Times of Oman - December 8, 2015

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TUESDAY, December 8, 2015 / 26 Safar 1437 AH timesofoman.com wtimesofoman.com facebook.com/timesofoman twitter.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com ISO 9001:2008 Certifi ed Company

We are fully confi dent that this dynamic, youthful society, believing in Almighty God, both individually and collectively, can, through its determination, dedication, knowledge and hard work, keep abreast with the fast progress that this world is witnessing in all fi elds of life.

On the occasion of the 29th National Day

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTYTHE SULTAN

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’

Duleep Mendis scripts success story for Sultanate’s cricketBABA [email protected]

MUSCAT: Inside his softly-lit Oman Cricket Board (OCB) work-place, tucked in the busy Ruwi neighbourhood, Duleep Louis Ro-han Duleep Mendis or commonly known as Duleep Mendis is a re-laxed man.

“We tell them, we don’t have anything at stake. We will go with a positive mind. The pressure will be on the big teams instead,” Mendis told Times of Oman while describing the stress on strong teams when facing unseeded nations in high-voltage cricket games, such as the World Cup.

Berth to OmanJust a few months ago in Dublin when Oman batsman Zeeshan Siddiqui hit a Namibian bowler for four over long-off , it not only ended the chase but secured Oman a berth in the ICC World Twenty20 to be held in India in March, 2016. The victory also se-cured the Gulf nation a T20 inter-national status for the next four years. The team is now gearing up for the big cricket event.

Thanks to the former Sri Lan-kan captain and the current

Oman cricket coach Duleep Men-dis, honing local cricketers’ skills is ultimately paying off .

“After this memorable win, we wanted ICC (International Cricket Council) to come forward and help us arrange some cricket games at higher level in prepara-tion for the world cup. We played some games in the UAE in which the boys gained lots of experi-ence,” says the short, grey-haired and broad-shouldered coach,

with recurrent smiles. “But I do not want my players to peak ear-ly. It has to be a gradual process because the tournament is still months away,” he added quickly.

While the team has just re-turned from the UAE, the players will be training in Muscat till De-cember 19 and then the team will fl y to India’s Rajkot for another 10 days where they will play six matches (T20) “to adapt the con-ditions”. >A3

H O N I N G C R I C K E T I N G S K I L L S

BABA [email protected]

MUSCAT: As the world hopes for successful peace talks in Yemen, which are scheduled for next week (December 15) in Geneva, Oman’s role is being seen as im-portant in preparing the ground work for the talks.

“Oman’s role has been strong-er than the United Nations in trying to help end the Yemen crisis,” Hakim Almasmari, edi-tor-in-chief of the Sanaa-based Yemen Post, told the Times of Oman (TOO).

“Oman’s role has been unique and rare. The Houthis are a fi erce group. The only party they trust is Oman. They see Oman as a trans-parent country and if it wasn’t for Oman, things would take years to progress,” he stated.

Principal mediatorOman has become a principal mediator between the Saudi-led Arab alliance, which intervened in Yemen militarily earlier this year in support of the then exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who is back in Aden now, and Yemen’s Houthis—backed by

ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.Recently, Mohammed Ab-

dul Salam, spokesperson for the Houthi rebels, also led a twin delegation of Houthis and ex-president Saleh to Oman for pre-liminary discussions over the up-coming Geneva peace talks.

The Saudi-led coalition wanted to implement a United Nations (UN) resolution that seeks Hou-this’ withdrawal from the terri-

tory, including the capital Sanaa and laying down weapons—a demand that the Houthis have rejected. The UN estimates that more than 5,700 people have been killed in the country, nearly half of them civilians.

Food crisisAccording to the UN’s 2016 Hu-manitarian Needs Overview in November, an estimated 14.4 mil-lion people in Yemen are facing food crisis, including 7.6 million acute food crisis, while nearly 320,000 children are “severely malnourished.”

Hostage releaseOman off ers a neutral venue for talks over Yemen, even as the Sul-tanate has brokered several hos-tage releases earlier.

In September, Oman had se-cured the release of three Saudis, two Americans and a British na-tional held by the Houthi rebels.

The country had also managed to secure the release of an Ameri-can journalist and a Singaporean national in June. Two months lat-er in August, Oman helped in the release of a French hostage. >A4

See also >A7

Sultanate has prepared

the ground for talks

on Yemen crisis and

for both Houthis

and Saudi-led Arab

alliance, it remains

the trusted mediator

OMAN LOOKS FOR PEACE IN YEMEN

OMANHaemorrhagic fever

1There is a need for a strategy to Control Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever. >A4

OMANMurphy’s Legacy

2It’s just two days away to dance with the Murphy’s Legacy rhythm. >A4

REGIONArmy camp attacked

3Syria said US-led group carried out an air strike on its army camp. >A7

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

‘Oman needs to improve air traffi c management system’A E [email protected]

MANAMA: Oman has to further improve its air traffi c management system since traffi c fl ow over the country’s air space has grown in recent years, a senior offi cial of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said here on Monday.

There has been an improve-ment in recent years, but further development in easing air traffi c is needed.

“We are expecting more to hap-pen in the coming (years),” Hus-sain Dabbas, regional vice-presi-dent of IATA, told journalists on the sidelines of Arab Aviation and

Media Summit. There has been cooperation between the Sultan-ate and other GCC (Gulf Coopera-tion Council) countries to make air traffi c management smoother, he added.

Dabbas also said that if improve-

ments in air traffi c management systems are not undertaken, the airline industry across the globe would incur around $16 billion in losses over the next decade.

Attending a panel discussion on the untapped potential of the Arab markets, Abdelwahab Tef-faha, secretary general of Arab Air Carriers’ Organisation, said that as much as 50 per cent of the air space in the Middle East region is closed for civil aviation (since it is used by the air force for defence purposes). “We need to make it more fl exible,” noted Teff aha.

He also said regional govern-ments needed to look at harmo-nising airspace usage, similar to European countries. >A6

R I S I N G A I R T R A F F I C

would be the loss suff ered by the airlines

industry if it fails to improve air traffi c

management

$16b

FIGHTING IN YEMENSaudi-led airstrikes try to hold back the advance of Houthi rebels.

Source: The Wall Street Journal Graphics

Gulf of Aden

MM EEE N

200km

Al Qaedapresence

Sanaa

AdenTa’izz

ConfirmedSaudi-ledairstrikes

Houthiinfluence

Oman cricket coach Duleep

Mendis.

A5Daring jump from Al Hajar mountain cliff

A3

OMANT U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

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Innovation park set to create more new jobs

HASAN SHABAN AL [email protected]

MUSCAT: More knowledge-based jobs and business oppor-tunities will be created in Oman as the fi rst phase of Innovation Park Muscat (IPM) becomes fully operational by the end of 2016, Dr. Abdulbaqi Al Khabouri, IPM Director of The Research Council (TRC), said.

“IPM will include 12 lots for big multinational companies, a social centre, a fabrication work-shop and an energy centre, while the second and third phases will feature a school, a hotel, a mosque and four research institutions, which aim to attract enterprises and entrepreneurs from the fi elds of water and environment, en-ergy, food and biotechnology, and health,” Al Khabouri revealed dur-ing his speech at the INCONET

GCC2 International Conference on Monday.

Located in Al-Khoudh and spread over 540,000 square me-tres, IPM will be the neighbour of the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), the Rusayl Industrial Es-tate and Knowledge Oasis Muscat. Al Khabouri said IPM will also help contribute to the Sultanate’s economy.

He added that IPM aims to fi nd a platform to exchange local and international knowledge to create collaboration, not competition, in science, technology and innova-tion. Earlier, TRC had hosted an international conference on “Col-laboration for Innovation; Linking GCC and EU,” at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Muscat under the aus-pices of Talal Sulaiman Al Rahbi, deputy secretary general of the Su-preme Council for Planning.

The two-day conference drew

offi cials from both the European Union (EU) and the Gulf Coopera-tion Council (GCC), and aimed to explore synergies for further coop-eration between the two regions.

The fi rst day, was dedicated to on-site visits to local technology parks, incubators, research Or-ganisations; while the second and third day saw state collaboration opportunities and benefi ts being presented, as well as the barriers to overcome for both GCC-EU, in the aforementioned thematic pri-orities. The participants for this conference included a number of stakeholders in the science, tech-nology and innovation sectors, from decision makers, scientists,

researchers and academics of GCC, EU, Yemen, Egypt and Mo-rocco.

All parties with an interest in Science, Technology and Inno-vation in EU-GCC’s bi-regional cooperation participated in the forum. The conference also high-lighted a number of topics related to energy, smart cities and health that determines sectors of com-mon interest among participant countries in the network of inter-national cooperation.

Organizing the conference was a translation to the membership of TRC in the network of inter-national cooperation between the EU and GCC.

Innovation Park Muscat will include 12

lots for big multinational companies, a

social centre, a fabrication workshop and

an energy centre, while the second and

third phases will feature a school, a hotel,

a mosque, and four research institutions

INTERNATIONAL MEETING: The Research Centre hosted an international conference on ‘Collaboration for Innovation; Linking GCC

and EU’, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Muscat under the auspices of Talal Sulaiman Al Rahbi, deputy secretary general of the Supreme

Council for Planning. – Supplied photo

Innovation Park

Muscat aims to find a

platform to exchange

local and international

knowledge to create

collaboration, not

competition, in

science, technology

and innovation

Rain in Muscat; Met predicts dust stormsStaff Reporter

MUSCAT: Muscat experienced rain yesterday night. Skies over Muscat were cloudy in the evening.

Meanwhile, a dust storm is ex-pected in Buraimi, Fahud, Thum-rait, Ibri, Haima and Bidiyaand Mhada, according to Oman’s Me-teorology Department’s forecast.

Rough seaThe forecast also added that the sea will be rough in Musandam, with a maximum wave height of 3.5 me-ters and moderate to rough along

Oman’s sea coast, with a maximum wave height of 2.5 meters.

The National Ferries Company has cancelled its trips between Khasab and Shinas on Tuesday due to high tides, the fi rm tweeted on its offi cial Twitter handle.

Meanwhile, Mussanah and Fanja witnessed light rain on Monday, said a weather enthu-siast. “There was a little rain in Mussanah in the morning and Fanja in the afternoon,” said Bader Ali Al Baddaei, an admin-istrator at www.rthmc.net, a local web-based forum that discusses weather in the Sultanate.

W E A T H E R

Lots of cricket for Omani team in the run-up to T20

Back in Oman, the cricket board plans to train its players till the end of January 2016 before head-ing to India for more cricket.

“From India we will go to Bang-ladesh for Asia Cup T20 qualifi -ers and then we will come back to India for the World T20 tourney. There will be lots of cricket to be played in run up to the ICC T20 event,” the 63-year-old coach says.

Between the interview Mendis’ phone rings and there is a brief chat over a struggling bowler with the caller. As he drops the handset, Mendis immediately talks about the bowlers and hiring new coaches on brief stints with the team.

“We’ve got a fast bowling coach, a fi elding coach and a spin bowling coach who will be with us in India. There will be a physical training coach too. They will do short stints of about two weeks each,” he says.

Mendis was himself a special-ist batsman who captained Sri Lanka to their fi rst Test series victory in 1985. Apart from his brief career (1982-89) in the in-ternational cricket, he also suc-cessfully managed the winning Sri Lankan team in 1996 ICC ODI world cup.

“Besides cricket, one needs to be mentally tough. I am trying to develop the same attitude in our players who have their confi -dence soaring since the historic win in Scotland,” he says.

The players are being prepared for both night and day conditions even as the ICC hasn’t yet re-leased the entire schedule.

“We still don’t know if it’s going to be a day-night aff air. The ICC hasn’t given us the list of venues and the timings. But we are pre-paring them for any condition,” he says, adding “the bulk of the team will be same though there might be one or two changes.”

Infrastructure expansionMendis seeks more help from Oman sports ministry saying “The government has gone an ex-tra mile to help perk up cricket in the country. We see more funds coming in.”

Work on infrastructure and better facilities to promote crick-et, he says, has already begun.

Before Oman went to play in Scotland, the players trained on a

single green ground. Mendis says there is another turf facility at Barka (a coastal city in northern Oman) coming up.

At Al Amerat green ground, ten turf wickets, side wickets and nearly twelve side nets are com-ing up, he says.

“In the main ground, the fl ood lights have been fi xed as well. By the end of next year we will be fully equipped,” he adds.

Duleep Mendis’ brain child of National Youth Development Teams is also looking for expan-sion into other provinces.

“That plan is working well for us. Players are participating in the tournament and they are do-ing well in the A Division. The new team comprises of 75 per-cent Omani boys and 25 expats. They are doing well in this sea-son. That team is fully sponsored by Oman cricket just to encour-age youth,” he says.

“Since the cricket is mostly played in Muscat,” he adds, “We have only one youth develop-ment centre here. However, we’re developing Sohar and Sala-lah youth development centres simultaneously.”

Come Asia Cup T20 and T20 World tournament, Team Oman will ride on the experience of Du-leep Mendis and as has been hap-pening intermittently who knows if the minnows really through surprises against the stalwarts of the game.

O M A N C O A C H

< FROM

A1

Oman coach Duleep Mendis

WELCOME SHOWERS: Rain started to fall in many areas of Muscat

on Monday night. – Supplied photo

A4 T U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

OMAN 240hectares is the size of the site that has already been earmarked

for this exciting environmental project, which is located close

to the recently leased-out fi rst phase of the Sohar Freezone

Murphy’s Legacy show venue changed due to weatherStaff Reporter

MUSCAT: It’s just two days before Omanis can dance to the rhythm of Murphy’s Legacy at the Shangri La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa, but due to the possibility of rain, the organisers have changed the venue to the ballroom of the Shangri La Barr Al Jissah Resort.

According to the organisers, there will be no silver upper seats available for the event and those who have purchased these tickets can upgrade it for free to the Gold seating area. Tickets can also be upgraded at the ticket desk at the ballroom entrance.

Those who are not interested in upgrading their ticket can sit in the lower silver area and get an OMR5 refund. Tickets can be booked on-line at www.irishdanceoman.com or purchased from Mackenzie’s Café & Deli in Madinat Qaboos.

The VIP tickets (seated) are closest to the stage and will cost OMR40, the Gold seats (seated) are just behind the VIP seats and

will cost OMR30; the Silver Lower (seated) behind the Gold seats will cost OMR20.

There has been a great response to ticket sales for Murphy’s Lega-cy, according to the organisers.

Gordon Mackenzie, managing director of Alive Entertainment said, “Ticket sales are going very well, everyone is super excited. We will be looking at a capacity crowd of 600 at the show so I’m sure it will be a fantastic night. Tickets are still available so don’t delay.” Doors will be opened at 7pm on Thursday and the show will start at 8pm.

World-famous Irish danceMurphy’s Legacy, the world-fa-mous Irish dance is the brainchild of Chris Hannon, who spent 13 years with the world renowned ‘Lord of the Dance’ show.

After producing four pilot shows in 2013, Hannon knew that the time was fi nally right and that the best team of people behind him for Murphy’s Legacy could help make it a huge hit.

“Murphy’s Legacy premiered in January and the response was overwhelming. The audience and press feedback was great. It’s been an incredibly proud journey so far for me and the proudest moment will be opening the GCC and world tour on December 10 in Muscat,” Hannon told the Times of Oman.

John Elliott, an international artist and musical composer, set about composing the epic sound track for the show using inspira-tion from Gerry Conlon’s original music pieces and some much loved traditional Irish music, which he then fused with his own amazing original tracks.

With new musical compositions from Loft, world-class dance cho-reography from a hybrid of UK, US and Irish origins, the heart and desire from Hannon, not to men-tion the professional cast of in-ternationally prestigious dancers and musicians, Murphy’s Legacy achieved great success during its world premiere at Sage Gateshead on January 31 this year.

I R I S H D A N C E S H O W

IN DEMAND: There has been a great response to ticket sales for

Murphy’s Legacy, according to the organisers. – Supplied photo

Urgent need to control Crimean-Congo fever, says WHO OfficialStaff Reporter

MUSCAT: There is an urgent need for formulating a compre-hensive prevention and control strategy for the Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in the region in view of the increasing burden of the disease, a top offi cial at the World Health Organisation (WHO), Oman said.

“The CCHF is the most wide-spread tick-borne viral infection and one of the rapidly emerg-ing viral haemorrhagic fevers in humans, occurring across many countries in the Eastern Mediter-ranean Region,” Dr. Abdullah Al Sa’edi, the WHO representative in Oman, said.

Sporadic cases“Sporadic human cases and out-breaks of CCHF have been report-ed from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates,” Dr. Abdullah said.

“The situation is particularly alarming in Pakistan, where the trend of CCHF has been steadily increasing from 62 cases in 2012 to 154 cases in 2014, with the fatal-ity rate ranging from 20 to 30 per cent,” the offi cial added.

The offi cial was talking at

three-day meeting organised by the WHO, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health (MoH), under the patronage of Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al Hosni, MOH’s under-secretary for Health Aff airs.

40 participantsThe three-day meeting drew 40 participants and presenters from diff erent countries; Oman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Denmark, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Russia and Afghanistan.

It aims to discuss the technical policies and challenges related to CCHF prevention and control in humans and animals under the “One Health” concept, as well as identify the key strategic actions needed for the prevention and con-trol of CCHF in the region.

Burdens and trendsIt will also discuss diff erent as-pects; burdens and trends of the CCHF in the eastern Mediter-ranean region, eff ective preven-tive and control strategies in the animal and human health sector, best practices for control of CCHF, laboratory diagnosis of CCHF and other viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) in animals and humans among other things.

H E A L T H Deal for top class Sohar waste treatment project

Times News Service

MUSCAT: A recent signing cer-emony in Sohar marked the end of a long planning phase for what will become one of the Middle-East’s most advanced, integrated waste management facilities. Work will now start at the 240-hectare site that has already been earmarked for this exciting environmental project, which is located close to the recently leased-out fi rst phase of the Sohar Freezone.

Chief Executive Offi cer (CEO) Tariq Ali Al Amri, from the Oman Environmental Services’ Holding Company or Be’ah, the Omani util-ity tasked with restructuring and privatising the solid waste sector,

said: “At Be’ah, our main objective is to structure the waste sector in a sustainable manner; to eliminate or reduce environmental damage incurred during traditional waste dumping processes; and to support the creation of more in-country value in Oman by developing the waste sector.”

The new project will help devel-op the infrastructure required to handle any waste and access mate-rials that come out of industries in Sohar in an environmentally sus-tainable way, he added.

The new integrated facility will be equipped to deal with large

quantities of waste generated an-nually by the country’s burgeoning industrial sector, much of it from Sohar, now one of the region’s pri-mary industrial hubs.

Jamal Aziz, Sohar Freezone’s CEO, said: “Excellent road connec-tivity to Sohar, as well as future rail links with other industrial hubs in the region, are some of the main factors for locating the treatment plant here.”

The integrated industrial waste treatment facility will serve as the cornerstone of industrial waste management infrastructure be-ing developed for Sohar and will

include a dedicated waste solidi-fi cation facility; units for thermal, physical and chemical treatment designed to process diff erent types of industrial waste; as well as land-fi lls. The facility will treat and pro-cess waste with maximum safety in accordance with international standards.

The metals cluster in Sohar cre-ates solid waste, or slag, with Fre-ezone CEO Aziz being particularly excited about one spinoff from the new facilities: “Soon, we will be able to recycle industrial slag from our iron and steel produc-tion, and use it as an aggregate for the new roads we’re building in our Freezone—the technology is world-class and although the ini-tial quantities are small, this will be a signifi cant milestone for our environmental management pro-gramme in Sohar.”

Sustainable waste management systems aim to reduce the quan-tity of natural resources consumed and ensure that any resources already taken from nature are re-used or recycled many times; the amount of waste produced is kept to a minimum and this leads to a better carbon footprint.

Experts from the Netherlands, embedded in the Sohar port and Freezone team, are working closely with Be’ah, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Aff airs (MECA), and other stakeholders.

The project will

help handle any

waste that comes

out of industries

in Sohar in an

environmentally

sustainable way

‘An insecure Yemen can produce waves of refugees’

“The current policy of Oman is consistent with its overall di-plomacy. Its GCC (Gulf Coop-eration Council) partners un-derstand the reasons for Muscat not participating in this military campaign. After all, the whole explanation behind the interven-tion in Yemen is not convinc-ing,” Hassan Houchang Yari, who teaches Political Science in Oman’s Sultan Qaboos Univer-sity (SQU), told TOO.

Yari, however, said the con-structive intervention of Oman and a positive reception by the Houthis are not enough to reach a workable agreement.

Al Qaeda and IS threat“Riyadh and Washington should be more aware of the danger coming from Al Qaeda and IS in Yemen and consequently for themselves,” he noted.

Yari warned of the implica-tions of devastation in Yemen for Oman, which he said, will be “re-markable” for its overall security in territorial terms, as well as the physical security of its people.

Refugees“An insecure and destroyed Yemen can produce waves of refugees headed for Oman. Such a development will signifi cantly alter the demographic balance of Oman and put enormous stress on its resources.

“A spillover consequence of

human security deterioration in Yemen is more than a simple hypothesis. They are around the corner,” he added.

Political analysts, such as Leon Goldsmith of SQU, said Oman has essentially become indispen-sable to the other GCC states as “the only” real channel by which to conduct negotiations.

“For example, the new de-mand by Abd-Rubbah Mansour Hadi that the Houthis release all prisoners can only be transmit-ted through Omani channels; likewise, Houthis’ demands for a role in negotiating a long-term political compromise will likely hinge on Omani diplomacy,” he told TOO.

“So Oman’s approach has in-creased in value to all parties, especially now that a clear mili-tary victory appears unlikely by either side.”

Limited operationsBut Almasmari suggested that

limited operations from both sides in Yemen will continue even after the end of the war.

“The war could end in two months, which means the bom-bardment (by Arab coalition) could stop, but limited opera-tions will continue even after the war,” he said.

From the Houthi point of view, Oman is the only player in the region that wants non-military solutions to the dispute, which makes Muscat a perfect destina-tion to hold preliminary discus-sions before the fi nal talks.

“If it wasn’t for Oman, we wouldn’t be meeting the Saudis. As you know, the Saudis always insisted that talks be held in Ri-yadh, which Houthis have clearly rejected,” Hussain Al Bukhaiti, a Houthi activist based in Sanaa told TOO.

“But thanks to Oman, we have worked our disagreements with all parties and have come to Muscat with a seven-point plan.”

C O N F L I C T

< FROM

A1

Political analysts, such as Leon Goldsmith of SQU,

said Oman has essentially become indispensable

to the other GCC states as ‘the only’ real

channel by which to conduct negotiations

BIG DEAL: The facility will be equipped to deal with large quanti-

ties of industrial waste. – Supplied photo

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Famous extreme sports athlete jumps off Al Hajar mountain cliff

REJIMON [email protected]

MUSCAT: Extreme sports ath-lete Graham Dickinson, who has made 1,000 base jumps all over the world, made a 2 minute 19 second daring jump from the Al Hajar mountain cliff in Oman, called the “Threat Level Midnight” jump.

“Nobody has done a wing suit base (Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth) jump in Oman. It looks and feels very similar to the Grand Canyon. This place has a key to my heart,” Dickinson told the Times of Oman.

According to Dickinson, he spent a lot of time fi nding all these locations, by foot, by car or online.

“My wing suit fl ights range from 20 seconds long all the way up to 1 minute 29 seconds. There are amazing rock formations and fea-tures to fl y my wing suit around,” he added.

He fl ew at speeds of upwards of 200 kilometres per hour and the whole experience in Oman has left him speechless.

“I love Oman so much, the peo-ple are so nice and friendly, always

inviting me to eat and drink with them. Also, the scenery and moun-tains are like nothing I have ever seen in my life. I will always come back to this beautiful country no matter where my travels take me,” Dickinson added.

Air sports and everything out-doors have been a passion for Dickinson since he was young.

“I began skydiving at the age of 18 and base jumping at the age of 22 after my brother fi nally agreed take me on my fi rst antenna jump and I haven’t turned back,” Dickinson said.

“I was inspired by the people I met and the lifestyle the drop zone off ered me; a life of simplicity, a life of fun. It was the one place where it didn’t matter what you did for a liv-ing or how much money you had, in the sky everyone was equal,” Dick-

inson pointed out.“I was inspired to turn away

from the traditional life of offi ce work and 9 to 5 jobs that many in my school were headed towards and instead embraced living a life less ordinary,” Dickinson added.

He began working as a Wing Suit/Tracking Coach and Tan-dem instructor all over the world shortly after that and has worked in places, such as Dubai, Califor-nia, Canada and Australia.

Dickinson has over 4,000 sky-dives and just under 1,000 base jumps from locations all over the world.

Graham Dickinson, who has made 1,000 base

jumps all over the world, fl ew at speeds of

upwards of 200 km per hour and the whole

experience in Oman has left him speechless

Caledonian College of Engineering to host entrepreneurship fairTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Entrepreneurship Fair is being hosted by Caledonian College of Engineering on Decem-ber 8-10, on its Al Hail campus.

The fair, which was fi rst held in December 2014, has now become an annual event.

It will provide a platform to the students who will be participat-ing in Business Idea competitions and will showcase their business ideas. Many such ideas presented at the fair have culminated into successful business ventures al-ready. The Entrepreneurship Fair was organised for the fi rst time by the Department of Educational and Professional Development.

This year, the fair will have eminent speakers and success-ful entrepreneurs who will share their views on entrepreneur-ship in Oman, entrepreneurship and ecosystems, funding options available in the Sultanate and networking. They will also share

their success stories. Many key speakers and experts in entrepre-neurship initiative in Oman will grace the event.

Students with innovative and creative ideas will be given an op-portunity to present and defend their business ideas by using the ‘Business Model Canvas’ and ‘Business Plan.’

Interested students already into home grown businesses/small businesses in various sec-tors will be given an opportunity to display/sell their products.

They will be marketing their products through diff erent pro-motional strategies.

E V E N T

REJIMON [email protected]

MUSCAT: Uncertainty still con-tinues about resumption of fl ights from Muscat to Chennai, the cap-ital city of the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which was badly hit by heavy rains.

“Our fl ights continue to remain cancelled. We couldn’t fl y today, and have no idea if fl ights will re-sume tomorrow,” an offi cial from Air India said.

Meanwhile, a senior offi -cial of Oman Air said the fi rst fl ight to Chennai will take off on Tuesday(today) afternoon.

On December 4, Oman Air ad-vised passengers desiring to fl y from Muscat to Chennai to travel via Bengaluru or re-book tickets from Chennai after December 10.

Oman Air operates 14 fl ights per week (daily two fl ights) and Air India operates one fl ight daily to Chennai.

Chennai airport was closed on December 2 following heavy rains that have so far claimed around 350 lives. It is reported that the city saw its worst rainfall in the last 100 years.

Meanwhile, according to In-dian media reports, Chennai airport re-opened for 24-hour domestic and international fl ight operations on Monday, fi ve days after it was shut due to excessive water-logging.

The city is now slowly return-ing to normal with water receding from most areas, but cleaning up garbage and slush that had piled up due to water-logging remains a big challenge.

Quoting the Airports Authority of India (AAI), the media reported that fi ve fl ights, including one in-ternational fl ight, had arrived and departed from the Chennai air-port till 11:30 am on Monday.

The domestic airlines which operated services to and from

Chennai airport during this peri-od were Air India, TruJet and Jet Airways, the AAI added.

At the airport on Monday morn-ing, boarding passes were being issued manually as computerized systems were not operational due to power shortage. Airlines also did not have enough staff at bag-gage checking counters.

Airport director Deepak Shas-tri had said on Sunday that the airport was using an Air Force radar as its own radar and naviga-tion equipment were damaged in the fl ooding.

The city has not received any rain since Sunday night although the Met department had predicted more rain due to a new trough of low pressure in the Bay of Bengal.

The biggest challenge for au-thorities now is cleaning up the slush and preventing outbreak of diseases in areas that had re-mained water-logged for days.(With inputs from agencies)

F L O O D S

Dickinson has over

4,000 skydives

and just under

1,000 base jumps

from locations all

over the world

Many key speakers and

experts in entrepreneurship

initiative in Oman will

attend the event

Orpic to sign agreements for $5bn plastic unit

MUSCAT: Engineering, pro-curement and construction (EPC) contracts for the $5 bil-lion Liwa Plastic Industries Complex will be signed by the Oman Refi neries and Petroleum Industries Company (Orpic) on December 17 at Inter-Conti-nental Hotels.

More than 30 pactsDr. Hilal bin Abdullah Al Hinai, Director General of the Sup-portive Services at Orpic, said in a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA) that the com-pany will sign more than 30 agreements on December 17 that will include engineering, predicament and construction of LPIC, as well as the fi nance agreements with the export guarantee agencies and banks, in addition to the gas supply agreements with the Ministry of Oil and Gas and the land agree-ments with Sohar Industrial Port, Sohar Free Zone and the Ministry of Housing. -ONA

D E C E M B E R 1 7

BACK IN ACTION: An Air India fl ight takes off from the runway at the Chennai airport on Sunday.

The airport had to suspend operations last week, following waterlogging caused by heavy rainfall

in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu of which Chennai is the capital. -PTI

Uncertainty over resumption of fl ights to Chennai persists

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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

A6


I hope we can do something meaningful with the rural sector and bring about a real change in income generation and female empowerment, gender equality

Rizwan Beyg, Pakistani fashion designer

New Muscat airport

to boost tourism

“You need a regional traffi c man-agement (authority).”

Dabbas said the opening of the newly developed Muscat Inter-national Airport would help the country develop its tourism sector.

“Oman has all the potential to become a great tourism destina-tion when the airport is completed and all other facilities are ready. Presently, the hotel infrastructure is excellent,” noted Dabbas.

He said Oman Air has to en-hance its connectivity to other countries as well.

The IATA offi cial added that the agency is launching an enhanced safety audit for airlines, which re-quires airlines to have their own audit units within the company to ensure that they abide by the inter-national standards on safety. As of now, airlines need to comply with IATA’s operators’ safety audit to become a member of the global as-sociation.

Growth in Passenger Traffi cDabbas said the Sultanate will witness a 5.9 per cent growth in passenger traffi c per annum for the next decade, until 2024. This is against 6.9 per cent for Bahrain, 6.4 per cent for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and 5 per cent for Saudi Arabia.

“The volume of Middle East car-riers will outpace the global aver-age. We expect the Middle-East carriers to grow by 13 per cent per annum (for the next decade). As far as freight is concerned, the Mid-dle-East region will grow by 10 per cent year-on-year,” he added.

Also, airlines in the Middle-East region are expected to generate a combined net profi t of $1.8 bil-lion this year, more than double the net earnings achieved in the previous year.

Dabbas said the passenger load factor of Middle-East air-lines had also increased in recent years, which had helped provide better yields.

Addressing the aviation summit earlier, Adel Al Ali, group chief ex-ecutive offi cer of Air Arabia, said the airline industry would need 10,000 pilots in the Middle-East region alone in the next fi ve years.

ChallengesHowever, there are risks faced by the airline industry in the region. “There has been a huge increase in number of passengers,” Dabbas noted. However, the investment in ground facilities or in building air traffi c management has not matched this growth. “We still have regulatory issues constrain-ing the growth of many airlines.”

“The government and regulators should make sure that the airline industry should not become the cash cow for national budget,” he said, pointing out that the fall in oil prices could pressure budgets.

Dabbas pointed out that the connecting fl ights in the Middle-East region had grown by 5.3 per cent this year. Also, the volume of transit passengers in Qatar and the UAE are much higher than other countries in the Gulf region.

Emphasising the benefi ts of de-veloping aviation for employment creation, he said travel and tour-ism would facilitate 3 million ad-

ditional jobs by 2025. The aviation industry in the Middle-East region contributes $100 billion every year to the gross domestic product. Further, revenue from the aviation sector has grown by 4.6 per cent per annum in recent years.

The tourism sector remains a major driver for economic devel-opment in several countries and 52 per cent of tourists travel by air. “Air transport supports around 35 million jobs in tourism (across the world).”

“The aviation sector’s growth in the Arab world has greatly benefi t-ed the tourism sector and thereby contributed to the growth of the economy, underpinned by consist-ent growth, which continues to drive investment, job creation and bilateral trade,” Air Arabia’s Ali, said ahead of the summit.

“Although the sector will con-tinue to be regarded as a catalyst for future economic growth, the industry is still faced with numer-ous challenges vis-a-vis growth. The idea behind the aviation sum-mit platform is to create meaning-ful dialogue on how some of the unique challenges can be resolved, while continuing to unlock ex-citing opportunities for decades to come.”

Aviation SummitThe 2015 edition of the Arab Aviation and Media Summit was opened by Kamal bin Ahmed Mo-hammed, minister of Transpor-tation and Telecommunications, Bahrain. Attended by over 200 industry leaders and media, this year’s conference covers a vari-ety of issues, including the overall impact of aviation and tourism on Arab economies. Industry leaders are set to discuss the direct and indirect benefi ts of aviation and tourism sectors on regional econo-mies and how the activities and the consequent benefi ts can be ex-pected to grow in the future.

A joint initiative by leading in-dustry organisations, such as Air Arabia, Airbus, among others, and the Arab Aviation and Media Sum-mit is often described as the ‘voice of the industry’ and is the largest assembly of Arab media, along with top executives from the avia-tion and tourism industry.

G R E A T P O T E N T I A L

< FROM

A1Rizwan to showcase bridal wears in Oman

MOBIN MATHEW [email protected]

MUSCAT: Muscat is all set to welcome the well-known Paki-stani fashion designer Rizwan Beyg to encompass the culture and rich heritage of Pakistan.

Rizwan Beyg will be here in Muscat on December 10 for the fashion show ‘A Fusion of Design’.

Rizwan is known for the uniqueness of his bridal designs and couture range. In 1989, he changed his career from architect to a fashion designer and an in-dustry was created.

The fi rst designer in Pakistan to design couture, Rizwan followed this up by many other pioneering ventures. His ‘fi rsts’ include start-ing designer bridal wear, designer textile prints, home furnishings and creating shoes and bags to compliment collections.

“The collection is inspired by the great fashion icons with an accent on what is trending in fashion today with regard to cuts and design,” Rizwan Beyg told the Times of Oman in a mail interview while speaking about the designs he is going to showcase in Muscat.

“Primarily embroidery based, the leit motif is an embroidered three-dimensional fl ower in vari-ous modes. Not for the meek or

timid, the label aims to provide a strong statement to celebrate the woman of today who cares to be individually confi dent and apolo-getic in her style statement. In short, the global woman of today,” he added.

He also said the collection which he is going to showcase here has numerous elements that will appeal to women.

Suits to tastes“I am confi dent Muscat audiences will fi nd something or the other within the collection to suit their tastes,” asserted Beyg.

The world has become a global village with cross cultural refer-ences with most designers bor-rowing from foreign cultures for inspiration, according to Rizwan Beyg.

Speaking about his conversion from architect to designer he said, “The leap from architect to de-signer was not totally unrelated as both require the elements of design basics to succeed.”

For him, the favourite part of

becoming a fashion designer is that he can provide employment to so many people who work for the brand and his passion for em-broidery kept him going.

Nature is the best inspiration for Rizwan Beyg.

“My inspiration is everywhere. From a tile on a mausoleum to a birds plumage. Nature is the best artist and I am totally inspired by it,” he said.

It is critical to give back to the community and go beyond com-mercial fashion, according to him.

“Through various support programmes we have managed to restore outdated embroidery stitches and have now started a programme to provide women in the villages with gainful employ-ment under an NGO called Crafts Guild Pakistan,” said Beyg.

“I hope we can do something meaningful with the rural sec-tor and bring about a real change in income generation and female empowerment, gender equal-ity and craft revival over a steady duration of design intervention,”

he stressed. He had made clothes for Lady Diana, Jemima Khan, Cherie Blair and several Pakistani celebrities. Ahsan Khan, Paki-stani fi lm and television actor is going to dress up for Rizwan’s design in Oman.

He also said he plans to make fashion work for development and to extend our borders to cre-ate items beyond clothing and start a parallel brand based on ethical practice.

AdviceBeyg’s advice to aspiring fashion designers is to be true to them-selves. “Be true to yourself and never forget your roots and her-itage. It is what will make you unique and that is what people are looking for,” he said.

‘A Fusion of Design,’ titled fashion show is brought to you by Keylight Productions, a divi-sion of Doc LLC. Golden Inter-national and Times of Oman are the presenters. it will be pow-ered by Services and Trade & Driven by BMW.

The Pakistani fashion

designer is known for

the uniqueness of his

bridal designs and

couture range. He is

an architect-turned

fashion designer

I am confident

Muscat audiences

will find something

or the other within

the collection to

suit their tastes

Rizwan Beyg Pakistani fashion designer Hussain Dabbas, regional vice-

president of IATA.

Honour for OmanisDOHA: His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, handed in Doha on Monday the GCC Ex-cellence in a number of fi elds.

Noted persons from Oman were also honoured. They are: Dr. Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Harrasi, of Public Au-thority for Radio and Television for translation, Dr. Saleh bin Mo-hammed bin Salim Al Khusaibi in paediatrics, Dr. Mohammed

bin Salim bin Isa Al Mashani in linguistic studies, Dr. Jamil bin Darwish bin Jamil Al Shaqsy in computer science, Dr Salam bin Salim Al Kindi in medicine, Dr. Haidar bin Ahmed bin Jaafar Al Lawati in chemistry, Ali bin Ab-dullah bin Harib Al Habsi and Fatima bint Talib bin Sulaiman Al Nabhaniyah in sports, and Dr. Khalid bin Said bin Humaid Al Ameri in economics, risk man-agement and insurance. -ONA

G C C E X C E L L E N C E

SLOW DOWNENJOY THE RIDE

ANNOUNCEMENT: The United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, makes

a statement at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday. – Reuters

A7

REGIONT U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

Yemen peace talks to begin on December 15

GENEVA/DUBAI: Yemen’s warring parties are expected to observe a humanitarian truce and start UN-sponsored peace talks in Switzerland from De-cember 15 in a bid to end months of fi ghting that have killed nearly 6,000 people, the United Nations said on Monday.

Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, UN special envoy to Yemen, said that the exiled Yemen govern-ment of President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi and Houthis were committed to the peace process laid down by the Security Coun-cil last April. Resolution 2216 called on all sides to end the

violence and avoid unilateral ac-tions that jeopardise a political transition. It demanded that the Houthis withdraw from all areas seized since the confl ict began in September last year.

“I have been strongly encour-aging the parties to work on con-fi dence-building measures in-cluding a humanitarian ceasefi re, release of prisoners and facilitat-ing the delivery of humanitarian supplies,” Ould Cheikh Ahmed told reporters in Geneva where he announced the talks. “We are hoping to have a ceasefi re starting immediately with the talks, but in order to consolidate that and to make it a lasting and long-term and fi nal ceasefi re we need to dis-cuss that,” he added.

Forces loyal to Hadi, backed by air strikes and ground forc-es from a mainly Arab coali-tion, have been locked for nine months in a civil war with the Houthis, who rule the capital Sanaa and other cities.

Previous UN-mediated ne-gotiations to end the confl ict through dialogue failed as bat-tles rage across the country and Saudi-led warplanes bomb posi-tions of the Houthi group and its Yemeni army allies. Ould Cheikh Ahmed said Hadi has given him a commitment that he is ready now to call for this ceasefi re starting the 15th of December. “But defi -

nitely the (Saudi-led) coalition is on board and the coalition will ensure all necessary support to make sure that the ceasefi re will be holding,” he added.

Earlier, an offi cial from Hadi’s government said that the UN envoy had met Hadi in Aden and Houthi offi cials with a proposed agenda for the talks. “The Hou-this have approved the agenda blueprint,” an offi cial in Hadi’s offi ce told Reuters. “Within days a humanitarian ceasefi re will be declared and steps to free pris-oners and lifting the siege on the cities would begin.”

