times of oman - september 20, 2015
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Times of Oman - September 20, 2015TRANSCRIPT
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SUNDAY, September 20, 2015 / 6 Dhul Hijja 1436 AH timesofoman.com wtimesofoman.com facebook.com/timesofoman twitter.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company
S CA N T H I S Q R CO D E TO I N STA N T LY
L AU N C H T H E V I D EO
Keep calm and meditate
REGIONSisi swears in new Egypt government
2Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi swore in a new government on
Saturday that included 16 new ministers, a week after the previous administration resigned after a corruption scandal. >A7
MARKETOman investigates dumping of goods
3Oman is currently evaluating one or two cases of suspected
dumping of goods by Asian exporters. However, the cases are not serious enough to warrant action as the foreign firms were only found to be selling their products. >B1
OMANOman needs to revive its cottage industry
1Oman needs to revive its rich heritage of handicrafts and rural industries at
a time when the Sultanate faces employment challenges and downturn. The rural industrialists create employment in their own areas and offer training to youngsters. >A3
T O P T H R E E I N S I D E S T O R I E S
Is perfect selfie worth dying for?
FAHAD AL [email protected]
MUSCAT: Taking a photograph during the rain or a storm or shooting a video of an overflowing wadi may be fun for some, but in reality indulging in such activities during inclement weather could prove fatal, warn experts.
“People are willing to go to the extremes to take a video or a pho-to to share on social media,” said a Public Authority for Civil De-fence and Ambulances (PACDA) official.
They often find people taking videos of a gushing wadi or when a fire breaks out, and in extreme cases even when people are in trouble, he added.
“Instead of staying away they try to get as close as possible for a better shot. They forget that they can be swept away, or in case of fires there could be an explosion. Besides, in the age of social media, dangerous selfies are also a trend. Many are willing to do anything to share that perfect photo or video,” said the official.
Mark Pudwell, business de-velopment and training manager of Competence HR, said put-ting oneself in harm’s way for the sake of a sensational photo to share with one’s friends is to-tally irresponsible and complete-ly immoral.
“The first question that people need to ask themselves is a moral one: Should I be taking photo-graphs of people in extreme dis-tress and then making them pub-lic?” he asked.
Reiterating that it was inher-ently wrong for anyone to do so, Pudwell said, “It is both distress-ing for those injured and for the families of those that have died under such awful circumstances.”
Sensationalism“Everyone is acutely aware that sensationalism can reap finan-cial rewards, but should that be at the expense of someone else’s dignity and the right to privacy, and more importantly, to their own safety?” he asked.
Another civil defence official said, “Many people tend to com-pete with each to get such exclu-sive videos and pictures and up-load them on social media, which in turn pressures others to do the same and risk their lives and that of others for the sake of short-lived fame.”
An official said, “It turns out that people will go to great lengths, risking life and limb, to capture the perfect shot. But they are putting their lives and that of the rescuers in danger.”
Accident in wadisThe PACDA official said, “We have had many cases where peo-ple almost fell into wadis trying to make a video. It is natural to want to share what you are see-ing. But then it is also very easy for those, who do not know how to swim to think that they might be able to make a video standing inside a wadi, which can be very dangerous.”
In some instances, individuals tried to capture the scene at the site of a raging fire on film and ended up with burn injuries after getting too close.
Salim Al Sarhani, who is very active on social media said, “I capture heavy rains, storms and accidents. I like share the vid-eos and photos I capture with the public and sometimes even if I have to take risks.”
He did not think that this could harm him or others. Social com-mentator Khalid Hamdan said he had come across many videos, where individuals risked their lives to capture a picture. >A6
People often go
to the brink to
capture a video of
an overflowing wadi
or a fire for sharing
on social media,
unmindful of the
threat to their own
lives, say experts
Dubai ruler’s son dies of heart attack
ELHAM [email protected]
MUSCAT: Malaysia is seeking to attract more medical tourists from Oman, with its competitive prices for world-class treatment and the convenience it offers to Muslim patients.
Malaysia has been developing its medical tourism, and in addi-tion to the ‘competitive’ costs for quality treatment, there are oth-er factors that give it a cutting edge, said an official from KPJ Healthcare Berhad (KPJ), Ma-
laysia’s leading private health-care service provider.
Dr Sarenjit Kaur, operations manager at KPJ, revealed this while speaking during the 5th edition of Oman Health Exhibi-tion and Conference, which was held recently at the Oman Inter-national Exhibition Centre in Muscat.
“We are a Muslim country. Our hospitals are halal certified. Food is halal. There are facilities for Muslims, such as praying rooms. It is very convenient,” Kaur told Times of Oman. >A4
ABU DHABI: Dubai announced a three-day mourning period after the 33-year old son of the Dubai Ruler passed away, the official state news agency WAM reported on Saturday.
Sheikh Rashid, son of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Mak-toum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, suffered a heart at-tack on Saturday morning, the agency said. Sheikh Rashid was the eldest son of Sheikh Moham-med. Rashid’s brother Sheikh Hamdan is the Crown Prince of Dubai. -Reuters
W O R L D - C L A S S T R E A T M E N T
T H R E E - D A Y M O U R N I N G
C7FATAL MISTAKE: In the age of social media, many are willing to do anything to share that perfect photo or video. – Supplied photo
HEALTHCARE: Dr Sarenjit Kaur, operation manager at KPJ, left, and Amal Mahfoudh, corporate executive at KPJ. – Supplied photo
Late Sheikh Rashid, son of the Prime Minister and Vice Presi-dent of the UAE.
Malaysia eyes medical tourists from Sultanate
Your child’s school bag could be heavy with textbooks and notebooks not needed on that particular day. >A5
‘CHECK TIME-TABLE TO CUT SCHOOL BAG WEIGHT’
His Majesty sends condolences MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has send a cable of condolences to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai over the demise of his son, Sheikh Rashid, on Saturday.
In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has prayed to Almighty the Allah to bestow his mercy upon the deceased and rest his soul in eternal peace and grant his family patience to bear the loss. -ONA
C A B L E
Oman lodges protest with Saudi envoyMUSCAT: The Sultanate, through the Foreign Ministry, summoned Eid Mohammed Al Thaqafi, the ambassador of Saudi Arabia and handed him a letter of protest against the Arab alliance’s air strike, which targeted the resi-dence of the Omani ambassador in Sanaa.
Oman expressed its deep regret at this incident and demanded an explanation. The memo was is-sued because Riyadh leads the Arab alliance in the war in Yemen. The objection memo reads as fol-lows: “We would like to inform you about our strong protest against the aircraft of the Arab alliance targeting the residence of the ambassador of Oman in
Sanaa, destroying the build-ing and causing heavy damage therein. While we object to this action against Oman, we demand an explanation from the Kingdom about this unacceptable conduct which harms the interests of the Sultanate in Sanaa. The Sultanate has been keen to extend every pos-sible assistance to Saudi Arabia and considers the continuation of this war, for an unforeseeable time, a threat to the region’s stabil-ity. The Sultanate looks forward to the exertion of more efforts in Yemen with a view to ending the current conditions and encourag-ing the Yemeni parties to resort to dialogue and achieve stability in their country.” >A4
S A N A A A T T A C K
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OMAN The terrain of Musandam is linked to its
varied environment and wildlife, which are
homogeneous on land and at sea.
Musandam enhances environment efforts >A4
Water shortage hits Darsait area
REJIMON [email protected] MUSCAT: Some 200 families have been affected for the last seven days in the Darsait Tow-ian area due to the low pressure in water supply pipelines, which has led to severe water shortage, residents said.
“We have contacted the Public Authority for Water and Elec-tricity (PAEW) many times. The answer we get is that low pres-sure is leading to the water sup-ply crisis. However, they are not able to tell us when this crisis will end. For the last seven days, water has become a big problem for us,” said the residents.
Presently, they are depending on water supplied by the nearby mosques.
“A few water supply tankers are
coming. But most of the build-ings don’t have facilities to pump in water from the tankers. So that is also a problem,” residents said, while adding that many houses had children and aged people.
In August, an official from PAEW had said that the water crisis in Muscat would become less severe as the authorities are continuing their trial run of the new Ghubra desalination plant.
“We are testing the quality of water during the trial run to provide residents with pure and clean water. The quantity that passes the test is sent into the distribution network, along with
the old plant’s water,” the PAEW official had said at the time.
The tanks at the old Ghubra desalination plants are being gradually emptied, even as the plant continues to supply water to several areas in Muscat, and the new desalination plant is also contributing during the test phase. The test phase will con-tinue till September until the old desalination plant is completely drained. The commercial opera-tion of the Ghubra plant, which includes the expansion of the new Barka desalination plant, is scheduled to be online by the be-ginning of 2016.
Low pressure is
leading to the water
supply crisis, says
the Public Authority
for Water and
Electricity (PAEW).
For the last seven
days, Darsait has
been facing water
problem and people
are depending on
water supplied by
the nearby mosques
PUBLIC TRAVAILS: A few water supply tankers are coming to
Darsait but most of the buildings don’t have facilities to pump in
water from the tankers.– Times
Parents of special children
get best practices trainingTimes News Service
MUSCAT: With the intention of training and qualifying parents and families of autistic children on best practices and guidance the Zubair Corporation launched third training course themed ‘For Them’.
The social advisory commit-tee at the Zubair Corporation is involved in a number of activities and training programmes dedi-cated to community service. Two previous training sessions were held for the same purpose in the Governorates of North Al Batinah and Muscat.
The initiative falls within the framework of corporation’s CSR strategy to reach out to society. The corporation formed a com-mittee dedicated to social com-munication consisting of a group of prominent Omani personali-ties from different disciplines and specialisations who have a sig-nificant role in serving the com-munity through voluntary work. The social advisory committee has carefully selected a number of social initiatives to be launched according to the society’s needs and priorities.
After the positive response and success of the first two training sessions held by the Autism ini-tiative team in Muscat and Sohar, the committee decided to imple-ment the ‘For Them’ initiative in Nizwa, which is currently witness-ing some cultural activities after having been declared the Capital of Islamic Culture for 2015.
The initiative team prepared real life examples on how to deal with autistic children. Mohamed Al Rashidi, a team member, pre-sented a number of documenta-ries on the raising of some autistic children and the responses of their families to them. These documen-taries were mostly on autistic chil-dren who have later become influ-ential in their communities.
The training team comprised
a group of parents with autistic children. These were Zahrah Al Jerdanih, Mohammad Al Rashidi, and Walid Al Baluchi, along with Fayza Al Rashidiya and Shwain Al Khamisi, who added to the knowl-edge they acquired from their own experiences with their children and their observations on many of the real life situations through ex-perimentation.
Both Al Jerdanih and Al Khami-si demonstrated a number of posi-tive educational approaches and games that guide the parent in helping the child adapt and step out of autism and avoid some of the habits that may hinder treatment among many children.
Speaking on the initiative, the corporation said, “Based on its vi-sion and strategy designated to serving the society, the Zubair Cor-poration seeks to launch a package of sustainable and successful initi-atives that are closely linked to the priorities and requirements of the community. The social advisory committee’s selection of the initia-tive falls within the scope of the so-cial responsibility and vision and after having evaluated the need of this category for more attention
and efforts for a bright future for autistic children.”
Al Khamisi said, “I thank the Zubair Corporation for this hu-manitarian gesture to take care of this growing segment of children, based on annual statistics, and guide parents on the most appro-priate ways to deal with such chil-dren and integrate them within the community.”
Al Jerdanih said, “I thank my fellow members of the team super-vising this initiative and training team, I also would like to empha-sise to all parents of autistic chil-dren that with each training work-shop I have more appreciation and understanding for my child and all children with autism and for this I extend my thanks and great appre-ciation to the Zubair Corporation for their efforts and devotion to this humanitarian task.”
The corporation has launched a range of community initiatives during this year including ‘For Them’ and ‘Iqraa’ to establish public libraries in public places on a permanent basis. All these initiatives are organised under the umbrella of the social advisory committee.
Z U B A I R C O R P O R A T I O N
HELPING HAND: The programme had a number of documentaries
about raising autistic children and the responses of their families
to them. The documentaries were mostly on autistic children who
have later become influential in their communities.– Supplied photo
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Oman needs to revive its rich heritage of handicrafts and rural industries
at a time when the country faces employment challenges and economic downturn.
Prior to the Renaissance that started in 1970, Oman’s economy survived on cottage industry where master crafts-men worked in the front yard of their houses in silversmith, carpentry, brick manufactur-ing, carpet weaving, pottery, quilt making, clothing, pro-duction of medicinal products, dates packaging and a host of other traditional professions.
The rural entrepreneurs created employment in their own areas and offered training to youngsters, who in turn, kept the business going. This does not create mass em-ployment but it stops people from leaving their towns and moving to the capital city of Muscat to look for jobs. It is unfortunate that Oman is now importing frankincense when it grows abundantly in Dhofar. In the 1960s, dates, dry fish and meat were part of a thriving cottage industry and exported as far as East Africa — so were medicinal herbs packaged in special containers that were sold in the neigh-bouring countries.
In carpentry, the local cottage industry produced masterpieces we see in the famous forts of Bahla, Jabreen, Nizwa, Rostaq and
Sohar. The wooden doors, windows, frames, shelves and cornices in these forts were intricately carved by Omani craftsmen. The doors we buy now for our houses are no match to the craftsmanship of the past and it is a pity these skills are allowed to disap-pear in the annals of time. The local cuisines such as halwa, showaa, harees, machboos, muqalab and sakhana are in rapid decline and so is the boat building industry that once made Oman famous.
Due to the negligence at the national scale, very few arti-sans of these cottage trades survive today. Their children did not bother to learn from their parents because the government did not encourage such businesses — letting the cottage industry die away. But a vigorous national campaign can bring that back. However, special vocational training for the cottage industry needs to be established. A national campaign to raise aware-ness on the benefits of these trades must also be launched to tell young people why it is important, at a time when the country can no longer guarantee employment, to get themselves involved.
It is also crucial to establish appropriate financial schemes in the mould of SMEs to make the revival of this busi-ness successful. A suitable platform must also be in place to educate cottage industry owners to identify which trade is most viable and how they
can market it. But to launch it effectively, lessons must be learned on the stuttering efforts of the SMEs. In the absence of real commitment, SME owners are struggling to make it a success. The cottage industry has to be different. Long, winding bureaucracy needs to be dramatically cut down. People who work from the home environment do not need a lot of financial back up, just the right skills and a good tool to contact customers.
Oman has a history of producing high quality of distinctive product using traditional methods. With careful administration, the dying cottage industry will come back to alleviate the burden of the government to constantly create employ-ment. Although Oman has championed this industry in the past, it needs to readapt to get it right once again. For that happen, the Sultanate must learn from the experience of other countries. In the United Kingdom, cottage industry trade has doubled in the last 10 years. What really helps Britons to make it a success is the use of technology to mar-ket their products. Omanis are not really backward when it comes to the social media. The electronic network is more powerful than the word of mouth the craftsmen used in the past. The biggest advan-tage of social media is that it is almost free and the audiences are readily available at the click of a button.
Oman’s cottage industry needs to be revived to beat downturn
C O M M E N T A R Y
SALEH AL SHAIBANY
SUNDAYBEAT Due to the negligence, very few artisans of
these cottage trades survive today. Oman has a history of producing high quality products
SQU Student Advisory Council elections to be held tomorrowMUSCAT: Voting for the mem-bership of the Student Advisory Council at the Sultan Qaboos Uni-versity (SQU) will commence on Monday and last for a day.
It is mandatory for the voting percentage of university students to be higher than 50 per cent. The opportunity to vote from any-where and at any time has been given to all students, who can use an automated voting system to cast their votes.
Dr Ali bin Saud Al Bimani, Vice Chancellor of SQU, had recently announced the final list of candi-dates for membership of the Coun-
cil during the first period of the 2015-2016 academic year, which included 40 candidates.
Student maturityHe also said the positive response of SQU students towards holding the election for the Student Ad-visory Council is an indicator of their maturity and their height-ened awareness of the reality, adding that he hoped that efforts aimed at a serious participation in the election of the Council would continue.
Meanwhile, the Secretariat General of the Student Advisory
Council recently held a meeting with the 40 candidates, during which it a summary for the general framework of the Council and its role was shared and the require-ments from candidates during the final stage of the election were clarified. In addition, the candi-dates were also informed about the facilities being provided to them by the university for the success of their electoral publicity.
SQU hopes the Student Advi-sory Council will play a significant role in improving the educational process and services provided to students at the university. –ONA
S T U D E N T P O W E R
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OMAN 2004 marked the launch of the annual cleaning campaign for coral reefs, but since 2011 the campaign’s frequency has increased to two to four per year
New generation Indian films lack soul, says Malayalam actorMOBIN MATHEW [email protected]
MUSCAT: New generation Indi-an films, particularly Malayalam films, lack soul, said renowned South Indian actor Devan.
“There is no emotional heft or genuine relationships shown in the new generation movies. That is why they fail to connect with the audience,” Devan said while addressing the media at the Al Falaj Hotel.
He was in Oman as the guest of Indian Social Club’s Malayalam wing’s three-day Onam celebra-tion. Devan is the winner of this year’s cultural award presented
by the ISC Malayalam wing.The actor joined the film indus-
try as a producer for a Malayalam film named Vellam.
In response to a question about his future film projects, he said that he is planning to direct a movie soon.
“I am planning to take on the role of a director and will direct a movie as soon as possible,” he said.
“I feel there is more of a direc-tor in me than a producer,” Devan added.
Indian Ambassador, Indra Mani Pandey officially inaugu-rated the celebration on Thursday evening.
Following the inauguration, the special guest at the event Methil Devika, performed Mohiniyat-tam, a Malayali dance form.
Devika is a dance research scholar, educator, performer and choreographer in the South In-dian state of Kerala.
The highlight of the second day’s celebration was the cultural programmes presented by the members of the Malayalam wing.
Traditional Onasadya was served on Saturday afternoon. Fa-mous sadhya maker Pazhayidam Mohanan Namboothiri prepared the feast for the club members and well wishers of the Malay-alam wing.
O N A M C E L E B R A T I O N
There is no emotional heft or genuine relationships shown in the new generation movies
DevanMalayalam film star
‘Moral education will nurture values’Times News Service
MUSCAT: While an academic education is for the mind, value-based education is for the heart and when a student is groomed in both, they emerge as good citi-zens, manifesting these values through their life journey, a work-shop here emphasised.
SAI Group recently conducted its 41st workshop for teachers at the Indian School, Ibri, which was based on the theme, ‘Integrating Values while Teaching.’
M.P. Vinoba, principal of the school, who was recently awarded the ‘CBSE Best Mentor Principal’ award by the Government of In-dia lauded the efforts of the SAI Group in choosing teachers as the main instruments for conveying the message of human values to the student community and said such workshops should become an annual feature at every school as they helped teachers forge a close bond with the students un-der their care.
The ultimate aim is to facilitate the teachers in carrying forward this message to the students and conveying to them the impor-
tance of adhering to lofty value standards in life, through which they can become a role model for human excellence.
The workshop, which is based on the principles of the Sri Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV), lasted for about four hours and the modules present-ed by the SAI Group volunteers gave an insight into the need for value-based education under the
current scenario and the role of teachers in inculcating values in the young minds. It also present-ed effective teaching techniques and hosted a presentation on how values can be integrated while teaching, be it language or math-ematics or science or information technology.
The workshop also reinforced the maxims, ‘The End of Educa-tion is Character’ and ‘Education is for life and not for mere living.’
Value integration About 40 teachers from the school participated in the presentations on the given theme aimed at dem-onstrating the efforts involved in value integration in a class room atmosphere, which can be both enjoyable and purposeful at the same time, and can fill their hearts with everlasting satisfac-tion, while also suffusing the life of the students with ‘values.’
Parents, teachers and admin-istrators in education represent the three sides of a triangle and their focus is the central core, namely the children. Every en-deavour should be made by them to bring out the best in the children
in terms of knowledge, skills and talent.
Leading a values-based life is all that is required to be implanted in a child’s heart.
For this, teachers serve as the best resource as they can very well strengthen the ideas related to values in the minds of the chil-dren while dealing with academic subjects.
It may be recalled that Dr. Ma-diha Al Shaibaniya, the Honoura-ble Minister of Education (MoE), had inaugurated this workshop series in September 2011.
Starting with the 40th year of blessed Renaissance in 2011, the SAI Group has been conducting these workshops on a voluntary basis for different schools: pri-vate, international and Omani Arabic schools.
“We consider this effort a unique blessing for us as this has brought us very close to the teaching faculty of Oman. Con-ducting this workshop for differ-ent schools in Oman has been an enriching experience, and we are grateful to the Ministry of Edu-cation for their encouragement,” said the SAI Group Coordinator.
I B R I W O R K S H O P
Musandam enhances environment efforts
KHASAB: Musandam’s nature and terrain are different from the rest of the governorates in Oman. The terrain is rugged, with tower-ing mountains and pockets of wa-ter scattered along its sea coasts, besides its bays and islands.
The terrain of the Governo-rate of Musandam is linked to its varied environment and wildlife, which are homogeneous on land and at sea.
The role of the Government, represented by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Af-fairs, is key in the efforts aimed at preserving the environment.
The Department of Environ-ment and Climate Affairs in the Governorate of Musandam car-ries out numerous tasks, aimed at protecting the wildlife and pre-serving the environment.
Among some of the actions carried out by the Department is the cleaning of coral reefs from pollutants of all kinds.
Annual cleaning campaign The annual cleaning campaign for coral reefs was started in 2004, but since 2011 the campaign’s frequency has increased to two to four per year. Among the most important locations that have been cleaned in the Wilayat of Khasab are the Khour Sham area, Khour Ghop Ali, Ras Kamzar, Al Khail Island, Umm Al Suqoor Is-land, Ras Al Sheikh Massoud and Khour Hablin. Many locations have also been cleaned in the Wilayat of Diba, such as Khour Hafah, Khour Mu’alla, Ras Al Mankas, Lima Island, Lulu Island and the Qubal area.
The coordination in carrying out these campaigns is main-tained by the Nature Conserva-tion Department with diverse, touring companies, and diving clubs in the governorate and volunteers from the local com-munity, who conduct diving campaigns in marine areas in
the wilayats of Khasab and Diba, along with the ROP Coast Guard, the Ministry of Regional Munici-palities and Water Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. In order to maintain the environment of Musandam, the Department of Environment and Climate Affairs in Musan-dam monitors marine organisms, of which there are plenty in the clean water areas that are free from contamination.
The dolphin, locally called Al Daghas, is always present in Khour Sham in the Wilayat of Khasab as it has enough food, and is suitable for such marine creatures. Very few cases of dead dolphins have been reported on the shores of Musandam. Most recently, one case was reported in the Wilayat of Bukha in April, where the dolphin’s death was re-lated to natural causes.
Another similar case was re-ported in Ghop Ali in May 2015. The Department of Environment and Climate Affairs in the Gover-norate of Musandam had taken appropriate measures to inves-tigate the causes of death and document them. Among the ma-rine creatures present in area are a type of turtle called “Hamas” by the locals.
The coast of Musandam is also exposed to oil pollution during varying and continuous periods
each year. The most important causes of oil pollution are oil tank-ers, commercial vessels, waste from oil tankers (ballast water and washing tanks), side products of oil exploration, and oil spills that occur during loading and un-loading in neighbouring ports, and oil spills from unidentified ships.
The proceduresThere are several procedures to be followed while dealing with oily contaminants, including, the role of members of the community, in cooperation with the competent authorities, while reporting such marine pollution cases.
The Department of Environ-ment and Climate Affairs in Mu-sandam has to report the cases to the Pollution Operation Centre at the ministry by filling out an Oil Report to respond to such cases, depending on its density, quan-tity and proximity to the coast.
Environment preservation ef-forts in the Governorate of Mu-sandam include the painting of tree trunks as many types of trees and plants face different kinds of damage leading to their death or their growth becoming stunted.
The Department of Environ-ment has carried out 13 cam-paigns during the last three years to paint the trunks of trees in various wilayats of the governo-rate.– ONA
Among the actions carried out by the
Department of Environment and Climate
Affairs is the cleaning of coral reefs from
pollutants
She added that KPJ is committed to offering quality specialist care to the patients in various fields, through its highly experienced specialists and state-of-the-art technology and equipment, which is used to enhance patients’ expe-rience, and medical and surgical outcomes.
Asked about KPJ’s cooperation with Oman, Kaur said the hospital receives patients from Oman and has a partnership with a number of agents in the Sultanate, who deal with enquires.
According to Amal Mahfoudh, corporate executive at KPJ, the hospital currently operates 26 hospitals in Malaysia.
Established more than 33 years ago, KPJ has also expanded into several countries, including Indo-nesia, Bangladesh and Thailand.
Kaur said KPJ will also consider any request for the establishment of a branch in Oman.
KPJ recorded significant growth in the number of patients and served more than 2.8 million pa-tients in 2014, compared with 2.7 million in the preceding year.
Malaysia’s specialist care group
M E D I C A L T O U R I S M
< FROM
A1‘Bring peace to Yemen’
Emphasising the sanctity of diplomatic residences, the Sul-tanate received with great sor-row the news of the targeting of the house of Oman’s ambassa-dor in Sanaa.
The attack is as an explicit vi-olation of international norms and conventions.
Ministry statementA statement issued by the Min-istry of Foreign Affairs said that Oman strongly denounces this act and requests the United Na-tions to undertake measures for ending the war in Yemen before it becomes a serious threat to the security of the region.
The Sultanate urged Yemeni parties to sort out their differ-ences and bring peace and sta-bility in Yemen.– ONA
Y E M E N I N C I D E N T
< FROM
A1
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MORALITY FIRST: The work-shop reinforced the maxims, ‘The End of Education is Char-acter’ and ‘Education is for life and not for mere living.’
NATURE’S CHARM: The dolphin, locally called Al Daghas, is abundant in Khour Sham in the Wilayat of Khasab as it has enough food, and is suitable for such marine creatures.– ONA
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‘Check time-table to cut school bag weight’
Times News Service
MUSCAT: Your child’s school bag could be heavy with text-books and notebooks not needed on that particular day. Find out if you do not know because it may be affecting your child adversely in more ways than one.
Ministry adviceOn its part, the Ministry of Edu-cation (MoE) has advised parents to check their children’s school time-table online so that they do not have to carry unnecessary books to school.
“This will help children to carry a fewer number of books,” said a teacher at a government school.
Rajagopal T. Naganathan, medical director, Atlas Hospital in Ruwi, who is also an orthopae-
dic surgeon, said that ideally the school bag should not weigh more than 10 to 15 per cent of the child’s body weight.
“Children can develop serious back pain because of the weight of bags they carry to school. So it is very important to carry less weight in school bags and sit in the right posture in the class-room,” he told the Times of Oman.
This advice comes after city-based doctors reported a rise in cases of spinal abnormalities in students, including disfiguring curvatures known as scoliosis.
New sessionWith new books, as many as 551,867 Omani students began their new academic year, recent-ly at 1,077 government schools all over the Sultanate.
“There is no doubt that school bags weigh more for some stu-dents,” observed Rajagopal T Na-ganathan.
Students routinely carry bags filled with books, exercise books, and reference books, apart from pencil boxes, packed lunches and water bottles.
“Sometimes, they also carry what is not required. So, it our responsibility to keep an eye on children’s backpacks so that they do not cause health problems when they are older,” said a parent.
Interestingly, the Indian schools have already released guidelines to be followed with re-spect to school bags.
The Indian Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) guidelines on school bags include limited number of textbooks for primary school students. The Board has also suggested a judi-cious time-table to avoid over-loading of bags.
“The time-table needs to be planned in such a way that stu-dents do not carry too many text-books and notebooks on a par-ticular day in the higher classes,” said the CBSE in a recent circular.
“Also, written home-work and all other forms of home-work and revision exercises should be planned in consultation with other subject teachers. This will ensure that students do not carry heavy school bags and get only judicious amounts of home-work on a particular day,” the circular added.
International practiceInternationally, most countries observe norms that limit the weight of school bags to less than one-seventh of the weight of the student.
Specialists are calling for a review of the weight youngsters are being asked to carry on their backs each day.
Experts are calling
for a review of the
weight youngsters
are being asked to
carry on their backs
each day
Oman business leaders to debate their social roleTimes News Service
MUSCAT: CSR Oman, a summit that unites the Omani business community to debate and discuss crucial corporate social responsi-bility (CSR) topics, will return for the second year in a row from Oc-tober 27 to 29, 2015, at the Grand Hyatt Muscat.
Organised by Informa Middle East, the two-day conference and one-day masterclass will cham-pion corporate social sustainabil-ity to drive community develop-ment, youth empowerment and social entrepreneurship.
CSR Oman 2015 will feature the keynote address from Mohsin bin Khamis Al Balushi, advisor to the Ministry of Commerce, who will also preside over the summit.
Specialists panelThe event will welcome an all-new expert panel of CSR special-ists including Houssam Chahin, senior PSFR officer for MENA at the United Nations High Com-missioner for Refugees and Dr Munther Al Busaidi, assistant dean for training and community service at the College of Econom-ics and Political Science at the Sultan Qaboos University.
Other prominent practitioners who are set to make key contribu-tions, are from some of the most
recognised national, regional and global institutions such as the Ju-soor Foundation, Ernst & Young, Sustainability Square, and Haya Water, in addition to HSBC Bank, Oman Sail, the Environment Society of Oman, HP and CSR Watch Jordan.
Larger platformHoda Abdelhay, conference pro-ducer at Informa Middle East, said, “CSR Oman 2015 has been built on last year’s success and will serve as an even larger platform to illustrate the most successful CSR initiatives, dis-cuss ways to cement sustain-able practices in all sectors of Oman, and exchange technical know-how and insight. Through these enriching discussions and debates, we have been able to develop a more unified vision of how best to drive Oman’s devel-opment, bolster mutual co-oper-ation, and realise the hopes and aspirations of the youth.”
CSR Oman 2015 will focus on utilising CSR to drive community development, youth empower-ment, and social entrepreneur-ship. Delegates can expect a host of insightful panel discussions, speed networking, case studies and expert roundtables where the latest trends and practices among other topics will be covered.
C S R O M A N
HEAVY BURDEN: Ideally, the school bag should not weigh more than 10 to 15 per cent of the child’s body weight.
Students learn about electoral processMUSCAT: A mock election was conducted by the Department of Social Science for the students of classes six, seven and eight at the Indian School Ghubra, to teach them the importance elections.
Under the guidance of the Head of the Department and the teach-ers, the students were trained as
to how they should contest elec-tions; cast their valuable votes and the importance of Universal Adult Franchise.
New experienceAs the students had never expe-rienced the voting process, it was decided to recreate a polling station
and give them the opportunity to gain real experience.
They were excited at being giv-en the responsibility to choose a leader and perform their duty as a citizen. All were issued a photo identity card to cast their vote, with Principal Papri Ghosh, Vice Princi-pal Sreekumar, teachers and other
members of the staff also joining in to cast their votes. The seriousness and decorum with which the entire process was conducted by the stu-dents was deemed commendable.
This was a great learning expe-rience for students as it encour-aged them to act as responsible citizens in the future.
E D U C A T I O N
EXCHANGING VIEWS: CSR Oman 2015 will focus on utilising CSR to drive community development, youth empowerment, and social entrepreneurship. – Supplied photo
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OMANS U N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0, 2 0 1 5
Standing next to the sea during a storm or crossing
wadis looking for special pictures or videos they
can upload on social media is quite common
Khalid Hamdan, Social commentator
Wadi selfie “Standing next to the sea during a storm or crossing wadis looking for special pictures or videos they can upload on social media is quite com-mon,” he said.
He added that the public should not share such pictures and videos on social media. “This will discour-age individuals and they will realise that they need not risk their lives in such a manner,” said Hamdan.
Pudwell also reminded people of the “rubber-necking” culture in this region where passers-by or other road users pull over just to see what is happening at an accident site and take photos. “In so many cases, this inevitably leads to more accidents and more injuries and extra work for the emergency services. This also often means that access to accidents or other types of emergencies is to-tally blocked by some inconsiderate people who feel it is their right to stop and look, resulting in delayed treatment for those in need,” he said.
“One of the first principles of ef-fective accident management is ac-cident site security, which ensures that all non-essential persons are kept well away from the scene so that effective rescue operations can be carried out, and the dignity of those involved is protected. Another reason for this is to ensure that those non-essential persons are protected from becoming part of the same ac-cident,” said Pudwell.
S O C I A L M E D I A
< FROM
A1Dar Al Atta’a presents Eid gifts to children
Times News Service
MUSCAT: In view of the upcom-ing Eid Al Adha, Dar Al Atta’a Association recently distributed clothing coupons to families reg-istered with the association in most of the governorates of Oman.
The number of children ben-efiting from the association’s charity was pegged at more than 1,600, and the value of the cou-pons handed out was estimated to be OMR16,100.
Visit to Al Jabal Al AswadOn September 12, the association had organised a visit to Al Jabal Al Aswad in the Wilayat of Quriyat for a number of its employees and a group of young volunteers, who
distributed Eid clothes and gifts to children in Al Jabal.
Charity marketThe volunteers had organised a charity market for the sale of sweets and baked goods and do-nated the sale proceeds worth OMR400 to buy clothes and gifts for children.
The objective of organising such visits was to instil a love for volunteer work and to help the needy children.
Meeting the needsThe association ensures that it meets the needs of the families living in Al Jabal Al Aswad dur-ing religious occasions, such as Ramadan and hands out clothing during Eid Al Fitr.
In addition, the association also provides uniforms, bags, school meals and daily food to the children enrolled in the school of Siyaa in Quriyat.
Multi-purpose hall It is also building a multi-pur-pose hall and a children’s play-ground in the area.
More than
1,600 children
benefited from
the association’s
charity and the
value of the coupons
handed out to them
was estimated at
OMR16,100
CHARITY WORK: The objective of organising such visits is to instil
a love for volunteer work and to help the needy children.
LuLu Group to open Sinaw outlet todayTimes News Service
MUSCAT: Launching its 118th outlet globally, the LuLu Group will open a hypermarket in Sinaw today.
The new store, located in the beautiful Al Sharqiyah region, will be inaugurated by Sheikh Yahya bin Hamoud Hamed Al Maamari, Gov-ernor of Al Sharqiyah North, in the presence of Yusuffali MA, Manag-ing Director, Lulu Group.
Spread over an area of 125,000 square feet, the new store is spe-cially designed to offer the resi-dents of Sinaw a novel shopping
experience at affordable prices, says a press release.
The hypermarket will cater to the needs of consumers ranging from fresh vegetables and fruits to hot food, a bakery and grocery, in addition to garments, electron-ics and home appliances. There are also sections selling dairy products, meat and fish.
The hypermarket has a dedicat-ed area for department store items, such as electronics, home appli-ances, furnishings and furniture. It offers a range of quality products to meet the needs of an entire fam-
ily. The outlet will offer world-class fashion brands and products for women, men and children under one roof. It also features extensively laid out counters, attentive services and ample parking space to add to a hassle-free shopping experience, says the press release.
Lulu will aim to offer superior customer service and the new out-let at Sinaw will be the company’s 15th outlet in Oman and serve as an excellent venue for shoppers in and around Sinaw. Lulu’s winning for-mula of value for money and qual-ity shopping will delight customers,
who will cherish the pleasurable shopping experience and the econ-omy it offers, adds the press release.
Over the last few years, Lulu has become an integral part of Oman’s landscape and has firmly established itself as one of the most preferred retail destinations for locals and the expatriate com-munities in Oman.
Lulu was recently recognised as one of the top 250 retailers in the world and this image has been earned through years of flawless delivery of dedicated services and quality products.
1 1 8 T H O U T L E T
VALUE FOR MONEY: The new store is designed to offer residents of
Sinaw a novel shopping experience at affordable prices.
MUSCAT: A conference will be held here with the aim of increasing awareness in the Sultanate on the importance of investment in human resources, especially among talented youth of Oman and introducing the latest developments in human resources in the world.
Oman Oil Refineries and Pe-troleum Industries Company (Orpic) will organise the confer-ence on latent energy of human resources themed “New Human Resources Era”, under the aus-pices of Sheikh Khalid bin Omar Al Marhoon, Minister of Civil Service, at Al Bustan Palace Ho-tel on September 29.
The one-day conference has been organised by Asayel Group for Events Management.
The conference will address three main themes. These are creating value-added founda-tion through qualified lead-ers, using technology for a new generation of human resources management and identifying competencies and talents to the development of staff, in addition to several sub-themes, such as management and development of human resources. -ONA
O R P I C
Conference on human resources
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REGIONS U N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0, 2 0 1 5
16 fresh faces in new Egypt cabinet
CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi swore in a new gov-ernment on Saturday that included 16 new ministers, a week after the previous administration resigned following a corruption scandal.
Sharif Ismail, who served as petroleum minister in the last cabinet, was sworn in as prime minister in a ceremony shown on state television. The ministers of foreign affairs, defence, interior, justice and finance have kept their positions in the new cabinet.
