebrities and newsmakers — rang-ing from Angelina Jolie to Imran Khan, Jimmy Carter to Jordan’s Queen Rania, Apple’s Steve Wozni-ak to Jimmy Choo founder Tamara Mellon, Donald Rumsfeld to Vaclav Havel, and more.

All this grew out of an idea by British daily newspaper, the Fi-nancial Times, for its Sunday sup-plement. The newspaper, which in 1893 (five years after its birth) started the trend of papers focus-sing more on business and eco-

nomics coming out on pink paper, pioneered in 1994 a new format of interview - over a leisurely lunch.

“Lunch with the FT was con-ceived by Max Wilkinson, a crusty, enterprising editor of the Weekend FT with an acute sense of the ab-surd”, says Barber, who is associ-ated with the paper since 1985 and took over as editor in 2006. The rules were simple — the guest/interviewee would choose the res-taurant and the paper would foot the bill — and broken right on the first outing on April 23, 1994 with British celebrity chef-cum-restau-rateur Marco Pierre White, who

chose one of his own outlets, re-fusing any payment but since then mostly followed. In its two decades and more, Lunch with the FT has notched over 1,000 instalments with the latest one being with Ariane de Rothschild, the chief ex-ecutive of Edmond de Rothschild bank. The idea of lunch has evolved too with the paper “reluctantly and occasionally” accommodating “the busy lives of the rich, and, power-ful by agreeing to a breakfast, tea or the occasional sandwich”.

But this has not affected the quality with the interviews crafted as newspaper stories, and hence eschewing the conventional ques-tion-and-answer format for a fairly short but absorbingly, atmospheric piece that can allow us to virtually picture the informal interactions. This book, which originally came out to mark the newspaper’s 125th anniversary, collects a year’s worth of these interviews, or 52, arranged in eight broad categories, but an ec-lectic and colourful mix. — IANS

BOOK

LIFESTYLEC8 T U E S DAY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

ONE

INGREDIENT

FIVE WAYS

INGREDIENT

Parmesan PopcornIn a bowl, whisk 2tbsp olive oil,

1 clove minced garlic, and 2tsp chopped rosemary. Take one bag of microwave salted

popcorn. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of grated parmesan and toss to combine, then drizzle the rosemary

olive oil. Season with fresh coarsely ground black pepper.

Wasabi PopcornStir sugar, salt, wasabi powder

and cayenne pepper, all 1tsp each in a small bowl. Set aside.Take a big pan and add 2tbsp of oil and add 1/2 cup kernels. Once they pop

fully toss in the sugar-salt-spice mixture with 2tbsp butter.

Cilantro Lime

PopcornHeat one tablespoon of oil in a medium

heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup popcorn kernels, cover the pan and let

it heat up. While the popcorn pops, melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the lime juice and cilantro and stir well.

Remove from heat.

ChocolatePopcornTake 1/2 cup popcorn kernels.

Pop the kernels and spread it out on the baking sheet and let cool. Place the

chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and melt for one minute. Once it gets a smooth consistency drizzle the hot chocolate over the popcorn kernels.

Curried Popcorn

In a small bowl take 1/2 tsp curry powder,

1/2 cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp turmeric, and 1/2 salt and combine. In a saucepan, heat 2tbsp oil over medium-high heat and add 1/2 cup

kernels and cover. Melt 1tbsp honey and 2tbsp butter in a small saucepan or the microwave.

Pour over the popcorn, cover, and shake.Serve this sweet and spicy popcorn.

Who doesn’t love eating popcorn?

It makes for such a great energy boosting snack.

Here are few ways to make it tastier.

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

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

RENT D2

*Tourist visa arranged

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

FOR RENT

D2 T U E S D AY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

Luxury flat for rent in Bareeq Al Shatti building

Spacious 2 BHK with sea view,

split A/Cs, fixed wardrobes,

kitchen appliance.

Near Opera Gallery.

Rent RO.900/- negotiable.

Contact - 94084335 / 96920789

Flat for rent in South AlGhubrah

3 rooms, hall and 3 toilets, kitchen

rent 450/-. Contact: 99335580

1BHK at Al Hamriya near Muscat

Pharmacy contact: 99224748-

99332297

Flats, shops and basement in

MBD area and Honda road.

Contact: 92433127/96291778/

92589235/97293708

1 & 2 BHK Flat in Al.Khuwair.

Contact - 99792181

2 BHK flat in Ghobrah.

Contact - 99792181

2 BHK flat in Ruwi.

Contact - 99792181

Office Space Available in Al Khu-

wair & CBD.Contact – 99792181

Villa in Al Khuwair. Contact: 92125648/25250300

Vila for rent in Al Mab-

ela South near gulf college.con-

tact:95950025

Commercial/ residential flat for

rent in a new building. A ware-

house also available, location

Muttrah. For more details contact

– 99364735 / 95729711

Furnished room available for

executive bachelor in Ruwi area.

Contact - 99054542

Furnished flat for rent near City

Center Mawalah. 2 Rooms, Majlis,

hall, kitchen & 4 bathrooms. Rent

RO.400. Contact – 99336776

2 BHK flat with big rooms

behind Bank Muscat, Near ISWK.

99373290, 24815012

1bedroom ground floor apartment

with sitting & 1 Bath + kitchen

close to Indian school near to

1000sqm two rooms with com-

pound well at Misfah Sanaiya.

Surround huge open land for

trailer movement, Suitable for tile,

sanitary ware, building materi-

als etc store. Contact: 99342733

/99795241

02 BHK residential flat opposite

to Al Nahdha hospital.

Contact: 99342733 /99795241

To spend interesting times with

family or friends a new park for

rent in Al Amerat near Sultan Cent-

er for details. Contact: 99332273

Whatsapp 95806364

Building and house in Al Amerat

near Bahwan stores suitable for

big store and resident for work-

ers for details. Contact: 99332273

Whatsapp 95806364

2 Bed rooms flats with hall 2

bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat

municipality. Contact: 92584715

2 Bed room centrally air condi-

tioned flat in CBD prime location.

Contact: 24714625/91173997

Flat for rent 2 room, 2 toilet with

A/C, Walja, Honda Road 250/-.

Contact: 90465850

Flats 2 bedroom Majlis, 2 toilet,

kitchen balcony near Indian school

Darsait new building rent R.O

275/-Contact: 99243059

New flats for rent at Al Ghobrah

near to atlas hospital the flats in-

cludes 2 living room , 1hall , kitchen

, toilets , air conditioned room &

high Quality finishing rent per flat

is R.O 375/-. Interested candidates

please Contact: 00968- 97093283

4 Bedroom new villa Al Mawaleh

1/2 KM to city center mall High

end fit outs split A/C full kitchen

fitting all rooms w/ private toilets

monthly 600/- R.O.

Contact : Hassan 99349990

2 Room, 2 Bathroom, kitchen cat

parking 200 Rails.

Contact: 92005298

Two bedrooms flat in Al Ghob-

rah near Oman Oil of 18 Novem-

ber Street. OMR 330 Monthly.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or

97509955.

Four bedroom two floors luxurious

and spacious residential villa in

Al Hail North, near to the sea and

Oman oil. Each room has its own

bathroom. It has splits A/C’s and

shaded car park. OMR 750 month-

ly. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or

97509955

Flat for rent in Hamriya.

Contact 99341112

Warehouse for rent at Ghala Ind.

Area.800 & 2500 approx sqms

Near Hotel Al-Madinah Holiday

Ghala. Container can enter. Imme-

diate access to roads & highways.

CONTACT: 94583320

Flats for rent 2BHK sitting room,

3 bathrooms, kitchen, big balcony

split A/C Wadi AL Kabir 300/-

R.O. Contact: 99324402

Flats in Darsait. 94051789-

97201688

1BHK Flat with spilt A/C near

star cinema 210/-. Contact:

99358589/95570288 /97079146 Full furniture room for rent for

family monthly 200/- .

Contact: 99251975

Flats in Wadi Kabir. Contact: 94051789-97201688

Fully Furnished apartments in

Boucher (35). 94051789-97201688

Single room with A/C & WIFI

having separate entrance for

non –cooking Indian execu-

tive, near Rawasco, AL Khu-

wair rent 130/- (W& E). Contact

92888691/95397442/97201100

3 Rooms, 2 Toilets Flat for Rent. 18

November Street. Near Mars Hyper-

market and The Chedi. Ghobrah -Good

for Commercial or Residential use.

OMR 295/- month. Call 94477222

Conditioned room with toilets in

Al Khuwair. Contact: 92620858

/92605500

2 BHK fully furnished flat at Ruwi

MBD area. Contact – 93211557 /

24814853

Villa in Al-Khuwair 33. Quality

Finishing. Consist 5 Bedrooms, 1

Living room, 3 Lounges, All with A/C,

Kitchen and storage.

Contact: 90665135

2BHK and 1BHK flats spilt air

conditioners are available for

rent in new building in Al Qurum,

near rose Garden. Interested

persons may content on phone:

9513331/96722449

For rent in Mabela Sanaya road

no.6.show room two shutter &

warehouse (900m2) & staff

accommodation & office with split

A.C. reasonable rent

Contact: 99318152&99225067.

