Times of Oman - June 9, 2015

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TUESDAY, June 9, 2015 / 21 Sha’aban 1436 AH timesofoman.com wtimesofoman.com facebook.com/timesofoman twitter.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company

OMANSayyid Haitham inaugurates website

1His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Minister of Heritage and

Culture, inaugurated the website of the National Records and Archives Authority. >A2

OMANWiFi: Simple route to better signals

2According to the customer service team at Ooredoo there are three

main issues that customers face with WiFi. The first one is securing a WiFi network. >A2

MARKETSohar Freezone attracts OMR300m

3As many as 22 companies have signed with Sohar Freezone for setting up

various projects within the free zone. >B1

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

C5Oman’s squash warrior

TARIQ AL [email protected]

MUSCAT: The army will not be called in over the water shortage in Muscat, insists the chairman of Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW), who instead said the situation will ease when people go on holiday.

Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Mahrouqi, chairman of PAEW, also said there was nothing his organisation could do to prevent private water merchants over-charging the around 15,000 peo-

ple affected by the shortage in areas such as Bausher, Muttrah, Ansab, Al Khuwair and Darsait.

On the sidelines of a press con-ference, he told Times of Oman, “The demand for water will decrease with many residents travelling out of Oman during the summer.”

There has been growing anger over the situation, including pri-vate water merchants charging exorbitant rates, while many have

been forced to queue for hours for free supplies. But Al Mahrouqi said, “We provide the water for free, so we do not have a legal pol-icy to regulate prices.”

He also added, “We stress that our services are free in case of a crisis. However, there is a point after which we cannot completely fulfil demands in a short time. But the distribution network is actu-ally getting better.”

There have been suggestions that the Royal Army of Oman (RAO) should be involved in dis-tribution of water to the affected areas, but the chairman said that there was no need to involve them as it was not an emergency.

“We are always coordinating with the armed forces and they support us in such cases and vice versa,” he said referring to the contribution of armed forces dur-ing Guno and Phet. >A6

Instead, shortage

hitting 15,000 will

be eased by people

going on holiday,

says water boss

Storm heads towards OmanREJIMON K [email protected]

MUSCAT: A deep depression over the east central Arabian Sea has developed into a cyclonic storm (Ashobaa) and is currently heading in the direction of Oman, global meteorological depart-ments have said.

According to the latest trajec-tory, the eye of the cyclone is ap-proximately 680km off Oman’s coastline while its outer sphere is nearly 510km from Masirah

Island, as per the Indian Met Department and the Joint Ty-phoon Warning Centre (JTWC), respectively.

On Monday, the surface wind speed was between 60 and 80km per hour (kmph). However, JTWC added that in 72 hours, or by Thursday, the system will move west-northwestward with the upper level conditions expect-ed to improve, allowing the sys-tem to further intensify to a peak of 130kmph.

The UAE’s weathermen are

also on an alert as the predictions say that its coastline may also be impacted.

“The cyclone has moved north-northwest wards during the past six hours. It would intensify fur-ther into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 36 hours,” said the Indian meteorological depart-ment. According to the Oman meteorological department, the cyclone will not have a direct ef-fect for the next 48 hours, but there are chances of rain along the Oman coast. >A6

M E T P R E D I C T I O N S

HM sends greetingsMUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a ca-ble of congratulations to King Abdullah II of Jordan on the occasion of his accession to the throne of the Kingdom.

In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sincere congratulations along with his best wishes of good health, happiness and long life to King Abdullah II, pray-ing to Allah the Almighty for the return of this and similar occasions on him and the Jor-danian people to achieve their aspirations of progress and prosperity. -ONA

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REJIMON KFAHAD AL [email protected]@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Firefighters used lad-ders to rescue occupants trapped in a burning residential tower in Ruwi, which once again left some counting the cost of being uninsured.

Residential buildingThe fire broke out on the sixth floor of a nine-floor residential building in the Central Business District (CBD) of the capital city early morning on Monday.

Two people who suffered burn

injuries and inhaled smoke were admitted to the hospital.

The blaze started at 6am and was doused by the firefighters by 8:30am. More than a dozen fire engines and dozens of firefight-ers were pressed into service to contain the flames and rescue the tenants. >A6

C B D B L A Z E

Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Mahrouqi, chairman of PAEW

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FIRE INCIDENT: A fire broke out in a residential building in the CBD area in Muscat. – A R Rajkumar/Times of Oman

Uninsured count losses in CBD fire

Army call-up on water not needed: PAEW

OCCI helped fire victims >A6

A2 T U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

OMANSAYYID HAITHAM INAUGURATES WEBSITE OF NATIONAL RECORDS AND ARCHIVES AUTHORITYHis Highness Sayyid Haitham Bin Tariq Al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture, inaugurated the website of the National Records and Archives Authority. (Right) The minister also held a meeting

with the top officials of the Authority and reviewed the progress of its work.—ONA

The other day I was chatting with someone over coffee about how quickly she was us-

ing up her home internet quota. Her quota wasn’t small either; 75GB, which is far more than the global average consump-tion of 51GB per month. Was she streaming TV, I asked her, downloading hours of ‘Game of Thrones’ at the weekend or perhaps uploading all of her photo’s to the cloud? No, none of that, just regular usage.