Former premier Ibrahim Mahl-ab’s government resigned on Sep-tember 12 days after the arrest of agriculture minister Salah Helal
as part of a corruption probe. A senior government offi-
cial had told AFP the reshuffle, the first major shake-up since Sisi won elections last year, was meant to “pump new blood” into the government. Ismail is seen as a veteran technocrat with ex-perience in state-owned oil com-panies. In his first remarks after assuming his post, Ismail warned the new government “does not have a magic wand.”
“It will take some time to solve some of the problems,” he was quoted as saying by state televi-sion. The new cabinet consists of 16 new ministers, and sees four ministries axed, the presidency said in a statement. The state news agency had reported 15 new ministers.
There had been growing calls for Mahlab’s resignation and in-
creasing protests by civil servants over a new law that centralises promotions while taxing bonuses. Mahlab quit as Egypt prepares to hold long-delayed legislative elec-tions in two phases between Oc-tober 17 and December 2.
The elections had initially been scheduled for early 2015 but were cancelled by a court on technical grounds. Mahlab, who had headed the Arab Contractors construc-tion firm, had been appointed by interim president Adly Mansour in March 2014, less than a year after the army led by then defence minister Sisi toppled president Mohamed Morsi.
New state prosecutor Morsi’s removal and detention unleashed a deadly crackdown on extremists that killed hundreds of protesters, and the army has strug-gled to quash an extremist insur-gency in the Sinai Peninsula.
Separately on Saturday, Sisi ap-pointed a new state prosecutor, Nabil Sadiq, to replace Hisham Barakat, who was killed in a car bombing in June. -AFP
Former petroleum
minister Sharif
Ismail was sworn in
as prime minister
NEW TEAM: A handout picture made available by the Egyptian Presidency shows Egyptian President
Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, centre, attending a meeting with his new government following a swearing-in
ceremony in Cairo, on Saturday. -AFP / HO / Egyptian Presidency
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‘Assad must go; talks only about when’LONDON: US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday Syria’s President Bashar Al As-sad has to go but the timing of his departure should be decided through negotiation.
Speaking after talks with Brit-ish Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond in London, Kerry called on Russia and Iran to use their influence over Assad to convince him to negotiate a po-litical transition. Kerry said the United States welcomed Russia’s involvement in tackling the IS in Syria but a worsening refugee cri-sis underscored the need to find a compromise that could also lead to political change in the country.
“We need to get to the nego-tiation. That is what we’re looking
for and we hope Russia and Iran, and any other countries with influ-ence, will help to bring about that, because that’s what is preventing this crisis from ending,” said Kerry.
“We’re prepared to negotiate. Is Assad prepared to negotiate, re-ally negotiate? Is Russia prepared to bring him to the table?”
Russia’s buildup at Syria’s La-takia airbase has raised the pos-sibility of air combat missions in Syrian airspace. Heavy Russian equipment, including tanks, and naval infantry forces, have been moved to Latakia, US officials say.
Kerry said of Assad’s removal: “For the last year and a half we have said Assad has to go, but how long and what the modality is... that’s a decision that has to be
made in the context of the Geneva process and negotiation.”
Kerry added: “It doesn’t have to be on day one or month one... there is a process by which all the parties have to come together and reach an understanding of how this can best be achieved.”
Kerry said he did not have a spe-cific time frame in mind for Assad to stay. “I just know that the people of Syria have already spoken with their feet. They’re leaving Syria.”
Hammond, who on September 9 said Britain could accept Assad staying in place for a transition pe-riod, said Assad could not be part of Syria’s long-term future “but the modality and timing has to be part of a political solution that allows us to move forward.”-Reuters
S Y R I A
US Secretary of State John
Kerry
55 ‘killed’ in Turkish
raids on Iraqi Kurds
ANKARA: Turkish fighter jets carried out a new barrage of cross-border airstrikes this week against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, killing at least 55 rebels, state-run Anatolia news agency reported Saturday.
The strikes by F-16 and F-4 jets targeted caves, houses and camps used by the mili-tant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Anatolia said, citing un-named security sources.
“At least 55 to 60 terrorists” were killed in the operation, which destroyed munitions de-pots, the report added.
Turkish security forces and the outlawed PKK have traded fire on a near daily basis since a two-year-old ceasefire fell
apart in late July with Ankara’s launch of a two-pronged “anti-terror” offensive against IS extremists in Syria and the ex-tremists’ Kurdish foes.
The bulk of the government’s firepower has been reserved for airstrikes on PKK bases in northern Iraq or in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish south-east, to which the rebels have responded with a string of bloody attacks on the security forces.
Around 150 soldiers and po-lice have been killed in PKK bombings and shootings since the return to open conflict, compared with around 1,100 in the rebel camp, according to pro-government media. -AFP
A I R S T R I K E S
Israeli aircraft strike GazaGAZA: Israel carried out air strikes in the Gaza Strip on Sat-urday after Palestinian militants there fired rockets into southern Israel.
The early morning air strikes targeted two training camps be-longing to the Hamas, causing no injuries, officials and witnesses said. Gaza militants fired at least two rockets into Israel late on Fri-day, Israeli military said.
One struck the border town of Sderot, damaging a bus but caus-ing no injuries. A second was shot down by a missile defense system, the military said.
A Palestinian group that sup-ports the IS claimed responsibility for one of the rockets fired at Isra-el. No-one claimed responsibility for the second rocket attack. -AFP
N O I N J U R I E S
...the modality and timing (of Assad’s exit) has
to be part of a political solution (on Syria) that
allows us to move forward
Philip Hammond, British Foreign Secretary
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INDIAS U N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0, 2 0 1 5
The Gujarat government wants to muzzle our voice. They want
to harass us. The Gujarat government and the state police wants
violence in the state. This act is against the spirit of democracy
Hardik Patel, Patel quota stir leader
India will not get involved in ASEAN disputes: Ansari
VIENTIANE: India wants to de-velop “comprehensive” ties with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations but will not get involved in any of their ter-
ritorial or maritime disputes, Vice President Hamid Ansari has said.
“India has a very clear cut view on Southeast Asia. We want to develop a comprehensive rela-tionship based on satisfaction of each other’s requirement,” he told reporters Friday night on his way
back from a four-day two-nation tour of Cambodia and Laos.
“Requirement is peace, stabil-ity and development. If there is no peace and stability, there will be no trade, there will be no invest-ment and there will be no busi-ness. Now in that we have a con-
vergence of views,” he said.Asked that with many South-
east Asian countries embroiled in territorial and maritime dis-putes, can India emerge as a sta-bilising force, Ansari, in a lighter vein, said, “We are not in the business of providing stabilisers that has to be done by the ship-building industry.”
Stressing that India has a very good relationship with ASEAN, Ansari said, “It is incumbent on us and we have done it, to have not only good relations with something called ASEAN but good relations with every member of ASEAN.”
He said India was doing this diligently doing and will continue to do it.
“Now if they have any problems amongst themselves it is for them to resolve. ASEAN has its own mechanism for resolving prob-lems,” Ansari asserted.
On the issue of terrorism, An-
sari said the menace has now be-come an international phenom-enon and can only be countered by international cooperation.
“Can’t say this is a problem of country X which is far away from country Y because we do not know what connections are being established within these groups. International cooperation has become an absolute necessity. It is not a matter of choice that we will cooperate with one and not the other,” Ansari said.
Talking about his visit to Cam-bodia and Laos during which he held talks with the top leadership of both countries and MoUs were signed for stepping up bilateral economic engagement, Ansari said the “atmospherics” in both countries were very good. Ansari’s visit to Laos and Cambodia came in the backdrop of India’s pitch to strengthen economic engagement with ASEAN countries. - PTI
The Vice President
said ASEAN has its
own mechanism
for resolving
problems, and India
wants to develop
‘comprehensive’ ties
with ASEAN nations
GREETINGS: Vice President Hamid Ansari being greeted with a
bouquet on his departure from Wattay International Airport in
Vientiane, Laos on Friday. - PTI
Indian couple in US faces lawsuit over autistic son’s behaviour
LOS ANGELES: An Indian cou-ple in the US has been forced to leave their house after their neighbours filed a lawsuit against them alleging their autistic son is a “public nuisance”, sparking out-rage among parents of children with autism, according to a media report.
Vidyut Gopal — an engineer at a Silicon Valley company and Pa-rul Agrawal — a research scientist at NASA Ames Research Centre, were forced to leave their home of seven years in California’s Sun-nyvale city, one of the major cities that make up Silicon Valley.
When neighbours complained about the child’s pulling chil-dren’s hair, biting a woman and other menacing behaviour, the couple hired caregivers, gave the boy special medication, and put him in therapeutic classes, The San Jose Mercury News reported on Thursday. - PTI
S P A R K I N G O U T R A G E
Hardik detained ahead of rally;
mobile Internet services banned
AHMEDABAD: Police on Sat-urday detained Patel quota stir leader Hardik Patel along with 35 of his supporters from Varachha area here for trying to take out the ‘Ekta Yatra’ without taking prior permission from authorities.
“We detained Hardik Patel along with his 35 supporters from Mangadh chowk in Varachha area of the city ahead of their rally to-day,” Surat Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana said.
“They were detained in the in-terest of law and order as they did not seek any permission from the state authorities to take out this rally,” added Asthana.
Hardik and others were taken to police headquarters after the detention, he said.
Speaking to reporters con-demning the police action, the 22-year-old firebrand leader said, “The Gujarat government wants to muzzle our voice. They want to harass us. The Gujarat govern-ment and the state police wants violence in the state. This act is against the spirit of democracy.”
‘Ekta Yatra’Hardik had till on Thursday kept his plans secret about the Ekta rally after being denied permis-sion to hold it from Dandi to Ahmedabad.
Earlier on Saturday, Hardik’s associate and the convener of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) in Surat- Alpesh Kathiria-announced that they will take out the rally from Mangadh chowk in Varachha area of the city in west-ern Indian state of Gujarat.
Hardik, who has emerged as the prominent face of Patels in Gujarat, has been spearheading the agitation to get reservation for Patel community under Other Backward Class (OBC).
In past two weeks, Hardik had announced to take out the “re-verse Dandi March” twice, but cancelled the plan after Navsari district administration denied permission to them.
Hardik has been hogging lime-light after his aggressive speech in a rally on August 25 and the sub-sequent violence that gripped the state after his detention which left 10 people dead in Gujarat.
Notification issuedMeanwhile, in a bid to curb spread of rumours after detention of Pa-tel community leader Hardik, the Gujarat administration on Satur-day banned mobile Internet ser-vices across the state.
“We have decided to ban mobile Internet service in the state to tackle the law and order situation
and to curb the rumours across Gujarat for an indefinite period,” Director General of Police P. C. Thakur said.
According to a notification is-sued by Ahmedabad city Police Commissioner Shivanand Jha, mobile Internet services have been banned from Saturday after-noon to 12pm on September 20.
Jha in the notification said the action has been taken to curb ru-mours after Hardik’s detention and to control the law and order situation. Soon after the 22 year-old leader’s detention, Surat dis-trict collector issued notification putting ban on mobile Internet services for 24 hours.
In Rajkot also, mobile Internet services have been prohibited for a week, said District Collector Manisha Chandra. - PTI
G U J A R A T
HELD: Police detain Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS)
convener Hardik Patel while he was trying to take out Ekta Yatra
from Varachha Road in Surat on Saturday. - PTI
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INDIAS U N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0, 2 0 1 5
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Modi is anti-thesis of Mahatma, says Rahul
RAMNAGAR (Bihar): Kicking off the Congress campaign in poll-bound Bihar, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday raked up the “suit boot ki sarkar” jibe to target the Modi government, warning people that they would lose their land and livelihood if National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power.
Addressing a rally in this West Champaran region where Ma-hatama Gandhi had waged a bat-tle to free farmers from indigo
farming forced by Britishers, the Congress Vice President suggest-ed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the anti-thesis of the Ma-hatma.
“While the Mahatma shed his suit and donned a dhoti as he led the poor farmers, Modi who claimed to have started as a chai-wala (tea seller) started wearing Rs1.5 million suit after becom-ing Prime Minister,” Rahul said, painting Modi and the BJP-led NDA as a ‘club of the rich’.
On the one hand, there is Gan-dhiji who worked amid the poor and the labourers, shed his suit and on the other, there is Modiji who meets only people who wear
suit boot and not the poor and the oppressed.
“He says that I and my friends wearing suit-boot will change In-dia. Give two crore new jobs every year, provide 100 per cent en-hanced minimum support price to farmers for their produce and would deposit Rs15 lakh in eve-ryone’s account by getting back black money stashed abroad. Tell me whether any of these things happened?,” Congress vice presi-dent asked amid cries of ‘No, no” from the audience.
A day before the Congress is organising a mega-kisan samman rally in the national capital, Rahul warned people of the backward
agrarian state that “Modiji and his friends wearing suit-boot want to usurp your land.
“They say you give your land and they will give development and jobs to the youth of Bihar.
“Your land will be taken away and you will not get any employ-ment. We have formed this alli-ance because we want to protect poor, weak and the oppressed. We want to save you from Modiji and his friends”.
Rahul said that if the BJP gov-ernment came to power here, two-three people from Gujarat and Delhi wearing expensive suits will come and claim the land asking for removal farmers from there. Rahul also alluded to the recent controversy in the BJP-ruled Ma-harashtra over making Marathi language mandatory for getting license to ply auto.
“When you go to other states for jobs like Maharashtra, then you will be told that you will not get that because you do not know their language,” he said.
Attacking Modi on the issue of corruption, he cited the Lalit Modi controversy, Vyapam scam and Public distribution system (PDS) scam in BJP-ruled Mad-hya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh respectively. - PTI
The Congress leader
raked up the ‘suit
boot ki sarkar’ jibe
to target the Modi
government, warning
people they would
lose their land if the
NDA came to power
in Bihar
WOOING VOTERS: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi with
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and JD-U’s KC Tyagi being garlanded
during an election rally at Ramnagar in West Champaran district,
Bihar on Saturday. - PTI
‘Centre needs to tread cautiously on Netaji files’
HYDERABAD: The Central gov-ernment will take a decision on declassification of files related to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose only after studying its impact on India’s relations with other coun-tries, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said here on Saturday.
“The West Bengal government has made public certain confi-dential files related to Netaji. It is good... it needs to be studied what is there in those files before the
Centre takes such a decision, its impact on the international com-munity, our relations with other countries, neighbouring coun-tries, needs to be studied.
“The Centre will have to take a final decision after studying that. I personally feel that peo-ple of the country have the right to know the truth on the Netaji issue. Government will think of it and decide how and when to do it,” the Parliamentary Affairs
minister told reporters here on the sidelines of an event.
Seventy years after his mys-terious disappearance, 64 files running into nearly 13,000 pag-es were declassified on Friday which shows some of Netaji’s family members were spied upon in independent India.
However, there was no clar-ity on whether Bose died in an air crash in 1945 as is widely be-lieved. - PTI
M Y S T E R I O U S D I S A P P E A R A N C E
One Indian killed, two injured in Yemeni attacks in Saudi
NEW DELHI: One Indian was killed and two were injured in mor-tar attacks from Yemen around Samtah General Hospital in Jizan Region of Saudi Arabia.
While the Indian has been iden-tified as Farooq, a mechanic from Kerala, the two injured are Mo-hammad Sadiq from Bihar and Sunny Thomas from Kerala, offi-
cial sources said on Saturday.The Indian was among four
killed when Yemeni Houthi rebels attacked the Samtah hospital early on Friday morning, they said.
According to reports, the attack was part of Yemen’s retaliatory measures against Riyadh’s una-bated military campaign in the im-poverished Gulf country. - PTI
R E T A L I A T O R Y A T T A C K
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PAKISTAN S U N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0, 2 0 1 5
BRIDAL FASHION SHOWModels present creations by Pakistani designer Shamaeel Ansari on the final day of the Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC) L’Oreal Paris Bridal Week in
Lahore on Friday night. — AFP
16 killed as Taliban hideouts bombed after raid on air base
PESHAWAR: Pakistani jets killed 16 suspected militants in bombing raids near the Afghan border on Saturday, and police ar-rested dozens of people, security officials said, the day after Taliban militants killed 29 people in an at-tack on an air base.
The attack on the base on Friday was the deadliest ever militant at-tack on a Pakistani military instal-lation and is likely to undermine already rocky ties with Afghani-stan.
Hours after the attack, Paki-stan’s military spokesman point-edly noted that communications intercepts showed the Pakistani Taliban gunmen were being di-rected by handlers in Afghanistan.
Saturday’s air force raids tar-geted militant bases in the Tirah Valley, which straddles the Af-ghan border and is a main smug-gling route between the two countries, two Pakistani security officials said.
“All those killed in the bombing
were Pakistani militants,” said one security official in the northwest-ern city of Peshawar.
Badaber air baseOn Friday, 13 gunmen stormed the Badaber air base, about 10 km south of Peshawar in an attack a Pakistani Taliban spokesman said was retaliation for bombing raids on their bases along the Afghan border.
Police said they picked up around 50 residents living near the
base on suspicion of helping the militants organise the attack.
Shafqat Malik, head of the Pe-shawar bomb squad, said the at-tackers carried enough firepower to occupy the base, but that some of their weapons had malfunc-tioned. Each man had an assault rifle, two improvised explosive devices, and several rocket pro-pelled grenades, but some of the grenades misfired, he said.
“Their mission was occupation of the air base,” he said.
Pakistan has been fighting some militant factions since after it sided with the United States fol-lowing the September 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks on U.S. cities.
Pakistan launched an offen-sive to dislodge Pakistani Taliban from their northwestern strong-hold of North Waziristan in 2014 and there has been fighting in var-ious places, including the Tirah Valley, since then.
For years Pakistan and Afghani-stan have traded accusations of
not doing enough to stamp out insurgents on either side of their long, porous border.
Each country has a separate but allied Taliban insurgency fighting to overthrow the government and install strict Islamist rule and se-curity cooperation is seen as vital to defeat militancy.
Last month, Afghanistan blamed Pakistan for not doing enough to counter militants who carried out a series of attacks in the Afghan capital, Kabul. — Reuters
Saturday’s air force
raids targeted
militant bases in the
Tirah Valley, which
straddles the Afghan
border and is a main
smuggling route
between the two
countries
ALERT: Pakistani soldiers patrol outside an air force base a day after it was attacked by militants in Peshawar on Saturday. — AFP
Imran vows to run by-elections campaign despite banLAHORE: Despite a ban on all parliamentarians from visiting and participating in campaigning for by-elections in National As-sembly seats NA-122 of Lahore and NA-154 Lodhran, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan announced on Satur-day that he would run a campaign for the impending by-elections at full throttle.
“We will run the campaign for by-elections because it is neces-sary if we want democracy in our country,” Imran said while ad-
dressing a press conference in Lahore, adding that legally there was no provision to stop him from doing so.
He said, as per their legal ex-perts, there is no legal hitch for him to run the campaign for his candidates, and added that being restricted by the Election Com-mission of Pakistan (ECP) from running the by-election cam-paigns was incomprehensible.
“I am not a president or prime minister who can be restricted from running the campaign. I am
a party leader who has to convey the party’s manifesto to the mass-es,” he said.
The directives for the ban were given in light of a new code of con-duct issued recently by the ECP.
Imran said he would write to the inspector general of Punjab and the ECP about police officials harassing people and turning them against from voting for PTI.
“We have a tape from Hafizabad showing a police official cam-paigning for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). We will
write to the ECP regarding this is-sue and reveal the names of people associated with the PML-N who are illegally campaigning for the elections,” he said.
Reiterating his party’s stance on holding a protest outside ECP headquarters in Islamabad on Oc-tober 4, Imran said, “ECP mem-bers who conducted rigged elec-tions in 2013 should go home.”
He further added, “How can we expect a fair and transparent by-election or local government un-der them.” — Express Tribune
D E F I A N T
Oil and gas reserves discovered in Punjab
85% area of Balochistan protected by paramilitary
ISLAMABAD: Mari Petroleum Company Limited announced on Friday it had struck another sig-nificant crude oil, condensate and natural gas discovery in its Kala-bagh well in Karak block of Mian-wali district, Punjab.
This joint venture in Karak is operated by Mari Petroleum with a 60 per cent working interest and MOL having a 40 per cent share.
The discovery at Kalabagh-1A ST1 is the second for the company in the block in Datta, Samanasuk and Lockhart formations.
Earlier, it made a major crude oil find in the block at Halini well-I in 2011.
During testing at Kalabagh well, gas and condensate flowed in the Datta formation at a rate of 3.3 mil-lion standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) and 160 barrels per day respectively.
The well was also successfully tested in the Samanasuk forma-tion where gas and condensate flowed at a rate of 4.68 mmscfd and 180 barrels per day. In the Lock-hart formation, crude oil flowed at a rate of 500 barrels per day.
“The new discovery is expected to add significantly to the nation’s hydrocarbon reserve base, con-tribute to foreign exchange sav-ings and bridge demand and sup-ply gap,” Mari Petroleum said in a press release. — Express Tribune
QUETTA: The paramilitary Balochistan Levies is the only force protecting 85 per cent of the province, said Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch on Friday.
Addressing a passing-out cer-emony in Quetta of a batch of 150 Levies personnel who com-pleted counterterrorism train-ing, CM Malik said their display of modern training skills proved that the Levies can counter all kinds of attacks. “The people of Balochistan are deemed geneti-cally brave.”
He applauded the Lev-ies’ efforts to restore peace in Khuzdar, “The way they per-formed in Khuzdar, we are op-timistic that as long as we have our brave force, no one can de-feat the nation.”
General Commanding Of-ficer Maj Gen Aftab said: “I have trained many recruits in this ground, but today’s perfor-mance was amazing and sig-nificant.”
Since the launch of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, police, intelli-gence agencies and Levies force have wiped out extremism from the province, he added.
Untoward situationMeanwhile, Levies Director General Captain Tariq Zehri said the paramilitary force has improved enough so that they have the ability to face any unto-ward situation.
“The government is working to further build the capacity of the Levies because much of the China-Pakistan Economic Cor-ridor passes through the Levies’ area,” he said, adding that they will assist other forces deployed for it’s security. — Express Tribune
S I G N I F I C A N T F I N D
P A S S I N G - O U T C E R E M O N Y
I am not a president or prime
minister who can be restricted
from running the campaign. I am a
party leader who has to convey the
party’s manifesto to the masses,
said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan
A11
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Hundreds of Thais defy ruling junta’s rally ban
BANGKOK: Hundreds of activ-ists defied a ban on protests and marched in Thailand’s capital on Saturday in a rare rally against the hard-line ruling military.
Lines of police stood by as a crowds of people chanting “no dictatorship”, some carrying anti-junta banners, marched peace-fully on Bangkok’s Democracy Monument, against the orders of a government widely condemned for using draconian measures to silence detractors.
The protest was to mark the ninth anniversary of a coup against the government of Thaksin Shina-watra that many Thais see as the trigger for an intractable conflict that is showing no signs of abating.
The demonstrators attended a forum at Bangkok’s Thammasat University which the government allowed to take place, but permis-sion was denied for their march beyond its walls.
Though the gathering pales in comparison to the mass rallies that have plagued Thailand, pro-
tests have been rare since the gen-erals overthrew the government of Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s sister, in a coup in May last year.
The military has been criticised by the West for rounding up hun-dreds of activists, some for dem-onstration of just a few people. Many, including journalists and politicians, have been forced to attend “attitude adjustment” ses-sions at army bases.
“Peoples’ rights have been taken away, too many have been detained,” said Montra Thong-
suksan, a demonstrator carrying a sign saying “return power to the people”.
“I have to show solidarity, against the military. I’m scared, but I’m willing to march to show we won’t give up.”
Thailand has been caught in a dilapidating tug-of-war between supporters of the politically domi-nant Shinawatra family and a roy-alist military backed by a network of old-money conservatives whose influence is being challenged.
The military will not cede pow-
er soon; Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the general who staged the coup said last week an election could take place in July 2017.
The time frame was pushed back about a year after a military-appointed panel on September 6 rejected a draft constitution in a vote many analysts believe the top brass may have influenced to prolong its rule.
There was no uniformed mili-tary presence at the rally and po-lice, who estimated 400 attended, made no obvious attempt to stop it.
“We are observing, to keep things in order,” the commanding officer, Major General Pongpan Wannapak, told Reuters.
“If things get out of hand, we’ll report it to our superiors.” — Reuters
The protest was
held to mark the
ninth anniversary
of a coup against
the government of
Thaksin Shinawatra
that many Thais see
as the trigger for an
intractable conflict
that is showing no
signs of abating
ANTI-JUNTA PROTEST: A demonstrator from the New Democracy
Movement (NDM) group flashes a three-finger salute inspired by
the movie ‘The Hunger Games’ during a rally at the Democracy
Monument in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday. — Reuters
Peoples’ rights have been taken away, too many have been detained. I have to show solidarity, against the military. I’m scared, but I’m willing to march to show we won’t give up
Montra ThongsuksanDemonstrator
HAVE YOUR SAY Send us your comments at facebook.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com [email protected]
Abe’s opponents vow to fight laws on role of militaryTOKYO: Opposition groups Sat-urday vowed to challenge laws passed overnight that clear Japa-nese troops to fight abroad for the first time since World War II, saying the changes are a “black stain” on the country’s history.
Japan’s ruling coalition, led by nationalist Prime Minister Shin-zo Abe, pushed the laws through in the early hours of the morning after days of tortuous debate that at points descended into physical scuffles in parliament.
For the first time in 70 years, the new laws will give the gov-ernment the power to send the military into overseas conflicts to defend allies, even if Japan itself is not under attack.
The nationalist premier ar-gues the laws are necessary to protect against threats from an increasingly belligerent China and unstable North Korea, but opponents fear the vague word-ing could see Japan dragged into far-flung foreign wars.
Abe has faced bitter opposi-tion over the changes, which have seen his popularity slump,
and opposition lawmakers have vowed to do everything in their power to fight them.
“This is not an end,” said Ren-ho, a senior lawmaker from the main opposition Democratic Party of Japan. “Let’s make it the beginning of the beginning,” she said on Twitter.
Mizuho Fukushima, a senior lawmaker from the Social Demo-cratic Party, told a crowd of more than ten thousand who gathered outside parliament during the debate: “Abe’s cabinet criminals... Let’s get them out of here.”
Speaking after the vote, Abe said the changes were “necessary in order to protect people’s lives and peaceful way of life”.
“This is designed to prevent wars,” he told journalists.
Abe had been unable to mus-ter support to amend the pacifist constitution and instead opted to “re-interpret” the meaning of self-defence in order to push through the new laws, but the move has sparked a groundswell of opposition not seen for dec-ades in Japan. — AFP
J A P A N
CONTROVERSY: Police officers stand guard around the National
Diet building in Tokyo on Saturday after Japanese Prime Minis-
ter Shinzo Abe’s controversial security bills were passed during
a session of parliament overnight. — AFP
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Noah Feldman
If you’re as cynical as I am about Europe’s impulse to control migration from Arab lands, you might have the same question I
did: Why don’t European navies interdict the refugees at sea, and send them back to Libya or Turkey or wherever they’re coming from? It might seem cruel, but after all, that’s what the US did with Haitian boat people in the 1990s and what Australia still does with asylum-seekers.
You might think the answer is that the Europeans are just more softhearted than the Americans or Australians, but it turns out the answer isn’t that simple. Behind Europe’s policy of saving refugees at sea and bringing them in for processing and asylum lies a controversial 2012 decision by the European Court of Human Rights.
Motivated by humanitarian instincts, and decided before Syria’s collapse put the flow of Arab refugees into overdrive, the decision is a model of how law can affect policy. It’s also a model of the risks when international courts make decisions that have huge consequences for real-world policy.
I was struck to learn from an article by the scholar Jill Goldenziel that, before the 2012 decision, while Muammer Gaddafi’s regime was still standing, Italy had an agreement with the dictator that it would stop boats of refugees on the high seas and send them straight back to Libya. On the surface, the arrangement sounds ugly, and indeed, Human Rights Watch led the international human rights community in criticising it.
Yet the practice of turning back migrants may also have created some disincentive against boarding rickety boats in the hopes of being rescued and ending up in Europe.
Today, desperate people fleeing civil war in Syria or terrible economic conditions elsewhere know that, if they make it into international waters, they can use a mobile phone -- typically provided by the smugglers -- to call the Italian or other naval dispatchers. They will then be picked up and brought to Europe, provided their ships don’t founder first and they don’t drown.
Of course, the risk is extreme, as we’ve seen after all the deaths on overpacked and unseaworthy ships. No one would undertake this
course of action unless no better option existed. But it’s also true that the refugees are risking their lives precisely in the hopes of being saved by European navies.
What changed since the time of the Libya deal was the European court’s 2012 decision in Hirsi Jamaa v. Italy. In that case, Somali and Eritrean nationals argued that Italy’s policy violated the most important provision of the Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. Article 33 of the convention says that no signatory may “expel or return (‘refouler’) a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers of territories where his life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.” This right is known as “non- refoulement.”
In the Hirsi Jamaa case, Italy said Article 33 didn’t apply to a rescue mission that took place in international waters. The fleeing East Africans were never in Italy, after all, so Italy’s obligation not to send them home never kicked in.
The US government made the same argument successfully to the US Supreme Court in the 1993 case of Sale v. Haitian Centers Council. In an 8-1 decision, the court held that the domestic US law implementing the refugee convention didn’t apply to Haitians who were intercepted at sea by the US Navy and then held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The unsuccessful case for the Haitians was argued by Harold Hongju Koh, who later became a State Department official in both the Bill Clinton and Barack Obama administrations. Koh did, however, induce Justice Harry Blackmun, for whom he’d earlier clerked, to write a heartfelt dissent. In the dissent, Blackmun, who was given to moving rhetoric on behalf of victims, ended by saying that the refugees had raised “a modest plea, vindicated by the Treaty and the statute. We should not close our ears to it.”
The European Court of Human Rights was apparently touched by Blackmun’s rhetoric, which it quoted at the conclusion of its opinion. It held that Italy’s naval vessels were part of Italy, and that the refugee treaty’s obligation not to send refugees back home applied the moment the Italian navy took control of the refugees’ ships. It concluded by banning Italy’s strategy of pushback. — Bloomberg View
Oman roads like those of developed countriesThis refers to the news story, ‘OMR2.5b push to make Oman roads the best’ (September 19). As a resident of Oman, it is a great pleasure to know that the quality of Oman’s roads has been ranked among the top in the world. The Ministry of Transport and Com-munication has to be appreciated for this great achievement. Since
the Renaissance, the Oman government has given more care and attention to its road work and infrastructure. For a country like Oman, which is geographi-cally extensive, it is a difficult task to make and maintain a network of roads with the quality of standard specifica-tions. Those who drive even in the interiors of Oman can experience the exceptional quality of roads matching with those of the developed countries in the world.— P. A. Jacob, Muscat
Need to take proper precautions for eating stored foods This refers to the online story, ‘How Well is Your Food Stored?’ (September 19). This article is indeed an eye-opener. I have always used bread, salads, cooked processed meat after storing in freezers for months. Many a time, I have thawed and refrozen the food and have never fallen ill. However, it seems it is simply that I have been extremely lucky. The
types of precautions needed for eating stored foods have left me dumbfounded. No wonder my mother always scolded for messing with the items in the fridge. — Sadia Hashim, Muscat
T I M E S O F O M A NS U N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0, 2 0 1 5A12
Why Europe must help refugees coming by sea
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Moosa stresses goal of health for all citizensMUSCAT: Health minister Dr Ali bin Mohammed bin Moosa said all-round development in health services had been achieved as a result of the governments’ commitment, since the dawn of the Renaissance, to the goal of providing health care to all citizens as an essential factor in the comprehensive human development. The minister said the government had provided all facilities in the health sector.
1783: The first hot-air balloon is sent aloft in Versailles, France with animal passengers including a sheep, rooster and a duck. 1841: The first railway to span a frontier is completed between Stousbourg and Basle, in Europe.
1948: Moscow announces it will withdrawal soldiers from Ko-rea by the end of the year.
1957: First underground nuclear test is takes place in Nevada.
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The second strike capability is of great importance in the context
of Pakistan, for the general consensus has been that it only
had a first-use option. In the event of its land-based nuclear arsenal being neutralised, the
game would have been upbit.ly/pakistannukeclaim
KAMRAT REHMAT
The question is which universe contains more Republican
primary voters, and whether Bush or Kasich can pry
Republicans away from the dark side and persuade them to give
optimism a fleeting chance.It’s a tough sell
bit.ly/republicancivilwar
FRANCIS WILKINSON
From just after World War I into the 1970s, US soldiers and
sailors were exposed to mustard gas and experimental nerve-
agent antidotes, all without their knowledge. Now the survivors want to know exactly what the
military did to them. They want medical care
bit.ly/ustroopsnervegasnocare
TOBIN HARSHAW
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
Worker safety and negligence has been brought again to the spotlight after four workers were killed in an accident on last Sunday
SEPTEMBER 2000
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OMAN’S MERCHANDISEIMPORTS BY LAND
From February to April 2015(in million rials)
Source: National Centre for Statistics & Information
March
0
307.8
April
280.9
February
259.8
A13
WORLDS U N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0, 2 0 1 5
474,000 people had so far this year
braved perilous trips across the
Mediterranean to reach Europe
New wave of migrants hits Europe
BELI MANASTIR (Croatia): Thousands of migrants sought their way through a chaotic maze of rumour and proliferating border controls in the western Balkans on Saturday.
In the latest chapter in the EU’s escalating refugee crisis, Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia tussled over how to cope with a wave of refu-gees desperate to reach northern Europe.
The European Union, mean-while, sketched plans to boost aid to encourage Syrians in Turkey to stay put rather than join the exodus. In a new hurdle aimed at stemming the inflow, Hungary said it had completed a 41-kilome-tre (25-mile) barbed-wire barrier along part of its frontier with fel-low EU member Croatia.
It “was finished overnight Fri-day,” defence spokesman Attila Kovacs said in Budapest.
The remaining 330km of the border runs roughly along the Dra-va river, which is difficult to cross.
Barbed-wire fenceThe new barrier adds to a barbed-wire fence that Hungary set down along its frontier with Serbia, and backed with laws threatening ille-gal migrants with jail.
That move sparked fierce con-demnation internationally and forced the migrant flow towards neighbouring Croatia.
Reversing an open-door poli-cy, Croatia on Friday said it was swamped and redirected the mi-grants back to Hungary.
Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic on Friday said that Zagreb and Budapest had agreed to allow “vulnerable migrants” to
cross. Austrian police said 6,700 people had arrived on its border from Hungary, and as many as 10,000 were expected by the end of the day. They were then taken by bus or special train to various reception centres around Austria, police said. Another branch of the refugee flow has been through Croatia and to Slovenia.
Hundreds of migrants spent the night in the open on the Croa-tian side of the border at Bregana, state-run HRT television reported.
At Harmica, several dozen mi-grants faced off with a cordon of riot police on the frontier bridge, demanding that Slovenian police let them enter the country, an AFP reporter saw.
Late Friday, police used tear gas against several hundred migrants, some with children, who had sought to push through the police line. The clash happened shortly after Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar said the small country might consider creating “corri-dors” for refugees wanting to reach northern Europe if they continue arriving in large numbers.
Migrant flowSlovenian police said on Saturday that 1,287 had arrived as of mid-night Friday, of which 483 were from Afghanistan, 470 from Syria and 126 from Iraq.
With no let-up in the flow of people desperate to find shelter in Europe from war and misery, new figures showed the EU received almost a quarter of a million asy-lum requests in the three months to June.
The International Organiza-tion for Migration (OIM) also said nearly 474,000 people had so far this year braved perilous trips across the Mediterranean to reach Europe.
The continent’s biggest migra-tory flow since the end of World War II has dug a deep rift between western and eastern EU members, with Hungary leading the hardline group. Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, is the great magnet for the refugees, many of whom are Syrians.
On Friday, Berlin warned it could invoke EU’s majority voting system to force reluctant states to accept quotas of migrants.
Another worry is over the fate of the Schengen agreement, a pil-lar of the European project that allows borderless travel between member states.
In addition to fences or restric-tions on parts of the border be-tween Croatia, Hungary and Slo-venia, there are identity checks that Germany, Austria and Slo-vakia have reimposed on parts of their borders, and Poland and
The Netherlands are considering whether to follow suit.
EU interior ministers are to meet again on Tuesday, followed by an emergency summit on Wednesday.
Turkish solutionMeanwhile, European Commis-sioner Johannes Hahn said Sat-urday the EU was earmarking aid of “up to one billion euros” ($1.13 billion) to encourage Syrian refu-gees in Turkey to stay there rather than join the outpouring of people heading to Europe.
The money will “help Turkey to deal with this challenge and (give) people (a) perspective to stay in the region in order to return back into their home region, home towns, as soon as this is possible,” Hahn said. The money will be taken from funds allocated for Turkey, Hahn said in a visit to a migrant recep-tion centre at Gevegilja, in Mac-edonia.