The Houthi spokesman, in a posting on his Facebook page, confi rmed that his group had discussed “the venue and the date for the talks planned for the middle of this month”. “Ways for a ceasefi re and subsequent con-fi dence-building steps were also discussed, and we expressed our openness to conduct a respon-sible and serious dialogue,” the spokesman, Mohammed Abdul Salam, added.

“We will be ensuring that there is no vacuum of security, particularly when we know the risk we are facing today in terms of the development of terrorist groups,” he said. The talks, at a Swiss venue to be announced, would be “Yemeni-Yemeni”, the UN mediator said. — Reuters

Exiled Yemen

government and

Houthis were

committed to the

peace process

laid down by the

Security Council,

said UN envoy

Turkey defends troops

deployment in Iraq

ISTANBUL/ARBIL: Turkey said on Monday it would not withdraw hundreds of soldiers who arrived last week at a base in northern Iraq, despite being or-dered by Baghdad to pull them out within 48 hours.

The sudden arrival of such a large and heavily armed Turk-ish contingent in a camp near the frontline in northern Iraq has added yet another controversial deployment to a war against IS fi ghters that has drawn in most of the world’s major powers.

Ankara says the troops are there as part of an international mission to train and equip Iraqi forces to fi ght against IS. The Iraqi govern-ment says it never invited such a force, and will take its case to the United Nations if they are not pulled out. Washington, which is leading an international coalition against IS that includes Turkey, Arab states and European powers like Britain and France, has told Ankara and Baghdad to resolve the

standoff , and says it does not sup-port deployments in Iraq without Baghdad’s consent.

The Turkish troops’ presence is an embarrassment for Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Abadi, under strong pressure from powerful po-litical groups to kick them out.

Parties linked to militia groups have also complained about US plans to station special forces in Iraq to conduct raids and guide bombs against IS. Political pres-sure on Abadi could make those plans more diffi cult to carry out.

The troops arrived on Thursday with tanks and armoured person-nel carriers at a camp in territory held by Iraqi Kurds near the IS-held northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Ankara said they were there to help protect a training mission close to the front line. “It is our duty to provide security for our soldiers providing training there,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusog-lu said in an interview on Turkey’s Kanal 24 television. — Reuters

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

Any such strike by US-led coalition planes, which have been focusing their fi re on IS militants, would further complicate an increasingly regional confl ict now nearly fi ve years old.

Syria accuses US coalitionof hitting army camp

BEIRUT: Syria’s government said the US-led military coalition have carried out a deadly air strike on a Syrian army camp, but offi cials from the US-led alliance said the report was false.

Syria said four coalition jets killed three soldiers and wounded 13 in the eastern Deir Al Zor prov-ince on Sunday evening, calling it an act of aggression, the fi rst time it has made such an accusation.

Any such strike by US-led coa-lition planes, which have been focusing their fi re on IS militants, would further complicate an in-creasingly regional confl ict now nearly fi ve years old.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported earlier that jets likely to be from the coalition hit part of the Saeqa military camp near the town of Ayyash in Deir Al Zor province, killing four Syrian army personnel.

But Brett McGurk, US Presi-dent Barack Obama’s envoy to the coalition, said on his Twitter account: “Reports of coalition in-volvement are false.”

Colonel Steve Warren, a Bagh-dad-based spokesman for the US-led coalition, said the alliance had conducted four strikes in the Deir Al Zor province on Sunday, all against oil well heads.

“Our strikes were approxi-mately 55 kilometers (35 miles)south east of Ayyash. We did not strike any vehicles or personnel targets. We have no indication any Syrian soldiers were near our strikes,” he said.

A US defence offi cial, who de-clined to be named, dismissed the idea that the coalition would tar-get the Syrian military.

“We are not at war with the As-sad regime and have no reason to target the Syrian Army,” the offi -cial said. “We are aware that Rus-sia conducted long-range bomber strikes into Syria yesterday.”

Another US defence offi cial said Deir Al Zor was among the loca-tions Russia had targeted on Sun-day. Russian offi cials were not im-mediately available for comment.

The US-led coalition fi rst launched air strikes against IS in Syria in September 2014, after be-ginning aerial operations against the group in neighbouring Iraq the previous month. — Reuters

N A T I O N A T W A R

A8

INDIAT U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

Give free treatment to victims of acid attack: Apex courtNEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Monday directed all the states and union territories (UTs) to com-pensate, rehabilitate and provide free treatment to the survivors of acid attacks in pursuance of guide-lines issued by it earlier.

A bench of justices M. Y. Eqbal and C. Nagappan gave the direc-tion while dealing with a case of an acid attack victim from Bihar. The court asked the Bihar government to pay a compensation of Rs1 mil-lion to the victim, besides provid-ing her free treatment including reconstruction surgery.

The bench also asked the states and UTs to provide all kind of help to such victims as provided in an earlier judgement.

The present matter was brought before the apex court by Bihar-based NGO Parivartan Kendra which has sought it’s direction on rehabilitation of acid attack vic-tims, alleging that private hospi-tals were not providing free treat-ment to the victims.

Earlier, the court had come to the aid of acid attack survivors by issuing directions including an or-der to all private hospitals across the country to provide free treat-ment, including medicines and expensive reconstruction surger-

ies, to such victims. It had asked all state governments and Union Territories to “take up the matter with private hospitals” to ensure acid attack victims are attended to immediately and adequately.

Hospital certifi cateThe hospitals, where such vic-tims are rushed after the incident, would have to provide a certifi cate or document stating that the per-son was an acid attack victim and the document would enable her or him to access free treatment, in-cluding surgeries, at a later stage, it had directed.

On the banning of off -the-coun-ter acid sale across the country, it had asked all states and UTs to notify acid as a “scheduled sub-stance” to stop its unregulated sale. - PTI

S T A T E S & U N I O N T E R R I T O R I E S

SELFIE AT MASS WEDDINGBrides taking selfi e at a mass marriage ceremony in Surat, Gujarat, on Sunday. With the brides dressed in traditional red and

gold embroidered saris, 151 young couples tied the knot at the mass wedding in Gujarat. The nuptials were hosted by Mahesh

Savani, a diamond trader who has been paying for the weddings of fatherless women in Surat for several years. — PTI

Economy will grow at 7.5%, says Fitch

MUMBAI: Maintaining a stable outlook for India, ratings agency Fitch on Monday said the country’s economy will grow by 7.5 per cent in the current fi scal that will stand out globally, but warned that its business environment would re-main weak despite improvements.

It has further forecast an 8 per-cent growth in 2016-17. The agen-cy said a “BBB-” rating, the low-est in the investment grade, along with a stable outlook and a strong medium-term growth prospect and favourable external fi nances, will balance out with high govern-ment debt, weak structurals and a diffi cult, but improving, business environment.

“Translation of structural re-forms into improved indicators and higher real GDP (gross domestic product) growth depends on actual implementation. India’s sovereign ratings continue to be constrained by limited improvement in its fi scal position,” Fitch said.

It said even as the government continues to steadily roll out its structural reform agenda, like in lib-eralising the foreign equity regime, it is also facing diffi culty in garner-ing support in the upper house of parliament for big-ticket steps, like goods and services tax regime.

The agency said while India’s sovereign ratings continued to be constrained by the limited fi scal space of the government. - IANS

S T A B L E R A T I N G Sushma’s visit to Pakistan signals a thaw in relations

NEW DELHI: India’s foreign minister will travel to Pakistan this week to attend a conference on Afghan peace, the highest-ranking leader in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to cross the border in a region marked by fragile ties.

Sushma will lead India’s del-egation to the ministerial meet-ing, called the ‘Heart of Asia’, on Wednesday in Islamabad, In-dia’s Ministry of External Aff airs spokesman Vikas Swarup said in a Twitter post. She will also meet Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his adviser on Foreign Aff airs Sartaj Aziz on the side-lines, Press Trust of India report-

ed without citing where it got the information.

Swaraj’s trip, after a meeting between Modi and Sharif last month, and an unannounced in-teraction between the national se-curity advisers of the two nations in Bangkok over the weekend, sig-nals a thaw in relations between the nuclear-armed rivals. Talks between offi cials have repeatedly been cancelled in the past year amid the worst fi ghting along their disputed border in a decade.

Seasoned move“It’s a seasoned move by India to signal to the world that it is not shying away from any engage-ment with Pakistan and also is concerned about the future of Af-ghanistan,” said Ashok K. Behuria, an analyst at the New Delhi-based Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

“But the visit may not lead to any restoration of dialogue be-tween the rivals” as neither side has softened its stance, he said.

Over the weekend, national se-curity advisers and foreign sec-retaries from India and Pakistan met in Bangkok, where they dis-cussed terrorism, the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir claimed by both sides, and border issues, according to a joint state-ment released after the talks.

The momentum comes after a meeting a week earlier between Modi and Sharif on the sidelines of the Paris climate change sum-mit, the fi rst interaction since formal talks were cancelled in Au-gust. Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan too are frosty.

“The global mood about terror-ism has put Pakistan in the hot-seat to do something, so there’s now some global pressure for India and Pakistan to get on the same page,” said C. Uday Bhaskar, director at the Society for Policy Studies in New Delhi.

Attempts to restart dialogue have stalled previously because India wants to restrict any discus-sion to terrorism, while Pakistan demands an open agenda that in-cludes Kashmir. - Bloomberg News

The foreign minister

will lead India’s

delegation to the

ministerial meeting,

called the ‘Heart of

Asia’, in Islamabad

on Wednesday

NEW DELHI: NDA ally Shiv Sena and opposi-tion parties on Monday sought to corner the government inside and outside Parliament over the secret NSA-level talks in Bangkok between India and Pakistan with the Congress accusing it of making a ‘fundamental departure’ from its posi-tion on Indo-Pak ties.

The government also faced fl ak from senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, a former external aff airs minister, who questioned its strategy, saying it should explain to the country as to why they are resuming the dialogue when the ruling party has been maintaining that talks and terror cannot go on together. - PTI

Opposition, Sena assail secret talks

SET FOR TRAVEL: Sushma Swaraj’s visit comes three years after

former external aff airs minister S. M. Krishna travelled to Islamabad

in 2012 when the countries also inked a visa liberalisation pact. – PTI

HAVE YOUR SAY Send us your comments at facebook.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com [email protected]

NEW DELHI: Federal Minister Nitin Gadkari has invited inves-tors from the United States to tap the potential of seaplanes in the country, a move that will boost the tourism sector.

Promising early approvals, Road Transport and Highways Minister Gadkari said this is an era of in-novation which could change the face of the country, be it science and technology or agriculture.

“We want to encourage sea-planes. A small nation like Mal-dives has a fl eet of 47 seaplanes but India despite vast potential has none. I urge industrialists from the US to come to India in the area. Here is the potential,”, Gadkari said.

Seaplanes would boost tourism and the government will facilitate all approvals, Gadkari said ad-dressing the Global R&D Summit 2015 here, organised by FICCI.

Governments’ top priority is to develop its 1,300 islands and 218 lighthouses to attract tourists, he said adding it was committed to sustainable development through

environment-friendly policies.Asserting that Delhi’s pollution

has been catching all attention, he said “we will solve the problem of pollution due to automobile in-dustry” in two years as massive attention is being paid to improv-ing road designs, decongesting traffi c and promoting eco-friend-ly fuel like ethanol.

ExpresswayHe said the government is com-mitted to completing the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, foundation stone of which was laid by prime minister in a year’s time instead of scheduled two-and-a-half years. The 135-km Expressway at a cost Rs57.63 billion has been designed to ease traffi c from the national

capital and minimise pollution.“We are also committed to

minimise road accidents as these cause losses worth Rs550 billion per annum which is equivalent to 3 per cent of the GDP”, he said. In about 500,000 accidents an-nually, 150,000 people lose their lives in India.

The government is also pro-moting waterways and hopeful of getting Parliament nod on the Bill to convert 111 rivers into wa-terways, which is a much cheaper mode of transport, he said.

Gadkari said thrust was also on rail connectivity to ports and one such project of transporting coal to western coasts from Talcher via Paradip will result in annual savings to the tune of Rs100 bil-lion. The minister said there was also need to bring innovation in agriculture and to diversify it to energy and power.

“We are a rich nation with a poor population. Wrong econom-ic policies, bad and vision less governance and corruption are responsible for these. - PTI

R E C R E A T I O N

COMPENSATION Al the states and union

territories have been directed to compensate, rehabilitate and provide free treatment to the survivors of acid attacks

Invest in seaplanes to boost tourism, US investors urged

A10

INDIAT U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

Clean-up begins as Chennai city limps back to normal

CHENNAI: Several localities in fl ood-hit Chennai, Cuddalore, Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu were still marooned on Monday even as fl ood water re-ceded and power supply returned in parts of Chennai.

On Monday, more shops opened for business in Chennai while a massive clean-up was initiated in areas where the fl ood and rain wa-ter has receded.

In general, however, life contin-ues to be diffi cult for almost eve-ryone as they have to battle with contaminated water — including municipal supply and well and ground water —as well as slush and fi lth all around their homes.

Heavy rains which battered the four districts located close to the sea over the past month leading to

fl oods have claimed 325 lives and derailed the lives of millions.

The Meteorology offi ce has pre-dicted more heavy rains in coastal Tamil Nadu.

Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa announced Rs10,000, 10kg of rice, a sari and dhoti to those who lost their huts in the unprecedented fl oods. Those in permanent hous-es and were aff ected would get Rs5,000, 10kg of rice, a sari and dhoti. She also announced com-pensation of Rs10,000 for the loss of cows and buff aloes, Rs3,000

(for goats and hogs) and Rs100 for loss of chicken.

Special camps will be held for two weeks from December 14 to issue duplicate land title deeds, educational certifi cates, cooking gas connection, voter identity and Aadhar cards and bank passbooks as tens of thousands of residents lost their precious documents.

Bus and train servicesResumption of public transport — bus and train services — have made people’s life easier. Public transport was crippled in the city for the past fi ve full days.

While rains have stopped in Chennai, showers continued to lash parts of Tamil Nadu includ-ing Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts. In Chen-nai itself, many roads remained under water.

The army has moved 10 rescue teams and two medical teams to Cuddalore and Bhuvanagiri. The military is undertaking rescue and relief work and rendering medical aid, the defence ministry said.

Schools and colleges will open on December 9 in Chennai. Volun-tary organisations have stepped up their relief eff orts in the fl ood hit areas. Chennai airport was re-turning to normalcy after resum-ing operations on Sunday.

Presently Air India, IndiGo, Jet Airways and TrueJet have started domestic operations. Air India Express commenced internation-al fl ights. By Tuesday, most inter-national airlines will start their operations, said the civil aviation ministry. Federal Minister of Civil Aviation Ahok Gajapathi Raju met Jayalalithaa after inspecting the airport, whose runway came

under water, forcing the airport’s closure. A total of 1.38 million people are housed in 5,554 fl ood relief camps in Chennai, Cudda-lore, Thiruvallur and Kanchipu-ram districts. Offi cials say 80,120 people from the army, navy, air force, National Disaster Response Force, fi re service, Coast Guard, police and others were involved in rescue eff orts. - IANS

Life continues to be diffi cult for almost

everyone as they have to battle with

contaminated water — including municipal

supply and well and ground water —as well

as slush and fi lth all around their homes

Misuse of party funds: Sonia, Rahul told to appear in courtNEW DELHI: Delhi High Court ordered the torchbearers of the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty to appear in court over alleged misuse of party funds, in a new blow for the family that lost power to Prime Minister Naren-dra Modi last year. Sonia Gandhi, president of the opposition Con-gress party, and her son, Rahul, face accusations they used $13.5 million of party funds to pay debts accrued by a newspaper business. Plaintiff s say the transaction ben-efi ted a not-for-profi t company they own. The Gandhis deny any wrongdoing.

A spokesman for their Con-gress party, Abhishek Manu Sin-ghvi, who is also a lawyer repre-senting the Gandhis, said they would challenge the order legally, a move that will likely take the case to the Supreme Court.

Rahul Gandhi is the great-grandson of India’s fi rst prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Members of the family have led India for most of its post-inde-

pendence era since 1947.Since taking offi ce in 2014,

Modi’s government has moved to diminish the power of the dynas-ty, which it accuses of stunting development. The case against the family was brought by Subra-manian Swamy, an activist lawyer who is a vocal member of Modi’s ruling party.

The mother-son duo will need to appear in a district court in the

capital on Tuesday, Swamy told reporters. A lower court fi rst sum-moned the Gandhis in June last year. The Delhi High Court reject-ed their plea to exempt them from a personal appearance, another of their lawyers said.

Sonia last year accused the Modi-led government of a ‘politi-cal witch hunt’ after tax authorities started investigating her party in relation with the same case. - Agencies

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

Handbook on sexual harassment at workplaces NEW DELHI: A handbook providing user-friendly information about sexual harassment of women at workplaces was released by Women and Child Develop-ment Ministry on Monday, even as it struggles to ensure compliance of the law in corporate. However, the compliance of the law still remains a challenge for ministry as it has failed to get encouraging response even from its own departments.

Bill changing law on bounced cheques passed NEW DELHI: Bringing relief to scores of Indians ag-grieved by bounced cheques, a bill permitting the fi ling of cases at the place where a cheque is presented for clearance and not the place of issue was approved by parliament with the Rajya Sabha giving its nod on Monday.

Rising water level at Mullaperiyar dam alarms KeralaIDUKKI: Water level at the Mullaperiyar dam on Mon-day reached 141.7 feet, barely inches short of the level of 142 feet allowed by the Su-preme Court, offi cials said. According to the May 2014 directive of the Supreme Court, the Tamil Nadu government is allowed to increase the water level only up to 142 feet, offi cials added. Following heavy rains in and around the dam site, Tamil Nadu has increased its off take by three times.

Man commits suicide in police lock-up SHAJAPUR: A 34-year-old man, accused in an abetment of suicide case, allegedly hanged himself to death to-day in police custody at Kala-pipal Police Station, nearly 85 km from here. Sunil Lodhi of Dhabla Dheer village, was this morning found hanging from an end of a ventilator inside the lock up, Additional SP Mahendra Tarnekar said. He used his shirt to hang himself, Tarnekar said, adding that Sunil took the extreme step probably late last night. - Agencies

B R I E F S

SCRAMBLING FOR RELIEF MATERIALS: Residents seeking relief materials from volunteers at Kot-

turpuram, one of the worst fl ood-hit localities in Chennai, on Monday. – PTI

CHENNAI: Days after DMK chief Karunanidhi criticised her over fl ood assistance, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Monday announced a comprehensive relief package for the fl ood-hit, including 10,000 houses.

“Immediately, 10,000 tenements will be allotted in Chennai,” she said. On De-cember 5, DMK chief Karu-nanidhi had said Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy visited fl ood victims and off ered comprehensive relief measures including Rs4,000 each for ration card holders.

“Has an announcement like that been made so far in Tamil Nadu?”, he had asked.Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said that the relief assistance will be deposited in bank accounts of benefi -ciaries and aid-in-kind like rice, dhoti and saree will be distributed through Public Distribution System outlets, she said.

Jayalalithaa stated that she has ordered an enu-meration of aff ected families immediately, and that the aid will be disbursed in a few days after completing the listing. “I have ordered building necessary houses for those who have lost their huts. For all those who have lost their huts, safe (pucca)

houses will be provided,” she said. For those living along the banks of Adyar, Cooum Rivers and Buckingham Canal, who lost their houses, the chief minister said, “I have ordered immediate al-location of 10,000 tenements built by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board in Okkiyam Thuraipakkam and Perumbakkam.”

Meanwhile, government will issue fresh passports free of cost to those people in Chennai whose travel document was either lost or damaged in the devastating fl oods in the city.

The External Aff airs Min-istry, which issues passport, has made arrangements for re-issue of the document in three Passport Seva Kendras (PSKs) in Chennai. - PTI

Tamil Nadu announces 10,000 houses; ministry to give passports free of cost


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

J. Jayalalithaa

SETBACK: Sonia Gandhi and her son, Rahul Gandhi, face accusa-

tions they used $13.5 million of party funds to pay debts accrued

by a newspaper business. – File photo

A11

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Ex-minister tells judge he was tortured in custody

KARACHI: Former federal petro-leum minister Dr Asim Hussain on Monday denied all allegations lev-elled against him as he spoke for the fi rst time in his defence.

Denying the charges of terror-ism and corruption, Dr Asim said, “I have been tortured severely in custody. During my detention, I was taken away to my own hospital handcuff ed.”

He further said that he suff ers multiple health problems.

“I have been falsely implicated in the case. The fi rst information report (FIR) has been made up just to harass me,” an emotional Hus-sain added. The close confi dante of former president Asif Ali Zard-ari upheld, “There are somemala fi de intentions in which I have been victimised.”

The former minister also voiced concerns that he feared for his life. “When I was under detention, some unidentifi ed persons came and asked my captors that I should be handed over to them and then I will start speaking like a parrot.”

After hearing Dr Asim’s side, the judge hearing the case extended his remand by fi ve days.

Last week, Ziauddin hospital’s deputy managing director Dr Yousuf Sattar confessed that ‘po-litical rebels’ were given refuge at the hospital on Dr Asim’s orders. “Some political rebels were also given a hideout in the hospital,” Zi-auddin’s deputy managing director said before a central district judi-cial magistrate in Karachi.

Dr Yousuf Sattar alleged that on instructions of Dr Asim, a close confi dante of PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, several ‘po-litical’ militants were treated at discounted rates.

“Some MQM leaders used to call me in order to infl uence me to pro-vide medical assistance to terror-ists injured in clashes with rivals and law enforcers,” he added.

Dr Asim was taken into custody on August 26. - Express Tribune

L E G A L I S S U E Unrealistic tax target and inefficient tax machinery

ISLAMABAD: Ruling class in Pakistan seems a staunch fol-lower of the Renaissance period politician and diplomat, Niccolo Machiavelli, who promoted deceit in statecraft to achieve objectives. The incumbent government is us-ing the same deceitful tactics.

The latest example of the Machiavellian politics is the gov-ernment’s move to impose Rs40 billion additional taxes on what it calls ‘luxury goods’. An unreal-istic tax target, coupled with an ineffi cient tax machinery, has led to a situation where a shortfall of Rs40 billion emerged against the July-September tax target of Rs640 billion.

In order to keep the $6.2-billion programme on track, the Inter-national Monetary Fund (IMF) had asked the government to in-troduce a mini budget, leaving the choice of goods and taxes on the government.

MisguidedA closer look at the list of items that saw an increase in regulatory duty rates shows that more than 95 per cent of these goods are not luxury, but essential items. The 350 items that the government termed luxury goods include bras-

sieres, infant diapers, skirts and all types of imported food items.

Many of these items are import-ed because these are cheaper than locally produced goods amid the rising cost of doing business.

Luxury fruitsAre apples imported from China, New Zealand and Iran as off -season luxury fruits? Are cheap brassieres and children garments imported from Thailand and China luxury items for a middle class family that often fi nds them cheaper than locally manufac-tured clothes? Can pomegranates, strawberries nuts; peaches; plums; lichis; raisins and mixtures of nuts or dried fruits be labeled luxury?

In fact, a government that was afraid of going to the Parliament to impose new taxes without intro-ducing a new Bill chose an easier path of raising revenues through

Statutory Regulatory Orders and burdening the middle class more than the affl uent.

Where is money going?Since coming into power in 2013, the incumbent government has levied more than Rs920 billion in additional taxes — a fi gure that has no precedent in the coun-try’s history.

In comparison, the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) tax collection increased by Rs632 billion to Rs2.588 trillion by the end of June 2015. The collection may increase roughly to Rs3 tril-lion against this year’s target of Rs3.104 trillion by the end of the current fi scal year.

This leaves us with the ques-tion: where is the Rs430 billion that should have been collected due to nominal growth but is not collected. This is also the gap be-

tween the tax targets of the pre-vious two years and the actual collection. How much of this has gone in the pockets of FBR offi -cials and politicians?

Before seeking appreciation for increasing tax revenues from Rs1.956 trillion in June 2013 to Rs2.588 trillion by June 2015, the government should fi rst answer this question.

Alternate pathsA recent fact sheet on the mini-budget by the Institute for Policy Reforms (IPR), an independent think tank, sheds some light on adverse implications of the addi-tional taxes and the possible alter-nate avenues the government had.

“The government is engaged in somewhat contrary moves. While the maximum import duty has been reduced from 30 per cent to 20 per cent in the last budget,

other regulatory duties are being imposed”, wrote Dr Hafi z Pasha, a former fi nance minister, in his IPR fact sheet.

The IPR noted that the govern-ment had alternate options – cut non-essential expenditures and increase income tax on those who are making windfall gains.

Dr Pasha wrote that the govern-ment could have increased super income tax rate on banks from 4 per cent to 6 per cent and could have levied 1 per cent additional tax on those who earn incomes between Rs250 million and Rs500 million.

Mini-budget detailsThrough the mini-budget, the gov-ernment also increased the rate of minimum custom duties from 2 per cent to 3 per cent. Almost half of imports are covered by this duty. This includes the import of basic food items like pulses, toma-toes, onions and other vegetables, which is indeed oppressive taxa-tion on the poor.

After the mini-budget, the im-port duty on furnace oil has been increased to 8% and on High Speed Diesel (HSD) oil to 11 per cent. The HSD is also subject to 45.5 per cent sales tax. Is HSD is a luxury item?

The IPR said that after levy of additional regulatory duty on so-called `luxury items` most of these items are likely to be smuggled, with such high rates of duty. Some import contraction is possible, but with the prospect of hardly any additional revenues for the FBR.

Instead of making life miserable for the middle and lower income groups and following footsteps of Machiavelli, the government should work on broadening the in-come tax base. – Express Tribune

The latest example

of the Machiavellian

politics is the

government’s move

to impose Rs40

billion additional

taxes on what it

calls ‘luxury goods’

Ghani to attend ‘Heart of Asia’ meet in IslamabadKABUL: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani confi rmed on Mon-day that he would travel to Paki-stan for a regional conference on Afghanistan, in a sign of fresh ef-forts to reduce tension between the two neighbouring countries.

The Heart of Asia conference in Islamabad, previously held in Turkey, Kazakhstan and China, is seen as a chance to lay the ba-sis for a resumption of an Afghan peace process broken off in July, although Afghan offi cials caution that obstacles remain.

“This is not Pakistan’s confer-ence, this is Afghanistan’s confer-ence,” Ghani, who had not previ-ously confi rmed his attendance, told reporters at a news confer-ence in Kabul.

Referring to recent reports that Afghan Taleban leader Mul-lah Akhtar Mansour had died in a gunfi ght with other Taleban com-manders, a development likely to further complicate any fresh peace talks, Ghani said there was no evi-dence to prove he had been killed.

Under pressure from his ally the United States, Ghani has stepped up eff orts to improve re-lations with Pakistan, although they received a setback when peace talks with the Taleban, facilitated by Pakistan, broke down in July.

“Peace must be made between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The relations of two states are not re-lations between two youngsters — to be friends for an hour and then don’t talk to each the next hour,” Ghani said.

Speaking in Kabul on Sunday, newly appointed United States Special Representative for Af-ghanistan and Pakistan Richard Olson, urged the two countries to work together. “We appreciate the outreach that President Gha-ni has undertaken since becom-ing president to improve relations

with Pakistan,” he said.“We have always encouraged

the best possible relations be-tween Pakistan and Afghani-stan, especially in the context of an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led reconciliation process.” Afghan offi cials suspect Pakistan sees the Taleban as a tool for keeping Afghanistan in turmoil and pre-venting India from consolidating a presence there.

Pakistan, battling home-grown rebels, denies backing the Tale-ban and says it wants to see a sta-ble Afghanistan. - Reuters

C O N F E R E N C E

SHORTFALL: In order to keep the $6.2-billion programme on track, the International Monetary Fund

(IMF) had asked the government to introduce a mini budget, leaving the choice of goods and taxes

on the government. – Bloomberg News

HAVE YOUR SAY Send us your comments at facebook.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com [email protected]

Peace must be made between Afghanistan and

Pakistan. The relations of two states are not relations

between two youngsters — to be friends for an hour

and then don’t talk to each the next hour

Ashraf GhaniPresident, Afghanistan

FOR PEACE TALKS: Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani at a news conference in Kabul on Monday. – Reuters

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Michael R. Bloomberg

The two-week United Nations conference on climate change is halfway over, and no matter what else happens, it has already

been a clear-cut success in two critical areas. As important as a global accord is, the most infl uen-tial actors on climate change have been cities and businesses, and leaders in both groups made it clear that they will not wait for an agreement that, if it comes together, won’t even take full eff ect until 2020. Mayors and offi cials representing more than 500 cities organized and attended their own sum-mit in Paris (which Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and I co-hosted).

It was the fi rst time local leaders had ever gath-ered in such numbers during a UN climate- change conference. They came not only to ensure that their voices were heard by heads of state, but also to express their determination to act on their own, and to learn from one another and share best prac-tices. Cities account for about 70 per cent of global greenhouse-gas emissions, and while some heads of state have been arguing over which countries should do more, cities recognize that reducing their emissions is in their own best interest.

After all, when cities cut their emissions, they help their residents live longer, healthier lives. When they improve the energy effi ciency of their buildings, they save their taxpayers money. When they invest in modern low-carbon infrastructure, they raise their residents’ standard of living. Taken together, these actions make cities more attrac-tive to businesses and investors. Even if climate change were not a concern, reducing emissions would be smart policy. City leaders rarely need to be convinced of the benefi ts of climate-related ac-tions, and in Paris, they committed to doing more. By Saturday, more than 400 cities had signed the Compact of Mayors, which requires them to set bold climate goals, adopt a common measurement system for emissions, and publicly report their progress. If so many cities can agree to these three actions, why not nations?

The Compact of Mayors is the best insurance we have against backsliding by central govern-ments, and it’s the best hope we have — along with technological innovation — for accelerating the pace of change in every region of the world over the next fi ve years. The private sector will drive technological innovation, but the pace of change is

being artifi cially slowed by a market failure: the in-ability of investors to accurately value companies that carry climate-related risks. That will soon start to change. On Friday in Paris, Mark Carney, chairman of the Group of 20’s Financial Stability Board, announced the creation of the Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures (which I agreed to serve on as chairman). Carney is creating this industry-led task force, which will build on the work of other organizations in this fi eld, to bring transparency to the opaque risks that climate change presents to markets around the world.

Sea-level rise, storms, droughts — they all have harmful eff ects on business: delaying shipping, disrupting supply lines and damaging facilities. Yet, investors are often fl ying blind when it comes to these and other climate-related risks.

The market cannot accurately value companies, and investors cannot effi ciently allocate capital, without reliable data on the risks they face. Fur-thermore, as the world transitions to a low-carbon economy, structural shifts in carbon-heavy indus-tries will occur that will aff ect their growth and employment. Investors ought to have reliable in-formation about which, and to what extent, com-panies are exposed to those shifts. That requires common measuring and reporting systems, which the new task force will work to create.

To be clear: Disclosure will be voluntary, and the task force will not seek to change laws about what must be disclosed by companies. Our aim will be to make disclosure easier, more complete and more useful to companies and investors. We ex-pect strong participation from the fi nancial sector, because the true benefi ciaries of this information will be fi nancial fi rms and investors. The better data they have, the better chance we have of miti-gating market volatility and instability that arises from climate change and the policy responses to it.

The work that cities and businesses are doing will play a central role in the fi ght against climate change. In fact, even though any global agreement may not hold the planet’s temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius, the events of the fi rst week have the potential to narrow the gap between what na-tions are willing to do and what scientists tell us is necessary to avert to the most harmful eff ects of climate change. Cities and businesses can achieve reductions that go well beyond the pledges made by nations, and that will put the future of the planet — and markets — on fi rmer footing. - Bloomberg View

AAP government in Delhi is taking the right initiatives to curb the menace of pollutionThe Delhi government’s recent initiative to reduce pollution is commendable and should be followed by other states as well. The

move, as per which, vehicles bearing odd and even registration numbers will be allowed to ply on alternate days is a very wise decision. This scheme has worked very successfully in Beijing and Singa-pore and there is no reason why it cannot work in Delhi. People in Delhi should use more of public transport and metros to commute for work. The Supreme Court has rightly stated that pollution levels in the city have reached alarming propor-tion and it was akin to living in a gas chamber. The residents of Delhi will be in danger of respiratory diseases if this trend continues unchecked. The Swachh Bharat and Swachh Delhi campaigns of the government can succeed only if people participate wholeheartedly and encour-age the initiative. Making it mandatory for vehicles to have Euro VI emission norms

from 2017 as against Centre’s plan to make it mandatory from 2019, and shutting down of a thermal power plant is a step in the right direction by the Delhi government. I hope the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi succeeds in their goal of making the life of the aam aadmi (common man) pollution free. — Vivek Pai, Wadi Kabir

T I M E S O F O M A NT U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5A12

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Khamis leaves for SwitzerlandMUSCAT: Dr Khamis bin Mubarak Al Alawi, minister of regional municipalities and environment, left here yesterday for Switzerland, at the head of the Sultanate’s delegation to attend the fi fth meeting of Basil Agreement’s member coun-tries conference on controlling transportation of hazardous waste and the disposal across the borders which is being held there from December 6 – 10. The Sultanate joined the 160-member states Basil Agreement on December 7, 1994 by Royal Decree No. 119/94.

1948: The UN approves the recognition of South Korea.

1980: John Lennon is shot to death outside his Manhattan apartment building.

1987: The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty signed.

2010: The Japanese solar-sail spacecraft IKAROS passes the planet Venus.

M O S T R E A DTIMESOFOMAN.COM

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M O S T S H A R E DFACEBOOK.COM/TIMESOFOMAN

The International Monetary Fund’s decision to designate the

Chinese renminbi, commonly known as the yuan, as a global

reserve currency will, over time, encourage the country’s

leadership to make the currency more tradable.

bit.ly/yuanglobalreserve

NOAH FELDMAN

Finally our national carrier is to be sold off . Earlier this week, the president promulgated the

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Corporation Conversion Ordinance, paving way for the

privatisation of the national fl ag carrier.

bit.ly/privatisationpia

KAMAL SIDDIQI

The failure of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to reach any meaningful agreement

at their meeting in Vienna on Friday confi rmed that the historic

storm besetting the oil market has markedly reduced this once-

powerful group’s eff ectiveness and infl uence.

bit.ly/opecoilpricemeet

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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

The Times TV team were at the Winter Wonderland held at The Wave Muscat which saw children and parents enjoy the snow themed event.

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WORLDT U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

ALLAYING FEARS: President Barack Obama speaks about counter-terrorism and the USA’s fi ght against IS, during an address from the Oval Offi ce of the White House in Washington, on Sunday. – Reuters

We also need to make it harder for people to buy powerful assault weapons like the ones that were used in San Bernardino. What we can do - and must do - is make it harder for them to kill.

Barack Obama, US President

Obama vows to defeat ‘terror threat’

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Sunday laid out the most sweeping defence yet of his strategy to defeat IS, but he of-fered no US policy shift to confront what he called a “new phase” in the terrorist threat after a mass shoot-ing in California.

In a rare Oval Offi ce address, Obama sought to calm a US public increasingly jittery about the fi ght against militancy that once ap-peared to be waged overseas.

His remarks failed to quiet Re-publican critics who have long accused him of underestimat-ing the militants’ strength and staying power.

Speaking in a measured tone, Obama used his 14-minute nation-ally televised appearance to draw a careful line about what he would and would not do. He pledged, for example, to “hunt down terrorist plotters” anywhere they are. But he insisted: “We should not be drawn once more into a long and costly ground war in Iraq or Syria.”

Obama spoke just four days after US-born Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and his Pakistani wife, Tashfeen Malik, 29, opened fi re on a holi-day party for civil servants in San Bernardino, California, killing 14 people. The pair were killed hours later in a shootout with police.

Obama condemned the attack as “an act of terrorism designed to kill innocent people.” But he also said San Bernardino showed that “the terrorist threat has evolved into a new phase” as IS used the Internet to “poison the minds” of potential assailants.

ConnectionObama also made a connection between national security and the need for gun control following America’s latest mass shooting.

The FBI is investigating the par-amilitary-style attack in California

as inspired by IS, which controls swaths of Syria and Iraq and has shown an expanded reach beyond its Middle East strongholds, in-cluding complicity in the Novem-ber 13 assaults in Paris that killed 130 people.

But Obama, whose restraint contrasted sharply with French President Francois Hollande’s impassioned words after the Paris attacks when he vowed a “merci-less” response, said there was no evidence the California assault was directed by a militant group

overseas or part of a broader con-spiracy at home.

Nevertheless, Obama sought to show his administration was on top of the crisis, despite new questions raised about the coun-try’s defences against home-grown extremism.

Real threat“The threat from terrorism is real but we will overcome it,” Obama said.

Obama’s Republican critics, including the party’s presidential

candidates, quickly panned his speech, just the third he has deliv-ered from the Oval Offi ce since he took offi ce in January 2009.

Delivering his speech from a lectern, Obama called on Silicon Valley to help address the threat of militant groups using social media and electronic communications to plan and promote violence, setting up renewed debate over personal privacy online.

Obama also seized the oppor-tunity to make the case again for US gun control, something he has

done to little avail because of stiff Republican resistance, following numerous shooting sprees during his presidency.

“We also need to make it harder for people to buy powerful assault weapons like the ones that were used in San Bernardino,” Obama said. “What we can do - and must do - is make it harder for them to kill.” A senior administration offi -cial said Obama had no immediate plans to visit San Bernardino.

At the same time, Obama cau-tioned against overreaction to the

militant threat at home. “We can-not turn against each other by let-ting this fi ght be defi ned as a war,” he said, alluding to the incendiary rhetoric by Republican presiden-tial candidates like Donald Trump.

Shooting spreeGiven that the California couple were not on the US national se-curity radar before they launched their shooting spree on Wednes-day, Obama faced the challenge of convincing the US public he is doing everything possible to deal with an evolving militant threat.

There was mounting evidence that the pair were “lone wolf” as-sailants who may have become radicalised by IS propaganda and then acted independently, making it all the more diffi cult for authori-ties to track them.

Last week’s massacre, if proven to be linked to or motivated by foreign militancy, would be the deadliest such incident on US soil on Obama’s watch and since the September 11, 2001, hijacked plane attacks on New York and Washington.

Obama’s address came amid growing pressure from Republi-cans and even some Democrats for a tougher response to IS now that the San Bernardino shoot-ings have raised fears among Americans about the threat of more attacks at home.

Combat operationsObama’s last speech in the Oval Offi ce, a symbol of presidential power, was in August 2010, when he hailed the end of US combat op-erations in Iraq, a milestone in his campaign promise to extract the United States from the war there.

His policy was upended, how-ever, with the meteoric rise of IS.

Since late last year, Obama has deployed about 3,500 US troops back to Iraq on a train-and-ad-vise mission. The Pentagon an-nounced last week it was sending scores more in a special opera-tions expeditionary force against IS. Critics are calling for more ag-gressive action.

Among the few specifi c requests in his speech was for Congress to pass legislation that would block individuals who are on the government no-fl y list from purchasing guns.

That would not have stopped the California couple, however, since they were not on any government terrorism watch list. — Reuters

In a rare Oval Offi ce

address, US President

Barack Obama

pledged to ‘hunt down

terrorist plotters’

anywhere they are

and defeat a ‘new

phase’ in the

terrorist threat

WASHINGTON: Republican presidential candidates roundly criticised President Barack Obama’s on Sunday night ad-dress to the nation about the US response to the threat of terror, arguing that he lacked a vision and was not aggressive enough.

Republicans have become increasingly critical of the president’s handling of IS or ISIS, arguing that his foreign policy has failed to address the risk from the militant group.

Republicans are also hopeful that by shifting the election dis-cussion toward foreign policy and national security, voters will be more inclined to support their party. Historically, elec-tions that focused on foreign policy and national security boded better for Republicans.