It turned out that she did not have password protection for her WiFi router so someone was stealing her WiFi (‘pig-gybacking’ the cooler members of society call it). We found this out by doing a check of all the IP addresses accessing her connection.

Anyway, we fixed this for her, but it got me thinking about WiFi in general and other problems that people have with their connections.

According to our customer service team at Ooredoo there are three main issues that cus-tomers face with WiFi.

The first one is what I’ve just

described, securing a WiFi network.

The second one, but prob-ably the most prevalent, is that the WiFi signal doesn’t reach through the whole house. The thing about many houses here is that they are full of concrete and reinforced steel, which makes it a bit of a challenge for

the signal to even get upstairs. There are a couple of tips and tricks to use to help with this. First, try to avoid anything dense. I don’t mean keeping the router away from Dad, but there are certain things that interfere with the signal, including ob-jects with a high water content (fish tanks), solid walls and metal pipes. Even other electri-cal devices will interfere (baby monitors are a prime suspect). Your best bet is to position the box somewhere high and clear of obstructions.

If this doesn’t help, you’re go-ing to need an extender. These are great bits of kit which cost around OMR30 and are easy to install. They even have ones which fit into your electrical outlets. Once in place, they will extend your WiFi range by about 20 metres.

The third most common is-sue is when people have trouble connecting to the WiFi, even when there is a good signal. This is a common problem, especially after you’ve just upgraded your Operating Soft-ware (OS).

Apple users recently had issues when upgrading to

Yosemite, and Windows users had a few problems when they upgraded to Windows 8.1.

It’s a bit trickier to fix these as they are both completely different and I only have 450 words for my column…

However, Apple users should be fine after a quick trip to the Network Settings within Sys-tem Preferences, and Windows users should take a tour of The Device Manager area of Set-tings. The good news is, though, that both Apple and Microsoft put a great deal of effort into the user experience, so it is easy to do.

Enjoy the Internet.

Simon Baldwin is the Director of Consumer Marketing at Ooredoo. He has plenty of useful insights and tips that are easy to under-stand and essential in today’s mobile connected world. This columns series provides some tips and tricks for all telecoms users; whether browsing or stream-ing, using apps or travelling and more. If you want to control costs, get a better picture of how things work or even need tips on security and safeguarding, these columns are for you.

WiFi: Simple route to better signals, securityC O M M E N T A R Y

SIMON BALDWIN

Oman, ILO officials discuss cooperationGENEVA: Oman’s efforts in pro-moting labour market with the participation of the three parties of production were reviewed at a meeting here.

Minister of Manpower Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Bakri, met with Moussa Oumarou, director of Governance and Tripartism Department at the International Labour Organisation (ILO), on the sidelines of the 104th session of International Labour Confer-ence, being held in Geneva.

The meeting also reviewed op-portunities of the technical coop-

eration between the two sides in the fields of social dialogue, safe-ty, occupational health and work management, as well as review-ing international work criteria and e-work systems.

Sheikh Al Bakri also met with Giuseppe Casale, Deputy Direc-tor of the International Training Centre (ITC) in Italy, on the side-lines of the conference.

The meeting reviewed fields of cooperation with the ITC and the training programmes that would contribute in developing the hu-man resources in Oman.–ONA

G E N E V A M E E T I N G

UNITED EFFORTS: The meeting reviewed fields of cooperation

with the International Training Centre (ITC) and the programmes

that would contribute to developing the human resources.–ONA

There are certain things that interfere with the

WiFi signal, including objects with a high water

content (fish tanks), solid walls and metal pipes.

Simon Baldwin, Director of Consumer Marketing, Ooredoo

A3

OMANT U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

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Turning organic waste into power

SARAH [email protected]

MUSCAT: Oman produces more than 1.5 million tonnes of munici-pal solid waste per year but much of it is organic waste that could be converted to energy, say research-ers at the Caledonian College of Engineering who have been pro-ducing energy in a lab using fruit and vegetable waste.

The research project, which is funded by The Research Council (TRC), is looking primarily at how organic waste from the Mawaleh Central Fruit and Vegetable Mar-ket can be treated with a pro-cess called anaerobic digestion, in which microorganisms break down the material and generate a biogas that can converted to fuel or electricity.