Of the more than four million Syrians who have fled their coun-try, nearly half have sought shelter in Turkey, while more than a mil-lion are now living in Lebanon and nearly 630,000 in Jordan.
The UN’s World Food Pro-gramme (WFP) has said severe underfunding has forced it to halve its food assistance to 1.3 million of the refugees. - AFP
In the latest chapter
in the European
Union’s escalating
refugee crisis,
Croatia, Hungary and
Slovenia tussled over
how to cope with
a wave of refugees
desperate to reach
northern Europe
SEEKING TRANSIT: Slovenia police stand guard, as migrants and refugees wait to depart the bridge
between the Croatian-Slovenian border in Rigonce on Saturday. Hundreds of migrants gathered on
Croatia’s main border crossings with Slovenia on Saturday, seeking transit through Slovenian territory
in their bid to travel to northern Europe, AFP reporters and local media said. - AFP
ROME: Twenty rescue operations Saturday picked up over 4,500 people off the Libyan coast, according to the Italian coastguard, which was coordinating the response for yet another boat in distress in the Mediterranean.
Among those taking part was Doctors Without Borders ship Bourbon Argos, which said it had rescued over 800 people, who were expected to be brought to safety in Italy along with the rest of those saved.
“We started before first light this morning with our first rescue. We rescued two wooden fishing boats and two rubber dinghies,” said Simon Burroughs, emergency coor-dinator for search-and-res-cue missions by the medical group — commonly known by its French initials MSF.
Burroughs said those rescued included Eritreans, Nigerians, Somalis, Libyans, Syrians and West Africans.
The 20 operations took place between 30 and 40 nautical miles off the Libyan coast, and saw rescue work-ers pluck people from eight boats and 12 dinghies.
The body of a woman was also recovered. The mass effort was carried out by an Italian military ship, the MSF’s Bourbon Argos, the MAOS search and rescue Phoenix, a Croatian vessel operating under EU border agency Frontex, two ves-sels operating within the Eunavfor Med mission — one British, one German — and the Italian coastguard.
The coastguard said an-other mission was under way to save yet more people who had run into difficulty during the perilous crossing from Libya to the Italian shores.
In videos sent to AFP by MSF, hundreds of people in brightly-coloured clothes could be seen sprawled out on the Argos, a nearly 70-metre-long Luxembourg-flagged ship which typically carries
around 700 people.“It’s quite a big boat, but
at the moment every inch of deck space is covered. People are extremely relieved to be off of their sinking boats,” Burroughs said.
“We’ve had about a week of bad weather that stopped any kind of rescue operations, but last night and this morning weather changed,” he said, as children were heard crying in the background.
“There are multiple nation-alities... Thankfully, everyone is in good health,” said MSF spokesman Sami Al Subaihi, who is seen aboard the ship in the video.
Launched in May, the Argos has been handling large rescue missions due to the growing waves of people seeking refuge in Europe.
“It’s a large operation, but unfortunately it’s becoming quite a typical operation...
Our last rescue was over 1,000 people,” Burroughs said.The Bourbon Argos has a staff of 26 people on board, includ-ing medical specialists.
According to Yazan Al Saadi, MSF’s regional com-munications officer in Beirut, the three MSF search-and-rescue vessels are equipped to treat migrants for various medical issues. On Friday, 102 migrants were rescued in the Mediterranean by Libyan authorities, and seven other bodies were recovered. - AFP
More than 4,500 rescued off Libyan coast in one day
GRIEF-STRICKEN: A migrant
holds her child who died,
after they were rescued
from their sinking boat and
brought back to the coastal
city of Tripoli, Libya on
Friday. - Reuters
Putin gives go-ahead
to Belarus airbase plan
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed the establishment of an airbase in neighbouring Belarus, the latest move by Moscow to project its military power abroad.
Saturday’s announcement, which comes at a time of tension with the West over Russian in-volvement in Ukraine and Syria, may also signal the Kremlin’s in-terest in keeping unpredictable Belarus within its geopolitical orbit.Putin said in a statement he had agreed a government propos-al to sign a deal for the military airbase and ordered defence and foreign ministry officials to start talks with Belarus.
The plan is not expected to face major obstacles.
The idea of setting up an air-base in the ex-Soviet republic was revealed by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in 2013, and follows a 2009 agreement under which Russia and Belarus agreed to defend their common external frontier and airspace.
Russian defence officials have said the base would be used to station Su-27 fighters.
Russia already has some fight-er aircraft in Belarus but this would be the first full-scale base there since Soviet times.
Russia has scaled back its mili-tary presence abroad, closing bases in distant Cold War allies such as Cuba and Vietnam.
Focus of world attentionHowever, a naval base at Tartus in Syria has recently become the focus of world attention as Rus-sia has boosted its troop presence there in a move seen as bolstering its diplomatic influence in the re-gion. Russia already has military bases in ex-Soviet neighbours
Kyrgyzstan and Armenia, which like Belarus are also members of a Eurasian Economic Union that Putin sees as the embryo of a new geopolitical bloc.
Last year Russia annexed the Ukrainian province of Crimea, partly due to fears it would be pushed out of its large naval base in the Crimean port of Sevas-topol.
The creation of a base in Be-larus may also be a signal to the West that Russia will not tolerate intrusion in its traditional sphere of influence.
Belarussian President Alexan-der Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, is seen as a long-standing Russian ally and is often criticised in the West for his record on human rights.
He has a reputation for be-ing unpredictable because of his common practice of playing off Russia against the West.
Spooked by Russia’s annexa-tion of Crimea, Poland and the Baltic states have repeatedly asked NATO to station forces permanently in their territories along the alliance’s eastern flank in Russia’s vicinity. - AFP
M I L I T A R Y M I G H T
Vladimir Putin
Ex-premier Tsipras takes slight
lead ahead of Greek vote today
ATHENS: Greece heads for a cliffhanger election on Sun-day with former premier Alexis Tsipras taking a slight lead in the race against the conservatives for the helm of a government facing tough economic reforms.
Hours before a midnight ban on voter surveys expired Friday, two polls forecast victory for the youthful Tsipras over conserva-tive party chief Vangelis Meima-rakis by margins ranging from 0.7 to 3.0 percentage points.
However, pollsters advise cau-tion with many recalling the 2000 election that was decided by a mere 72,000 votes.
A victory for Syriza would de-liver “a key message for Europe”, Tsipras told his closing rally in Athens on Friday, referring to the refugee crisis and Europe Union economic woes.
“Do we want a Europe of aus-terity or one of solidarity and de-mocracy?” he asked the crowd.
In a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, Tsipras said voters would say “no to this old system of corruption, no to the enshrining of the oligarch establishment.”
With nine parties hoping to enter parliament, whoever wins is unlikely to secure an outright majority and Tsipras’s Syriza party could well need to ally it-self with one of the parties he has criticised.
His former finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos on Saturday warned that cooperating with parties “who have built their political power on clientelism” would be difficult.
“I don’t see how we can change public life and combat tax evasion with such alliances,” Tsakalotos told the liberal Kathimerini daily.
In a flurry of interviews this
week, Tsipras defended his deci-sion to put the country above his party, saying that had he refused to agree the three-year bailout, Greece would likely have been ejected from the eurozone.
On Friday, he told Antenna TV that he would “tug the rope” in order to secure relief on Greece’s huge national debt from EU cred-itors in the coming months.
A ‘costly experiment’ Conservative leader Meimarakis hit back in an interview on Sat-urday, dismissing Tsipras’s seven months in government as “an experiment that cost (the coun-try) dearly”. Tsipras won office in January on an anti-austerity ticket but then upset supporters in July with a U-turn cash-for-reforms deal struck with Greece’s international creditors, despite a huge “no” vote in a referendum on the issue.
The left-wing government had earlier also shut banks to avert a deposit run and imposed capital controls that are still felt in the
economy. Meimarakis warned voters against re-electing a man who has publicly admitted to op-posing the bailout he signed.
“Do you know of any other prime minister who brokered a deal, brought it to parliament, voted for it and signed it, whilst saying he does not believe in it?” the conservative chief told the weekly To Vima.
“I fear that if Syriza is elected... the country will soon be led to elections again, and this would be disastrous,” said Meimarakis, a former defence minister.
Polls open at 0400 GMT on Sunday and close exactly 12 hours later. The first official estimates are expected from the interior ministry after 1800 GMT.
- ‘Shifting sands’ - Greek pollsters however call-
ing for caution after polls failed to predict the result of a July refer-endum on austerity.
“It’s the first time I’ve felt un-able at this point to make a fore-cast,” political columnist Paschos Mandravelis said. - AFP
C L I F F H A N G E R E L E C T I O N
SPELLING OUT: Former Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras and
leader of the left-wing Syriza party, centre, speaks to party youth
members wing at a cafe in the centre of Athens on Saturday
ahead of the Greek general elections on September 20. - AFP
Dutch foreign minister to visit IranTHE HAGUE: Holland’s Foreign Minister Bert Koenders will travel to Iran on Sunday for a two-day visit — the first by a top Dutch dip-lomat for some 14 years.
Koenders trip, announced on Saturday by the foreign ministry, follows hot on the heels of other European ministers keen to re-store links with Tehran in the wake of the historic July nuclear accord struck between the Islamic Republic and global powers.
“It’s the first time in 14 years that a Dutch foreign minister is visiting Iran,” the ministry said in a state-ment saying Koenders’ trip would take place on Sunday and Monday.
He will meet Iranian counter-part Mohammad Javad Zarif and Iranian President Hassan Rou-hani for talks on implementing the nuclear deal, under which Iran will sharply curtail its nuclear pro-gramme in return for a gradual lift-ing of economic sanctions. They will also discuss trade links, hu-man rights and Iran’s role in the upheavals in the Middle East.
Koenders said he hoped to give “fresh impetus” to his country’s ties with Iran and provide “greater opportunity to talk constructively with each other.” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius — one of the main negotiators of the deal reached in Vienna on July 14 — has already visited Tehran, as have British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.
Other European visitors to Iran — which has had frozen ties with much of the outside world for the past decade or so due to its sus-pect nuclear programme —include Austrian President Heinz Fischer and German Vice Chancellor Sig-mar Gabriel. - AFP
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Malaysia detains Razak’s criticKUALA LUMPUR: A former senior member of Malaysia’s rul-ing party has been detained for six days in connection with activities detrimental to parliamentary de-mocracy, state news agency Ber-nama reported late on Saturday, citing a police director.
Khairuddin Abu Hassan, a critic of Prime Minister Najib Razak, earlier said authorities prevented him from boarding a flight on Fri-day bound for New York, where he planned to lodge a complaint with police against state investor 1Ma-laysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
“He (Khairuddin) was remand-ed starting from today (Saturday) onwards until Thursday under Section 124C of the Penal Code... I can’t reveal further information because an investigation is un-derway,” Bernama quoted Federal Police Criminal Investigation De-partment director Mohmad Salleh as saying.
Khairuddin has already lodged complaints in Switzerland and Hong Kong regarding banking ac-tivity involving 1MDB, which has been linked to various individuals under investigation by Switzer-
land for suspected corruption.Khairuddin said on his official
Facebook page on Friday that im-migration officials prevented him from leaving on orders from Ma-laysian police, who later asked him to report to Kuala Lumpur’s po-lice headquarters at 11 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Monday.
To be questioned“Just now when I asked during a conversation with the investigat-ing officer, he confirmed that I will be questioned by the police for handing in evidence related to the
1MDB scandal to the Swiss Attor-ney-General’s chambers!!” Khair-uddin wrote.
Khairuddin, immigration au-thorities and the police did not respond to telephone calls and emails seeking comment. 1MDB and the Office of the Attorney Gen-eral of Switzerland declined to comment.
In July, the Wall Street Journal reported that 1MDB transferred $700 million dollars into bank accounts of the prime minister. Najib, who chairs 1MDB’s advisory board, denied taking money from
1MDB for personal gain.The country’s anti-graft agency
declared the funds a donation, while the prime minister has faced anti-government protests and calls to step down.
Ousted from partyIn February, Najib’s United Ma-lays National Organisation ousted Khairuddin from the party after he was declared bankrupt. Khair-uddin has since travelled to sev-eral countries to campaign against Najib and 1MDB, which has more than $11 billion in debt. — Reuters
Khairuddin Abu
Hassan had
planned to lodge a
complaint with US
police against state
investor 1Malaysia
Development Bhd
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Oman evaluating instances of dumping by Asian exporters
A. E. [email protected]
MUSCAT: Oman is currently evaluating one or two cases of sus-pected dumping of goods by Asian exporters.
However, the cases are not seri-ous enough to warrant action as the foreign firms were only found to be selling their products in the local market and might have ben-efitted from lower energy costs to sell at reduced prices.
“We have to be very careful (in finding out) whether it is a dumping case or whether they are benefitting from lower energy prices,” Dr Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidi, Minister of Commerce and Industry told journalists on the sidelines of a function to felicitate participants at a recent Omani products exhibition in Saudi Arabia.
Dr Al Sunaidi said the country had so far not filed any serious case against foreign business.
Dumping case“Also, no one has won a case against Oman so far. Also, we have not been hurt by a (dumping) case filed against Oman. Probably, the only case we have today is the case of a Pakistani exporter, with
the case related to an Egyptian company over for now,” added the minister.
He further said that the two Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC )countries were yet to sign a treaty on anti-dumping and therefore, it
was not possible to take a common action at the Gulf Cooperation Council level against dumping. But Oman has signed the pact.
Compete harderOmani firms have to compete harder with foreign firms to re-duce prices and flood the market.
“There are a lot of products coming from abroad at cheaper prices, and they are using markets like the GCC. They have benefit-ted from lower energy costs,” said Dr Al Sunaidi.
Sultanate of Oman’s non-oil exports plunged 20 per cent to OMR1,007.8 million during the first four months of 2015, from OMR1,260 million during the same period last year, according to the latest monthly report released by National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
Among various product seg-ments, plastics and rubber product exports plummeted 33.9 per cent to OMR83.5 million.
The minister said export
growth had dropped across the world. However, countries, such as India were still growing, and Iran and Africa are also expected to follow suit soon.
He added that the Sultanate’s industries are running at full ca-pacity. However, companies that had expanded recently would have to look at markets in the Gulf Cooperation Council and outside for further growth.
Food processing firmsDr Al Sunaidi also noted that most food processing firms are running at full capacity.
“Construction, probably, is one area, which has to be re-adjusted in a year or so. I don’t see any is-sue with food processing and petrochemicals. We don’t expect any intervention by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry or the government (to support indus-tries). We are definitely not con-templating any measures related to subsidies in terms of exports,” he elaborated.
The cases, however, are not serious enough to
warrant action as the foreign firms were only
found to be selling their products in the local
market and might have benefitted from lower
energy costs to sell at reduced prices
Dr Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidi. — File picture
Oman eyes Ethiopia for boosting non-oil exportsA. E. [email protected]
MUSCAT: Oman is seriously considering raising its non-oil exports to Ethiopia by holding a high-profile exhibition in the country, following a detailed market study.
The Sultanate, which ex-ported goods and services worth USD$40 million to Ethiopia in 2014, plans to hold an Omani products exhibition in Addis Ababa in April 2016. The main export items from Oman to Ethiopia include semi-finished goods, iron and polymers.
The Sultanate’s imports from Ethiopia are pegged at around USD$5 million, reflecting a fa-vourable bilateral trade for Oman.
The Sultanate’s export promo-tion agency, the Public Authority for Investment Promotion and Export Development (popularly known as Ithraa) had conducted a market study in Ethiopia to as-sess the export potential of 59 Omani products. The survey was
based on different sectors, such as foodstuffs, building material, furniture, marble, stones, tex-tiles and vegetables.
The study was also conducted to find the consumption, demand and logistics patterns for these sectors.
Furthermore, in April this year, Ithraa had organised a business-to-business meeting for Omani businessmen in Addis Ababa, which was mainly aimed at show-casing Omani products for Ethio-pian businessmen and traders.
Different sectorsAbout 29 Omani companies participated in the business-to-business meeting from different sectors, such as furniture and marble, and Omani companies were able to secure multiple business deals.
The Ethiopian market’s poten-tial is huge as the country’s total exports are $5.7 billion, while its imports are $22 billion, accord-ing to the World Bank. Its main trading partners are China, Saudi
Arabia and the United States. The Ethiopian economy is grow-ing at a rapid pace, with its gross domestic product pegged at $54 billion, and its per capita income estimated to be $568 in 2014.
Omani product exhibitionsThe Sultanate of Oman’s export development agency (Ithraa_ has been conducting a series of Oma-ni product exhibitions since 2012 to raise non-oil exports from the country and has drawn growing participation with each passing year. As many as 120 companies participated in the recent Omani products exhibition in Jeddah, with 100 Omani firms taking part in a Dubai exhibition in 2014.
As many as 60 companies from Oman attended the first Omani products exhibition in Riyadh in 2012 and 65 per cent of partici-pating firms secured contracts, while 85 companies took part in an exhibition in Qatar the follow-ing year and 70 per cent of the participating firms signed new business deals.
B I L A T E R A L T R A D E
NEW DESTINATION: Ithraa has been conducting Omani product exhibitions since 2012 to boost
non-oil exports from Oman and has drawn growing participation with each passing year. — File picture
Oman to host major conference
MUSCAT: Seventh edition of Fi-bre to the Home (FTTH) MENA Conference will begin on Novem-ber 9 under the theme “FTTH, The Edge of a Brighter Tomorrow”. The three-day meet is hosted by Oman Broadband Company.
Forum will be preceded by sem-inars by specialized speakers who will cover the FTTH works and
smart solutions through live inter-active sessions on November 9th.
Panel discussionA panel discussion will be held at the first day of the conference that will touch on the applications that support the optic fibers ‘Visual System’ of the communication networks and the applications that
may be covered by the governmen-tal organisations, such as smart sensors, controlled entry, smart payment and protection.
Eng. Said bin Abdullah Al Man-theri, chief executive officer of Oman Broadband Company said that the government will invest OMR450 million in the upcoming 10 years in this sector. — ONA
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Orpic strengthens team with appointment of two OmanisTimes News Service
MUSCAT: Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industry Company (Orpic) recently appointed two Omanis in senior positions within the organisation. The appoint-ments represent Orpic’s commit-ment to providing a strong career path to Omani nationals working in the oil and gas industry.
The appointments were made following a review of Orpic’s or-ganisational model to ensure it has the necessary structure and talent in place to capitalise on current and future opportunities within Oman. Kamil Al Shanfari has been appointed as general manager – Sohar Refinery and Hamed Al Ajmi has been appointed as gen-
eral manager – Aromatics. Having graduated with a BSc in
Chemical Engineering, Kamil Al Shanfari has more than 16 years’ experience in the oil and gas in-dustries. His experience is mainly in refinery and petrochemical sec-tors. He has held many positions within the organisation during his tenure in both functions — techni-cal services and operations. Kamil was appointed general manager of Aromatics in 2013 and due to his contributions; he is now the gen-eral manager of Sohar Refinery.
Hamed Al Ajmi has over 16 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry, with extensive ex-perience in the areas of refinery operations, technical services and competency enhancement pro-
grammes. Hamed’s contributions in operation improvements were well recognised by the company. Before assuming responsibilities in his new role, Hamed was leading the residue cracking team at Sohar operations. He has a BSc degree in Chemical Engineering. Hamed is appointed as general manager of Aromatics Operations.
Musab Al Mahrouqi, chief ex-ecutive officer of Orpic said, “The promotion of these employees recognises their contributions to the company during their tenures. The company is proud to offer the most fulfilling career opportuni-ties for national talent and these appointments are further testa-ment to it. I am delighted that we have attracted such a high cali-
bre of Omani business leaders to these strategic roles. These are important appointments that will add the necessary leadership, ex-pertise and depth and will help us build business synergies, drive transformation and deliver our strategic objectives.”
Oman Oil Refineries and Petro-leum Industries Company is one of Oman’s largest companies and is one of the most rapidly growing businesses in the Middle East oil industry.
Orpic’s refineries in Sohar and Muscat, as well as the aromat-ics and polypropylene produc-tion plants in Sohar, provide fuel, chemicals, plastics, and other pe-troleum products, to Oman and to the world.
C A R E E R F O R O M A N I S
Kamil Al Shanfari, general man-ager, Sohar Refinery. – Supplied photo
Hamed Al Ajmi, general man-ager – Aromatics – Supplied photo
Ministry issuing standard Gulf Certificate of Origin
Times News Service
MUSCAT: Ministry of Commerce and Industry started issuing a standard Gulf Certificate of Origin for local exporters including na-tional commercial, industrial and service establishments since July. This is in addition to the Omani entrepreneurs who wish to export their products or services to Sin-gapore and the Association of Eu-ropean Free Trade Area (AFTA) including Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Lichesnstein.
This step came in light of the free trade agreement signed be-tween the Gulf Cooperation Coun-cil countries (GCC) and Singapore, in addition to the free trade agree-ment signed between the GCC and the Association of European Free Trade Area (AFTA).
Awadh bin Said Al Alawi, di-rector of Commercial Affairs Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said: “The standard certificate of ori-gin gives the exporters from all the GCC countries, generally, and the exporters from the Sultanate, in particular, special advantages and preferential transactions like exempting the national Gulf prod-
ucts and services from the cus-toms dues at these countries.”
“The Gulf establishments, gen-erally, and the Omani establish-ments, in particular, should ob-tain a standard Gulf certificate of origin from Singapore in case they import goods from Singapore to be granted a preferential dealing and be exempted from the customs dues at the GCC countries. In a case that the Gulf and local estab-lishments import from a member of the Association of European Free Trade Area, they should ob-
tain a EUR 1 certificate of origin from these countries accompa-nied with the shipment to receive a preferential treatment and be ex-empted from the customs dues at the GCC countries, as well as the Sultanate, according to the provi-sions of agreements signed with such countries,” he added.
“Through signing and conclud-ing free trade agreements, the GCC countries seek to create mar-keting outlets and new markets for the Gulf products and services. They seek also to obtain preferen-
tial dealings that enable such Gulf goods and services to compete in the various international markets.
The Gulf Cooperation Coun-cil states eek also to provide the Gulf establishments and entre-preneurs with new markets to enable them importing goods and services from such markets and obtaining exemption; as well as preferential ways of dealing,” Al Alawi indicated.
“The GCC states have a tenden-cy to approve the standard certifi-cate of origin so as to use it with
various economic blocs in the future in case that they sign free trade agreements with such blocs. The Gulf countries seek also to issue different Gulf certificate of origins electronically through linking the GCC countries mem-ber states,” he added.
Since July, the
ministry started
issuing a standard
Gulf Certificate
of Origin for local
exporters including
national commercial,
industrial and service
establishments
Times News Service
MUSCAT: Ministry of Commerce and Industry will start receiving dates of the 2015 crop from October 30 to November 19. The ministry has made preemptive preparations to receive the produced dates by launching a tender for handling and processing the dates’ crop, in addition to cleaning, cleansing and preparing its warehouses for receiving the product.
After that, the ministry published advertisements in the local newspapers before the date of receiving dates from the suppliers. The min-istry receives the quantities that come to it from various governorates of the Sultan-ate that produce different types of dates.Amer bin Said Al Hadi, an officer at the Commercial Affairs Department at the ministry who is responsible for receiving the dates’ crop, said: “During 2014, the ministry
received about 38,000 cases weighing about 2,660 MTs (metric tonnes) from 619 sup-pliers with a total amount of about OMR950,000.
Such quantities are less with about 49 per cent than the quantities received in 2013. This is attributed to the fact that some farmers export
their produce directly to India without supplying it to the ministry. In addition, the production recorded this year was less in general.
Ministry to start receiving dates from October 30
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France vows to push on with reformsPARIS: France’s finance minister reaffirmed the country’s commit-ment to economic reforms on Fri-day after ratings agency Moody’s cut French bond ratings by a notch to Aa2, citing continued weakness in the country’s medium-term growth outlook.
The French government on Wednesday stuck to “cautious” growth and deficit targets two weeks before the release of its 2016 budget, saying it was right to ask EU partners for a delay in bringing down borrowing last year as an economic recovery was taking hold.
However, Moody’s said it de-cided to downgrade France’s gov-ernment bond rating because it ex-pects French economic growth to remain low over the medium term, likely weighing on “any material reversal” in France’s debt burden.
Significantly slower“The current economic recov-ery in France has already proven to be significantly slower — and Moody’s believes that it will re-main so — compared with the re-coveries observed over the past few decades,” Moody’s said, ex-plaining its decision to place the rating on negative watch.
President Francois Hollande has said that the country will not be able to cut its public deficit to within European Union targets as soon as planned because of weak growth and low inflation, cast-ing doubt on the country’s reform drive. France left its main targets untouched on Wednesday. The public deficit is set to fall from 3.8 per cent of gross domestic product in 2015 to 3.3 per cent next year, before falling below the European Union-mandated threshold of three per cent in 2017.
The government also stuck to previous growth forecasts of one per cent in 2015 and 1.5 per cent next year, in line with the consen-sus of international organisations. Inflation will reach 0.1 per cent this year, before picking up to 1.0 per cent in 2016. — Reuters
E C O N O M Y
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Family-owned firms
worth 70% volume
of GCC economies
MUSCAT: Total value of invest-ments of family-owned companies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is worth of about $850 bil-lion, or 70 per cent of the total vol-ume of the GCC states’ economies.
This was stated in a work-ing paper presented by Ahmed bin Saleh Al Marhoon, director-general of the Muscat Securities Market (MSM) at the Arab Initial Public Offering Summit, which was held in Dubai.
Al Marhoon said that fam-ily companies have played an im-portant role in maintaining the growth of the GCC national econo-mies as they managed to cope and absorb the changes facing them, especially those related to chang-ing ownership from the founding generation to the next and any structural changes in the manage-ment or ownership model
He added that the wealth and in-vestments of family-owned com-panies in the GCC countries are worth of about $2 trillion and they employ about 15 million national and expatriate workers; which is more than 80 per cent of the active manpower in these economies.
DiversificationFamily-owned companies are still the mainstay of the GCC economy as they control almost all eco-nomic sectors, except for oil and gas, said Al Marhoon. He pointed out that most companies started with trading and had later diver-sified their business, experienc-ing severe ups and downs due to growing international competi-tion in the local markets and the
GCC becoming a more open econ-omy. As for the challenges facing family companies, Al Marhoon said that family companies faced several challenges that required a practical approach and for them to identify ways that would help them coexist with the different challenges and developments fac-ing them.
These challenges include, but are not limited to the transfer of management and possession from the founding generation to the subsequent generations, which may result sometimes in conflict if an institutional structure or a fam-ily charter is not in place. — ONA
V A L U E O F I N V E S T M E N T S
Family-owned companies are still the mainstay of the GCC economy as they control almost all economic sectors, except for oil and gas, said Ahmed bin Saleh Al Marhoon, director-general of the Muscat Securities Market
Credit Suisse, Bank of America say Federal
Reserve makes tougher to be US dollar bull
NEW YORK: United States Fed-eral Reserve’s continued embrace this week of monetary stimulus, and tumbling government bond yields, are prompting even dollar bulls to warn of weakness ahead for the US currency.
Some of the world’s biggest banks, including Credit Suisse, Bank of America, and Commer-zbank say the potential for the dollar to rise against major cur-rencies has diminished after pol-icy makers kept rates on hold and stopped short of spelling out plans for an increase this year. Hedge funds and other large speculators pared bullish bets on the dollar to the least since May.
“The global backdrop, as Fed-eral Reserve chair Janet Yellen said, is still fragile and now the Fed has said ‘Yeah you’re right to be worried about global growth, we are as well,’” said Lee Ferridge, head of macro strategy for North America at State Street Corpora-tion in Boston.
Divergence in monetary poli-cies “may still happen, but clearly the strength of the divergence is much less than we were expect-ing before. And that’s got to start weighing on the dollar.”
The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index dropped 0.2 per cent to 1,201.74 this week in New York, reaching the lowest level since August 24. The US currency add-ed 0.4 per cent to $1.1298 per euro and lost 0.5 per cent to ¥119.98.
Hedge funds and other large speculators slashed bets on dol-lar gains against eight major cur-rencies, data from the Commod-ity Futures Trading Commission showed. Net dollar longs fell to 256,044 contracts in the week
ended September 15, the least in four months.
While strategists at Credit Sui-sse, Bank of America and Com-merzbank say the dollar may weaken in the near future, they still forecast a stronger greenback by the end of this year. Credit Sui-sse and Commerzbank predict the dollar to rise to $1.09 and $1.08 against the euro, while Bank of America reduced its estimate this week to $1.05 from parity versus the single currency.
Fed policyIn holding their benchmark fed-eral funds rate target at zero to 0.25 per cent, Fed policy makers showed they still aren’t convinced inflation will move gradually back
to their 2 per cent target, despite continued gains in the labor mar-ket. Unemployment in August fell to 5.1 per cent, its lowest level since April 2008.
Treasury two-year note yields fell the most since 2009 after the Fed’s September 17 statement, diminishing the relative allure of dollar-denominated debt.
Yellen said she’s “focused par-ticularly on China and emerging markets” and highlighted the dol-lar’s 19 per cent surge since June last year has already tightened do-mestic financial conditions.
The dollar will come under pressure against the euro and yen until lower commodity prices and a falling inflation outlook — the same problems facing the Fed
— prompt the European Central Bank and Bank of Japan to expand monetary easing further and re-establish divergence in monetary policies, according to Bank of America and Credit Suisse.
“If the Fed does not hike at all this year and the ECB does not commit to extend quantitative easing yet, euro/US dollar could appreciate well above $1.15,” Da-vid Woo, head of global rates and currencies research at Bank of America, wrote in a research note. “The market’s dollar position ver-sus the other major currencies is already light and investors will need to start accumulating dollar long positions ahead of an even-tually inevitable Federal Reserve hike.” - Bloomberg News
M O N E T A R Y S T I M U L U S
Sultanate’s GDP slips 14%
MUSCAT: Oman’s gross domes-tic product (GDP) at current pric-es declined by 14.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2015, compared to an increase of 2.7 per cent report-ed in the same period last year.
The petroleum sector wit-nessed a sharp decline of 36.8 per cent on account of lower oil prices, while the non-petroleum sector registered a growth of 4.1 per cent from January to March. The an-nual inflation rate, measured by movement in the average CPI for the Sultanate, stood at 0.27 per cent from January to July.
The total assets of conventional commercial banks grew by 15.6 per cent to OMR28.1 billion in July 2015, up from OMR24.3 billion a year ago. Of the total assets, credit disbursement accounted for 63.7 per cent and rose by 9.2 per cent at end July to OMR17.9 billion.
Credit to the private sector jumped 9.3 per cent to touch OMR15.7 billion at the end of July. Of the total credit extended to the private sector by July, the share of
the non-financial corporate sector was pegged at 47.4 per cent, close-ly followed by the household sec-tor (mainly under personal loans) at 44.9 per cent, financial corpo-rations at 5.1 per cent and other remaining sectors at 2.6 per cent.
Banks’ investmentsCommercial banks’ overall invest-ments in securities appreciated by 24.4 per cent to OMR3.3 billion at the end of July, up from OMR2.6 billion, a year ago.
The increase took place de-spite the sharp decline in bank’s investments in Central Bank of Oman certificates of deposit (CDs), which fell from OMR1.3 billion in July 2014 to OMR0.34 billion in July 2015. Investment in government development bonds, however, was up by 4.3 per cent from a year ago to OMR590 million at the end of July.
Banks invested OMR693.1 mil-lion in government Treasury Bills at the end of July. Commercial banks’ investments in foreign se-curities also shot up 58.7 per cent to OMR776.4 million in July.
Aggregate deposits held with commercial banks registered an increase of 6.5 per cent to OMR18.3 billion in July from OMR17.2 billion a year ago. Gov-ernment deposits with commer-cial banks rose slightly by 0.6 per cent to OMR5.3 billion. Deposits in public enterprises rose by 14.6 per cent to OMR1.1 billion during the same period.
Private sector depositsPrivate sector deposits, which constituted 63.8 per cent of the total deposits with commercial banks, increased by 8.8 per cent to OMR11.7 billion in July, from OMR10.8 billion a year ago.
Sector-wise, share of households was estimated at 49.8 per cent of the total private sector deposit base, followed by non-financial corporations at 27.8 per cent, finan-cial corporations at 20.2 per cent and other sectors at 2.2 per cent.
Islamic banking entities pro-vided financing to the extent of OMR1.4 billion at the end of July, when compared to OMR0.8 bil-lion a year ago. Total deposits held with Islamic banks and windows also registered a significant in-crease to OMR1.2 billion in July 2015, up from OMR0.4 billion out-standing at the end of July 2014. The total assets of Islamic banks and windows combined, amount-ed to RO1.8 billion as of the end of July 2015, which constituted about 6.2 per cent of the banking system’s assets.
As of the end of July 2015, nar-row money stock (M1), when
measured on a year-on-year basis, grew by 12.2 per cent. This growth was a net result of the 5.4 per cent decrease in currency with the pub-lic, coupled with an increase in de-mand deposits by 19.2 per cent.
Quasi-money (RO savings and time deposits, certificates of deposits issued by commercial banks, margin deposits and for-eign currency denominated de-posits) witnessed a growth of 10.2 per cent during the period. Broad money supply M2 (that is, M1 plus quasi-money) stood at OMR14.8 billion at end of July 2015, up from OMR13.3 billion a year ago, regis-tering an increase of 10.9 per cent during the period.
Domestic interest rateIn terms of the domestic inter-est rate structure at commercial banks, both deposit and lending rates softened during this period. The CBO policy’s interest rate for absorption of surplus liquidity in the form of central bank CDs for 28 days maturity was 0.094 per cent in July. CBO’s policy rate for injection of liquidity, that is, repo rate remained unchanged at 1 per cent since March 2012.
The overnight domestic inter-bank lending rate in Omani rials slipped from 0.131 per cent in July 2014 to 0.122 per cent in July 2015. The weighted average interest rate on Omani rials deposits also de-clined from 1.046 per cent in July 2014 to 0.910 per cent in July 2015, while the weighted average in Om-ani rials lending rate was down from 5.181 per cent to 4.812 per cent during the same period. — ONA
Petroleum sector
witnessed a sharp
decline of 36.8% on
account of lower
oil prices while the
non-petroleum sector
registered a growth
of 4.1% from January
to March
HAVE YOUR SAY Send us your comments at facebook.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com [email protected]
CREDIT JUMPS: Credit to the private sector jumped 9.3 per cent to touch OMR15.7 billion at the end of
July. Of the total credit extended to the private sector by July, the share of the non-financial corporate
sector was pegged at 47.4 per cent. - Times file
Experts set to discuss power demand in UAE
Times News Service
MUSCAT: The 13th annual Pow-er-Gen Middle East conference and exhibition, which will run from October 4 to 6 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, is renowned for delivering a world-class quality programme with a focus on practical and technical solutions, presided by over 60 lead-ing industry experts on Power-Gen Middle East’s Advisory Board.
The event is set to bring together regional and international power sector leaders from the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region as well as other countries around the globe to design and im-plement the course of power and electricity for 2015 and beyond.
Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, minister of energy of the United Arab Emirates, will formally launch the conference and exhibi-tion with an official ribbon cutting ceremony and a keynote address on the opening day. Nigel Blackaby, director of Conferences, PennWell corporation will be giving the in-troduction and opening remarks.
Commenting on the occasion, Feraye Gurel, event director, said: “Power-Gen Middle East 2015 returns with a strong line up of exhibitors and speakers that aim to address key issues affecting the region’s electricity market and provide pioneering and practical solutions to expand energy effi-ciency, technological excellence and implementation of smart solu-tions tailored to the Middle East’s power industry.”
This year, attendees will have the choice of 19 strategic and tech-nical conference sessions as well as two new components.
C O N F E R E N C E
INDEX DROPS: The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index dropped 0.2 per cent to 1,201.74 this week in New
York, reaching the lowest level since August 24. – Bloomberg News
B4
MARKETS U N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0, 2 0 1 5
Businesses in Greece seek return to stability, liquidity
ATHENS: Greek elections on Sunday may cause little change to its broad economic policy, dictated by the terms of its lat-est international bailout. But for thousands of , a return to political stability and cash liquidity would be enough to start with.
Not only has Greece held five elections in six years but the economy is still feeling the ef-fects of capital controls imposed in late June, when the leftist government of Alexis Tsipras clashed with EU-IMF creditors over reform proposals.
When Tsipras announced a
referendum on austerity, a run on deposits followed and the govern-ment had to shut down the banks.
For weeks, Greeks could only withdraw 60 euros ($68) a day from cash dispensers, a limit later relaxed to 420 euros a week and still in effect.
But as long lines snaked outside bank ATMs in the summer heat, the country’s traders faced even greater difficulty.
A similar block on bank trans-fers between Greece and the rest of the world meant that business-es had to apply to a state commit-tee for permission to pay foreign suppliers and staff stationed abroad.