DAILY GUIDET U E S D AY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6 D3

FOR RENT

FOR SALE

WAREHOUSE AVAILABLE FOR RENT

IN BALADIA SANAYAH AMIRAT

(Floor area 600sqmtrs and mezzanine of 500sqmtrs)

1100sqmts fully cover warehouse

Please contact: G.S.M

99417229/92621039

For sale Porta cabin; new & used

(wooden steel p.u.panel)

Contact-99318152

Email:ahastco@gmail.com

A well established automotive

service center is for sale in Mabela

area of 2850sqm

please contact Virat: 94656682

Office furniture for immediate sale

15 workstation, 4 executive desk,

chairs & branded 4 TVs. # 94104022

Household & electronic items for

sale. Contact – 99421740

Expat leaving. Household items

for immediate sale, 99457386

New & used (refurbished) Porta

cabin with ablution for sale.

Pleases Contact: 97143704 or

email: rsttllc@gmail.com

Treadmill heavy 120kgs new

OMR 140/- with massager.

Contact: 92670572

400 sq mtrs Commercial/Resi-

dential land in Mabela Phase 5

Block 2. OMR 165 Thousand.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or

97509955

A well running pharmacy for sale

at prime location.

Contact- 99627621, 93240949

Well established coffee shop / res-

taurant prime location at AL Khoud.

Contact: 92188777/98700760

Space for printing press available

at wadikabir with or without

machinery. Contact 99328430

Shop for sale near Oman House,

Muttrah. Contact 99024362.

Fire rated portacabins and steel

caravans. ContacT: 94058574

Commercial flats of 3 & 2 BHK

in Al Ghobra North 18 Nov street

RO.650/- & 450/- #91776665

Brand new villas in Al Ansab.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Flats in WadiKabir. Contact - 94051789-97201688

600 M2 showroom or office in

Bousher in front of Dolphin complex.

RO.3.5 per m2. Contact 91776665

Offices & Showrooms in Al Khoud. # 94051789-97201688

Fully Furnished apartments in

Boucher (35) #- 94051789-97201688

Brand new 4 BHK villa in Al Fai

compound Al Khoud. RO.475/-

Contact – 91776665

Villa of 3 BHK and sitting area in

Al Ghobra North. RO.525/-

Contact – 91776665

Luxury and brand new semi

furnished 2 BHK flat in Remalbow-

sher. RO.550/- Contact – 91776665

Mini Furnished Apartment in

Qurum. # 94051789-97201688

Spacious 1 BHK flat in Al Wattaya

with all split A/C’s and parking.

RO.300/-Contact – 91776665

Offices & Showrooms in Muttrah.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Flats in Darsait. Contact -

94051789-97201688

Offices in Qurum opposite City

Center. # 94051789-97201688

Duplex villa in Qurum 29.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

2BHK split A/C 320/- monthly

& 1 BHK split A/C 250/- Ghobrah

south near Grand mosque.

Contact: 99342661

Flat with two rooms with window

A/C, with toilets & car parking way

No: 1670 north Al Hail near Dos-

teen restaurant 1KM Inside.

Contact: 99238334

2BHK split A/C 200/- Monthly

& 1BHK spilt A/C 150/- monthly

new building good location Barka

Market. Contact: 99342661

3BHK in Qurum P.D.O high 350/-

Monthly. Contact: 99342661

Flats in Muttrah. Contact:

94051789-97201688

Offices in Ghala. Contact: 94051789-97201688

Offices & Showrooms in Muttrah.

94051789-97201688

Duplex villa in Qurum 29.

94051789-97201688

Offices & Showrooms in

Al Khoud.94051789-97201688

Brand new villas in Al Ansab.

94051789-97201688

For rent and investment Land

industrial shops in Rusayl.

Contact: 99323957 / 95490842

Flats in Qurum. Contact

94051789-97201688

Flat for rent south Al Mabela.

Contact: 95331177/95230355

1B/R apartment executive fully

furnished at AL Khuwair 33 & 5 B/R

villa unfurnished at Madinat

Al Ilam & 5 B/R villa furnished at

Madinat Al Ilam. Contact: Atlas Real

Estate & rent a car LLC -24834888/

99249069/92888376/94617563

Email: info@alshahiintl.com

Luxury villa of 5 BHK in Al Khuwair

33 RO.650/- Contact – 91776665

Warehouse at Wadikabir - total

area 3500 sqm - covered ware-

house (500sqm), office,

accommodation (1000sqm), open

area (2000sqm) please

contact: 99273774 - 99202278

House in Amerat near to Makah

hypermarket with 3 room+ 5 toilet+

hall+ living room+ kitchen.

Contact 98885055/ 92744168

Flats for rent in Ruwi Mumtaz

area 2 bedroom. Contact:

91409667/24291500

Flat for rent in Al Hail south

2 bedroom.

Contact: 91409667/24291500

Shop for rent near Al Nahdha Hospi-

tal. Contact: 97380548 / 99680499

2 BHK Flats for rent, Muttrah near

Oman house S/ AC.

Contact: 97007934 / 92629232

ACC. AVAILABLE

Room with toilet for working lady.

Contact: 91450718

Sharing single big room for fam-

ily or couple with separate bath-

room near Badr Al Sama clinic

Al Khuwair. Contact - 99796500

Accommodation available in

Al Khuwair, single room with

furniture and A/C, sharing kitchen.

Contact - 94297820

Furnished room with AC, Fridge

and TV. At Hilat Al Saad near Main

road. Contact: 95714202

Furnished room attached bath for

Indian bachelor, Al-Falaj Ruwi &

lady Wadi Kabir near Mars

hypermarket.

Contact: 96202458/96761960

Furnish bedroom with attach

bathroom for executive bachelor.

Contact: 97704794

Room with attached bathroom and

sharing kitchen available for

Executive bachelor or small family

at wadikabir Contact 9304 9849

Room available in Mumtaz area

1 room, 1 Bathroom, Kitchen & 1 room,

common bathroom. Interested

please Contact: 92680041 Mr. Altaf

AVAILABLE

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirt-

ing, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery,

Crockery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes,

Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound

Systems and spectacular lighting.

Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering

and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound &

Light. ww.tunesoman.com,

E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

ACC.WANTED

WANTED

IELTS Coaching (academic)

required nearby wadi Kabir area.

Please call on mobile or

msg on Whats up.

Mobile no: 92927880/99012165

BUYING

Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299

Buying cars for cash.

Contact: 90202090

NRI

Flat for sale 1360 Sq.ft semi

furnished 3 BHK Flat with covered

car park near Vennala, Eroor North

Tripunithura, with close proximity

to seaport- Airport road ,info park

,vyttila hub, Ernakulum medical

center, gold souk, Oberon & lulu

malls-for sale. Contact: 96725458

Flats villas land for sale in Pune

contact: 95272138/918139098275

Furnished Apartment for sale at

near Nedumbassery Airport.

Contact: 92394014

MATRIMONIAL

LOST

Hindu Boy -30 Yrs MBA Finance

Graduate working in Muscat seeking

alliance of Hindu girl only.

Contact: 98278401

Kerala Kottayam RC male 28 years

Civil Engineer is seeking alliance

from suitable family, preference for

BDS, Eng & bank employees.

Contact 95035953

Malankara Catholic Male Nurse (28) from Thiruvalla working in

Nizwa Private Co. Alliance invites

parents/nurses working in Oman.

Contact: 968 98267338,

0091 9287215726

RCSC female BSC nurse

(Christian) working in Sur ministry

hospital seeking good alliances from

well settled families.

Contact: 98055621/97929487

Indian male Roman Catholic 40yrs divorcee working in Muscat.

Seeks suitable alliance from widow/

divorcee/ single.

Contact: 96059801.

1ST GRADE RUNNING ESTABLISHMENT

FOR SALEFully equipped

Signboard Fabrication

workshop.

Contact – Muhammad

90579500

Almost new beach/ garden lounge

chairs /bar stools/ counter. Photos

can be sent 95865457

Luxury Apartments in Bousher

(35). 95056808-97201688

Steel Scrap materials for immedi-

ate sale:

Contact 99273774/ 99202278

Single colorful Bed and Sofa for Sale

at Al Khuwair. Contact 92881849 /

What`s up No 97290565

HD Scaffoldings, Shuttering

Jacks, Wooden Planks, Shuttering

wood assorted, Tower hoist (lift),

Concrete Mixer, Bending Machine,

Steel Fabrication Machinery

(Searing/Cutting, lathe & Welding)

including tools for immediate sale:

Contact 99273774/ 99202278

Villas in Al Khoud. 95056808-

97201688

Urgent sale of steel scrap only

serious buyers kindly contact:

+968 96725423 for viewing the

items.

Room wanted one bedroom flat

with two toilets required near

Al Falaj Rex Road area.

Contact: 98411825/96245923

Required single room for an

executive lady (non cooking) in

Darsait, Ruwi, Wadi Kabir.

Contact - 98591132

DRIVING

220 M2 SHOWROOM

FOR SALE@ Sanaya/ Hospital

Road- Sohar

PLEASE CONTACT:

00968 - 9898 9532/

2471 4325info@paramountmuscat.com

CLEARANCE SALEWhite wood, Red wood,

Manhole covers, Hard ware,

Electrical items & other

building materials

for clearance sale

(price negotiable)

Location Barka – Al Rumais

For further details &

inspection,

Please contact - 96125603

Concrete Plant & Pump,

for immediate sale

Plant Pemat mixer, Econocrete - full set

TEKA Concrete Pump mounted on MAN Chassis

about 450 Square Meter area, with cabins.