Professor Joseph Thanikal, who is heading the research, said this process could be applied to waste throughout Oman, reducing the amount of garbage in landfills and providing a sustainable source of energy.

“They say that from all the wilayats (in Muscat Governorate) there are 5,000 tonnes of waste, combining all kinds of biodegrad-able waste, per day. We have prov-en that it’s possible to convert it to biogas and we have enough quan-tity of waste that can supplement the energy so it could be one of the sources,” Thanikal said.

The project included lab scale and pilot scale experiments at the college and has shown significant findings that establish that anaer-obic co-digestion is a safe method of waste treatment that can be adopted to convert organic waste

into useful products like reformed bio-solids and energy from biogas. According to the research that Thanikal and his team have car-ried out, five tonnes of biodegrada-ble waste per day can produce 240 KW power, worth $100 per day in useable electricity.

Currently, organic waste is dumped in landfills around Oman, though the Oman Environmental Services Holding Company has plans to open four waste treat-ment plants, Thanikal explained. The landfills full of waste aren’t just unsightly; they also cause a lot of environmental damage if waste isn’t disposed of properly or in al-ternative ways such as converting it to energy.

“In the landfills there is some leakage and that affects the groundwater. Secondly, there is methane in the landfill that es-capes in the air and that will have an effect on the greenhouse gas-ses,” explained Hatem Yazidi, one of the researchers on the project.

Jumaa Al Amri, Deputy Direc-tor for the Health Department at Mawaleh Central Fruit and Veg-etable Market, says the amount of waste produced in the market each day is approximately 50 tonnes, most of it biodegradable.

Some of the unsellable produce is taken away by people as animal feed but most of it ends up in Al

Amerat landfill. “I become very sad when I throw all these veg-etables and fruits to the dumping area. We spend time, we spend money on the people who collect, on the cars going to the dump. You feel sad that no one gets a ben-efit from this organic waste,” Al Amri commented.

Al Amri said that the cardboard is shipped to Dubai for recycling, as is much of the plastic, but that most of the fruits and vegetables that aren’t sold simply go waste. He said he would like to see a waste-to-energy system, like the one be-

ing tested at Caledonian College of Engineering, introduced to the market so that the waste could be used to generate electricity. Given the amount of waste produced there, the market could become self-powered.

“It could have full power. Every-thing for free, and there would be no need to spend on petrol and af-fect the environment,” he said.

Much of field research was un-dertaken by three Omani graduate students from Caledonian College of Engineering (CCE) who spent hour upon hour in Mawaleh Cen-

tral Fruit and Vegetable Market calculating how much waste there was. In the lab they experimented with different fruit and vegetable waste, as well as grease waste from the Saham water treatment plant and animal fat from Muscat’s cen-tral slaughterhouse, to see what produced the best results for gen-erating biogas.

Siham Said Al Siyabi focused on watermelon, pomegranates and apples, also using grease sludge from the municipal waste water treatment plant in Saham. She tested the grease sludge, which comes from things like cooking grease, and tried combining it with the fruits to see what combina-tions make the best gasses that can be converted to biofuel or energy. She said the oily grease waste can generate a lot of biogas.

Suad Said Al Hosni looked at dif-ferent vegetables - tomato, lettuce and onion - as well as slaughter-house fat from the central slaugh-terhouse, which can also be con-verted to biogas. She said that the fat is also dumped into landfills, adding to the methane gas and groundwater pollution, but a much better use of the fat is biogas.

“When I added the fat to the vegetable waste I found that it en-hanced the production of biogas by 50 to 60 percent. We get good re-sults for biogas production. I hope in the future there will be a plant here in the Sultanate of Oman for the production of biogas from this biodegradable solid waste,” Al Hosni commented.

The research at CCE is in line

with the strategies planned at the Oman Environmental Ser-vices Holding Company (Beah), which is the state-owned waste management company which has begun a feasibility study for a waste-to-energy project in Dhofar Governorate.

Speaking at the Oman-Spain Investment and Business Coop-eration Forum in April in Muscat, Mohammed Sulaiman Al Harthy, Executive Vice President - Cor-porate Strategic Development, said: “As a result of the utilisation of waste for energy generation, we will be spending less on develop-ing and maintaining landfills, re-ducing Co2 emissions, providing economic alternatives to natural gas as a fuel source, saving the sub-sidy that the government allocates on natural gas use, and tackling the issue of potable water capacity.”

For the Omani researchers, the waste-to-energy project is not just about the scientific research, but about protecting their country. They have concerns about global warming and environmental dam-age to the earth and groundwater from organic waste.