In a rare speech from the Oval Offi ce, Obama warned Americans the terrorist threat to the United States had evolved into a dangerous “new phase” in the aftermath of a deadly California shooting rampage, but vowed to destroy IS and other militant groups.

Abandon“President Obama has fi nally been forced to abandon the po-litical fantasy he has perpetu-ated for years that the threat of terrorism was receding,” for-mer Florida Governor Jeb Bush said in a statement. “We need to remove the self-imposed constraints President Obama has placed on our intelligence community and military, and we need to put in place an ag-gressive strategy to defeat ISIS and radical terrorism as I have proposed.”

After the speech, Republican

hopeful Donald Trump tweeted, “Is that all there is? We need a new President - FAST!”

Senator Marco Rubio of Florida criticised Obama for saying that Americans should not fall into a trap of dis-criminating. “Where is there widespread evidence that we have a problem in America with discrimination?” Rubio said on Fox News after the speech. “I think not only did the president not make things better tonight,

I fear he may have made things worse in the minds of many Americans.”

Republicans also condemned Obama’s call for stricter gun laws after last week’s shooting rampage.

“Let me be clear: disarm-ing more law-abiding citizens will not stop mass murderers and terrorists,” Senator Rand Paul, who is also running for president, said. “We should be advocating for more concealed-

carry ability for law-abiding Americans and an end to un-constitutional gun-free zones.”

David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, said the speech is not likely to silence Obama’s Republican critics.

“I think Democrats are going to be pleased,” Yepsen said. “He’s not going to go far enough to quiet the critics. This was no ‘day of infamy’ speech.” — Reuters

‘Is that all there is? We need a new President - FAST!’SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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CHIDING FOR REMARKS: US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Spencer, Iowa.

After US President Barack Obama’s speech, Trump tweeted, ‘Is that all there is? We need a new

President - FAST!’. – Reuters

A14

GLOBAL EYET U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

MALAYSIA: A diver dressed as Father Christmas with a Santa

hat feeds a turtle at an aquarium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on

Monday. – Reuters

CHINA: A man holds an umbrella to shield against snowfall as he

rows a boat on the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province,

China. – Reuters

LEBANON: A group of recyclable garbage collectors push their cart

past a pile of garbage burning on the side of a street on Monday in

Beirut, capital of Lebanon. – AFP

FRENCH POLYNESIA: Racers compete in the 45km standing paddle race in Papeete, as part of the 15th annual edition of the Bora Bora Ironmana Liquid Festival, at a small South Pacifi c island northwest of

Tahiti in French Polynesia. The best Polynesian and international athletes, coming from Australia to the United States and France, compete in the spirit of the Waterman and aim to prove themselves in the

lagon of Bora Bora in the fi ve stages. – AFP

GREECE: A youth throws a Molotov cocktail towards Greek riot police during clashes in Athens, Greece,

on Sunday. – AFP

INDONESIA: Teams from Italy, left, and France compete during the men’s open World Rafting Champi-

onship in the Citarik river in Sukabumi, western Java island, Indonesia on Monday. – AFP

ITALY: Lava fl ows from the Mount Etna volcano on the southern Italian island of Sicily, near Catania,

late Sunday. – AFP


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

A15


LONDON: A man appeared in court in London on Monday af-ter being charged by counter-terrorism offi cers with attempted murder in what British Prime Minister David Cameron said was a “hideous attack” at an under-ground station in the British capi-tal last weekend.

Wearing a grey T-shirt and grey track suit bottoms, Muhaydin

Mire, 29, of east London spoke only to confi rm his name, age and address at Westminster Magis-trates’ Court.

A 56-year-old unnamed man suff ered serious but not life-threatening injuries in the alleged knife attack at Leytonstone un-derground station, about six miles (10 km) east of central London, while a second person suff ered minor injuries.

Last week, British war planes joined air strikes for the fi rst time against IS in Syria.

After the attacks claimed by IS

militants in Paris on November 13 which killed 130 people, police in London said they had boosted the number of armed offi cers able to respond to any incidents.

Prosecutor David Cawthorne said the Leytonstone attack oc-curred on Saturday evening as the victim walked through the station.

“It was a violent, sustained and unprovoked attack during which the victim was punched, knocked to the ground and repeatedly kicked on the ground,” he said.

The victim suff ered a 12-cm (5-inch) wound to his neck and was

in surgery for fi ve hours, he said.Muhaydin Mire was remanded

in custody to appear at London’s central criminal court, the Old Bailey, on Friday.

“It’s obviously a hideous attack and we’ve all seen pictures about and read about it,” Cameron told reporters in Burton-on-Trent in central England where he was giv-ing a speech.

“First of all, full credit to the person and people who took on this attacker, and full credit to the very brave police offi cers who managed to subdue him.”

Footage of the aftermath of the incident has been published on social media and the phrase “You ain’t no Muslim bruv”, which was shouted by one onlooker at the scene, has been widely repeated.

“Let me also pay credit to the person — you can’t quite see who it is - from the fi lm who made that brilliant statement about ‘You

ain’t no Muslim,’” Cameron said.Britain is on its second-highest

security alert level of “severe”, meaning a militant attack is con-sidered highly likely, though not imminent, mainly because of the threat posed by IS militants in Syria and Iraq.

The authorities say British se-curity forces have thwarted seven militant plots in the past year.

Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock from the British Trans-port Police said the number of fi rearms teams had doubled in the last year and since Saturday they had boosted the number of offi c-ers and patrols across the London underground network.

Four British extremists killed 52 people in suicide bombings on the capital’s transport network in July 2005, and the last militant at-tack occurred in May 2013 when two converts hacked a soldier to death in east London. - Reuters

Accused in London station attack remanded in custodyWearing a grey

T-shirt and grey

track suit bottoms,

Muhaydin Mire,

29, of east London

spoke only to

confi rm his name,

age and address

at Westminster

Magistrates’ Court

French parties scramble to halt rise of far-right National Front

PARIS: France’s mainstream political parties were scrambling for a way to stop the rise of the far-right National Front (FN) on Monday after it emerged with an historic fi rst-round lead in re-gional elections.

Boosted by fears over the IS attacks that killed 130 people in Paris on November 13, by re-cord unemployment and worries about immigration, Marine Le Pen’s party secured 27.7 per cent of the vote nationally. It came fi rst in six of 13 regions in Sun-day’s vote, the best showing in the history of the anti-Europe, anti-immigration party.

Riding a wave of mounting eu-roscepticism and anti-immigrant feeling across Europe which has brought far-right parties to prominence, the breakthrough bolsters Le Pen’s position as a serious contender for the 2017 presidential election.

It also exposed fault lines within both the country’s main traditional political groupings over the right tactics to confront the National Front in the deci-sive second round of the regional elections next Sunday.

Le Pen is not assured of winning in any regions in the fi nal round.

To try to make sure she does not, France’s ruling Socialist Party decided to pull its candi-dates out of three regions where it came third, telling supporters there to back Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative Republicans.

But many in President Fran-cois Hollande’s party are unhap-py about giving up all regional representation across swathes of the country, and on Monday, Jean-Pierre Masseret, who leads the Socialists in the eastern re-gion, resisted calls from his party chief to pull out.

“We are standing fast. We think the best way to oppose the National Front is by taking our seats in the regional assem-bly. That is where we can best push back the National Front, by being the opposition,” he said on BFMTV.

Sarkozy has ruled out a simi-lar tactic by his own party, and a meeting on Monday validated that position, but some of his al-lies believe he should copy the Socialists’ strategy. - Reuters

R E G I O N A L E L E C T I O N S

BRIEFING: Local resident Harry MacFarlane speaks to reporters

outside the Muhaydin Mire’s address in Leytonstone, east London,

on Monday. -Reuters

Crime-fi ghting

mayor emerges

favourite to

succeed Aquino

MANILA: A tough-talking, sev-en-term mayor, who has built a reputation for fi ghting crime in the insurgency-plagued southern Philippines, has become favour-ite to succeed President Benigno Aquino in May elections, an opin-ion poll showed on Monday.

Rodrigo Duterte, 70, mayor of Davao City, was the top-rated contender for 38 per cent of 1,200 respondents, the Social Weather Stations poll said.

Senator Grace Poe, who topped surveys in June and September, slid down to second spot with 21 per cent in a tie with Vice Presi-dent Jejomar Binay, who led opin-ion polls early this year.

Poe had 26 per cent support in September and Binay had 24 per cent. Poe last week was barred for running because she fails to meet the 10-year residency requirement but she is hopeful that decision will be reversed on appeal.

The elections will be closely watched by investors, who fear the political succession in one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies could derail gains made during Aquino’s rule. Under Aquino, the Philippines has seen annual eco-nomic growth of more than six per cent on average, its best fi ve-year record in four decades. - Reuters

P H I L I P P I N E S

SPELLING OUT: Jean-Pierre Masseret, president of the regional

council of Lorraine and Socialist Party (PS), top candidate for

the French regional elections in Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-

Lorraine region, at a press conference a day after the vote’s fi rst

round on Monday in Metz, eastern France. - AFP

UN launches $20.1b aid appeal for 2016GENEVA: The United Nations launched a record humanitar-ian appeal on Monday, asking for $20.1 billion to help 87 million people in 37 national and region-al crises in 2016.

“The overall picture is bleak,” UN humanitarian chief Stephen

O’Brien told a news conference in Geneva. “Of course it is a lot of money but if you compare with military expenditure or bailouts of the fi nancial system it’s per-fectly aff ordable,” said the UN High Commissioner for Refu-gees, Antonio Guterres. -Reuters

H U M A N I T A R I A N A P P E A L

It’s obviously a hideous attack and we’ve all seen pictures about and read about it

David Cameron, British prime minister

A16


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Venezuela opposition wins pollsCARACAS: Ecstatic opposition leaders vowed on Monday to use their new majority in Venezuela’s legislature to free jailed opponents of the Socialist government but also said they would not move to dismantle popular welfare policies.

The opposition Democratic Unity coalition won more than twice the number of National As-sembly seats as the Socialists in elections on Sunday that punished President Nicolas Maduro’s gov-ernment for the country’s deep economic and social crisis.

It was the fi rst time in 16 years the “Chavismo” movement, named for former socialist President Hugo Chavez, lost its majority in

the 167-member assembly, and gives the opposition a platform to further erode Maduro’s power in the OPEC nation. The 53-year-old president, who was handpicked by Chavez but lacks his charisma and political guile, quickly accepted defeat in a speech to the nation that calmed fears of violence.

Aware that victory owed more to public discontent with Ma-duro than love for the opposition, coalition head Jesus Torrealba urged Venezuelans to bury their diff erences.

“We have been divided for years and the country has won nothing with this historic mistake ... The Democratic Unity is not here to

mistreat anyone,” Torrealba, who was mocked by Maduro as an “evil Shrek” during the campaign, told supporters in a victory speech in the early hours of Monday. Reit-erating that an Amnesty Law will be the opposition’s priority when the new assembly begins work on

Jan. 5, Torrealba promised to re-turn the rights of “those who have been unjustly persecuted, jailed, blocked from politics or exiled”.

Venezuela’s best-known jailed politician is Leopoldo Lopez, sen-tenced to nearly 14 years on charg-es of promoting political violence

in 2014 that killed 43 people. But the opposition has a list of what it says are more than 70 other politi-cal prisoners.

Torrealba also reassured de-spondent government support-ers the coalition would not try to dismantle welfare programs that were wildly popular dur-ing Chavez’s 1999-2013 rule and which Maduro repeatedly warned they want to end. With 99 seats to the Socialists’ 46 in counting so far - and results not yet in for the remaining 22 seats - the opposi-tion looks certain to reach a three-fi fths majority, meaning they could in theory have ministers fi red after a censure vote. — Reuters

It was the fi rst

time in 16 years

that the ‘Chavismo’

movement, named

for former socialist

President Hugo

Chavez, lost

its majority

Ban Ki-moon urges strong climate deal

PARIS: Warning that the “clock is ticking toward climate catas-trophe”, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged govern-ments on Monday to agree a strong deal to limit global warming and transform the economy to greener energy.

“Outside these negotiating halls, there is a rising global tide of support for a strong, univer-sal agreement,” Ban told envi-ronment and foreign ministers at the start of an intense home stretch of the talks, due to end on Friday.

He urged delegates from al-most 200 nations not to duck the hard choices they face as four years of often glacial-paced negotiations peak. The talks are aimed at producing the strong-est agreement yet to bind both rich and poor to curb green-house gas emissions.

“The world is expecting more from you than half-measures and incremental approaches,” Ban told the negotiators, call-ing for “a transformative agree-ment.” — Reuters

P A R I S S U M M I T

Beijing issues fi rst ever‘red alert’ on air pollution

BEIJING: China’s capital on Monday issued its fi rst ever “red alert” for pollution, as the city government warned that Beijing would be shrouded in heavy smog from Tuesday until Thursday.

China’s leadership has vowed to crack down on environmen-tal degradation, including the air pollution that blankets many major cities, following decades of unbridled economic growth.

The move comes as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned a Paris summit of nearly 200 nations against a “climate catastrophe”, urging governments to reach a strong deal to limit global warming.

In an online statement, the Beijing city government or-dered all outdoor construction work to stop on red alert days, besides urging schools to close.

NoticeThe notice, issued after days of heavy smog last week, also puts traffi c restrictions on certain types of vehicles in the city of 22.5 million people. “Construc-tion waste, excavation transport vehicles, cement trucks, gravel transport vehicles and other large-scale vehicles are prohib-ited from driving on roads,” au-thorities said in the notice.

The warning was an upgrade from an orange alert issued over the weekend, part of China’s four-colour warning system that includes yellow and blue lev-els for less polluted conditions. Beijing residents took to the In-ternet to criticise authorities for not issuing a red alert during last week’s episode of heavy smog, which exceeded hazardous lev-els on pollution indices. Envi-ronmental Protection Minister Chen Jining on Sunday vowed to punish agencies and offi cials for any failure to quickly implement a pollution emergency response plan, the state-run Global Times tabloid said. — Reuters

S M O G

MARKEWWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMT U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5B

Muscat

5,537.20- 4.78

- 0.09%

Dubai

3,104.17- 70.17

- 2.21%

Abu Dhabi

4,209.69+ 10.82

+ 0.26%

Saudi Arabia

7,166.73- 94.67

- 1.30%

Kuwait

5,783.69- 8.20

- 0.14%

Bahrain

1,220.04 - 6.83

- 0.56%

Qatar

10,418.47- 81.49

- 0.78%

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

US Dollar ................................. 2.57

Euro ............................................2.36

Pound ........................................... 1.70

Indian Rs ............................. 172.68

Pak Rs ...................................269.25

Bangla Taka......................200.36* Rates are as of Dec 7Source: Bank Muscat

Indian Rs ...................................173.20

Pakistan Rs ..............................271.25

Sri Lanka Rs .......................... 368.50

Bangla Taka........................... 204.50

Phil Peso .................................... 121.90

* Rates as of Dec 7 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......13.90

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......13.45

Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............ 130.75

Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) ............ 124.00

* Rates as of Dec 7

Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

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

Oman Crude ............. (Spot) ........ $38.79

Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) ........$38.54

Murban Crude ........ (Spot) ........$40.06

Arabian Light ......... (Spot) .........$37.37

N.Sea Brent ............... (Spot) .........$42.18

West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ........$38.88

CRUDE OIL PRICE

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Winner SMEs welcome new first venture capital initiative

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI [email protected]

MUSCAT: Three small and me-dium enterprises (SMEs), which have been selected to receive funds from Oman’s fi rst venture capital company, have warmly welcomed the initiative.

The fi rst three SMEs eligible to receive fi nancial assistance and mentoringfrom Oman Venture Capital Company (Ethmar) were selected after a detailed independ-ent and objective assessment.

The winners were announced during the last day of the Oman Entrepreneurship and Venture

Capital Conference 2015 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Monday.

IcommunIcateSpeaking to Times of Oman, Najah Al Abdulsalam, owner and gen-eral manager of IcommunIcate, Oman’s fi rst specialised speech language and hearing clinic, said that the venture capital initiative will help her grow her business.

“It is a little bit diff erent from the other organisations that help you grow as an entrepreneur, and the support that they are going to be giving as partners is going to help me,” said Al Abdulsalam, who is a speech language pathologist.

She left her job at the Royal Hospital in order to establish her own business several years ago and now her clinic has turned into a state-of-the-art facility with 11 staff , off ering specialised speech-

language and hearing therapy to various age groups.

Al Abdulsalam said that her qualifi cations and the quality of the services of IcommunIcate clinic had made her eligible to re-ceive fund from Ethmar.

She plans to expand her busi-ness in other governorates and ex-pressed hope that a better environ-ment would be created for SMEs with reduction of paperwork and facilitation of processes.

Ruken Al PizzaAnother winner Al Munther Al Battashi, chief executive offi cer and general manager of Ruken Al Pizza, active in the fi eld of food and beverages, described Ethmar as a great opportunity, which can help him further develop his business.

In this type of business, there is a need for stores and set-ups as well

as logistics and transportation ser-vices so this fund will hopefully help Ruken Al Pizza grow and open more branches, he said.

Al Battashi said that food in-dustry is a high-potential sector andRuken Al Pizza has already established presence in various ar-eas in Oman.

Victoria LakeIn addition, MansoorAl Mahrooqi, operations manager at Victoria Lake, noted that the venture capi-tal company is a welcome initia-tive given the fact that it provides mentoring in addition to fi nancial assistance.

‘Guidance’ is what all small and medium enterprises are looking for and it would be a good opportu-nity to benefi t from the expertise of experienced people in this fi eld, he noted.

He said that the company has been seeking to off er quality ser-vices and products missing in oil and gas fi elds and aims to be a ma-jor supplier to this crucial sector.

Victoria Lake’s products and services include general safety equipment, printing press (sign boards), tools and machinery, in-dustrial lubricants, fabrication,

pressure test services and equip-ment services. Al Mahrooqi also stated that Victoria Lake’s staff know all the ins and outs of this business, which gives the company a competitive edge.

In his message to other entre-preneurs, he advised them not to give up, saying that hard work would pay off eventually.

The fi rst three SMEs

eligible to receive

fi nancial assistance

and mentoring

from Oman Venture

Capital Company

(Ethmar) were

selected after a

detailed independent

and objective

assessment

Al Munther Al Battashi Najah Al Abdulsalam Mansoor Al Mahrooqi

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI [email protected]

MUSCAT: Investors in Oman Venture Capital Com-pany (Ethmar), a fi rst-of-its-kind initiative in the Sultan-ate, are expected to be made clear in early 2016, according to KPMG.

The seed investor is Al Raff d Fund and targeted investors have been identifi ed and the private placement memorandum has been sent to them, according to the in-formation provided by KPMG to Times of Oman.

All these investors and shareholders will come from the private sector, said KPMG, one of the co-organ-isers ofOman Entrepreneur-

ship and Venture Capital Conference 2015, which was held on Sunday and Monday.

Targeted investorsThe targeted investors are given time to make a deci-sion, exercise due diligence and complete the invest-ment cycle and hopefully the company will ‘come to life’ in early 2016, KPMG said.

KPMG provided a lot of consultancy to help bring Ethmar into existence, which was offi cially launched during the conference.

It will also continue to play an important role in mentor-ing the entrepreneurs who will benefi t from the services of the venture capital company. >B4

‘Investors in venture capital fi rm to be made clear next year’

Entrepreneurship fl ourishing in Middle East, survey showsTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Entrepreneurship is fl ourishing in the Middle East, a London Business School (LBS) survey of regional executives has revealed.

The survey of nearly 500 re-gional executives found that the Middle East is seen as a growing market for entrepreneurship, with more than two thirds (71.4 per cent) of respondents describ-ing the sector growth as ‘steady’, ‘fast’ or ‘very fast’.

Andrew Scott, Professor of Economics, London Business School, says that as the region be-comes more prosperous, a healthy entrepreneurial sector will be-come even more important.

“Entrepreneurs, not estab-lished fi rms, tend to be the most important source of innova-tion. With the recent decline in oil prices, economic growth will come from diff erent sectors and it is important that the private

sector takes over the momentum from the government. Entrepre-neurship can play an important role in this,” he said.

And the fi ndings suggest that people recognise this. Nearly a half (45.4 per cent) of the regional executives who participated in the survey, said they have consid-ered setting up their own busi-ness. More than one third (35.8 per cent) said that they have al-ready started one or more ven-tures and nearly a half (45.6 per cent) said they felt ‘confi dent’ about starting a business in the region. Maintaining this confi -dence is key for fostering long-term economic growth in the Middle East, according to John Mullins, Associate Professor of Management Practice in Market-ing and Entrepreneurship, Lon-don Business School, and author of The New Business Road Test (2013) and The Customer-Fund-ed Business(2014).

“Starting a new business is not

for the faint of heart, as enor-mous uncertainty surrounds any new venture, and the probability of success is daunting,” said Dr Mullins.“However, it is entre-preneurs and their fast-growing companies who will create nearly all of the region’s new jobs going forward, and it is entrepreneurs who will make available goods and services found elsewhere that are not yet available here.”

Despite the confi dence in growth, 66.7 per cent of respond-ents from across the region be-lieve that there is room for im-provement. Nearly 56.3 per cent believe that SMEs in their coun-try could be doing better, if given more support.

The survey identifi ed a num-ber of challenges that continue to impact SME growth, including excessive or inappropriate regu-latory or governmental policies, few sustainable SME banking products and an SME manage-ment skills gap.

L O N D O N B U S I N E S S S C H O O L

B2

MARKETT U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

Ideal home environment in focus at mega trade event

MUSCAT: Oman’s most eagerly awaited trade expo of the year, The Home Show 2015, began here on Monday, providing consum-ers the opportunity to delve into a world of possibilities for creating their ideal home environment.

Ayisha Khalfan Jameel Al Siya-biah, President of Public Author-ity of Craft Industries, led a num-ber of dignitaries at the formal unveiling of the curtain ceremony

at Oman International Exhibition Centre, eff ectively declaring open the fi fth edition of this hugely popular event.

Being held under the patron-age of the Ministry of Housing, the Home Show organised by Global Exhibitions & Conferenc-es (GEC), will close on Wednes-day, at Oman International Exhibition Centre.

According to Ayisha, “Coincid-

ing as it does with celebrations marking the 45th National Day anniversary, The Home Show 2015 makes for an apt showcase of the Sultanate’s growing domestic capabilities in, among others, the furniture, furnishings interiors, fi ttings, tiles, ceramics, paints and fi nishes segments of the market.”

She further states, “I am de-lighted to see that the exhibition features a selection of home-

grown products and services, alongside prominent interna-tional brands. Also glad to see the vibrant traditional crafts indus-try, which my Ministry continues to patronise and nurture, having a presence at The Home Show. Af-ter all, many types of traditional crafts produced in Oman make for excellent adornments in offi ces and homes.

As many as 95 leading compa-nies and brands from around the world are showcasing their latest off erings across all categories of products and services associated with the ideal home environment.

The list includes furniture and furnishings, bedroom and bath-room sets, kitchen systems and appliances, doors and windows, home appliances and electronics, wall and fl oor coverings, lighting and fi xtures, and a selection of smart home solutions. Also taking part are service-providers such as interior designers, home dé-cor and improvement specialists, and fi nancial institutions off ering home loans, among others.

“The 2015 edition promises a fulfi lling and rewarding experi-ence to participants and visitors alike. With the world’s leading brands and service providers taking part, we anticipate a sig-nifi cant uptick in footfalls, com-

mercial deals, business partner-ships, and agency agreements,” commented Clemento Fernandes, Projects Director, GEC.

Adding to the appeal of this year’s edition of the hugely popu-lar annual show is a contingent of leading Indian ceramics manu-facturers from Morbi an indus-trial town located in the western state of Gujarat. Seven of the hub’s best-known manufacturers will put on display a scintillating array of ceramic tiles and related products that bear the hallmark of Morbi’s world-class quality.

“Morbi’s decision to fi eld such a large delegation is a refl ection of the robust appeal of The Home Show as an eff ective platform for B2B transactions and network-ing opportunities. With Oman’s residential, commercial and re-tail sector continuing to expand and burgeon, we envision signifi -cant opportunities for business and partnership deals during this three-day event,” Clemento said.

Sponsorship support for the Home Show has come from Berg-er Paints, Sadolin Paints, Modern Kitchen World and Al Ritaj Mod-ern Enterprise. Opening hours for trade visitors and the general pub-lic are from 10:00am to 1:30pm and from 4:30pm to 9:00pm on all three days of the fair.

As many as 95

leading companies

and brands from

around the world

are showcasing

their latest off erings

across all categories

of products and

services at The

Home Show 2015

FIFTH EDITION: Being held under the patronage of the Ministry of

Housing, the Home Show is being organised by Global Exhibitions

& Conferences at Oman International Exhibition Centre. — Picture by

Ismail Al Farsi/Times of Oman

Bank Nizwa wins key awardTimes News Service

MUSCAT: In recognition of its role in spearheading the growth of Oman’s Islamic fi nance industry, Bank Nizwa won the prestigious ‘Best Performing Islamic Bank in Oman’ award at the 2015 World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC) held recently in Bahrain.

The accolade was awarded to Bank Nizwa for excelling across three judging metrics that included fi nancial stability, fi nancial perfor-mance, as well as governance and social responsibility; all part of the WIBC Leaderboard, an assessment tool specifi cally designed to gauge and list best performing banks.

On the occasion, Dr Jamil El Jaroudi, CEO of Bank Nizwa, said, “It is an honour to receive such an esteemed award that is assessed according to the renowned ICD Thomson Reuters Islamic Fi-nance Development Indicator and Bankscope. This win is another respected achievement for Bank Nizwa that demonstrates the de-termined eff orts of the entire team to innovate and drive our growth, as well as that of Islamic Finance in Oman.”

Dr El Jaroudi added, “We will continue to elevate our perfor-mance and off er a competitive range of products and services that meet the evolving requirements of our expanding customer base.”

Now in its 22nd edition, the WIBC is the world’s largest and

most infl uential gathering of in-ternational Islamic banking and fi nance leaders. In addition to 18 Performance Awards that were granted to the top Islamic fi nan-cial institutions from around the world, the conference featured a special panel discussion titled ‘CEO Power Debate’. Taking part in this panel was CEO of Bank Nizwa who was joined by other industry experts to discuss the outlook and trends shaping the Islamic Finance sphere on both re-gional and global levels.

Bank Nizwa has won four awards since the beginning of 2015 alone.

In addition to being named the ‘Best Performing Islamic Bank in Oman’ by WIBC, the Bank re-ceived the ‘Best Islamic Bank in Oman’ title at the sixth annual Is-lamic Finance Awards, the ‘Best Employee Retention & Motiva-tion Program’ award at the annual Middle East Call Centre Awards and was recently honoured with the ‘Strongest Islamic Retail Bank in Oman’ title at the 7th World Is-lamic Retail Banking Conference.

W O R L D I S L A M I C B A N K I N G C O N F E R E N C E H O N O U R

PRESTIGIOUS HONOUR: Dr. Jamil El Jaroudi, CEO of Bank Nizwa,

receives the award at World Islamic Banking Conference held in

Bahrain recently. - Supplied picture

Port of Salalah announces new container shipping line servicesTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Port of Salalah, a ma-jor Arab Gulf region gateway port and trans-shipment hub for the Arabian Sea, has announced that French-based CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest container shipping line, will add two new weekly services to East Africa, and Europe, beginning the fi rst week of December: the Noura Ex-press and the EPIC service.

The Noura Express service, on the East Africa trade lane oper-ates four vessels of up to 2,755 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) capacity, linking the ports of Jebel Ali (UAE), Khor al Fak-kan (UAE), Mombasa (Kenya), Mogadishu (Somalia) and Sala-lah. At Salalah, trans-shipment will be available for CMA CGM’s Europe Pakistan India Consor-tium (EPIC) Service, which links ports in South Asia, the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Mediter-ranean, and North Europe. The EPIC Service is operated with eight vessels, with a capacity of up to 9,400 TEU.

“The introduction of the EPIC service to the Port of Salalah pro-vides our growing customer base in Salalah with an additional op-portunity for sending exports to Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa, as well as for im-ports from the Indian sub-conti-

nent,” said Port of Salalah Chief Executive Offi cer (CEO), David Gledhill, adding, “The Noura Ser-vice call leverages the strategic location of Salalah to provide a new, fast cargo connection from East Africa to Europe, which can potentially be also used to ac-commodate Omani imports from Kenya and Somalia.”

Part of the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network, the Port of Salalah is currently un-dergoing expansion, which will double the quay length, increase dry bulk capacity to 20 million tonnes, and liquid bulk capacity to 6 million tons annually.

The Port of Salalah, in which APM Terminals operates and holds a 30 per cent share, handled 3.03 million TEUs in 2014, along with 7.9 million tonnes of bulk

cargo. Salalah tied at the fi fth spot in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region of the JOC Group Productivity Study for 2014 with 96 MPH for a vessel alongside.

A “2030” initiative includes plans for investing $15 billion in infrastructure in the Salalah Free Trade Zone by 2028 to create a larger regional shipping and com-merce centre for the region, and a Port Phase 3 expansion, including three new container berths.

“These new services refl ect our eff orts to provide diverse options for the growing Salalah shipping community; Port of Salalah shall continue to explore opportuni-ties, both with shipping lines and logistics providers to off er an en-hanced supply chain solution for our customers,” said Port of Sala-lah Deputy CEO Ahmed Akaak.

C M A C G M S E R V I C E

NEW HUB: Part of the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network,

the Port of Salalah is currently undergoing expansion. - Supplied picture

AIG Oman’s high Omanisation rate driving innovationTimes News Service

MUSCAT: AIG Oman has achieved an Omanisation rate of 85 per cent, with local employees playing an essential role in inno-vation and high rates of business growth. AIG has been serving Oman since 2001 and has now become the leading insurer in the Sultanate.

Over the past year, the com-pany has introduced an array of new products, as well as the AIG Academy, which trains and de-velops local staff , insurance part-ners and young Omanis eager to enter the insurance industry.

AIG had also formed an exclu-sive Bancassurance partnership with Bank Muscat two years ago. The company now has a presence at over 80 locations throughout Oman, including many Bank Muscat branches, in a network that is unmatched by any other insurance provider.

“The development of our Om-ani staff , our partners and young Omani graduates entering the in-dustry has been a top priority for AIG,” said Neelmani Bhardwaj, general manager at AIG Oman.

“This has enabled us to attract and retain the best people and de-velop deep local technical exper-tise, which is delivering signifi -cant advantage for our business in the Sultanate,” he said.

We are also particularly proud of our partnership with Bank Muscat, which is a national champion for the Sultanate on the global fi nancial stage,” he fur-ther added.

AIG has over 100 highly-trained staff supporting its direct operations in Oman, with access to global specialization and sup-port from the AIG network.

AIG is a leading international insurance organisation serving customers in more than 130 ter-ritories worldwide.

I N S U R A N C E P R O V I D E R

Electrolux shares fall after GE drops deal

STOCKHOLM: Electrolux shares fell the most in more than four years after General Electric (GE) abandoned plans to sell its ap-pliance business to the Swedish manufacturer for about $3.3 bil-lion because of opposition from US antitrust regulators.

“The worst possible outcome became a reality,” DNB Bank ASA analysts including Christer Mag-nergard wrote in a note published on Monday. “Electrolux can no longer pursue what would have been the largest transaction in its history — a signifi cant loss for the company.”

Electrolux needed the GE deal to gain scale in the key US market and had decided to go to court to fi ght the US Justice Department’s claims that the combined com-pany and rival Whirlpool would be overly dominant in the US cook-ing- appliance market. The deal was fi rst announced in September 2014 and a judge began hearing ar-guments from both sides at a trial that got underway last month in Washington.

Electrolux shares fell as much as 15 per cent, the most since July 19, 2011, and were trading down 11 per cent to 212.30 kronor as of 12:26pm in Stockholm.

GE has requested to be paid a $175 million break up fee, both companies said. — Bloomberg News

$ 3 . 3 B I L L I O N D E A L

B3T U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

MARKET

Geopolitical woes weigh heavily on Middle East construction industry

Times News Service

MUSCAT: A snapshot of opinion from the Gulf Cooperation Coun-cil’s (GCC’s) construction sector—the majority of which are compa-nies involved in larger projects, with a value of over Dh100 mil-lion—has shown a dramatic drop in optimism over the last year.

Pinsent Masons’ annual GCC Construction Survey, which was presented to representatives from the industry at the international law fi rm’s recent Annual Con-struction and Engineering Law Conference, showed that only 32 per cent of the respondents remain optimistic about the year ahead.

This compares with 77 per cent stating that they were optimistic about 2015 when asked the same question a year ago.

The sudden shift in sentiment is consistent with the industry’s response to questions about order books, contract conditions, pay-ment periods and disputes, which are all less positive than a year ago.

About 16 per cent of those sur-veyed, said their 2016 order books had declined by over 10 per cent, which compared with just 4 per cent, who had said the same thing a year earlier. Asked about con-tract conditions, 93 per cent of the businesses said they had become less favourable during 2015, repre-senting a 14 per cent increase from a year ago. In addition, 95 per cent said payment periods were longer this year, and 60 per cent said they were involved in more disputes during 2015 than had been expect-ed before the year started.

The results are indicative of a hardening economic environment as the construction industry, like many others, grapples with the impact of ongoing low oil prices, simmering geopolitical tensions in parts of the MENA region, and a

general concern related to emerg-ing markets from many global in-vestors. Optimism surrounding Saudi Arabia saw a pronounced decline. Asked which country will provide the strongest growth op-portunity in 2016, only 12 per cent opted for Saudi Arabia, represent-ing a substantial drop from 40 per cent of the respondents, who had earlier believed it would be the strongest market in 2015.

In contrast, a growing portion of the industry now views Qatar as off ering the strongest regional op-portunity, rocketing up in positiv-ity from 14 per cent of respondents last year to 33 per cent during this year’s survey. The UAE is consid-ered the strongest market oppor-tunity for 2016.

Based on sectors, real-estate saw the largest single reversal in senti-

ment, with 26 per cent of those surveyed considering it to off er the strongest commercial opportunity next year, falling from 48 per cent of the respondents the year before. This may be due to uncertainty surrounding oversupply in places, such as Dubai in particular.

Apart from the GCC, the con-struction industry remains tenta-tive towards Iran and India, with only 40 per cent and 42 per cent, respectively pursuing opportuni-ties in these countries. This may simply be due to a wait and watch approach being adopted for Iran, as sanctions have not yet been of-fi cially removed yet.

However, the India result is surprising given the historic trade links between the GCC and India, the strength of economic growth being seen there, and the recent

promotional visit of Prime Min-ister Modi to the UAE. Similarly surprising was the survey result on public private partnerships (PPPs). Two thirds (67 per cent) of the industry stated they are not currently involved in, or anticipat-ing any involvement in PPP pro-jects over the next one year. With the fi scal environment under pres-sure across all oil exporting econo-mies of the region, a far healthier result around PPPs is expected.

Sachin Kerur, head of the Mid-dle-East Region at Pinsent Ma-sons, said: “This is the sharpest annual decline in optimism our survey has seen, and there is no doubt that economic and geopo-litical concerns are playing heavily on people’s minds. It would seem that good fundamentals in many places are being obscured by the

role that politics is playing. How-ever, it is possible that as these is-sues are sorted, there could be just as swift a return to positivity.”

“Nowhere in the region is fall-ing optimism as pronounced as it is in Saudi Arabia. This is to be expected, given the challenges the country is facing and the central role oil maintains in its economy. Despite this, there is a general sense amongst the industry that if the current fi nancial squeeze can deliver greater diversifi cation of the economy, Saudi Arabia will remain a highly attractive mar-ket. Indeed, there have been some positive diversifi cation measures discussed in the Kingdom, which if implemented should enable great-er private participation in the eco-nomic development of the country. Meanwhile, in Qatar, they are ben-efi ting from a natural bounce as the World Cup edges closer.”

“The lack of anticipation of more PPPs was a surprise, on account of the fi scal challenges facing many countries in the region. These ar-rangements could off er a favour-able solution for numerous major infrastructure and construction developments, and there have been legislative changes made to make them more accessible and attractive. It may well be that the private sector still believes more reform is needed before PPPs be-come mainstream.”

“The majority of the GCC con-struction industry is hesitant to pursue opportunities in Iran and India. A cautious approach is al-ways advisable when entering new markets, particularly ones that have been subject to sanc-tions. However, India is one of the few countries in the world to show strong economic growth and businesses located in the Gulf are ideally suited to accessing the country. I would encourage them to be more pro-active in pursuing commercial opportunities in In-dia, provided the right level of due diligence is conducted.”

Pinsent Masons’

annual GCC

Construction Survey

reveals sharp drop

in optimism, longer

payment periods,

less favourable

contract conditions

and rising disputes

as market

conditions harden

Divisions in Opec to keep oil prices low and volatileNEW YORK: Failure of the Or-ganisation of Petroleum Export-ing Countries (Opec) to reach any meaningful agreement at their meeting in Vienna on Fri-day confi rmed that the historic storm besetting the oil market has markedly reduced this once- powerful group’s eff ectiveness and infl uence.

Far from adding an element of stability, an internally divided Opec will contribute to further volatility in oil markets, with prices remaining low for longer than many anticipated.

The oil market is being bat-tered by a perfect storm, as three distinct forces come together. The supply side has been destabi-lised by the rapid encroachment of shale energy technology. The demand side is undermined by declining global growth in gen-eral, and the sharper relative fall in emerging economies in par-ticular. Third, the role of “swing producer” on the downside once played by Saudi Arabia and some of its Opec partners — by reducing output when prices are low — has de facto been taken over by the US. This has shifted the mechan-ics of the market from discrete decisions on tightening supply to waiting for natural market supply and demand forces to set the pace.

The resulting collapse in oil

prices sharply reduces export earnings of all producers. But their resilience, including the ability to manage their econo-mies with lower income, varies signifi cantly.

Some, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have suffi cient fi nancial reserves, other accumulated wealth, debt capac-ity and policy fl exibility to man-age the longer-term transition to an oil regime in which many of the non-traditional suppliers will be knocked out by lower prices. Others, including Venezuela, are being destabilised in ways that extend well beyond economic and fi nancial factors and produce a growing possibility of political and social turmoil. Put these two sets of actors together in a nego-tiating room and the scope for disagreements is considerable, if not guaranteed.

Hoping to camoufl age the de-gree of internal division, Opec’s offi cial statement on Friday noted that, “in examining the current status of the oil market, the Con-ference respected the input and ideas of all Member Countries to fi nd ways and means to deal with the challenges they are facing in the global oil market today.”

But when it came to action, the statement off ered rather feeble guidance: “Member Countries

should continue to closely moni-tor developments in the coming months.”

In the absence of any new agreement, Opec has offi cially kept in place existing production quotas until the ministers meet again in June. In practice, indi-vidual member states will not feel constrained by any Opec agree-ments on output levels. As a re-sult, they all are likely to produce as much as they can, but each will be doing so for its own reasons.

For better-off Opec members, producing more today is intended to secure a better competitive po-sition in the future, exchanging sacrifi ce now for the well-being of future generations. For the strug-gling countries, the goal is to gen-erate as much income as possible, and as soon as possible, to avoid major internal dislocations in the next few months.

Barring a major geopolitically driven shock, this set of dynamics will mean that oil prices will stay low and volatile for a while. Over time, this price confi guration will drive out the higher-cost energy producers and encourage higher demand, which would restore Opec’s infl uence.

In the short-term, however, the group will have little infl uence in stabilising this unhinged oil mar-ket. — Bloomberg News

C R U D E S U P P L I E S

Industrial output rises

FRANKFURT: German indus-trial production rose less than economists predicted in October amid a slump in energy output.