Contact Mr Mateen - 92892209/Mr Sreejith - 99478263/ Mr Aqueel - 99338619

MV SALE

Pickup for sale, model 2013,

diesel engine 4x4.

Contact - 94194399

BMW 525.I 2006. Contact: 99336093

Hyundai Sonata 2008 model,

expat driven & well maintained.

Contact: 94222681

Sofiqul Islam has lost Bangladeshi

Passport No. F0248348. Finder

please handover to ROP.

Selvin Kumar Selva Raj has lost

Indian Passport No. M1153671.

Finder please handover to ROP.

Prajapati Mahendra Raj has lost

Indian Passport No. H2052464.

Finder please handover to ROP

Mohammed Irfan has lost Indian

Passport No. M2830647. Finder

please handover to ROP

Room for rent with furniture.

Al Bustan villeage. # 93687466

ACC. AVAILABLE

DAILY GUIDED4 T U E S D AY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

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

DRIVER

MEDICAL

MEDICAL

SALES / MARKETING

ADMIN

ADMIN

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Vacancy for the post of PRO for

a shipping company in Sohar -

97990844 - mail id:

operations@arabianseabridge.com

Required urgently a Legal Consultant/ Lawyer for reputed

law firm in Sohar, Muscat. Can-

didates should have 5-7 years

experience as a Legal Consultant/

Lawyer with good knowledge of

Computer & should be fluent in

English both written & spoken.

Email C V to shejaanil66@gmail.

com or Contact 99153620

between 8am to 1pm & 2pm to

5.30 pm on Sunday to Thursday

Indian male good experienced in

Accounts, ERP Tally 9 & Admin in

India & Oman, presently on visit

visa, looking for suitable placement.

Contact 94834687

Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in com-

merce, overall 5 yrs exp in accounts/

finance field. On visit visa. Immedi-

ately available. Contact 92836216 /

muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com

DOMESTIC HELP

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Accountant with two years of

experiencerequired for building

material shop .contact no.99318152

Email:ahastco@gmail.com

Required Accounts Officer- en-

sure accurate processing of

revenue data into ERP systems

and invoicing module. Posting of

invoices to customer SAP portal

and delivery to customer offices

and interface with country man-

ager/ reporting to regional CEO.

Qualifications: BSc accounting.

Relevant experience & knowledge

on online accounting systems

especially the customer

SAP system. Submit CV to:

me-job@interwell.com

Accountant with gulf experience

in construction field preferred with

Oman driving license. Interested

candidates send CV to:

Email: omanhari@yahoo.com

Gsm: 95892831/95197615

Housemaid required for caring

two babies for Keralite family

at Al Hail. Contact: 99423608

/95661254

Looking for a part-time cook-cum-housemaid in Azaiba.

Call 92450197.

Required Cleaners & Office boys. Contact 24707833

BEAUTICIAN

EDUCATION/TRAIN

MISCELLANEOUS

Required Site Inspector (PRO) hav-

ing Omani D/L. Contact – 24291500

Email: hr16careers@gmail.com

Required Hydraulic Mechanical. Contact - 95251213

Civil Engineer with minimum 5/8

years experience with valid Oman

driving license. Contact Interested

candidates send CV to:

Email: omanhari@yahoo.com

Gsm: 95892831/95197615

Omani national Security Staff similar experience for immediate

employment for an international

school. Contact: 99468907

Urgently required fiber Optic Technician / splicer EXPO OTDR FTB -1 testing & power meter

report excellent package get N.O.C

or refer splicer from anywhere.

Send C.V mathersahra@gmail.com.

Contact: 91688007

Required candidates for following

posts: Accountant, Storekeeper, Foreman Building Maintenance, Van-salesman (water), Helpers. Candidates with Omani driving

license preferred.

Contact 99273774/99202278

We are looking for a driver for res-

taurant. Contact - 95048797

Required a expat driver with

Omani D/L. Contact – 91409668

Wanted driver. Contact: 91025698

Part or full time Driver Required

call us 91120552

ENGINEER/MECHANIC.

REQUIRED PROJECT MANAGER

FDuqm/Oman

Graduate Engineer with 20+ years experience preferably

in Oman/ GCC with valid D/L and transferable visa,

computer literate. Send CV to Email :

omanproject2011@gmail.com

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

SITUATION WANT-SIT. WANTED

28/male/MBA - finance/B.Com -

Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/

India experience looking for a

suitable placement. # 90187483

shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com

Sales Executive Required for an

office Stationery company in

Muscat with Oman D/L and Noc

Send your CV to

info@centraltvading-oman.com

Required Sales staff 2 NOS Having

experience in Cosmetics Sales.

Send your updated CV to

james_kunju@yahoo.com

GSM 92683688

We, the storm shield in the

talented candidates for the below

positions (Indian only): Sales man for mobile devices (male-2)

(1 Indian & Philippine) should

have 3 years Oman experience

knows English & Arabia.

Contact: 94441111 Send CV to

email: gshield9@gmail.com

Omani or European female Sales representative required for part

time please send CV to

gcpe16@gmail.com

with expected salary

Wanted ORTHODONTIST, IMPLAN-TOLOGIST with or without MOH

License for a polyclinic. Excellent

Salary, Commission and Accommo-

dation. Phone: 99006915

Email: alhinaee.clinic@yahoo.com

GP doctor needed for reputed clinic.

Preferably with MOH license or with

Dataflow & Paramatics pass

Contact: 95388934

Indian male 25 B.B.M 4yrs

experience Arabic speaking

with Oman/D/L seeking suitable

position in accounts Admin sales

contact:91266733-

email: safvank.ka@gmail.com

8 years of intensive Oman experi-

ence in procurement & supply

chain management looking for

suitable placement.

Contact: 97755488

Indian Male more than 10 years

gulf experience in Office / Sales

Coordinator, Admin, Secretarial

and purchase with good com-

puter skills. Holding Oman Driving

license. Looking for suitable place-

ment. Contact 99709336

Indian Female, MBA-HR having 8+

experience in Administration/HR,

Customer Support, Office Coordina-

tor with good Computer skill, Now on

Visit Visa,looking for suitable posi-

tion.Contact: 90196235

Indian male MBA 33yrs having

10 yrs of exp seeking full time suit-

able placement in Administration/

HR/ Operations/ Coordination/

Logistics. Holding valid D/L.

Contact 99054786

Indian female Graduate with 4yrs

exp, looking for suitable placement

in admin/accounts .# 99236071

Female business graduate from

UK with four years experience in

procurement purchasing expedit-

ing logistics and supply chain in

UAE seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 99581399

Filipino male with 13 years HR and

Administration managerial experi-

ence. MBA & CIPD holder. Currently

looking for job in Oman. Interested

employer contact - 97728418.

Indian, 26 yrs , female , 5 yrs exp

in HR/ Admin with valid Oman

D/L seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 98236033

Indian male MBA / HR and market-

ing 2 years experience in royal bank

of Scotland looking for opportunities

in banking operating marking and

HR services excellent communica-

tion Kills. Contact: 90661245

15 years of working experience

in Business development in Oman

& UAE & UK , marketing plans and

strategies & importing firewoks for

festivals & preparing government

tenders , Operations and logistics ,

importing and international busi-

ness trading , CNC engineering &

industrial areas , I have dual na-

tionality (I can travel abroad easily

without needing visa, for finalizing

business trading NOC available.

Contact: 94123939

MCA Indian Female on a visit visa

seeking suitable job.4yrs exp in of-

fice Admin &IT.contact:92286147 Indian female, Masters in HR,

having 4 + years Oman experience

in media management and HR,

looking for openings in HR, Educa-

tion, Admin, Corporate communi-

cations. Contact 98252030

Kerala male 25 yrs B.com diploma

in IATA PGDCA Tally 2 yrs exp ac-

counts in Kerala. Currently in Oman

NOC available. Contact: 99323841

Email: rohitpanam@gmail.com

Indian male Accountant 8yrs exp

in Oman. Contact:93726921

Part time accountant, up to fina-

lization of accounts looking for job

after 5 PM (location prefers – MSQ

– to AL Hail). Contact: 95694737

Indian Chartered Accountant - with 8 yrs + Exp in Finance/

Accounts/Auditing in Oman &

UAE. Seeking suitable position

in Muscat/Dubai and available

immediately for joining. NOC avail-

able. Available till 9.3.16 in Oman.

CONTACT #: 98707434

Email: casmart007@gmail.com

Jordanian, Senior accountant, 15 yrs experience in Oman finance

& accountant. Contact: 92881223

Indian male 28 yrs MBA finance/

marketing and graduate in com-

puter experience 3 yrs seeking

suitable job, now family visit visa.

Contact: 93195378

Email: faisalme.beg677@gmail.com

Accounts Manager 24 years work-

ing experience 8 years in Oman

looking managerial position with

family status interested to work

construction or manufacturing trad-

ing organization. Contact: 95919546

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, with

13yrs experience, 6 yrs Oman in

manufacturing, trading & contract-

ing Cos, capable of handling all

accounting, finance, banking, L/C,

import, export & finalization seeks

placement. NOC Available.

Call+968-98932752,

mail:jjohnmuscat@hotmail.com

Indian male, B.Com with 6 years

experience as an Accountant,

looking for suitable placement.

Mob: 93903458 ,

Email : Akkandyrijesh@gmail.com

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT-M. Com

Finance-Indian with 7 years expe-

rience in Finance & Accounts up to

finalization. Currently employed in

Oman. Having D/L & NOC.