“We want a clean environment. We want to get rid of these types of waste with a good way, not like the traditional way of just throwing them in landfills. We are also look-ing for renewable energy because as we know oil and gas maybe in the future will disappear. This type of project is the big chance to produce energy such as biogas and it’s very easy to do that,” Al Hosni added.

Civic garbage can

generate biogas that

can be converted into

fuel or electricity.

This could help

reduce the amount of

garbage in landfills

and prove an asset

Plan to check soil erosion, protect Aflaj systemTimes News Service

IBRA: A project to check soil ero-sion and protect the Aflaj system in the villages of Oman is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries at a cost of OMR6 million.

This information was shared at a seminar titled ‘Aflaj: Cultural Heritage and Development Ne-cessity’, which began on Monday in Ibra wilayat, of the North Al Sharqiyah governorate.

The two-day seminar has been organised by the Omani Water Society (OWS).

Dr Ahmed bin Nasser Al Bakri, undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, in-augurated the seminar with the participation of more than 160 experts and officials from con-cerned institutions and citizens in the governorate.

Zahir bin Khalid Al Slimani, chairman of OWS, said that the seminar aims to highlight the Aflaj systems, their historical and cultural role, ways of developing them, and establishing a plat-form to bring experiences and ex-change ideas in the field of Aflaj

management and sustainability of their water. The seminar also wished to identify the social, ag-ricultural, economic and tourism role of Aflaj in the overall devel-opment of the Sultanate.

Dr Ahmed bin Nasser Al Bakri said that the Sultanate has more than 4,000 Aflaj systems catering to 40 per cent of agricultural land in the villages that depend on Aflaj water for irrigation, in ad-dition to 5 Aflaj systems that are in the world heritage List, while noting that what was said in the seminar today reflected and con-firmed that Aflaj systems are a historical legacy of the Sultanate and the Omanis.

He said that the ministry is also constructing protection walls in Aflaj-based villages to prevent soil erosion, and ensure the sustainability of the Aflaj system, adding that 6 kilometres of walled protection were built in the past five years, at a cost of OMR6 million and these pro-jects have reflected positively on the Aflaj maintenance system, raising their efficiency and the sustainability of the agricultural land in the villages.–ONA

A G R I C U L T U R E

FARM SUPPORT: Oman has more than 4,000 Aflaj systems cater-

ing to 40 per cent of agricultural land in the villages. –File photo

Oman, Italy to explore new trade avenuesROME: Bilateral cooperation between the Sultanate and Italy in economic, commercial and in-dustrial sectors, as well as issues related to subsidising SMEs and the available investment opportu-nities in both countries will be dis-cussed at a meeting here.

The Omani-Italian joint com-mittee will hold its fifth meeting on Tuesday in Italy to discuss ways to further boost economic coopera-tion and investment between the two countries.

The Omani delegation is led by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Ham-oud Al Busaidi, secretary gen-

eral of the Foreign Ministry. The Italian side will be led by Paolo Gentiloni, the Italian minister of foreign affairs.

They will also discuss bilateral co-operation in cultural, educa-tional, scientific research, and transport sectors, in addition to environment, water, agricultural and fisheries sectors.

The foreign trade statistics now point out that the bilateral trade between the two countries is wit-nessing constant growth. The Om-ani imports from Italy increased in 2013 and touched OMR215.6 million compared to OMR174.8

million in 2012. The major im-ports include water tapes, tools, equipment, and porcelain moulds, apart from pipe connectors, pipes, vehicle mounted cement mix-ers and air exhaust pump parts. Lubricant oil materials, gas cook-ers and polyethylene sheets were also imported.

The Omani exports also in-creased in 2013 to touch OMR33.4 million compared to OMR15.7 mil-lion in 2012. The major exports to Italy include polyethylene tere-phthalate, aluminium cables, and methyl methacrylate, apart from polymer sheets and scrap steel.

The Omani delegation includes Ahmed bin Salim bin Mohammed Ba Omar, the Sultanate’s ambas-sador to Italy, Yahya bin Abdullah Al Araimi, head of the Economic Affairs Division at the Foreign Ministry, Hilal bin Marhoon Al Maamari, head of the West Europe Department at the Foreign Minis-try, and Abdul Aziz bin Moosa Al Kharousi, deputy head of the Sec-retary General’s Department for Programmes and Communication, along with a number of officials.