“All enterprises that could, like ourselves, open foreign bank accounts to facilitate their transactions,” says Christos Pa-padimitriou, whose family busi-
ness exports balsamic vinegar to around 30 countries.
Proceedure made easyThe procedure was later made easier after banks were allowed to handle the requests directly, but the average wait for permission is still 18 days.
“I know of companies that have received no response for over a month,” says Papadimitriou.
To get around the problem, the Kalamata-based businessman notes, he asked clients who owed him money to pay his suppliers directly.
Retail trade turnover in Greece fell by nearly 13 per cent in June, July and August, a drop attributed by the union of traders mainly to the capital controls.
Imports in July also sank by 32 per cent compared to last year.
Manufacturing sectorThe manufacturing sector index likewise saw record drops of 30.2 per cent in July and 39.1 per cent in August.
In was a major shock for an economy that had just emerged from a long recession and with a quarter of the workforce officially out of a job.
Vangelis Meimarakis, leader of the conservative New Democ-racy party that could win Sun-day’s election, ridiculed Tsipras’ claim during the campaign that the left-wing Syriza party stands for change.
“The only novelty brought by Syriza was capital controls,” Mei-marakis told a supporters’ rally in Athens on Thursday. But there was one breakthrough.
No longer able to draw and stockpile cash under mattresses as they had often done in the past, or take their money abroad, Greeks increasingly turned to credit cards.
The traders’ union said the use of plastic had increased by 44 per cent, with over a million new cards issued between the end of June to early August. — AFP
A similar block
on bank transfers
between Greece
and the rest of the
world meant that
businesses had
to apply to a state
committee for
permission to pay
foreign suppliers
and staff stationed
abroad
Sensex rises in truncated weekMUMBAI: The pull back rally continued during the second week as BSE benchmark Sensex regained the 26,000-level and the broader Nifty ended slightly be-low the crucial 8,000-level.
The truncated week saw the bulls turning combative and final-ly took back the reigns of market momentum which was punctu-ated by the world’s largest econo-my. The week saw the US Federal Reserve two day policy meet on critical decision over its nearly a decade old interest rate hike amid prevailing global slow down con-cerns and ripples from China.
The week started on gains in the midst of favourable macro-economic data of growth in Indus-trial Production (IIP), negative Inflationary trend and narrowing current account deficit (CAD), but, the sentiments were edgy un-derlined by uncertainty over deci-sion on US rate hike.
Finally, the US Fed keeping its rate hike unchanged gave a much wanted respite to the whole of emerging financial markets which turned boisterous.
Domestic investors once again turned upbeat with optimism restored as hold in US rate hike gave more room for policy adjust-ments for emerging market like India including hopes of rate cut by RBI in its policy review this month and easing concerns over FII outflows.
The market was closed on Thursday on account of ‘Ganesh Chathurthi’ festival.
The Sensex resumed higher at 25,706.87 hovered between a high of 26,471.82 and low of 25,531.07 before ending the week at 26,218.91, showing a gain of 608.70 points or 2.38 per cent.
The CNX 50-share Nifty also resumed higher at 7,811.10 and climbed to regain 8,055.00 and
low 7,761.85 before concluding the week at 7,981.90, revealing a gain of 192.60 or 2.47 per cent.
Rate sensitives were in lime-light with Banks and Realty stocks witnessed frantic buying.
Among the 30-share Sensex pack, 24 shares gained, while rest declined in the week end.
ForexThe Indian rupee snapped its five-week losing streak against the American currency and re-covered sharply by 87 paise to end the week at one-month high of 65.67 per dollar on selling of dollars by banks and exporters on the back of heavy foreign capital inflows coupled with US Federal rate status-quo.
Smart rally in local equities also lifted the market sentiments.
The US Federal Reserve’s de-cision to keep interest rates at historic lows predominantly triggered a relief rally across the emerging financial and currency markets.
The US central bank kept inter-est rates unchanged at 0-0.25 per cent, citing concerns over recent
global economic developments, against the backdrop of economic slowdown in China.
Current account deficitThe domestic currency was large-ly supported by easing current ac-count deficit worries amid strong domestic macro-economic fun-damentals along with a sharp fall in inflation. India’s current ac-count deficit narrowed to 1.2 per cent of GDP at $6.2 billion in the June quarter on contraction in trade deficit and higher earnings from services exports.
The rupee resumed higher at 66.40 per dollar as against the last weekend’s level of 66.54 per dollar at the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) Market and firmed up further to a high of 65.6650 before concluding the week at 65.67 per dollar, showing a sharp gain of 87 paise or 1.31 per cent. The local currency tumbled by 273 paise or 4.28 per cent in the previous five weeks due to a sharp fall in stocks.
The rupee hovered in a range of 65.6650 and 66.5075 per dollar during the week. — PTI
I N D I A N M A R K E T S
More than 20 countries on ‘waiting list’ to join China- initiated bank
SINGAPORE: More than 20 countries are waiting to join the China-initiated Asian Infrastruc-ture Investment Bank (AIIB), its designated president said on Sat-urday as he allayed concerns it was aimed to challenge US and Japa-nese influence in the region.
The number could bring the AIIB on a par with or even sur-pass membership in the Japan-led Asian Development Bank (ADB), which currently has 67 members, 19 of them outside of the Asia Pa-cific, according to its website.
“We have 57 countries (which are potential founding members) and to my knowledge...more than 20 countries are on the waiting list,” AIIB president-designate Jin Liqun told delegates of the Singa-pore Summit conference, without naming them.
“That makes it more than 70. I’m sure there will be more countries which will be interested,” added Jin, a former Chinese vice finance minister who was put forward by Beijing to head the bank and was elected in August by the prospec-tive founding members.
The AIIB has been viewed by some as a rival to the Washington-based World Bank and the Ma-nila-based ADB, which has been headed by Japan, its biggest donor, since it was founded in 1966. The US and Japan — the world’s largest and third-largest economies, re-spectively — have notably declined to join the AIIB although they are members of the ADB, but Jin said the door is open to both. — AFP
B A N K I N G & F I N A N C E
UNCERTAIN TIMES: Not only has Greece held five elections in six years but the economy is still feel-
ing the effects of capital controls imposed in late June, when the leftist government of Alexis Tsipras
clashed with EU-IMF creditors over reform proposals. - Bloomberg News
LOOKING UP: Sensex resumed higher at 25,706.87 before ending
the week at 26,218.91, showing a gain of 608.70 points or 2.38 per
cent. - Bloomberg file picture
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Glowing tributes paid to Pakistan in Virsa event
Times News Service
MUSCAT: Heart-warming poetry, prose, quality singing and speech-es were the highlight of ‘Pakistan Tujhay Salaam’, the fourth event of Virsa Series, held at Crystal Suites Hotel Wadi Kabir.
A unique roundtable forum designed to promote Pakistani literature, Virsa has also become a popular platform to encourage local talent. In its latest offering, Virsa team compiled a remark-able tribute to Pakistan as noted local poets, writers and speakers from the Pakistani community participated wholeheartedly to make it a memorable evening.
Syed Ayaz Hussain, Pakistan’s
Ambassador to Oman, was the chief guest, while the guest of hon-our was Syed Fayyaz Ali Shah, chairman, Syed Fayyaz Group, who sponsored the event, organised by Alpha Events Oman and conducted by noted poet Qamar Riaz.
The event was given a head start by young PSM student Khadija Hashmi who sang a national song with a lot of energy and emotion. Mohammed Imran presented a rousing tribute by playing ‘Jeevay Jeevay’ on Banjo. Shaukat Ali, Mohammed Shehneel, Maratab Ali and Mohammed Kumail also impressed with their singing tal-ent despite a sound system glitch. Mohsin Javed presented an im-pressive documentary, highlighting
the positive aspects of Pakistan. The ambassador urged the Virsa
team to hold such high quality liter-ary events every month.
Prominent speakers included Chaudhry Shaukat Ali, A H Raja, Mohammed Arif Barakat, Prof. Irshad Ahmed, SAS Bukhari and Mohammed Yousuf. The poets who recited their choicest verses for Pakistan included Shahzad Raza, Murawwat Ahmad, Qamar Riaz, Azra Aleem, Shahzad Ahmed and Zakir Hussain Zakir.
In the end, the chief guest gave away prizes to the singers while the guest of honour presented a shield to the ambassador as a token of thanks on behalf of the Virsa team.
alizz bank introduces credit card campaignMUSCAT: alizz Islamic bank has announced a credit card cam-paign with the message ‘A True Peace of Mind’ to offer unrivalled privileges and generous offers to its loyal credit card customers.
alizz is Oman’s first full-fledged Islamic Bank to offer Shari’a compliant Titanium and Plati-num MasterCard credit cards with a range of unmatched fea-tures that provide to cardholders with exclusive lifestyle benefits.
Besides enjoying seamless global acceptance at 35.9 million locations worldwide, alizz Is-lamic bank cardholders also have access to selected VIP airport lounges across the GCC, along with premium benefits and luxu-ry retail shopping advantages of-fered by MasterCard, says a press release.
Online shoppingalizz credit cardholders can also safely shop online using their credit cards with the new en-hanced 3D Secure feature. 3D Secure Service confirms the identity of the customer through a simple check process as it pro-vides a password to protect the
online transactions, just like us-ing the PIN at the ATM.
alizz Credit Card is based on Qard-Hasan/Ujrah concept, which is authenticated Sharia concept used by many leading Is-lamic banks in the world for their Islamic credit card proposition. In this concept, customer has the option of either paying the state-ment amount in full at month end or settling the amount in deferred terms through minimum pay-ment criteria.
O F F E R S
alizz Credit Card is based on Qard-Hasan/Ujrah concept, which is authenticated Sharia concept used by many leading Islamic banks in the world for their Islamic credit card proposition
Audi Q7 named 'Best of the Best' in German design competitionFRANKFURT: The new Audi Q7 has been named 'Best of the Best' in the German Design Council’s Automotive Brand Contest 2015.
The new Audi R8 is being hon-oured in three categories. In ad-dition, the Audi prologue concept cars are receiving “Special Men-tion” for exceptional innovation. In all, Audi is receiving 16 awards at the fifth edition of the competi-tion, says a press release.
With the award for the Q7, Audi takes first place in the Inte-rior Premium Brand category. The SUV impresses with its progres-sive interior design and high-end technical solutions.
“For the new Q7 generation, the design has succeeded in im-planting a feeling of expansive-ness, roominess and cultivated elegance,” the jury stated in its rea-soning. “Here, a clear architecture and logical control concept im-mediately make one feel at home – and the tasteful and perfectly crafted materials convey the feel-ing of sitting in a stylish lounge. With this interior, the Q7 sets the
standard in this segment.”In addition, the Audi R8 is also
being honoured for its design. The sports car is the winner due to out-standing achievement in the cat-egories ‘Exterior Premium Brand’ and ‘Interior Premium Brand’. Moreover, the laser headlights of the Audi R8 are being honoured for winning the ‘Future, Mobility & Parts’ category.
Audi is also well-equipped for the future when it comes to design. This is demonstrated by the Audi prologue, Audi prologue Avant and Audi prologue all road concept cars. They earned ‘Special Men-
tion’ in the ‘Concepts’ category — an honorary award for exceptional innovation. Audi has won an ad-ditional eleven prizes in this year’s Automotive Brand Contest in the areas ‘Architecture & Events’, ’Campaign’, 'Corporate Publish-ing’ and ‘Digital’.
The highly respected German Design Council initiated the Au-tomotive Brand Contest in 2011 — one of the leading international centres of excellence in design. The Automotive Brand Contest quickly developed into one of the most important competitions in the industry.
A C C O L A D E
Mitsubishi Oman Facebook page crosses 20,000 fans milestoneMUSCAT: Celebrating yet an-other milestone for Mitsubishi in the Sultanate, General Automo-tive Company announced that the Mitsubishi Oman Facebook page has now crossed the 20,000 fan milestone.
Commenting on the increasing use of social media platforms as a way of engaging with the pub-lic, Rajesh Sharma, the National Marketing Manager of General Automotive Company said, “We feel very honoured to have hit the 20,000 fans milestone on Face-book. We have always placed great emphasis on developing close rela-tionships with our consumers and fans and Facebook is a social plat-form that has allowed us to do so. We consider it to be amongst our most important assets in maintain such relationships; which is why we listen to and talk with our fans every day and keep the platform as interactive, relevant and enter-taining as possible.”
For the past two years, Face-book has been central to all of Mitsubishi’s online interactions
with its customers and fans in Oman. As a result of its popularity and the freedom it offers, Face-book has played an instrumental role in helping GAC receive di-rect feedback from customers on its new and existing initiatives, products and services. Through its Facebook page Mitsubishi also regularly engages with its existing and potential custom-
ers through interactive online contests,reaching out to thou-sands of Mitsubishi fans across the Sultanate and even abroad.
“On behalf of everyone at GAC, I would like to take this opportu-nity to thank all our followers and fans for their continual support and feedback over the past two years;the learnings from which have heavily influenced the way in which we interact with cus-tomers and fans both online and in person,” added Rajesh.
As one of the most active au-tomotive brand-related pages in Oman, visitors to the Mitsubi-shi Oman Facebook Page can get regular updates into the Japanese automotive giant’s activities in the Sultanate.
Ranging from vehicle debuts to showroom activities, fans and owners are able to stay up-to-date on programmes, product news and company information. The official Mitsubishi Oman Face-book page also allows the brand to keep in touch with customers and fans on a continual basis.
S O C I A L M E D I A
For the past two years, Facebook has been central to all of Mitsubishi’s online
interactions with its customers and fans
in Oman
Dunes by Al Nahda — desert at your doorstep
MUSCAT: Dunes by Al Nahda, is the new paradise set in the gold-en sands of Wadi Al Abiyad, 45 minute drive away from Al Nahda Resort and Spa.
A bright morning last week saw the soft launch of this resort as en-thusiastic journalists from all over the region got together to live the magical experience conjured by this magnificent property.
Dunes by Al Nahda is also a member of Preferred LVX, a divi-sion of Preferred Hotels & Resort. Preferred LVX’s properties are carefully scrutinised, showcasing refined and globally sophisticated hotels and resorts in coveted loca-tions, including some of the most exceptional and luxurious prop-erties worldwide; being branded with the Preferred LVX is truly a great honour for any hotel. Dunes, by Al Nahda, with its exotic loca-
tion and premium facilities is a member of this bouquet of hotels and prestigious group. This will go a long way to position Oman as a high-end, luxury destination at-tracting a mix of worldwide visi-tors, says a press release.
Dunes by Al Nahda is the closest desert resort to downtown Muscat and the United Arab Emirates, al-lowing guests to enjoy the desert at their doorstep.
Exhilarating experience“Our resort promises an exhilarat-ing experience that our guests are bound to keep reminiscing about. We have ensured that our restau-rants, in-house facilities as well as guided outdoor activities are up to international LVX standards,” said Niti Ajit Karsandas Hamlai, man-aging director of Al Nahda Hotels and Resorts, the parent company
of Dunes by Al Nahda. “This resort will definitely be a
prime tourist destination, but it also serves as a great getaway for residents of the country too.”
Dotted with well-spaced vil-las and suites, Dunes by Al Nahda features 50 Ultra Luxury Tents each with full individual bath-rooms, separate seating area and individually controlled air-con-ditioning brings together luxury and simplicity in a classy and true 5-star way. This exclusive luxury getaway devotes itself to wellness. The special Hot Sand treatment, a spa experience carried forward from ancient Egypt, is their signa-ture therapy and well-worth a try. Guests can choose to be greeted with a wellness-consultant to as-sist them in picking from a range of invigorating spa therapies.
Dunes, by Al Nahda also has a
range of activities for the more ad-venturous souls.
Hosting a variety of extreme sports like dune bashing, quad biking, sand surfing, camel riding, bicycle riding and kite flying, this resort makes sure to completely enthral the adrenalin seekers. For those wanting to simply flex those muscles in some outdoor sports, the venue has a 09 hole on-site bunker golf course, the sole of its kind in the Sultanate of Oman.
The location atop the sand dune, offers an unrivalled viewover the surrounding with undulating sand dunes, desert and mountains in the distance. The property also has a dedicated children’s play area. The Fleur Restaurant and Dune Bar serves a range of culinary delights from across the globe, with theme evenings and promotions that has their guests cheering for more.
L U X U R Y G E T A W A Y
A unique roundtable
forum designed to
promote Pakistani
literature, Virsa
has also become a
popular platform
to encourage local
talent
B6 S U N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0, 2 0 1 5
ROUND-UPDossier Awards 2015 draws industry leaders
MUSCAT: Dossier Construction Awards & Summit 2015 held in Muscat recently turned out to be a big hit drawing key players of con-struction and contracting sector, leading consultants, project own-ers and key policy makers in Oman.
Top performers from different segments of construction industry in Oman including contractors; construction materials manufac-turers and consultants were fe-licitated at the awards ceremony. At the summit, key policy makers from Oman government, con-struction industry magnates in the Sultanate, and top international consultants shared insightful in-formation on business opportuni-ties in key projects like Oman Rail, Duqm Special Economic Zone, and Power and Tourism sectors, says a press release.
Held under the patronage of Ministry of Transport and Com-munications and Public Author-ity for Electricity and Water and endorsed by Muscat Municipality, Omran, Duqm Special Economic Zone Authority and Oman Rail the event attracted more than 500 experts including contractors, pol-icy makers from the government, consultants, architects, interior designers, turnkey contractors, project owners, project finance professionals, and allied sector professionals mainly from the construction material industry.
Those who attended the func-tion included Yahya bin Said Al Jabri, chairman, Special Econom-ic Zone Authority at Duqm who was the chief guest at the awards ceremony.
Sheikh Salim bin Mustahail Al Mashani presented a token of ap-preciation to the chief guest. The summit was held in the first half of the day and the award function was held in the evening.
Panel discussionThe summit began with a key note address by Glenn Platt, managing director-Infrastructure, KEO In-ternational Consultants on the top-ic ‘GCC Construction Market.’ This was followed by a presentation by Ala Hassan Moosa, senior man-ager Projects Delivery of Muscat Electricity Distribution Company. A panel discussion on the topic featuring Eng. Hamad bin Salim Al Magdheri, CEO of Rural Area Elec-tricity Company, Praveer Chakra-vorty, CEO of Bahwan Engineering Company and Gert Hoefman, CEO of Oman Cables Industry followed the presentation.
The second presentation ‘Up-dates on OCEC’ was made by Ahmed Elhassan, senior director, Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre Project of Omran. The panel discussion succeeding the pres-entation featured Eng. Salim Al Thuhli, director Leisure Develop-ment, Bunyan-Oman Project Man-agement & Development Company, Omran; Marco Malpiedi, MD of At-kins Oman and Ali Hassan Moosa, CIO of Oman Arab Bank.
Nathan Wiles, general man-ager of projects, Oman Rail Com-pany made the third presentation on ‘Oman Rail Project-Business Prospects for Omani Companies’. Apart from Nathan, Fabrizia Bene-detti Valentini, Oman country manager 3TI Progetti and Nicho-las Stuart, regional director-Rail and Transit, KEO International Consultants participated in the panel discussion held subsequent to the presentation.
The final presentation was made by Anwar Kahlan Al Battashi, manager-Urban Planning, Duqm Special Economic Zone Author-ity on ‘Duqm Underlying Busi-ness Opportunities’. The panel discussion which followed the
presentation was participated by Reggy Vermeulen CEO, Port of Duqm Company and Ayman Saidi, country manager and director of Infrastructure-Oman, KEO Inter-national Consultants.
FelicitationsThe winners of Dossier Construc-tion Awards 2014 were felicitated in the gala award evening. Al Jabri and Sandeep Sehgal, CE of UMS presented awards to the winners. Doka was the platinum sponsor and Mercedes-Benz was the gold sponsor of the event. The event was organised in association with leading consultants Atkins, Renar-det and KEO. Advantage Austria was the supporting organisation. Larsen & Toubro, Sharq Sohar Group, Athaiba Furniture Fac-tory, Oman Cables Industry, BEC Group, Voltamp Energy SAOG, Carrier, NBO, Taylor Woodrow Oman, Hasan Juma Backer Trad-ing & Contracting, URICH Switch-gear, Marine Technology Com-pany LLC, BASF and Al Tamman Real Estate were the silver spon-sors. Said Salem Al Wahaibi Group of Companies was the strategic sponsor. Falcon Insurance Com-pany, Al Hassan Group, Shamel International, Hyundai Elevators-Technoelevators were the support sponsors. Times of Oman and Al Shabiba were the media partners and RMP was the printing partner. KPMG was the validating partner. The event was powered by NAMA Group and Target was the Lanyard partner.
Dossier Construction Awards & Summit is instituted by Dossier magazine, published by United Media Services. Launched in 2007, Dossier is Oman’s first Business-to-Business (B2B) publication on construction, infrastructure and real estate sectors. Dossier is the prime reference base and source of information for stakeholders of the industry and it is considered as an important channel to commu-nicate the opportunities and chal-lenges faced by the sector.
Award WinnersBest Construction Safety Initia-tive: Larsen & Toubro Oman
Best MEP Contractor: Bahwan Engineering Company
Best Contractor for Infrastruc-ture Project: L & T, Oman
Best EPC Contractor: Consorti-um of Tatva Environment Services and Hasan Juma Backer Trading & Contracting
Best Construction Contractor: Towell Construction & Co
Best Interior Design: Studio 7Best Architect: GUtech Ecohaus
TeamBest Project Design: Joint win-
ners are Atkins and GUtech Eco-haus Team
Best Engineer: Bushra Anwar, KEO International Consultants
Best Engineering Consultant: KEO International Consultants
Best Sustainable Project: Ras Al Hamra International School of PDO
Best Commercial Project: Bar-ka Grand Centre by Al Tamman Real Estate
Best Residential Project: Ras Al Hamra Development Project of PDO
Best Project Developer: Al Mouj Muscat
Lifetime Achievement Award: Lieutenant Colonel Said Salem Al Wahaibi, Chairman, Assarain Group of Companies
Special Award – Excellence in Manufacturing - Power Trans-formers: Voltamp Power
Special Award - Excellence in Manufacturing - Steel: Sharq So-har Steel Rolling Mills
Special Award – Innovation in Green Products - GFRG: Shamel International
Special Award – Most Innova-tive Concrete Quality Assurance System: Doka
Special Award –Innovative So-lutions for Car Parking: Intelligent Parking and Elevator Co.
Special Award - Excellence in Marine Construction: Marine Technology
Special Award for Innovative Construction Solutions: Taylor Woodrow Oman
Special Award for Excellence in Project Finance: National Bank of Oman
The members of panel of judges for awards; Eng Mohammed bin Salim Al Busaidi, member of Shu-ra Council and chairman of Oman Real Estate Association, Ali Has-san Moosa, CIO Oman Arab Bank, Abhijeet Dutta, senior architect, Atkins and Akshay Bhatnagar, group managing editor of UMS were handed over certificates.
Top performers from different segments of
construction industry in Oman including
contractors; construction materials
manufacturers and consultants were
felicitated at the awards ceremony
NBO organises Islamic banking training sessionsMUSCAT: National Bank of Oman (NBO) announced that it recently conducted a series of internal training programmes covering a range of areas within Islamic Banking.
Aimed at developing and up-grading the skill sets of employ-ees as well as promoting Sharia’a compliant banking in Oman, the training modules prepared em-ployees to take up critical job roles within the bank’s Muzn Islamic Banking division, says a press release.
A group of 17 employees from finance, audit and risk depart-ments successfully completed a training programme titled, ‘Ac-counting and Auditing Organiza-tion of Islamic Financial Institu-tions (AAOIFI).’ The workshop covered fundamental principles of Islamic Banking, includ-ing the regulatory and Sharia’a standards, a general overview of Islamic Banking structure, and modules on products and servic-es offered by Muzn.
The bank’s training arm, Acad-emy of Excellence, also con-ducted four workshops on Muzn Islamic Banking for 30 call centre agents. Aimed at enhancing the product knowledge and equip-ping them to handle complaints and enquires more efficiently, the Muzn Islamic Banking Refresher course was successfully complet-ed by 30 employees.
Commenting on the train-ing programmes, Ahmed Al Musalmi, chief executive officer of National Bank of Oman, said: “At National Bank of Oman, we continuously look to develop the skills and expertise of our em-ployees. We have launched a se-ries of programmes covering all divisions within the bank, Muzn Islamic Banking in particular, which are being rolled out across all areas of operation.
“Our primary objective is to develop our talent to the high-est level, whilst offering superior customer experience.”
Established in 2013 by Nation-al Bank of Oman, Muzn was the Sultanate’s first Islamic Banking window. Since then, the concept has gained significant momen-tum among customers and the bank now operates a network of branches in key locations, in ad-dition to its strong digital and mobile presence.
Islamic Banking custom-ers can avail a full range of of-ferings from Muzn including: Murabaha Auto Finance; Ijara Home Finance; Sale and Lease Back Finance; Muzn Current Account (Qard Hassan); Muzn Savings Account (Mudaraba); Wakala Investment; Flexi Waka-la Account; Murabaha Working Capital Finance; Ijara Muntahia Bittamleek Term Finance and Trade Finance.
U P G R A D I N G S T A F F S K I L L S
ISB, Bahwan CyberTek to offer management programmeMUSCAT: Indian School of Busi-ness and Bahwan CyberTek now jointly offer a career accelerating management programme for busi-ness executives in Oman. The pro-gramme starts on October 4.
The Indian School of Business (ISB), a premier global business school and one of the largest execu-tive education providers in Asia, and Bahwan Cybertek, an associate of the Suhail Bahwan Group, one of Oman’s foremost business houses
have joined hands to offer a ‘Certifi-cate Programme in General Man-agement for Business Executives’ in Oman, says a press release.
The rapidly changing busi-ness scenario in the region offers diverse opportunities but at the same time, brings with it several complexities. Against this back-drop it is a must for business ex-ecutives, especially those who are aspiring to move into leadership roles to keep themselves abreast
of the latest business practices and the right skill sets to manage ef-fectively and thrive in an increas-ingly global competitive business environment. This certificate pro-gramme is specifically tailored for tomorrow’s leaders and will help them become better leaders and business decision-makers.
Ideal candidatesIdeal candidates for this pro-gramme are executives with expe-
rience who aspire to reach the next level of leadership by enhancing their general management com-petencies. Participants will have a holistic understanding of these competencies that will help them to enhance their personal effec-tiveness lead and motivate teams for greater performance and take strategic business decisions.
The certificate programme will be delivered by senior faculty who regularly teach Executive Educa-
tion participants in ISB and other leading business schools. The methodology will be a mix of case studies, workshops, classroom learning and group activities cov-ering the following areas:
-tion excellence
managing stakeholders-
tion
-able growth
-tivesThis six-month programme is
designed as a blend of online and on campus format. This format en-sures that working professionals can continue their learning without disruption in their work schedules. Successful candidates will receive the certification from the ISB, Cen-tre for Executive Education.
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Ooredoo opens its latest concept store in Samail
MUSCAT: Ooredoo launched its latest franchise store in Samail with long-time partner Enhance, a WJ Towell company.
The new branch, which is one of several concept stores overall and first in Samail to be operated by Enhance, was inaugurated by Sheikh Sultan bin Abdullah Al Batashi, deputy wali of Samail, who was accompanied by mem-bers of the senior team at Oore-
doo, says a press release. At the opening Sheikh Sultan Al
Batashi, praised Ooredoo’s fran-chise store in Samail and com-mended the wide array of choice and competitive value-added tel-ecommunication services it will offer to the local community in the Al Dakhiliyah Governorate.
The new line of concept stores is part of Ooredoo’s 2015 expan-sion strategy, which aims to ex-
tend the company’s reach to the furthest corners of the Sultanate, inspiring growth and develop-ment through innovative prod-ucts and services. These stores are operated by leading retail chains in-line with Ooredoo’s young and dynamic brand philosophy, fur-ther empowering local communi-ties with the its second-to-none customer experience.
“Customer outreach and en-gagement is at the heart of what we do, which is why we developed this concept and partnered with some of Oman’s most trusted brands to extend our network of branches to where they are need-ed most,” said Feras Al Sheikh, director of Consumer Sales at Ooredoo.
“Our decade long relation-ship with Enhance continues to
strengthen as time goes on, with this latest franchise serving as yet another example of our firm, mu-tually beneficial partnership.”
Ahmad Abbas, general manager of Retail Solutions in Enhance said: “The Samail opening today is an important milestone in our partnership with Ooredoo. It is our first store in the Dakhiliyah region and is expected to provide the wilayat and surrounding areas with Ooredoo’s inspiring offers and services. We saw plenty of en-thusiasm for the store during our soft opening period and we are committed to providing the best services via our dedicated team.”
Today, Ooredoo’s franchise stores have extended the compa-ny’s reach into Rustaq, Al Amerat, Al Musannah, Jalan Bani Bu Ali, Sinaw, Saham and Sa’dah.
The new branch is one of several concept
stores overall and first in Samail to be
operated by Enhance
Al Hashar Group congratulates Ahmad Al HarthyMUSCAT: Al Hashar Group, Oman’s prestigious business con-glomerate with diverse business interests, congratulated ace Oma-ni racing star Ahmad Al Harthy on winning the Avon Tyres British GT Championship Silver Cup ti-tle at Donington Park Grand Prix Circuit.
Al Hashar Group is one of the key sponsors of the Omani racing sensation, says a press release.
Congratulating Ahmad Al Harthy, Sheikh Al Muhannad Al Hashar, said: “Ahmad has achieved iconic status in the Sultanate by winning the British GT Champi-onship Silver Cup title racing in the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 car, and as the official distrib-utor for the premium Aston Mar-tin brand cars in Oman, Al Hashar has every reason to celebrate this epic win.”
Corporate support“Al Hashar’s association with Ah-mad is defined by the group’s core corporate commitment to support local communities and home-grown talents with a view to sup-porting the Sultanate in its quest to scale new heights of progress and enhance its standing in the comity of nations. We wish Ahmad all the very best in future racing events,” he continued.
Sultan Al Kharusi, managing di-rector, Al Hashar Group, said: “As key sponsors in 2014 and 2015, we have seen his performance grow from strength to strength. Last year was a history-making Teams’ title victory for the Oman Racing Team in British GT with apprecia-ble performances in the Blancpain Endurance Series and now the victory at Avon Tyres British GT Championship Silver Cup at Don-ington Park Grand Prix Circuit.
“All of us at Al Hashar Group congratulate Ahmad on this joy-ous occasion. We are sure he will continue his winning streak in the future as well.”
Accepting all the praise and admiration with a warm smile, Ahmad who is also the brand am-bassador for Aston Martin Mid-dle East and North Africa, said: “I’d like to thank the chairman, the management and staff of Al Hashar for their love and blessings. It is indeed a great privilege that the prestigious Al Hashar Group has been one of my sponsors for the new season in British GT and Blancpain as well. We won racing in a superb Aston Martin car, and Aston Martin is undoubtedly one of the best auto brands known the world over for great performance and style. It’s really an honour to associate with Al Hashar for the second year in a row.”
Ahmad will now compete at the final round of the Blancpain En-durance Series in Nurburgring, Germany, slated for today.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin is up-grading its range of Vantage racing cars for 2016 season. Aston Mar-tin’s Vantage GTE, Vantage GT3 and Vantage GT4 will sport a range of enhancements in their perfor-mance and durability.
Aston Martin has a significant fan following in the Sultanate. With excellent after-sales support including excellent service and availability of genuine parts, Aston Martin has seen its market share in the Sultanate steadily rising over the years.
R A C I N G S T A R
Aster chief bags ‘Healthcare CEO of Year’ awardDUBAI: Aster DM Healthcare’s chairman, Dr Azad Moopen, was awarded ‘Healthcare CEO of the Year’ at the CEO Middle East Awards 2015 for his successes in building the Aster DM Healthcare brand into the fastest growing healthcare provider in the Middle East, and across India.
Dr Moopen, who opened his first clinic in the UAE almost 30 years ago, accepted the award at a prestigious ceremony at the Inter-Continental Hotel at Dubai Festi-val City, says a press release.
The CEO Middle East Awards recognises the high calibre of business leaders throughout the region. In recent years Aster DM Healthcare has continued to enjoy rapid growth and the award ac-knowledges Dr Moopen’s achieve-ments in leading the business.
Recent notable accomplish-ments include:
-tal in Dubai and Aster Medcity in Kochi, India
Bahrain - with the opening of the first Aster Medical Centre in the country, and the 50th in the GCC
-ila Foundation, a global philan-thropic organisation dedicated to transforming lives through medi-cal education and treatment, that saw Aster DM Healthcare donate AED 10 million to help them fund their work
Dr Azad Moopen comments:
“I am very proud to have been recognised as Healthcare CEO of the Year at the CEO Middle East Awards. As a company we have achieved many great things over the past year and our vision is to achieve even more. We want to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, high-quality medi-
cal services and it is both my per-sonal commitment and that of the wider business to do all we can to achieve this.”
Editor of CEO Middle East, Neil King, said: “Dr. Azad Moo-pen epitomises many qualities of a great leader, not only in his business achievements but also in understanding the responsi-bilities of those working in such a personal industry as healthcare — where there is a continuous need to empathise with patients. In a year that has seen Aster DM healthcare grow significantly, he has also made a number of chari-table contributions to those less fortunate. We are delighted to therefore be honouring him with this award.”
Aster DM Healthcare owns and operates the largest healthcare network in the GCC and Indian with 290+ units manned by more than 13,000+ employees. Dr Moo-pen has also consistently been at the forefront of philanthropic and social initiatives in India and abroad, both in his personal ca-pacity and as part of the Aster DM Healthcare Group.
R E C O G N I T I O N
Infiniti Q30: A unique premium compact carMUSCAT: Making its world pre-miere at the 2015 Frankfurt Mo-tor Show, the Infiniti Q30 is a new type of premium compact vehicle for a new type of consumer. Rep-resenting Infiniti’s first global en-try into the fast-growing premium compact segment, the Q30 will play an important role in helping the company realise its plans for global growth, says a press release.
Designed for a new generation of buyers not willing to be defined by their choice of vehicle body type, the Q30 challenges conven-tion with its bold character and daring shape.
The car stays true to the signa-ture design cues from the original 2013 concept and exemplifies In-finiti’s design-led, human-centric approach to product develop-ment. The unconventional stance and asymmetric interior contrib-
ute to an overall design that is cer-tain to command attention.
Roland Kruger, president of Infiniti, said: Q30 makes a dar-ing visual statement through its sculpted, concept-car exte-rior, unconventional stance and
asymmetric cabin design. The car has been engineered to exact-ing standards to deliver a driving experience that is unmistakably Infiniti. Q30 will accelerate the company’s strategy to become a leading global manufacturer of premium cars.”
The development teams be-hind the Q30 have taken a holis-tic approach to its engineering, presenting a car that offers ex-ceptional ride and handling. It feels comfortable yet ‘ready to go anywhere’ thanks to the versatile dimensions, confident dynamics and intuitive technologies.
W O R L D P R E M I E R E A T M O T O R S H O W
Cruising is now more fun with Toyota’s FJ
MUSCAT: The Toyota FJ Cruiser looks big, bold and adventurous. All this it is, but that is not all that it is.
A mid-sized SUV, the intrepid FJ Cruiser boasts some of the most impressive off-road capabilities in the Toyota line-up. Combining tradition with modern technology and practicality, the F.J. Cruiser exhilarates, whether driving across town or cross-country, says a press release.
“Now, with the Toyota Festival of Joy in full swing, the FJ Cruiser is even more rewarding to own. Our promotion has already started on September 13 and will continue until November 12 of November,” remarked the SBA spokesperson.
During this period, every FJ Cruiser will come loaded with a service package of 3 years/30,000 kms (whichever is earlier) cover-ing 3 services at 10,000 kms service interval for petrol models based on normal operating conditions. These benefits will be applicable for all purchases except govern-ment organisations and ministries on 2015 YM and 2016 YM models of 2015 production year.
“Now’s the time to get yourself the FJ Cruiser you always wanted. It is indeed a wonderful vehicle that features a rugged exterior and a comfortable interior.
“The cabin is replete with lots of cargo space, roomy seats, a sleek centre console state-of-the-art stereo system, plus more,” added the spokesperson.
An enthusiast states, “The Toyota F.J. Cruiser takes on chal-lenging terrain with ease. As a ‘go anywhere, do anything’ Toyota, it offers a gratifying performance — both on the road and off.”
The FJ Cruiser’s advanced de-sign is very noticeable, with its stylishly rounded headlights set either side of a wide, mesh grille; an upright windscreen with three
wiper blades, a white roof and wrap-around rear corner win-dows. The rear swing-out door with mounted spare wheel offers ease of cargo storage and entry and exit of occupants. ‘FJ’ branded spare wheel cover and a flip type rear glass provides a sturdy and stylish look.
FJ’s classy touches include a leather steering wheel with silver accents and audio control, Blue-tooth switches, water repellent fabric seats, USB + auxiliary port, cruise control, 8-way adjustable driver seat, keyless entry system
and a 10-speaker JBL audio sys-tem with subwoofer.