Mob: 94122464,

Email: cammk13@gmail.com

Sri Lankan Accountant CIMA

Inter mediate qualified, on visit.

Contact: 90660764

Part-time Accounting assignment.9am-5pm.

Contact; 91126314

Indian male MBA (finance) one

year exp in Oman with D/L and

Noc. Looking for Suitable

placement contact: 94103975

Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA

Finance and marketing with IT

skills, 7+ yrs of experience,

Looking for suitable placement.

Contact : 94879615,Email-

sajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com

Indian male 32 yrs (B.com)

having 8 years accountant

experience in Oman looking for

suitable placement local release

Oman D/L available. Contact:

97494322/98093515

Accountant gulf exp 4 years.

Contact 96718001

Indian male 7 years Oman exp,

Tally ERP 9, Accounting, Inventory

Controller/Asset Supervisor & IT

Supports seeking suitable job. NOC

available. B.COm, PGDCA, location

Sohar, having Oman D/L.

Contact 98317698.

Email: sukuanilkumar@gmail.com

Indian C.A finalist having 7 years

exp in Finance field, looking for a

suitable position with license and

NOC. Contact – 98097009

Accounts part time services

available to handle all accounts up

to finalization, on Monthly basis

finalization and consulting works.

Contact: 96247295

Required Beautician for beauty

Saloon at Ghobrah. Clearance /

visa available.

Contact- 95924910

Required male / female Market-ing person for man power Supply

Company with minimum 3 years

experience with valid GCC / Oman

driving license.

Contact: 97158893 / 94148972.

Kindly send CV at

Email: rastllcmuscat@gmail.com

Required Sales Executive knowl-

edge of building materials.Full or

part time. Contact: 99421513

Challenging tyres Omani compa-

nies seeking for Sales Man only

an tyres division sales minimum

2 years experience send CV to

saeed@liwainvestments.com

Urgently Required Steel Fabri-cated Products Salesman with

an experience in steel fabrication,

MUST have Oman driving license,

and immediately join. Apply,

fax 00968–24605955, emails

sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com,

sbeoman@yahoo.com

An Omani construction company located at Muscat looking for

Marketing executive with

GCC driving license & NOC

send C.V to kwk585@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING

REQUIREDACCOUNTS CUM ADMIN

IN-CHARGE(For a service & contracting co)Qualifi ed accountant with 7 to 8 years of experience in accounts, cost control, inventory, procurement, fi nance up to

fi nalization and admin. Good knowledge of ERP, Tally-9,

MS offi ce, and good communication is mandatory.

Apply on

vacancyforoman@gmail.com

Engineering Company based in Oman (Muscat)is looking to hire the following position:

Email: therecuiter@hotmail.com

Years of Experience Position

Senior Detail Architect

Senior Contracts Engineer

7 to 15

Years

7 Years

1

2

OUR CENTER IS LOOKING FOR FULL TIME:

: Hair related treatments

house training classes. Advises clients on hair care and use of products.

Ensures that the high standard of service is maintained.Salary based on skills and experience.

Please submit CV to info@artemishfp.com

The Egyptian school requires chemistry Teacher for IG, English, Science & mathematics. Teacher’s

application should be submitted

by hand or by email – egyptian-

school98@gmail.com / 24603930

Required personal lady Trainer at home in Wadi Kabir.

Contact – 94100959

TECHNICIAN

Urgently required Electronics Technician with at least 2-4 yrs

exp, in network cabling, access

control, telephone systems,

interested send the CV to

info @smartvisionoman.com

We, the storm shield in the talented candidates for the below

positions (Indian only): Maintenance Technician (male -1) should have knowledge of new

mobile devices & 3 years Oman

experience Contact: 94441111

Send CV to

email: gshield9@gmail.com

REQUIRED

AN AUDITORWith 6years of experience.

Th e candidates should be a

commerce graduate

experienced in auditing.

Interested candidates may mail their CV’s to:

auditbureau2016@gmail.com

SEEKING SKILLED

EMPLOYEES

1. Skilled iron worker

2. Skilled iron welder

3. 3D sign board specialist

4. Skilled painter

5. Skilled carpenter

6. Car wash supervisor

Email : creativityeast@gmail.com

Nurse required for a dental clinic in

Al Khuwair. Contact 95114616

Required gynecologist GEN: practitioner lady lab Technician and pharmacologist immediately for

a clinic in Suwaiq. Contact: 95081010

Email: umchealthcare@gmail.com

Senior Accountant B.com work

exp gulf, 8 years Indian 5 years.

Contact: 94364672/95517130

Indian male Accountant looking

for a suitable placement in Salalah.

More than 20 years exp in account-

ing job (up to finalization of ac-

counts) 8 years working experience

in middle east in Dubai, Muscat &

Salalah. Contact - 91325029

25 Years/Male Indian/B.com with

2 Years Experience/Seeking Job

in Finance and accounts/Skills

Tally ERP9/SAP-FICO/MS Office.

Immediately Joining.

Contact No: +96897184087

Email: modi_harshal@ymail.com

Chief Accountant 25 years expe-

rienced looking for part/full time

accountant job.

Contact: 95598477/98803439

Indian male 25 B.Com (graduate)

2 years experience as accountant

in country club India with ERP

oracle r12, tally knowledge. On

visit visa immediately available.

Email: shabi.hyd@gmail.com

Contact- 9042-1161

Indian Male Accountant 10yrs

Exp. in OMAN Retail &

Furniture Co. (Release Available)

GSM.92564955

Indian female 25 yrs, MBA HR &

Marketing, with one and half years

experience as accountant and

6 months experience in teaching,

now on a visit visa, seeking suit-

able position. Contact: 99624044,

mail: np.neethu1@gmail.com.

DAILY GUIDET U E S D AY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6 D5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

DRIVER

EDUCATION/TRAIN

ADMIN

CATERING

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

Cooks (Arabic Indian) gulf exp

looking job. Contact: 99531802

DOMESTIC HELP

MBA Graduate with 6 yrs exp in

IT solutions, sales & marketing,

solution selling, POS, ERP, time at-

tendance, security system, software

development projects, websites &

mobile apps. Seeking suitable posi-

tion. Contact - 92103545

24yrs Indian male B.SC Computer

Science with 2 yrs networking and

IT helpdesk support exp, a Cisco

Certified, seeking for suitable

placement. Contact: 96910605-

email:shaikzube@gmail.com

Pakistani male 26 yrs BS (CS)

hold 2 yrs UAE exp in IT software,

knowledge in Oracle 1g, MS SQL,

C#Net, word press, IT networking

and hardware. Looking for suit-

able job. Contact – 92826049 /

m.saifmasood@outlook.com

Indian male diploma in computer

4 yrs exp in system admin, tele

call support, IT hardware network-

ing. Looking for suitable position,

on visit visa. Contact - 95917613

Indian male, IT professional , BE

in ECE with 2 yrs of networking

and Technical Support Engineer-

L2’ experience with CNA certifica-

tion, looking for full time job -

GSM 92916894 ;

Email: salu.mn555@gmail.com

Indian female, B.Tech graduate,

with one and half years experience

as ‘web developer’ interested in web

development and has experience

working in HTML, CSS, Bootstrap,

JavaScript and Photoshop.

Contact : 9592 7075, e-mail id:

mariarosejacob90@gmail.com SAP/ABAP Consultant, BCA, MCA,

ASP.Net certification, Indian fe-

male 30, having 1.5 yrs exp, family

visa, seeking placement.

Contact – 99109121/

ashamaryphilip@gmail.com

Sudanese net work Engineer hold-

ing IT BACHELOR (CCNA, CCNP, and

MCSE) has one year experience and

license. Contact: 92394485

Indian male 25 years BSC (C.S)

with basic hardware and software

knowledge seeks suitable place-

ment now on visit visa.

Contact: 92319677

Email: ismabsc@gmail.com

Indian Male, IT System Engineer

having 4 yrs of experience in sys-

tem administration.CCNA,MCSE,

Linux. Looking for suitable job.

Contact :91272867

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERIndian male 30 years, having 5 years

of experience in industrial automation and utility

maintenance in India (MRF Tyres), holding valid Oman D/L.

Contact - 92789995Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com

IT

IT

Housemaid (overseas)

Indian family looking for job.

Contact 99531802

An Iraqi civil with more than 30

years experience in (Iraq and G.C.C)

looking for a job, (N.O.C) available.

Contact: 96561306

Email: iq.bgd.mnsr@gmail.com

Civil Engineer 11 yrs exp in con-

struction field having Oman driving

license & NOC. Contact – 94194399 /

shiblyrock@gmail.com

Indian male 22, Chemical Engineer

residing in Oman looking for suitable

placement. Contact: 92379181

Engineer has 10 years local & in-

ternational experience in ready mix

concrete also in Oil & gas filed also

in marketing & sales field ,

has Omani driving license.

Contact : 92534098

HSE Engineer MSc & B.Tech (safety

& fire) 6 yrs overall exp in O & G

project & construction. Available

immediately with clean NOC. Hold

valid D/L Oman, owns a car.