The delegation also includes His Highness Sayyid Taimour bin Asa’ad Al Said.– ONA

J O I N T P A N E L M E E T I N G

When I added the fat to the vegetable waste I found that it enhanced the production of biogas by 50 to 60 percent. We get good results for biogas production

Suad Al HosniResearch scholar

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ENVIRONMENT FIRST: Currently, organic waste is dumped in landfills around Oman. The Oman Environmental Services Holding Company has plans to open four waste

treatment plants. – Photos, video by Sarah MacDonald/TIMES OF OMAN

A4 T U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

OMAN 23 students of BSM participated in

the show that aimed at teaching

students about self-discipline

British school students pitch for self discipline through art TARIQ AL [email protected]

MUSCAT: British School Muscat (BSM) held a private viewing of an art exhibition from A level and GSCE students at the Omani Soci-ety of Fine Arts on Sunday under the patronage of Nicola Lott, cus-tomer contact centre manager at Qatar Airways.

Eighty-five pieces of art, ranging from paintings and compositions to sculptures and dresses, created by 23 students of BSM were aimed at teaching students about self-discipline.

“Subjects like art, music, dance and film, along with drama, should have an important place in the curriculum alongside mathemat-ics and science,” said Kai Vacher, principal of BSM.

“As we have seen this evening they are wonderful at developing self-discipline, self-expression and self-confidence of students. These skills are going to be re-ally important when they enter the workplace in the next few years,” he explained.

With mathematics and science being one of the key subjects that all students should learn during the course of their lifetime, Vacher personally believes that art sub-jects are equally important. He quoted Eric Schmidt, chairman of Google saying: “You need to bring art and science back together.”

“One of the important reasons we need this is because to solve the problems of the world we are going to need scientists and mathema-ticians, and we are going to need creative mathematicians and sci-entists,” said Vacher.

He continued explaining: “As problems get more complex, you are going to need good theoretical knowledge and understanding of science and mathematics, and you also have to have a creative under-standing of how to come up with creative solutions.”

Karishma Behera, one of the students standing by her pieces of art, explained that art is an easier way to express oneself and portray emotions visually.

Qatar Airways has been spon-soring BSM events for the past eight years. For this event, the air-line bought and installed frames for the art pieces. They displayed the pieces with high exhibition standards. “We have been proud sponsors for years and we rec-ognise the young talents in BSM and the aspiring artists and we are proud to sponsor them,” said Nicola Lott.

C O L O U R S O F E D U C A T I O NMajlis approves Transport Law

MUSCAT: In a major decision, the Land Transport Law, referred by the Council of Ministers and recommended by the Services and Social Development Commit-tee, was approved by the Majlis Al Shura on Monday, under the chairmanship of Khalid bin Hilal Al Ma’awali.

The law was approved after some modifications to some of its articles, with most of the members of Majlis Al Shura in the Services and Social Development Commit-tee agreeing to retaining some ar-ticles of the law as they came from the government.

The session began with a speech by the Majlis Al Shura chairman, in which he said that the Shura fol-lowed with interest the sudden and frequent water outages and lack of

economic facilities in a number of governorates, including Muscat.

Water crisisThe Majlis Al Shura had formed a working group headed by the deputy chairman of the Majlis Al Shura and a number of members met with the chairman of the Pub-lic Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW) on May 7. The chairman had heard their views on activating emergency plans to cope with such a crisis, as well as the progress of the additional sta-tion in Al Ghubrah to increase the production capacity to meet the increasing demands for water.

The session approved a draft agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and the preven-tion of fiscal evasion with respect

to taxes on income between the Sultanate and the Government of Hungary, referred by the Council of Ministers and as recommended by the Economic and Financial Committee. The Committee rec-ommended the approval of the draft convention as stated by the government.

The session also discussed a proposal to amend some of the ar-ticles of the Social Insurance Law, submitted by the Committee of Youth and Human Resources.

The session reviewed the re-sponse of the Council of Ministers on amending the second article of the Tender Board Act.

It also reviewed the response of the Council of Ministers to the re-port on the flooding in Al Nahdha Hospital. – ONA

The Land Transport

Law was approved

after some

modifications. The

Majlis chairman also

referred to the water

crisis in his speechLEGISLATIVE IMPACT: The session approved a draft agreement

on the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of tax

evasion. – Talib Al Wahaibi/TIMES OF OMAN

ART EFFECTS: Art is an easier way to express oneself and portray emotions visually, said a student

participant at the exhibition.–O.K. Mohammed Ali/TIMES OF OMAN

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Project ‘Atheer’ set to enhance

border guards’ communication

MUSCAT: In a step towards fur-ther modernisation, the Royal Army of Oman (RAO) on Mon-day launched the Tactical Com-munications Equipment System Project ‘Atheer’ for the Border Guard Brigade in the RAO, under the auspices of Brig Masoud bin Ali Al Hattali, commander of the Border Guard Brigade.

This project is part of the de-velopment and modernisation plans of telecommunications for the Sultan’s Armed Forces (SAF) and to help perform the duties and practical tasks as-signed to them more efficiently and effectively.