Output, adjusted for seasonal swings and infl ation, rose 0.2 per cent from September, when it declined 1.1 per cent, data from the Economy Ministry in Berlin showed on Monday. The reading, which tends to be volatile, is the fi rst positive one in three months and compares with a median es-timate for a 0.8 per cent gain in a

Bloomberg survey of economists. Production was unchanged from a year earlier

With factory output contract-ing in the third quarter, growth in Europe’s largest economy has been driven by domestic demand on the back of record-low unem-ployment and cheap oil. Further stimulus announced by the ECB is set to boost demand both with-in the country and in the euro area, Germany’s largest trading partner. — Bloomberg News

G E R M A N Y

TURBULENCE: Based on sectors, real-estate saw the largest single reversal in sentiment, with 26 per cent of those surveyed considering

it to off er the strongest commercial opportunity next year, falling from 48 per cent of the respondents the year before. - Bloomberg fi le picture

B4

MARKETT U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

MUSCATSECURITIES MARKET

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 7

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

OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ........................ 3,985,706 ......490,496....................161 ............0.116 ........... 0.127 ........... 0.116 ............0.123 ............. 0.118 ............ 0.005 ............. 4.237 ................0.126 ..............0.126...................0.127 ...................15,362,449 .........0.100

OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION .........................62,621 ............... 9,138......................14 ............0.150 ........... 0.150 ...........0.142 ........... 0.146 ............. 0.141 ............ 0.005 ............. 3.546 ................0.142 ..............0.142...................0.144 ...................13,875,840 .........0.100

OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ..................72,590 ............... 7,447........................9 ............0.101 ........... 0.103 ...........0.101 ........... 0.103 .............0.100 ........... 0.003 ............. 3.000 ................0.103 ..............0.103...................0.105 ...................20,600,000 ........0.100

OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ........................ 266,332 ......... 419,083......................21 ............1.550 ........... 1.580 ...........1.550 ............1.575 ............. 1.550.............0.025 ..............1.613 .................1.575 .............. 1.575...................1.600 ................ 1,181,250,000 ......0.100

OM0000001483 ............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ...................................10,000 ...............2,850........................ 1 ........... 0.285 ........... 0.285 ...........0.285........... 0.285 .............0.282 ........... 0.003 ............. 1.064 ................0.285 ............. 0.280...................0.285..................382,102,421 ........0.100

OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ........................................................ 14,750 .............15,267........................6 ............1.035 ........... 1.040 ...........1.035 ............1.035 ............. 1.025.............0.010 ............. 0.976 ................1.035 .............. 1.035................... 1.150 ................. 207,000,000 .......0.100

OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ..............14,962 ............... 3,765........................4 ........... 0.250 ...........0.254 ...........0.250........... 0.252 .............0.250 ........... 0.002 .............0.800 ................0.253 ..............0.252...................0.264 ...................5,292,000 ..........0.100

OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 195,000 ............32,150........................6 ............0.163 ........... 0.165 ...........0.163 ............0.165 ............. 0.164.............0.001 ............. 0.610 ................0.165 ..............0.164...................0.165 ................... 47,957,418 .........0.100

OM0000001160 ............NATIONAL GAS ...................................................................523 .................. 164........................ 1 ............0.314 ........... 0.314 ...........0.314 ........... 0.312 ............. 0.312............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.314 ............. 0.300...................0.314 ...................15,600,000 .........0.100

OM0000001319 ............NATIONAL ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS ................. 5,000 ............... 1,050........................2 ............0.210 ........... 0.210 ...........0.210 ............0.217 ............. 0.217............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.210 .............. 0.211...................0.220 ................... 7,285,005 ..........0.100

OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING .............10,000 ..................900........................ 1 ........... 0.090 ...........0.090 ...........0.090........... 0.090 .............0.090 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.090..............0.090...................0.095................... 10,968,750 .........0.100

OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT .......................................................... 103,373.............46,518..................... 10 ........... 0.450 ........... 0.450 ...........0.450........... 0.450 .............0.450 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.450 ..............0.440...................0.494 .................148,892,720 ........0.100

OM0000001822 ............UNITED POWER ................................................................. 158 .................. 390........................2 ........... 2.470 ........... 2.470 ...........2.470........... 2.740 .............2.740 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................2.470 ..............2.470...................3.000 ...................2,192,000 ..........1.000

OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING ...................................40,107 .............80,188........................6 ........... 2.000 ...........2.000 ...........1.995 ........... 2.000 .............2.000 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................1.995 ............. 0.000...................2.000 ................ 190,000,000 .......0.100

OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ..............................................................10,000 ...............2,180........................ 1 ............0.218 ........... 0.218 ...........0.218 ........... 0.218 ............. 0.218............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.218 .............. 0.215...................0.218 ..................336,750,823 ........0.100

OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 156,261 .............25,783........................5 ............0.165 ........... 0.165 ...........0.165 ............0.165 ............. 0.165............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.165 ..............0.160...................0.165 ..................237,837,600 ........0.100

OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. ....................75,000 ...............5,625........................9 ............0.075 ........... 0.075 ...........0.075 ........... 0.075 .............0.075 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.075 ..............0.074...................0.075 ................... 21,748,548 .........0.100

OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO.........................................................................80,580 .............58,722......................11 ............0.732 ........... 0.732 ...........0.728 ........... 0.728 ............. 0.728............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.728 ..............0.724...................0.728 ..................473,887,399 ........0.100

OM0000004248 ...........SMN POWER HOLDING ........................................... 22,250 .............16,465........................2 ............0.740 ........... 0.740 ...........0.740 ........... 0.740 ............. 0.740 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.740 ..............0.740...................0.760 ..................147,730,344 ........0.100

OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL ............................................... 17,860 ............... 1,429........................2 ........... 0.080 ...........0.080 ...........0.080........... 0.080 .............0.080 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.080..............0.079...................0.080 ..................14,000,000 .........0.100

OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS .....................................................3,730 ............... 1,548........................2 ............0.418 ........... 0.418 ...........0.414 ............0.418 ............. 0.418............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.414 ..............0.408...................0.414 ...................21,945,000 .........0.100

OM0000001087 ............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ............................... 277,200 ............63,766......................11 ............0.231 ........... 0.231 ...........0.230........... 0.230 ............. 0.231............-0.001 ........... -0.433 ...............0.230..............0.210...................0.230 ..................23,000,000 ........0.100

OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER ..................................................56,982 .............11,400..................... 10 ........... 0.200 ........... 0.201 ...........0.200 .......... 0.200 .............0.201 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.498 ...............0.200 ............ 0.200...................0.201 ..................134,977,486 ........0.100

OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .................................................... 37,682 ............... 7,520........................6 ............0.199 ...........0.200 ...........0.199 ........... 0.200 .............0.201 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.498 ...............0.200 ............ 0.200...................0.201 ..................142,881,268 ........0.100

OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE ................66,190 ............. 10,951..................... 10 ............0.163 ........... 0.166 ...........0.163 ............0.165 ............. 0.166............-0.001 ........... -0.602 ...............0.166 .............. 0.166...................0.168 ...................33,000,000.........0.100

OM0000003000 ...........ALMAHA PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MAR. ......... 8,010 .............15,539........................2 ............1.940 ........... 1.940 ...........1.940 ........... 1.940 ............. 1.960 ...........-0.020 ........... -1.020 ...............1.940 ..............1.940...................1.960 ..................133,860,000........0.100

OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY .......................................15,198 .............28,156........................3 ............1.850 ........... 1.860 ...........1.850 ............1.855 ............. 1.875 ............-0.020 ........... -1.067................1.850 ............. 0.000...................1.860 ..................166,393,500 ........0.100

OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 886,960 ......... 146,025......................41 ............0.167 ........... 0.167 ...........0.164 ............0.165 ............. 0.167............-0.002 ............-1.198 ................0.166 .............. 0.166...................0.167 ...................24,762,375 .........0.100

OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 518,191 .......... 252,148..................... 22 ........... 0.492 ........... 0.492 ...........0.484........... 0.486 .............0.496 ...........-0.010 ........... -2.016 ...............0.484..............0.484...................0.490 ................1,113,825,782.......0.100

OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 680,443 ........... 74,307......................31 ............0.110 ........... 0.110............0.108 ........... 0.109 ............. 0.112 ............-0.003 ........... -2.679 ...............0.109 ..............0.108................... 0.110 ...................33,873,379 .........0.100

OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ....................... 20,000 ............... 1,780........................ 1 ........... 0.089 ........... 0.089 ...........0.089........... 0.089 .............0.092 ...........-0.003 ........... -3.261................0.089 ..............0.087...................0.091 ....................2,670,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001962 ............AL MADINA INVESTMENT .....................................38,100 ............... 2,141........................4 ........... 0.056 ........... 0.057 ...........0.056 ........... 0.056 .............0.058 ...........-0.002 ........... -3.448 ...............0.057 ..............0.056...................0.057................... 11,600,478 .........0.100

OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING .............21,000 ............... 2,121........................4 ............0.101 ........... 0.101............0.101 ............0.101 ............. 0.105............-0.004 ........... -3.810................0.101 .............. 0.101...................0.103 ....................9,090,000 ..........0.100

OM0000002168 ............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ............................... 604,951 ..........181,744......................14 ........... 0.302 ...........0.306 ...........0.300 .......... 0.300 ............. 0.316............-0.016 ........... -5.063 ...............0.306..............0.306...................0.314 ...................88,864,105 .........0.100

OM0000002648 ...........NATIONAL FINANCE ............................................... 141,012 .............19,379..................... 10 ............0.137 ........... 0.140 ...........0.137 ............0.137 ............. 0.152............-0.015 ........... -9.868 ...............0.137 ............. 0.000...................0.137 ...................36,062,306 .........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 8,518,722 ...2,038,135...................445 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......35........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. .................. 216,848 ...............7,156........................9 ........... 0.033 ........... 0.033 ...........0.033 ........... 0.033 .............0.032 ............0.001 ............. 3.125 ................0.033 ..............0.033...................0.034 ...................2,805,000 ..........0.100

OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 1,175,992......... 88,046..................... 43 ........... 0.074 ........... 0.076 ...........0.074 ........... 0.075 .............0.074 ............0.001 ..............1.351 .................0.076 ..............0.074...................0.076..................112,500,000 ........0.100

OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK................................................ 80,516 ...............5,395........................3 ........... 0.067 ........... 0.067 ...........0.067 ........... 0.067 .............0.067 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.067 ..............0.067...................0.068...................67,000,000 .........0.100

OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 2,665,650 ...... 381,098..................... 45 ............0.142 ........... 0.144 ...........0.142 ........... 0.143 ............. 0.143............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.143 .............. 0.143...................0.144 ..................209,152,009........0.100

OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ......................................................... 9,000 .................. 495........................ 1 ............0.055 ........... 0.055 ...........0.055 ........... 0.055 .............0.056 ...........-0.001 ............-1.786 ................0.055 ..............0.054...................0.055....................6,875,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001301 ............DHOFAR CATTLE FEED ............................................33,276 ...............6,822........................4 ........... 0.205 ...........0.205 ...........0.205........... 0.205 ............. 0.212 ...........-0.007 ........... -3.302 ...............0.205..............0.205...................0.224 .................. 15,785,000 .........0.100

OM0000002580 ...........OMAN EDU. & TRIN. INV. HOLDING....................15,200 ...............2,447........................4 ............0.161 ........... 0.161 ............ 0.161 ............0.161 ............. 0.178 ............-0.017 ............-9.551 ................ 0.161 ............. 0.000................... 0.161 ...................11,270,000 .........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 4,196,482 ...... 491,458...................109 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 7........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

BONDS AND SUKUK MARKET ...................................................................................................................................................................... OM0000004602 ...........BANK MUSCAT CONV. BONDS 4.5 ..............................252 .....................28........................ 1 ............0.110 ........... 0.110............0.110 ............0.112 ............. 0.112 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.110 .............. 0.110...................0.000 ..................33,907,900 .........0.100

OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 ............................................. 2,198 ..................220........................2 ........... 0.100 ........... 0.100 ...........0.100 ............0.101 ............. 0.101 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.100 ..............0.100...................0.104...................32,283,910 .........0.100

OM0000005971 ............B.MUSCAT COMPL. CONVR. B.B.3.5 .......................2,230 .................. 205........................ 1 ........... 0.092 ........... 0.092 ...........0.092........... 0.093 .............0.093 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.092..............0.092...................0.099................... 30,147,030 .........0.100

.............................................SUM: ......................................................................................4,680 .................. 453........................4 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ........ 3........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

ISIN ......................................SECURITY NAME .................................................................. VOLUME ..... TURNOVER ............TRADES ......OPEN PRICE ......HIGH ............. LOW ........ CLOSE PR. ...PREV. CLOSE...DIFF (RO).........DIFF % ............. LAST PR .....LAST BID .............LAST OFFER ........MARKET CAP .PAR VALUE

O M A N S T O C K S

INDICESIndex .................................................High .................Low ..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff %MSM30 Index ........................................5,549.14 .............. 5,534.90 ................... 5,537.20 ................... 5,541.98 .................. -4.78 .................. -0.09Financial Index .....................................6,681.40 ...............6,669.05 ................... 6,669.22 ................... 6,674.55 .................. -5.33 .................. -0.08Industrial Index ................................... 6,849.06 ...............6,810.33 .................... 6,821.11 ................... 6,847.38 ................-26.27 .................. -0.38Services Index .......................................3,141.64 ...............3,133.97 ................... 3,136.60 ....................3,135.78 ....................0.82 ................... 0.03MSM SHARIAH INDEX...................... 872.90 .................. 870.70 ...................... 872.09 ......................872.90 .................. -0.81 .................. -0.09

Trading SummaryVolume ................ Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up ............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded12,719,884 ..................2,530,047 .....................558 ................14,657,125,699 ................ 10 ......................17 .................... 18 .........................45

MSM index ends lower

MUSCAT: MSM30 Index re-mained largely stable but dull to fi nish at 5,537.20 points, down by 0.09 per cent. The Shariah In-dex also declined 0.09 per cent to close at 872.09 points. Al Jazeera Steel remained the most active in terms of volume and turnover. Monday’s top gainer was Al Ja-zeera Steel, up by 4.24 per cent while National Finance, down by 9.87 per cent was top loser.

A total number of 558 trades were executed in the trading session, generating turnover of OMR2.5 million with 12.7 million shares changing hands. Out of 45 traded securities, 10 advanced, 17 declined and 18 remained un-changed. At the session close, Omani investors remained net buyers for OMR452,000 while Foreign investors were net sell-ers for OMR408,000 followed by GCC & Arab Investors for OMR44,000 worth of shares.

Financial Index declined mar-ginally by 0.08 per cent to close at 6,669.22 points. Global Finan-cial Investment, Bank Nizwa and NBO gained 3.00 per cent, 1.35 per cent and 1.06 per cent respectively.

National Finance, Al Sharqia Investments, Al Madina Invest-ments, Al Batinah Development and United Finance declined 9.87 per cent, 3.81 per cent, 3.45 per cent, 3.26 per cent and 2.68 per cent respectively.

Industrial Index closed weakly at 6,821.11 points, down by 0.38 per cent. Al Jazeera Steel, Con-struction Materials, Raysut Ce-ment and Gulf International Chemicals increased 4.24 per cent, 3.13 per cent, 0.98 per cent and 0.80 per cent respectively. Al Anwar Ceramics, Dhofar Cattle-feed, Oman Fisheries and Oman Cables decreased 5.06 per cent, 3.30 per cent, 1.79 per cent and 1.07 per cent respectively.

Services Index remained fl at at 3,136.60 points, up by 0.03 per cent. Port Services, Omantel and Renaissance Services gained 3.55 per cent, 1.61 per cent and 0.61 per cent respectively.

Oman Education & Train-ing, Al Maha Petroleum, OIFC, Al Suwadi Power and Al Bati-nah Power declined 9.55 per cent, 1.02 per cent, 0.60 per cent, 0.50 per cent and 0.50 per cent respectively. — United Securities

Monday’s top gainer was Al Jazeera Steel,

up by 4.24 per cent, while National Finance,

down by 9.87 per cent, was the top loser

Ethmar to promote new ideasAccording to KPMG, the percent-age ofEthmar’s share in a project and the amount of the fund that will be provided to them would depend on several factors and vary from case to case.

The organisers have noted that any Omani start-up with a re-quired paid up capital of at least OMR100,000 will be eligible to access the fund.

They have said that the objec-

tive of Ethmar is to invest in high-growth potential private sector start-ups in Oman, cultivate a culture of innovation, promote new ideas, provide a platform for them to expand regionally and stimulate job creation in the Sultanate.

Ethmar will target opportuni-ties in the SME sector in Oman, with the preferred sectors being IT, oil and gas, agribusiness, tour-

ism and retail. The conference was organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Is-kan Oman Investment Company, the Public Authority for SME Development (Riyada) and Al Raff d Fund.

In addition to KPMG, the other co-organisers of the event were Trowers & Hamlins, Institute of Cost and Management Account-ing and 1Pulse Oman LLC.

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

< FROM

B1

Dubai leads Gulf bourses decline as oil fall raises riskDUBAI: Almost every benchmark stock index in the Gulf declined, led by Dubai equities, after Opec’s failure to set a cap on oil produc-tion spooked investors who had al-ready been concerned by the Mid-dle East’s geopolitical risks.

Emaar Properties, the stock that makes up almost a fi fth of Dubai’s DFM General Index, slumped to a two-year low and was the biggest

contributor to losses in the emir-ate, the steepest drop in emerg-ing markets. The developer of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest tower, is about 30 per cent owned by the government. The Bloomberg GCC 200 Index, which tracks the region’s top 200 compa-nies, fell 0.7 per cent.

“Stocks held by foreigners, such as Emaar Properties, are being

punished because they don’t feel the risk is worth the return any-more, especially now that oil is fall-ing again and the geopolitical risks are still high,” said Tariq Qaqish, the head of asset management at Dubai-based Al Mal Capital.

While Dubai doesn’t rely on crude revenue to fund spending, the emirate thrives on trade and spending from nations in the six-

member Gulf Cooperation Coun-cil (GCC), where oil is the main source of income. The drop in pric-es comes amid rising security risks in the region as more nations join the fi ght against the Islamic State.

Brent crude, a pricing bench-mark for half the world’s oil, dropped near a six-year low on Fri-day as the Organisation of Petro-leum Exporting Countries (Opec)

implied that the earliest it can consider reducing production is June. Brent declined one per cent to $42.56 a barrel at 12:40pm in London on Monday.

Emaar’s shares fell 4 per cent to 5.57 dirhams, dragging Dubai’s index down 2.2 per cent. Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index dropped 1.3 per cent and Qatar’s QE Index lost 0.8 per cent.

“Nobody believes that they should buy now or they’ll miss out,” Mohammed Ali Yasin, man-aging director of NBAD Securities in Abu Dhabi, said by phone.

Abu Dhabi’s ADX General Index was the region’s only gainer, eras-ing earlier losses of as much as 0.9 per cent, after Emirates Telecom-munications Group climbed 1.9 per cent. — Bloomberg News

G U L F S T O C K M A R K E T S

– Times fi le picture


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Fantastic benefi ts on 2016 Nissan Sunny

MUSCAT: The Nissan Sunny from the house of Suhail Bahwan Auto-mobiles now comes in a refreshed appearance with subtle changes to the styling and the inclusion of new features in the cabin.

As the best-selling vehicle for four years in a row in the highly competitive sub-compact seg-ment, the Nissan Sunny could rest on its reputation for value, roomi-ness and mid-size vehicle technol-ogy without a mid-size price. Yet the quest for constant improve-ment continues.

The Sunny received an exten-sive makeover that features new front and rear fascia, a range of in-terior refi nements, and new grade level and packaging content, says a press release.

Off er lasts till December 31 Auto enthusiasts can now avail exciting benefi ts on the Nissan

Sunny that includes cash gift of OMR500, free service for two years or 20,000km (periodic main-tenance only), free registration, six years unlimited mileage warranty and easy and convenient fi nancing options. Flexible EMIs can also be tailor-made for any individual requirement from in-house Auto Finance team.

Customers can also get unlim-ited access to Nissan’s prestigious vehicle lineup at the comfort of their homes or offi ces. Simply visit Nissan Oman’s Facebook page i.e http://www.facebook.com/Sban-issanoman or send an SMS to get updated information on any of the vehicles from the house of Nissan.

A refreshed exteriorMost prominent of the changes to the Sunny are the bold new front end treatment anchored by larger headlights, a more substan-tial looking fascia and standard chrome plating on the grille – all of which strengthen the Nissan stable mates – Sentra, Altima and Maxima. Other exterior design elements include a fi xed roof an-tenna, available blacked-out B-pillars, chrome door handles and front fog lights.

A roomy, refi ned interiorFor Nissan Sunny again off ers fi ve-passenger practicality with a high degree of comfort and re-fi nement – the perfect combina-tion for commuting on weekdays, running errands on weekends and transporting family and friends all week long.

Other enhancements include a new centre stack shape, a revised meter display with white LED display (previously orange illu-mination colour) and a new, more substantial, steering wheel with standard audio and Bluetooth hands-free phone system controls. The Sunny features a wide AM/FM/CD audio system with stand-ard auxiliary-in and Radio Data System (RDS), standard assist grips, a passenger-side vanity mir-ror and new seat fabric.

The Sunny also adds an outside temperature display, USB/iPod controls, upgraded fabric head-liner, map light with key-linked illuminated entry and silver fi n-ishers on the centre instrument panel cluster. SL models include Nissan Intelligent Key with Push Button Ignition and an AM/FM/CD/USB-iPod audio system with 5.0-inch display and NissanCon-

nectSM with mobile apps.Other available interior features

include trip computer with outside temperature display, power win-dows with driver’s one-touch down, speed-sensing auto door locks and remote trunk release lever.

The NissanConnect with navi-gation and mobile Apps system, which is off ered as part of the SL Technology Package, includes a 5.8-inch color touch-screen dis-play, Nissan voice recognition for audio and navigation, SiriusXM Traffi c and SiriusXM Travel Link (SiriusXM subscription re-quired, sold separately). Available apps include Facebook, Pandora, iHeartRadio and Google Search.

All Sunnys continue to provide a roomy interior volume of 90.2 cubic feet, with more rear legroom than many mid-size sedans. Trunk volume measures 14.9 cubic feet. The trunk design itself focuses on useable space, taking into consid-eration everything from the size of the hinges to the shape of the sidewalls. Other available interior features include trip computer with outside temperature display, power windows with driver’s one-touch down, speed-sensing auto door locks and remote trunk re-lease lever.

Suhail Bahwan Automobiles is largely committed to supporting Nissan’s growth in the Sultanate through major emphasis on cus-tomer satisfaction and by providing world-class after-sales services in Oman. With a national network of more than 19 showrooms, 22 ser-vice centres and 35 parts outlets, SBA has further built upon its lega-cy of trust, excellent customer ser-vice and providing value for money to each of its customers.

The Nissan Sunny

received an extensive

makeover that

features new front

and rear fascia, a

range of interior

refi nements, and

new grade level and

packaging content

New orthodontist joins Kims OmanMUSCAT: Kims Oman Hospital welcomed Dr Sivaram Subbiah, specialist orthodontist, as a pro-fessional member at its ortho-dontics department. Kims also announced a free consultation with Dr Subbiah until December 31, says a press release.

Dr Subbiah has earned his BDS from Sri Ramachandra Dental College, MDS from SRM Dental College, MFDS from Royal Col-lege of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and M Orthodontics from Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh. He was also a mem-ber of more than 8 diff erent com-mittees of Penang International Dental College, Malaysia.

He has a number of paper pres-entations to his credit and has attended conferences and work-shops at both national and inter-national levels.

Coming with many years of experience, prior to joining Kims Oman, he was working as Head of the Department (Orthodontics department) in Penang Interna-tional Dental College, Penang, Malaysia since 2009. He was also the internal examiner for BDS ex-amination in orthodontics since 2011 for Vinayaga Mission Uni-versity. At Kims Oman, Dr Sub-biah’s responsibilities includes orthodontic treatments such as metal braces, ceramic braces, aligners, removable and fi xed re-tainers, space maintainers, habit breaking appliances in addition to dentofacial orthopaedics - growth modulation treatment, smile design, functional appli-ance therapy and adult orthodon-tics treatment.

“Kims Oman Hospital wel-comes Dr Sivaram Subbiah as a positive addition to its expert

medical staff who combines be-tween the wide experience and top notch education,” said Dr Hussam Akoum, chief operating offi cer of KOH.“If you feel un-comfortable or you are suff er-ing from any teeth related issues including crooked or crowded teeth, spacing between the teeth, missing teeth, irregularities of the jaws, cleft palate or any other problems, you are highly recom-mended to visit our orthodontic department and benefi t from our expert orthodontist,” he con-cluded.

Dr Sivaram Subbiah is avail-able at his clinic from 9am to 1pm and from 5pm to 9pm.

S P E C I A L I S T

Porsche presents ultimate new models: 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo SMUSCAT: At the 2016 edition of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Porsche will be presenting two new top models of the 911 series: the 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S which now boast a 20hp increase and a sharpened de-sign. Both models will be available as coupe and convertible versions.

The bi-turbo six-cylinder en-gine in the 911 Turbo with 3.8 litres of displacement now has a power output of 540 hp. This power gain was achieved by modifi ed inlet ports in the cylinder head, new injection nozzles and higher fuel pressure. The 911 Turbo S devel-ops 580 hp, thanks to new turbo-chargers with larger compressors. To-date, Porsche is still the only manufacturer to utilise turbo-chargers with variable turbine geometry in petrol engines, says a press release.

The engines feature a dynamic boost function to further improve their response in dynamic op-eration. They maintain the charge pressure during load changes, i.e. when the accelerator pedal is re-leased briefl y. This is achieved by interrupting fuel injection, where-as the throttle valve remains open. As a result, the engine reacts with practically no delay to another press of the accelerator pedal.

The eff ects of this function are more pronounced in the Sport and

Sport Plus modes.Overall, the new high-per-

formance sports cars achieve breath-taking driving perfor-mance, while fuel consumption is further reduced. The 911 Tur-bo S Coupé sprints to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds, with a top speed of 330 km/h, which is 12 km/h higher than before. The 911 Turbo reaches the 100-km/h mark in 3.0 seconds, and its top speed is 320 km/h – 5 km/h faster than the previous model.

Nevertheless, the coupes only consume 9.1 l/100 km, and the convertibles 9.3 l/100 km. This represents 0.6 litres less fuel per 100km for all versions and has been achieved following advanced electronic engine and transmis-sion management, with revised gear change mappings.

A standard feature: Sport Chro-no Package with mode switch and Sport Response button

The new GT sport steering wheel – 360 mm in diameter and with a design adopted from the 918 Spyder – comes with a mode switch as standard. It consists of a rotary ring with four modes which include; Normal, Sport, Sport Plus or Individual. The Individual set-ting lets the driver confi gure and store a personally preferred vehi-cle setup.

Another new feature of the

Sport Chrono Package is the Sport Response button at the centre of the mode switch. Inspired by mo-tor racing, it preconditions the engine and gearbox for the best possible responsiveness at the push of a button. In this mode, the vehicle can produce optimal accel-eration for up to 20 seconds, such as for an overtaking manoeuvre. A running timer displayed in the in-strument cluster shows the driver the elapsed time. Sport Response functionality can be called upon as often as desired and during any of the driving modes.

Market launch The new Porsche 911 Turbo mod-els will be offi cially launched in Oman in April 2016 and are avail-

able for order now.Porsche Stability Management

(PSM) in the 911 Turbo models now has a new Sport Mode op-tion. A press of the PSM button in the centre console puts the system into a very sporty mode, independ-ent of the driving programme that is selected. The PSM Sport mode alters the system’s intervention threshold much more eff ectively than Sport Plus mode in the pre-vious model. The new function makes it possible to approach per-formance limits easier.

In this mode, the PSM warning lamp lights up and a message in the instrument cluster indicates that the system’s contribution to-ward driving stability is limited. However, PSM still remains ac-

tive in the background, and can be deactivated by holding down the PSM button.

Dynamic featuresThe chassis of the new 911 Turbo models, with Porsche Active Sus-pension Management (PASM) now as standard off ers an even greater spread between performance and comfort. In addition, the 911 Turbo S off ers a full complement of equip-ment for driving dynamics, such as Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control roll compensation, which comes as standard in the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes system. New options for all 911 Turbo models in-clude the radar-based lane change assist and a lift system for the front axle that can be used to increase ground clearance by 40 mm at the front spoiler lip at low speeds.

Sharpened designThe new generation 911 Turbo adopts signifi cant characteristics of the striking design of today’s Carrera models, supplemented by typical 911 Turbo features. The newly formed front end, with side air blades and narrow LED front lights with double fi llets, give the vehicle a wider look, in combina-tion with the additional fi n in the central air intake. From the side, the high-performance sports car boasts new 20-inch wheels, with

the 911 Turbo S centre lock wheels now featuring seven instead of ten double spokes.

The 911 Turbo wheels are now half an inch wider, making them the same size as the 911 Turbo S. The new door handles come with-out plastic shell inserts just like on the Carrera models. The rear of the car has been reworked with three-dimensional rear lighting, featuring four-point brake lights. The exit openings for the exhaust system as well as the dual tailpipes come in a new design. The rear lid grille consists of three parts: the right and left sections with longi-tudinal louvres, and the middle, which has a separate cover for op-timised air induction to the engine.

PCM systemAlong with the generation change in models, the newly developed Porsche Communication Manage-ment (PCM) system with online navigation, is making its way into the cockpits of the 911 Turbo as standard. It is operated via a multi-touch monitor with high-quality glass surface, seamlessly integrat-ed into the centre console.

A range of PCM functions are also controlled via voice control. As in the previous models, the Bose sound system is off ered as standard, with an optional Burm-ester system also available.

T O P M O D E L S

ISC, Salalah celebrates Club DaySALALAH: The Indian Social Club (ISC) Salalah, celebrated the Club Day marking 19 years of dedicated service to the Indian community of Salalah and its surroundings.

It was declared open by Man-preet Singh, chairman, in the pres-ence of Dr Khader Nawaz Khan, general secretary, and the mem-bers of the managing committee, says a press release.

Singh listed the achievements for the past seven years ever since

he took offi ce as chairman. He welcomed the gathering and the former chairmen of the club. He emphasised the need to work to-gether to promote the unity and commitment of all the members in developing the club.

He also mentioned about the new convention hall made ready for use by the community.

The club wore a festive look with the members and their fami-lies enjoying the games and fun

activities conducted by Rachna Medappa, and Neol with the ac-companiment of DJ Prableen Singh’s thundering numbers. The children, the adults and the old enjoyed the evening to the brim with fun, food and lots of gifts.

Lulu, Lifeline Hospital, Dunes Oman were the mega, golden and silver sponsors besides Marriott, Crowne Plaza, Rotana, Hilton, Hamdan Plaza Hotel and many more who contributed to the event.

1 9 Y E A R S O F S E R V I C E

Kims Oman Hospital

also announced a

free consultation with

Dr Sivaram Subbiah

until December 31

Grand 25th sports meet at ISGMUSCAT: A vibrant and grand spectacle with much fanfare and enthusiasm marked the 25th an-nual sports meet at Indian School Al Ghubra (ISG) recently.

KAM Sageer took the salute at the synchronised and ceremonial march past led by four diff erent houses – Muscat, Nizwa, Sur and Sohar. Dressed in the colours of their respective houses, the students marched impressively amidst loud cheers of the audi-ence, says a press release.

Students who brought pride and glory to their school in dif-ferent disciplines at the national level led the ‘Peace Run’.

The rhythmic display of ‘Col-our-Cards’, ‘Cup Of Life’ and ‘The Mask’ drills by the students of Classes IV to VIII, evoked a lot of praise from the audience and the ground reverberated with sponta-neous applause.

The various athletic events

and relay races fi lled the air with excitement and anticipation. The parents too thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the event organised for them.

Chak De India and Sabse Aage Honge Hindustani - musical drill performances wowed the audi-

ence. Young participants beamed with pride as trophies, medals and certifi cates were presented to them.

The event culminated with the ‘Retreat March’ followed by the chief guest declaring the sports meet closed.

A N N U A L E V E N T

B6 T U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

ROUND-UP

Mitsubishi ushers New Year with special off ers

MUSCAT: General Automotive Company, the offi cial distributor of Mitsubishi vehicles in Oman, is ushering in the New Year with spe-cial off ers and cash gifts on three of its most popular models — the Pajero, Outlander and Lancer EX, says a press release.

Commenting on the off er, Manoj Ranade, the GM of Gen-eral Automotive Company said, “What better way is there to wel-come in the New Year than from behind the wheel of a brand new

Mitsubishi. With our ‘Mitsubishi Bonanza’ we are off ering Mit-subishi fans a chance to do just that; with three of our most pop-ular models benefi tting from free service and a special cash gift, coupled with the guaranteed reli-ability, comfort, safety and an en-gaging driving experience char-acteristic of any vehicle sporting the tri-diamond badge.”

Valid until January 14 – this of-fer applies to all Mitsubishi Lancer EX, Pajero, and Outlander models.

As part of the off er, Mitsubishi is off ering each of these models with six years unlimited mileage war-ranty, six years roadside assistance and free registration.

Customers purchasing either of these three models will also ben-efi t from a free service package – 6 years/100,000km free service for the Pajero and 3 Years/50,000km free service for the Outlander and Lancer EX.

Selected models will also come with cash gifts of upto OMR1,045.

Each of these three Mitsubishi models, regardless of their off er benefi ts, presents customers a unique driving experience — the Lancer EX has a range of styles and engines to suit anyone looking for a spacious high-quality Japa-nese family saloon; the Outlander is by far one of our most advanced models and also one of our newest with versatility, space and perfor-mance in equal measure; while the legendary Pajero off ers market-leading off -road capability coupled with supple on road comfort.

“Each of these vehicles repre-sent the very best of what Mitsubi-shi can off er and will no doubt be a great way to welcome the New Year,” added Manoj.

In addition, any customer visit-ing the showroom and taking a test drive on any Mitsubishi vehicle during the off er period will be en-tered into a special draw.

The draw itself will be conduct-ed at the end of the off er period in January with four winners taking home a brand new iPad mini each.

Valid until January

14, the off er applies

to all Mitsubishi

Lancer EX, Pajero and

Outlander models

Dance contest concludes

MUSCAT: ‘Beyond The Star’ international dance competi-tion, organised recently by Majan Events and Angels Dance Group has concluded successfully.

The much awaited fi nale of this competition was held recently and the event ended with excit-ing and thrilling performance by Dharmesh, famous Bollywood choreographer and actor and the judge of this competition, says a press release.

The event was enlivened by musical performance by Nadeem Al Balushi and excellent dance performances by Angels Dance Group and Flyingledz yaz.

The master of ceremony was RJ Prince from Radio 4 89.1 FM

Dubai. The audience enjoyed the spectacular performances by Tariq Ansari, the versatile singer, and Santrupth Vedanthi who played the drums.

In diff erent age groups, Deli-cious Dance Academy won the fi rst and two second prizes, RDI (Rajesh Master) won two fi rst prizes and Dilip the choreogra-pher won second prize.

This event was judged by Deepika Srivastav and Gayatri Menon while Azra Aleem was the supporting host.

The organisers Majan Events in association with Angels Dance Group extended their gratitude to the sponsors and the audience for supporting this event.

S P E C T A C U L A R P E R F O R M A N C E S

Bank Muscat launches new al Wathbah Academy in SalalahMUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the fl ag-ship fi nancial services provider in the Sultanate, as part of its ‘Let’s Do More’ vision and commitment to partnership in supporting youth to embark on entrepreneurial ven-tures, launched al Wathbah Acad-emy in Salalah.

The fi rst intake of the academy includes 15 youth from Dhofar region who will undergo eight months training programme. The launch ceremony held at the bank’s Regional Offi ce in Salalah was at-tended by senior bank offi cials, including Yasir Tabook, regional manager, says a press release.

The unique al Wathbah Acad-emy was launched by the bank in August 2014 as part of its com-mitment to sustainable social de-velopment, complementing gov-ernment eff orts in strengthening the role of SMEs in the economic development of Oman.

Marking the 45th year of Oman’s National Day under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, and in recognition of the im-mense benefi ts accruing from the training programme, Bank Muscat widened the scope of al Wathbah Academy training programme to benefi t 30 participants, taking the total number of benefi ciaries to 45. The Corporate Social Responsi-bility (CSR) initiative is aimed at equipping youth with self-employ-ment skills boosting the country’s progress and development.

Yasir Tabook said: “Bank Mus-cat is proud to facilitate access for entrepreneurs in Dhofar region to follow their business dreams by acquiring the required skills and knowledge through the unique training programme. In light of the

business environment in Oman which off ers tremendous opportu-nities and challenges for the SME sector, Bank Muscat remains com-mitted to creating self-employ-ment opportunities for citizens across the Sultanate.”

The bank’s support to the coun-try’s youth to enhance skills and thereby embark on self-sustaina-ble employment initiatives are in line with the directive of His Maj-esty to support the SME sector and strengthen its role in the economic development of Oman.

The objective of al Wathbah Academy is to impart the required skills and guidance for entrepre-neurs drawn from diverse fi elds to embark on successful SME business ventures. The 8-months training programme is off ered in association with Amideast, lead-ing to accredited international certifi cation by Project Manage-ment Institute (PMI).

The unique SME initiative plays an important role in fi lling the gaps and empowering entrepreneurs to chart successful business ven-tures. The academy marks a clear progression of the well-defi ned strategy pursued by the bank in line with the directives of His Maj-esty to support the SME sector.

Aimed at strengthening the SME sector, the bank’s al Wathbah SME department off ers a com-prehensive suite of tailor-made fi -nance solutions. A unique SME fi -nancing launched by the bank has helped entrepreneurs overcome a major challenge. al Wathbah SME non-collateral fi nance not requir-ing collateral guarantee is a bold step affi rming the bank’s commit-ment to encouraging an entrepre-neurial culture in Oman.

The bank has also launched a se-ries of initiatives as part of a com-prehensive plan to support women entrepreneurs in Oman.

The bank regularly conducts workshops and seminars to equip SMEs to identify business op-portunities and tackle challenges. Serving as building blocks for ex-isting and prospective entrepre-neurs, these initiatives assume importance in the backdrop of the priority accorded by the govern-ment to develop the SME sector in Oman.

The support to SMEs and wom-en empowerment initiatives stem from the bank’s commitment to create self-employment oppor-tunities for youth who constitute more than 50 per cent of the coun-try’s population.

S M E D E V E L O P M E N T

Mazda Professional Cup Season

2 reaches most interesting phase

MUSCAT: In December 2013, automotive giant Mazda signed a partnership deal with Oman Football Association (OFA) to promote the game of football in the country.

Mazda became the offi cial automotive partner of the OFA and a few months later, Mazda took over the very popular Oman League Cup and rechristened it the Mazda Professional Cup. This reinforced the brand’s commit-ment to the growth of the game in Oman and strengthened Mazda’s image as the keepers of the na-tion’s passion for football.

In its exciting second season now, the Mazda Cup is kindling the interest of the football lovers in Oman. With the 14 clubs taking on each other aggressively, the entire country is glued to these nail-bit-ing matches, says a press release.

A senior spokesperson of Tow-ell Auto Centre (TAC), the sole distributors of Mazda range of vehicles in Oman, commented: “We are delighted with the way

the second season of the Mazda Professional Cup is progressing. We profusely thank everyone who is associated with it. We pledge to keep supporting the game and re-dedicate ourselves to constantly take steps for further growth of football talent in the country.”

The Mazda Cup is a three-month long tournament, in which all the top 14 local football clubs participate. In the upcoming Mazda Cup 2015/16, Dhofar and Salalah, Muscat and Al Ouroba will compete with each other on December 14 and Al Nasr and Dhofar and Sur and Al Ouroba will play matches on December 22. This marks the end of the league games. The quarter, semi-fi nal and fi nals will commence post that, which is expected to culminate in January 2016.