Contact – 94616721 /

aibelg19@gmail.com

REVIT (ARCH), Diploma Civil 3yr ,

in visit visa , exp. Salary : 250

PH : 92279784

HSE Engineer (B.E Mech+Diploma

Safety+NEBOSH+OSHA) over

10yrs. Exp, (Visa Release Letter

(NOC) available), seeking suit-

able placement, Mob:97061817,

Email:jayanammu1977@gmail.com

MANAGER

MISCELLANEOUS

Hospitality Degree 5 yrs exp

holding Dubai driving license.

Contact - 91234870

Hospitality/Hotel/ Restaurants

Dynamic result oriented hospital-

ity professional with 20 years of

international exp. MBA in Hotel

Management, specializing in Hotel/

Restaurant start ups, concepts &

Franchise development with proven

records. Seeking for Challenging

positions in reputed groups as GM/

COO/CEO/Business Head. (NOC

available) Contact: 96059470

HOSPITALITY

Indian Female, 24 Years - MSc

Biotechnology. Worked in Interna-

tional Crops Research Institute For

The Semi Arid Tropics for project

work as trainee. Looking for suit-

able job. Mobile: 92619048,

Email: anusreeg1991@gmail.com

EXPERT ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE F

HR& CRM, appraise IT system for

Contact: Tel - 96500729

Mechanical Diploma Engineer having 8yrs of exp seeking for

suitable currently on visit visa.

Contact- 94657806

Diploma Civil 5yrs exp seek-

ing suitable placement

Email:sushbinde86@gmil.com.

contact: 96938770

Indian male B.Tech civil engineer

(Auto cad 3 max) 4 yrs exp in plan-

ning, designing & site Supervision

seeks Suitable placement NOC

available contact: 95472155

B.Tech Mechanical Engineer with

6 yrs of exp in India & Singapore

as welding inspector. Having NDT

level 2, Cswip3.1, 1so 900:2008

leap auditor certifications .looking

for suitable job. Currently on visit

visa .contact: 98919114

Project Engineer 9 Civil, 7.5 yrs

in Oman, need suitable placement,

NOC release available.

Contact – 91129192

Sudanese Electrical Engineer, granted with distinction, hard-

working and can adapt to different

work conditions.

Contact: 98133281

Electrical & Electronics Engineer with 3 years GCC exp in sales, GCC

driving license. Seeking suitable

placement. Contact - 90301410

Diploma Civil Engineer 13 years

GCC experience NOC available

with valid Oman driving license.

Contact: 99794456

Network Engineering with 9 years

and half experience seeking

suitable placement.

Contact: 95249087

26 yrs Indian Male – B.Tech

(IT) - 6 yrs exp -sales & admin

-seeks suitable placement -

91848460 / 98304080; Email:

arun9895431989@gmail.com

Sudanese mechanical Engineer, 2 years experience HVAC

firefighting, on visiting visa.

Contact 95630047

Sudanese civil Engineer holding

bachelor with two years of experi-

ence in Oman has resident visa and

valid license. Contact: 94393880

Indian male 31 years Civil

Engineer diploma holder 4 years

experience in Oman need

placement N.O.C available.

Contact: 93298395

HSE & Fire Safety Engineer 4 years experience air port opera-

tional safety, power & chemical

industry. Contact: 94374241

22 Years exp in Gulf civil building

construction project manager.

Contact – 0097430824610 /

arshadjamalkhan@rediffmail.com

Diploma in computer, looking for

any office job, exp in tele support and

sales, on visit visa.

Contact - 95917613

B.Com Graduate with five and half

yrs exp in Oman as a purchaser. NOC

available. Valid driving license. Look-

ing for suitable placement

Contact: 96772166

Graduate, computer literate, experi-

enced in sales, credit control,

accounts, Omani D/L , seeks suit-

able placement. Gsm 98805474

A lady entrepreneur with BF Tech

1st Class (Fashion Technology)

since 2006 in Kerala like to make

change for better. Specialized in

designing, Production Management,

Fashion Art, Grading, Surface orna-

mentation, Garment Construction.

Email: prettyjinu08@gmail.com

Mobile: +919539397097.

Indian female on visit MBA

(International Business- Market-

ing & Logistics), BE (Computers &

Science Engg.) Trained in SAP-BI/

BW with 1 year experience

seeking for job Contact: 90228586

Email:fathimasha16@gmail.com

Bangladeshi male, University

M.Com, Working as an Accountant

& Administrator in Oman; search-

ing better job. Phone: 94864966

Email: sunrisetoiqbal@gmail.com

Electrical diploma Engineer with

1.5 years experience in AutoCAD

designing for LV constructions and

diesel generator maintenance look-

ing actively for job in Oman.

Contact: 92171858/90595609

Email: nelsondas213@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer (B.Tech) with

2 and half years experience Indian

male 24 years in visit visa. Contact:

96620482 / + 919605423272

Email: bijumonps@gmail.com

Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrsexp

seeks suitable position ina reputed

company. NOC available.

Contact – 96789711

Civil Engineer 8 years experience

in Oman as a project engineer for

governmental & private projects.

Contact – 90164912

Procurement Engineer (27 years

single male with Oman Driving Li-

cense) having 7 years experience

(UAE 2, Oman 3) with expertise in

MEP, Water, Electromechanical,

Instrumentation seeking suitable

placements. Contact 95852033,

mail: hemal1988@gmail.com

Indian well experienced per-

sonal assistant/executive office

manager/ senior administrator /

commercial executive with license

looking for a change. release letter

available – 99168054

mbkishore@hotmail.com

The Business Development Man-

ager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years

Inside and outside Oman follow-

ing activities: construction(Very

strong and qualified to bringing

business for civil work Or any

type of the construction work for

many million per year with a good

experience in pricing and collect

payment and cash management of

the company & marketing projects

& investments& tenders & real

estate. Contact 92385033

Manager having 12 years experi-

ence in Sales & property manage-

ment with valid GCC driving license

looking for a suitable placement NOC

available. Contact: 98125226

B.E Arch working as a project man-

ager (interior fit outs) specializing

in shop fit outs restaurateur, offices,

lifestyle shops etc looking to work

in a reputed firm NOC available.

Contact: 94274437

Operation & Accounts Manager. Indian 18yrs experiences in Oman

–operation, admin, fiancé, purchase,

HR& sales looking for SR.position.

Contact:99889396-

Email: srjobsinoman@yahoo.com

Indian male 35 years, mechanical

engineering diploma, 15 years of

total experience, 4 years in Dubai,

seeking challenging assignments in

business development/management

& sales, on visit,phone:95990541,em

ail:kckurup.v@gmail.com

P.M/Electrical Engineer B.Sc

5yrs exp.(2yrs in PDO area)driving

license looking for suitable job

mob.:91175016

E.mail:elmuthana@hotmail.com

Production Manager 9 years

experience in Oman manufacture

and development factories .GRB.

GRC. GRG rubber molds and false

ceilings, fiberglass and executive

at site emadadly2000@yahoo.

com96149081

General Manager MEP also manage

civil, MBA, BE Electrical, 10 yrs exp

in Oman valid D/L, release available.

Contact – 92447102

Indian male experienced in priority

and retail Banking handling HNI/

ultra HNI and SME portfolios as rela-

tionship manager in UAE and India,

with UAE driving license on tourist

visa looking for suitable opportunity.

Please contact #90204929

E-mail-hani.leo@gmail.com

The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years

Inside and outside Oman following

activities: tenders& real estate&

construction & marketing projects&

investments & transportation & Ma-

rine services& companies manage-

ment& develop business. Contact:

:- 92385033

MBA with 18 years of experience in

Procurement, 2 years in Sohar, Oman

driving license with vehicle,

looking for suitable position.

GSM :94047501,

ahmed16071974@gmail.com

Indian male, with experience in

operations management, informa-

tion security, purchase & stores

mgmt, hold UAE driving license,

on visit visa, seeks suitable job.

Contact 91904541

Email: naushers@yahoo.com

Sudanese civil Engineer three

years experience with NOC.

Contact: 96297316

Email: abdallakoty22@gmail.com

B.Tech Electronics & comm. Engg

& MBA Degree in operation man-

agement with five years experi-

ence in optical fiber planning coor-

dination etc. Contact: 94819139

Indian Male Degree Holder BE (civil) having 11 years of Oman

experience with valid Oman driving

license looking for a suitable job

.NOC available and ready to join im-

mediately. Mobile: 93803950.

Mail:kavinvasi2007@gmail.com

B.SC Civil Engineer 27 yrs Oman

experience as project manager,

structural Engineer looking for suit-

able placement NOC/ LOCAL trans-

fer available. Contact: 99349578

Email: farooqatm@hotmail.com

Electrical Engineer with 18 years

exp in UAE. Contact: 98148034

Email: shassalih66@gmail.com

Structural Engineer, 8 yrs expe-

rienced in flat slab, post tensioned

& slab-beam multi story building

design & supervision with driving

license. Contact: 98256860

Mechanical Engineer M.Tech

2 years experience HVAC design

& site Engg revit MEP Auto CAD.