One of the officers reviewed the

programme, followed by a speech by the Commander of SAF Signal Corps in which he explained the stages and objectives of the pro-ject and the role of Signal Corps in the supervision of the project.

The representative of the com-pany executing the project, high-lighted the extent to which the company’s commitment to com-plete the project was on schedule, and the mechanism of the project.

The audience was briefed on the ‘Atheer’ project, followed by a presentation on the advantages of the project’s different devices and their high accuracy in perfor-mance and use.

The commander of Border

Guard Brigade said that this pro-ject will contribute to the perfor-mance and functions of the Bor-der Guard Brigade, thanks to the new technology. He thanked all those who contributed in activat-ing and sustaining the project.

The event was also attended by Brig Saif bin Mohammed Al Shi-di, director general of operations and training at RAO, Brig Mo-hammed bin Rashid Al Balushi, director of electrical and me-chanical engineering, a number of commanders of battalions and units, and a number of commis-sioned and noncommissioned officers and privates of the SAF Border Guard Brigade. – ONA

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

Omantel to hold SME symposiumTimes News Service

MUSCAT: In a bid to enhance the relations between Omantel and SMEs, Omantel will organ-ise the second SME symposium under the theme ‘Omantel To-gether’ in Salalah, on Wednesday.

This symposium follows the success of the first one which was organised at Omantel head-quarters in Mawaleh, Muscat governorate, in the presence of a large number of entrepreneurs. The workshop provided an ideal platform to discuss the Omantel procurement process and pro-cedures, and designed a special package to enhance SME partici-pation in Omantel procurement transactions. It will also include tips on “How to do business with Omantel”.

“Omantel is making concerted efforts to support the Omani gov-

ernment in enhancing the growth of the national economy and activate the role of SMEs in the economy. Omantel believes that SMEs can play a vital role in im-plementing the comprehensive and sustainable development,” said Thamer bin Said Al Kathiri, general manager of Procurement and Contracts at Omantel.

Omantel is keen to meet di-rectly with entrepreneurs in the Dhofar governorate to share with them the procedures designed to enhance their involvement.

“The workshop will provide an ideal opportunity to discuss with SMEs the measures required to activate their involvement. This should contribute to the develop-ment of local communities and society as well,” he added.

Omantel plans to conducts similar symposia in other governorates . –ONA

T E C H N O L O G Y

Alawi, Zarif review ties MUSCAT: Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, on Monday received Dr Javad Zarif, Minis-ter of Foreign Affairs of the Is-lamic Republic of Iran, at Mus-cat International Airport.

The two leaders reviewed the bilateral relations between the Sultanate and Iran and means of promoting them in various fields. They also exchanged viewpoints on several regional and international issues.

Oman and Iran have wel-comed the ongoing moves to im-plement Ashgabat Agreement on Establishment of the Inter-national Transport and Transit Corridor that includes the Sul-tanate and some countries of the Central Asia, as well as the Islamic Republic of Iran. The agreement facilitates move-ment of goods between this re-gion and the world by using the ports of Sultanate. -ONA

D I P L O M A C Y

TECH BOOST: This telecommunication project will contribute to the performance and functions of

the Border Guard Brigade, thanks to the new technology. – ONA

A5


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Oman potential surfing hot spot

TARIQ AL [email protected]

ASILAH: While the Sultanate is known for many of its natural wonders and as a paradise of na-ture, the sea, which beckons the community of surfers who enjoy riding the waves, has made Oman a potential hot spot for surfers.

“Oman has always shown po-tential. You just have to make the effort to look for the waves,” said Qais Zawawi, a member of the Oman Surfers community.

For surfing to become popular in the waters of Oman, Qais said, “There would have to be more structure in the surfing commu-nity. It just needs time to pick up.”

Though the waves in the Sul-tanate are not of the magnitude of those in Hawaii, the USA or Australia, the three most popular

destinations for professional surf-ers, they are of an ideal height for beginners and intermediates.

The waves in the Sultanate re-main short for most of the year but gain height during seasonal winds which affect South Al Sharqiyah Governorate and both Dakhilyah and Dhofar governorates.

When asked what the hardest aspect of surfing was in Oman, Andreyas Effendi of Oman Surf-ers said, “The hardest thing is to find the community and get infor-mation on the whereabouts of the waves.” “Everyone passes on infor-mation when a good wave is found, and we will be there wherever it is,” he added.

Having a large surfing commu-nity seems to be the main objective of the group which could see them gaining support from local entities that could spark the beginning of a surfing wave in Oman.

“We need more surfers. We would also like to have compe-titions one day,” said Maynard Hapon expressing the need for Oman Surfers to get support from organisations such as Redbull.