TAC has already handed over Mazda2 cars to the 14 clubs, which are being used by the clubs for their smooth transportation.

“Football is a game that unites the country. As a responsible

corporate and as a brand that stands for being unconventional, we want to promote this game as much as possible especially at the grassroots level, in the interest of the people and the country,” the senior spokesperson added.

Off ering the trendiest of Japa-nese cars, Mazda has brought in a lot of excitement in Oman’s au-tomobile industry with their ‘styl-ish, spirited and insightful’ brand-ing. These three unique qualities lie at the core of each Mazda you spot on the streets and form the brand’s DNA and TAC makes owning a Mazda extra pleasant with its effi cient after sales ser-vice and quick response time.

With a network of 13 ser-vice outlets and 10 parts outlets spread across Oman, TAC is the only Mazda distributor in the world to win the Mazda Customer Service award fi ve years in a row. With 98.2 per cent parts deliver-ability, TAC also off ers quick, ef-fi cient service with genuine parts available for all models.

P R O M O T I N G F O O T B A L L

Oman Quarries takes part in mining and minerals exhibition MUSCAT: With the mining in-dustry set out to boost its presence in the Sultanate of Oman, Oman Quarries (a part of Al Hooqani In-ternational Group) looks at estab-lishing itself as one of the leading suppliers of aggregates and sand.

Oman Quarries recently took part in the mining and minerals ex-hibition and conference - Taadeen Oman 2015, says a press release.

Processed with limestone and dolomite properties, Oman Quar-ries is presently one of the largest mountain crushers in Oman with a production capacity of 20,000 TPD located in Al Jaylah. The principle of the company is to set footprints as the fi rst choice for quality raw material aggregates in the concrete ready-mix, block factories and in-terlock solutions industries.

Sheikh Ahmed Ali Ahmed Al Hooqani, chairman, expressed his gratitude towards the initiative tak-en by Oman Expo and the govern-ment authorities for organising and boosting the mining sector in the Sultanate of Oman. “It is great that the business community is looking at the mining sector with a diff er-ent and fresh perspective. We are happy with the initiative taken by

Oman Expo which would help the mining sector to broaden its reach into various industries.”

Irfan Ali Khan, head of sales and marketing, said: “Such kind of initiatives and the support by the government would only help in enhancing the company’s brand image and motivate them to con-tribute substantially towards the growing economy of Oman.”

T A A D E E N O M A N 2 0 1 5


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Malabar Gold to open its 9th outlet in Oman

MUSCAT: Malabar Gold & Dia-monds, the leading jewellery re-tailers, announced the opening of its 9th outlet in Oman. Famous Omani footballer Imad Al Hosni will inaugurate the showroom at

6pm on December 11. This elegant showroom, con-

veniently located at Gold Souq Seeb, will be their 9th showroom in Oman and 58th in the Middle East. Like all other Malabar Gold & Diamonds outlets, this showroom will also display a signifi cantly large collection of traditional as well as contemporary jewellery in gold, certifi ed diamonds, platinum and precious stone jewellery from across the world that can hold you spell-bound with their awe-inspir-ing beauty, says a press release.

Inaugural off erTo celebrate this occasion, the group introduced fabulous inau-gural off er for their customers. Customers will get an assured free gift on every purchase. This off er is valid at their outlet in Gold Souq

Seeb until December 15. One of the most important fac-

tors driving the group’s success are innovation in their strategies, designs, promotions and the trust Malabar Gold & Diamonds evokes. With a rich mix of traditional and trendy jewellery in gold, diamond and platinum, Malabar Gold& Dia-monds is one of the most preferred destinations for quality jewellery. The combination of purest jewel-lery and cutting edge designs com-bining unmatched grace and style makes their jewellery unique.

The branded jewellery segment of Malabar Gold& Diamonds that includes Ethnix — handcrafted de-signer jewellery; Era — uncut dia-mond jewellery; Mine — diamonds unlimited; Divine — Indian herit-age jewellery; Precia — precious gem jewellery and Starlet — kids

jewellery are renowned globally for their fl awless craftsmanship and the impeccable style.

The leap from a single store to 141 outlets globally did not happen overnight. It was achieved through consistent eff ort and an insist-ence on setting exceptionally high standards to meet the aspiration of customers over a period of 22 years. Their dedicated and highly skilled employees invest heart and soul in striving to achieve maxi-mum perfection. Absolute cus-tomer satisfaction is the overrid-ing promise in everything they do.

Ornaments have never been so easier to buy, sell and exchange as they are in Malabar Gold & Dia-monds and with their customer friendly policies, they give their customers enough reasons to come back to their stores.

Star Omani footballer

Imad Al Hosni will

inaugurate the

showroom at Gold

Souq Seeb at 6pm

on December 11

Stephen Devassy, Manoj George set to perform at ISD Alumni MeetTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Legendary musician Stephen Devassy will perform along with Grammy Award win-ning violinist Manoj George for the fi fth anniversary celebration of Indian School Darsait (ISD) Alumni on December 18 at Al Falaj Hotel. The entry to the event which begins at 6:30pm is strictly by invitation.

The ISD Alumni Meet titled ‘Yesterday Once More’ is being or-ganised by JK Films. ISD Alumni is an association of former stu-dents of Indian School Darsait and the organisers are now preparing to make the reunion memorable.

Speaking exclusively to the Times of Oman from Mumbai, Stephen Devassy said he is excit-

ed to perform for the ISD Alumni Meet. “I am quite close with some of the members of ISD Alumni and I am equally thrilled to per-form for the Alumni meet,” said the iconic musician.

Known as the man with the magic fi ngers, Stephen rose to fame at the age of 18 and is a regu-lar member of musical maestro A. R. Rahman’s troupe. Stephen who holds the record for being the highest Asian scorer in Piano ex-ams from Trinity College of Music has so far conducted thousands of shows across the globe. “It is al-ways good to come back to Muscat and perform for ISD Alumni. This young team (ISD Alumni organi-aers) has done great things in the last fi ve years and now they have completed fi ve years. I am excited

as they are to hit the stage,” he said. As part of the fi fth anniversary

this year, ISD Alumni has launched a scholarship programme titled ‘ISD Alumni Scholarship Pro-gramme’ that will sponsor the fees of few deserving students from low income families studying at ISD.

“There are so many students in the school whose parents are fi nd-ing it diffi cult to pay the school fees. These students are very good in studies. This mega event will be will be organised for these students. In a way we are giving something back to the school,” said

Betsy Watson, vice-president of ISD Alumni.

The organisers also have plans to felicitate the teachers who have completed several years of service in school. During the event, the ISD Alumni offi cials will also hon-our former student achievers who have succeeded in the areas relat-ed to their work. “Even last year we honoured a few teachers and for-mer students who made a mark in their own fi eld,” Betsy added.

Sabco Commercial Centre is the presenter of the event; while Mala-bar Gold & Diamonds and Hussain Fadhil & Partners are the gold spon-sors. Renna, Genesis and Al Amani TVR Group are the silver sponsors. The co-sponsors are: Al Ajwakh Group, Al Eman Dental Clinic, Ara-bian Industries, Al Reema Building

Materials, Al Hikma International Medical Center, Shah Nagardas Manji & Co., Al Azaiba United Co, Al Zakwani Enterprises, Raha, In-dex Group, AA Group of Compa-nies, Ramford Institute of Business Management, Axis Events, Rajeev Travel and Tourism, Grand Techni-cal Equipments, Abdul Fatah Mohd Noor Co, Sanford Electronics, Ma-jan Events, Nabras Dhofar Trading and Contracting.

Times of Oman is the offi cial me-dia partner, while Crystal Suites is the hospitality partner, Talentz is the light and sound partner, Jet Airways is the offi cial airline, 360 Degrees and On the Rocks are the offi cial restaurants. The offi cial photography is by Al Hashmi Stu-dio and Green Ghubrah Printing Press is the offi cial printing partner.

D E C E M B E R 1 8

Ooredoo revamps its Suhoola bundle MUSCAT: Continuing on its journey to inspire human growth through technology, Ooredoo has released a hugely upgraded Suhoola bundle designed to em-power people with special needs.

Off ering unrivalled value, the new package includes reduced call rates and 1GB data, 10 times the previous allowance, to allow its customers to stay connected for longer, says a press release.

Feras Al Sheikh, director of Consumer Sales at Ooredoo, said: “Responding to the needs of the disabled community has always been central to our goals. Over the years, we have consistently reaffi rmed that commitment by developing a dedicated bundle for people with special needs to make a world of choice accessible to them. Our revamped Suhoola bundle off ers them more data and greater savings.

“One of the reasons we in-creased the data allowance is that we know there are lots of apps on the market that help with im-proving quality of life in people with disabilities. All these apps need data to work so by provid-ing 1 GB per month, we are en-suring that they can be used as often as needed. To us, Suhoola

is more than another product, it is a service that empowers users to grow.”

Freeing customers with special needs from paying an activation fee, the improved Suhoola bun-dle delivers free 1GB of monthly data, alongside voice and video rates as low as 19 Bz per minute for calling within the Sultanate. Customers registered with the Ministry of Social Development and holding the necessary card can get Ooredoo’s latest inspiring service. For more information customers can visit any of Oore-doo’s 40 stores located across the Sultanate, the majority of which are wheelchair friendly. Oore-doo are currently working with building owners to ensure that all stores will be wheelchair accessi-ble by June 2016.

E M P O W E R I N G S P E C I A L N E E D S P E O P L E

MHD to distribute Intex mobile devices in OmanMUSCAT: Intex Technologies, a major player in the manufacturing of consumer electronics, mobile devices and IT accessories, will seek to further whet tech-savvy Oman consumers’ appetite with the launch of its latest Aqua Series Android-based smartphones.

The company’s fl agship model boasts fun and functional designs with strong specifi cations at very attractive price points, guaranteed to appeal to the country’s growing population of trendy technology consumers, says a press release.

Intex is entering the Oman mar-ket with fi ve smartphone models - Aqua Xtreme II, Aqua Desire HD, Aqua Star II HD, Aqua Life II and the entry level Aqua T2. All Intex devices will be covered with one year warranty in Oman. The cus-tomer can get warranty for their

devices in countries like India, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Iran sub-ject to model availability.

“With the launch of its new Aqua smartphone collection, In-tex aims to provide regional con-

sumers with wider options,” said Sanjay Bansal, managing director of Intex.

“Aqua smartphones’ craftsman-ship and technology rival those of other brands available in the mar-

ket today, but this value-added fea-tures cost a fraction of the price.”

Intex, which is headquartered in Delhi, India, is the third largest selling consumer electronic goods brand in India.

As per Cybex Exim reports of the last three months, Intex has outperformed all other players in import shipments and local manu-facturing combined in the coun-try, which makes Intex number 1 maker of mobile handsets in India. It has presence in 66 countries worldwide.

Mohsin Haider Darwish (MHD) will be the authorised distributor for Intex Mobile Devices. MHD Group is one of Oman’s leading business houses, with activities spanning manufacturing, services, imports and distribution of a large portfolio of brands and products.

A U T H O R I S E D D I S T R I B U T O R

‘Marvellous Moms’ launched at Avenues Mall

MUSCAT: Buthaina Al Raisi, Oman’s celebrated actress, and Avenues Mall joined together in a exciting partnership aimed at incentivising mothers at the mall to avail a bouquet of benefi ts with ‘Marvellous Moms’ — a unique loy-alty card.

When creating the concept Av-enues Mall envisioned a practical interpretation of the benefi ts for visiting mothers who can visit the customer service desk anytime and show their membership card to receive a free coupon booklet which contains things such as free baby trolley hire, fun train express ride, free coff ee / tea coupon which will be redeemable at participating café’s, discount coupons for select-ed kids retailers, preferential deals at selected OAM health and beauty outlets and preferential deals at the malls family entertainment venues and selected F&B outlets.

Buthaina Al Raisi was im-pressed by the uniqueness of the programme combined with new initiatives of Avenues Mall. As a part of this partnership, Buthaina is committed to promoting the concept and bringing her insight to future products and programmes. Buthaina has secured her position as an artist through a rare blend of natural elegance and performance.

This irresistible combination is highlighted in all her projects and Marvellous Moms is yet another attempt to capture the essence of what she stands for.

Oman Avenues Mall with its as-sortment of shopping options and the visitor footfall that is matched by the increase in retail sales and

has indeed lived upto its tag line of being a place for all. The mall’s var-ied choice of retail outlets - with the world’s leading brands oper-ating their fl agship stores here - underlines its premier position as the must-visit destination for the booming consumer segment in Oman. The Oman Avenues

Mall off ers the full breadth of re-tail choices and the mall’s spread meets all shopping requirements of visitors – from fashion wear to accessories, electronic appli-ances to home furnishing, the latest communication gadgets to audio-visual choices, books, jewel-lery and much more. Signifi cantly, the mall’s retail spread includes fl agship stores of the world’s top-notch brands across all the dif-ferent sectors making it the fi rst choice for discerning customers. The mall also has over choice of food and beverage outlets – pro-viding a choice for any taste.

A destination that meets multi-ple demands, whether it be casual or selective shopping, a good en-tertainment and leisure time or a perfect dining experience, Oman Avenues Mall has it all. Covering all the sections of a consumer’s interest, the mall has a choice of fashion labels, very unique collec-tion of gift items, childcare needs, food, jewellery, home décor, life-style items, latest electronics and much more. Strategically located with the best amenities, keeping in mind the varying needs and di-verse demands of the most critical of customers, this shopper’s para-dise is well equipped to suit the de-mands of the local market.

L O Y A L T Y C A R D

Let’s Popcorn opens new outlet in MuscatMUSCAT: Gourmet popcorn is now in Muscat! Visit the new outlet Let’s Popcorn in Qurum to pick out your favourite fl avour or order a hamper of the bestsellers for a unique and memorable gift.

Oman’s fi rst gourmet popcorn outlet recently opened its doors in Muscat and off ers a diverse se-lection of 25 fl avours!

Brought into the Sultanate by Ali Mohammed Al Ajmi, Amal Al Ajmi, Eram Mohammed Al Ajmi and Iman Al Ajmi, Let’s Popcorn is a Kuwait-based franchise. It was offi cially opened by Her Highness Hujaija Al Said who was also the chief guest and a lot of eager and enthusiastic pop-corn lovers were also present, says a press release.

The popcorn is completely made in Oman and that set the grounds for the innovative launch concept of the gourmet outlet. One of the Big Bus’ was branded by Let’s Popcorn and anyone who hopped on could sample popcorn while they toured around the city and enjoyed sightseeing – com-pletely free of cost! The bus fi -nally de-boarded all passengers at the outlet at Qurum Gardens Centre, opposite Qurum Natural Park where a visual and culinary treat awaited them.

The diff erent varieties of pop-

corn were attractively displayed in cubes, as you would get to see some of the artefacts in museums and each visitor walked away with a junior bouquet of 20 fl a-vours of the bestsellers!

What is even more tempting is that taste does not in any way compromise the nutritional val-ue. High quality ingredients are used – right from the kernel to the fl avours. Moreover, the ker-nel is organic and air popped; and all fl avours are totally oil free and non-GMO.

“Popcorn is synonymous with fun, enjoyment, taste and with Let’s Popcorn, even healthy,” ex-plains Amal Al Ajmi, the person who initiated this venture.

“Everyone has diff erent taste preferences. Any customer, who walks into our store, is sure to fi nd at least one fl avour that will be appealing.

“If you cannot make up your mind on just one fl avour, make your own takeaway sampler. That is the fun part of it. We also cre-ate gift hampers that make for a memorable treat,” she added.

While one might consider that 25 varieties are already quite a bit to choose from, there will be four fl avours added every two months that will further build up on the existing selection.

G O U R M E T P O P C O R N

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Bank Muscat wins coveted award

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the fl ag-ship fi nancial services provider in the Sultanate, was honoured for support to social development ini-tiatives during the presentation of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Award

for Voluntary Work. In all, 99 projects vied for top

honours in the fourth edition of the award presented by Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Futaisi, Min-ister of Transport and Commu-nications, in recognition of out-standing voluntary programmes in support of society and citizens, says a press release.

AbdulRazak Ali Issa, Chief Ex-ecutive, said: “Bank Muscat is honoured to be recognised by the government for vital support to voluntary initiatives in Oman. The bank as part of its vision is committed to ‘Doing More’ for the economy, the community and the environment. As the leading bank in the Sultanate, Bank Mus-cat recognises that sustainable

development is the key to achiev-ing long-term benefi ts spanning environmental, economic, social and cultural dimensions.

“The bank strongly believes in the need for bringing about a positive change in the lives of dif-ferent segments of society and focuses on all types of projects that fall within the framework of social responsibility and their im-portance and overall benefi t both to society and individuals.”

Living up to its commitment to sustainable development, Bank Muscat lays great importance to corporate social responsibil-ity (CSR) initiatives. Central to the bank’s social responsibility programmes is the Green Sports initiative launched in 2012 to pro-

mote Oman as a sporting nation in general and the national game of football in particular. As part of the programme, the bank in a record time achieved notable success in developing green fi elds in all parts of the Sultanate.

The initiative marked a mile-stone as the bank signed agree-ments with 15 new benefi ciaries for 2015. In all, 49 sports teams have benefi tted from the unique social responsibility initiative in four years.

Aimed at supporting the future generations of Oman, the Jesr Al Mustaqbal education programme launched by the bank in partner-ship with the Ministry of Higher Education focuses on providing youth from families under the

social welfare programme with an opportunity to continue their higher education.

Identifying needy homes across the Sultanate, the ‘Tadhamun’ programme initiated by the bank in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development supports homes in dire need of renovation and provides basic electronic home appliances to low-income families. To date, over 300 families have ben-efi ted from this programme.

Supporting youth to embark on entrepreneurial ventures, the bank in 2015 widened the scope of al Wathbah Academy training pro-gramme to benefi t 30 participants in Batinah and Dhofar governo-rates as new al Wathbah Academy were opened in Sohar and Salalah.

Bank Muscat was

honoured at His

Majesty Sultan

Qaboos Award for

Voluntary Work

Kims launches unique health care packages

MUSCAT: In line with the Sultan-ate’s celebrations of the National Day, Kims Oman Hospital has launched attractive packages with a diverse series of special off ers on several of its medical services, cov-ering Cardiology, Derma and Den-tal departments for OMR45 only for each package. These off ers are in eff ect until the end of January 2016, says a press release.

The cardiology department of-fers comprehensive blood tests

and screenings including ECG, ECHO, fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol and HbA1C, followed by consultation with a cardiolo-gist for advice on the blood tests results. Continuing with the derma package, the department of dermatology and cosmetology provides 03 session of skin polish-ing with dermatologist besides a consultation or 06 session upper lip hair removal with dermatolo-gist consultation. Moreover, the

department of dental is off ering very attractive packages including free consultations and scaling/oral prophylaxis for two adults and two children below 15 years, as well as two free consultations of ortho-dontist for children below 15 years.

“We would like to express our great pleasure to contribute in the celebrations and provide the community members with spe-cial health care packages,” said, Dr Hussam Akoum, COO at KOH.

A T T R A C T I V E

Lulu gears up for Christmas season

MUSCAT: The spirit of Christ-mas is in the air and with celebra-tions having started everywhere, Lulu hypermarket has also launched an array of delightful surprises for the festive season to help its customers get right into the yuletide spirit.

The special promotions and of-fers enable shoppers to get their Christmas goodies and every-thing they possibly need for the family this festive season-all at one place. The hypermarket pro-vides a range of products across selected categories relevant for the season at the lowest and best prices. From trendy festive at-tire for men, women and kids to food items, Xmas decorations, gift items and pretty much everything needed to get ready for the season, Lulu has it all, says a press release

Lulu has adorned all its hyper-markets with Xmas trees, stars, Santas, garlands with bright lights and fancy décor to emphasize the joyous mood of Christmas and capture the magic of the season.

Lulu will off er special coun-ters for Xmas goodies like freshly baked cookies, brownies, cakes, imported chocolates and des-serts to add a sweet touch to the season. No celebration is com-plete without the traditional Christmas dinner.

A wide selection of meat and poultry products, including fresh chicken, frozen duck and turkeys, and dairy products will be availa-ble to help customers make their Xmas feast complete.

Shoppers can also bring all the joy, love and the beauty of Christmas to their home with lovely decorations like sparkling stars and balls, glittering tinsels, reindeers, snowmen and decora-tive lights that add to the charm of the season.

With everything available un-der one roof and at best prices, Lulu has made it extremely con-venient for customers to beat the hassles of scrambling through several markets and shopping at escalated prices for Christmas and New Year.

Commenting on the seasonal promotion, Ananth A. V., Region-al Director, Lulu Hypermarket,

Oman said: “Lulu is delighted to kick-start the yuletide season with special promotions and off ers to guide our diverse cus-tomers with their year-end fes-tive shopping. As a completely customer-centric organisation, Lulu aims to launch all its pro-motions and off ers to coincide with the festivals and seasons of the multi-ethnic communities of the Sultanate. We hope that all our initiatives will add to the ex-citement and joy of this season,” he added.

All through the years Lulu has strived to give its customers the best shopping experience and the maximum value for their money. The hypermarket takes pride in sourcing the fi nest products at reasonable prices to cater to every requirement of the custom-ers for every season. The special off ers and exclusive seasonal promotions are part of Lulu Hy-permarket’s initiative to continu-ously bring the best of the world to their customers, no matter where they are!

F E S T I V E S E A S O N

Lulu is delighted to

kick-start the yuletide

season with special

promotions and offers

to guide our diverse

customers with their

year-end festive

shopping

Ananth A. V.Regional Director, Lulu Hypermarket, Oman

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

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Amla hails South Africa’s ‘selfl ess’ blocking in defeatNEW DELHI: South Africa captain Hashim Amla hailed his team’s uncharacteristically dogged batting in the fourth and fi nal Test against India even though it was not enough to avert their third loss in the four-match series.

Set a daunting 481-run vic-tory target, South Africa resorted to extraordinary stonewalling at Ferozeshah Kotla, blocking over after over in their desperate bid to prolong the contest.

Amla, usually a fl uent scorer, took 46 balls to get off the mark and toiled for 288 minutes for his 23 runs.

AB de Villiers, who holds the record for the fastest 50, 100 and 150 in one-dayers, also displayed another side of his swashbuckling

batsmanship when he batted for some six hours, much of it with a swollen thumb, for his 43 runs.

“We kind of felt that was the best way to save the game for us,” Amla told reporters as he defended his team’s batting approach in their 337-run defeat.

“It would have been easy for our batters to say ‘let’s just go and have some fun and get some runs under our belts with those guys in catch-ing positions’.

“That gains nothing, especially when you are playing for the team, playing for the country trying to save a test match.”

In a remarkable display of dour batting, South Africa scored 143 runs in as many overs before collapsing in the very next ball

in their second innings.Faf du Plessis took 53 balls

to get off the mark, while left-arm Indian spinner Ravindra Jadeja sent down 17 consecutive maidens overs.

“Nobody wants to block, you want to score runs as a batsman,” Amla said.

“The need of the time was to try and bat as long as we can, take as many risky shots out of the equa-tion, try and draw the test match.

“To block full tosses and half-volleys is unnatural for batting. But when it is done, you kind of appreciate the determination that somebody shows.

“AB was probably a prime ex-ample in his innings -- to try and knuckle down for the team’s

sake. There was no selfi shness in-volved to do what he has done for the team.”

Amla endured a wretched In-dia tour himself, managing 118 runs from seven innings, a far cry from his 2010 India tour when he topped the scorers’ list.

“Not being able to score runs in the series certainly was disap-pointing for me. As a batting unit as a whole, we just did not man-age to get the runs on the board,” said Amla whose team did not go beyond 185 in the spin-domi-nated series.

“2010 was a wonderful year for me when I was here. But some-times cricket goes that way, so I am not going to look too deep into it.” - Reuters

T E S T C R I C K E T

India pulled off a hard fought win at the Feroze Shah Kotla to win the

fi rst ever Freedom Trophy between India and South Africa. The South African approach was seen yester-day itself when they had decided that the only way to survive was to defend. They did that for the better part of the pre-lunch session and then for a bit after lunch. The Indians though were aware that it was going to be just a couple of wickets that would turn the tide in their favour.

They also knew that they had to be patient for the ball to do something. Ravindra Jadeja produced that ball to get through the defenses of Hashim Amla and though Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers continued the stub-born resistance it was not as certain as when Amla and de Villiers were batting.

Sure enough du Plessis played for the turn and was dismissed by one that went straight through.

JP Duminy also did not last long as Ashwin kept fl ummoxing the batsmen with the variations in fl ight and the angles he cre-ated by changing the line of attack. He has matured tremendously as a bowler and though the churlish may point out to the fact that he hasn’t taken wickets overseas there is no ques-tion that he with his variety is the best spinner in the game now.

AB de Villiers’ reputation as an attacking batsman is known throughout the world but he also went with the team’s needs by eschewing shots and only when the full toss came

along or he could play with the minimum of risk that he went for the boundary.

It was probably his slowest innings in Test cricket and only when he was out to Ashwin could India be certain of another win.

Ravindra Jadeja also en-hanced his reputation with a sterling performance get-ting the wicket of Hashim Amla in the pre-lunch ses-sion and he was threatening at all times.

The biggest gain was the manner in which Umesh Yadav bowled on an unsuit-able wicket for fast bowlers. His speed never dropped and he got the ball to swing back to the right handers and bounce awkwardly off a length.

He picked important wickets and gave India just the thrust it needed.

India’s energy levels were terrifi c. On a cool day where the sun was not out and the batsmen hardly playing any shots a sense of lethargy can creep in but the Indians never lost sight of their objective and so kept hammering away and have now ended up with a 3-0 scoreline against not just the number one ranked team in the world but a team that hadn’t lost an overseas campaign for over 9 years.

Well done Virat and the boys. India is proud of you. - PMG

Well done Virat and boysC O M M E N T A R Y

OVER THE MOON: Indian cricket team celebrate win over South Africa during fi nal day of the fourth Test match at Feroz Shah Kotla Sta-

dium in New Delhi. – PTI

India seal 3-0 triumphafter Proteas crumble

NEW DELHI: South Africa’s spectacular stonewalling came unstuck in the fi nal session as In-dia cruised to a 337-run victory in the fi nal Test to win the four-match series 3-0 at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium on Monday.

Beaten inside three days on ei-ther side of the rain-ruined second Test in Bangalore, Hashim Amla and his men had fi nally managed to take a Test into its fi nal day with some dogged resilience.

Resuming on 72-2, South Africa employed the same ultra-defen-sive approach that marked their batting on Sunday, hoping to eke out a pride-salvaging draw than chase an improbable 481-run vic-tory target. Amla (23) led their dour reply with his 244-ball resist-ance and AB de Villiers (43) bat-tled for about six hours, much of it with a swollen thumb, before the slow-scoring tourists folded for 143 in 143.1 overs.

Their single-minded blocking also allowed India’s left-arm spin-ner Ravindra Jadeja to send down 17 consecutive maiden overs.

Ravichandran Ashwin claimed 5-61 to fi nish with 31 wickets which also earned the off -spinner the man-of-the-series award.

“All wins are pretty special but this one because we had to work harder for this,” captain Virat Kohli

said after India rose to number two in test rankings with the series vic-tory. “We were surprised with the way they were defending the ball, but the bowlers didn’t go off their plans. It tested our patience but I think it’s more special to get wick-ets in that situation,” said Kohli.

The Indian captain employed as many as eight bowlers, includ-ing himself, to overcome the Pro-teas’ resistance and populated the crease with up to six close-in fi eld-ers for his spinners.

Amla’s toilJadeja earned the breakthrough

in the fi fth over after the hosts had taken the new ball, spinning one past Amla’s tentative bat to hit the top of the off -stump before em-barking on a celebratory run.

Amla departed after nearly fi ve hours of dour defending, scoring 25 painstaking runs in what was the slowest ever Test inning of 200 or more balls. The 27 runs he added with de Villiers in 253 balls was also the slowest Test partner-ship of 175 balls or more.

New man in Faf du Plessis dis-played the same obduracy with the bat and took 53 balls — seven more than skipper Amla — to get off the

mark. Jadeja ended du Plessis’ (10) two-hour stay after lunch but it was once again Ashwin, the standout bowler in the series, who virtually sealed the match in India’s favour by dismissing de Villiers soon after tea. It was one of the slowest in-nings by de Villiers, who holds the record for the fastest 50, 100 and 150 in one-day cricket, made more remarkable by the fact that he had been hit on the thumb by an Umesh Yadav delivery.

“It was a tough series for our bat-ters. Unfortunately we didn’t man-age to get that much runs most of the times,” Amla said after South Africa’s fi rst away Test series de-feat in nine years.

Ajinkya Rahane was adjudged man-of-the-match for his twin cen-turies in the fi nal Test of a series in which no other batsman managed to get to three-fi gures. - Reuters

Beaten inside three

days on either side

of the rain-ruined

second Test in

Bangalore, Hashim

Amla and his men

had fi nally managed

to take a Test into its

fi nal day with some

dogged resilience

India 1st innings: 334 (A. Rahane 127, R. Ashwin 56; K. Abbott 5-40, D. Piedt 4-117) South Africa 1st innings: 121 (R. Jadeja 5-30) India 2nd innings: 267 for 5 decl (A. Rahane 100no, V. Kohli 88) South Africa 2nd innings:D. Elgar c Rahane b Ashwin 4T. Bavuma b Ashwin 34H. Amla b Jadeja 25A. de Villiers c Jadeja b Ashwin 43F. du Plessis lbw b Jadeja 10J. Duminy lbw b Ashwin 0D. Vilas b U. Yadav 13K. Abbott b U. Yadav 0D. Piedt c Saha b U. Yadav 1M. Morkel b Ashwin 2I. Tahir not out 0Extras (b-8, lb-3) 11Total (all out, 143.1 overs) 143Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-49, 3-76, 4-111, 5-112, 6-136, 7-136, 8-140, 9-143, 10-143Bowling: I. Sharma 20-12-23-0; R. Ash-win 49.1-26-61-5; R. Jadeja 46-33-26-2, U. Yadav 21-16-9-3, S. Dhawan 3-1-9-0, M. Vijay 2-0-2-0, V. Kohli 1-1-0-0, C. Pujara 1-0-2-0Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena and Bruce Oxenford TV umpire: CK Nandan Match referee: Jeff Crowe Result: India won by 337 runsMan of the match: Ajinkye RahaneMan of the series: Ravichandran Ashwin

S C O R E B O A R D

PROUD CAPTAIN: Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli poses with win-

ning trophy after defeating South Africa. – PTI

India can win Tests

abroad too, says Kohli

NEW DELHI: India’s 3-0 home victory over South Africa is an-other indication of the growing stature of an improving team that can now go on and win Tests any-where in the world, according to captain Virat Kohli.

Kohli’s side beat South Af-rica inside three days on turning wickets in Mohali and Nagpur before thumping the world’s top- ranked team by 337 runs at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Monday.

“Test cricket has always been one format in which we have been wanting to do well,” he told reporters after India climbed to number two in the world.

“I think it all began in Australia for us, the way we played there. We showed a lot of character even in our (2-0) defeat,” said Kohli who took over as captain Down Under this year following Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s retire-ment from Tests.

“It was never one-sided de-feats. It was always being at the heel of the opposition knowing

that we could catch them at any stage. That gave us a lot of belief as a test team, that we can do this, we can be a champion team, we can play well around the world and play well as a unit.”

Since Kohli’s full-time ap-pointment as captain, India have registered their fi rst test series win in 23 years in Sri Lanka before handing South Africa their fi rst away series defeat in nine years.

“We have carried forward that confi dence from Australia and we took it to Sri Lanka. We set out a few plans, a few rules and a few things the team need to do in order to do well,” said Kohli.

The 27-year-old has resented talk about the turning pitches used for the series against South Africa, even after the Nagpur track, where 40 wickets tumbled in three days, was rated as ‘poor’ by the match referee.

After the third Test lasted all fi ve days, Kohli again criticised the media. — Reuters

I N D I A N C A P T A I N R E A C T S

C2

SPORTST U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

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Images from history dat-ing back 191 years came alive for a fl eeting mo-

ment at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground in Delhi yesterday when Morne Morkel left a straight one from Ravichan-dran Ashwin, expecting it to spin away, and turned back to make sure his stumps were in place, undisturbed.

They weren’t. All the three, as well as the bails, had disappeared.

A beaming Ashwin was fl oating in the air as his Fifth Symphony met with a thunderous applause from a rapturous crowd waiting impatiently for the fi nal movement of the great Indian chorus and orchestra to actu-ally come to an end.

That was a delightful-painful role reversal where Morkel looked like a totally deaf Ludwig von Beethoven on the evening of May 7, 1824, standing with his back to an applauding audience at the end of his Ninth Symphony premiere at the Karnnertorm Theatre in Vienna, as Ashwin played the part of the conduc-tor for his fi ve-for fi nish that also helped him win the man-of-the-series award.

All of this would have been impossible but for a couple of decisions made earlier in the fourth Test: one by the Indians and the other by the South Africans.

Decision No. 1 was the Indian move not to enforce a follow-on after the South African fi rst innings folded up for 121 runs in the evening of the second day’s play, 211 runs still behind. Had Virat Kohli asked them to bat again, Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers wouldn’t have tried to work their block-magic, and the Test could have ended on the third day, without anyone getting a chance to watch Ajinkya Rahane scoring his back-to-back century in the same Test. That would have handed another opportunity for the skeptics to cry foul about the pitch, and how bad the future of Test cricket looked when matches failed to run the full course, ending inside three days.

Decision No. 2 came from Hashim Amla when he plot-ted a display of abject denial, blocking and tackling Indian spin for almost fi ve hours, sucking life out of 244 balls to score 25 runs.

If Amla and De Villiers had been a bit positive on the fourth day, perhaps trying to hit some of the bad balls they faced on the fourth day, they might have ended the fourth day with 150 or more on the board.

That would have made matters not just as easy as they actually turned out to be for Kohli on the fi fth day. With more than 400 needed for the visitors on the fi nal day, the mood in the Indian camp was absolutely bullish. It wouldn’t have been surpris-ing if all the 11 Indians had positioned themselves just inches from the batsman to take even a quar-ter of a chance.

It looked like it was no problem even if the visitors scored a couple of bounda-ries every over. That was a fact acknowledge by Kohli in the post-match chat, that the South African defensive mindset, in the end, helped him go with his plans and in-stincts without a trace of fear. A licence to kill, indeed.

The criticism raised against the slow pitches prepared for the Tests may or may not hold water, but the South African approach in their second innings was ridiculous. If they had gone down fi ghting, not blocking, Amla wouldn’t have to splash the sheepish smile he did at the presentation ceremony when asked to sum up his feelings about the long tour which required them “to put their heads down”.

And to those who still wonder about the stumps — one was grabbed by Kohli and another by Ravindra Jadeja as soon as, and well before Morkel turned back to observe the woodwork, the fi rst ball of the 144th over of the block-magic kissed the off stump. Like Morkel, I’m still trying to fi gure out what hap-pened to the third stump.

The writer is a freelance contribu-tor based in India. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not refl ect those of Times of Oman

Morne Morkel turns Beethoven at Ashwin’s Fifth Symphony

C O M M E N T A R YExperienced Bulgarian is next for Vijender

MANCHESTER: High on con-fi dence after two knockout wins, star Indian boxer Vijender Singh will face his most experienced op-ponent so far when he squares off against Bulgarian Samet Hyusei-nov in his third professional bout at the Manchester Arena on De-cember 19.

Vijender has sailed through his fi rst two professional opponents, beating Sonny Whiting in his de-but in October and followed that up with a one-round demolition of Dean Gillen in Dublin last month.

The 30-year-old middleweight boxer now takes on Hyuseinov in his quest to become India’s fi rst ever professional world champion and end the year undefeated.

Whereas Whiting and Gillen had a combined record of fi ve fi ghts, Hyuseinov has 14 fi ghts un-der his belt, winning seven and los-ing the rest.

“This is another important fi ght for me that I must win so the pres-sure is on,” said Vijender.

“I’m unbeaten and intend to stay that way going into next year where I am looking at my fi rst title fi ght so I’m not letting Hyuseinov mess up my plans to get my fi rst championship belt,” he added.

Vijender said his approach will continue to be aggressive even though he would be up against an experienced fi ghter this time.

“While I got rid of Whiting and Gillen early, I’ll have to see what

Hyuseinov brings to the ring on the night. If I feel that I can take him out early I will go in for the early knockout and get the job done nice and quick,” he said.

“He’s very experienced though and with 14 fi ghts and 68 rounds he’s got the advantage over me in that department. It’s a step up for me though and if I can deal with him before the end of the four rounds then I know that I’m im-proving. I am also looking at end-ing year 2015 with a win,” added the former Olympic bronze-med-allist. - PTI

Vijender has sailed

through his fi rst

two professional

opponents, beating

Sonny Whiting in

his debut in October

and followed that

up with a one-round

demolition of

Dean Gillen in

Dublin last month

This is another

important fight for me

that I must win so

the pressure is on

Vijender Singh

Delhi Daredevils part ways with coach KirstenNEW DELHI: Delhi Daredev-ils have parted ways with head coach Gary Kirsten, the India Premier league (IPL) cricket franchise announced on Monday.

The former South Africa bats-man and ex-India coach, was ap-pointed in 2014. India won the 2011 World Cup under his stew-ardship. However, his tenure as the Daredevils head coach was disappointing. They fi nished last in the 2014 IPL and managed to win just fi ve of the 14 matches in the 2015 IPL, failing to qualify for

the play-off s and fi nishing seventh in the eight-team tournament.

Kirsten succeeded Australian Greg Shipperd as the head coach.

“Gary with his rich coach-ing experience made signifi cant contribution towards our team culture and his work ethics were immaculate. We appreciate his contribution towards our team rebuilding process and would like to wish him the very best in all his future endeavours”, Hemant Dua, CEO, Delhi Dardevils said in a statement on Monday. - IANS

C R I C K E T

We are waiting for response: PCB chief

KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Shahr-yar Khan on Monday said that he is hoping for Indian Exter-nal Aff airs Minister Sushma Swaraj to come out with a re-sponse soon on the proposed bilateral cricket series between India and Pakistan.

“For last 2-3 days, Indian High Commissioner was here for a farewell visit. He did not have much information relat-ing to this (proposed tour).But informally, we have been told that Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj will come out with a brief on this issue, which will be dis-cussed government to govern-ment. So we are awaiting that now,” Shahryar told reporters.

Meanwhile, senior BCCI functionary Rajiv Shukla said in New Delhi that the Board will abide by the government decision. — PTI

I N D I A - P A K S E R I E S

C3


United desperate for goals and full points against Wolfsburg

BERLIN: Manchester United will be looking for the goals that have been so hard to come by this season when they travel to VfL Wolfsburg on Tuesday with their hopes of sealing qualifi cation for the Champions League knockout stage still hanging in the balance.

All the talk among United sup-porters — raised on a tradition of exciting, uninhibited attacking football — is of the team’s lack of goals under what they believe to be manager Louis van Gaal’s sterile conservative approach.

Since winning 2-1 at home to Wolfsburg in September, United have scored only twice in three Champions League games. In the Premier League the record is fi ve goals in the last six games.

United captain Wayne Rooney, who missed Saturday’s goalless draw at home to West Ham with an ankle injury, will again be ab-sent, but like Memphis Depay he has scored only two league goals this season. Anthony Martial, the young French prodigy has three and midfi elder Juan Mata is top scorer with fi ve.

Attack, attackUnited supporters have taken to chanting “attack, attack, attack” in almost every game and they will need goals on Tuesday with the team second in Group B on eight points, one behind leaders Wolfs-burg with PSV Eindhoven, playing CSKA Moscow, on seven.

But manager Van Gaal is insist-ent the problem will not last.