Contact: 90150913 Email:

mahmanmechengg@yahoo.im

Omani HSE supervisor. Email:

jeebal3000@gmail.com

Indian female civil engineer B.Tech

having 3 years experience sound

knowledge of software, REVIT STAD

PRO structural detailing currently

on family visa seeks suitable place-

ment. Contact: 95345591

Civil Engineer (BE) having total

5 years experience in building

construction looking for a suitable

placement. D/L available

Contact# 94450270

Sri Lankan Engineer (27 Years old)

– B.Sc Engineering (Hon) Mining /

Geotechnical Presently in Muscat, 1.5

years experience. Contact 91295802

acmfaslan123@gmail.com

Indian Electrical Engineer Btech,

female 24 seeking job, presently

in oman having 2 year experience

in design and estimation of Ht &Lt

projects. Contact 968 97436557,

Mail id : sibinanoop1@gmail.com

Bachelor Civil Engineer 6 Years

in Oman experience Valid Driving

License seeks suitable placement

Phone 97619722

Email – golamrob@yahoo.com

Diploma in Mechanical Eng piping system in AutoCAD work,

21+ years experience with Driving

license. Contact: 95267113

Email: rkakkaryil@gmail.com

Civil Engineer 6 yrs Exp in Oman

with license. Contact: 98975518

7 Yrs Exp. PM in Mech. Engg in

the field of Building Const. Oil &

Gas Seeking Job.94625598

Indian Male B. Tech, 10+ years

of extensive work experience in

various aspects like Computer

Networking, Technical Support,

Management and Engineering with

good communications, interper-

sonal and technical skills seeks

suitable opportunity. Now in Oman

on Visit Visa GSM : 9489 8009,

Email : bios4u@gmail.com

MEDICAL

MEDICAL

Indian female Dentist specialized

endodontic looking for a suitable

placement prometric completed.

Contact: 96410448

Indian Bsc Female Nurse with

6.5 years exp, 4 years in KSA.

Passed Oman Pro Metric with 69%,

completed data flow. Presently in

Muscat in visit visa looking for a

suitable placement.

Contact 94744900, 94742834,

jincyalphonese@gmail.com

Indian male Nurse 32 years Oman

parametric and data flow completed

8 yrs emergently experience.

Contact: 92463190

Indian Female, MSc Maths from

a central university, B.ED quali-

fied with over 6 yrs into teaching.

Distinction holder and passion for

teaching, currently on family visa

seeking lecturer jobs.

Contact: 91360147.

Indian female 25years M.C.A

on family visit required suitable

placements also interested in

teaching. Contact: 90417133

Email: renjitharose04@gmail.com

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

Executive Secretary/ assistant Indian female 9 years experience in

Oman, Diploma in Business

management. Valid D/L.

Contact: 96684705

Driver looking for job, speaks

English, Hindi & Arabic & 4 yrs

Oman exp with valid Oman driving

license contact: 92820309

2 Years exp in driving, seeking

any job .Contact: 97460056

Bangladeshi male looking for job.

Contact - 93822195

20 Years Embassy experience expert driver cum PRO

seeks suitable place.

Contact – 94297820

Driver cum electrician 7 yrs exp,

seeking suitable placement.

Contact – 98255214

3 Years driving exp in Muscat,

speaks English, Arabic, Hindi&

Bengali. Contact- 97462781

Driver job wanted.

Contact 96393082

Pakistan driver with car.

Contact: 97198672 / 98988208

Looking for job light duty driver

6 years experience NOC available.

Contact: 92381696

Pakistani light looking job 3 years

experience in Oman.

Contact: 93711608

Seeking driver job with own car.

Contact: 98031620

Bangladeshi male light driver

looking for job 3 exp.

Contact: 93254149

Bangladeshi male light vehicle

driver looking for job.

Contact: 91359624

Driver with car 3 yrs exp, looking

part time job.

Contact – 97456062

Looking for driver, electrical &

plumbing job.

Contact - 92360040

Looking for job driver 10 yrs exp.

Contact: 99035942

Indian light driver cum house

cleaner. Contact: 96255558

/99415443

Light driver. Contact:

96756014

Looking for job car driver.

Contact: 98388947

Road and Construction Engineer with 5 years exp in Oman.

Contact: 97667113

Mechanical Engineer with 3 Yrs

experience in international Oil

& Gas company looking for job

Contacts: Tel: 90164236 Email:

mustafaoshi-62@hotmail.com

Indian female, 31 yrs, 7 yrs expe-

rienced as AutoCAD civil drafts-

man (2 yrs experience in Oman)

currently in Oman seeks suitable.

Contact 96789441

Email: simi5304@gmail.com

Sudanese Telecom Engineer, 5 years experience, 3 years in

Oman PMP certificate.

Contact: 93391008 Email:

momen.awadallam@gmail.com

Indian Male 23 years B.Tech

Civil having 2 years experience in

quantity survey and site manage-

ment looking for suitable place-

ment. Contact:- 95042656

Omani 26(M) seeks placement,

6 yrs excellent experience

networking hardware software.

Contact: 95356166

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN

Indian Female 24yrs, AutoCAD

draftsman with 3ds max & rivet, 4yrs

exp. looking for suitable vacancy in

Muscat now in visit visa .

Contact: 95601266

Email: reshmanb121@gmail.com

AutoCAD Draughtsman seeking

job. Contact: 95516807

Interior Designer Seeking suitable

job. On visit visa in Oman.

Contact - 92166130

Interior designer 3 years experi-

ence 1 year in Oman and 2 years

in Egypt, experience in interior

design, 3D max, AutoCAD,

Photoshop. Contact - 94762876

Autocad Drafting, part time/

full time, 2D & 3D, Architectural,

Structural, MEP, Shop drawing ,

experienced. Ph: 90189070

AutoCAD draftsman experience 2

years. Contact: 93738335 /95809393

Email: mammoosing@gmail.com

Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian

male 24 years with 1+years Indian

experience,(Certified in Staad

Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).

Looking for a Suitable position.

Available In Sultanate of Oman

(Muscat) on Visit Visa.

Contact: 92835952. E-mail:

mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com

Indian male Electrical Engineer, having 6 years gulf experience in

designing, assembling, commis-

sioning execution etc having valid

GCC license too looking for a suit-

able. Contact: 00968-98052942

Email: azamjeelani78@gmail.com

Indian male, Mechanical

Engineer having 1year experi-

ence, on visit visa looking for

suitable job. Contact:97416564,

Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com

Civil Engineer 8 years experience

Structural buildings marine. Avail-

able NOC release. Contact: 92451323.

Email: zubairali134@yahoo.com

Indian Engineer, B. Tech (Mech),

MBA, MLM (Master of Labour

Management), 23 yrs experience,

5 years in Oman in the positions

of Operations Manager and Plant

Manager with Oman Driving

License seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 99744612. E-mail:

deleepkumarpk@gmail.com

Indian male MBA- UK 18 yrs Gulf

exp in Administration/ HR & Pub-

lic relationship. Fluent in Arabic/

English with D/L. Looking for

suitable position.

Contact - 99897280

Young Omani male have experi-

ence 12 years as P.R.O , Clerk helper

supervisor Admin supervisor , H.R

Manager have diploma in H.S.E, IT

and P.D.O license looking for H.R

position or P.R.O license . Looking for

H.R position or P.R.O part time or full

time. Contact: 95933288

Male GP Doctor with NOC 6 yrs

experience in Oman for perm/locum

job. Contact : 97746074

An experienced Sudanese female Dentist with MOH license look-

ing for job. Contact 96436517

/97396088

DAILY GUIDED6 T U E S D AY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

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

SITUATION WANTED SITUATION WANTEDEDUCATION/CLASSES/COMPUTER/WEBSITE

Karate and self defense classes

at Azaiba 18 Nov Street. RO 10 per

month twice a week Monday and

Tuesday 6. 30 TO 7. 30. PM.

CONTACT 98294551

Spoken Arabic class for Non Arabic Speakers & English

class for Malayalam Speakers in Azaiba and Ruwi

earn in two monthstion guaranteed

Tel: 95244310

Classes for Spoken EnglishTOEFL / GRE / GMAT / SAT

Excellent Guidance and Coaching Satisfaction Guaranteed

IELTS PREPARATION Target Band 8.0

EAGLES INSTITUTE92325542 | 93657915 | 93657917 | Email: engominst@gmail.com

WEB, ERP and Business Intelli-

gence (BI) creation and man-

agement at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

Indian Female MBA Finance, 6

years Oman experience as account

looking Full time/part time ac-

counting Jobs. Contact- 99044292

Indian male 26 years MBA

finance, seeks suitable placement.

Contact – 92715032 /

ajisd@yahoo.com

Bangladeshi male, University

MA, Working as Store In-charge

cum Logistic Manager in Muscat;

searching better job.

Phone: 91997605 email:

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.

com

INDIAN-Male 34yrs, M.Com

with 14yrs Exp ( 8yrs in Oman &

6yrs in India)Presently working

as PROCUREMENT OFFICER for

ROAD,CIVIL,ELECTRO-MECHAN-

ICAL & Others Projects in contg &

Trdg co LLC, Having Oman LT D/L,

NOC available & willing to join im-

mediately within in a

month - M:94064650,

Email: nagauae@gmail.com

Indian male, 16 years Oil & Gas

experience (Down Hole Tools),

3 years in Oman, Dip. Mechani-

cal Engineer, Having D/L and NOC.

Email – jajisuni@yahoo.com,

Mob: 965 956 18.

Civil Draftsman seeking job.

Contact-95516807

Indian male: 24 years, diploma

in computer science and B.E (CSE)

having experience in hardware

and networking seeks suitable job.