The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) voiced its support for marine sports and the surfer community in Oman saying that it will do what it can to promote any type of ma-rine sports in the Sultanate.

A ministry official said, “The ministry does not mind support-ing and promoting this sport. In fact, we will grant tourist licences to establishments and institutions

who offer their services for any marine sport.”

As long as their priorities are organised, beaches and bays are chosen and safety measures are taken, the ministry fully encour-ages tourists and residents to en-gage in water sports, he added. An increase in tourists would be im-minent if proper steps are taken in accordance with regulations and requirements set by the MoT guar-anteeing the safety of surfers and sustaining the surrounding envi-

ronment by collaborating with es-tablishments and institutions that offer these services.

There are two aspects to pro-moting any marine sport and entertainment in the Sultanate, according to MoT. Firstly, by creat-ing awareness and encouraging lo-cal tourism to internationally pro-moting the sport by participating in travel and tourism exhibitions abroad, and secondly through tour-ist offices representing the min-istry, which are associated with a

large number of companies, media outlets and advertising agencies forming a direct link to promote the Sultanate internationally.

“The MoT has promoted these kinds of sports in the past and is still encouraging companies and institutions as well as SMEs to show interest and invest in them,” said the official.

“Unfortunately, in the last few years they have not shown inter-est. Therefore, with co-operation from the Public Authority of SME

Development, Al Raffd Fund, local banks and other interested parties, we hope to support and encourage SMEs to invest in these sports in all wilayats of the Sultanate,” add-ed the official.

Surfing has health benefits in-cluding cardiovascular fitness from paddling, and strengthen-ing the shoulders, back muscles and legs. It also provides strength and balance to the surfer once he stands on the board. All three members of Oman Surfers, the Times of Oman spoke to defined surfing as more than a sport.

“Surfing is not really a sport but more a lifestyle. We will go any-where to catch the waves and it is part of my weekends right now,” said Effendi, while Hapon said it was a passion.

“I used to surf once a month in my country, but I am surrounded by the ocean in Oman, so I can say that Oman has re-ignited my pas-sion for surfing,” he said. “Surfing is life. It is something I started when I began walking in Australia. It is like breathing,” said Zawawi.

To stay up-to-date with Oman Surfers and information about the best spots for surfing, visit their page at: https://www.facebook.com/omansurfers?fref=ts

The height of

waves in the seas

off the Sultanate’s

coasts are ideal for

surfing learners and

relatively new surfers

Masirah tourism industry eyes guests from the GCC Times News Service

MUSCAT: Though Oman is one of the tourist hot spots of the Ara-bian peninsula, the island of Ma-sirah is barely known among the GCC travellers.

With the aim of strengthen-ing Masirah’s tourism industry, officials from Masirah took part in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, last month.

“The ATM has always been an important platform for us to es-tablish ties with our existing and potential business partners. Ma-sirah is gradually making its mark as a promising tourist destination in Oman,” said Vijay Kumar Han-da, general manager of Masira Is-land Resort.

Masirah Island, located 15 kilo-metres off the southeast coast of Oman in Arabian Peninsula, is slowly positioning itself to receive more travellers this summer.

“Summer is the right time to visit this beautiful Island in Oman as it hosts all four of Oman’s nest-ing species of turtles and is world famous as home to the largest pop-ulation of loggerhead turtles,” he said. From May to September, you can see loggerhead turtles laying eggs. From October to November, baby turtles hatched from eggs are going back into the sea.

“The island is magnificently diverse and offers a wide range of

nautical sports with excursions into the nearby deserts and hills. The island is off the coast of Barr Al Hikman area, and can be ac-cessed by a ferry.

“Masirah Island is a great place for nature lovers. The island’s greatest attractions are the natu-ral wealth of wildlife and the rug-ged coastline, which is home to many marine species, and is also a prime spot for surfing and wind-surfing because of the high sum-mer winds,” he said.

The Arabian Travel Market is the leading travel and tourism event in the Middle East for in-bound and outbound tourism pro-fessionals from across the globe. The exhibition attracts high level decision-makers and buyers rep-

resenting every aspect of the lei-sure travel industry.

“We have seen some good guest numbers from the GCC in the first five months of this year, with across-the-board increases. Yet, we are far from where we want to be, and we know we have all the right ingredients to be front of mind for GCC travellers when choosing their holiday destina-tion,” said Handa.

“We are a safe, affordable and an easily accessible destination from Muscat International Air-port by road. We are also a com-petitive destination, with some of the best room rates of the regional market, and we are continuously expanding and enhancing the vis-itor experience,” he added.

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

More than 190 illegal workers held

MUSCAT: A total 197 illegal workers were held in a week and 302 expatriate workers were de-ported by the Sultanate’s compe-tent authorities, according to offi-cial information.