The FJ is equipped with a pow-erful and muscular 4 Litre, V6 petrol engine with Dual VVTi that whips up a massive 268 HP. Opti-mally matched with the drive train is the sporty 5-speed, ECT (au-tomatic) transmission, designed to deliver excellent performance, smooth gear shifting and lower noise levels. The FJ Cruiser has a host of high-end safety features, which include Vehicle Stabil-ity Control (VSC), Active-Traction Control (A-TRC); Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Brake Assist (BA) and Electric Brake-force Dis-tribution (EBD).
In Oman, the nationwide parts and service network of Saud Bahwan Automotive supports Toyota’s outstanding product quality. No wonder then that today, Toyota is one of the most trusted and well-known brands.
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Al Hilal Islamic Banking opens service centre at Lulu NizwaMUSCAT: ahlibank, the Sultan-ate’s ‘Best Bank’ as per OER-Gulf Baader for the fourth consecutive year, has recently opened a new Al Hilal Islamic Banking Service Centre at Lulu hypermarket in Nizwa. The service centre was inaugurated by Khalid bin Hilal bin Hamad Al Nabhani, member of the Shura Council from Nizwa, along with the senior manage-ment of the bank.
The new service centre at Lulu Hypermarket Nizwa is conveni-ently located to provide easy ac-cess to Al Hilal Islamic Banking services’ growing customer base in the region and is expected to have a positive impact on the delivery of quality service to the bank’s customers, says a press release.
Speaking on the occasion of the inauguration of the Service Cent-er, Lloyd Maddock, CEO of ahli-
bank, said: “Over the past years, ahlibank and Al Hilal Islamic Banking Services have expanded their product portfolio and foot-print in response to our custom-ers’ needs by launching conveni-ently located Service Centres, offsite ATMs, CDMs and other alternative channels. Our strate-gy is to expand our customer base and make banking services easily accessible.”
“Our service centre at the Lulu Hypermarket in Nizwa is ideally located and is in response to the increasing demand for Islamic Banking services in the area,” said Abdullah Al Jabri, general manager, Al Hilal Islamic Bank-ing services.
“We will continue to identify more such locations and expand the basket of our products and services for the benefit of individ-uals and businesses,” he added.
E A S Y A C C E S S
Centrepoint launches latest winter collection
MUSCAT: New collection fo-cuses on 70’s inspired pieces for the family
Centrepoint, the region’s largest fashion retailer, is making retro look chic in its latest collection for autumn winter. It has embraced the seasonal colours and styles that are bound to keep all consum-ers looking effortlessly comfort-able and on-trend this season.
The Babyshop styles for little ones reflect a colour scheme of
pastels and dark hues and pat-terns reflecting flora and fauna. The collection includes pieces like jerseys, cardigans that in-clude key details like sleeve frills and autumnal themed prints like leaves and popular animals, says a press release.
The Splash collection includes trendy pieces in shades of au-tumnal colours such as brown, blue and red.
The collection is retro-chic.
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CZECHS TAKE LEAD AS PAES-BOPPANA LOSEThe Czech Republic’s Radek Stepanek and Adam Pavlasek routed India’s Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna in straight sets on the second day of the Davis Cup World Group play-offs on Saturday. >C2
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Benzema goal edges Real Madrid past GranadaMADRID: A solitary goal from Karim Benzema spared Real Ma-drid’s blushes as the Spanish gi-ants moved to the top of La Liga with a nervy 1-0 win over Gra-nada on Saturday. Real had scored 15 times in their previous three matches, but they were grateful to some poor Granada finishing and controversial calls by the officials to claim all three points.
Benzema grabbed the only goal of the game nine minutes into the second-half with a cushioned
header from Isco’s fine cross. Vic-tory moves Madrid a point ahead of Barcelona at the top of the table with the Catalans not in action un-til Sunday when they host Levante.
The scene appeared to be set at a sunny Bernabeu for Ronaldo to surpass Raul to become Madrid’s all-time to goalscorer.
There was even a special intro-duction for the World Player of the Year as his mascot for the day was Zaid Mohsen, the seven-year-old Syrian refugee made famous when
he and his father were tripped by a Hungarian camerawoman. How-ever, the script wasn’t followed once the action got underway as Granada passed up a host of chanc-es to spring a massive surprise.
Marcelo was forced into a clear-ance off the Real goal line early on before Isaac Success fluffed his first of a number of opportunities when he failed to hit the target when unmarked at the back post.
Ronaldo’s first opening came 18 minutes in, but Andres Fernandez
stood up well to block his effort be-fore Benzema failed to turn the re-bound home. Youssef El Arabi did have the ball in the net for Granada moments later, but was wrongly ruled to have been offside.
Fernandez made further good saves from Luka Modric, Ronaldo and Lucas Vazquez to keep Rafael Benitez’s men at bay.
Yet, Success had two more great chances to put Granada in front just before and after the break as he was denied by brave save from Key-
lor Navas before chipping the ball well over with his second effort.
The Andalusians were eventual-ly made to pay for their profligacy when Isco’s perfect cross picked out Benzema for a simple header to open the scoring.
El Arabi should still have given Granada a share of the points, but he too could not find a way past Na-vas at the end of a final individual run as the Costa Rica international stretched his unbeaten streak to start the season to five games. - AFP
L A L I G A
Karim Benzema
Chelsea blank nine-man Arsenal, Newcastle lose
LONDON: Kurt Zouma and Eden Hazard gave Chelsea a controver-sial 2-0 win over nine-man Arse-nal on Saturday as the simmer-ing feud between the bitter rivals boiled over with red cards for Ga-briel and Santi Cazorla.
Watford heaped more mis-ery on former England manager Steve McClaren with a 2-1 win at Newcastle while Bournemouth managed their first ever Premier League home win in beating Sun-derland 2-0.
The acrimonious relationship between Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and Gunners boss Arsene Wenger seeped through to
both teams at Stamford Bridge in a tetchy London derby featuring even more flashpoints than usual.
Wenger was furious Mike Dean opted not to send off Diego Costa following a clash with Laurent Koscielny and the referee further infuriated the Frenchman when he dismissed Gabriel for kicking Costa and then showed Cazorla a red card in the second half.
“I would not like to be Mike Dean tonight. Costa twice should be sent off,” Wenger said. “In every game Costa has aggravation and he gets away with it because of the weakness of the referee.
“Gabriel should not have re-sponded but the two sending offs
for us and Costa staying on the pitch is a shame (shameful).”
Mourinho’s response felt de-signed to provoke Wenger as he said: “I don’t have a view on the sending off. Man of the match for sure was Diego Costa. He brought everything to the game.”
A surly pre-match handshake between old rivals Wenger and Mourinho set the tone for a feisty clash. Chelsea striker Costa was booked for shoving over Laurent Koscielny after whacking the Arsenal defender in the face mo-ments earlier. Gunners defender Gabriel remonstrated with Costa and was booked for his complaints.
But the Brazilian couldn’t keep
his emotions under control and in first-half stoppage-time he aimed a sly kick at Costa right in front of the referee, who immediately brandished a red card.
Chelsea made their numeri-cal advantage count in the 53rd minute when French defender Zouma was left unmarked to head in a Cesc Fabregas free-kick.
Cazorla was sent off in the 79th minute when the Spanish mid-fielder caught Fabregas with an ugly lunging tackle.
Belgium midfielder Hazard guaranteed the champions’ sec-ond league victory of the season in the 90th minute when his strike deflected off Calum Chambers
to leave the Gunners without a league success against the Blues since 2011.
Smashed Odion Ighalo kept Newcastle in the relegation zone as the Nigerian forward’s double inspired Wat-ford’s 2-1 win at St James’ Park.
Ighalo gave Watford a 10th minute lead with a low strike and he increased their advantage with his fourth goal in six matches in the 28th minute.
Newcastle ended a nearly 500-minute goal drought when Dutch defender Daryl Janmaat netted in the 62nd minute, but Mc-Claren’s team were unable to avoid their third consecutive loss.
Ten-man Sunderland slipped to the bottom of the table alongside north-east rivals Newcastle after their fourth defeat of the season.
Bournemouth, in the top tier for the first time, raced into a two-goal lead inside the first nine minutes, with Callum Wilson striking in the fourth minute before Matt Ritchie smashed in a superb volley.
Sunderland’s miserable day was completed when French defender Younes Kaboul was sent off for a second booking in the 74th minute.
Saido Berahino came in from the cold to fire West Bromwich Al-bion to a 1-0 win at local rivals As-ton Villa. Leicester staged another impressive fightback to maintain their unbeaten record with a 2-2 draw at Stoke.
Everton’s Kevin Mirallas was sent off for a foul on Modou Bar-row in the final moments of his side’s 0-0 draw at Swansea. - AFP
The acrimonious
relationship between
Chelsea manager
Mourinho and
Gunners boss Wenger
seeped through
to both teams at
Stamford Bridge in a
tetchy London derby
featuring even more
flashpoints than usualCONTROVERSIAL: Referee Mike Dean flashes a red card at Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla during their Premier
League match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in London on Saturday. – Reuters
Vettel gives Ferrari pole in SingaporeSINGAPORE: Mercedes’ 15-month domination of For-mula One qualifying came to a shuddering halt on Saturday when Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel snatched pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix.
Mercedes had started at the front of the grid in each of the last 23 grands prix, dating back to the middle of last year, and needed just one more to equal the all-time record, set by the Williams team in the early 1990s.
But the Silver Arrows pair-ing of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were unable to keep up with the Ferrari and Red Bull teams, who staged their own high-speed battle for pole.
Masterful lapVettel came out on top, giving Ferrari their first pole position since 2012 with a masterful lap around the floodlit Singaporean track. The German, a three-time winner in Singapore when he was with his previous team Red Bull, continued his love affair with the tricky street circuit by setting the fastest qualifying time of one minute 43.885 seconds.
Vettel’s pole position was the 46th of his career. His last was in 2013, when he was with Red Bull. The 28-year-old was more than half a second clear of Aus-tralia’s Daniel Ricciardo, who booked his spot on the front row for Red Bull with the sec-ond best time.
Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen was third quickest for Fer-rari and Russia’s Daniil Kvyat fourth for Red Bull. - Reuters
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Czechs take lead as Paes-Boppana lose
NEW DELHI: The Czech Repub-lic’s Radek Stepanek and Adam Pavlasek routed Indian pair Lean-der Paes and Rohan Bopanna in straight sets on the second day of the Davis Cup World Group dou-bles play-offs on Saturday.
The visitors gave a sterling per-formance, beating the match fa-vourites in three straight sets 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 in front of the large home crowd at the R. K. Khanna Stadium in New Delhi.
Stepanek, ranked 145 in the world, and his Davis Cup debutant partner Pavlasek, ranked 268, took the lead after they broke service in the first set, with Indian pair Bo-panna and Paes — ranked 13 and 33 — completely outplayed in the next two sets.
“To pull out a win against such a great team, Rohan and Paes —
they are the two great champi-ons. It worked well for us today,” Stepanek said after the match, which lasted for two hours and nine minutes.
“I have to say it to Adam that it was his second Davis Cup match playing against a top team in the world and playing them the way he played, hats off,” Stepanek, the for-mer doubles No. 1 said.
Overnight rain in capital pushed
the humidity to 100 percent with players taking breaks to refresh themselves with ice towels and chilled water bottles.
India is down 2-1 against the visitors in the playoffs, with two reverse single rubbers scheduled for Sunday.
Paes and Bopanna had a suc-cessful season this year, with Paes winning the US Open, and the pair were expected to continue the
winning streak on the home court. Three-time champions and Davis
Cup powerhouse Czech Republic are fighting to keep intact their re-cord of not dropping out of the com-petition’s elite since 2006.
India last made it to the World Group in 2011.
The visitors are without their top player, the world No. 6 Tomas Berdych, who is seeking a seventh straight Masters berth. - AFP
The Czechs gave a
sterling performance,
beating the favourites
in three straight sets
7-5, 6-2, 6-2 in front
of the large home
crowd in New Delhi
UPSET: Czech Republic’s Adam Pavlasek, left, and Radek Stepanek celebrate after their doubles
victory against India’s Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna on the second day’s play of their Davis Cup
play-off at the R.K. Khanna Tennis Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday. – AFP
Dhoni ready for limited overs with focus on World T20
BENGALURU: India’s limited overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be back in the thick of things after a three month break as Indian selectors will be pick-ing the squad for the upcoming T20 International and ODI series against South Africa, starting on October 2.
There is a possibility that selec-tors may name squads for T20s and first three ODIs.
While there are three T20 inter-nationals slated at the start of the series, the focus for both Dhoni and selectors will be on World T20
which will be held in India in five months time.
While it was nothing more than an extended practice session, Dho-ni again wielded the willow in a charity game two days back at The Oval in London and scored 38 runs in a winning cause.
India’s last limited overs series was against Zimbabwe where a second string side was selected to play under Ajinkya Rahane with as many as seven first team players being rested.
Now with Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Ravi-
chandran Ashwin all fit and availa-ble, some of the fringe players may have to make way for senior stars.
The only injury concern right now is Shikhar Dhawan who is recuperating from fractured hand and will get his fitness test done.
Opening batsman Murali Vijay, who has become a Test specialist, had a decent Zimbabwe tour and he would like to show his utility in shorter formats.
Ambati Rayudu of late has been Dhoni’s preferred choice in place of Ajinkya Rahane for being a bet-ter rotator of strike. Kedar Jadhav
and Manish Pandey, two players with decent T20 record, might also get a look in.
The two new faces that can come in contention are Gurkeerat Singh Mann of Punjab and Ma-yank Agarwal of Karnataka with both doing well for India A.
While Ashwin is a certainty, it will be interesting to see if se-lectors prefer Harbhajan Singh as second spinner due to his IPL exploits and his ability to restrict batsmen in shorter format. Ravin-dra Jadeja has been ignored for Zimbabwe and selectors would
like to see him too. Among the pac-ers, Ishant Sharma, banned for a Test match, might also want to get into the thick of things if selectors give him a chance.
Mohit Sharma and Bhu-vneshwar Kumar have been two of Dhoni’s trusted seamers in shorter format with Dhawal Kulkarni be-ing the back-up man.
Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav are known to be erratic but both might be tried out during the long series as India will be fretting on perfect combination with a mega event round the corner. - PTI
B A C K I N A C T I O N
‘Australia to ‘bore’ their way to victory in subcontinent’
MELBOURNE: Australia must stifle their attacking instincts in the subcontinent and “bore” batsmen into giving up their wickets, captain Steven Smith has said.
Smith will lead a rebuilding Australia team into a two-Test series against Bangladesh next month after a disappointing 3-2 Ashes loss in England.
Australia swept Bangladesh 2-0 in their last tour in 2006 but have always struggled on the subcontinent’s flat wickets, which nullify pace bowling.
Though Smith led Australia against India in three Tests at home, he will captain the side on tour for the first time.
“I think that’s something I’m going to have to adapt to with my captaincy,” Smith told lo-cal media in Sydney. “In Aus-tralia you can be a little bit more attacking.
“In places on the subconti-nent you’ve got to find ways to get batsmen out, you might have to bore them out.
“For me it’s about being adaptable wherever we play.
“So you might have to be more defensive with that and when the ball starts to spin and reverse swing, that’s when you can attack.”
Australia have elected to rest fast men Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood from the tour, leaving workhorse Peter Siddle and left-armer Mitchell Starc to lead the attack.
One-Test tyro Pat Cummins will bid with uncapped Tasma-nia bowler Andrew Fekete to be the third seamer, though Smith has left the door ajar to play two spinners in the Tests in Chit-tagong and Dhaka. - Reuters
D E F E N S I V E
Murray brothers put
Britain in sight of final
GLASGOW: Andy and Jamie Murray moved Great Britain to the verge of a first Davis Cup final since 1978 after defeating Aus-tralia’s Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Groth in an epic doubles clash in their semifinal on Saturday.
World No. 3 Andy and older brother Jamie recovered from a set down to secure a thrilling 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4 victory in a gruelling four-hour rubber.
Victory gave the home side a 2-1 lead and it means Andy Mur-ray can now clinch the tie for Great Britain in Sunday’s first reverse singles as they attempt to win the competition for the first time since 1936.
The 28-year-old will secure a final showdown against either Bel-gium or Argentina in November if he defeats scheduled opponent Bernard Tomic. Australia, 28-time winners of the tournament, had been looking to reach their first fi-nal since 2003 but are now on the brink of a first defeat against old rivals Britain since 1978.
With the tie delicately bal-anced after Friday’s singles, British captain Leon Smith put Andy alongside Jamie instead of Dominic Inglot as he opted for the pairing who secured a four-set victory over Nicolas Mahut and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarter-final against France.
Australia captain Wally Masur kept faith with veteran Hewitt and Groth after the pair had helped to inspire a remarkable comeback from 2-0 down against Kazakh-stan in the previous round.
And it was the Australians who made the breakthrough first as the mighty returns of Groth helped them to break Jamie Mur-ray’s serve in the fifth game.
The Australian pairing then survived three break points as Groth served to take the set 6-4.
It was the older Murray sibling, who missed out on Grand Slam glory in both the Wimbledon and US Open doubles finals this year, that looked more comfortable in his familiar surroundings of dou-bles tennis as he helped the Brit-ish to a break in the sixth game of the second set.
He bisected the Australians with a clinical volley following some terrific net play on their way to a 6-3 victory. Their good work seemed to come undone in the second game of the follow-ing set as Australia immediately broke to race into a 4-1 lead.
However, the Murrays pro-duced a remarkable comeback as they won the following five games in a row to take the set 6-4.
Hewitt and Groth looked de-jected but they recovered to break in the second game of the fourth as Jamie Murray made some uncharacteristic errors.
Their joy was short-lived, how-ever, as Britain broke back im-mediately as the set headed into a tie break where the Australians survived a match point. There was more drama in the decisive fifth set as a fine Andy return earned his side two match points and they sealed victory when Groth fired a volley over the baseline. - AFP
D A V I S C U P
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India A look to clinch series in final unofficial ODI against Bangladesh ABENGALURU: After a shock de-feat against Bangladesh A in the second one-dayer, India A will look to get their act together and clinch the unofficial three-match ODI series as they go into the third and final match here on Sun-day with both teams locked 1-1.
The hosts outplayed the visitors in all departments in the first one-dayer with the Unmukt Chand-led team beating Bangladesh by 96 runs, riding on a brilliant all-round performance by Gurkeerat Singh who scored 65 runs and bagged five wickets with his off-spin.
However, Bangladesh leveled the series by thrashing India by 65
runs in the second ODI with the help of an all-round performance by Nasir Hossain who cracked an unbeaten ton and claimed a five-wicket haul on Friday.
Having failed miserably for the second time in the series, In-dia’s top order would like to make amends and come out with all cyl-
inders blazing in the decider at Ch-innaswamy Stadium on Sunday.
Also the middle and lower middle-order, who helped India A amass 322 after they were strug-gling at 125 for five, would hope to forget the last game where they miserably surrendered to Nasir’s off-spin and Rubel Hossain’s me-
dium pace, who ended with fig-ures of four for 33. Suresh Raina, who has managed just 33 runs in two games, would look to get some batting practice before the South Africa series starting next month.
Even Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav will look to put up their case with a better show, even as they are included in the 30-mem-ber probables list announced by BCCI for the upcoming South Af-rica series.
Chand would like to continue the show and take some sheen off the new ball and rattle the visitors by putting up a good opening stand with Mayank Agarwal. - PTI
C R I C K E T
Having failed miserably for the second time in the series, India’s top order would like to make amends
‘Gorgodzilla’ drives Georgia to upset victory over Tonga
GLOUCESTER: Inspired by cap-tain Mamuka Gorgodze, Georgia held off a desperate second-half surge by Tonga to secure a surprise 17-10 win over the Pacific Island-ers in their Rugby World Cup Pool C opener on Saturday.
Gorgodze, the number eight nicknamed Gorgodzilla for his mighty bulk, was named man of the match after leading by exam-ple in a tense and bone-crunching encounter.
“I have big emotions, I think all national team of Georgia were man of the match, it is not only me,” he
said after Georgia’s delighted play-ers had sealed only their third ever World Cup victory and wrapped themselves in the national flag.
Unassailable leadGorgodze had set the foundations by driving through a melee of de-fenders to touch down right under
the posts for the first try, which took Georgia into a 10-3 lead at the interval. In the second half, a long, swerving run by veteran fullback Merab Kvirikashvili, playing in his fourth World Cup, set up the move that allowed flanker Giorgi Tkh-ilaishvili to score in the corner.
With Kvirikashvili slotting the
difficult conversion, Georgia ap-peared to have taken an unassail-able lead at 17-3.
But Tonga dominated the final quarter and were unlucky not to score when centre Siale Piutau, running on to a clever grubber kick from flyhalf Kurt Morath, just failed to control the ball and touch down.
After running into wall upon wall of Georgian tackles, the Pacif-ic Islanders got their reward when they managed to get the ball out wide for winger Fetu’u Vainikolo to score in the corner and Morath to convert.
But they could not break through for the second try that might have levelled the scores.
In a stop-start game, it was Ton-ga who strung together many of the most attractive passing sequences, but their efforts to move the ball out wide were thwarted by inac-curate passing and handling errors.
In the dying moments of the first half, number eight Vili Ma’afu broke clean through the Georgian defence but had the try disallowed for a forward pass.
Morath opened the scoring for Tonga with a penalty and Geor-gian fullback Merab Kvirikashvili, after missing one straightforward kick, pulled his side level before Gorgodze’s try enabled Georgia to pull ahead.
In a group likely to be dominated by New Zealand and Argentina, Georgia now look well placed to meet their stated objective by tak-ing third place, which would quali-fy them automatically for the next tournament in Japan in 2019.
Georgia next face the Pumas of Argentina at the same venue on Friday, while Tonga play Namibia on September 29. - Reuters
Gorgodze, the number
eight nicknamed
Gorgodzilla for his
mighty bulk, was
named man of the
match after leading
by example in a tense
and bone-crunching
encounter
CAPTAIN GORGODZILLA: Georgia’s Mamuka Gorgodze celebrates with fans after their win over Tonga
in a Group C match of Rugby World Cup at Kingsholm in Gloucester on Saturday. – Reuters
Ireland dismantle CanadaCARDIFF: Flyhalf Jonny Sex-ton gave a masterclass in game management as Ireland assert-ed their Rugby World Cup title credentials with a thumping 50-7 bonus point victory over Canada in their Pool D opener on Saturday.
Ireland ran in seven tries un-der the closed roof at the Millen-nium Stadium. Sexton contrib-uted nine points from the kicking tee in his 55 minutes on the pitch and scored the pick of Ireland’s tries, racing 40 metres to touch down in the 28th minute after being set free by a neat inside pass from Sean O’Brien.
Both captains spent 10 min-utes in the sin-bin in a match that was otherwise played in a good spirit but it was the yellow card shown to Canada’s Jamie Cud-more that proved the more costly.
The Irish scored their first three tries through flanker O’Brien, second row Iain Hen-derson and Sexton in the abra-sive lock’s absence to lead 22-0 after less than half an hour.
The Canucks played with plenty of passion but were never going to recover from such a large early deficit and winger Dave Kearney secured the bonus point after a sweeping Irish move five minutes before halftime.
Canada next face Italy and Ireland take on Romania. - Reuters
M A S T E R C L A S S
Ferocious Japan snatch shock win against South AfricaLONDON: A last-minute Karne Hesketh try secured a 34-32 win over two-time champions South Africa in one of the biggest shocks in Rugby World Cup history on Saturday.
Japan attacked the Springboks from the first minute in an inspir-ing performance in the Pool D opening match in Brighton.
After Ayumu Goromaru scored 24 points including an brilliant try to keep Japan in the game, Hesketh finally pierced South Africa’s des-perate defence in the dying seconds to claim the famous win. Japan’s players went on a lap of honour with national flag amid a roars of support from the 29,000 crowd.
The Asian champions, who will host the 2019 World Cup, had won only one previous World Cup game against Zimbabwe in 1991. They have drawn two and lost 21. But they are determined not to be the whipping boys of this tournament.
Japan could well have scored a try in the sixth minute, fullback
Goromaru bursting through the midfield. However, Goromaru went on his own instead of pass-ing to the player outside and ran into a Springbok wall. He made up for this by slotting over a penalty to put the Japanese 3-0 up in the eighth minute but missed another attempt a few minutes later.
The Boks were rattled and cap-tain Jean de Villiers was angry when fullback Zane Kirchner kicked the ball out on the full from outside his 22 handing the Japa-nese great field position.
The South Africans managed to regain the ball and pressed back.
Some terrific defence kept them out for a while, although Japanese captain Michael Leitch received a warning for an over zealous tackle on De Villiers, but eventually they cracked and Francois Louw went over. Lambie converted for 7-3.
The South Africans spurned a golden opportunity for a second try a couple of minutes later but a diving Bismarck du Plessis failed
to catch the ball and touch down — his embarrassment accentuated by having the whole thing shown again as it was referred to the third match official.
Du Plessis’s glaring miss proved even more costly as after sustained pressure by the Japanese scrum Leitch touched down provoking roars of delight from their fans and large parts of the neutrals.
Goromaru converted to give the Japanese a deserved 10-7 lead.
It wasn’t to last long as more powerful pack play ended with Bismarck du Plessis scoring the ‘Boks second try — Lambie fail-ing to convert gave the two-time world champions a two point edge at half-time of 12-10. Goromaru briefly restored Japan’s lead with an early penalty in the second-half.
However, their opponents hit back with a third try soon after-wards, lock Loudewyjk de Jager breaking a tackle on the 22 and proving an unstoppable force to cross the line — Lambie converted
for 19-13. The impressive Goro-maru added two more penalties to level the match with under half an hour remaining and at that point with a tacit admission the scrum was taking a pounding Heyneke Meyer took off his whole front row.
Lambie slotted over a penalty to make it 22-19 but back came the incorrigible Japanese to level again through the metronomic Goromaru. The match once gain swung back to the Springboks, however, when replacement hook-er Adriaan Strauss scored their bo-nus point fourth try.
Handre Pollard converted for 29-22. If the Springboks thought that was the final say they were soon to be disabused of the notion as a scin-tillating back move saw Goromaru go in and then convert to bring the scores level once again at 29-29.
Pollard gave the ‘Boks a three point lead — the decision to go for goal being roundly booed by the crowd — with seven minutes re-maining. - Agencies
B I G U P S E T
SENSATIONAL: Japan players celebrate during their Rugby World
Cup Pool B opener against South Africa at the Brighton Community
Stadium in Brighton on Saturday. – Reuters
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England can tweak at leisure with bonus point in the bag
LONDON: Nerves from the big occasion, a slippery ball, some im-mense physicality from Fiji and a referee they struggled with would all offer England excuses for their flat spells on Friday but their bo-nus-point win meant that it was all largely irrelevant.
A sharp opening 25 minutes and a determined last 15 sandwiched a wayward middle, but the manage-ment and squad were all delighted to finish with a four-try, 35-11 vic-tory that secured the potentially vital bonus point in the opening game of the toughest World Cup pool ever assembled.
Coach Stuart Lancaster, while delighted to lay down a marker by seeing the hosts top the table with five points, was quick to accept that there were plenty of areas to work on.
“I thought we gave away a few too many penalties,” he said.
“Fiji came hard at the break-down, they made it very difficult for us. They have a team of big physical men across the board and we have to look at our decision-making there.
“After we started well we needed to be more direct and so there are things to work on, obviously”.
Although England knew they were going to face some thunder-ous hits from the big Fijians they looked a little confused to find their rivals holding their own in
the scrum and causing mayhem at the breakdown.
Rather than trusting their pack to eventually wear down their rivals, the go-to tactic that has served them so well in most of their best performances in recent years, England looked impatient to get the ball wide.
It made for an open, exciting spectacle as the dropped balls and
turnovers kept everyone on their toes but the approach made few in-roads as the second half ticked by.
Only when Lancaster virtu-ally emptied his bench around the hour mark was there a notable change, with Billy and Mako Vuni-pola making immediate and direct progress, the team finally building multiple phases that finally had the islanders running out of steam
and leaving holes. Mike Brown took advantage when he forced his way over for his second try to set up a tingling last few minutes as England pounded away in search of the all-important fourth try.
Billy Vunipola got it, driving de-terminedly through three tacklers to just reach the line — although the TMO needed three minutes before confirming he had made it.
“Some of the guys from the bench really put their hands up and we have some big decisions for next week against Wales,” said Lancaster, who has eight days to recalibrate his players before facing their neighbours back at Twickenham.
“With Billy, I could see the look in his eyes and when he’s in that mood he’s a difficult man to stop.” - Reuters
A sharp opening
25 minutes and a
determined last
15 sandwiched a
wayward middle,
but the management
and squad were all
delighted to finish
with a four-try, 35-11
victory that secured
the potentially vital
bonus point
VITAL TRY: England’s Billy Vunipola runs in to score a try against Fiji in their opening Pool A match of the Rugby World Cup
at Twickenham Stadium in London. – Reuters
TWICKENHAM: When super-sub Billy Vunipola crashed over for a try in the final play of Eng-land’s World Cup opening match against Fiji he did not realise how significant his touchdown could be in deciding Pool A.
It took several video replays before the try was confirmed to give England a 35-11 victory.
Vunipola’s last-gasp effort was England’s fourth try of the match, securing a bonus point which could prove crucial in the outcome of the so-called pool
of death which also includes Australia and Wales.
“To be truthfully honest, I didn’t know that bonus points counted in the World Cup,” the 126 kilogram (278 lb) Vunipola said after as he told how had barrelled his way through a wall of Fijian defenders.
“It’s always very good to help the team. I think it’s very important that my job off the bench is to try to up the tempo and try and help the team on the foundations that they built.”
The reward for Vunipola, who was kept out of the starting line up by Ben Morgan, may be a start in the No. 8 jersey in Eng-land’s next game against Wales.
Coach Stuart Lancaster, without singling out individu-als, praised the way his bench players injected life into the team and said there could be changes to the line up next week. But Vunipola said he is counting on nothing yet.
“Everyone wants to start but in the position I’m in at the
moment it’s very tough and the competition’s very high and that’s international rugby.”
When Vunipola came on midway through the second half, England had gone more than 30 minutes without scor-ing and Fiji had closed with seven points at 18-11.
During his brief time on the field, the England attack straightened, took a more direct route through the Fijians and produced a further 17 points in the final 12 minutes. - AFP
Final try hero unaware bonus points counted
Fiji prove they can be a forceLONDON: The old jokes ring hollow these days. Fiji’s rugby union side is by no means sim-ply two Sevens teams thrown onto the pitch together.
On Friday, in swirling wind and rain at Twickenham, the Pacific Islanders displayed class despite losing to England, and showed more than enough to suggest they can cause con-siderable discomfort to Aus-tralia in their next Rugby World Cup Pool A game.
England’s 35-11 victory in the tournament opener in many re-spects flattered the hosts.
Fiji had a try disallowed, missed a number of kicks at goal, and for periods, taught the English a lesson at the stadium they call the Home of Rugby.
The Fijians were downbeat at the end, but can take heart from some tigerish defending and disciplined rucking as well as the more expected exciting run-ning and crossfield kicking.
“They are disappointed in the dressing room,” Fiji coach John McKee told reporters afterwards.
“We came with high ambi-tions. At times we felt we had England under pressure but critical penalties and critical errors let England back into the game. Critical turnovers stopped our momentum.”
It was a momentum that, at times, threatened to pin the hosts to the ropes. Nikola Mata-walu showed a breathtaking turn of pace to sprint from the scrum to the tryline only to have a score ruled out by the Televi-sion Match Official.
Ultimately, they were undone by a little naivety and England’s superior fitness, and have plen-ty of draw heart from.
“When we had some ball and created some phases we put England under pressure but critical mistakes were letting us down and not letting us build on that pressure,” New Zealander McKee said.
“We have to be more patient. The players have a great desire to play, which is fantastic when they run the ball, move the ball. We need to hold on to posses-sion more and not force the play so much.”
Next up for the Fijians are Aus-tralia in Cardiff on Wednesday. - Reuters
G O O D F I G H T
Exotic outsiders dream of upsetting big boys
GLOUCESTER: It would make a good quiz question: if the ‘Ikale Tahi are scrumming down against the Lelos, which two teams are in ac-tion at the 2015 Rugby World Cup?’
On the face of it, Tonga versus Georgia is one of the more obscure of the 48 fixtures in a tournament whose top crowd draws are the likes of the All Blacks and Springboks.
But the clash between the Poly-nesian island kingdom (popula-tion just over 100,000) and the for-mer Soviet republic of 4.9 million people brings a touch of the ex-otic to the cool autumnal setting of Gloucester’s Kingsholm Stadium in southwest England.
The ‘Ikale Tahi or Sea Eagles are competing at their seventh Rugby World Cup and have shown they can spring surprises — at the last tour-nament they stunned eventual run-ners-up France with a 19-14 victory.
Their pre-game ritual, a war dance called the Sipi Tau, is com-parable to the All Blacks’ haka.
“The Sipi Tau is a really impor-tant part of our culture and our rugby team, and we believe that, ac-
cording to our ancestors, God gives us strength,” captain Nili Latu ex-plained on the eve of the match.
Georgia, where the sport has re-ally taken off in the quarter-century since the collapse of the Soviet Un-ion, take their nickname from an an-cient full-contact ball sport, played between villages, that involved something similar to mauling.
Lelo rhymes with ‘fellow’, and more importantly with Georgians’ name for their own country, Sa-kartvelo: hence the supporters’ chant “Lelo, lelo, Sakartvelo” (Try, try, Georgia).
The team, especially their cap-tain Mamuka Gorgodze, have be-come national heroes, and not only on the rugby field.
Some of the players sprang into action in June to help in the clear-up operation after floods inun-dated the capital Tbilisi, causing widespread damage and enabling tigers, lions, bears and wolves to escape from the city zoo.
“Georgia is breathing and living rugby,” said Lutyon Aryrevo, a pas-sionate supporter who is following Saturday’s match on TV in Tbi-lisi and has plastered his Facebook
page with pictures of the team.“Many of my friends told me
they couldn’t sleep last night and it’s the same with me.”
Neither Tonga nor Georgia has much chance of progressing past the pool stage in a group that is likely to be dominated by New Zealand and Argentina.
But for neutrals, the idea of a rank outsider pulling off a shock result in the tournament has clear romantic appeal.
“It would be boring if there were only the super-teams,” said Jan Taubel, a fan who had travelled by camper van from Prague to watch Saturday’s game with his son and three grandchildren — even though the Czech Republic is not even taking part.
“They can surprise — you can never say it won’t happen.”
For both Georgia and Tonga, the World Cup offers a rare chance to compete on sport’s global stage — and maybe, just maybe, to upset the odds and bring drama as well as colour to set the competition alight. - Reuters
R O M A N T I C A P P E A L
The ‘Ikale Tahi’ or Sea Eagles are competing at their
seventh Rugby World Cup and have shown they can
spring surprises. Their pre-game ritual, a war dance
called the Sipi Tau, is comparable to All Blacks’ haka
Big win against Uruguay unlikely to satisfy Gatland
CARDIFF: Wales will look for a points avalanche against Uruguay in their World Cup opener on Sun-day in full knowledge the group will likely be decided on points dif-ference and that has not pleased combative coach Warren Gatland.
The 52-year-old New Zealand-er complained that playing Uru-guay first puts Wales at a massive disadvantage in comparison to Pool A rivals England, Australia and Fiji.
“We have to win the game and after that it’s about scoring points,” Gatland said.
“It’s not disrespecting Uruguay at all. Hopefully we’ll play well and the first priority is to win.”
Skipper Sam Warburton add-ed: “It’s quite a tricky situation. The main thing is you want to get a win and if you’re in a bo-nus point situation great and after that we’ll be foot down for 80 minutes.”
Teams get a bonus point for scoring at least four tries.
“In no game will we ease up as you don’t want to look back in four weeks and wish you’d pushed a bit harder.”
Gatland — whose mood has not been helped by losing key kicker Leigh Halfpenny and scrum-half Rhys Webb to injury in the final warm-up Test against Italy —said of the South Americans: “I wouldn’t mind having them last. Again it’s not something we’re complaining about. It’s been drawn and we’ve been dealt that card.”
Gatland was also in charge four years ago in New Zealand, when Wales reached the semi-final, only losing 9-8 to France despite losing Warburton to a red card in the 20th-minute.
“There’s no difference in the amount of confidence we have as a group and players,” the Kiwi coach said.
“They’ve worked incredibly hard and the focus is very much on Uruguay but we’ve been preparing for the first two games.” - AFP
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All Blacks determined not to be chokers as they take on Pumas
LONDON: New Zealand’s most experienced side ever will take on Argentina on Sunday, looking to shed the “chokers” tag in their quest to become the first side to win back-to-back World Cups.