“The goals are coming, that is my strong belief,” he said after two points dropped against West Ham United left them fourth in the ta-

ble. “We created a lot of chances but to score you need not only composure but a lot of luck. So I’m not worried.”

He did admit, however, that win-ning the Champions League is not realistic this season, adding: “May-

be next year, when we strengthen our selection again.”

Even with injuries to a num-ber of other players, Van Gaal be-lieves he can rely on his defence in Germany. With England’s Chris Smalling in outstanding form, they

have kept seven clean sheets in nine games.

For Wolfsburg, even a draw will be enough to secure a spot in the next round.

While their rocky domestic form has seen last season’s Bun-

desliga runners-up slip to fi fth af-ter a 2-1 last-gasp defeat by Borus-sia Dortmund on Saturday, Dieter Hecking’s team are top of Group B after a 2-0 win at CSKA Moscow.

They are now looking to con-tinue their fi ne home form, having

won twice without conceding.For attacking midfi elder Julian

Draxler, beating United is not im-possible. “If we play against them as we did in the second half against Dortmund then I am certain we can beat United,” he said. - Reuters

All the talk among

United supporters

— raised on a

tradition of exciting,

uninhibited attacking

football — is of the

team’s lack of goals

under what they

believe to be manager

Louis van Gaal’s

sterile conservative

approach

EINDHOVEN: PSV Eind-hoven will advance to the knock-out stage of the Champions League if they fi nish their Group B campaign with home success over CSKA Moscow on Tuesday. More than that, they can end a long spell of disappointing returns for Dutch football.

Victory will put the 1988 Euro-pean champions through to the knockout phase for the fi rst time since the 2006-07 season, when Liverpool eliminated them at the quarterfi nal stage. No club from the Netherlands has been to the

knockout phase since.Coach Phillip Cocu played

for PSV that year and said on Sunday he would be using the experience gained then in his coaching preparations for the visit of Russian side to the Philips Stadium.

“What you learned as a player, you certainly take into your coaching. That experience will help in the planning of how we approach this game, how we deal with the pressure and in fi guring out what scenarios we might face,” Cocu told reporters.

His fi rst priority will be to ensure his side shrug off some inconsistent domestic form. PSV needed a last-gasp win-ner on Saturday to overcome Vitesse Arnhem and are four points off the pace in defending their Dutch league crown

But he can point to success in PSV’s two previous home matches in Group B over Man-chester United and VfL Wolfs-burg. Their fate is in their own hands even though they start match day six in third place in the group, two points behind

Wolfsburg and one behind Unit-ed. A draw could even be enough to advance as long as Wolfsburg beat United but defeat could see PSV fi nish last, ruling them out of further European competi-tion this season.

CSKA Moscow’s Champions League hopes are over but if they win, they will qualify for the Europa League.

CSKA, though, have been in a slump, suff ering three defeats in their last four domestic games, with their last win coming at the end of October.

“Our run of poor form is continuing, I would say we are in a crisis,” CSKA coach Leonid Slutskiy admitted.

The Russians will be without a number of key players for the trip to the Netherlands, with Vasili Berezutski, Georgi Shchennikov and Roman Ere-menko staying in Moscow.

Goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev will be looking to break an unwanted milestone. The 29-year-old has conceded in his last 36 matches in the Champions League stretching back nine years. - Reuters

PSV can end long Dutch wait in Champions League

USING THE EXPERIENCE: PSV Eindhoven’s coach Phillip Cocu, centre, talks to his wards during a training session on the eve of their UEFA Champions League Group

B match against CSKA Moscow in Eindhoven on Monday. – AFP

Qualifi ed Real Madrid to ready ‘to rotate’ against Malmo with ‘idea of winning’MADRID: Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez has the luxury of making changes for Tuesday’s Champions League game at home to Malmo so that his team are in the best possible shape for Sun-day’s La Liga match at Villarreal.

Real are through to the last 16 as Group A winners with a game to spare and Benitez said the Swedish side’s visit was a chance to give some second-rank players a chance and to allow those who have been out injured recently to get playing time.

“Yes it’s a day to rotate always with the idea of winning,” Benitez told a news conference preview-ing the match at the Bernabeu sta-dium. “We are very pleased to have qualifi ed as group winners but we also want to keep winning and manage the two things — the pos-sibility of winning and the chance to rotate players — so that we can all get to the Villarreal game in the best possible condition.”

Real are unbeaten in the four-team group, their only blip a 0-0 draw at second-placed Paris St Germain in October.

PSG, who are also through, host Shakhtar Donetsk on Tues-day, with the Ukrainian side and Malmo vying to fi nish third and qualify for the Europa League.

Benitez said one Real player who would not feature on Tues-day was centre back and captain Sergio Ramos, who has been side-lined with a shoulder injury.

The Spain international was back in training on Monday and should be fi t for the Villarreal game, Benitez told reporters.

Real are third in La Liga after 14 matches following Saturday’s 4-1 win at home to Getafe, two points

behind second-placed Atletico Madrid and four adrift of champi-ons and leaders Barcelona.

Frenchman Karim Benzema struck twice against Getafe while Cristiano Ronaldo, the all-time top scorer in Europe’s elite club compe-

tition, and Welshman Gareth Bale added a goal apiece.

It was the fi rst time this season that Benzema, Bale and Ronaldo, collectively known in Spain as “BBC”, have scored in the same La Liga game. - Reuters

C H A M P I O N S L E A G U E

VERY PLEASED: Real Madrid’s coach Rafael Benitez pictured on a press conference at Valdebebas

training ground on the eve of the UEFA Champions League Group A match against FC Malmo in

Madrid on Monday. – AFP

C4


Ahmad and ORT to make Gulf 12 Hours debut at Yas Marina

MUSCAT: Oman’s top racing driver Ahmad Al Harthy will make his maiden appearance in the prestigious Gulf 12 Hours event in Abu Dhabi on Friday, marking the Muscat racer’s fi rst competi-tive outing in the Middle East re-gion under the Oman Racing Team (ORT) banner.

The Omani star will be team-ing with vastly experienced Aston Martin ‘works’ drivers Darren Turner and Jonny Adam. The ex-citing trio will share driving duties at the wheel of an Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 in the fi fth staging of the big race at Yas Marina Circuit.

As well as the Oman Racing Team’s debut outing on Arab soil, this year’s Gulf 12 Hours will also be the fi rst to feature the iconic Aston Martin brand and the whole team — which is backed by Oman Air, Ministry of Sports Aff airs, Ooredoo, National Bank of Oman and Al Hashar Group — is relish-

ing the prospect of competing at the popular Formula One venue.

“I am absolutely delighted to race in the Middle East for the fi rst time under the Oman Racing Team banner, it’s an exciting op-portunity and we’re all really look-ing forward to it,” said 34-year-old Ahmad Al Harthy.

“It will also be the fi rst time our complete European setup is in ac-tion in the region, and also a fi rst for Aston Martin in the 12 hours so it’s a huge event for us all.

“Obviously, I have two incred-ible teammates in Darren and Jonny — they are both incredibly talented, quick drivers with a lot of experience.

“The competition is going to be

tough, there are some big names and teams on the grid this year, but we are all feeling very confi dent about our chances.”

While this year’s 12 Hour con-test will be Ahmad’s fi rst experi-ence of the endurance event, he is familiar with the Yas Marina Circuit having taken race victory in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East support race to the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix in November 2011.

The format of the Gulf 12 Hours sees the event broken down into two six hour contests, one in the daytime and one in the evening which concludes under fl oodlights. There will be a break of just over two hours between the two outings.

“Yas Marina is a fantastic circuit and facility and I am very much looking forward to being back there, especially for the fi rst time with Aston Martin,” added the As-ton Martin Middle East and North Africa Ambassador, “It’s good to al-ready have experience of the track, but this is going to be a much big-ger challenge than the one I experi-enced at Abu Dhabi a few years ago in the Porsche.

“It’s always great for me to race in the Middle East, to have lots of support so close to home and an opportunity for supporters and sponsors to travel from Oman to Abu Dhabi. Even more important-ly, with this being the fi rst appear-ance for the whole Oman Racing

Team in the region, it’s going to be a big celebration whatever hap-pens on track!”

Free practice for the Gulf 12 Hours will take place on Wednes-day, with additional practice mile-age and qualifying following on Thursday. On Friday, the fi rst six hours will get underway at 9.30 (local time) with the concluding half of the big race beginning at 17.45 (local time).

Ahmad’s Abu Dhabi adventure will mark his second high-profi le appearance in the region over re-cent weeks, having been selected to demonstrate the brand new 800bhp Aston Martin Vulcan hypercar in downtown Dubai in early November.

As well as the Oman

Racing Team’s debut

outing on Arab soil,

this year’s Gulf 12

Hours will also be

the fi rst to feature

the iconic Aston

Martin brand and

the whole team is

relishing the prospect

of competing at the

popular F1 venue

I am absolutely delighted to race

in the Middle East for the first

time under the Oman Racing Team

banner, it’s an exciting opportunity

and we’re all really looking forward

to it. It will also be the first time

our complete European setup is in

action in the region, and also a first

for Aston Martin in the 12 Hours so

it’s a huge event for us all

Ahmad Al HarthyOman Racing Team racer

Europcar to host Open Golf Challenge at Almouj GolfMUSCAT: Almouj Golf course will lay out the greens for the third edition of the Europcar Open Golf Challenge on December 11. This exclusive, invitation-only tourna-ment will have 80 players on the championship course and 28 play-ers on the academy par-3 course. Some of the best corporate golfers in the country will be competing for the prized trophy.

The ‘title sponsor’ for this prime sporting event is Europcar Oman, ‘Powered by’ Mistal Watches, Al Ahlia Insurance and Mitsubishi Motors. Hotel Grand Hyatt has come on board as the ‘Hospitality Partner’ while the organisers have also roped in African & Eastern as one of the sponsors.

The tournament will also be gra-ciously ‘Supported by’ Travelex, WHSmith, Mumtaz Mahal, More

Café and Woodlands restaurant.“After successful hosting two

golf tournaments in the past years, we are indeed excited for our third. We are certain this year is going to be an even more exhilarating expe-rience. Europcar Open Golf Chal-lenge retains the essence of a true golfi ng experience, subtly blend-ing the elements of business with pleasure. The event is a unique networking opportunity for all golf enthusiasts,” said Nitin Sapre, GM, Europcar Oman.

“We are thankful to all our es-teemed sponsors who have always extended their generous support in making this elite event happen. The tournament mirrors our val-ues and standards and is also in line with our ‘Passion for Golf’ strategy.

“It will provide an excellent plat-form for our valued customers and

partners to develop and establish a stronger relationship amongst each other and will also give us an opportunity to know our custom-ers and partners better.”

The third edition of Europcar Open Golf Challenge has attracted an overwhelming participation with entries exceeding the re-quired numbers. Keeping the best

of both worlds, the day’s activities will start with a thrilling golf tour-nament where passionate golfers both men and women will show-off their golfi ng skills, competing for the winning trophy. Following the event there will be a prize dis-tribution and gala dinner

“Through the years Europcar Open Golf Challenge has emerged

as a much looked forward to tour-nament,” said Jamie Wood, Direc-tor, Almouj Golf Club.

“ With regards to the sport itself, the buzz that this event creates works to promote the game of golf as a whole in the Sultanate. We are proud to organise and host such a prestigious event in our premises and we thank Europcar for choos-

ing Almouj as its venue once again, third year in row.”

“Oman has great golfers and the Europcar Open Golf Challenge gives them an outstanding plat-form to showcase their passion for the game. With ongoing events like these and the marvelous courses that we have, Oman is destined to become one of the most popular golfi ng destinations in the world.”

Following the natural lines of Muscat’s pristine coastline, Al-mouj Golf at The Wave, Muscat is a links style course off ering amateurs and professionals alike a challenging, yet rewarding, round of golf.

Running alongside a six-kilo-metre stretch of white beach, it is a 7,342-yard course of lush green grass peppered with bunkers, wa-ter hazards and natural dunes.

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

STAGE SET: Offi cials and sponsors of the Europcar Open Golf Challenge. – SHABIN E / Times of Oman

Sri Lanka’s Perera tests positive for banned substance

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka recalled wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera from New Zealand after he tested positive for a banned substance, the nation’s cricket board said on Monday.

The 25-year-old was ran-domly tested during the recent Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka and the results of his urnine sam-ples returned positive, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said in a state-ment. The fi rst Test begins on December 10.

“SLC has been advised that a sample provided by Kusal Janith Perera for a random test-ing carried out by the ICC dur-ing the recent Pakistani tour, has yielded a positive result for a banned substance,” said the SLC statement. Perera will be replaced by right-hand batsman Kaushal Silva. - IANS

C R I C K E T

India to face Australia in opener

DUBAI: India will face Austral-ia in their opening match of ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup to be held in Bangladesh from Janu-ary 28 next year.India are clubbed in Group D alongside Australia, New Zealand and Nepal. South Africa and Bangladesh are in Group A alongside Scotland and Namibia. Group B comprises Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghani-stan and Canada, while Group C has 1998 champions England along with the West Indies, Zimbabwe and Fiji. — IANS

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Inspired ISAS U-16 team ease to 90-run victory against ISNMUSCAT: Indian School Al Seeb (ISAS) handed Indian School Ni-zwa (ISN) a 90-run drubbing in an Al Turki Enterprises-sponsored U-16 Division match at the Mu-nicipality Ground IV here recently.

Batting fi rst, ISAS scored 232 for the loss of seven wickets in 25 overs. Usman Nagori and Musad-dique scored 80 to 50 runs respec-tively. Rino and Rohith claimed two wickets each for ISN. In reply, ISN were bowled out for 142 in 22.4 overs. Milan and Sahil scored 44 and 31 runs respectively for ISN. Ir-baz claimed four wickets for ISAS.

Brief scores: ISAS 232 for 7 in 25 overs (Usman Nagori 80, Musaddique 50; Rohith 2/40) bt ISN 142 in 22.4 overs (Milan 44, Sahil 31; Irbaz 4/27). Points: ISAS – 3, ISN - 0.

SLSM rout GCC In an Al Turki Enterprises-spon-sored U-16 Division match played at the Municipality Ground III, Sri Lankan School Muscat (SLSM) re-corded a massive 101-run win over Gulf Cricket Centre (GCC).

Batting fi rst, SLSM were 199 all out in 23.2 overs. Syed Ali top scored with 40. Srihari and Hasan Javed took three wickets each. In reply, GCC were bundled out for 98 in 15.3 overs. Hasan Javed top scored with 40. Kumudu, Hashain and Yazid claimed two scalps apiece for SLSM.

Brief scores: SLSM 199 in 23.2 overs (Syed Ali 40; Srihari 3/46, Hasan Javed 3/32) bt GCC 98 in 15.3 overs (Hasan Javed 40; Yazid Makoon 2/17, Hashain Saranga 2/18). Points: SLSM – 3, GCC - 0.

ISG down BOC In another Al Turki Enterprises-sponsored U-16 division match, Indian School Al Ghubra (ISG) defeated Bosher Olympic Centre (BOC) by 83 runs at the Munici-pality Ground I.

Batting fi rst, ISG scored 207 for six in 25 overs. Harith Raghuram and Aryan Shinde scored 60 and 54 runs respectively. Rushil was the pick of the BOC bowlers with two scalps.

In reply, BOC scored 124 for the loss of fi ve wickets in 25 overs. Rushil Dadwal top scored with an unbeaten 54. Dhruv Faraswal claimed two scalps for ISG.

Brief scores: ISG 207 for 6 in 25 overs (Harith Raghuram 60, Aryan Shinde 54; Rushil Dadwal 2/31) bt

BOC 124 for 5 in 25 overs (Rushil Dadwal 54 n.o.; Dhruv Faraswal 2/26). Points: ISG – 3, BOC - 0.

ISWK beat MCCC BIn an U-13 Division match, Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir (ISWK) eased to a nine-wicket victory over Muscat Cricket Coaching Centre B (MCCC B) at the Municipality Ground I.

Batting fi rst, MCCC B were bowled out for 61 in 15.3 overs. Joshin and Seshank were the chief destroyers with four and three wickets respectively. In reply, ISWK achieved their target in just 4.4 overs for the loss of just one wicket. Aman and Joshin scored 25 and 20 not out respectively.

Brief scores: MCCC B 61 in 15.3

overs (Joshin 4/21, Seshank 3/9) lost to ISWK 64 for 1 in 4.4 overs (Aman 25). Points: ISWK – 3, MCCC B - 0.

ISM B defeat ISG In another U-13 Division match, Indian School Muscat B (ISM B) defeated Indian School Al Ghubra (ISG) by seven wickets at the Mu-nicipality Ground II.

Batting fi rst, ISG posted 149 for eight in 20 overs. Sanin Fahad top scored with 68. Vraj claimed two wickets for ISM B. In reply, ISM B scored the runs in 18.1 overs for the loss of three wickets. Indraneel and Pariket top scored with 70 not out and 59 respectively to claim the bonus point.

Brief scores: ISG 149 for 8 in 20 overs (Sanin 68; Vraj 2/27) lost to ISM B

150 for 3 in 18.1 overs (Indraneel 70 n.o., Pariket 59). Points: ISM B – 2, ISG - 0.

ISM A thump SLSM Meanwhile, Indian School Mus-cat (ISM) also tasted success in the U-13 Division when they de-feated Sri Lankan School Muscat (SLSM) by 72 runs.

Batting fi rst, ISM A posted 176 for four in 20 overs. Azam Ali and Arpit Singh scored 48 and 59 respectively. In reply, SLSM scored 104 for seven in 20 overs, enabling ISM A to claim the bonus point. Jayesh claimed trhee scalps for ISM A.

Brief scores: ISM A 176 for 4 in 20 overs (Azam Ali 48, Arpit Singh 59) bt SLSM 104 for 7 in 20 overs (Udana 24; Jayesh 3/13). Points: ISM A – 3, SLSM - 0.

C R I C K E T

The Wave hope to end ‘incredible’ era on a high, Oman Air eye points

Muscat: Oman Sail skipper Leigh McMillan is bracing himself for an emotional farewell when he at-tempts to seal a record breaking fi fth consecutive Extreme Sailing Series win and his third series title in Sydney next week.

After fi ve years at the helm of the Omani Extreme 40 The Wave, Muscat, McMillan is taking a breather from the circuit having twice claimed the championship in 2012 and 2013 to campaign for the America’s Cup with Britain’s challenger Landrover BAR.

As with the rest of the Extreme Sailing Series community, he is also saying his last goodbyes to the Extreme 40 which is being re-placed by foiling GC32s for 2016.

The Extreme 40 has played a massive part in raising the profi le of the sport, McMillan said, and has given a large number of sailors an opportunity to take their ca-reers to the next level.

“It is the end of an era,” said Mc-Millan who will join Sir Ben Ain-slie’s squad at Landrover BAR in the New Year.

“These boats have been incred-ible – OC Sport has done an amaz-ing job in promoting the sport and creating a circuit which has be-come the longest standing profes-sional racing circuit that has ever existed so we are expecting the fi -nale in Sydney to be emotional.

“We are really looking forward to this last Act and I am focused on getting a fi fth event win in a row and a third series win — we will be the fi rst to do it and that will make me extremely proud.

“I’m really excited about what

we have achieved and with this being the last ever event in the Ex-treme 40 and my last event with The Wave, Muscat and Oman Sail team for now, it is hugely impor-tant that we go out in style.

“Sydney is a terrifi c but tricky venue and I’m sure we will get a bit of everything out there in the har-bour. We have had a great midsea-son and there is every chance we can complete the year with a win. But there is a lot that can go wrong.

“We need to be vigilant with the boat because we saw some ma-jor gear failure in Istanbul — it’s things like that that can come back and bite you. Hopefully the boat will make it to the end of the event and we will perform well on it.”

Since the win in Istanbul, crew member and double Olympic gold

medallist Sarah Ayton has been named ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year for 2015, for her work as tactician on The Wave, Muscat.

“It was a lovely cherry on the cake for her and all of us and everyone at Oman Sail is thrilled,” McMillan said. “It was a long time coming be-cause she is an incredibly talented sailor and fully deserves to be rec-ognized for her skills. People who have watched her at work on The Wave, Muscat are fully aware of just how good she is!”

Ayton will once again team up with Pete Greenhalgh, Nasser Al Mashari and Ed Smyth to roll out a result to cap off a brilliant year for the Omani team.

“We have had a really good year and to say goodbye to Leigh in Sydney with another champion-

ship win would be a great way to call time on an incredible era for all of us and would be a great mo-ment of pride for our sponsor The Wave, Muscat and the Sultanate of Oman,” said Al Mashari.

“But we all know that there is a lot of racing ahead, so for the moment, we are focused on the job we have to do and hope for a good outcome.”

The Wave, Muscat has an 11-point lead at the top of the 2015 Extreme Sailing Series leader-board going into Act 8. Their stable mates and rivals Oman Air are de-termined to take up where they left off in Istanbul and earn a place on the podium.

“We had our best result of the year in Istanbul when we came second so we really want to win

this one in Sydney and it is not beyond the bounds of possibility,” said skipper Stevie Morrison, who despite his years representing Brit-ain in the 49er Olympic class, has never raced on Sydney Harbour.

“The Wave, Muscat only need an average result — they have done a lot of winning this year including Sarah’s fantastic award — so that might give us an opportunity to ad-vance up the leaderboard!”

Oman Sail will have a strong pres-ence at the Extreme Sailing Series in Sydney with their two distinctive Extreme 40 boats out on the water and the Sultanate of Oman’s ‘Oman Sail Pavilion’ in the Botanical Gar-dens and alongside it, a hospitality area, the ‘Oman Chalet’.

The pavilion will host a mix of business and social functions, in-

cluding a presentation on Oman as a sports tourism and investment destination and provide an op-portunity for supporters to meet the Oman Sail stars and get their autographs.

At the Chalet, Oman’s Ministry of Tourism will host around 20 guests each day while sponsors Oman Air and The Wave, Muscat have committed to a range of activ-ities to ensure Australian crowds leave the Race Village at Farm Cove with little doubt of Oman’s allure as a holiday destination.

The racecourse area will be set on Farm Cove, in front of the iconic Sydney Opera House and thou-sands of shoreside spectators are expected to turn out to watch the ac-tion at the free-to-enter public race village at Mrs Macquaries Point.

After fi ve years

at the helm of the

Omani Extreme 40

The Wave, Muscat,

and like the rest of

the Extreme Sailing

Series community,

Leigh McMillan

is saying his last

goodbyes to the

Extreme 40 which

is being replaced by

foiling GC32s for 2016

SYDNEY ACT: The crew of Oman Air and The Wave, Muscat are looking forward to the Extreme Sailing Series in Sydney. – Supplied photo

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Bank Sohar extends support to Sayyid Abbas Golf TrophyMUSCAT: In yet another year of support towards the precision sport of golf in the Sultanate, Bank Sohar announced its sixth consec-utive year of exclusive sponsorship of the Sayyid Abbas Golf Trophy tournament — the oldest and most prestigious golf championship in Oman. The 2015 championship will be held between December 11 and 12, 2015 at the Ghala Golf Club and with the participation of over 120 golfers.

The tournament was offi cially launched at the Ghala Golf Club on Monday. Present at the event to demonstrate its support from the bank were Rashad Ali Al Musafi r, Acting CEO, and Mazin Al Raisi, Sr. AGM of Marketing and Customer Experience, alongside other senior members. Representing the Ghala Golf Club were Ibrahim Al Wahai-bi, the Vice-President, and Sachin Bawa, the Director of Golf. Also pre-sent at the event were the partici-pants of the upcoming tournament.

Commenting on Bank Sohar’s support, Rashad Al Musafi r said: “Being a local Bank, we have always given prominence to and supported

the growth of sports in the Sultan-ate, be it traditional or internation-al. Golf is one such precision sport that has, in recent years, signifi -cantly grown in popularity within the Sultanate. The Ghala Golf Club and the Sayyid Abbas Golf Tourna-ment have been instrumental in this growth, and we are proud to be

exclusive sponsors of the tourna-ment for six years now.

“We believe that the success of such tournaments and the recog-nition players receive from their participation will serve as a source of encouragement for other to par-ticipate in this precision sport and expand their skills.”

Two-day eventThe Sayyid Abbas Trophy is a two-day winter tournament which fol-lows the 18-stroke-hole competi-tion format.

An annual event fi rst initiated in 1979, the tournament is the longest running championship in Oman and has historically witnessed im-

mense interest from members and golf enthusiasts alike.

The 2015 edition of the tourna-ment has set out to be another suc-cessful event, with the participa-tion of over 120 local and regional golf players.

Thanking Bank Sohar for its support of the tournament, Ibra-

him Al Wahaibi added: “We, at the Ghala Golf Club, are absolutely delighted that Bank Sohar is sup-porting the tournament for an additional year. As the exclusive sponsors, the Bank has helped fur-ther elevate the stature of the tour-nament over the past fi ve years.

“Given its ever-growing promi-nence in the local golfi ng scene, the Sayyid Abbas Golf Trophy is currently amongst the most prestigious tournaments in the country; off ering some of the best golfers in the region with an op-portunity to compete at the high-est levels on one of the most chal-lenging golf courses on the Omani golfi ng stage.”

Designed by renowned Brit-ish golfi ng legend, Bill Longmuir, Ghala Golf Club is fashioned in a manner that challenges the world’s best players and provide a training ground for the average golfer.

The club course is located at the foot of the Hajar Mountain range between Al Ansab and Bausher and is readily accessible to all who are eager to learn and enjoy the game of golf.

O L D E S T C H A M P I O N S H I P

BOSHER OLYMPIC CENTRE HOSTS NATIONAL DAY CRICKETBosher Olympic Centre (BOC) organised an in-house cricket match to mark the 45th National Day celebrations at Al Amerat

Ground recently. Boys from the Training Centre who are part of the BOC U-13 and U-16 Oman Cricket tournament, were in-

vited to take part in the match. Nabil Biscuits and Khana Khazana were the sponsors of the event. — Supplied photo

West Indies could split by 2025, says former offi cial

SYDNEY: Former West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) director Baldath Mahabir fears the once great national team could disband within the next 10 years as a result of their continued failure on the international stage.

Mahabir, who served on the Trinidad and Tobago board in the 1980s before becoming a board member in 2009, slammed the WICB as “unprofessional, tardy or lax in many instances”.

After quitting the board last month, he is worried things will get so bad the West Indies will split into the 16 individual nations which make up the regional side.

Mahabir has also put the heat

on the management team run by WICB chief executive Michael Muirhead, saying it had “serious management issues”.

“We have a passion for West Indies cricket, we have this emo-tional attachment to the West In-dies brand,” Mahabir was quoted as saying by Australia’s Fairfax Media on Monday.

“I really don’t know where that will go with the younger people, whether they will see West Indies as a force or if they would want to see the individual countries

play. That is something that could change dramatically with the younger people coming into the game,” he said.

The team is ranked eighth among 10 Test playing nations and a lowly ninth in One-day In-ternationals, which resulted in their missing qualifi cation for the Champions Trophy. However, they are second in the Twenty20 arena.

“Anybody who is under 20 years of age would not have the same emotive connect with West Indies cricket that we had because we

knew we were beating the world. These people would have no idea of Greendige, Richards, Lloyd and how good they were,” he said.

“They would know a team that has taken a battering the last two decades. Let us move 10 years from now — do you think you would want to be associated with a brand like that? And branding is becoming much more impor-tant in the world of marketing and sport. I would not like to see it hap-pen but there is a possibility,” Ma-habir said. - IANS

Mahabir, who served

on the Trinidad and

Tobago board in

the 1980s before

becoming a board

member in 2009,

slammed the WICB

as “unprofessional,

tardy or lax in

many instances”

HOBART: Australia batsman David Warner has a score to settle with the West Indies.

The ultra-aggressive Aus-tralian opener has dominated every opposition he has faced since making his Test debut four years ago, with one excep-tion, the West Indies.

In fi ve Test matches against the Caribbean side, Warner has managed just 269 runs at an average of 26.90, almost half his overall career average of 50.48.

The 29-year-old now wants to make amends and cash in when the fi rst test starts in Hobart on Thursday.

“We have to come out and execute our skills as well as we can,” Warner told Sky Sports when asked about his strategy.

“As a batting unit we know they are going to come real hard in the fi rst session.”

In great formWarner has been in great form in recent weeks, smashing 592 runs at 98.66 in the recent three-Test series against New Zealand, and Australia will go into the series as heavy favourites.

The West Indies were thrashed in their lone warm-up match against a youthful

and inexperienced make-up side but Warner remains wary of their pace bowlers.

“We will have to be on top of our game,” he said. “Don’t take that as gospel how they got beat comprehensively because we know what they are like.”

Paceman Kemar Roach, who has long tormented Australian sides, said the tour-ists were unfazed that many people were dismissing their chances of winning.

“I love being the underdogs,” Roach said. “If we can come out on top then it’s going to be a diff erent story — they will change their mouths.” - Reuters

Warner wants to cash in against Windies

Ronaldo has an ice room in his house!MANCHESTER: Former Man-chester United coach Alex Fer-guson on Monday revealed that Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s new house in Madrid has an ice room.

“He’s got two pools; a hot pool and a cold pool,” Ferguson was quoted as saying by goal.com.

“He’s got an ice room at minus 160 degrees where he goes in for 10 minutes after every game. It’s just unbelievable,” Ferguson added.

Made for best playerFerguson also added that there was no doubt the house was made

for the “best player in the world”, who plays for Real Madrid.

“It is made for the best player in the world, no doubt about that,” he told students at the Stanford School of Business.

“I’ve never known anyone like him, honestly. The gym is about half the size of this (pointing to the Stanford School of Business lec-ture hall), he’s got everything in it,” Ferguson said.

Ronaldo is the present holder of the Ballon d’Or and will fi ght it out with Brazilian Neymar and his Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi for the honour this year. - IANS

F O O T B A L L

ALL SET: Bank Sohar and Ghala Golf Club offi cials pose for a photo with the Sayyid Abbas Golf Trophy. – SHABIN E/Times of Oman

Wooing with Vietnamese

Flair

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DiningSECTIONC L I F E STY L E T U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

Winter is upon us and what could be more apt than to welcome the cool months with a bowl of hot Vietnamese noodle broth or pho. To complement it is a classic Vietnamese

sandwich called Banh-Mi along with a healthy Vietnamese grilled eggplant salad.

STORY P A L L A V I N I G A M | P H O T O G R A P H Y S H A B I N E .

CURRY LEAVES

Phot

ogra

phy:

Sha

bin

E

PallaviNigam

Pallavi Nigam completed her

culinary education at ICIF in Italy

and worked as a chef for Grand

Hyatt, Mumbai. She is now based

in Muscat where she writes recipes

and takes cooking classes.

Contact her:

[email protected]

twitter @pallavizza

pallavizza.com

BANH-MIVIETNAMESE STYLE BAGUETTE Ingredients• 1tbsp soy sauce• 1tbsp honey• 2 chicken breast,

cut in thin strips• 1 carrot, peeled and grated• 1 &1/2 tsp rice vinegar• 1 baguette• 1 tbsp olive oil• 1/2 cucumber, deseeded

and julienne• Salt & pepper• 2-3 tsp of nuoc cham

Preparation• Mix soy sauce and honey in a

bowl, add strips of chicken, add salt and pepper, toss well, leave to marinate for 2 hours.

• Mix the grated carrot with rice vinegar and leave to pickle.

• Thread the strips of chicken in a skewer, brush olive oil, and grill it till cooked. Take out the chicken strips.

• Slice the baguette in two open halves, grill it in the same pan in which the chicken was cooked. Place the chicken strips on half, top it with pickled grated carrot, and julienne cucumber, drizzle over nuoc cham. Serve.

VIETNAMESE NOODLE BROTH (PHO)Ingredients• 1.5 litre of chicken stock• 115g fresh ginger, peeled

and smashed• 2 cinnamon sticks• 3 star anise• 225g chicken fi llet, thinly sliced• 1tsp sugar, salt, and black pepper• 450g rice noodles, boiled• 2tbsp hoisin sauce• 1 lime cut in half• 2 fresh red chillies• 8 shallots, thinly sliced• 225g bean sprouts• 4tbsp coriander leaves, finely

chopped

Preparation• For the broth bring the stock to

a boil. Add ginger, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and thinly sliced chicken. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

• Add sugar, salt and pepper. Strain the broth and keep the pan over low heat.

• Add boiled rice noodles, hoisin sauce, lime juice, chopped red chillies, sliced shallots.

Serve hot, topped with some bean sprouts and coriander leaves.

VIETNAMESE BBQ EGGPLANTIngredients• 2 eggplants• 1tsp salt and pepper• 2tbsp vegetable oil• 2tsp soy sauceFor 2tsp nuoc cham sauce:• 1 garlic clove, grated• 3 small red chillies, fi nely

chopped• 140ml fi sh sauce• 130g sugar• 2tbsp water• Juice of 1 lemon For garnish• 1/2 cup of coriander• 2 onions, thinly sliced• 4 spring onions, fi nely chopped• 2tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped• 1tbsp red chillies thinly sliced

Preparation • Cut big pieces of eggplants, mari-

nate it with salt and pepper, and grill it in a griddle pan or on a hot grill, till cooked. Brush oil on it.

• In a big bowl, mix soy sauce and nuoc cham and add the grilled eggplants, toss it.

• Now in a serving bowl, place the grilled eggplant, sprinkle on top coriander, onion, spring onion, peanuts, red chillies, and drizzle over soy sauce and nuoc cham.

LIFESTYLEC8 T U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

SELECT A SUBSTITUTE

SUBSTITUTEBasil or Kaffi r lime leaves

can be substituted in

same proportions.

[email protected]

Curry leaves are

commonly used in Indian

cooking, especially in the

south Indian cuisine. Most

of the time it is used as a

seasoning where the leaves

are toasted in oil before

other ingredients are added.

The leaves are best when

fresh but can be used

dried too.

LIFESTYLEC9T U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

Thali is one such very ancient cultural tradi-tion of having an Indi-an meal which hasn’t got lost with time.

From the Vedic ages to its current refi ned form, having a thali meal is the perfect way to sample a combi-nation of many fl avours, all in one platter in the most functional way.

And this ease of having a com-plete meal in one big platter has gradually stepped out of the pre-cincts of Indian homes to Indian restaurants that provide diff erent cuisines in varying proportions.

Talking of thali my fi rst memory of food being on a platter other than the one served by mom for lunch, was in the Indian Railways.

For the uninitiated thalis are one of the most delicious and economi-cal dishes that you will fi nd if you are travelling in India.

For me too, travelling extensive-ly all over India by trains, railway thali food was one of the many at-tractions on such journeys. The travel destinations being mostly in the northern and eastern parts of India, the thalis too would serve

northern cuisine comprising rice, dal, roti, a vegetable curry, a chick-en dish along with a sweet to sum up as dessert.

It was during those glorious days of savouring railway cuisine that I realised that food becomes more sumptuous if you eat with all your senses.

So I would be sitting comfort-ably in the corner, enjoying the picturesque scenery through the open windows along with piping hot food on the platter.

While those experiences have found a home in my memory diary, the love for thali too has found its way to stay in my life forever.

In the ever growing Muscat palate that is getting more and more adventurous with time, thali food too hasn’t faded in the fancy for specialty restaurants and fast food joints.

There are several restaurants in Muscat serving food on stain-less steel platter with little bowls and a wide array of food, espe-cially for lunch.

Whether you are a vegetarian or a non vegetarian, there’s quite a

bit of choices here. A north Indian vegetarian thali is a complete meal and provides a balanced diet which includes fritters, chutney, pappad, dal, and beans served in a katori or small bowls with whole wheat bread like chapatti, and paran-tha. There is rice, served in the plain form or as khichdi, pulao, or biryani. Desserts are mostly milk based products like yoghurt, raita, or lassi. The non vegetarian thali has chicken, mutton or a fi sh dish as an addition.

But each state in India has a diff erent set of menu served in a thali. Here are a few of them which I have had a chance to savour and are in my not-to-miss list.

South Indian ThaliWith liberal helpings of rice, sambhar, rasam, vegetable curry, pappad, yoghurt, and a sweet to complete the meal, south Indian thalis are known for its spices. The chilli and tamarind based curries are eaten with rice.

Rajasthani ThaliThere are choices galore in a

Rajasthani thali. With rice and whole wheat rotis you get a vari-ety of side dishes, especially the vegetarian ones like gatte ki sabzi; gram fl our dumplings fl avoured with dry spices, dal-baati churma; spicy dal, kachori, and more. In the non vegetarian version laal maas or red meat curry is most famous. Malpua; soft deep fried pancakes which are soaked in saff ron fl a-voured syrup, is a popular dessert.

Bengali ThaliThere is rice, luchi; deep fried bread, mangsher chop; crumb fried lamb mince, or vegetable chop, pappad, some vege-tables, bhajia or fritters, macher paturi; fish marinated in mustard, turmeric, wrapped in banana leaf and steamed, chicken curry, or kosha mangsho; lamb cooked in spices. To round off the meal there is payesh, rice and milk pud-ding flavoured with cardamom, and dry fruits like raisins, almonds, and chopped cashew nuts.

Maharashtrian ThaliIf you are fond of aamras; fl avoured mango pulp, and, sheera; a sweet made of roasted semolina, choose

a Maharashtrian thali. Also have sabudaana vada; fried dumplings of sago, mattha; spiced buttermilk, kanda poha; a snack made of beaten rice and onion, usal; spicy pulses in thin gravy, pav bhaji, and more.

Gujarati ThaliThe typical Gujarati thali con-sists of rotli, dal or kadhi; a sweet and spicy curd mixture thick-ened with gram fl our with pako-ras, rice, and shaak/sabzi; vegeta-bles made in a spicy or sweet way. Gujarati cuisine varies widely in fl avour and its spices depending on one’s [email protected]

THALI TRAIL IN MUSCATAnanthapuri Restaurant,

Darsait: +968 2470 6226Woodlands, CBD, Ruwi:

+968 2470 0192Mumbai Chennai Express,

Azaiba: +968 2422 0973Rajdhani, MBD, Ruwi:

+968 2481 1888Anjappar Indian Restaurant,

Azaiba Plaza: +968 2422 9535/2422 9539

ENDEARING JOURNEY OF INDIAN THALI

STORY SWATI DASGUPTA

The concept of having a complete meal has long been the tradition in Indian cuisine.

While Western meals are served in the form of courses with their own style and

arrangement, Indian cuisine too has a unique approach to serving food.

Romancing the haute cuisine of AwadhAfter tickling the taste buds of Indian food afi cionados in Seychelles, Boston and Kuwait, among other cities, execu-tive chef Sunil Soni has taken another step in his culinary journey, this time with a book that promises to romance the fi nesse of Awadhi food.

Like the display of the dishes he conjures up, the book also shows a whiff of being diff erent.

It not only has the recipes of 70-odd dishes, but also traces the origins of Awadhi cuisine and its birth city Lucknow, together with its art and landmarks, besides the condiments and utensils used, the techniques, and even nutritional facts for the calorie-conscious.

Jashn-e-Oudh, as the 165-page book is called — roughly translating into grand celebration of Awadh — was launched by Karan Singh, member of parlia-ment and a scion of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.

“I have researched the history of Awadh and compiled the recipes, which have been tried by me repeatedly — and with consistent results,” says Soni, who had graduated in culinary arts from Bombay University and got an early exposure to global cusine in Singapore and Kuwait.

“These dishes have not been mentioned frequently anywhere in the world and there have been very few references of such a cuisine before in literature,” adds Soni who has been associated with restaurants such as Bukhara in Kuwait, Masala Art in Boston, Mahek in Seychelles.

Noted Indian chef and a television show host Ran-veer Brar says he has been rather impressed with the work of Soni — and more so since it speaks about the cuisine of Lucknow, a city he himself grew up in. He also recollects having eaten at Soni’s restaurant in the US.