Contact: 91170912

Email: sales2@witoman.com

Sudanese male. Five years diplo-

ma in civil engineeringhave five

years experience in construction

industry. Mobile: 96995670

Sri Lankan female looking for a

housemaid job. Please send details

to s.c.balthaza@gmail.com

Contact: 94036979

Land surveyor Experience: 8 years. Contact: 99585265 Email:

wajid.mohiuddin5251@gmail.com

Indian male executive secretary

having vast experience in admin,

logistics & procurement well versed

with computer .seek suitable place-

ment. Contact: 99514286

Indian male, accountant 2 year

experience doing accounts in Tally

and Excel. Searching for suitable

job. Contact: subbayan_r@gmail.

com GSM: +918098637908

BE Mechanical Engineering with one year experience now

on visit visa, looking for suitable

positions”Contact-90637918 /

99335742,

email: aquasharath@gmail.com

Looking for a part time job for

drawings struc. BBS Q/S & piping/

pipeline auto cad work.

Contact- 92103713.

Job Wanted as a Music Teacher

Classical Vocal Music, Having 3

years India Exp.Contact- 90310876

Homeopathic Doctor having 2

years experience seeks suitable

placement.Contact-93615169,

geethasreenathnn@gmail.com

A young CA (ACA & ACCA quali-

fied) with 4 years experience in

one of top audit firms in UK & KSA

seeks suitable placement in Oman.

Contact: Kamran

(hkamran112@gmail.com),

+44 7480 1196 74. +968 93595050

25 year old male B.Com and

insurance graduate with 6 year

experience looking for an opening

in accounts, finance or operations.

Driving license and NOC available.

Contact-95236312.

lilommca@gmail.com

MCA with 13+ yrs of teaching.

Worked as PGT (Comp Sc.) in CBSE

Board Schools, 2 yrs experience

in s/w development. Seek suitable

placement. Contact - 90477217

Bangladeshi Male, University

MA, Working as Store In-charge

cum Logistic Manager in Mus-

cat; searching better job. Phone:

91997605 email:

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com

Indian male AUTO CAD Draughts-

man (civil) 8 years experience, seek-

ing for part time job.#- 99070584 /

email: remluvp@gmail.com

BS in Civil Engineering Experience: 3 Year (Road Projects)

Omani license: 9 Years.

Contact 97427701

Email: hassanrvc1989@gmail.com

Pakistani Male having 6 years

Experience Valid Omani Driving

license working as a Transport

Manager looking for a suitable

position. Salary is negotiable.

Mob: +96893363316 / 94202746

mohdnaveed043@gmail.com

Indian Male Accountant I have 2

year better experience in account-

ing field. I can do all my accounts

in Tally and Excel searching for

suitable job. Contact:

contactsubbayan5@gmail.com

GSM : +918098637908,

+919087776759

Indian female 23 BA economics

with computer knowledge looking

for the post of Administration dept

or day care or sales please

Contact 96155921 or

Email- fysal.nellaya@gmail.com.

Indian Female, 24 MA Eng. Litr

with 2 yrs experience in teach-

ing & 14 months in Administra-

tion cum Secretary, Currently

on visit visa, seeks suitable job.

Contact: 92613704/99260702

Email:rohinis2010@gmail.com

Indian Male, 26 years, with 7 years

of experience in Sales Field in ship-

ping company in Dubai, looking for

suitable placement. Experienced

working in safety Marine equip-

ment and well versed with MS

Office. Contact: 90182494/

manojmallya999@gmail.com

Marine Services / Business

Development having more than 15

Years experience in GCC Countries

with Indian Male with experience

in Operations Management / Sales

and Procurement / Ship Chandling

/ valid GCC Driving License seeks

suitable job. Presently in Oman on

Visit Visa. GSM : 9053 55 65,

Email : rafi.vprc@gmail.com

Indian Female, 35years, Bach-

elor of Pharmacy (B. Pharm) with

6months experience and BSc &

MA seeking position as Insurance

Coordinator or suitable positions in

pharmacy, pharmacy stores, hos-

pital, polyclinic & pharmaceutical

companies or in front office/admin-

istration office preferably in hospi-

tal. Please contact on 90236481

Indian Male, 26 years, with 7

years of experience in Sales Field

in shipping company in Dubai,

looking for suitable placement.

Experienced working in safety

Marine equipment and well versed

with MS Office. # 90182494

Male Locum Pharmacist with

MOH & Driving License. Available

on request from March to April

2016; Contact #: +968

9188 5485/+968 9943 8058.

Indian male with three years of

experience in IT as system adminis-

trator seeking for IT administration

job placements. Presently in Muscat

on visit visa. Contact 90664136

email: szuheabikram@yahoo.com

Assistant Manager – Planning

(B.Tech EEE): Indian Male, over

10 years( 7+ Yrs in Oman & UAE)

of experience in Project Plan-

ning & Scheduling, Liaison &

Coordination, Budgeting and

Client Interaction. Seeking a

suitable Job in Muscat. Contact

– 00971503529608, Email Id:

saravananbe44@gmail.com

IT professional, B.E. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/

networking/server support/Indoor

sales, valid Omani D/L seeking

suitable placement in IT/Network/

Server support/Retail sales.

Contact 92607532.

Iraqi Civil Engineer with more

than 30 years experience in (Iraq

and G.C.C) looking for a job, (N.O.C.)

is available. Contact No. 96561306

iq.bgd.mnsr@gmail.com

Indian male 28 years exp as sales

executive & asst accountant. With

valid Oman driving license .lan-

guages known Hindi and English.

Looking for any good job

Contact# 96175176

Mechanical Engineer (Indian

Male, 24 Years) with three years

experience, looking for suitable

job. Currently on visit visa, ready

to join immediately. # 92175441,

Email: ihabeeb24@gmail.com

Indian male 26, on vist visa, 2+

yrs of experience with UAE D/L,

IATA-FIATA,BBA looking for any

suitable job. Contact 91324567

Iraqi civil Engineer with more than

30 years experience in (Iraq, U.A.E.

and Oman) looking for a job, (N.O.C.)

is available.Contact 95626218

Email- amin.sarim007@gmail.com

Male Indian 27, working as finance

Officer having three years Oman

experience with Driving license

looking for Finance/Audit/ Accounts

position. Mob: 98097009,

rameesnm@gmail.com

MBA (F), B.COM. Indian female

having knowledge of accounts

with Tally looking for full or part

time job. Presently on family visit

visa. Contact: - 96259171. Email: -

bhumicapandya@gmail.com

Indian Male, total 8+years gulf

experience in Document Controller

/ Coordinator / Secretary. Looking

suitable position. Local release

available. CONTACT: 94524259

EMAIL: madhuppnair@yahoo.com

Mechanical Engineer (Indian

Male, 24 Years) with three years

experience, looking for suitable job.

Currently on visit visa, ready to join

immediately. Contact 92175441,

Email: ihabeeb24@gmail.com

Indian female, holds LLB

& Masters in business

administration(MBA),2 yrs oman

experience as HR & Admin, seeks

suitable placement in jobs @ SO-

HAR. Contact: 96541959

IT professional, B.E. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/

networking/server support, valid

Omani D/L seeking suitable place-

ment in IT/Network/Server sup-

port. Contact 92607532.

Accountant. Having 6 years

experience in accounts in reputed

companies. Presently working in

Muscat (NOC Available)

GSM. 00968-97010584, Email -

usman7678@yahoo.com

Indian male 23 years Diploma in

Mechatronic having 3years experi-

ence in production and mainte-

nance department looking for suit-

able placement #+919597008904

(sachin.valappil92@gmail.com)

Bangladeshi Male, University MA,

Working as Sales coordinator cum

Store keeper in Muscat; searching

better job. Phone:91997605. E mail:

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com

Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/net-

working/server, valid Omani D/L

seeking suitable placement in IT/

Network/Server support.

Contact 92607532

SIT.WANTED

SIT.WANTED

MANPOWER

SALES / MARKETING

Indian male 23 yeas BBM & Diplo-

ma in logistic. Looking for Indore/

Outdoor sales & marketing suitable

placement, currently in one month

visit visa. Contact: 92634281/

faizanmck@gmail.com

Sales Executive 8yrs exp build-

ings materials group of company

in Oman NOC available. Seeking

suitable job. With D/L in Oman

.email: sameermoul@gmail.com

Indian female 23 diploma

in tool and die making with

one and half yrs exp and also

interested in sales & mar-

keting.contact:94443992-

email:selveena054@gmail.com

NOC available looking for opening

in sales 10 years experience in

Oman with driving license

to join immediately.

Contact: 95941228

Sales supervisor / Sales man / Cashier Indian male 26 years hav-

ing 2 years Oman experience in

retails looking for suitable place-

ment. Contact: 90318481

SriLankan malebusiness manage-

ment BA (UK) Graduate.Special-

izedmarketing, key Accounts,sales,

and customer services .4years

work experience in England .seeks

opportunity in Oman. D/L avail-

able. Tell: 94820153.

email:inshafmalk@yahoo.com

Indian male 33 yrs, 11 yrs exp

in Oman in sales field, with NOC

seeks suitable placement.

Contact – 96169598 /

adilj.8782@gmail.com

MBA graduate having 6 years exp

in Sales & Marketing, 4 years with

PEPSI, India, having international

driving license permit seeks

suitable placement.

Contact : 95308167,

Email : samir.pag@gmail.com

Indian Male 28 MBA Marketing

with 4 years of experience in sales

with good communication skills

now available in Muscat on visit

visa. GSM 95840153 /

Mail akbarshareef786@gmail.com

Indian male (31 yrs) sales super-

visor, total 9 yrs gulf exp, 4 yrs

in Oman with valid GCC D/L with

NOC, release & transferable visa.