It was a predictable selection by coach Steve Hansen, saddled with the hard fact that his All Blacks may be defending champions and per-ennial top-ranked side in the world but they have never won the global championship away from home.
Hansen has made it his mis-
sion to prepare the first side to win consecutive titles aware another off-shore failure will re-ignite the chokers label.
To make an emphatic statement in their Wembley match against an Argentina side powered by a bruising pack, the All Blacks will field a team with an average age of 28 and featuring 1,013 caps in the starting XV and a further 316 caps on the bench.
They have never lost to Argen-tina and barring a stunning upset
they should be the two sides to make the play-offs from Pool C which also includes Tonga, Geor-gia and Namibia.
Argentina fancying themselves up front, so the All Blacks have countered with their current top eight which includes six survivors
from the world champion 2011 side.They are still led by the evergreen
Richie McCaw who will be playing his 143rd Test, prop Tony Wood-cock is another centurion while the baby of the pack is hooker Dane Coles who already has 30 caps.
Argentina are “a big unit and
they’re a good unit,” Hansen said of his decision to take no chances with his selections.
“We expect a real physical battle but they’ve got classy backs too.”
“What we know about Rugby World Cups is every team will play at a higher ability than they have prior to it. Everyone gets up for it and we expect that from Argen-tina,” he said.
Replacement hooker Keven Mealamu referred to the Agustin Creevy-led Argentina as the “mas-ters of the scrums.”
“Their forward pack has been around for a long time. They’re the perfect shape for scrummaging so it will be challenge we are looking forward to,” said Mealamu.
For a brief period when the All Blacks and Argentina last met in July, the Pumas dominated up front and produced two tries from driving mauls, a tactic which coach Daniel Hourcade is keen to reproduce on Sunday.
But he is also mindful he has a backline that is developing as both a solid defensive unit and with skilful attackers out wide.
Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, the most experienced of the Pumas with 64 Tests, predicts “a match of high intensity.
“We have been analysing the All Blacks and it is very clear the type of opponent which we will face,” he said with a nod to the try-scor-ing talents of the All Blacks back three Ben Smith, Julian Smith and Nehe Milner-Skudder.
The Pumas, in turn, have their own points-scoring weapon in Juan Imhoff, the Racing92 wing, who comes into the match in sen-sational form after scoring three tries when Argentina toppled former world champions South Africa two months ago.
The All Blacks will set two rugby records in the match.
Fly-half Dan Carter who returns to the frontline after multiple inju-ries in recent years will direct the All Blacks in a world record 89th Test for a player in the 10 jersey in what will be his 107th international.
Woodcock, playing his 104th Test, will equal the world record for a prop held by former England international Jason Leonard. - AFP
To make an emphatic statement in their
Wembley match against an Argentina side
powered by a bruising pack, the All Blacks
will field a team with an average age of 28
and featuring 1,013 caps in the starting XV
and a further 316 caps on the bench
A BIG UNIT: A file photo of Argentina team posing for a group photo during the Rugby World Cup welcoming ceremony at Haileybury, Hertfordshire. – Reuters
FOCUSSED: New Zealand’s fly-half Dan Carter, left, and scrum-half
Aaron Smith pictured during a community coaching event with
young players of the London Harlequins in London on Saturday. – AFP
Discipline the key for Samoans in clash with USBRIGHTON: Samoa coach Ste-phen Betham admits discipline could cost his talented side at the World Cup but he demanded ahead of their first test against the United States on Sunday that ref-erees treat them fairly.
Samoa are seeded to reach the quarterfinals from Pool B -- that also comprises two-time champi-ons South Africa, Japan and Scot-land. But Betham is forecasting a tight tussle with the Americans even though his side is packed with players playing in England and France.
Key to the Samoans chances of
reaching the last eight for the third time will be them keeping their cool in the heat of battle, according to Betham. They have already lost veteran lock Kane Williamson for the opening game to finish a two match ban.
“Discipline is something we have worked hard on and the boys have talked about,” said Betham.
Discpline “is one of those things we have to keep our focus on,” he added. “It will play a big part. The referees have tagged us and have perceptions of it, but we can’t use it as an excuse.
“However, whatever they do to
us we ask they see it the same way with our opposition.
“We are not going to complain we just want it done evenly and we will get on with the job.”
The importance of keeping their cool is reflected in how tight pre-vious matches against the Ameri-cans have been, with the Pacific islands team winning all four but never by more than seven points.
US threat “The United States pose a great threat, a fortnight ago they trailed Australia (at Soldier Field, Chi-cago) by very little at half-time (14-
10) and they hung in there (though they ended up losing 47-10),” said Betham. “We have a lot of respect for them and we have to be on our game on Sunday because we are expecting a big match.
“All four previous games have been tight and I am not expect-ing anything different. We are fo-cussed on what we can do, and we will try and minimalise any mis-takes we may make.”
Betham dismissed the form guide as being overwhelmingly in their favour despite having beaten virtually the same USA team 21-16 in July in the Pacific Nations Cup.
The Americans showed great spirit then to come back from 21-3 down.
“The Pacific Nations is a differ-ent game,” said Betham, who will look to the Pisi brothers, Ken on the wing and Tusi at fly-half, to make their experience felt at the highest level. “In the World Cup every game is a championship game. This is where you gauge yourself on the world stage.
“It is very important we start well, which we havent in our last couple of games. We have the be-lief that if we start well everything will fall into place.”
For the Americans much will
depend on how talented Ireland-born fly-half AJ MacGinty — he only made his debut in the Samoa game and scored 11 points — takes to the hotbed atmosphere of a World Cup and if he can punish with his boot any ill disciplne by the Samoans.
MacGinty, whose alma ma-ter is Blackrock College, the same as iconic Irish centre Brian O’Driscoll, has some talented backs outside him, no more so than Zimabwe-born wing Takudzwa Ngwenya, whose pace may have slowed over the years but will still punish slack defending. - AFP
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Bank Muscat honours Oman U-19 football teamMUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flag-ship financial services provider in the Sultanate, extended a hero’s welcome to the Under-19 Oman national team who won the GCC championship in Qatar.
Reiterating the ‘Let’s Do More’ vision and commitment to part-nership in promoting Oman as a sporting nation, the bank hon-oured the U-19 Oman national team at a ceremony in the head of-fice in the presence of AbdulRazak Ali Issa, Chief Executive, and Saleh Al Farsi, Deputy President of Oman Football Association.
AbdulRazak Ali Issa said: “Bank Muscat is delighted to honour the U-19 Oman team and we join the nation in congratulating all mem-bers of the team for achieving a milestone for Oman football.
As the flagship bank in Oman, Bank Muscat leads by example and the honouring of the Oman youth team reflects our commitment to promote Oman as a sporting nation.
“The gesture towards the U-19 national team reiterates the bank’s support for youth, who represent
the future of Oman. The bank will continue to offer the required en-couragement and support for the national teams to put up their best efforts and further lift the national honour to new heights.”
Bank Muscat is a major support-
er of the national game of football. In all major tournaments, includ-ing Gulf Cup, Bank Muscat has led by example, being the first private sector institution to announce support for the national team.
As the nation’s flagship financial
institution, Bank Muscat aims to strongly convey the message of sup-port to the national teams so as to motivate others to follow suit and provide the required impetus for them to excel in sports and games.
Central to the bank’s social re-
sponsibility programmes is the Green Sports initiative launched in 2012 to promote Oman as a sport-ing nation in general and the na-tional game of football in particular.
As part of the programme, the bank in a record time achieved no-
table success in developing green fields in all parts of the Sultanate. Aimed at raising sporting heroes for the country, the bank remains committed to supporting all de-serving clubs across the Sultanate to green their playing fields.
G C C C H A M P I O N S
DELIGHTED TO HONOUR: Bank Muscat Chief Executive AbdulRazak Ali Issa, centre, honours a member of Oman under-19 football team. Members of Oman under-19 football
team pose for a group photo along with the officials Bank Muscat and Oman Football Association. – Supplied photos
Tarun, Sanjay, Prayag upset seeded players
MUSCAT: In a day of upsets, Tarun Jayadevan, Sanjay Venkat and Prayag Mohanty accounted for three upsets in the boys’ under-15 singles event at the on-going Na-tional Bank of Oman (NBO)-spon-sored Annual Badminton Tour-nament organised by the Indian Social Club (ISC) Muscat.
In quarterfinal action of the boys under-15 singles, Tarun fol-lowed up his convincing first round win with a hard-fought victory in the quarters to stun top seed Anirudh Hariharan in three well-contested games 18-21, 22-20, 21-18.
Tarun rallied from a game down and shrugged off an early deficit in the second and held his nerves to win a nervy second game. The de-cider was well-contested as both
fought for every point. Scores went neck-and-neck before Tarun gained a marginal lead and wrapped up the game for a place in the last four.
Sanjay Venkat accounted for second seed Mohamed Iman when he scored a shock 21-10, 21-18 triump and new to the country but loaded with abundant talent, thirteen-year-old Prayag Mohan-ty played with sound tempera-ment to script 21-15, 15-21, 21-15 upset victory over third seed Jeswin Mathew.
Fourth seed Milind Naithani saved the day for the seeds and survived a scare before outlasting Adithya Hariharan 21-19, 15-21, 21-14. Earlier, Prayag had eased to a comfortable 21-3, 21-2 vic-tory over Adhindra VS. In another
match of the boys under-15 sin-gles, Adithya Hariharan defeated 21-14, 21-8.
In the boys under-13 section, Akhil Ashok defeated Aditya Ka-bra 15-8, 15-8, Aaryan Punja eased past Jelin Johny with a 15-8, 15-1 win and N.V. Keertan defeated R. Charan 21-16, 21-6.
Shaiju V advanced to the sec-ond round of the Men’s-A Singles event after rallying from a game down to defeat Nandakumar MK 19-21, 21-16, 21-18. Others advancing in the same event are Vineesh Mathew who defeated Sabu Thankachan 21-6, 21-12, Justin Thomas who overcame Ameenuddin with a 21-17, 12-17 verdict, and VA Francis put in scored a hard-fought 21-7- 19-21, 21-18 victory over Ashok Gupta.
I S C T E N N I S
Tarun Jayadevan
‘Players want stability, not more transfers’
BRUSSELS: The vast majority of professional footballers want sta-bility and do not like to hop around from one club to another, accord-ing to world players’ union secre-tary general Theo van Seggelen.
FIFPro lodged a legal com-plaint against the transfer system at the European Commission on Friday, although Van Seggelen said it was not a case of players
asking to be able to leave a club when they felt like it.
“More than 95 percent of the players are happy with their con-tract and happy with their club; they want the kids to go to school, they have a normal life; so I don’t think that will happen,” he said.
Top professionals are some-times criticised for a perceived lack of loyalty to their clubs with a recent case involving England winger Raheem Sterling who left Liverpool for Manchester City in acrimonious circumstances.
But Van Seggelen said this was relatively isolated.
“The mistake we make is that we are always looking at the top players in the top leagues,” he said.
“We are not saying that we should give the chance to a player, after he signs a five-year contract, to leave when he wants; that’s ab-solutely not what we want to do. On the contrary.
“The average player is young, he has a short career, he has kids and he has to pay the mortgage. Do you think that a player, every three
months, wants to go from one country to another; that’s not true. Of course, there always are excep-tions, but normally all these players are happy with the contract.”
Biggest challengeFIFPro has described its com-plaint, in which it alleges the cur-rent transfer system governed by FIFA infringes European compe-tition law, as the biggest challenge to that system since Belgian foot-baller Jean-Marc Bosman won his court case in 1995.
In the so-called Bosman rul-ing, the European Court of Justice judged that players were free to leave their clubs without a fee being paid once their contract had ended.
The ruling has often been blamed for the growing disparity between big and small clubs, on the basis that the latter lose pre-cious income from transfers, but Van Seggelen dismissed this.
“Poor Bosman, we’re really fed up with hearing this,” he said, add-ing that the distribution of prize money from the lucrative Cham-pions League played a much big-ger part in fuelling inequality.
“One of the reasons why we have an unbalanced situation is because if you are not in the Champions League you are out of business, so it has nothing to do with Bosman.” - Reuters
FIFPro lodged a legal
complaint against
the transfer system
at the European
Commission on
Friday, although Van
Seggelen said it was
not a case of players
asking to be able to
leave a club when
they felt like it
The mistake we make is that we are always looking at the top players in the top leagues
Theo van SeggelenFIFPro Secretary-General
Croatia appeal against
point deduction rejectedPARIS: UEFA have rejected Croa-tia’s appeal against a one-point deduction after a swastika was daubed on the pitched when they played Italy in a Euro 2016 quali-fier in Split in June.
The Croatian Football Federa-tion (HNS) had apologised for the incident, which they said “brought prejudice against football and the Croatian State”, and labelled it an act of sabotage.
The match, which finished in a 1-1 draw had been played behind closed doors due to another pun-ishment handed down to Croatia by UEFA. A UEFA statement on the appeal read: “The appeal by the HNS was rejected, and the original decision...has been upheld.
“The HNS has also been ordered to play its next two home games in UEFA competition behind closed doors, and ordered not to play any of its remaining qualifiers at the Stadion Poljud in Split.
“In addition, the HNS has been fined 100,000 euros ($113,039; £72,776). This decision is final.”
The deduction means Croatia remain third in qualifying Group H, two points behind Norway in second and four adrift of leaders Italy with two matches remaining.
Only the top two are guaranteed automatic qualification for the finals in France next year, along with the best third-placed side.
The remaining third-placed na-tions go into play-offs. - AFP
F O O T B A L L
WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM
HealthSECTIONC L I F E S T Y L E S U N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0, 2 0 1 5
KEEP CALM AND
MEDITATEMeditation is a form of mental cleansing that helps
in emptying out all thoughts and emotions that clutter the
mind and thwart the intellect. Just five minutes of meditation
is equal to an hour’s rest for the mind which is constantly
engaged in activity.
BY HUBERT VAZ
LIFESTYLEC8 S U N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0, 2 0 1 5
Would you like to step aside and watch your own mind – how it handles
anger, anxiety, aggression, afflic-tion or how it revels in affection, admiration, and appreciation? It is possible, and meditation is the answer.
Meditation is a way of con-sciously manipulating the mind towards a positive state. It is an ef-fective method for ridding negativ-ity and infusing positivity. It helps in converting the mental state from disturbed to peaceful and bringing on a feeling of inexplicable joy and contentment. The benefits of medi-tation can be experienced not just during a session of meditation but all through the day.
Experts of meditation say meditation brings on an infilling of ‘prana’ (energy) in every cell of the body which, in turn, promotes feelings of joy, peace, and content-ment. Apparently, high levels of prana in every cell indicate high levels of joy and peace. Medita-tion, they say, is an effective tool for personal transformation as it helps in understanding and dis-covering more aspects of oneself.
According to Rajive Ahuja, who conducts breathing techniques and meditation programmes as guest faculty with The Art of Liv-ing, over the past 20 years, “medi-tation is part of the Eightfold Path of Yoga given by the ancient sage Patanjali, who was considered the father of Yoga. The eightfold path comprises Yama (moral conduct), Niyama (discipline), Asana (pos-tures), Pranayama (control of pra-na), Pratyahara (interiorisation), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (su-
per-conscious oneness with the ‘cosmic spirit’). So meditation is a very important aspect of the eight facets of yoga. And Pranayama, which teaches you the correct breathing techniques, leads you towards initiating the process of meditation.”
Explaining that meditation be-gins by trying to quieten the mind and emptying out the different thoughts that keep coming up, he said “it’s about being able to step aside and observe your own mind, to watch what all is going on in your mind without being part of it. You can observe your own mind, only if you are able to place your-self outside it. Meditation helps you to view all the thoughts that keep you agitated or anxious until they settle down; it’s like watching all the impurities in dirty water settle down leaving behind clear water. Once you have a deep, set-tled, peaceful mind, (with all dis-turbing thoughts filtered out) then the benefits of the mind can be understood better. Also, when the mind settles down, the reasoning power or intellect sharpens.”
He further asserted that sharp-ening of the intellect helps in the heightening of one’s own intuitive powers. Intuition is something that makes you alter your nor-mal course of action, for which you will not regret on hindsight. Hence, intuition is actually a heightened intellect and medita-tion leads you to it, he observed.
The Sanskrit yogic philosophy talks about five sheaths of one’s existence. However, more popular western beliefs talk about three states – the gross body, the subtle body, and the causal body. Medi-tation helps in growing the subtle body to a state when you are able
to have good vibes with everyone and everything around you. The ultimate aim is to take the subtle body closer to the causal body, and when the subtle body blends with the causal body, the result is en-lightenment, a heightened state of total bliss, Rajive explained.
The task of meditation is a sim-ple one though the benefits can be far reaching and longer lasting. The best way to meditate is to sit in a quiet place, keeping the spine erect and the palms held open on the lap, keeping all the channels of energy flow open.
One can take any comfortable posture for meditation but it is not advisable to meditate in a ly-ing down position as it does not facilitate the unhindered flow of energy through the different me-ridians across the body.
There is no best time to sit in meditation, it could be early morning, afternoon, even at night, before going to bed. However, it should be done on an empty stom-ach (or a few hours after a meal) when digestion is complete and the
mind is not involved in controlling other functions of the body. One can begin meditating by focusing on one’s breathing (inhalation and exhalation) or by chanting a mantra to quieten the mind.
However, one must not make any conscious attempt to resist any thoughts that come by, as re-sistance will make them persist. One can let the thoughts float, one after another until they become disconnected and eventually exit the mind. The idea of taking a comfortable posture is to help the mind transcend the gross state and get into the subtle state.
One can start with 4-5 min-utes of meditation and slowly in-crease the duration. Initially one would spend time involved in vari-ous thoughts but slowly one would learn how to just view them and let them go by. “The duration of medi-tation should not exceed 20 min-utes at a time so that you do not get disconnected with the real world, rather get enriched to connect better,” Rajive said adding; “20 minutes of meditation is equal to four hours of rest for the mind.
“Just like dental hygiene, this is mental hygiene, a method of cleansing the mind.” Lastly, meditation doesn’t take away any steam from one’s personality, rather it makes one more dynam-ic, creative, positive, talented, and mainly, in control of one’s emo-tions. People who meditate come across as very positive, very ac-commodative, very comfortable to be with, yet very dynamic in their [email protected]
For more details, contact: + 968 9925 6472; [email protected]
Benefits of Meditation
Simple Meditation for Beginners
Relaxation is often not the goal of meditation, but the result. It is simply a response marked by reduced activity of the sympathetic nervous system. However, meditation
does provide many benefits to the nervous system, like:
LIFESTYLEC9S U N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0, 2 0 1 5
Eat Potatoes to Reduce InflammationPotatoes are said to be highly effective in reducing inflammation, internal and external. Being easy to digest, potatoes contain Vitamin C (a very good antioxidant that repairs tissue wear and tear), potassium, and vitamin-B6 which can relieve any inflammation of the intestines and the digestive system.
Here are a few simple, time-tested foods, techniques,
and remedies to try, and a bit about why. Have you tried any of these
tricks? How did you like them? Do you have a favourite remedy of
your own? Tell us about it at [email protected]
Try
Why
DECODINGDOCTOR
BR I E FS
‘Gene Signature’ to Sound Alzheimer’s Early WarningScientists have developed a ‘gene signature’ that could be used to predict the onset of diseases such as Alzheimer’s years in advance. The study aimed to define a set of genes associated with ‘healthy age-ing’ in 65-year-olds. We use birth year or chronological age to judge everything from insurance premiums to whether we will get a medical procedure or not. Most people accept that all 60 year olds are not the same but there has been no reliable test for underlying ‘biological age’,” said lead study author James Timmons from King‘s College London. Such a molecular profile could be useful for dis-tinguishing people at earlier risk of age-related diseases. “Our discovery provides the first robust molecular ‘sig-nature’ of biological age in humans and should be able to transform the way that ‘age’ is used to make medical deci-sions,” Timmons reported.
Heart Disease Project Gets $400,000 BoostWashington: An Indian-American researcher at East Tennessee State Univer-sity (ETSU) has received a $423,485 grant from the National Institutes of Health for his project related to ischemic heart disease, a media report said.
The grant will give a boost to the project led by Krishna Singh, professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Quillen College of Medicine and physiologist at the Quillen VA Medical Centre, to study the role of a protein called ATM, or ataxia telangiectasia mutated kinase, in ischemic heart disease, johnsoncitypress.com reported recently.
“The aim of this research is to identify a link between ATM and ischemic heart dis-ease, and to understand why ATM deficient patients are more susceptible to ischemic heart disease,“ Singh was quoted as saying.
Mutations in the ATM gene cause a rare genetic disorder known as Ataxia-telangiectasia, or A-T, which affects multiple organs in the body and leads to severe disability.-IANS
Have Mint to Cure NauseaThe refreshing aroma of mint is a quick and effective remedy for nausea. When feeling giddy, just smell some mint oil or freshly crushed mint leaves to quickly recover. You can also consume a lozenge with mint flavour or lemonade laced with mint leaves.
PHOT
OGR
APH
Y: S
HU
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Hubert Vaz chats with Dr Hussein Al Saadi,Public Health Specialist, Al Hayat International Hospital about Fructose, ‘The Sweet Poison’which can invite serious ailmentsif consumed in excess.
The Sweet PoisonWHAT IS FRUCTOSE?Fructose is one of the main types of sugars found in fruits such as apples, in fruit juices, and in honey. Sucrose (table sugar) is composed of fructose (50%) and glucose (50%). Honey, dates, rai-sins, molasses, and figs have a content of over 10% of fructose; grapes, raw apples, apple juice, persimmons, and blueberries have 5-10 % of fructose.
Milk, the main nourishment for infants, has essentially no fructose, and neither do most vegetables and
meats which indicate that human beings had little dietary exposure to fructose before the mass pro-duction of sugar. Glucose, however, comes from starches like potatoes and our bodies produce it. Glucose is vital to life but fructose is not.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FRUCTOSE AND GLUCOSE?Glucose (good sugar) and fructose-are metabolised very differently by the body. Every cell in the body can use 80% of glucose and remaining
20% stored in the liver. The liver is the only organ that can metabolise fructose in significant amounts. When people eat a diet that is high in calories and high in fructose, the liver gets overloaded and starts turning the fructose into fat.
WHY IS FRUCTOSE BAD?Scientists believe that excess fruc-tose consumption may be a key driver of many serious diseases including obesity, type II diabe-tes, heart disease and even cancer. Fructose doesn’t affect satiety in
the same way as glucose, making you store upmore calories.
SO, HOW BEST CAN ONE CONSUME FRUCTOSE?My advice is to eat fruits in reason-able amount to get the benefit offlu-ids, low-energy, fibre, and vitamins. In general, fruit is a minor source of fructose in the diet compared to add-ed sugars. Secondly, try to stay away from soft drinks and diets which supply excess calories and added sugars. Exercise regularly to reduce extra fat produced by bad sugar.
Do You Stand in Correct Posture?Standing correctly is not something that comes naturally to every-one. To have the right standing posture, you must hold your head up straight with your chin in and your earlobes in line with the middle of your shoulders. Keep your shoulder blades back, knees straight, tummy tucked in and do not tilt your pelvis either forward or backward.
FIND-IT-ALLC10 S U N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0, 2 0 1 5
ROYAL OMAN POLICE
Emergencies and inquiries: 9999
General Directorate of
Passport and Residence 24569603
Directorate General
of Customs 24521109
Traffic violations inquiries 24510228
Public Relations Admin 24560099
EMBASSIES IN OMAN
Afghanistan 24698 791/4
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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
Hamdan Hospital 23212340
International Medical
Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5
Kims Oman Hospital 24760100
24 Hrs Emergency 24760123
Lama Polyclinic, Sohar 26751128
MBD 24799077
Al Khuwair 24478818
Magrabi Eye and
Ear Hospital 24568870
Muscat Private Hospital 24583600
Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment
Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666
Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC 22004000
AIRLINE OFFICES
Muscat Airport Flight information
(24 hours) 24519456/24519223
Aeroflot 24704455
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Biman Bangladesh Airlines 24701128
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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
PRAYER TIMINGS
Dhuhr 12.06pmAsr 3.32pmMaghrib 6.11pmIsha 7.22pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 4.39am
CINEMA SCHEDULE CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 3 YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE CINEMA | BOX-OFFICE COUNTER OPENS 30-MINUTES PRIOR TO THE SCREENING OF THE FIRST SHOW
CITY CINEMAContact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68. www.citycinemaoman.netfacebook.com/citycinemaoman
SHATTITHE MAZE RUNNER: SCORCH TRIALS (Action, Sci fi) (PG12)(3D)Cast: Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario2:00, 9:15, 11:45 pmTHE MAZE RUNNER: SCORCH TRIALS (Action, Sci fi) (PG12)(2D)Cast: Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario6:45 pmAmerican Ultra (Action, Drama)(12+)Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart5:00, 9:30 pmThe Transporter Refueled (Action)(PG12)Cast: Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol4:30, 11:30 pmMOOMINS ON THE RIVIERA (Animation)2:00, 3:30 pm (PG)EDEN (Drama, Thriller)(12+)(2D)4:00, 5:45 pmCast: Jessica Lowndes, James RemarEVEREST (Adventure, Drama)(PG)(3D/IMAX)1:45, 9:30, 11:55 pmEVEREST (Adventure, Drama)(PG)(2D)Cast: Jason Clarke, Ang Phula Sherpa7:00 pmHARA MAZNOUKA (12+)(ARABIC)Cast: Ahmed Fathy, Ola Ghanem7:30 pm
MUSCAT GRAND MALLMaze Runner: The Scorch Trials: 3D (PG12)Timing: 10:00 AM, 9:30, 11:55 PMGold Class: 3:45, 8:45, 11:15 PMMaze Runner: The Scorch Trials: 2D (Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller) (PG12)4:45 PMAmerican Ultra: 2D (Action,Comedy) (12+)Cast: Jesse Eisenberg,, Kristen Stewart1:30, 7:15 PMEverest : 3D (Adventure, Drama, Thriller) (PG)Cast : Jason Clarke, Ang Phula Sherpa7:15, 11:45 PMGold Class: 1:15, 6:15 PMEverest : 2D (Adventure, Drama, Thriller) (PG)5:00 PM
Katti Batti(Hindi) : 2D (Romance) (TBC)Cast : Imran Khan, Kangana Ranaut9:15 PMThe Dead Lands : 2D (Action ) (15+)Cast : James Rolleston, Lawrence Makaore12:30 PMThe Transporter Refueled : 2D (PG12)Cast : Ed Skrein, Loan Chabano2:45 PMMoomins on the Riviera: 2D (Family) (PG)Cast : Maria Sid, Mats Langbacka10:15 AM, 12:00, 3:30 PM
AZAIBAMaze Runner: The Scorch Trials – 2D (PG12) Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller 5:30 PMMaze Runner: The Scorch Trials – 3D (PG12) Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller Cast: Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario12:45, 8:00, 10:30 PMUtopiayile Rajavu - 2D (PG) Family, Comedy Cast: Mammootty, Jewel Mary, K. P. A. C.2:45, 8:45 PMMoomins on the Riviera – 2D (PG) 12:45, 4:30 PMMaya – 2D (15+) Horror Cast: Nayanthara, Aari, Amzath Khan6:00, 11:30 PM
Everest – 3D (PG) Adventure, Drama, ThrillerCast: Jason Clarke, Ang Phula Sherpa12:30, 7:15, 11:15 PMEverest – 2D (PG) Adventure, Drama, ThrillerCast: Jason Clarke, Ang Phula Sherpa3:15 PMKatti Batti – 2D (TBC) Romance Cast: Imran Khan, Kangana Ranaut 2:00, 3:45, 6:15, 8:45 PMThe Transporter Refueled - 2D (PG12) 2:00, 11:55 PMAmerican Ultra – 2D (12+) Action, Comedy12:15, 5:30 PMHero – 2D (PG12) Action, Drama, Romance9:30 PM
RUWISCREEN 1Katti Batti (Romance) – PG12Cast:Kangana Ranaut, Imran Khan3.30, 6.30, 9.30 PMSCREEN 2Welcome Back (Comedy) – 12+3.45, 9.45 PM Everest (3D) (Adventure, Drama, Thriller) Cast: Elizabeth Debicki, Jake Gyllenhaal, Keira6.45 PM (PG)SCREEN 3
Everest (2D) (Adventure, Drama) – PG3.45, 9.45 PM Phantom (Action) – PGCast: Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif9.45 PM
SOHARThe Transporter Refueled - 2D (PG12) Cast: Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol5:15, 10:10 PMAmerican Ultra - 2D (12+) Action, ComedyCast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart4:15, 11:30 PMHero - 2D (PG12) Action, Drama, RomanceCast: Sooraj Pancholi, Athiya Shetty6:00 PMEverest - 2D (PG) Adventure, Drama, Thriller Cast: Jason Clarke, Ang Phula Sherpa4:45 PMEverest - 3D (PG) Adventure, Drama, Thriller 2:30, 7:00, 11:45 PMMaze Runner: The Scorch Trials - 3D 7:00, 9:30, 11:55 PM (PG12)Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials - 2D (PG12) Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller 2:45 PMKatti Batti - 2D (TBC) Romance9:15 PM
Moomins on the Riviera - 2D (PG) Cast: Maria Sid, Mats Långbacka3:00, 4:30 PMMaya - 2D (T) (15+) Horror Cast: Nayanthara, Aari, Amzath Khan6:00 PMUtopiayile Rajavu - 2D (M) (PG) FamilyCast: Mammootty, Jewel Mary, K. P. A. C. 8:45 PMEden - 2D (12+) Drama, ThrillerCast: Jessica Lowndes, James Remar2:30, 11:55 PMHara Maznouka - 2D (Arb) (12+) ComedyCast: Ahmed Fathy, Ola Ghanem8:25 PM
BURAIMIMaze Runner: The Scroch Trails - 3D (Action, Sci-FI, Thriller) (PG12)5:00, 9:30, 11:55PMEverest – 3D (Adventure, Drama ) (PG)5:15, 7:20, 11:45PMAmerican Ultra – 2D (Action, Comedy) (12+)11:30PMThe Transporter Refueled– 2D (Action )5:30, 11:30 PM (PG12)The Blood Lands – 2D (Horror) (12+)Cast: Pollyanna McIntosh, Lee Williams
10:00 PMTekken Kazuya’s Revenge – 2D (Act) (15+)Cast: Kane Kousgi, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa10:00 PMKatti Batti – 2D (Romance/Comedy) (PG12)Cast: Imran Khan, Kangana Ranaut 7:30PMMaaya – 2D (Horror) (15+)Cast: Nayantara, Aari, Amzath Khan7:15 PM
SURMaze Runner : the Scorch Trails (3D) (Action | Sci - Fi ) (PG12)2:45, 9:15, 11:45 PMThe Dead Land (Action) (15+) CP#2:15, 9:30 PMUtopiayile Rajavu (Malayalam)(Family ) Cast: Mammooty, Jewel Mary, K. P. A. C. 12:00, 4:15 PM (PG)Katti Batti (Hindi) (Romance) (TBC) 7:00 PMAmerican Ultra (Action | Comedy) (12+)5:15PM Everest (3D) (Adventure | Drama) (PG) 12:00, 7:00, 11:30 PM
SALALAHTekken: Kazuya’s Revenge (2D) (15+) Cast: Kane Kosugi, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa10:15AM, 2:00, 10:15PMEverest (3D) (PG) (Adventure/Drama/Thriller) Cast: Jason Clarke, Ang Phula Sherpa10:15AM, 7:00, 11:55PMEverest (2D) (PG) (Adventure/Drama/Thriller) 2:15PMMoomins on the Riviera (2D) (PG) 10:00AM, 3:45PMThe Transporter Refueled (2D) (PG12) 2:30, 11:30 PMMaze Runner: The Scorch Trials (3D) 11:30AM, 9:15, 11:45PM (PG12) Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2D) (PG12) (Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller) 4:30PM Katti Batti (2D) (PG12) (Romance) 12:00, 7:45PMAmerican Ultra (2D) (12+) (Action) 12:30, 4:15PMUtopiayile Rajavu (2D) (PG) (Malayalam) 8:45PMMaaya (2D) (15+)(Tamil) (Horror) Cast: Nayanthara, Aari, Amzath Khan6:00PMHero (2D) (PG12) (Action/Drama/Romance) 5:15PM
BAHJA CINEMAFilm information 24540856 / Advance Booking 24540855Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com
Everest (Adventure/Thriller/Drama) Cast: Elizebeth Debicki, Jake Gyllenhal, Keira Knightly3.45, 7.30, 9.45 & 11.55 pmCP No: 2391 (PG)The Deadlands ( Action ) Cast: James Rolleston, Lawrence Makoare2.45, 10.00 & 11.55 pmCP No: 2392 ( 15+)Tekken 2 (Action) Cast: Kane Kosugi, Cary Heroiki Tagawa, Rade Serbedzija4.45 & 8.15 pmCP No: 2394 (15+)The Blood Lands (Horror/Mystery/Thriller) Cast: Pollynna Mc Intosh, Lee williams, Jonea Mitchel1.00 & 6.30 pmCP No: 2393 (12+)Zero Tolerance (Action) Cast: Dustin Nguyen, Scott Adkins, Sahajak Boonthanakit12.15 pmCP No: 2371 (12+)Moomins On The Riviera (Animation)Cast: Maria Sid, Mats Langbacka, Kristofer Gummerus2.00 & 6.00 pmCP No: 2395 (PG) STAR CINEMAFilm information 24791641 / 24786776Website: www.isurf.co.om
Utopiayile Rajavu (Mal) ( Com )Cast: Mammootty & Jewel Mary3-30 & 9-30 pm Cinema Main; 6-45 pm Cinema-3Thani Oruvan (Mal) ( Act/Drama ) Cast: Jayam Ravi, Nayanthara & Arvind Swamy 3-30, 6-30 & 9-30 pm Cinema-2Maya (Tamil) ( Horror)Cast: Natanthara & Aari3-45 & 9-45 pm At Cinema-3;6-30 pm at Cinema MainLoham (Mal) (Drama/Act) Cast: Mohanlal, Andrea & Renji Paniker3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 pm at Cinema – 4NEXT CHANGE:Trisha Illana Nayanthara (Tamil); Rajni Murugan (Tamil) Programmes are subject to change
@MGM @SHATTI @SOHAR @RUWI
THE MAZE RUNNER: SCORCH TRIALS (Action, Sci fi) (PG12)(3D)
Cast : Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario
Timings :2:00, 9:15, 11:45 pm
EVEREST : 3D (Adventure, Drama, Thriller) (PG)
Cast : Jason Clarke, Ang Phula Sherpa
Timing : 7:15, 11:45 PMGold Class: 1:15, 6:15 PM
MOOMINS ON THE RIVIERA - 2D (PG)
Voice Overs : Maria Sid, Mats
Långbacka
Timings : 3:00, 4:30 PM
KATTI BATTI (ROMANCE) – PG12
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Imran Khan
Timing: 3.30, 6.30, 9.30 PM
WEATHER
36Maximum
28Minimum
TEMPERATURE
40-45%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 [email protected]
MUKTI DEEPAK PATEL September 20, 2006
TEERTH MEHUL SHETH September 20, 2001
WITH LOVE
A ll yoga postures require complete awareness of the body and breath-ing. According to
traditional beliefs, yoga leads to spiritual growth through the practice of individual and so-cial discipline. The level of one’s spirituality is said to increase as one practices yoga with complete awareness of not only physical postures but also activities in all areas of life.
The awareness encourages self analysis, self realisation and a de-sire to help others. Yoga starts out improving a person’s body and personality through asanas and pranayama since these are the benefits most people ask for.Most people have trouble with concen-tration and mediation because their mind wanders and they are easily distracted by their thoughts. Meditation which benefits the mind can only become easy when one has physical discipline.
Therapy for AilmentsResearch shows that yoga helps manage a wide range of ail-ments such as anxiety, arthritis asthma, back pain, blood pres-sure, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, heart disease, stress migraine, insomnia.
Since no therapy is ever com-plete in itself, yoga works well in combination with medical treat-ment. It however doesn’t replace traditional medical therapy.
Yoga also helps one to build a sense of wellbeing and peace since it creates a balance be-tween the nervous and endo-crine systems. Its ability to work in combination with other thera-pies is a major plus.
Yoga can be used in conjunc-tion with other therapies and treatment of ailments such as hypertension, asthma, and dia-betes. A patient can practise yoga while continuing with his physician adjusting the medi-cine dosage as needed.
Supportive TherapyPatients who have undergone surgery or are bedridden cannot perform any physical activity. However, while lying on the bed, they can practice meditation and deep breathing, or they can even just become aware of their breathing, all of which will help them to cope with pain and will help them to relax. This process helps to repair the cells and tis-sues in the body, hastening the patient’s recovery.
Yoga strives to perfectly co-ordinate the different body func-tions. It also improves muscle tone, flexibility, strength and stamina, boosts self-esteem, im-proves concentration and crea-tivity, lowers fat in body, improves circulation, and stimulates the immune system.