“I was very impressed by the food at Tamarind Bay in Harvard Square, Boston, and called out the chef to compliment him for such insightful execution of a well-con-ceptualised menu,” Brar said, adding the book’s special for its references to history and anecdotes on Lucknow, with recipes.

Meat being the mainstay of Awadhi food, and the Nawabs game for all varieties — quails, venison rabbit, duck and partridge, along with the usual chick-en, goat and beef — the book has a large selection of non-vegetarian recipes.

But it does not disap-point vegetarians either — what with elaborate how-to-dos on more than 15 vegetable and lentil preparations, rice dishes, breads, and desserts. And to laud Soni’s eye for detail, it speaks at length about ingredients, condi-ments, and even Awadhi terms and techniques. -IANS

F O O D N O T E

FIND-IT-ALLC10 T U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

CITY CINEMAContact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68 www.citycinemaoman.netfacebook.com/citycinemaoman

SHATTIIn the Heart of the Sea (3D) (Action | Adventure | Biography) (PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy2:15, 5:00, 6:45, 9:15, 11:45 PMBridge of Spies (Biography | Drama) (PG) Cast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda8:45, 11:30 PMBus 657 (Action | Crime | Thriller) (12+) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista2:45, 9:30 PMMortadelo and Filemon: Mission Implau-sible (3D) (Animation | Comedy) (PG) Voice Overs: Karra Elejalde, Janfri Topera3:00 PMThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay-2 (3D) (Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson6:15 PMVictor Frankenstein (Horror | Sci-Fi) (12+) Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy4:30, 7:15, 11:30 PMArbaa A Kotchina (Arabic) (PG) CP# Cast: Oka, Ortega4:30 PM

MUSCAT GRAND MALLIn The Heart of The Sea (Action)(3D)(PG12)Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan11:45AM, 6:30, 9:00 & 11:30PMGold Class : 3:30, 8:30 & 11:00PMBus 657 (Action | Crime | Thriller) (12+) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista2:00 & 11:45PMCreed (Drama | Sport) 15+Cast : Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone4:00 & 9:15PMGold Class :6:00PMThe Hunger Games: Mockingjay-2 : 3D (Adventure/Sci-Fi) PG12

1:45PM & 6:45PMMortadelo and Filemon: Mission Implau-sible (3D) (Animation | Comedy) (PG) 12:00PMA Second Chance (Roamance / Drama) PG12Cast : Bea Alonzo, John Lloyd Cruz4:15PM

PANORAMA MALLIn The Heart of The Sea (Action)(3D)(PG12)Cast : Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan5:00, 9:15, 11:30 pmIn The Heart of The Sea (Action, Adventure)(MX4D)(PG12)2:45, 5:45, 8:30, 11.30 PMIn The Heart of The Sea (Action, Adventure)(3D)(PG12)- VIP LOUNGE3:45, 6:30, 8:45, 11:00 PMHunger Games: Mockingjay part 2 (3D)Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson2:30, 7:15 pm (Action, Adventure) (PG12)Bus 657 (Action, Crime)(2D)(12+)Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista2:30, 9:45 pmCreed (Drama, Sport)(2D)(15+)Cast : Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone

2:30, 4:45, 6:45 pmBridge Of Spies (Drama)(2D)(PG)Cast : Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda11:30 pmVictor Frankenstein (Drama)(2D)(12+)Cast : Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda7:15, 11:45 pm

AZAIBA In the Heart of the Sea (3D) (Action) (PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy12:00, 4:45, 9:15, 11:30 PMHate Story-3 (Hindi) (Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Zarine Khan, Sharman Joshi, Daisy Shah2:00, 4:20, 6:40, 9:05, 11:45 PMTamasha (Hindi) (Romance | Comedy) (PG) Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor2:00, 4:30, 7:00, 9:15, 11:30 PMPathemari (Mal) (Drama) (PG) Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan11:50 AM, 7:00, 9:30 PMPrem Ratan Dhan Payo (Hindi) (Romance) 2:45, 6:00 PM (PG)The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-2 (3D) (Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12)2:15, 11:45 PM

RUWIScreen 1Hate Story 3 (Thriller) – PG12Cast : Zarine Khan, Sharman Joshi, Karan Singh Grover3.30, 6.30, 9.30 PMScreen 2Tamasha (Romance/Drama) – PG123.45, 9.45 PMPathemari (Drama) – Tamil – PGCast : Mammootty, Jewel Mary6.45 PMScreen 3Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (Family) – PGCast : Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor3.45, 9.45 PMTamasha (Romance/Drama) – PG126.45 PM

SURIn the Heart of the Sea 3D (Action) (PG12) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy4:30, 8:00, 11:55 PMBus 657 (Action | Crime | Thriller ) (12+) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista6:15, 9:15 PM

Krampus (Horror | Fantasy) (12+) Cast: Adam Scott, Toni Collette4:30, 10:15 PMTamasha( Hindi) (Drama) (PG12) Cast: Ranbir kapoor, Deepika Padukone6:45 PMPathemari ( Malayalam) (Drama) ( PG12) Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan11:00 PM

SOHAR

Bridge of Spies - 2D (PG) Drama | HistoryCast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda4:15, 11:45 PMTamasha - 2D (PG12) Romance| Drama Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor6:30 PMCreed - 2D (15+) Drama | SportCast : Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson2:45, 9:15 PMIn the Heart of the Sea - 3D (PG12) Action Cast : Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy2:30, 9:30, 11:45 PMIn the Heart of the Sea - 2D (PG12) Action Cast : Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy7:00 PMVictor Frankenstein - 2D (12+) DramaCast : Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy4:45, 6:45, 11:45 PMPathemari - 2D (M) (PG12) DramaCast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan9:15 PMMortadelo and Filemon - 2D (PG) Cast : Voice (Karra Elejalde, Janfri Topera2:45 PMArbaa A Kotchina - 2D (Arb) (PG) Cast : Bea Alonzo, John Lloyd Cruz; 4:30 PMBus 657 - 2D (12+) Action| Crime | Thriller Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista2:30, 11:30 PMThe Keeping Room - 2D (15+) DramaCast : Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld5:15 PMHate Story 3 - 2D (PG12) Thriller Cast : Zarine Khan, Sharman Joshi, Daisy Shah, Karan Singh Grover7:00, 9:00 PM

BURAIMIIn the Heart of the Sea– 3D (Action) (PG12)Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy6:45, 9:00, 11:30PM

Bus 657 – 2D (Action, Crime, Thriller) (12+)Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista4:45, 10:00, 11:45PMThe Keeping Room– 2D (Drama) (15+)Cast: Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld5:30, 7:15PMKrampus – 2D (Comedy, Fantasy) (12+)Cast: Adam Scott, Toni Collette5:15, 11:15PMTamasha– 2D (Romance, Drama) (PG12)Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor7:30PMPathemari– 2D (Romance, Thriller) (PG12)Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan9:00PM

SALALAH

In the Heart of the Sea (3D) (PG12) (Action Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy1:45, 6:35, 11:30PMIn the Heart of the Sea (2D) (PG12) (Action Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy10:30AMBridge of Spies (2D) (PG) (Biography Cast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda11:15AM, 4:00, 8:55PMBus 657 (2D) (12+) (Action| Crime | Thriller) Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista12:00, 3:15, 11:55PM Creed (2D) (15+) (Drama | Sport)Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone,12:45, 5:00, 11:45PMKrampus (12+) (Comedy | Fantasy | Horror) Cast: Adam Scott, Toni Collette7:35PMMortadelo and Filemon: (3D) (PG) (Anima-tion |Comedy) Voice Overs: Karra Elejalde, Janfri Topera10:15AM, 2:00PMTamasha (2D) (PG12) (Romance| Drama) Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Javed Sheikh6:30PMHate Story 3 (2D) (PG12) (Thriller) Cast: Zarine Khan, Sharman Joshi, Daisy Shah, 9:00PMRangi Taranga (2D) (PG12) (Kanada) Cast: Nirup Bhandari, Radhika Chetan,3:45PM Pathemari (2D) (PG12) (Malayalam) (Romance / Thriller) Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan9:30PM

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

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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

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Muscat, Al Nahdha Road,

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HOSPITALS

Al Amal Medical & Health Care

Centre 24485052

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Ruwi 24811743/

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Ruwi 24563641

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Al Raffah Hospital 24618900/1/2

Al Massaraat Clinic &

Laboratory 24566435

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Coordinance Centre 24499434

Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24787766, 24787780

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Ruwi 24799760/1/2

Capital Clinic, Seeb 24420740

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Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666

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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 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 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



TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)


SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102)

15:00 Dubai 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)



13:00 Sohar 15:30 Wed,Thur

13:00 Dubai 18:30 Wed,Thur



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)



13:30 Ruwi 20:20 Daily via Ibri





TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)


TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)



TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)



TO SUR (ROUTE 55)



TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

12:30 Fahud 13:15 Daily


TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100)





TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)


DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)


TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)



13:00 Sohar 16:15 Thur-Fri

13:00 Ruwi 19:10 Thur-Fri



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

@SHATTI @AZAIBA

Bus 657 (Action | Crime) (12+) CP# Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista, Robert De NiroTiming: 2:45, 9:30 PM

@PANORAMA MALL

Victor Frankenstein (Drama)(2D)(12+)Cast : Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy, Jessica BrownTimings : 7:15 , 11:45 pm

Pathemari (Mal) (Drama) (PG) CP# Cast: Mammootty, Joy Mathew, Srinivasan, Jewel MaryTiming: 11:50 AM, 7:00, 9:30 PM

BAHJA CINEMAFilm information 24540856 / Advance Booking 24540855Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

In the Heart of the Sea (Action / Adventure) Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan3.30, 7.30, 9.45 & 11.55 p.m. CP No : 3031 (PG12)Krampus (Comedy / Fantasy / Horror)Cast: Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner4.00, 8.00 & 11.55 pm CP No: 3032 (12+)Bus 657 (Action / Crime / Thriller)Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Robert De Niro2.15, 6.00 & 10.00 pm CP No : 3033 (12+)The Keeping Room (Drama)Cast: Brit Marling, Hailee Steinfeld1.45 & 5.45 pm; CP No : 3033 (15+)Hunting the Phantom (Action / Adventure) Cast: Kristanna Loken, Armand Assante11.45 a.m; CP No : 3027 (12+)Creed (Sports / Drama)Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone 12.00 p.m; CP No : 3026 (15+)

STAR CINEMAFilm information 24791641 / 24786776Website: www.isurf.co.om

Pathemari (Mal) (Rom/Drama) Cast: Mammootty, Jewel Mary, Joy Mathew, Srinivasn 3-30, 6-30 & 9-30 Pm Main Cinema Anarkali (Mal Rom/Drama) Cast: Prithviraj, Biju Menon & Priya Glor 6-45 Pm Cinema -3Amar Akbar Anthony (Mal) (Act/Drama) Cast: Prithviraj & Jaya Surya 3-45 & 9-45 Pm At Cinema -3 Inji Iduppazhagi (Tamil) Cast: Arya & Anushka Shetty 3-30, 6-30 & 9-30 Pm Cinema -2 Shankara Bharanam (Telugu) Cast : Nikhil Siddharth and Nanditha 3-45, 6-45 & 9-45 Pm Cinema-4

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WEATHER

270

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Minimum

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50-75%RELATIVE HUMIDITY

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 17 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]

LINGESH MUKUNDH December 8, 2011

SHAINA MERLIN VARGHESEDecember 8

WITH LOVE

Dhuhr 12.03pm

Asr 3.05pm

Maghrib 5.25pm

Isha 6.41pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 5.16am

PRAYER TIMINGS

LIFESTYLEC11T U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

Culinary UsesWasabi is mostly used in sushi, sashimi, and soba dishes fromJapan. It is ground to a paste for seasoning. Apart from the traditional dishes it is also used to fl avour dips, meats, and other foods.

WasabiWhat’s It?This green root plant is a very special condiment from Japan and is grown with utmost care. Wasabi is a blend of horseradish, mustard, and artifi cial colouring and is known for its hot fl avours. Similar to Brussel sprout, as the thick stem of wasabi grows the lower leaves fall off which had a strong pungent fl avour and is later made into paste. It is also used in dried form.

HistoryWasabi originates from Asia and Japan from the Brassicaceae fam-ily and is also known as Japanese horseradish. It grows naturally in mountain river valleys in Japan.

Select and StoreWasabi powder is very conveni-ent for use and storage. Seal in an air-tight container or bag, and store in low temperature. The shelf life is approximately two years. For fresh roots treat it the same way as you would do for horseradish.

An extremely spicy condiment from Japan, made from the root

of the wasabi plant, wasabi is used mainly in Japanese cooking,

although it’s now even used in Asian cuisines.

[email protected]

Maintaining Kitchen KnivesCOOKING KNIVES really are an important part of the busy cooks’ group of hardware yet we’re not great at maintaining them in the correct way; a blunt knife is typi-cal in numerous household kitch-ens. Regardless of what the price paid, in order for them to perform profi ciently a sharp edge should al-ways be preserved. Besides which, a sharp blade is in fact less hazard-ous as it is much less likely to slip during use.

As guideline, a frequently used blade needs to be sharpened once weekly or certainly as your knife starts to feel blunt.

If you are unfamiliar with using a traditional butchers steel then obtaining alternative good quality knives is a good start and present-ly there are several available but I would recommend you steer clear

of the lower priced hand-held kind that only cost a couple of pounds as they rip the blade instead of sharpen it.

Needless to say if you’ve not paid a lot of money for your knives then you may feel you don’t want to spend a lot for the sharpener but investing in a good one will save you money with time and make ones chef ’s knives a pleasure to work with. It is worthwhile men-tioning here that because of the construction processes and ma-terials employed, of Asian-style blades ought to be honed employ-ing a whetstone.

Exactly how do you accomplish maintaining the edge on a blade? Well, protecting them in a storage unit created for kitchen knives is a good start regardless of whether that’s a wooden block, cotton roll or

wall mounted magnetic rack. Addi-tionally utilising individual protec-tive sleeves or edge guards will help, especially if you only have room for keeping knives in a drawer. Al-

though the vast majority of kitchen knives are technically dish washer safe, dishwashers and their deter-gents can be harsh and on occasions the very movement of the appliance causes blades to come into contact with other items which can over time blunt the knife.

Hence in order to preserve the nice razor-sharp blade edge it is advisable to carefully clean manu-ally and dry right away then re-turn to the storage unit. Addition-ally, avoid using hard surfaces to chop on such as glass or marble as chopping boards.

Hardwood or plastic-type mate-rial (polypropylene) are a far better knife friendly option.

Oh, and one more snippet of ad-vice. Don’t use a knife as an alterna-tive choice to a screwdriver. — Chris Bagshall/Courtesy of articlecity.com

C O O K I N G G A D G E T S

In order to preserve the

nice razor-sharp blade edge

clean manually and dry

right away then return to the

storage unit. Additionally,

avoid using hard surfaces

to chop on such as glass or

marble as chopping boards.

KNOW

YOUR SPICE

LIFESTYLEC12 T U E S DAY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

If you are looking for a multi-purpose vegetable then choose zucchini. It can be baked, roasted, grilled, steamed or deep-fried, thus off ering

a diverse culinary range.

Zucchini

ONE INGREDIENT

FIVE WAYS

NGREDIENT

FIFIFIFIFIIVEVEVEE WWWAYS

In SoupMelt butter. Add sliced onion and sauté. Add

diced potato, zucchini, thyme, rosemary, basil, and white pepper, and

cook for 5 minutes. Add broth and boil. Once

cool puree it. Return to the cooking pot, add

milk and boil.

1Butter Best

Coarsely grate the zucchini. Squeeze the

water out. Heat olive oil and sauté two minced shallots. Add the zuc-

chini and toss. Add salt and pepper. Spread it on

bread or toast.

2Sauté It

Cut zucchini lengthwise in strips using a vegeta-ble peeler resembling

spaghetti. Heat olive oil; cook and stir zucchini

for 1 minute. Add water and cook until zucchini softens. Season with salt

and pepper.

3Fried Feast

Take sliced zucchini and onions in a medium bowl and mix together.

Add fl our, cornmeal, salt, pepper, and garlic pow-der. Heat oil and add the breaded vegetables and

fry, turning to brown evenly.

4Make a SmoothieAdd zucchini to apple-

banana smoothie. Blend them together. It adds the green colour to the

smoothie.

5

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

T U E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

RENT D2

CONTACT : 990 49 722

FOR RENTNEAR AL FALAJ HOTEL-

DELUXE 1 BHK,SPLIT A/C.BUILT IN WARDROBE &

2 BATHROOM.WITH & WITHOUT

FURNISHING.

*Tourist visa arranged

Email: [email protected] classifi [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

One & two bed room apartments

available for rent, opposite the new

Panorama Mall at south Ghobrah

close to Muscat Grand Mall, next to

Diwan offi ce. Contact: 99833747

Flats for rent at Al Mablah block

eight. Contact: 99445177

1BR, 3BR Mars hypermarket

Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99338133 /

92103604

Restaurant for lease running

restaurant at excellent location in

Wadi Kabir is available on lease.

Contact: 93334685 / 91760712

1 Bed room in Al hail south R.O

130/- Monthly. Contact: 93993354

Single fl at sharing for Keralite

bachelor in Ruwi near Qaboos

Mosque R.O 95 (W/E).

Contact: 98478286

Flats shops & store for rent in

Ruwi Honda road Mumtaz.

Contact: 97293708 / 92433127

Flat in Wadi Kabir, 3 BHK rent

280/- R.O. Contact: 99330810

2BHK Wadi Kabir near Kuwaiti

mosque. Contact: 97007934 /

92629232

D2 T U E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE

An industrial land 1400SQM in

industrial Bausher (Muscat) in

front of Oman cement located on

the main road for further details.

Contact: 99719973 /95858928

2 Bed rooms fl at with hall, 2

bathrooms in Darsait near Muscat

Municipality. Contact: 92584715/

24700120

1BHK Nr Oman house & Kmj H.O

Muttrah. Contact 99233116

Shop / offi ce Nr Oman house & Kmj

H.O Muttrah. Contact: 99233116

House for rent at Seeb Souq two

bedroom, majlis, sitting room,

kitchen & 2 bathroom.

Contact: 99700908

2 BHK Flats for rent Muttrah near

Oman house. Contact: 97007934 /

92629232

One room and one BHK for rent in

AL Khuwair near Ibis hotel.

Contact: 95724975

3 Room fl at in North Ghubra, 18

November Street with three toilets.

For residential or commercial use.

RO. 315/- Contact 94477222.

Urgent apartment for rent: First

Floor, Purpose built one bedroom,

bath, Kitchen with balcony and a

drawing & dinning. 2 Minutes walk

from Indian School Muscat.

Contact 99346265

Villa for rent four spacious bath at-

tached bedroom private swimming

pool, Gymnasium (common) with

electrical equipment and free main-

tenance secured compound at Ma-

dinat Al Illam. Contact: 98027975

2BHK near Oman house behind

Khimji H.O R.O 200/-.

Contact: 95865686

Flats and shops for rent in Ruwi

Honda road Mumtaz area.

Contact: 97293708 /92433127

1000 SQMTRS industrial land for

rent in Ghala suitable for

warehouse workshop etc.

Contact 24700120 /92584715

House for rent in Hamriya of 2

fl oors, fl ats vacant with 4 rooms,

balcony 3 toilets, 1 kitchen R.O

300/- per month , Omani families

only. Contact: 96266768

1 BHK available at Al Khoud in

Baskin Robbins building. RO 200/-

Contact: 97261418, 99478492,

98181649

One fl ats for rent 2 bedroom all

with bath al Ghobrah north near

Indian school (hot burger restau-

rant) tell 9976610

Store available in Honda road

Ruwi. Contact 99481931

1BHK fl at near Star Cinema 220/-.

Contact 99358589 /95570288

Flats for rent in Wadi Kabeer.

Contact: 99388994

7 Bedrooms villa in Ghobrah

North. Contact - 96420432

Flat for rent 3 bedrooms, kitchen &

bathroom in Wadi Kabir for 260/-

RO. Contact- 97771444

Flats for rent in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 99376454

600 SQT commercial fl at for rent

opposite Oman fl ourmill Darsait

more details. Contact: 91214849/

99364735

Studio in souk Al Khoud behind

of Al Ahali bank with 2 BR toilet+

kitchen in 2 fl oor 160RO.

Contact 99738881

Villa with 5 rooms, two sitting

rooms, 5 toilets and kitchen at

Al Hail North. Contact: 91130875

Flat for Rent 1/2 BHK Flat at Mut-

trah, near Oman fl our mills, 10 min.

from Corniche.Equipped with split

unit ACs, internet points, free-to-air

dish connection, CCTV monitored,

basement parking. Rent RO.250/350

per month. Contact: 99229263;

93221054; 95215289

For Rent Flats in Ghala Heights -

94051789-97201688

For Rent Flats in Wadi Kabir -

94051789-97201688

For Rent fl ats in Muttrah-

Contact – 94051789-97201688

For Rent Flats in Darsait -

94051789-97201688

For Rent Fully Furnished

apartments in Boucher (35) -

94051789-97201688

For Rent Mini Furnished Apart-

ment in Qurum- 94051789-

97201688

Offi ces for Rent Gala-

Contact –94051789-97201688

For Rent Duplex villa in Qurum

29- 94051789-97201688

For Rent offi ces in Qurum op-

posite city center- 94051789-

97201688

For Rent Offi ces & Showrooms

in Al Khoud-Contact 94051789-

97201688

For Rent brand new villas in

Al Ansab- Contact 94051789-

97201688

For Rent Offi ces & Showrooms

in Muttrah -Contact - 94051789-

97201688

Single BHK fl at available in

Honda road Ruwi. Contact -

24833972/ 24833974/99367448

1/2/3 BHK Flats & Showrooms at Mutt rah, near Oman fl our mills,

10 min. from corniche. equipped with split/cassett e unit ACs, internet points, free-

to-air dish connecti on, CCTV monitored, basement parking. Rent RO.250/350/450

(Negoti able) per month.

Contact : 99229263; 93221054; 95215289

NEW Flats & Showrooms for Rent

SHARED OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT

AVAILABLE SHARED FULLY FURNISHED OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT WITH SEPARATE

ENTRANCEPRIME LOCATION

IN AZAIBA. TOTAL AREA 201sq.m.FOR FUTHER DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT ON

95621492/96554579

NRI

Plot for sale Shadnagar Municipal-

ity, Mahboob Nagar District, walk

able distance to existing colonies,

national highway and basic ameni-

ties at reasonable price. Contact –

0091 8686631669

Fancy villa for sale at pathan-

amthitta, kerala. Visit kenindi.Wix.

Com/house for details.

Contact 94533975

Plot, propeties for sale in prime

location in pune

95272138,(+918390982975)

Luxurious villas in a Gated community with all the modern facili�es at

Vakathanam By-Pass (MC road-NH 220)Web: www.royalcastles.inemail: [email protected]

+968 92855909, +91 9961 11 9988

royal castles royal castles vakathanam, kottayamvakathanam, kottayam

WANTED

Required commercial villa from

Azaiba to Al Khoud area adjacent

to main Roads.

Contact: 92640246/91395738

FOR RENT2BHK,

3 washroom Flat with Split Air Conditioners -

Near Lulu Darsait

CONTACT : 93202733

Rental car. Contact: 92516090

2 BHK in Al Meera MKT building in

Al Khuwair available. Rent RO420.

Contact 94047434

For Rent Flats in Mawalah

south-94051789-97201688

GENERAL ELECTRONICS SERVICES LLC

CONTACT: 99627299 / 93327841

BRING HOME - LIVE MUSIC & CINEMA

HOME THEATER&

KARAOKE

TRANSPORTATION7 Ton/ 10 Ton- Trailer

Local transport- MCT- UAE

Contact96609857

Amir Ali

DAILY GUIDET U E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5 D3

FOR SALE

Beauty Salon for urgent sale in

Azaiba prime location behind

Al Fardan building. With sponsor and

1 staff and 1 ready visa clearance.

Call: 95318629 / 95169411

Land for sale in Goa Indian Verna

near big mosque RS 30 lakh negotia-

ble. Contact: 99468166

Window AC 30 Nos (general make

all good conditions), refrigerator,

freezer & mess equipments for sale.

Contact: 98064113/ 99315878 Quo-

tation fax on: 24448101 /24448103

Shop for sale at Ghala Sanaya main

junction (prime location) shop for

sale. Contact: Kamil 92696479

3Ton Forklift, Special made for

Oman market, Japanese Isuze C240

Engine, Cascade side shifter, High

amount exhaust, 3m lifting height,

Solid tyres, One year warranty.

Contact: 98883445

Running barber shop for sale in

Ruwi with all equipments.

Contact: 99343735

60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in

Misfah, can be changed to Industrial

Land. OMR 29 Per Square Meter.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

5 plots of fertile agriculture lands in

Misfah East totaling 4,532 sq mtrs

having date trees and using falaj

water for irrigation. OMR 158 Thou-

sand for all 5 plots. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

400 sq mtrs Commercial/Residen-

tial land in Maabela Phase 5 Block 2.

OMR 155 Thousand. Tel: 99333479

or 95215360

2,688 sq mtrs commercial land in

MBD North. OMR 1.39 Million.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Ladies saloon with 2 staff for sale in

Mawalah. Contact 94197589

ACC. AVAILABLE

Room available rent R.O 60/-

sharing toilet Mumtaz area Ruwi.

Contact: 91978472

Spacious separate room with A/c

and Bed, for non-cooking Asian

bachelor, behind Shell fi lling sta-

tion, Ghobrah round about.

Contact: 94263390

Furnished sharing accommoda-

tion in ruwi near O.K. Center for

non-cooking indian bachelor. Gsm

9880-5474

Spacious separate room with A/c

and Bed, for non-cooking Asian

bachelor, behind Shell fi lling sta-

tion, Ghoubra round about. Contact:

94263390

2BHK Hamriya round about main

road rent R.O 170/- PM.

Contact: 99513510

Sharing accommodation at

Wattayah, behind Wattayah

Mosque. Contact: 92578966

Attached room at Hamriya near

Hamriya fl yover Supermarket.

Contact: 98985763

Furnished room in new building

for working Muslim lady/ Muslim

couple only. Location AINT, Dar-

sait. Contact - 99008069

Full furnished 1BHK fl at at OMR

260/- available for 4 months.

Contact: 92148699 location Ghala

1 Bedroom with attached Bath,

fully furnished, separate entrance

at Mabela for ladies only.

Contact: 99634841

Single bed room with attached

bath, separate entrance, Honda road

near NBO for ex bachelors.

Contact: 91410434

Big room available near Hamriya

R/A for Muslim couple / small

family / Executive bachelor rent

150/- per month including W+ E.

Contact : 99495131

1 Bedroom with bathroom avail-

able for rent. Only Indian female.

Contact - 92394614

3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, sitting

room, Kitchen & store including

utilities bills at Al hail.

Contact 92817777

Single room bathroom in Darsait

R.O 140/-. Contact: 93289652

Single room for expat Indian bach-

elors near Al Aktham restaurant

Al khuwair for RO 120. Water and

electricity included. Contact :

98803261

ACC. WANTED

Sharing Accommodation Required

for Non cooking Executive Lady in

Darsait /Ruwi/Wadikabir.

Contact 99360615

LOST

NOTICE

FOR HIRE

MV SALE

Mitsubishi Pajero 380CC full

option 2008 model 137,000 km

Expat driven white maintained

Mitsubishi workshop.

Contact: 99513510

Honda Accord 2012, 60,000 km,

good condition, RO 5600, expat

leaving Oman. Contact 99577462.

Prado 2010 expat driven good

condition. Contact: 91396589

/91396776

FOR SALE or rent Tata Dawoo

Truck 12 ton 2014 Model.

Contact: 92719681

Chaverlet Epica 2004 model

RO -700, for sale.

Contact 92194205

BMW 318/ 2003 for sale.

Contact 96364990

Ford focus, automatic, 2010

model, silver colour, expat driven,

58000 kms, dealer serviced, regis-

tration till sep 2016, price ro 2750.

Contact- 93207590

AVAILABLE

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirt-

ing, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery,

Crockery, Glassware, Chafi ng Dishes,

Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound

Systems and spectacular lighting.

Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering

and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound &

Light. ww.tunesoman.com,

E-mail: [email protected]

Available offi ce space in Prime

location on 18th November Street,

Azaiba Kindly. Contact: 99288664

Immediate sale of well running

pharmacy at prime location.

Contact- 99627621,

99516236

For sale villas in Al Khoud -

95056808-97201688

Sale house & offi ce furniture & elec-

tronic items. Contact : 99834373/

96642500/22010080

For Sale Luxury Apartments in

Bousher (35) -Contact 95056808-

97201688

For sale Fully Furnished apartments

in Bousher (35) -

Contact- 95056808-97201688

Beauty parlor for sale Muttrah.

Contact: 93142676

Car with driver available for rent.

Contact: 93015630

Ayurvedic treatment for joint

pain, backache, paralysis, massage

steambath, obesity, Spondylitis,

Ideal Care Ayurvedic Clinic,

18 November Street Azaiba.

Contact: 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 treatment for backache,

paralysis, arthritis etc & massage,

All Season (Vaidyaratnam).

Contact 24475280 / 95371664 /

92504980 www.siddhayur.com

GOOD NEWS

TRANSPORTATION

Muttrah to Bausher. Contact:

99022790/24712088

Transportation. Contact:

95190627

Transportation available Ruwi to Al

Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909

FOR LADIES

Home service for ladies only facial, waxing, body massage, (if you

not waxing menicure pedicure) only

20 Riyal, Contact 9243 0239

Indian Granite 600x300x20 - 15000 sq mts

Indian Granite Slabs - 20000 Sq mts

Our factory yard at Ghala Industrial area.

STOCK CLEARANCE SALE

Contact 99337723 / 95118906

VEHICLE FOR SALEMitsubishi – Lancer

2010 model Manual Transmission

Renault – Logan 2010 model

Manual TransmissionVolvo 10 ton Truck – 2001 model

Contact – GSM: 97191588

[email protected]

SITUATION WANT-

ED

BUSINESS

MANPOWER

MANPOWER Tile Masons, Masons, Electricians, Plumbers, False Ceiling / Gypsum Works and Carpenters required

immediately on Labor supply basis.Interested parti es please contact

GSM: 96775023 / 96775024

We will register LLX trade license

for foreign investors and do all

actions. Contact: 92833566

Padmanabhan Ajith has lost

Indian Passport No. H 3294953.

Finder please handover to ROP.

Muhammed Ayub has lost

Pakistani Passport No. KG 876783.


Mohammed Huma has lost Bang-

ladeshi Passport No. Z 0392471.


Mohammad Saddam Hossain has

lost Bangladeshi Passport No.

AA 7944936. Finder please hando-

ver to ROP.

Al Adlawi for Industrial Techni-cal L.L.C which is recorded under

the commercial register in direc-

torate general for trade industry

number 1090888 is going to

change its name to International

City for Development Business

L.L.C company. This is to inform

anybody who concerns about that.

Al Adlawi National L.L.C which

is recorded under the commercial

register in directorate general for

trade industry number 1059705 is

going to change its name to First

Excellant International L.L.C com-

pany. This is to inform anybody

who concerns about that.

DRIVING

Learn driving with professional.

Contact: 94022250

MATRIMONIAL

Ezhava divorcee, 37, 5.3”, pharmacist

in Muscat. Contact - +919961176066

[email protected]

DAILY GUIDED4 T U E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

SITUATION WANT-SIT. WANTED

Email: [email protected] classifi [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

DRAUGHTSMAN

DESIGNER

EDUCATION

ENGINEER

DRIVER

MEDICAL

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

CATERING

DOMESTIC HELP

DRIVER

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ARCHITECT /AUTOCAD

TECHNICIAN /MECH.

SALES / MARKETING

ADMIN

ADMIN

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN

WANTEDCivil Engineer (Building Construction) 2 Nos

Qualification: BE in Civil Engineering

Electro Mechanical Engineer (Building Services)1 No.

Qualification: BE in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering

Send detailed resume to [email protected]

MISCELLANEOUS

Indian designer from India with

7 yrs of experience having good

knowledge of AutoCAD, 3D Max

seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 94016391

Email: [email protected]

Indian lady textiles / fashion

designer graduated from NIFT hold-

ing masters degree also knowing

Photoshop, Ned Graphics, Coral draw,

visual merchandising seeks imme-

diate placement. Contact: 92443286

/ 93891668

Civil Draughtsman with 12 yrs

experience 9 yrs Gulf exp.

Contact: 93528255 Email:

[email protected]

25 years male BA. English ,

Qualifi ed as mast in digital

animation having 5 yrs ex in

character animation special-

ized Auto Desk mago and motion

building software knowledge,

seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 97917357

Professional architect 3ds max

(interior, exterior) looking for pri-

vate work. Contact: 96041201

Interior Designer Experienced

knows 3D max Photoshop:

Contact 93837973

Cooks (Arabic Indian) gulf exp

looking job. Contact: 99531802

Egyptian woman resident has con-

siderable experience in the adminis-

tration and Secretarial Executive for

companies. Contact: 97221126

Indian male 27Yrs, having total

7+ yrs of experience in HR/ Admin

looking for suitable position.

Contact 91507099

29 male MCA qualifi ed 4.6 years

experienced skilled in system ad-

ministration and basic networking,

seeking job in IT Admin iteration

now on visiting visa.

Contact: +96892805363 Email:

[email protected]

Indian female, Masters in HR,

having 4 + years Oman experience

in media management and HR,

looking for openings in HR, Educa-

tion, Admin, Corporate communi-

cations. Contact 98252030

Looking for Executi ve Sales

and Sales Engineers with experience in

earthmoving equipments, cruchers, quarry & mining

industry. Email:

[email protected]

Sales Ladies wanted for Ladies Boutique. Age: 20-35 yrs.

Al Khoudh. Send CV to

[email protected]

or call 91159905

Urgently required for a reputed

company in Oman (Tyre, Battery

& Lubricant division) Sr. Execu-tives/Executive-5 nos (Sohar, Ni-

zwa & Muscat), Techno Commer-cial Professional-5nos, Driver (Omani)-1no. Required minimum

3-5 yrs experience in the same

fi eld with market exposure hold-

ing valid Omani driving license

or GCC. Kindly fwd your CV’s to

[email protected]

Contact: (+968)93891700

ENGLISH TEACHERSWANTED IMMEDIATELY

FOR VARIOUS LOCATIONSMUSCAT | IBRI | SOHAR | NIZWA

SALALAH | BARKA | BURAIMIKHABOURAH | KHASAB

92325542 | 93657915 | [email protected]

Experienced Omani female required as Accountant Cum Secretary. Send CV to

[email protected]

We are looking for Chief Finan-cial Offi cer, Male 40- 45 years old,

Bachelor of Science in Account-

ancy with 5 - 15 yrs. of experience.

Contact: +968 24702133


1. Service Administrator: A qualifi ed Electro/Automobile/Electric Diploma holder with minimum 2 years’ experience on deskjobs such as preparing

quotation, supplier correspondence, warranty claims etc. Age between 25 – 30.2. Accountant:

A qualifi ed B.Com/M.Com/C.A. Inter accountant with minimum 4 years’ experience in accounting with banking knowledge.

Age between 25-30.Attractive Salary and terms Off ered

VACANCY

Candidates with NOC or on visit visa can apply, please drop your CV at [email protected]

SECT. /OFFICE

Urgently required Female Secretary : Oman based

leading manufacturing company

has immediate requirement Grad-

uate with min. 5 yrs of experience

& capable to handle Manage-

ment offi ce work independently

& Secretarial work, knowledge of

computers & accounts will be an

advantage. Age limit upto 30 yrs.

Send CVs to

[email protected]

Urgently require two caretakers for a building in capital area.

Contact: 93888666/99228454/

24493666

Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years experi-

ence preferably in water sector

and having valid driving license

Send CV to [email protected] or

call Ph:+968 99450811

Hard working and 2 years

experienced Indian male MBA

(fi n & mktg) on visit visa looking

suitable jobs. Contact: 93279943

/ 97876709

Indian male 26 years B.Com C.A

Inter tally ERP’s 3 years experi-

ence in accounts, audit on visit

visa. Contact: 90185373


Indian male MBA 2 years experi-

ence on visit visa.


[email protected]

Accountant Indian female, 26

yrs, B.Com 2 yrs experience in ac-

counting, purchase vouchers, bank

reconciliation. Contact: 95690207


Chartered Accountant with ICWA

Inter having 5 years experience

in Finance, Accounts, Costing,

Budgeting, Insurance, Treasury &

Banking operations - NOC Avail-

able + Oman Driving License

Contact : 97881548

Email-fi [email protected]

Accountant Experienced Indian

B. Com looking for suitable posi-

tions please call 91422074

Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in

commerce, overall 5 yrs exp in ac-

counts/ fi nance fi eld. On visit visa.

Immediately available.

Contact – 92836216 /

[email protected]

25 years (20 years in Oman & 5

years in Indian) well experienced

fi nance controller seeking for

suitable position, with valid Oman

driving license. Contact: 99756765

Indian male 29yrs M.com (fi -

nance) MBA (Finance & HR) ICWA

(pursuing) 5 yrs experience in

accounts, tally sage sap on visit-

ing visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 92840519/98450609

Accountant Indian 10 years experi-

ence in Oman, capable for handling

all accounting functions and fi na-

lization good knowledge of tally

ERP9 NOC / release available with

immediately joining.

Contact: 94134085


Indian female, MBA HR & Finance,

having 1 year experience, seeking

suitable placement. Currently in

Oman. Contact: 96052366.

Chief Accountant 25 years expe-

rienced, for the last 7 years work-

ing as Chief Accountant seeks

immediate placement.

Contact: 95598477/98803439

Indian male B.Com Accountant

10 yrs in Oman exp in accounts,

knowledge of sales, purchase,

admin, hr, tally ERP & focus RT.

Having NOC & D/L, looking for

suitable job. Contact - 93086105

Senior Accounts Admin Manager

B.com M.com 25 years experience

accounts up to fi nalization holding

light duty license seeks suitable

placement. Contact: 93064975

Accountant Bachelor of

commerce English, 2 years expe-

rience visit visa.

Contact: 98584398/ 95539923

Male Indian with 7 years experi-

ence in accounting & 6 years expe-

rience in sales and marketing very

good knowledge of tally currently

in Muscat on a visit visa.

Contact: 96148427


Indian lady, bachelor degree in

Preparatory Programme (BPP) and

Bachelor of Commerce (BCom),

completed training course in MS

Word, Excel, Power Point and Out-

look from KTI looking for full time /

part time job opportunity in Oman.

Contact 92437568, 96795853,


Wanted heavy driver. Contact 91770195

Wanted driver. Contact 91025698

Experienced Civil Foreman with

driving license. Visa available.

Contact: 99169512

Civil Site Supervisor for telecom

tower projects across Oman. Send

CV to [email protected] or call

+968 9946 7227

Required General Physician, Gynecology, Lab Technician & Pharmacists. Contact: 95133572


Required Electrical industrial Technician and SW/ Gear panel technician with minimum

2-5 years Gulf experience.

Contact: 99262678

Urgently required senior pur-chaser civil expats candidate,

must have at least 10 years of

experience in similar fi eld. Email:

[email protected] address

P.O. Box 1413, PC 112, Ruwi

A well known private school is in need of English, Mathematics,

Science and Computer Teachers. Contact: 96910649

Email: staffi [email protected]

Required a male Pharmacist with MOH license for a medical

center in Azaiba Muscat, excellent

English and valid Omani driving

license. Interested candidates

please send your CV to

[email protected]

Required a Philippino or Indian female cleaner for a medical

center in Azaiba , Muscat. Inter-

ested candidates please send your

CV to: [email protected]

Wanted Dentist with license for

leave vacancy for 2 months Jan 15

to March 15. Contact: 92520054

GP, Pediatrics, Gynecologist doctors, Nurses urgently need

to work in Polyclinic in Sur, with

MOH/Prometric pass also can

apply. Dr. Raji: GSM : 99567864

Lab Technician Wanted -A

Polytechnic in Sohar is looking for

a lab technician with or without

MOH license . Contact 93828382

or [email protected]

Wanted Staff Nurses (female) for

a polyclinic with or without MOH

license. Excellent salary & accom-

modation. Contact – 99006915 /

[email protected]

Required for urgent appointment

with MOH license and valid NOC

against the following vacancy

in a polyclinic in Muladdah

(Musanah) radiologist cum sinologist, Gynecologist & obstetrician & pediatrician & Lab Technician. Contact: 99110254

Wanted a female staff Nurse with

MOH license to work in a poly-

clinic good salary off ered.