Contact: 94014327 Email:

praveenkotian188@gmail.com

Indian sales marketing profes-

sional highly experienced in busi-

ness development in ME India and

Africa seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 97897611

B.Com male 2 yrs experience in

sales Computer knowledge,

seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 98371144

email: nabilnazar22@gmail.com

Indian male 3 years as sales

representative looking for suitable

placements. Contact: 94420033

Email: ssidisking@gmail.com

Indian male, MBA Marketing

having 2.5 years Sales experience

immediately looking for a suitable

position. Contact: 91415145,

Email: shariqs88@gmail.com

Male 38 yrs Graduate 07 years

experience indoor / outdoor

electronic field with D/License &

NOC available (as per new rule).

Contact: 92453375

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

Mason, SH / carpenter, steel fitter

gulf & Indian exp looking job.

Contact: 95175192

Five years in travel field B.Com.

IATA & pursuing MBA including

experience in the travel desk of

(ITC managed) five star hotel,

looking for suitable position.

Contact 9470 5767, 9465 2485,

9536 4479

TOURS & TRAVEL

Indian female, B.Tech graduate,

with one and half years experience

as ‘web developer’ interested in

web development and has experi-

ence working in HTML, CSS, Boot-

strap, JavaScript and Photoshop.

Contact 9592 7075, e-mail id:

mariarosejacob90@gmail.com

Diploma (Electrical Engineering) from Government polytechnic.

Age 27 years, 6 years Experience

in troubleshooting and managing

and Technical in substation as a

Electrical Engineer. Seek suitable

placement. Contact - 92995899, Female Interior Designer 15

months experience design and

management skills ( 3D Max,

AutoCAD , Photoshop, Illustrator,

Coral Draw (Basic) and Sketch up

(Basic) and well versed with M.S

Office). 24789883

Email: sasd_shirur@yahoo.com,

Diploma in civil engineering

having an experience 26years

(22years in Oman) experience

in Estimator / quantity surveyor

looking for a suitable placement.

Willing to join immediately

Contact: 96328687.

18 years experienced in Shipping,

ShipChandling& Marine services.

Valied GCC D/L. Languages Known

as English, Arabic, Hindi & Malay-

alam.Now in Visit Visa.

GSM : 9053 5565

Indian Male ,MBA Finance &

Marketing 28 yrs,6+ Exp, with oman

D/L & NOC, Hospital Pharma ,Herbal

,FMCG, F&B Marketing ,construction

A/c & sales , 93379044

B.Com 5yrs experience good

command on tally, Excel sheet on

family visa. Contact: 98002428

Email: lubnakanwal36@gmail.com

33 year old Filipina with experi-

ence in Teleperformance, Manila

call centre ,now working as Wait-

ress in Qatar seeking suitable post.

Contact 99022484

9 yrs exp Site Engineer in Civil &

Shade Structure. 2d, 3d draughts-

man (HOLDING OMANI DRIVING

LICENSE) seeking job.

Contact 90139903

9 yrs exp Site Engineer in Civil &

Shade Structure. 2d, 3d draughts-

man (holding Oman driving

license) seeking job. #90139903

Assistant Manager – Planning

(B.Tech EEE): Indian Male, over

10 years( 7+ Yrs in Oman & UAE)

of experience in Project Plan-

ning & Scheduling, Liaison &

Coordination, Budgeting and

Client Interaction. Seeking a

suitable Job in Muscat. Contact

– 00971503529608, Email Id:

saravananbe44@gmail.com

Bangladeshi Male, University

M.Com, Working as an administra-

tor in Oman; searching better job.

Phone:94864966,

email: sunrisetoiqbal@gmail.com

Indian Male, 26 years, With 7 years

of experience in Sales Field in ship-

ping company in “Dubai” , looking

for suitable placement. Experienced

working in safety Marine equip-

ment and well versed with MS

Office. Contact: 90182494,

manojmallya999@gmail.com

Indian female 25 yrs, MBA HR &

Marketing, with one and half years

experience as accountant and 6

months experience in teaching,

now on a visit visa, seeking suit-

able position. Contact: 99624044,

mail: np.neethu1@gmail.com.

MBA (F), B.COM. Indian female

having knowledge of accounts

with Tally looking for full or part

time job. presently on family visit

visa. Contact :- 96259171. Email:-

bhumicapandya@gmail.com

Bangladeshi Male, University

MA, Working as Store keeper in

Muscat; searching better job.

Phone:91997605, email:

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com

Diploma in civil engineering

having an experience 26years

(22years in Oman) experience

in Estimator / quantity surveyor

looking for a suitable placement.

Willing to join immediately

Contact : 96328687.

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

Lady Secretary / Sales Co-coordi-

nator 12 years experience in Oman

in reputed companies, seek imme-

diate Employment. Call: 95244761

Indian male 25 yrs, MBA (Finance,

Marketing), Overall 2 yrs exp in

Accounts/Finance field, On Visit

Visa. Immediately available.

Contact - 92989197/94786544.

abdulqhizer2004@gmail.com

DAILY GUIDET U E S D AY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6 D7

TOURS

TOURS

RENT A CAR

25 - 50 seater bus with PDO &

BP specification for monthly rent

& small car with driver. Contact

99839898

SITUATION WANTEDCARGO

TRANSPORTATION

TRANSPORTATIONFOR HIRE

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with

Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain

Marine Tours contact 98029602,

92808636

We arrange tours & accommoda-

tion at all the beautiful places in

Oman. Contact 99839898

SITUATION WANT-ED

BUSINESSSITUATION WANT-

EDBUSINESS

ONE STOP SHOP

BUSINESS SERVICES

Contact Saleh: 96723485

Public relation services (PRO), Formation new

companies, LLC companies, investor visa, business setup,

prepare business & companies accounts, legal

services, representing you and your company.

Transportation available for Al

Khuwair, Azaiba, Al Hail to Ruwi

area. Contact - 94297820

Transportation. Contact 98505294

Transportation, pick and drop.

Contact - 96913836

Ruwi, Muttrah, Al Khuwair,

Muscat, Qurum, seek transporta-

tion. Contact: 91132238

Transportation. Contact

99508282 /93113534

Transportation. Contact 99508282

From Mabela to Mawaleh for

school student. Contact: 92757673

Transportation. Contact 92015894

Transportation available Ruwi to

Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909

Transportation. Contact: 99078967

For rent tripper trailer and water

Tanker. Contact: 91770195

GOOD NEWS

Ayurvedic treatment for joint

pain, backache, paralysis, mas-

sage, steambath, obesity, spondy-

litis. Ideal Care Ayurvedic Clinic,

18 November Street, Azaiba.

Contact: 99639695 / 97397320

FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to know

more about Islam, please call:

99425598, 99250777, 99353988,

99253818, 99341395, and

99379133. For ladies: 99415818,

99321360, 99730723

Orvisit:www.islamfact.com

Ayurvedic treatment for backache,

paralysis, arthritis etc & mas-

sage, All Season (Vaidyaratnam).

Contact:24475280 / 95371664 /

92504980 www.siddhayur.com

RENT A CARBest Rates for Saloon

Contact: 97869042 / 95730550

sales@modernreem.com

D8 T U E S D AY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

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

SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

SERVICESWe Provide Cleaners,

General cleaning etc.

Contact : 94277020

Split & window A/c servicing &

maintenance. Contact 93769089 /

95323517

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing,

Contact 99314807/24792998

All maintenance works such as

plumbing painting masonry inter-

lock fixing etc. Contact: 91278819

Water proofing ABUQABAS-

Contact 99320217/24788722

LEGAL SERVICEAn Indian lawyer Provides all legal

Labour issues, contracts, agreements,

new business in Oman, Civil, criminal cases,.service issues.

Sarafudheen, ,Legal Advisor

Muscat. GSM: 97351649

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of

your marble. Contact 24793614/

99314807

A/C maintenance & servicing,

fridge, washing machine & dish

washer repairing, painting & clean-

ing services, electrical & plumbing.

Contact: 99447257 / 97014234 /

24504281

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

House shifting. Contact: 99708138

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.

Contact: 24810137, 99450130

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles

polishing, carpet shampooing,

maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS-

99320217 /24788722

House shifting packing.

Contact: 99657644 / 98518013

Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont

Maintenance services electric,

plumbing and A/C. Contact:

96524904 / 94285064

Split A/C servicing R.O 10 only.

Contact: 94217681 /

99210141

Building maintenance. Contact: 96173326

carpet shampooing, sofa shampooing, pest control treatment & general cleaning

of villa & building.Express Building Cleaning Services.Contact 98480070 / 94134784

Pest control & Building cleaning all kinds of pest control

MY

Contact: 98814733 /98814740 Al Husn Cleaning L.L.C

FOR LADIES

*Classified Advertisement space booking with text, should be done

till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication.

* Subject to space availability

Europe beauty centre offers 50%

discount on beauty packages, home

services, slimming & post deliv-

ery massages. CBD – 24797813

/ 97082451 / 94004152. Wadi

Kabir – 24815805 / 94004153 /

96761960

Villa cleaning, shifting, marble

crystallization, tiles polishing,

shampooing sofa & carpet. Modern

Eastern Arms. 92145560

Sahal Al Wadi White Trad. Spe-

cialist in repairing of cold store,

chiller, A/C & refrigerator.

Contact – 94528546