Before one starts practising yoga as a therapy, a full medical examination must be performed. The effectiveness of the treat-ment depends on the severity of the ailment and how long the person has been suffering from that ailment.
LIFESTYLEC11S U N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0, 2 0 1 5
ASK DR. GERRY
F A M I L Y A D V I C E
Dr Gerry D’Costa has an MD in psychiatry and a special interest in the areas of anxiety, depression, addiction, and children’s psychiatry. He has practiced as a specialised psychiatristat Badr Al Samaa hospital in Ruwi for the last 9 years.Dr D’Costa offers his advice and professional insights to the readers of Times of Oman. Send your mental health questions to [email protected]
ALTERNATIVEMEDICINE
By Hubert Vaz
Dear Dr. Gerry,
Last year, a good-looking boy joined our college and most of the girls felt re-ally attracted to him. However, he never interacted with anyone with any special interest. A month ago, I noticed that he has begun taking interest in me and finds different pretexts to come and talk with me. But, some of my friends feel jealous of this and have advised me to keep my distance from him. He seems to be a good guy, but I am afraid I might fall in love with him. My parents are very strict and won’t allow this, but I keep thinking about him always. What should I do?
— Perplexed girl
Dear Friend,Think and think again. From your question I would say he’s definitely inter-ested in you. I do know that falling in love seems beautiful and interesting but I want you to take a step back and look at the situation. You’re in col-lege to study and build your life. You say your parents are strict and won’t allow this, right? Think about it . Love is a natural powerful attraction that brings people together…it is beautiful and can also be very painful. It makes you feel alive but can distract you from the smallest tasks. It can give you incredible highs and real depressing lows. It’s needed in all our lives but it’s also something we need to think about.
Think about it before you jump in. Does it have a future? Do I want to get involved in this? Am I ready for this? Will it distract me from my studies? Will it hurt my parents? I believe the finally decision will always be yours.
All the best.Dr G
YOGA THERAPY
For more details, contact:Prema Nagesh, yoga expertat +968-96526103
Yoga helps one to build
a sense of wellbeing
and peace since it
creates a balance
between the nervous
and endocrine systems
3TRICKS CAN HELP YOU TO MANIPULATE YOUR METABOLISMTO PREVENT STORAGE OF EXTRA CALORIES:
Metabolism simply refers to the amountof energy (calories) our bodies need dailyto perform various tasks. The trouble beginswhen you consume more calories thanyour body needs. That’s when you packon the extra pounds.
MANIPULATEYOUR METABOLISM
70 PER CENT Calories are used for basic functions, such as breathing and blood circulation
20 PER CENT Calories are used for physi-cal activity, including walk-ing, standing
10 PER CENT Calories are used for digest-ing what we eat.
1. DON’T SKIP MEALS Eating kicks up your metabolism while skipping meals makes you conserve calories. Have three healthy meals of 300 - 400 calories, besides two snacks of 200 - 300 calories every day.
2. DON’T GET STUCK TO A CHAIR Take up activitythat burns around 200 extra calories a day. Acts like walking, climbing stairs and simple indoor exer-cises can help you achieve that.
3. GET ADEQUATE SLEEPSix to eight hours of good sleep every night reduces the risk of gaining weight by 32 per cent. But lack of sleep throws the hunger hormones out of sync and cause you to overeat.
M O V E O F T H E W E E K
Highs and Lows of Love
LIFESTYLEC12 S U N DAY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0, 2 0 1 5
Harms FamilyMembersPassive smokers (adults and children who live with smokers) are exposed to second-hand smoke which can cause heart disease and even premature death in them.
SMOKING can ruin your health in several ways unless you take corrective action before it’s too late. Addicted smokers are said to need enough nicotine to feel normal each day. The fact is, smokers inhale about 7,000 other chemi-cals, besides nicotine, some of which cause great harm to the body. Here are eight reasons to give up cigarette smoking and improve one’s health.
Harms Your BonesStudies show a direct link between tobacco use and de-creased bone density. It also increases the risk of develop-ing osteoporosis, a condition in which bones weaken.
Harms the HeartChemicals in tobacco smoke harm your blood cells and damage the function of your heart. This steps up the risk for cardiovascular dis-ease, especially atherosclerosis.
Harms the LungsCigarettes damage breathing and scars the lungs. They also causes Chronic Ob-structive Pulmonary Disease marked by shortness of breath and chest tightness.
Causes CancerSeventy of the 7,000 harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke are known to cause cancer. Smoking cigarettes is the number-one risk factor for lung cancer.
Harms the SkinSmoking can cause your skin to lose elasticity and develop wrinkles, besides becoming dull and causing you to look older.
Reduces ImmunityTobacco smoke affects the immune system and leads to greater sus-ceptibility to infections and lower levels of protective antioxidants in the blood.
Causes ImpotenceSmoking leads to lower sperm count and impotence among males due to restricted blood flow to reproductive organs.
STUB IT OUT8 Reasons to Stop Smoking
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 D8
S U N D AY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 5
RENT D2
Email: [email protected] [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461
FOR RENT
New 1/2 B/R RES/ Comm.
flats near Medical College Bausher
directly from owner.
Contact :92158031
02 BHK commercial / residential
(with split AC) flat at Honda read /
02 BHK residential flat opposite to
Al Nahda Hospital.
Contact: 99342733 / 99795241
1BHK near Oman house behind
Khimji H.O . Contact : 95865686
Twin villa for rent in Bowshar, near
Muscat Private Hospital.
Contact 92760281
Brand new 2 bedroom flat for rent
in Mabela. Contact 92760281
Flat of 3 BHK in Al Ghobra North
with split A/C RO.380/-
Contact – 93191111
Commercial 10 BHK villa in
Al MawalahMazoon street RO.1500/-
Contact – 93191111
1 BHK flat with split A/C in Wadi
Adai RO.200/-Contact – 93191111
3 BHK flat with split A/C in Wadi
Adai RO.250/-Contact – 93191111
Brand new 6 BHK villa in Al Azaiba
with split A/C and lift RO.1200/-
Contact – 93191111
Brand new showroom of 595 SQM
in Bowsher RO.5/- each sqm.
Contact – 93191111
2BHK new flats in Al Khud rent
240/-. Contact: 97616158
Twin villa with basement for rent
AL Khuwair 25. Contact: 99359988 Villa for rent - Al Seeb/Al Mawelah
- Block 5 - 4 bedrooms with attached
bathrooms , Majlis, 2 halls, kitchen
and storeroom. split Ac and carpark -
contact 99564616 / 99498448
3 BHK, 3 bathrooms, 2 balconies
Nr Al Hassan, W/Kabir R.O 325/-.
Contact: 99384640
House for rent 4BR family hall,
fitting room, dining room, kitchen,
store with A/C & satellite reception
at Mawaleh south , behind Sultan
discount center rent R.O 550/-.
Contact: 93653311
Flats in Ruwi, Muttrah, Mumtaz
area available. Contact: 24813822
1BHK Wadi Kabeer near Sana
RO 180/-. Contact : 95094028
Fully Furnished 2BHK Apartments
available at Bareeq Al Shatti.
Contact 92888063
2BHK with split AC near PDO Gate
No.2 Qurum available for immediate
renting. Contact : 94057023
2 BHK with split AC Al Khuwair -33
for residential & commercial use.
Contact : 94057023
D2 S U N D AY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 5
DAILY GUIDE
Two flats for rent 3 bedroom & 1
setting room all with split a/c at &
flat 1badroom al Ghubrah North near
Indian school (hot Pargur Restau-
rant). Contact 99766103
2 BHK flat in Al Khuwair.
Contact 99792181
1000 sq mtrs industrial land in Gha-
la suitable for warehouse workshop
etc. Contact 24700120 / 92584715
New 1 & 2 BHK flat in Ruwi (near
Star Cinema). Contact 99792181
Flat Al Ghubrah near 18 Nov ST liv-
ing room, 3 bedrooms,3 bathrooms,
kitchen first floor without AC family
only 380/-R.O. Contact : 92479515
Two shops in Muttrah Souq, for
rent more details please contact:
91214849 / 99364735
New flats for rent in Darsait
Al Sahal. Contact: 99777351
600 SQT commercial flat for rent
opposite Oman flourmill Darsait
more details. Contact: 91214849/
99364735
3BHK well maintained flat (villa
type) G. floor split A/C separate
entrance, parking, and compound
available in Al Khuwair behind
Sagar Polyclinic Way no. 3922,
Block 239, Villa No. 1839.
Contact: 99253125
Bachelor accommodation available
near ISD Darsait. Contact: 99346813
2 BHK near Medical Darsait
R.O 230/-. Contact : 98748925
VILLA IN AZAIBA – Four Bed Room
Villa, near Well Roundabout &
Umm Al Qura Mosque. Available
for sharing also. Call 92887809 /
98048207.
Furnished office available at
Al Ghubrah. Contact 94110822
Flats, shops for rent in Ruwi, MBD &
Mumtaz area. Contact 97293708
1BHK Al Falaj R.O 200/-.
Contact: 97799175
2 BHK Ghubra R.O 300/-, RO 325/-.
Contact: 97799175
2BHK Darsait R.O 325/-.
Contact: 97799175
2BHK Mumtaz R.O 300/-.
Contact: 97799175
2BHK villa Mumtaz R.O 300/-.
Contact: 97799175
2BHK Azaiba R.O 325/-.
Contact: 97799175
Flats in Al Khuwair 33 with gym
free for tenants 2 BHK RO.425/-.
Contact 93161111
Two bedroom apartments available
for rent at South Ghubra close to
Atlas Hospital close to Grand mall &
Avenues mall next to Diwan’s Office.
Contact: 99833747 / 24562526
3BHK flat Darsait Near I.D card
Medical 450/- R.O. Contact:
99358589 / 95570288
Room with A.C at AL Khuwair
R.O 120/-. Contact: 97799175
2BHK pent house R.O 325/- , 1BHK
R.O 225 /- close to Indian
Nursery, Darsait. Contact: 99476728/
98484415
2BHK close to Indian school
kindergarten Wadi Kabir R.O 320/-,
1BHK R.O 250/-. Contact: 99476728
/ 98484415
1& 2 BHK flats for rent at Wadi
Kabir, Wadi Adai, Hamriya, Al Khoud
and Mabela and shop at Al Khoud
land line. Contact : 24834644
GSM 93994401/ 02/ 03, 3 lines
Twin villa 6BR hall, kitchen at
Al Ansab-2. Contact: 99747560 /
99444786
1BHK flat with A/C AL Khuwair
250/- R.O. Contact: 99358589 /
95570288
2 BHK Flats for rent Muttrah near
Oman house. Contact: 97007934 /
92629232
New flats 1 room and living room
with accessories & 2 rooms and
living room with accessories in
Wadi Kabir. Contact: 92130703 /
96045478
New flats for rent in Darsait,
Al Sahal. Contact : 99311525
Two shops in Muttrah Souq, for rent
more details pleas.
Contact: 91214849 / 95729711
Flat and show room for rent
Al Khuwair 33, Al Ghubrah, Darsait
and Jibroo. Contact: 24485240 /
24485241 / 93651633 / 92109563
1BHK near Al Nahdha Ruwi.
Contact: 99617786
Luxury fully furnished 2 bedrooms
flat at Al Khuwair & luxury fully fur-
nished 5 bedroom villas at Madinat
Al Ilam. For short or long term lease
contract. Contact Atlas Real Estate &
Rent a Car LLC. Contact : 93201688
/ 92888376 Tel: 24833848 /
24834888
1BHK flats available for rent in CBD
area. Contact: 98116480
3 Bedroom flat at Al Khuwair.
Contact: 99447257/97014234
4 bedroom villa with 3 maid room,
big compound & parking area. Ideal
for kindergarten or expat tenants
residency. Contact: 24566217 /
24564686
Office & retail space available -
Alasfoor Plaza, Qurum.
Contact: 24566217 / 24564686
Furnished room for rent at
Al Khuwair R.O 225/- for family only.
Contact: 99251975
Building includes 16 flats in four
floors in good condition,
opposite to Mars Hypermarket at
Al Ghubra north. Contact: 99435882
/ 91266667 or 92590509
For rent house in old Muscat town
on the bab Muthaib Street consists of
5 bedrooms, living room and kitchen.
Contact: 99319829 / 99234155
New flat for rent, 2 bedroom with
study in Al Amerat (Al Atkyah).
Contact: 99230461 / 93355301
2 rooms and Majlis in Al Ghubra.
Contact : 99242119
Flat for rent Ruwi, 2 bedrooms,
2 Bathrooms, 1 hall opposite Khimji
Mart. Contact: 97645671 / 99362206
1 & 2 BHK , M.B.D. area R.O 250/-,
RO 280/- & RO 300/-.
Contact: 97799175
Villa for rent in Wadi Kabir.
Contact: 95562646 / 99059333
3 & 4 BHK villa in Al Khuwair.
Contact 99792181
Rooms for rent in Al Khuwair near
Ibis Hotel with AC.
Contact: 95124975
AL Khuwair 17/1 room, hall, kitchen
and toilet with ACs ground floor
Owner private parking.
Contact: 99385553
Deluxe 1,2,3 bedroom flats in Wadi
Kabir , Ruwi, Mumtaz & Al Khu-
wair areas. Contact : 24707340 /
99472457 / 95282986
Deluxe villas at Al Hail.
Contact 95282986
Available furnished meeting hall for
seminars on a hourly, daily,
monthly, yearly basis.
please contact 93203773 :
Email: [email protected]
Villa for rent: 6 bed rooms, 1 sitting
room, 2 halls, 1 kitchen and 1 pantry.
Al Mawaleh South phase 3 close to
Al Sahwah roundabout, first line
behind Amwag perfume factory.
Contact - 99360366
Showroom and office space avail-
able on prime location. Main road
facing excellent location.
Contact: 92944717
Gorgeous villa 3BR + Maid room
directly on the beach in Shatti
Qurum. Huge garden best location in
Muscat OMR 2000/- Month call or
Whatspp 95887572
Brand new 2 B/R deluxe fully
furnished & unfurnished flats with
split ACs & free internet available at
Bausher 35 near Al Maha fuel pump.
Contact : 99460330
Office space equipped with ACs ,
cabins with partition, furniture’s,
free in internet ready for use, at Al
Khuwair near Philips show room
2 B/R flats with slit AC’s a free in-
ternet available at Al Khuwair near
Philips Show room.
Contact: 99460330
Spacious 2BHK with attached
bathroom near Lulu Wadikabir. Rent
– OMR 280/=. Contact 98759576 or
95822833
2 bedroom villa in Sidab.
Contact: 95755953 / 95555162
1BHK Ruwi & 3BHK Bosher. Contact: 99024730
2BHK new Amerat with AC 230/-
R.O. Contact: 99024730
Villa /room for rent Al Qurum
behind Mars. Contact: 95349530 /
99586517
2BHK, 2 Baths, Split A/C, Wadi ka-
beer towards Al bustan, Near Indian
Elementary School.
Contact 99441193, 93004802
DAILY GUIDES U N D AY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 5 D3
Sofa (5 seater), Gas cooker (4 burner)
in excellent condition
for immediate sale. Contact 96027403
Shop for sale at Ruwi High street
inside. Contact 96023492
Sale of Radiator of Cummins
C 1100D5B Generator presently lying
at M/s Al Ansari Yard in Ghala. For
further information, please contact
Mr. Deshpande on 99415504 M/s
Muscat Surveyors LLC on 24816579
Printing press for sale /partner
full machineries including stamp
making in ready position at Salalah.
Contact:91656655,98559894
Beauty Salon for sale in
Good location (Azaiba and Al Hail).
Contact : 95318629
Beauty Parlor for sale or rent.
Contact 99131775 / 96700192
Automotive batteries for sale.
Contact : 24794657
For sale land in Amerat 3000 Sq.mt
with petrol pump permission.
Contact 99323957 / 92702891
Direct from the owner: for sale -
A 2 bedroom apartment with a full
and direct Marina view at Marsa 2 at
the Wave, area 138 sq. Mtrs, will be
ready next month for R.O. 255,000.
Contact : 95330200
FOR SALE
FOR SALE
Single room with separate bathroom
available opp. Al Nahdha Hospital for
Indian families. Contact : 92394614
Sharing accommodation for couples near Kims Darsait.
Contact: 94627458
Single room with ac and sharing
bathroom available for an executive
bachelor or a small family in Muttrah
Souq. Contact 99519664
Room for rent with sharing
bathroom & kitchen at Al Khuwair,
behind Golden Spoon Restaurant.
Contact 92994415
Semi furnished separate room for
non-cooking Asian bachelor, behind
Shell filling station, Ghubra round
about. Contact: 94263390
Furnished room available in Ruwi.
Contact: 92435784
Separate room with A/c, Small
Fridge and Bed, for non-cooking
Asian bachelor, behind Shell filling
station, Ghoubra round about.
Contact: 94263390
Large room with separate bathroom
& sharing available in Al Khuwair.
Contact 95250161
ACC. AVAILABLE
ACC. AVAILABLE
LOST
UNIVERSAL SCRAP BUYERS AT
AMAZING PRICESConvert ANY type of Scrap into Money by selling us the scrapGreat prices are guaranteed
for our clients!Call this number now for
urgent response - 96059470
*Kindly note that the scrap should be 50 tons onwards
AFFORDABLE QUALIFIED STAFF AVAILABLE:
Hurry and call this number now! 95967902
Our professionals give YOU:
CLASSY, CREATIVE AND AFFORDABLE INTERIOR DESIGN
Hurry now and call this number 91494149
Single bedroom flat near to
Indian School Al Ghubra.
Contact: 99203954
1 & 2 bedroom flats available for
rent in wadi-kabir (opp: pencil bldg),
ideal for company staff / families -
bulk corporate deal possible.
Contact: 97677170
Villa for rent in Al Khuwair 33, 8
bedrooms & 5 bathrooms with park-
ing area near Taimur Mosque.
Contact: 99366624
2BHK flat available near medical /
Darsait. Contact 24705742
SITUATION WANT-ED
M.V. FOR SALE
Mitsubishi Pajero 2006 model
Automatic, 1,22,000 km, insurance
+ registration valid till August
2016 black, well serviced, good
condition, OMR 2,800/-.
Contact: 94515102
Mercedes car – C 180, 2010 model
for sale, 160.000 KM, very good
condition, expecting around
R.O 6,000. Contact: 99751044
Tata bus model 2008 for sale.
Contact 93953237
Mitsubishi FUSO Double cabin
pickup model 2008 for sale.
Contact: 93953237
Lexus GX 460, 2013.
Contact : 99336093
Toyota Yaris 2009 Dec model,
manual, 150000km, 2500 OMR.
Contact 93895508
Kia Cerato 2014 Model for sale
1300 kms Under agency warrenty
and service. Contact: 99634841
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 Sys-
tems and spectacular lighting. Call
Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and
Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light.
ww.tunesoman.com,
E-mail: [email protected]
Shops for ren in Wadi Kabeer.
Contact: 99888390 FOR HIRE
Bobcat Grader and roller for rent.
Contact: 94584688
Volvo 12 Ton Truck for monthly
rent. Contact: 98713900
FOR RENT
NRI
Commercial plot measuring 30 cents
for immediate sale having an old
house and a shop at the heart of
Kodakara Town – 17 kms from Trichur
City and 7 kms from Chalakkudy.
Direct access to NH 47 from one side
and old town road from other side of
the plot, near to Shanti Hospital .
Contact : Muscat: 00968- 91318999
India: 0091- 9446371706.
*Classified Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00
noon for next day’s publication.
* Subject to space availability
Three 2 bedroom bachelor accom-
modation available in a building near
Kuwaiti Mosque at Wadi Kabir till 14th
February 2016. Contact: 95332701
Fully furnished room with attached
bath for Executive bachelor behind
Al Meera Hypermarket, Azaiba
R.O 150/-. Contact: 99455735
An Excellent 3bedrooms Flat at
Al Hail, 3 bathrooms, sitting room,
living room, kitchen with store
92817777
Furnished room (for Ladies)with
attached bath separate entrance in
Mabela. Contact :99634841
A big room in available near Ham-
riya R/A for Muslim couple / small
family / Executive bachelor rent
150/- per month including W+ E.
Contact: 99495131
Flat for rent in Hamriya.
Contact: 99341112
Flats in Al Khuwair 2 BHK RO.350/-
Contact – 93161111.
Furnished flat in Bareeq Al Shatti
2 BHK RO.750/-. Contact 93161111
Commercial villa near Bareeq
Al Shatti 8 BHK + swimming pool
RO.2500/-. Contact 93161111
Villa in Madinate Sultan Qaboos
3BHK + maid room RO.1400/-.
Contact 93161111
Villa in Al Khuwair 4 BHK RO.600/-,
Flat in Madinate Sultan Qaboos
3BHK RO.600/-.
Contact 93161111
Flat in Qurum near PDO 2 BHK
+ 1 BHK RO.550/ – 375/-
Contact 93161111
Flats in Azaiba opp to Al Sahwa
Tower 2 BHK RO.450/- 1BHK
RO.350/-. Contact 93161111
Expatriate LLC Company license
(building materials 70 Ex : 30 Omani)
for sale. #94663824 / 94305499
Restaurant for sale in Wadi Kabir.
Contact: 99425461
Beauty salon in Ghubrah for sale
Contact: 94689448
Aluminium workshop at Wadi Kabir
with all machineries and 3 skilled
workers. # 99536206 / 99605915
Used Fabrication machinery
for sale : Fabrication machinery
and tools in excellent condition for
immediate sale. Contact
-94652485/ 99273774/ 99202278
Vishweshwaryya has lost Indian
Passport No. H 9079215. Finder
please handover to ROP
CATERING
DAILY GUIDED4 S U N D AY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 5
SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT
Email: [email protected] [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461
DOMESTIC HELPER
EDUCATION
EDUCATION
ENGINEER/TECH/MECH
ACCOUNTANT
ADMIN
A part time House maid required for a Keralite family near Darsait
temple. Contact: 99468827
Looking for full time Housemaid in
Ruwi. Contact - 96511169
Looking for a female who can teach
and play with two kids at their home
in Gubrah. Candidate must be caring
and fluent in English.
Timing 2pm -6pm and salary RO120.
Contact: 93892656
Required housemaid for part time at
Ghubra.Contact:93267065
Required a housemaid in Ruwi.
Contact 96511169
Urgent need Purchaser / Imports, Accounts Assistant. Candidates with
bachelors degree and 3 to 5 years
relevant experience. Please email CV
Urgently required for leading Com-pany : Accountant between 5 to 10
yrs experience, Accountant
(Petrol Station) between 3 to 5 yrs
experiences. Fax: 24478522,
Email : [email protected]
DRIVER
MEDICAL MEDICAL
SKILLED LABOR
TOUR
MANAGER
ACCOUNT. & FINANCE
SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED
IT
SALES / MARKETING
Required Salesman for shop &
hardware Technician for IT Company
with minimum 2 yrs experience.
Contact 98825805 / 98825806.
Email : [email protected]
Urgently required Female Nurses with MOH license for a Polyclinic. At-
tractive Salary with accommodation.
Contact: 97091664 or 97327175.
Email: [email protected]
Required urgently General Physi-cian Gynecology, Pharmacist, LAB Technicians staff nurse. Contact: 95133572
Email: [email protected]
Wanted Nurse for dental centre in Mawaleh South & Qurum.
Contact 93431024,
Email : [email protected]
Urgently needed female Dermatol-ogist with minimum 5 yrs experi-
ence. Send CV : elixirhealthcenter@
yahoo.com P.S. details of salary and
benefits will be sent after submitting
the CV
Wanted Pharmacist (B.Pharm), Staff Nurses (female) with or with-
out MOH license for a polyclinic near
Sohar. Excellent salary package.
Contact 99006915,
Email : [email protected]
Require qualified full time Caregiver (Sri Lankan or Philipino)
for an orderly Mother.
Contact : 99425200
Required for private clinic: Gynecologist Arabic Nationality, GP Arabic Nationality, Nurse. Contact 97304519 from 9 AM to 1 PM
Required Pharmacist with license.
Contact: 92245470
Required Pharmacies with license,
needed for clinic in Al Khoudh ,
Contact :+968 97696502 , mail CV to
Looking for Indian Candidates : Prometric passed or MOH license
with NOC for polyclinic:- Radiolo-gist, Gynecologist, Radiographer, Lab Technicians and Pharmacists. Email: [email protected]
ADMIN
ARCHITECT
A reputed Lebanese chain of Restau-rants requires Delivery Man in Mus-
cat. The person should have a two
wheeler driving license and must be
familiar with the Muscat city. Are you
interested to be a part of a reputed
group please call 92443104.
Driver with Oman driving licence
needed. Visa available.
Contact 94288863
Looking for an experienced house driver for an Omani family. Interested
candidates may Contact: 96203333
Reputed metal fabrication company
seeks fabrication supervisor, structural steel fabricator, Machine maintenance Technician and Electrician. Contact: 99102383
Email: [email protected]
A Mechanical Engineer with sales-
manship experience of 5 years &
above preferable with Oman drivers
license and NOC. Please forward
your CV to [email protected]
Required Marine Mechanic
with 3 to 5 years experience in
maintaining / repairing outboard
Engines and Generators of Boat.
Ph: 24696130;
Email: [email protected]
MISCELLANEOUS
SALES / MARKETING
Experienced Denter, Spray painter, Mechanic, Outdoor sales person required. Contact 98045373
Fresher 24 years B.Com Gradu-
ate, Tally 7.2 & ERP9, looking for a
suitable placements in Accounts.
Contact: 97219505
Accountant 7 Years Experience with
D/L and NOC. Contact 97712084
Senior Finance Professional (CA, ICWA, CIMA), Indian, with more
than 25 years of varied experience
in finance and accounting, project
evaluations and business valuations
seeks suitable employment oppor-
tunities in Oman, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait
or Bahrain. Available for immediate
joining. Contact Gopal +971 50 508
2538, email – [email protected]
Highly experienced & qualified
Finance Controller / Manager seeks
suitable position. NOC available. Can
join immediately. Contact: 92817797
Indian female 26 yrs B.Com CA Inter
with 4 yrs experience seek placement
in accounts. Contact : 94045427
Indian male 27 yrs, B. Com, MBA,
CA Inter ( pursuing final) with 7+
yrs experience, seeks suitable
placement in accounts, holds valid
Saudi D/L. Contact : 95358659
Finance Manager (15+yrs experi-
ence) Ability to manage Group of
companies. Contact: 92701962
Accountant with 8 years U.A.E
experience, on visit visa, looking for
a job. Contact : 96166512
Senior Accountant 10 years experi-
ence, looking for accounts parttime
works and finalization works.
Contact: 96247295
Keralite Indian B.Com Graduate
lady, 2 years Oman experience in
Tally ERP 9 seeking suitable place-
ment. Contact : 95186652
Indian female (BSc MBA) having
6 yrs exp in Garment industries
seeking suitable office oriented job.
Contact : 91317975
B.Com, CA Inter (Indian) with 5 years
experience (2 years GCC) in
Accounts & Audit field. Contact:
95584531/[email protected]
A Sri Lankan lady chartered
accountant with five years experi-
ence (including article ship), on
family visa in Oman looking for a
suitable job. Contact: 91259845
Email: [email protected]
Accountant Part time up to finali-
zation on monthly basis by Indian
CA. All reports, backlog account-
ing, bank loan help, tax & internal
Audit,affordable fee.92758370
Male B.Com Graduate having one
year exp in Accounts & Admin.
Contact: 94736742
25 yrs female Indian with B.Com
MBA looking out for a job in finance
/ marketing / HR field with a work
experience of 1 year, 3 months at
Bank Muscat & 7 months at India.
Contact: 94657403 / 95537261
Indian male B.Com / PGDM 16 yrs
exp, 3 yrs prior Oman exp seeking
suitable placement in accounts/
finance/ admin/ logistics.
email : [email protected]
Contact 95587905 on visit visa
Indian male B.Com Graduate 24
years looking for suitable place-
ment. Contact: 97219505
Wanted urgently need two Tailors who can make curtains.
Contact: 98962888
Urgently required for a private
bilingual school at Al Ansab for
immediate placement - Physics, Maths, Librarian, Nurse, Special Educators. Please email your CV :
immediately.
Required Catering Supervisor, Chef, Asst. Cook & Chapathi makers for a catering Company in
interior area. Apply with NOC.
SMS : 99242984
Required Filipina female Waitress-es & male Housekeepers in Dolphin
Hotel – Muscat. Only residents /
contact number: 24488192
please send C.V :
Urgently looking for an Expatriate House Boy with Cooking knowledge
and experience.
Contact Immediately: 99460564
Required Sales Executive for
Stationery Company with Oman
driving license. Send
Email: [email protected]
Looking for qualified, good commu-
nication and computer skills candi-
date with experience for position of : Sales Manager to work in high-end
window tinting business. Minimum
academic requirements: bachelor’s
degree and own a driving license.
Kindly email your CV to
Urgently required Sales Executives for construction materials with local experience, driving license and
NOC. Send the CV with photo to
Urgently need Project Sales Execu-tive - Modular Kitchens, candidates
with bachelor’s degree and 3 to 5
years relevant experience,
please email CV to
Accountant 35 years with 5 years
experience in Oman urgently seek-
ing suitable jobs accountant & Ass.
Admin& HR valid D/L N.O.C. Contact:
968 99176112 /968 91818124
Email: [email protected]
Indian male 10 years experience, 6
years in Oman, with Oman driving
license, having NOC seeking suitable
job. Contact: 96012973
Jordanian Accountant (ACPA) with
more than 15 yrs experience in Oman
(Accounts, Purchase & finance.
Contact: 92881223
Email: [email protected]
Male Indian Accountant B.Com
7 years experience in Oman (ac-
counting, finance, costing auditing)
with NOC and valid driving license
looking for suitable position.
Contact 96722257
Email: [email protected]
Indian male, 27years, MCom,
having 2years experience in
Accounts looking for suitable position.
Presently on visit visa.
Contact 93455055|
Part time Accountant available.
Contact : 93438100
12 yrs Oman experienced Chief
Accountant looking for immediate
placement. Contact 99513082
Male 29 yrs, 5+ experience, 4 yrs in
HME (Office Assistant) 1 yr experi-
ence in accounts & marketing seek-
ing for suitable position.
Contact 96505486
Agyal Al Huda School requires Maths & Science Teachers in
Al Azaiba. Contact 91409998 /
24492548 / 99637238
Post Graduate researcher required. Contact 99229700
Accomplished Advertising Sales & Business Development Execu-tives for leading Media Enterprise.
Enthusiastic Freshers also welcome.
Required Salesman in Salalah very good commission.
Contact 92760281
Required experienced Sales / Marketing Executives having light
license. Send your CV
Sales man / interior designer
wanted for prestigious interior
design and office furniture Supply
Company. Experience and drivers
license needed.
Excellent remuneration package.
Email: [email protected]
Required Sales & marketing per-son for IT Company with minimum
2 yrs experience in Oman & with
valid Oman driving license.
Contact 98825805 / 98825806.
Email : [email protected]
AVON requires female Omani Nationals (bi-lingual) and Expatri-
ates to join their expanding local
Sales Team. Candidate must have
good communication skills, highly
organized with a commitment and
enthusiasm to be successful. Train-
ing will be provided. Valid Omani
D/L necessary. Send CV on
Required Sales Manager for a hotel
supply company with minimum
5 years experience.
Contact - 92035162
Senior Architect, Indian male
15yrs exp. having DL& NOC, Look-
ing for suitable position.
Contact: 97239313 Email:
Required Dentist, Endodontist, Orthodontist with MOH license.
Contact 99010755 for dental Centre
in Muscat Khuwair
Email: [email protected]
Required Nurse with MOH license
for Dental Centre in Khuwair Muscat.
Contact: 99010755
Email: [email protected] Filipino,29,Male, 5years experience:
Admin/Payroll/Finance/Document
Control. Excellent Communication/
MS Office skills. Contact: 95057206
email: [email protected]
Indian 24 years BCA MCITP having
2 years exp as system administrator
looking suitable job.
Contact: 94170892
Purchase Admin Indian male
15 years Gulf experience.
Contact: 95435370
Indian male 12+ years experience
in Admin and hospitality services,
seeks suitable placement.
Contact : 99318958 Email:
Filipina, 10 yrs experience in
Fashion Retail, Shipment, Logistics,
Inventory, Warehouse Control and
Store Management is seeking
employment. Call +971565833126
or 97728418.
14 years of gulf experience in HR /
Admin & logistics fluent in Arabic /
English with D/L looking for suitable
position. Contact: 95824598
Urgently required for a travel agency Male experience
in Sabre ticketing and reservation
system, visa available.
Contact 95878812
Omani Receptionist required recep-
tionist, well presented with excellent
communications skills and telephone
manner, fluent in Arabic and English
required for Ruwi office. Candidates
should be familiar with MS English
and Arabic office suite. Send CV and
covering email to
ENGG. / TECH./MECH.
HOSPITALITY
ENGG. / TECHNICAL
DAILY GUIDES U N D AY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 5 D5
SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED
DRAFTSMAN
MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR
MEDICAL
IT
IT
PROJECTS
SALES / MARKETING
MISCELLANEOUS
MISCELLANEOUS
TIG+ARC welder Indian with 16yrs
middle est. exp in copper nickel.
Diplex, inconel, S.S, CS Now on visit
visa seeks suitable placement.
Contact: 96502282.
Email [email protected]
Pakistani Qualified 15 years experi-
ence in automobiles work shop
supervisor service advisor repair
estimator mechanical accidental
having UAE driving license on
express visa looking job please.
Contact : 96042322
Filipino (male) 37 yrs, having 8 yrs.
experience in Operations (Shipping
& Logistics) currently on visit visa
looking for a suitable job.
GSM: 97121525
SKILLED/ UNSKILLED
Welder / fabricator, Gulf exp, 3G, 6G
ARC, GAS PH : 95068064
Indian male, with 8 yrs exp. in
Oman (BA- Graduate) working as
a project Sales Coordinator, with
Oman D/L, looking for suitable job,
ready to join immediately with NOC,
open for Sales & Marketing also.
Contact 95245057
Sudanese procurement Manager three years experience in Oman.
Contact: 93391008
Individuals having good relation
with Ministry or desiring to start
new business (or running) like Elec-
tronic security system or supply of
medical equipments.
Contact 94742666
Senior Manager Indian, 30 years in
FMCG Business in Oman looking for
better opportunity at management
level. Contact 99231513
Fabrication Manager overall 07
years of experience in fabrication of
Structural steel industry with NOC
& driving license looking for an op-
portunity available up to
25th September 2015.
Contact : 97004394 Email:
22 years B.Com Graduate having
experience in trading of car accesso-
ries and also with valid GCC driving
license looking for a suitable job.
Contact 98504698
Facility / Project Management 5 yrs of exp holds BE (ECE) MBA,
Indian on visit visa looking for suit-
able openings. Contact : 98580569
Email: [email protected]
DRIVER
EDUCATION
Young Electrical Engineer looking
for suitable placement. Having spe-
cialization in electronics.
Contact 99227861
Project Manager (Interior fitouts dé-
cor & MEP) B.E. Arch having 8 years
experience looking for a suitable
position in a reputed company.
Local release is available.
Contact: 91528851
B.E Arch with 8 years experience
as 2 Project Manager in Interior fi-
touts décor & MEP works looking for
suitable. Local release is available.
Contact: 91528851
Since March 2010 in Oman build-
ing construction supervisor with
Omani D/L looking for suitable
placement. Contact 93061107
Bangladeshi male BSc Engg in civil
total 3 yrs experience 2 yrs in Oman
looking for job.Contact : 94038642,
Email: [email protected]
Electronic & Communication
Engineer auto cad, 2 yrs Indian
experience in Instrumentation, cur-
rently on visit visa looking for
a suitable position.
Contact : 94493227,
Email: [email protected]
Female Civil Engineer with 3.5 years
experience looking for job in Muscat,
proficient in site execution, tendering
procedures billing, Quantity take off,
budgetary control have knowledge
in AutoCAD, SAP, Word, excel, power
point. Contact: 97207212
Email: [email protected]
Civil Engg, B.Tech fresher Indian
male currently on visit visa seeks
suitable placement. #91702450
Email: [email protected]
Civil Engineer 7 years experience in
Oman. Contact: 92480604
Drafting (interior design), experienced, knows autocad,
3D, PH : 99506977
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
B.Sc Indian male Nurse, 6.5 years in
emergency and OT, prometric 69%,
looking for suitable nursing job.
Contact- 90126959,
Indian male Dental Surgeon, prometric passed with more than
3 years experience on visit visa.
Contact : 95154648
Indian female BSc Nurse with 4 years
experience with Oman prometric
64% looking for suitable placement in
capital area. Contact: 95847286
Indian male, MSc, MPhil, BEd Chem-
istry,2 Yrs Teaching experience and
having experience in lab analyst,
currently on visit visa, seeks suitable
post. Contact 90208673
ENT surgeon board degree & pro-
metric exam looking for a job in pri-
vate hospitals & medical complexes.