Contact: 97121359/96493058

(2 to 4 pm)

Wanted GP Doctor with MOH

license, job location in Muscat with

good salary and benefi ts. Drop your

cv at [email protected].

Urgently required Philipina Nurse with MOH license at

prometric parsed.

Contact: 99724013

EDUCATION

Indian female M.SC B.Ed, 3 years

experience looking for suitable



REQUIRED for a Contracting Co.

- Civil Engineer / Buildings

(with not less than 5 years experience).

- Mechanical Engineer Email:

[email protected]

A reputed Dairy Company in Oman is looking for following Vacancies.

Please forward your CV’s to [email protected]

Van Salesman: 3 Year experience with NOCDrivers – Omani National Only: 2 year experience with Valid Omani D/LDebt collector: Omani National with 4 years experience with Valid Omani D/L

Traveling agency Manager Director. Contact: 92223669

Wanted Business Development Exe/ Sr.Exe with customs clear-

ance & shipping exp.

Contact: 91204131


Media company need Graphic Designer Male - Female no need

experience, need to have experi-

ence on Graphic Design Programs.

magicfi [email protected]

AutoCAD D/man Experienced.

Contact : 93837973

Urgently required cold room refrigeration Technician must

know up to commissioning gulf

experience preferred .Pls forward

CV to [email protected]

Contact: 97982623/ 95183616

Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years

experience preferably in water

sector and having valid driving

license call Ph:+968 99450811

Send CV to [email protected]

URGENTLY REQUIRED Sales Executi ve - Ladies

(Omani/ Expat) With oman D/L 2 years of

Experience in the same Field.

Gym Instructor - Ladies (Omani/ Expat)

Waitress - Ladies Massage Lady

For a reputed four star hotelPlease send CV at

[email protected], Fax -24593277

REQUIRE AN OUTDOOR

CATERING SUPERVISOR For a restaurant in Muscat.Th e candidate must have 3 to 5 years of experience

in this fi eld.A valid Omani driving licence.

Fluency in spoken English.

CONTACT - 91170489

We are looking for a SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE

For ELV Systems with Oman Market Sales track record in the fi eld of CCTV,

Security, Access Control Systems, Age around 30 years with at least

3 years of successful Sales Career in the Security fi eld. Should have excellent communicati on skills + able to scope client requirements + prepare Tender

Responses. Oman D/L and NOC required.

Pls Send your CV to [email protected] or Fax : 24794807

We are looking for a Business Development Manager

With Oman market experience in Scienti fi c Laboratory Equipment / Digital Signage / New Business

development and sales. Age around 35 years with at least 3 years of

proven track record in one of the above fi elds. Should have excellent

communicati on skills. Oman D/L and NOC required.

Pls Send your CV to [email protected] or Fax : 24794807

Experienced Light Duty Driver,

Fluent in English, Arabic Well

knowledge of Oman Areas Seeking

Suitable placement 97950869

3 years experience driver avail-

able. Contact: 95859247

Looking for driver job.

Contact: 98219182

3 years driving experience in

Muscat languages known English,

Arabic, Hindi and Bengali.

Contact 97462781

11yrs exp light duty driver look-

ing for job. Contact: 94554450

Light driver, looking for job.

Contact: 98372745/99090362

Looking for Job driving.

Contact: 97418036

Driving with car, looking for job.

Contact: 97095200

Driver with new car looking for

job.contact: 95873286

Driver (light & heavy duty) valid

gulf /Indian) looking job.

Contact: 95175192

URGENTLY REQUIRED RECEPTIONIST

• Omanis Only (preferably female)• Must speak English fl uently• Ability to handle Offi ce/Admin works• Good knowledge of computers

Interested candidates please send CV to:

hilalproperti [email protected] contact 24600688/

Fax: 24600683

VACANCYFOR BUSINESS EXECUTIVES

A leading company in Oman looking for aggressive

Business executives, graduate Male 2-3 years of experience,

having arabic knowledge will be an advantage.

Email your CV to [email protected]

House maid looking for job.

Contact: 98257659

Urgently required a leading con-struction company requires Auto-CAD draughtsman (Electrical) 5-10

years Gulf experience in industrial,

multistoried, ministries building

construction. Interested candidates

who are willing to join immediately

may send their CV to

[email protected] 12 years of Oman experienced

chief accountant looking for suit-

able position. Contact: 99513082

Accountant Indian female 23

years M.com graduate 2 and half

years of experience as accountant

in Indian, now on visit visa seeks

suitable placement.

Contact: 91358654


28/ male MBA – fi nance /B.com –

accountant with 4 years of Dubai

/ India experience looking for a

suitable placement.


[email protected]

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, with

13yrs experience, 6 yrs Oman

in manufacturing, trading &

contracting Cos, capable of

handling all accounting, fi nance,

banking, L/C, import, export &

fi nalization seeks placement. NOC

Available. Call+968-98932752,

mail:[email protected]

URGENTLY REQUIRED OMANI STAFF

PRO -1 NODRIVER - 2 nos.

For 3 TON REEFER TRUCKS

Contact GSM: 97191588

E-mail:[email protected]

Engineering Company based in Oman (Muscat)is looking urgently to hire

the following positi on:

Fax NO. 24596440 Email:[email protected]

Positi on: Accountant (Omani Only)

(Bachelor or Diploma )Experience: 2 to 3 years

An Indian female HOUSEMAID

(Muslim) to take care of an

Omani lady. Salary best in the industry.

URGENTLY REQUIRED

Contact - 99250595 or mail to

[email protected]

SALES / MARKETING

Kitchen cabinet manufacturing company is looking sales person, most have Oman D/L and must know

any kitchen designed software and

two years experience.

Contact: 93326636

Sales man / Interior Designer wanted for prestigious interior

design and offi ce furniture Supply

Company. Experience and drivers

license needed excellent

remuneration package.


Indian male MBA- UK 18 yrs Gulf

exp in Administration/ HR & Pub-

lic relationship. Fluent in Arabic/

English with D/L. Looking for suit-

able position. Contact - 99897280

Indian Female, MBA-HR having 8+

experience in Administration/HR,

Customer Support, Offi ce Coordina-

tor with good Computer skill, Now

on Visit Visa, looking for suitable

position. Contact: 90196235

26 yrs male, MBA, 3+ years experi-

ence in Administration in MNC,

seeks suitable placement.

Contact 95041201


Civil Engineer (BE) having total

5 years experience in building

construction looking for a suitable

placement. D/L available

Contact# 94450270

Chemical Engineer, valid Oman

driving license, Indian 2 years of

exp in industrial production,

seeking suitable placement

Contact: 91247222


SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

Female Engineer material /

controller 3 years experience in

road companies, with D/L.

Contact: 98001764

Indian male, Mechanical Engineer

having 1Year experience, on visit

visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 97416564,


Indian male 24 yrs bachelor me-

chanical 2 yr experience looking for

job. Contact: 95179021 /96974981


Bldg . Const site Supervisor since

MAR 2010 working in Oman, with

Omani D/L, looking for suitable

placement. Contact 93061107

B.Tech Computer Science and En-

gineering female 2 years experience

in teaching fi eld and management

skills seeks suitable placement on

visit. Contact 93371834 / 97378922

Indian male 23 yrs old PG Diplo-

ma in Petroleum Engineering and

B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering

having UAE driving license on

visit visa seeks suitable

placement immediately.

Contact: 95880127 / 95084905


Electrical Engineer (B.E) with

8 years experience valid Omani

driving license looking for job.

Contact: 93909951

Civil Engineer with 5 years in

Oman with 5 years in Oman with driv-

ing license (Sudanese with bach-

elor degree). Contact: 91448244

Diploma Civil Engr, 2-5 years

experience in Oman D/License.

Contact: 99814741

Mechanical Engineer (UK) , 28

years old male, having 4 years

experience in Oman looking for

suitable placement with valid

Oman D/L immediate available,

NOC available.

Contact: 968 97612297 Email:

[email protected]

Mechanical Engineer with 3 Yrs

experience in international Oil

& Gas company looking for job

Contacts: Tel: 90164236 Email:

[email protected]

Civil Engineer 8 years experience

in Oman as a project engineer for

governmental & private projects.

Contact – 90164912

Electrical Engineer Indian male

29 years, having 5 years of experi-

ence in industrial automation and

utility maintenance in India (MRF

Tyres) seeking suitable place-

ment. Contact: 92789995 Email:

[email protected]

Telecommunication Engineer looking to obtain a job in the speci-

fi ed fi eld, Sudanese nationality

with a valid residence.

Contact 95000024

Civil maintenance painting,

tile works decor works, plumb-

ing, electric, shop furnishing

carpentary works and all other

maintenance. Contact 97897831,

92112094 (Indian, Keralite)

29 yrs Indian male B.E (ECE) with

more than 5 yrs experience in

Oman with valid D/L.

Contact 96652145

Indian male, B.Tech Engineer, 6.5 years exp, PHP Developer

working in UAE seeking a relevant

post. Email: [email protected]

Contact: + 971563801785

Indian male, 24 years, M.tech in

Electronics and Communication

CCNA Certifi ed , currently on visit

visa seeking a relevant job.

(Certifi cates attested).

Contact: 93814376


Indian female civil engineer

B.Tech having 3 years experience

sound knowledge of software,

REVIT STAD PRO structural detail-

ing currently on family visa seeks

suitable placement.

Contact: 95345591

Indian male IT, CCNA, RHCE, MCITP,

3 years experience have GCC driving

license seeking suitable position on

visit visa (until 27th Dec).

Contact: 93311963


Indian male 20 plus years experi-

ence intonation resource customer

management IT business develop-

ment transformation D / license

NOC transfer seeks senior dost re-

puted company. Contact: 91719892


Indian female M.Com qualifi ed

CME (INTER) good communica-

tion & computer skills fresher

presently in Muscat seeking



Indian male B.Tech (ECE) MCSE,

CCNA having 1.5 years of experi-

ence seeks job. Contact: 99257702


Sit Lankan male 22 yrs seek-

ing immediate employment in

the travel & tourism sector IATA/

UFTAA qualifi ed 2+ years at

extensive experience.

Contact: 90202538 / 99743569


B.Tech (IT) Indian male 29 years

having 4 years experience in soft-

ware support, hardware & network-

ing in Oman looking for IT / Admin

job in Oman. NOC available with

valid Oman D/L. Contact: 91906494


CCNA MCITP network sup-

port /network technician with

2 years experience Indian male

having bachelors degree on

visit visa. Contact : 93080871

[email protected]

Indian male, MA, IATA, 7 years

experience as a cargo assistant,

storekeeper & dangerous goods

acceptance staff , seeking suitable

placement currently in Oman.

Contact: 93407974

Indian female 29, BCA, MCA, ASP.

Net certifi ed SAP - ABAP certifi ed

having 1.5 yrs of experience, seek-

ing placement. Contact: 99109121


Age 28 years experience 2years &

8 month in IT accounting technical

skill, java, J.S.P tally Peachtree M.S

excel, SQL ,Working java program-

mer India , accountant , Dubai

,Qualifi cation MCA, B.C.A mathe-

matic visit visa. Contact: 95673451

Male 31 Years, IT 6 year’s online

marketing experience in India

seeks suitable placement.

Contact-91175265

IT

Well experienced team available to provide feasibility reports & business solutions, product

development, risk management methods for startups, progressive,

defunct operations. Creating of ERP modules.

Contact - 93343251 Email: profi [email protected]

A result oriented professional B.E.(Mech), 30+ years experience in

Oil & Gas Projects, Fabricati on, R & M and Services. Seeking job as

GM, CEO, Country Head. NOC & immediate availability.

Phone : +91 9773828663, Email : [email protected]

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

SALES / MARKETING

MEDICAL

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

TOURS & TRAVELS

The Business Development Man-

ager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years

Inside and outside Oman follow-

ing activities: construction(Very

strong and qualifi ed to bringing

business for civil work Or any

type of the construction work for

many million per year with a good

experience in pricing and collect

payment and cash management of

the company & marketing projects

& investments& tenders & real

estate. Contact: - 92385033

Sudanese male Manager & Ac-

countant master degree in Econom-

ics, 15 years experience in accounts

and Banking looking for job. Contact:

97396088 / 96436517

An experienced Staff Nurse with

MOH license and data fl ow cleared

looking for job, NOC available.

Contact: 97045785 / 98899146

Indian female , Masters in Nursing

Specialized in Medical & Surgi-

cal with 1.3 years of nursing tutor

experience after MSC & 1.5 years

of clinical experience after BSC

seeks suitable vacancy near Sohar.

Currently in Oman on family joining

visa. Contact 93217746 ; Email:

[email protected]

Experienced parametric cleared

Indian female dentist seeks suit-

able placement in Muscat.

Contact: 94673720 /92880267

An experienced Sudanese female Dentist with MOH license look-

ing for job. Contact: 96436517

/97396088

Palestinian dentist looking for job

in Muscat privet hospitals , poly-

clinics or dental centers – 15 yrs

experience out Muscat at privet

hospitals or polyclinics.

Contact: 96951750

Male Nurse, Experienced, Pass

Prometric (Oman) 93837973

HOSPITALITY

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

Dutch male qualifi ed commer-

cial pilot (Faa-ME-IR certifi ed) is

looking for job openings in middle

east. [email protected]

SALES / MARKETING

MBA In Operations Management

Indian male : MBA in Lean Opera-

tions And Systems with 3 years of

experience seeks suitable place-

ment in Oman. Contact : 00968

9436 9897.

Indian male 22 years B.Com Grad-

uate residing in Oman on family

visa with a valid Oman driving

license, looking for a job in sales /

marketing. Contact: 98504698

Indian male with more than 14 yrs

of experience in business develop-

ment / marketing valid Omani D/L

, looking for Managerial position in

business development / market-

ing. Contact : 93400177

Indian male, MBA Finance & Mar-

keting 28 yrs,6+ Exp, with Driving

license, Hospital Phrma Herbal

Marketing, construction A/c &

sales , F&B industry, 93379044

Indian male, MBA Marketing

having 2.5 years Sales experience

immediately looking for a suitable

position. Contact: 91415145, Email:

[email protected]

Indian male 29 yrs, BHM , 6 years

overall 3 yrs in Oman in sales with

D/L. NOC available to join immedi-

ately. Contact: 92594055

Indian male 46 years, Sales

Manager experience in modular

kitchens & furnitures.

Contact: 94522616

Sales & marketing building mate-

rials (G. hardware, tiver, steel etc)

Indian male fl uent English, Arabic,

Malayalam etc GCC D/L 8 years

exp available release letter or NOC.

Contact: 92882101


Indian male having 5 years Oman

experience in coordination level

seeking any suitable post. NOC

available and can join immedi-

ately as the visa issued.

Contact: 92889617

24 years, Graduate on visit visa

with diploma in advertising

fi lm making from Zee Institute

Mumbai and with two years work

experience in digital marketing

social media & event management

seeks suitable placement. Contact:

98257207 / 99747481

Indian male sales marketing with

G.C.C license 7 years exp.

Contact: 98097459


Manager Post of Family Visa, MBA

14 years Experience (2 Years in

Oman) in Multinational Groups in

Sales & Marketing. M.Z. 96220975

Indian male 38 yrs, 11 yrs exp

Oman worked as a Sales & MKT in

Medical consumables items,

looking for any suitable job D/L

Oman NOC available.

Contact: 99501046

Purchase offi cer with 8 years exp

in Oman having D/L & NOC

looking for urgently placement.

Contact: 96174564

email: [email protected]

Indian male MBA 7 yrs ex in sales

& marketing with Omani D/L N.O.C

available. Contact: 93431039

Indian male 40 yrs MBA market-

ing having 18 years of experience

sales fi led 11 years in Oman with a

leading tyre trading company hav-

ing Oman driving license seeking

suitable placement.

Contact: 94743828


Indian male MBA holder one year

experience looking for job sales

& marketing & any offi ce related

with. Contact: 97138592 Email:

[email protected]

Indian male MBA with 15 years

experience in sales / customer

care, looking for suitable position

currently Oman on visit visa. Con-

tact 98144691/93891423 Email:

[email protected]

Indian Male 32, MBA (Marketing

& Finance) with 10 years experi-

ence in Marketing of Banking

Products & Insurance Industry.

Seeking for a Job in Oman.

Contact: 93576980, 97750460


Indian male, MBA 25 yrs. 1 year

experience in auditing and 10

month in sales. Currently on visit

visa seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 92054304

Indian male, 24, MB Marketing

and HR, I year experience. On

visit visa. Looking for suitable job.

Contact 94014073

Indian male, 29 years electrical

engineer, having 5+ years of ex-

perience in oil / gas and construc-

tion fi eld (GCC) having valid GCC

license too, looking for a preferable

job. Contact: 00968-98052942


Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian

male 24 years with 1+years Indian

experience,(Certifi ed in Staad

Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).

Looking for a Suitable position.

Available In Sultanate of Oman

(Muscat) on Visit Visa.

Contact: 92835952. E-mail:

[email protected]

Structural Draughtsman having

10 years experience in engineer-

ing consultancies N.O.C available.

Contact: 00968 97612846

7Yrs Exp. PM in Mech. Engg in the

fi eld of Building Const. Oil & Gas

Seeking Job.94625598

Electrical Engineer, B-Tech, with

4 Yrs experience in India, 3 YEARS

IN MRF and one year in KSEB.

Available in Visit Visa looking for

suitable Placement as an Engineer.

Contact: 94741401

Email:[email protected]

B. E Mech, MBA project & design

management around 2 years

experience seeks suitable position

in automobile oil & gas, any other

industries. Contact: 93360821

Mechanical Engineer (BE) 25

years, Indian male with NDT

level2, 2 years above experi-

ence (as QC Engineer and Site

Engineer) seeking suitable

placement. Contact: 90249803 /

00919446048596


Sr. Electrical Engineer (MEP)

having 18 years of experience

(10 years in Gulf) seeks suitable

placement in the fi eld of Building

Construction and HV/LV/Cable

Installations. NOC available for

contact GSM :92203584,


B. Tech Safety Engineer, 10 years

exp, NOC available, seeking suit-

able placement. Mob: 97061817,


Sr. Civil Engineer, Indian male

with 22 yrs of experience in

building construction, pipeline

work specialist in tendering, bill-

ing, quantity surveying with Gulf

experience.

Email : rafi [email protected]

BE civil Engineer (4 years exp)

Indian male looking for job (site

Engineer, planning estimation, QS,

job (primavera, Ms excel) available

in Oman for interview. Contac:

97214512 /92822310


(expected CTC 350 Rial)

16 years experienced civil Engi-

neer B.Tech including 8 yr experi-

ence in Oman with D/L seeking

suitable placement.

Contact: 99802579

Project Engineer 6 years experi-

ence in Oman, fl uent in Arabic,

English & good Hindi also. NOC

available. Contact - 97858589

Bachelor Civil Engineer 6 Years

in Oman experience Valid Driving

License seeks suitable placement

Phone 97619722

Email – [email protected]

Mechanical Engineer M.Tech 2

years experience as HVAC design

engineer rev IT M.E.P AutoCAD.


[email protected]

Mechanic Tractor Diesel Engines

& Hydraulic, 25 years Experience

in Multinational Companies.

Contact - 91685048

Civil Engineer 6 yrs Exp in Oman

with license. Contact: 98975518

Hygiene Offi cer/QC, B.Tech Bio

tech. HACCP LVL. 2 &3.Experi-

enced in Food & water industry.

92940218

Sri Lankan Engineer (27 Years old)

– B.Sc Engineering (Hon) Mining /

Geotechnical Presently in Muscat,

1.5 years experience.91295802 /

[email protected]

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

26 yrs Indian Male - fl uent in Eng/

Arabic, qualifi ed network technician

seeks job: 98675047 / 98138750

Indian male, having 15 yrs of exp

in site supervising, telephone line,

supervising with valid D/L, looking

for job. Contact: 93931162

Mason, SH / carpenter, steel fi tter

gulf & Indian exp looking job.

Contact: 95175192

Electrician, plumber (exp gulf / In-

dian) looking job. Contact 95175192

12 years of experience in Oman;

marketing strategies & operations,

logistics, government tenders,

public relations & dealing with

international companies -4 years

of experience in UK, engineering

CNC & industrial areas, have dual

nationality, fl uent in English &

Arabic speaking and writing , (I

can travel abroad easily without

visa, for fi nalizing business or any

other purpose). Contact: 94123939

Marketing Executive/Merchan-

diser, Omani License, BA 8 years

Experience in Multinational

Groups. Contact 97601343

10 yrs exp in Oman in logistics/

purchase-have Oman D/L-looking

for suitable placement-

contact 96410767


Candidate with communication &

analytical skills. Contact 90187827

Indian male 30 yrs, 6 years experi-

ence in Oman, Oman driving license,

BSc, food technology (food sciences)

and M.B.A. Contact 93405643

Graduate, computer literate, expe-

rienced in sales, credit control,

accounts, omani d/l , seeks suit-

able placement. Gsm 9880-5474

24 years Indian female MSC -

Biotechnology 1 year exp.in clinical

microbiology, worked in icrisat

for project work as Trainee, looking

for suitable job. Contact: 92619048


MBA (marketing) with 17 years

experience in freight forwarding/

logistics industry in GCC & Oman.

Presently working as branch

manager in Muscat. Looking for

a suitable position. Release and

NOC available. Contact: 99856331

ACCOUNTANT with 8 years of experience (working in Oman since Jan 2013) is looking for a

change.Experienced in all aspect of

accounting up to fi nalization of accounts. NOC will be availableContact: 95503646

Indian female 24 yrs, Bachelor in

Travel & Tourism and 2 year exp in

Oman as ticketing executive.GDS-

Sabre, Amdeus, Galilio. seeking

suitable job.contact- 95883404

Indian lady with release paper.

searching for admin or accounts

asst or showroom sales job.

Contact 94417080

Secretary MBA Indian male 5 years

exp in India, 1 yr exp as Secretary

/ document controller in tendering

dept in Oman seeking urgent place-

ment. Contact 91566118 / 93089367

Indian male 24, B.E. Civil Eng’g

with 2 years experience as Struc-

tural Engineer looking for suitable

job in Muscat. 97355352

8 yrs exp 2d, 3d draughtsman

(HOLDING OMANI DRIVING LI-

CENSE) seeking job.

Contact : 93790601

Indian male 25 yrs, MBA (Fi-

nance, Marketing), Overall 2 yrs

exp in Accounts/Finance fi eld, On

Visit Visa. Immediately available.

Contact - 92989197/94786544.

[email protected]

Indian male 24yrs, B. tech in

(Computer Science) 4 years of exp

in technical support, sales and

networking, seeks suitable place-

ment. Contact:- 95955696,

email:- [email protected]

Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3 yrs exp. in IT/

networking/ server support,

valid Omani D/L seeking suitable

placement in IT/Network/Server

support. Contact 92607532

Post graduate master of social

work having 5 years experience at

present visit visa seeking suitable

opportunity. Contact 99876307

Indian female, Science Graduate,

3 year’s experience in Teaching

English & Science seeking suit-

able placement. Also interested

in Teaching Spoken English for

student at any level.

Contact : 96431456 / 95704814l

The Business Development Man-ager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years

Inside and outside Oman following

activities: tenders& real estate&

construction & marketing pro-

jects& investments& transporta-

tion & Marine services& companies

management& develop business.

Contact :- 92385033

Indian male 25 yrs of exp in construc-

tion fi eld Oman. Good knowledge in

same fi eld worked as foreman + 15

yrs of driving exp looking for job, with

visa. Contact: 93718164

Civil Engineer B.Tech with Iosh,

Nebosh certifi cation having valid

Omani driving license looking for

suitable job. Contact: 93631625

Accountant , Indian (Kerala) male,

more than 09 years experience in

Qatar (02 years) and New Delhi

experience upto fi nalization of Ac-

counts & expertise in using Tally

ERP-9, MS Offi ce (Word & Excel).

Currently on visit visa, seeking suit-

able placement.

Contact: 97864890 / 97268429


9 years experience in construction

Purchase seeking suitable place-

ment immediately, NOC available.

Contact: 97332401

Sudanese / civil engineering Di-

ploma / 5 years experience / deal

with most popular computer pro-

grams / good in English / fl uent in

Arabic. Contact: 96995670

Young 24 yrs, ACCA affi liate , ad-

vanced diploma in Accounting busi-

ness, seeking suitable placement in

accounts fi nance or audit with valid

driving license. Contact 92430152


MALE ACCOUNTANT, age 25 years,

ACCA UK fi nalist with 4 years

experience in accounting & audit

in Pakistan, now in Muscat on visit

visa seeking suitable placement.

Contact 90197029,

muzammalhafi [email protected]

Indian male 23yr BA TTM(Travel

and Tourism Management) with

Advanced Diploma in Supply

Chain Logisitics and Shipping

Management, exp in Logisit-

ics (CHA) seeking in suitable

placement, currently on visit

visa(Oman)

Contact;90291092

email:[email protected]

Indian male 26 years, 4 years

experience as system and network

engineer. B. Tech graduate.

Looking for suitable opening.

Contact:93125669,

Email:[email protected]

DAILY GUIDED6 T U E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

SIT. WANTED

SITUATION WANTED

Email: [email protected] classifi [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

Purchase & Stores In charge – Hav-

ing continues 13 years experience

in a single fi rm, looking for a place-

ment.# 99627427, 96154564

Indian male 23 years old graduate

with one year experience in Sales

& Marketing with valid Oman

driving license seeking suitable

opportunities.(NOC available)

Contact: +968 98240510 Gmail:

aff [email protected]

Marketing Coordinator, Indian,

Advertising Agency experienced

person with D/L seeks good open-

ing. Contact 93031168

Indian male, 29 years, B. Tech

Electronics & Communication Eng.

with 7 year’s experience seeking for

a suitable placement, currently in

UAE visit visa.# 00971 552513735


Sri Lankan male – 3.5 years

experience as a site supervisor

& Administration executive in

Oman / 2 years experience as an

HR executive with Oman driving

license. (English/Arabic/Urdu)/

NOC available 97281617

Sri Lankan male BSc (Physics) –

5 years experience as a site supervi-

sor & Administration executive with

Oman driving license. (English/Ara-

bic/Urdu)/ NOC available 93214717

MISCELLANEOUS

Manager / Working Partner. Indian

M.Com with 20 years Dubai experi-

ence in media advertising industry,

client service, marketing, produc-

tion, gifts trading, branding with

D/L. Contact -93031168

Indian male BE Electrical & elec-

tronics and pg in power systems

(transmission & distribution) on

visit, Seeking placement.

Contact – 94669679

Email [email protected]

Civil Engineer 2 years experience,

major experience in Road work,

Culverts and structure. #97427701

BE electronics & instrumentation

engineer, with one year of experi-

ence. Looking for suitable positions.

On visit visa. Contact-99339306,

e-mail: [email protected]

Indian male be electrical and pg

in power systems (transmission &

distribution) with 1 year experi-

ence on visit, seeking placement.

Contact – 94669679/

email [email protected]

Looking for a part time accounting

& admin job. Contact 99196621.

Indian (Kerala) Male, 32yrs, look-

ing for a job as Accounts Assistant/

Cashier/ Salesman (indoor), having

5 yrs experience in Oman. Current-

ly on Visit Visa. Contact-94410485,


Indian male B.Eng. in IT, MCSA,

MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT support,


placement in IT/Network/

Server support. Contact 92607532

Indian Male 33 yrs, BCA ,10 years

experience(India & Oman) IT

Support, System administrator/

supervisor looking for suitable Job.

#95448561.

Indian female accountant 5 years

of experience in accounting tally,

offi ce coordination,And admin, cur-

rently on visit visa. seeking suitable

placement Contact: 95684179

Indian male 23yr BA TTM (travel

and tourism management) with

advanced diploma in supply chain

logistics and shipping manage-

ment, exp in logistics (cha)

seeking in suitable placement.

currently on visit visa(oman)

Contact;90291092


Marketing or Business develop-

ment-BSC in marketing 5 years

of experience looking for suitable

position. Contact (99522233)

Indian male, 19 years oman exp.

in purchase, material coordina-

tor in building/pipe line 9yrs &

factory production fi eld 10yrs.good

computer skills & D/L & with NOC.

looking for suitable placement.

[email protected]

Contact: 99008101

Indian Males 32 years, Dip. In

Hardware & Networking with 10

years of hands-on experience.

Currently on visit visa seeking im-

mediate placement in IT Support

or relevant jobs. Good knowledge of

Hardware & Networking.

Contact: 9416 9341 /

[email protected]

Indian male, 19 years experience

in purchase, material coordinator

in building construction & factory

production fi eld, have good com-

puter skills & driving license and

NOC. Looking for a suitable place-

ment. Contact: 99008101

Indian male accountant, 12 years

experience, looking for a full time

or part time job. Experience in tally

also. Contact-98983122

Sudanese Manager and Account-

ant, master degree in Econom-

ics Diploma(Development and

Planning).Egypt. More than 15

years Experience in Government

Accounts..and Banking. Speaking

arabic and English, skill full in M.S

offi ce, seeks suitable placement.

Contact 97396088

Indian male 23 yr BA TTM

(Travel and Tourism Manage-

ment) with Advanced Diploma

in Supply Chain Logisitics and

Shipping Management, exp in

Logisitics (Customs Clearance)

seeking in suitable placement,

currently on visit visa(Oman)

contact;90291092


Btech graduate, 26yr male, 4

years experience as system and

network engineer. Looking for suit-

able placement. Mob : 93125669,

Email : amritrajsasidharan@gmail.

com.

Indian Male 23 years B.Tech

Civil having 2 years experience in

quantity survey and site manage-

ment looking for suitable place-

ment contact:- 95042656

Indian male, MBA, fi nance, hav-

ing MNC 2 year experience in

accounts and audit, skilled in sap,

seeking suitable position.

Contact : 96930855

Indian male, 26 years, With 7 years

of experience in Sales fi eld in ship-

ping company in “Dubai” , looking

for suitable placement. Experienced

working in safety Marine equip-

ment and well versed with MS

Offi ce. Contact: 90182494,

[email protected]

Indian male having 14years of ex-

perience in HR, Purchase Dept and

Sales having Oman driving license

looking for a suitable position at

Salalah. Noc available. Mail.

Madhuvtk@ gmail.com

32 years Indian Male MSC,MBA-

HR having 8yrs Exp(HR /Payroll/

Admin) with Oman valid DL. Seek-

ing suitable opening in Human

Resource, Payroll & Admin/

backend jobs. Contact :00968-

99322978


and Tourism Management)

with Advanced Diploma in

Supply Chain Logistics and

Shipping Management, exp in

Logistics(CHA) seeking in

suitable placement. Currently on

visit visa (Oman)

Contact; 90291092


Indian male auto cad draughts-

man (civil) 8 years experience

.seeking for job in Dubai & Qatar.

Contact - 00968-99070584

(Mct):0091-9895061474 (India)


Indian Female Accountant 5 Years

of Experience in Accounting Tally,

Offi ce coordination, And Admin,

Currently on Visit Visa Seeking

Suitable Placement.

Contact: 95684179






Indian male, 11 years exp. in ac-

counting, knowledge in tally also.

Looking for a part time job.

Contact. 98983122






Male Accountant Indian, B.com,

2 Year experience currently

working in Oman. NOC available,

doing accounts in Tally and Excel

searching for suitable Job. Email:

[email protected] /

91894487, 98789958

Electronics/Electrical/Instru-

mentation Design Engineer with

2+ years of experience, having a

Bachelors Degree in Instrumenta-

tion Technology. Seeking for a job,

currently on visit visa.

Contact- 90142166 /

Mail: [email protected]

Indian Mechanical Engineer (16 Yrs Exp), Knowledgeable in

Monitoring of workshop setup,

Workshop run, Business Develop-

ment, ISO certifi cation, Quotation,

Tender, Account verifi cation,

Sohar Area, Mb. 94215208’

Part- Time Accountant, well

experience senior accountant, do-

ing all type of accounting works,

Finalization, Budgeting available.

Contact 98803439

Indian male, 27 BSC nurse 4.5

years experience in India. Pro

metric passed with 61% Data fl ow

processing, ACLS, BLS passed.

Now on visit visa. Mob: 98926621,

94361049

e-mail: [email protected]

Electrical Engineer, B-Tech, with

4 Yrs experience in India, 3 YEARS

IN MRF and one year in KSEB.

Available on Visit Visa. #94741401

Email:[email protected].

Sudanese male...telecom engineer

11 yrs. exp in IT support, Network-

ing, Security systems, Server

support, IT sales and marketing,

management .Seeking suitable

placement. Contact 91182027

31 years, Indian male PG in HR

, with 5 yrs Professional experi-

ence in HR in Construction Oil &

Gas Oman seeking for a suitable

placement(NOC Available).

Contact me on 93488914, email-

[email protected]

FEMALE SYRIAN ARCHITECT

,new graduate have good experi-

ence in architect programs, auto-

cad 3d max ,sketch up , Photoshop

,sketch up, searching for a job full

time or part time, for#97482871

Sales & Marketing/ Business

Development Executive: - B.Tech.

(Electrical & Electronics) MBA in

marketing having 9 years of expe-

rience seeking a suitable position.

Contact (97043494)

The Business Development

Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15

Years Inside and outside Oman

following activities: tenders& real

estate& construction & marketing

projects& investments& trans-

portation & Marine services&

companies management& develop

business. Contact 92385033

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT: Indian

male, Graduate & CA Article ship

completed. 18 Years of experience.

Currently on visiting visa. seeks

suitable placement.

Contact: 97498809, 98569025,


Indian female dentist prometric

cleared seeking suitable openings

in Muscat.# 95585807, 92880267

Male 25 years, B.E. Mechanical

with CSWIP 3.1 and ASNT level

2, 3 yrs. of experience in QC in oil

and gas industry. Currently work-

ing in Oman, NOC available.

Contact 91262792.

[email protected]

Indian male, B.E. mechanical, 16

yrs experience, for Quotation, Ten-

der, Accounts, Business develop-

ment, Sohar Area, Part Time. Mb.

94215208


and Tourism Management) with

Advanced Diploma in Supply

Chain Logisitics and Shipping

Management, exp in Logisit-

ics (CHA) seeking in suitable

placement, currently on visit

visa(Oman) Contact;90291092


Indian Electrical Engineer B. Tech,

female 24 seeking job. presently

in oman having 2 year experience

in design and estimation of Ht &Lt

projects. Contact 96897436557,

Mail id : [email protected]

B.Tech (Electrical & Electronic)

with MBA in marketing having

9 years of experience seeking

a suitable position as Sales &

Marketing/Business Development

executive. Contact-(97043494)

Mechanical Engineer (UK), 28

years, male having 3.5 years

experience, looking for suitable

placement with valid Oman driv-

ing license NOC available.

Immediate availability

Contact: +968 97612297


Indian Male more than 10 years

gulf experience in Offi ce / Sales

Coordinator, Admin, Secretarial

and purchase with good computer

skills. Having Driving license and

NOC available. Looking for

suitable placement.

Contact: 95149624

Classes for Spoken EnglishTOEFL / GRE / GMAT / SAT

Excellent Guidance and Coaching Satisfaction Guaranteed

IELTS PREPARATION Target Band 8.0

EAGLES INSTITUTE92325542 | 93657915 | 93657917 | Email: [email protected]


SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

SITUATION WANT-SERVICES

SITUATION WANT-SERVICES

A/C maintenance, installation

spilt A.C and maintenance window

A/C and ducted and package the

reunites. Contact: Asad Abbas

98667326

Water proofi ng ABUQABAS-

Contact 99320217/24788722

A/C Maintenance & servicing,

fridge, washing machine & dish

washer repairing, painting &

cleaning services, electrical &

plumbing. Contact: 99447257

/97014234 / 24504281

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile

polishing, pest control & anti-ter-

mite treatment, general cleaning

painting,Plumbing, Electrical,

shifting. Contact Mundhir

Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C.

Contact: 24810137, 99450130

Window & split unit A.C servicing &

repairing. Contact: 99557080

Split & window unit A.C servicing &

maintenance. Contact: 96236476

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont

Maintenance services electric,

plumbing and A/C.

Contact: 96524904 / 94285064

SERVICESWe Provide Cleaners,

Offi ce boys, Cleaning Contracts, General cleaning etc.

Al Mudakhir Nati onal Est. LLC Contact : 94277020

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of

your marble. Contact 24793614/

99314807

Window & split unit A.C ser-

vicing & maintenance. Contact

93769089 / 95323517

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles

polishing, carpet shampooing,

maintenance. contact ABU QABAS-

99320217 /24788722

CLASSES

IELTS & TOEFL

Academic / General

Target Band 8

TQT Institute.

Ph #

24480800 / 99347202

Karate and self defense classes at Azaiba 18 Nov Street. RO 10 per month

twice a week Monday and Tuesday 6. 30 TO 7. 30. PM. CONTACT 98294551

Spoken Arabic class for Non Arabic Speakers & English

class for Malayalam Speakers in Azaiba and Ruwi

• Learn in two months• Satisfaction guaranteed

Tel: 95244310

WEBSITE

SIT.WANTED

WEB, ERP and Business Intel-

ligence (BI) creation and manage-

ment at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

Split & window A/c servicing & main-

tenance. #: 93769089 / 95323517

Cleaning & Carpet Shampooing, Ocean Center LLC.

Contact: 99344723

Pest Control Treatments. Ocean Center LLC.

Contact: 99344723

House shifting. Contact:

99657644/98518013

RENT A CAR

RENT A CAR

Rental car. Contact: 92516090

Cleaning Sofa shampoo

carpet shampoo house.

Contact: 92179395

Debt collection services your

money we collect value com-

mercial services. Fax: 00968-

24783669 Contact: 00968-

2479815 /00968- 24701422

/00968- 94665476 Email:

[email protected]

Marble grinding resurfacing &

ceiling crystallization / polishing

general cleaning of villas & fl ats.

Terrazzo fl oor scrubbing, ceil-

ing, polishing & buffi ng. Contact:

98598280 /94134784

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing,

Contact 99314807/

24792998

Digital marketing / ad words/

analytics / SEO expert, exp 5 yrs

(male) certifi ed) , (visit visa).

Contact: 93594114 (visit visa).


Hotel exp 4 years F+ B (service)

visit visa expires 13/11/2015,

B.A Hotel Management. Contact:

91987013 / 96971643 Email:

[email protected]

BE Mechanical Engineer, 23

years, Indian male on visit avail-

able for immediate placement

please contact: 96145820 or

[email protected]

Sales/marketing, Indian male 35,

years, having13 years experience,

in that 6 years experience of KSA

seeks for suitable placement, on

visit visa contact: 95954786,

Email:syedhameeduddin16@

gmail.com

COMPUTER

D8 T U E S D AY, D E C E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDEEmail: [email protected] classifi [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with

Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain

Marine Tours contact 98029602,

92808636

TOURS

SITUATION WANTEDCARGO

ABDULHAKIM AL BIMANI TRADING & CONTRACTOR

Expert in Shipping cargo by sea & air to Zanzibar, Pemba, Dar es Salam in Tanzania, Burundi, Th e Philippines,

Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.Reasonable price.

Contact: 97440625/95416662Email: [email protected]

*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

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Times of Oman - December 8, 2015

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