Contact: 91347226
OB/ Gynecologist board degree &
prometric exam looking for a job in
private hospitals & medical com-
plexes. Contact: 91347226
Indian male, MBA having 7 yrs of
exp. sales/marketing with Omani
D/L seeks suitable placement.
Contact. 96425549
Omani College girl looking for a job
in a management. Contact: 98298722
MBA Graduate having 23 yrs of
experience as Sales Manager in
building materials trading looking
for a suitable opportunity, release
available. Contact 92106768,
Email : [email protected]
Sales man and author job –
Dubai experience need job visa.
Contact: 91139936 / 96136615
NOC available with valid driving
license looking for suitable place-
ment diploma in Automobile Engg
experience in dealer service 10 years
and spare parts procurement 5 years
through with local Market.
Contact : 00968 95487946
25 yrs experienced building ma-
terials manager knowledge of Pur-
chase Marketing sales seeks suit-
able placement. Contact 94663824
/ 94305499
Indian male, with 5 yrs experience
of call centre in customer service &
sales looking for suitable position.
Contact 90198176
Indian female having more than 8
years of experience in oil and gas
sectors sales and marketing and 2
years as commercial manager look-
ing for a suitable post in Sohar area.
Now on visit visa. Contact 96311709,
Indian no 0091 9745541355,
Email Id:[email protected]
Business intelligence / Global Mar-
keting management specialist with
9 years of experience developing
brand value & managing overall pro-
jects to achieve business objectives
seeking suitable position on family
visit. Contact: 91902154
MBA 15 years experience in Sales &
Marketing in telecom, FMCG, pres-
ently in India C/O Saif Kazi.
Contact : 99625957
Email Id: [email protected]
Indian male 25 yrs BBM Graduate
3 yrs of experience Sales / Market-
ing in Oman looking in suitable
placement. Contact : 93185316
Email: [email protected]
Sales and marketing - male 27 yrs,
2 years experience seeking suitable
placement with Oman D/L.
Contact: 95642740
Email: [email protected]
Sales man (food stuff), Gulf experi-
enced, knows Hindi, Arabic .
Contact 99506977
SECRETARIAL / OFFICE
Indian male more than 10 years
gulf experience in Office / Sales
Coordinator, Admin, Secretarial and
purchase with good computer skills.
Having Driving license and NOC
available. Looking for suitable place-
ment. Contact 90135063
TOURS & TRAVELS
Five years experience in Travel
field ,BCom., IATA & pursuing MBA,
Presently working in the Travel
Desk of (ITC managed) Five Star
Hotel in India, looking for a suitable
position in the Middleeast.
pls contact 9470 5767
Indian Mechanical Engineer, 30, having 8yrs of UAE Sales/Busi-
ness Development. experience in
Electromechanical and Irrigation
sectors. Contact no- +971558763220
email [email protected]
Indian female, MSC physics B.ED
having 5 years experience in
teaching looking for suitable jobs.
Contact: 97367389
Bangladeshi light driver (AG) 48)
expe, 14 years, need job & visa have
release paper transpire.
Contact: 99165961
Light Vehicle Driver with 4 yrs exp
looking for job. Contact: 94241385
20 years experience.
Contact : 94795033
Light duty driver looking for job
more than 4 years exp in Oman.
Contact: 92602182
Driver. Contact: 95084826
Wanted driving job.
Contact : 97690766
LMV Driver, 7 yrs exp. (Keralite).
Contact 97761606
Driver Pakistani available.
NOC available. Contact: 94356465
Pakistani male light vehicle driver
looking for job. Contact: 96474528 Driver with car. Contact :91452930
Wanted driver. Contact 95112461
Car with driver or without cat
specially Companies.
Contact 97943750 / 97408900
Driver job wanted. Contact: 99343782
Light duty driver 5 years exp in
Oman. Contact: 92602182
Driver available 24, HRS, car
without car. Contact: 98522914
SAP BW Analyst : Indian male, 26
yrs, B.Tech (CS & E) from ASET, New
Delhi, worked as a Business
Analyst in Software Industry.
Contact 98008127 / 92878708,
Indian 24 years BCA MCITP having
2 years exp as System Administra-
tor looking suitable job.
Contact: 94170892
Male looking for DTP operator /
Graphic Designer role in Oman
experience of 4 years in Excel, Corel
draw seeking suitable placement
presently in Oman in visit visa.
Contact : 94767757 / 98442179
Email: [email protected]
Civil Engineer, Indian M 29 5yrs
exp. having DL & NOC Looking for
suitable position.
Contact: 94576233
Email: [email protected]
Pakistani diploma civil (Eng) 24 year
1.5 years experience in Pak)
2 years in (Oman). Contact: 97138320
Since March 2010 in Oman as a
building Construction Site supervi-
sor with Oman D/L looking for
suitable placement or small Omani
Construction Co. Contact 93061107
D.A.E (Civil) Engineer 5 years expe-
rience Infrastructure work + safety
officer cause (OSHA & IOSH) looking
for suitable placement.
Contact: 97850996
Degree Engineer Civil, 6 years expe-
rience Oman D/L, N.O.C available for
a suitable position.
Contact: 93523507 / 95961336
Indian male, 23 yrs, B.E in Mechanical post Graduation Diploma
in piping Engineering, seeking job in
relevant field. Contact : 94786570
Email: [email protected]
Indian diploma Civil Eng, 2 yrs
exp. Infrastructures project (4G –
Towers, substation) landscaping &
Auto CAD. Contact: 94756183
Email: [email protected]
A Senior Executive, Civil Engi-
neering professional is available
for multitask engagement, co-
ordination lead contract disposals in
consultancy or construction set ups.
Contact 99703972
Indian male Production Engineer
logistics supply chain seeks suit-
able placement, currently visit visa.
Contact : 97804481
Email: [email protected]
Indian male BE civil project Engi-
neer 15 years Oman experience in
building projects with valid D/L NOC
available. Contact: 92178471
B.Tech civil project coordinator
5 years experience of with different
ministry projects NOC available.
Contact: 94194393
Indian male software Engineer 2
years experience knowledge of Java
.NET C# ASP.Net. Contact: 99210940
working in techno park Indian
Trivandrum
Sudanese Telecom Engineer five years experience in Oman.
Contact: 93391008
Cisco certified Network Engineer
with license NOC 4+ years
experience looking for job.
Contact: 91703807
Email: [email protected]
BE Electrical Engineer 8 years
experience 4 years in Oman with
Oman driving license.
Contact : 96942032
Civil Engineer (Diploma) seeking
for placement. Contact: 95200650
Diploma Associate Engineer Civil
Building construction on a visit visa
expiring 18.09.2015 looking for job.
Contact : 94006602 / 99446918.
Indian male 27 years BE Mechani-
cal, 2 years experience in Training
AutoCAD Revit MEP PDMS
Softwares. Contact: 94183625
Civil Engineer Pakistan 12 +2 years
experience Oman, D/L required
placement. Contact: 94392616
B.E Civil job, Project Eng exp 11 yrs.
Contact: 95690780 / 95694048
Email: [email protected]
MECH. ENGG Indian male having
1 year exp & AutoCAD knowledge
looking for suitable job.
Contact: 92835957
Civil QS / Project Engineer 8 yrs
exp having Oman D/L looking for
suitable position NOC and release
available. Contact: 92633261
Email: [email protected]
Civil Engineer (Diploma) 3.5 years
experience seeking for placement.
Contact: 96535084
Civil Engineer (diploma) 3.5 yrs
exp, seeking for placement.
Contact: 95200650
B.Tech EEE with 4+ years experi-
ence in the field of it, networking,
ex-tonics etc. presently working
in Amazon India development
centre as a content quality as-
sociate seeking for suitable jobs in
Oman. Contact : +91 9940514005,
0096893116402
email: [email protected]
M. Tech VLSI design, B. tech Elec-
tronics and instrumentation, Indian
female,3 years teaching experience
for graduation level students,
seeking suitable placements .
Ph:00968 92904155.
Indian male 22yr BBA with LOGIS-
TIC Diploma, exp in tally and data
entry seeking in suitable placement.
Contact; 90151739
email shakeeb.mp280gmail.com
Mechanical Draftsman, Indian male
27, Diploma in Mechanical Engineer-
ing having 7 years of experience
in Auto CAD looking for a suitable
placement. Contact : 97351786 /
96143708 E-mail :
MBA Graduate having 23 yrs of
experience as Sales Manager in
building materials trading looking
for a suitable opportunity. Release
available. Contact 92106768
Email: [email protected]
Indian male Oman 8 yrs exp look-
ing for any suitable vacancy for
accountant / Asst. Accountant office
admin local release available.
Contact : 98492752 Email:
MBA Finance with more than five
years of experience in Finance &
Accounts including GCC, looking for
a suitable opening. Having UAE driv-
ing license. Contact no..91391802.
Senior Accountant. 8 Years experi-
ence. NOC available. Oman driving
license. Seek suitable opportunity.
GSM- 98184170
Chemical Engineer Indian 2 years
of experience in production field
Contact: 91247222
Email:[email protected]
B.E Mechanical Engineer with 2
years’ experience in HVAC field on
visit visa looking for suitable job.
Contact: 93442296
Email Id: [email protected].
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: -
Indian Male, MBA, Talented
management expert having 6 year
experience at U.A.E, India and Oman
in luxury goods and Retail. Seeking
suitable openings in related or same
field. Contact:92700670
Email: [email protected]
MBA Finance with more than five
years of experience in Finance &
Accounts including GCC, looking for
a suitable opening. Having UAE driv-
ing license. Contact no..91391802
Indian 26M, B. Tech Computer Sci-
ence graduate, 3 years exp in India,
looking for suitable job in Muscat.
Contact : 93125669,
Email : [email protected]
Accountant 7 years experience with
D/L and NOC. Contact 97712084
ACCA Affiliate, OBU Degree, 2.5
years experience in audit and
finance in Big6 firm, Looking for
permanent placement. NOC release
available. Contact: #95140445,
Indian Male Nurse with Moh licence
& Noc seeking a job with Family
Status gsm:95817579.
E.mail:[email protected]
Part- Time Accountant, well experi-
ence senior accountant ,doing all
type of accounting works,
Finalization, Budgeting available.
Contact 98803439
MBA - (F), M.Com, B.COM. Indian fe-
male having knowledge of accounts
with Tally looking for part time or
full time job. Presently on family
visa. Contact :- 91892264.
Email:- [email protected]
Indian female MCA, 24 years
seeking suitable job.
Contact 93439467
Indian female 25 years, 1 year
experience MSc – Computer Science
currently on family visa looking for a
suitable job in any field.
Contact: 97265504
Email: [email protected]
B.Tech Information Technology looking job in System work. MS
Office, Data Entry, Networking expe-
rience, 2 years experience in Linux
Admin. Contact: 92472137
Email: [email protected]
CCNA MCITP Network support/ Net-
work technician with 2 yrs experi-
ence Indian male having bachelors
degree on visit visa.
Contact: 93080871,
email :[email protected]
Indian male 34 yrs M.Tech Indus-
trial biotechnology having teaching
experience seeking for job.
M. Ramkumar. Contact : 96674521,
0091-9940586051
Email: [email protected]
Network System Engineer switch-
es, Routers, Servers, load balancers,
CCTV 5 years of exp holds B.E (ECE)
CCNA looking for good opportunity
Indian visit visa. Contact 91911792
Email: [email protected]
BE, ECE Mumbai university skills
in C, C++, windows, linux, controller
and processor RTOS, Electronics,
Networking, 6 months experience in
embedded software seeks place-
ment. Contact : 917774864736
Email: [email protected]
CATERING
Indian male B.A with Diploma in
Hotel Mgt with 15 yrs experience in
hotels & catering, having Oman D/L
seek suitable placement.
Contact: 95451547
Email: [email protected]
Indian 22 years male, Mechanical
Engineer, B.Tech has done intern-
ships, born and brought up in Oman
with Omani driving license, seeking
suitable jobs. Contact 92791637
Email: ashwinsureshkotturethu@
gmail.com
Indian Mechanical Engineer 31 yrs, 8+ experience in sales & Bus.
Dev, having Oman driving license
& NOC. Contact: 97116858 Email:
Indian male 24, Diploma in Civil
Engineering 2 years experience as a
Site Engineer on visit visa.
Contact: 98023153
Electrician 3 years experience in
Building lines in Oman and other
related experience also. NOC avail-
able. Stay till 29.09.2015. Contact:
94057129 / 95964419 Email:
Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need
suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.
Email: [email protected]
C-SWIP 3.1 ASNT level 2 QC Mech.
Engr 5+ yrs exp Indian male 26 seeks
placement. Contact : 91823331
Email: [email protected]
Electrical and Electronics Engineer with one year experience and GCC
licence holder seeking a job
mail – [email protected]
SUPERVISOR: Indian male site
supervisor (AIR CONDITIONING)
25 years of experience with valid Oman
Driving license, seeking suitable place-
ment. Contact: 97498809, 93391910
Email: [email protected]
Mechanical and manufacturing Engi-
neer , age 26 yrs masters ( Singapore)
having 2 years Oman work experi-
ence with valid Oman driving license
on visit visa available immediately.
Contact: 95498953
Indian BE (MECH) aviation BE
degree diploma in material quality
management 17 years Navy aviation
13 years construction purchase stores
professional on visit.
Contact: 90205082 /98796982
Engineer with 3 yrs experience in
Indian in MEP, HVAC& mechanical
maintained field on visit visa looking
for suitable job. Contact 99191535
Email: [email protected]
Indian male Civil Engineer with
Engineer with 2 years experience in
Building project is available currently
on visit visa. Contact: 92841583
Btech computer science graduate
2015 passout.. Android application
marketing.. Having good communi-
cation skills and mindset to work in
a team. Contact 91024385
Indian male BE Mechanical currently on 2 yrs free visa with NOC
& local release. Looking for suitable
job in Muscat. Contact – 90296975 /
DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624
Email: [email protected]
D6 S U N D AY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 5
SITUATION WANTED
Indian female with MBA on visit
visa seeking immediate placement.
Contact - 968-93316493
27,male,ACCA finalist, have profes-
sional experience upto finalization
of accounts, statutory and internal
audit, expertise in using tally and
focus & oracle software, have 3.5
years experience in accounts till
finalization and statutory audit,
seeking for permanent replacement
,GSM-97654769,email id-
Sudanese male, 31 years, have 3
year Diploma in electrical engineer
, 6 year experience in construction
and electrical production plant .
Mobile No ; +96894549609
Indian male, B.com, MBA, having
5 years experience (3 years in U.A.E)
is currently seeking suitable op-
portunities within finance/accounts/
admin dept.Contact:93953613,
B.Com graduate, 11 years experi-
ence in Accounts, 9 years Oman
experience , Oman valid driving
license, looking for suitable post.
Mob:92758404 NOC Available.
SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, Indian
male,29 years.8 years experience
.Presently working in Oman as a
Senior Accountant with oman Driv-
ing license. NOC available. Seek suit-
able opportunity. GSM: 97705854
Two year experience in Oman,
experience in sales, purchase and
system admin, Having GCC license.
Contact number 97475860,
Indian Male, 32 yrs, MBA-HR, Train-
er & Faculty worked on Omanisation
& nationals development activities
with 10 yrs of experience seeking
suitable job. Contact : 93891401
Sudanese 29 male (Bsc computer
science,diploma computer engineer-
ing), 6 yrs. experience dba oracle
pl-sql , ms sql-server ,ms visual studio
vba,network Omani Driver licence lan-
guage English, ArabicTel: 91415886
Piping Design Engineer, Indian
male 27, looking for suitable place-
ment in Piping Design & Engineer-
ing. Having 7 years of experience in
AutoCAD. Also familiar with PDMS
(11.6 Version),CAESAR ll. Contact :
97351786 / 96143708/97357143
Driver looking for job exp 2 yrs.
Contact: 98522914
Indian female, 24yrs, M.COM (Ac-
counts) having 3 yrs experience
in Accounts, HR, Administration,
Customer Service. Good Computer
Proficiency seeking Suitable Posi-
tion. Visa Transfer/NOC Available.
Contact: 99654913
Indian male 27 years B.E & MS Me-
chanical Engineer working in Delhi for
last 4 years inJcb India pvt. ltd., seeks
placement in Oman. #93393768
Female MBA gold medalist, with
computer proficiency, Oman driving
license looking for job opportunity
in event management companies in
Muscat. Ph : 99012949
Indian female B. Com MBA finance
,5 years experience in oman as an
account seeking suitable placement.
Contact 99044292
Indian Male 22 Years , Graduation
In Electronics Seeking Jobs In Su-
pervisory , Sales & Sales Co-ordina-
tion Fields , Good Communication
Skill Contact 96141317,
E-mail: [email protected]
DIPLOMA+B.E.(CIVIL ENGINEER),
Indian, 4 years of experience, cur-
rently on visit visa; Seeking Right
Position. GSM:91570703.
Diploma in civil engineering having
an experience 24years (20years
in Oman) experience in Estimator
/ quantity surveyor looking for a
suitable placement, willing to join
immediately Contact : 96328687
Indian male B.Eng. in IT,CCNA,
MCSA, MCSE, 2yrs + exp. in IT sup-
port, networking and server support
valid Omani D/L seeking suitable
placement in IT/Network/Server
support. Contact 92607532
Indian male, 14 yrs Experience in
Maintenance & Supervisor in hotel field
( Electrical. Ac Mechanical & Plumber )
N O C available #95253640 .
email = [email protected]
ME Civil- structural Engineer, 8 Years Structural engineer ex-
perience, Looking for Structural
Designer, supervisor or site engineer
Position. Iranian male. #93696929,
Email: [email protected]
Indian Male 26 years MCA, MCSE
2012 certified, Microsoft Exchange
Server Administration, having 1 year
experience in IT/System Administra-
tion looking for suitable placement.
Contact Mob : 00968 92745708
Email: [email protected],
Light duty driver, Young and honest.
Can speak Arabic, Hindi and under-
stand English. Release available.
Ph.92854775 / 93487450
Sudanese/Bsc IT/26/2 years experi-
ence/excellent Eng-Arb speaking/
Omani driving license/96387227/
Indian male Accountant, 12 years
experience, looking for a full time
or part time job, experience in tally
also. Contact 98983122
Pakistani, Male, Pak, Exp 14 Years in
IT Trainer / Computer Teacher, looking
for a better position in Oman, already
working in Prestigious Construction
Company. Contact 95983711.
Indian Male (Diploma in electronics
Engineering and CCNA.) having 9
years of experience in Networking, 5
years’ experience in Oman. Looking
for a suitable Placement. NOC avail-
able. GSM- 93787098,
Email –[email protected]
Site Supervisor/ L Driver, Pakistani
Male 33 with valid D/L, 4 years
experience in Muscat, fluent in
English, Arabic looking for suitable
place. Contact: 97950869
Admin, having 10+ years experi-
ence in Admin/HR/Logistics/Time
Keeper, in reputed companies. Pres-
ently working in Muscat.
Contact- 968 94369965
mail - [email protected]
Indian male B.Eng. in
IT,CCNA,MCSA,MCSE, 2.5 yrs + exp.
in IT support, Networking and Server
support with valid Omani D/L seeking
suitable placement in IT/Network/
Server support. Contact 92607532
INDIAN MALE 24 YEARS,B. Tech
(Electrical & Electronic).Having 2
years experience as Electrical Site
Engineer in Constructions. Done
IOSH & NEBOSH- IGC certifications.
Seeking for suitable placement
in constructions or in any related
industries. Contact no: 98045482,
Email: [email protected]
Indian male auto cad draughtsman
(civil) 8 years experience
seeking for part time job
mobile no: 0096899070584,
email: [email protected]
Indian Male, 25, Chartered Ac-
countant, working with ICICI Bank
India. On a Visit Visa in Oman.
Staying with parents at Azaibah.
Ph:24492638.
Email: [email protected]
Indian male 23 years Graduate,
working as a sales coordinator cum
purchase & office coordination 2 yrs
in oman Having oman license & NOC
looking for suitable job in Muscat
Email:[email protected],
GSM:97475860
ME. Civil Engineer, Structural
Designer, 3 Years Structural Design,
6 Years Str. Engineer Experience,
Looking For Structural Designer Po-
sition. Iranian Male. #93696929,
Email: [email protected]
Male Graphic designer cum anima-
tion, non linear editing VFX, seeking
suitable position.
Contact: 97792661 / 96229406
B-tech Electrical Engineer with
more than 2 years of experience in
erection and designing of HT and LT
electrical systems. Seeking for
suitable job in Muscat. #98269366.
Email: [email protected]
Indian Female Accountant, CA Final
(Group I cleared), 5+ year’s experi-
ence in the field of Accounts, Audit
and Financial ERPs. Currently avail-
able in Muscat and seeking suitable
job opportunities.Ph:94704800
email id: [email protected]
B.E (IT) 1 year exp complete school-
ing in Muscat needs job in software
/ net working / java/ WEB design or
marketing. #97136248 / 99313821
Data Entry operator cum Buyer,
Indian male,26years.BA, Computer
proficiency :Operating system (Win-
dows 2000xp & Windows7) E plus
and Tally ERP9, 4 yrs Experience in
Oman seeks suitable placements.
Mob: 95360255
Indian Female BSC nurse with 8+
years of experience including 3
years of GCC exp. Oman Prometric
passed with 57 %. Currently in Oman.
Contact : 98034384
Senior Accounts Professional,
Indian Male, 36 years, M.Com, MBA
(Fin) 9 years in Oman, with valid
Oman DL and NOC available. Capable
to handle accounts up to finalization.
Contact 9602 3965.
Driver 5 years exp know English,
Arabic,& Hindi Education B.A.
Contact : 91615715 / 99512270
Indian Male 24 years, Looking for a
Suitable Job in Telecom / Network-
ing, 1 year sales experience. M. Sc.
Communications Engineering &
Valid Driving license. Ph: 91280121.
Email: [email protected]
Indian lady 30 years Graduate hav-
ing work experience in India and
Oman looking for Admin or any other
suitable job. Contact : 95676957
Indian male, 39 yrs, MSC Computer
Science 10 years experience IT sup-
port, FMS Engineer, bank experience
looking for suitable job. #94276449
Indian, presently on visit visa
in Salalah looking for job B.com
failed UAE experience in accounts,
commercial Admin & warehouse.
Contact: 92754071 /93346931
Email: [email protected]
MBA (Marketing /HR) with 45 years
exp in business development and
marketing, having valid Oman driv-
ing license seeks suitable placement
currently available on family visa.
Contact 97618033
Email: [email protected]
Indian, male, 41 years, CA Inter,
Persuing CA final. Now on express
visa. 7 years of Experience in OMAN
as Finance and Accounts Manager in
Trading , Construction and Firefight-
ing industry. 21 Years of exp. seeking
suitable Managerial positions. No
visa issues. Immediate joining.
Contact 98469311
Email:[email protected]
Indian male 63 years have 30 years
Muscat experience all office work
sales business development insurance
administration accounts with Oman
driving license. Contact 99249412
Indian female LLB (Advocate) 2
years experience looking for suitable
post legal advisor company secretary
etc. # 93343190 / 94476387
Email: [email protected]
Indian female, B.Sc, PGDCA, cur-
rently on family joining visa, 2 years
working experience in oman as
customer care / sales co-ordinator,
immediate joining seeks suitable
placements. Contact no. (968)
95573205 / 95949230 / 95800792
Indian male 22 years ACCA affiliate ,
BSc, Graduate in applied accounting 2
months working experience seeking
suitable placement in Finance / Ac-
counts / audit immediately. Contact:
97378607 / 92558734
B-tech Electrical Engineer with more
than 2 years of experience in erection
and designing of HT and LT electrical
systems. Seeking for suitable job in
Muscat. Contact: 98269366.
Email: [email protected]
Project Manager / Senior Engi-
neer, Indian Male BE Civil, 21yrs
experienced including Oman looking
for the Job Contact +918939295181
Email I’D [email protected]
Indian male 26 , graduate in me-
chanical engineering having 2 years
experience in fabrication production
filed in India, looking for a suitable
job. mobile: +968-91384621
EMAIL : [email protected]
Sr. Sales Executive, Indian Male,
Holding Valid Oman DL. Total ex-
perience in Oman of 15 years with
4 years Rent a Car Co. experience.
Looking for Opportunities in any
Industry for similar sales role.
GSM - 95703233
email id “[email protected]
INDIAN MALE 23 YEARS,B. Tech
(Electrical & Electronic). Done IOSH
& NEBOSH- IGC certifications. Look-
ing for HSE engineer job in Oil Gas
Sector, constructions or in any re-
lated industries. Contact 98045482
Indian male. M.com holder with two
year working experience as an ac-
countant in India. Now at Muscat on
visiting visa. Seeks suitable place-
ment. Gsm:96947500,99463120,
ACCOUNTANT, Indian male,29
years.8 years experience .Presently
working in Oman as a Senior Ac-
countant with oman Driving license.
NOC available seek suitable opportu-
nity. GSM: 97705854
29 years Indian female (MBA-
Finance) with 4+yrs experience
(Oman) in Accounts, seeking suit-
able placement in Accounts/Admin.
Contact:96141283
Civil site coordinator, Diploma,
Male 25, now present in Oman, Seek-
ing job in Oman. Contact 92887561,
B-tech Electrical engineer with more
than 2 years of experience in erection
and designing of HT and LT electri-
cal systems. Seeking for suitable
job in Muscat. Contact:98269366.
Email:[email protected]
Indian Female B.Sc., B.Ed.(Maths),
M.C.A residing in Al-Ghubra seek-
ing a teaching position as a Math
Teacher GSM.- 94231633
INDIAN MALE 23 YEARS, B. Tech
(Electrical & Electronic) having
4 years working experience as an
Electrical site Engineer. Looking for
suitable job in Oil Gas Sector or in
related industries.
Contact 98045482
Female, Indian, 35 Yrs- house maid
available for Full/Part time work in
Muscat. contact- 96754303.
Indian male, ERP Functional Con-
sultant (SCM, MM, HRMS), Seeks
employment.Contact: 98478928,
Email: [email protected]
Indian male , 14 yrs Experience in
maintenance & Supervisor in hotel
field ( Electrical . Ac Mechanical &
Plumber ) N O C available
mob : 95 25 36 40 . email =
Piping Design Engineer, Indian
male 27, looking for suitable place-
ment in Piping Design & Engineer-
ing. Having 7 years of experience in
AutoCAD. Also familiar with PDMS
(11.6 Version),CAESAR ll. Contact :
97351786 / 96143708, Email :
Indian male 28YRS, 7Years exp. in
Architectural & structural Draughts-
man & 3d visualization, looking for a
suitable Post GSM: +971551965944.
Email:[email protected]
Indian Female, M.Com & MBA with
1.5 years of experience in Reinsur-
ance Treaty seeking a good job
opportunity in Insurance & Reinsur-
ance Accounts or General Accounts.
Contact: +968 91920189, Email:
CCNA MCITP network support /
network technician with 2 years expe-
rience Indian male having bachelors
degree on visit visa. #93080871
8 yrs exp 2d, 3d draughtsman (HOLD-
ING OMANI DRIVING LICENSE) seek-
ing job. Contact : 93790601
ME. Civil Engineer, Structural
Designer, 3 Years Structural Design,
6 Years Str Supervising Experience,
Looking For Structural Designer Posi-
tion. Iranian Male. # 93696929
Email: [email protected]
BSC Female Nurse having 8 years of
experience ( 3 years in gulf). Promet-
ric passed - 57%. Currently in Oman.
Contact : 98034384
ACCOUNTANT, Male, 8 years experi-
ence .Presently working in Oman
as a Senior Accountant with Oman
Driving license. NOC available seeks
suitable opportunity. GSM: 98184170
ACCOUNTANT, M.Com holder with
2 year working experience as an ac-
countant in Kerela-India, seeks suit-
able placement. GSM NO:96947500,
9 9463120, mail:
Indian Male 22 Years, Graduation In
Electronics Seeking Jobs In Super-
visory , Sales & Sales Co-ordination
Fields , Good Communication Skill
Contact 96141317,
E-mail: [email protected]
Sudanese.male 32 years.B.SC
mechanical engineer.7years
experience.5 years experiance in
Gulf.working now in water pipeline
projects.fluent Arabic and English.
have Omani driving license.looking
for good opportunity TEl:91117089
Filipino (male), 37 yrs. old, having
8yrs. experience in Operation (Ship-
ping & Logistics) currently on visit
visa looking for suitable job.
GSM: 97121525
Chartered Accountant with 7 years
of post qualification experience,
seeking challenging job opportunity.
Experience in auditing/accounts &
finance/taxation/IFRS, etc.
GSM +968 95763680
Indian Female Interior Designer, 4.5
yrs experience, seeking immediate
mid-senior level position with firm
having lady clearance. NOC Avail-
able. Contact 93033072
Indian Male 22 years, ACCA Af-
filiate with B..Sc. Degree in Applied
Accounting having three months
working experience seeking suitable
placement in Finance / Accounts /
Audit. Holding valid Oman D/L.
Contact 97378607 / 92558734
Indian female Nurse, Prometric
passed 64%, 5 years of experience,
MOH licensed, presently working in
Oman seeking a suitable placement
in reputed Hospitals, NOC available.
Contact: 98329941,
Email: [email protected].
Female from India -MA. B.Ed. with
One year three months Teaching
experience. English seeking for a
urgent better placement, Now work-
ing in Oman. #93961142, 92184408
Email:[email protected].
Driver with car seeking suitable
post. Contact : 916602662
Video Editor 29 years Indian male
with 8 years experience on visit visa
looking for a suitable placement.
Contact: 91275969 /
Syrian male 3yrs. exp in IT support,
Networking, Security systems, Serv-
er support, IT sales and marketing.
Valid Omani D/L seeking suitable
placement. Contact 91033395
8 yrs exp 2d, 3d Draughtsman (HOLDING OMANI DRIVING LI-
CENSE) seeking job. # 97449630
Tunisian shoes designer wuth
40years expereince in designing and
manifacturing loocking for a job in a
related field contact : 97816917
Indian male MBA + TALLY , 29 years
& 7years experience in Administra-
tion and Manager level in Reputed
companies, Seeking suitable place-
ment.# 96297709 / +91 9066130371,
Email: [email protected]
Indian female MBA Finance cur-
rently on visit visa seeks immediate
placement. Phone: 968-98430089
Indian Male, 28, B.Com, 6+ yrs exp in
Accounts, 2 yrs in Oman with Valid
Oman D/L, NOC available.#9719 4864
Indian male post graduate.2 years
experience in sales. currently in
oman on visit visa.seeks suitable
placement.Gsm 92388346
Civil site coordinator, Diploma,
Male 25, now present in Oman, Seek-
ing job in Oman. Contact: 92875345,
Male Indian 27, working as finance
analyst having two years Oman expe-
rience with Driving license looking for
suitable position. Mob: 98097009,
FRESH - B.Com Graduate on Family
Visa, looking for any suitable Job.
Contact : 92567020 / 95322175,
Email: [email protected]
Admin Executive, Indian Female
having 10 years Gulf experience
in seeking suitable placement cur-
rently working in Muscat.
Email: [email protected],
Mobile 0096893211402
MOH Indian Dentist 10 years experi-
ence in Oman. Can speak Arabic, has
driving license. Contact 98995321 or
Having 9+ years exp. in Adminis-
tration & HR in reputed companies.
Presently working in Muscat and
seeking for suitable placement.
Contact No.: 97693456. Email :
Omani , female, have diploma in
quantity survey, bachelor in Constitu-
tion management, seeking situated
placement at Sohar. Tel 94454180,
Mail [email protected]
DAILY GUIDES U N D AY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 5 D7
SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES
Split & widow unit A.C servicing &
repairing. Contact: 99557080
Split & window unit A.C servicing
& maintenance.
Contact: 96236476
Window & split unit A.C servicing
& maintenance.
Contact: 93769089 / 95323517
Air condition maintenance instal-
lation window AC, split a/c, ducted
AC and package type units.
Contact: 98667326
Window & split unit A.C ser-
vicing & maintenance. Contact
93769089 / 95323517
GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet
& sofa shampooing, Contact
99314807/24792998
Pest Control Treatments, Cockroaches, Ants, Rodents &
Termites, Ocean Center LLC.
Contact: 99344723/ 99357908
General cleaning &
Shampooing. Ocean Center LLC.
Contact: 99344723/99357908
House shifting & transporting.
Contact 92490422
MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your
marble. #24793614/ 99314807
Used house & office furniture
& electronic items. Contact:
99834373 / 96642500
Supply fixing Wallpapers,
all carpets. Contact: 99834373 /
96642500
One stop shop business services : Public Relation (PRO) formation new
companies, LLC companies, Investor
visa, business setup, prepare busi-
nesses & companies accounts, legal
services, representing you and your
company. Contact: Saleh : 96723485
House shifting & packing. Contact: 99657644 /98518013
Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile pol-
ishing, pest control & anti-termite
treatment, general cleaning paint-
ing, Plumbing, Electrical, shifting.
Contact Mundhir Al-Rizaiqi trading.
L.L.C. # 24810137, 99450130
Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles
polishing, carpet shampooing,
maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS-
99320217 /24788722
WEBSITE
WEB, ERP and Business Intel-
ligence (BI) creation and man-
agement at rock bottom price.
Contact: http//webviewoman
COMPUTER
CLASSES
Water proofing ABUQABAS-
Contact 99320217/24788722
Spoken English IELTS & Computer classes.
Contact: 92088325 / 24799938
MANPOWER
SIT.WANTED
SIT.WANTED Required investors for different
projects. Contact: 99674870
We will register LLC trade license
for foreign investors and do all
actions. Contact: 92833566
SITUATION WANT-ED
BUSINESS
DRIVING
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation in Muscat.
Contact: 95530908
Transportation for saloon car&
delivery van. Contact : 95530908
Transportation. Contact 99508282
Transportation. Contact 99664703
Transportation available. Contact: 99867456
Transportation available. Contact -955 70 429
MATRIMONIAL
Suitable alliance invited for a
Marar (ambalavasi) girl 24yrs 170cm
from thrissur, star rohini, shuddha
jathakam, MTECH (e&c), from
parents of boys belong to marar/
podoval/nair or related communities.
GSM: 00968 93691316
Email- [email protected]
Ezhava boy, B.Tech, MBA, 26/178,
Rohini working in Bangalore looking
alliance from parents of
professionals.Contact 24798043 /
94193031
Seeking alliance for our son from
Muslim families. Interested families
Contact: 99889590
GOOD NEWS
Ayurvedic Treatment for joint pain,
backache, paralysis, massage, steam
bath, obesity, spondylitis , IDEAL CARE
Ayurvedic Clinic, 18 November Street,
Azaiba # 99639695 / 98342990
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 massage backache,
joint pain, neck pain etc.
Contact 98254909
Ayurvedic treatment for backache,
paralysis, arthritis etc & massage,
All Season (Vaidyaratnam). Contact
24475280 / 95371664 / 92504980
www.siddhayur.com
Indian male,27, IT/Telecom Engi-
neer, 2 yrs exp in Oman, with valid
Oman D/L, NOC Available.
Ph: 9393 8727
ACCOUNTANT, Indian male, 29
years.8 years experience .Presently
working in Oman as a Senior Ac-
countant with oman Driving license.
NOC available. Seek suitable oppor-
tunity. GSM: 98184170
Indian male having 4 years of experi-
ence in IT Support & networking. Cur-
rently on visit visa. seeking suitable
opportunities. Contact 92013641.
Indian Male 24 years, Looking for a
Suitable Job in Telecom / Network-
ing. 1 year sales experience. MSc.
Communications Engineering &
Valid Driving license. Ph: 91280121.
Email: [email protected]
Finance Manager / Chief Account-
ant / Audit Manager, C.A , MBA
,ACCA , CPA..15years in GULF , Expert
in Banking ,Financing, Profit Maxi-
mizations , Admin & Management,
Business Developments , ERPs Soft-
ware’s, Audit Exp. with Big 5 , NOC
& Driving License Call 94403270 or
94504505
29 years Indian female (MBA-
Finance) with 4+yrs experience
(Oman) in Accounts is seeking suit-
able placement in Accounts/Admin.
Contact:96141283.
MEP Quantity Surveyor-Estima-
tion-Project, 10 Years Experience (3
years in Oman). Having NOC & Oman
D/L. Looking for suitable job,
Contact – 98291626
ACCOUNTANT, Indian Male, 25 years
old, 5 years Experience (2 years in
Oman & 3 years in India) Presently
working in Oman. Going exit on this
week with NOC.
Seeking suitable opportunities.
GSM : 97018783
DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624
Email: [email protected]
D8 S U N D AY, S E P T E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 5
RENT A CAR
RENT A CAR
Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise
with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain
Marine Tours Contact- 98029602,
92808636
TOURS
SITUATION WANTEDCARGO
SITUATION WANT-CARGO
SITUATION WANTEDCARGO
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