A joint inspection team of the Ministry of Manpower arrested 197 illegal foreign workers, includ-ing 138 commercial workers, 28 farm workers and 31 housemaids and their equivalents. They were

found violating the labour law and were held between May 31 and June 6.

The inspection teams caught 184 workers including 102 ab-sconding workers, 77 astray work-ers and five workers who had made other kinds of rule violations.

The Governorate of North Al Batinah witnessed the highest number of workers violating the law with 46, followed by the Gov-

ernorate of Al Dhakilyah with 35 workers. The competent authori-ties at the Ministry of Manpower are have initiated and are pro-ceeding with the legal procedures against all of them.

Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Manpower statistics as many as 302 expatriate workers were deported for violating the La-bour Law and the ministerial deci-sions executing the law.

W E E K L Y U P D A T E



WAVE RIDERS: Surfing has health benefits including cardiovascular fitness from paddling, and

strengthening the shoulders, back muscles and legs. It also provides strength and balance to the surf-

ers once they stand on the board. – Tariq Al Haremi

PRISTINE NATURE: Situated off the coast of Barr Al Hikman, Ma-

sirah Island is a great place for nature lovers. - Supplied photo

A6


Currently we are covering 58 per cent by the pipe

network which is a bit disappointing, but we are

planning to reach 98 per cent coverage by 2040

Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Mahrouqi, chairman of PAEW

Saraya Bandar Jissah project on fast track

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Saraya Bandar Jis-sah, the luxurious ITC (Inte-grated Tourism Complex) backed by shareholders Omran and Saraya Oman, is on track to de-liver a splendid luxury develop-

ment with a boutique hotel and resort hotel to be operated by world-class hotel operators, the Jumeirah Group.

What the recent pictures of the bustling construction site have re-vealed is that it is evolving rapidly. Complete with five residential zones and a state-of-the-art rec-reational facility, the project was named ‘World’s Best Mixed Use Development’ by International Property Awards.

With an area spanning 2.2 square kilometres, the develop-ment will deliver 398 exclusive residential units in five distinct residential zones — Zaha, Nameer, Wajd, Na’eem and Safa.

With Zaha successfully stirring the market and construction on site meeting the company’s expec-tations, Saraya Bandar Jissah’s vi-sion to develop a world-class ITC

in the beautiful natural surround-ings of Oman is coming to life.

The company looks forward to mesmerising investors, residents and tourists with Saraya Bandar Jissah’s stunning natural beauty - a place to escape and relax.

Nameer, the island, surrounded on all sides by the iconic lagoon, offers privacy and family-friendly park areas dedicated exclusively to its residents.

Each villa is delivered complete with a stunning infinity pool over-looking the lagoon, while a gener-ous open-plan design spans nearly 500 square metres of living space over two floors, providing an easy indoor-outdoor flow, ideal for en-tertaining guests and relaxed fam-ily living.

Due for handover in 2017, the signature villas are nestled within the Nameer Island which is a man-made structure, while the lagoon is gravity-fed from a waterfall located nearby the recreation centre.

The Saraya Bandar Jissah con-struction site currently has five contractors working in synchrony.

These are Nagarjuna Construc-tion Company International, Ca-rillion Alawi, Leighton Middle East, Towell Construction and Ghantout Transportation and General Contracting.

Four consultants, Halcrow Mid-dle East, WS Atkins International & Company, DSA Architects In-ternational and KEO Internation-al Consultants oversee the work on the contractors.

Saraya Bandar Jissah is located on the outskirts of Muscat on a secluded beach surrounded by the Hajar Mountains.

The ITC will be home spacious hilltop villas, stylish town-houses and luxury apartments - all with attractive waterfront and moun-tainside views.

The two hotels form the ma-jor leisure components of Saraya Bandar Jissah, providing their guests with a luxurious and relax-ing home away from the day-to-day rigours of life. For more infor-mation of Saraya Bandar Jissah’s activities, click on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and YouTube pages.

Due for handover in

2017, the signature

villas are nestled

within the Nameer

Island which is a

man-made structure,

while the lagoon is

gravity-fed from a

nearby waterfall

BRISK PACE: The development will deliver 398 exclusive residential units in five distinct residential zones. - Supplied photo


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

Cyclone to intensify

further: Weathermen

Accuweather meteorologist An-thony Sagiliani warned that if the cyclone tracks into eastern Oman, it could cause major flood-ing across the mountainous de-sert terrain.

“Flooding will also threaten areas along the southern coasts of Iran and Pakistan,” added the meteorologist.

As per the latest forecast by Skymet, India’s largest weather monitoring and Agri-risk Solu-tions Company, the system has the potential to intensify further, however, without posing a threat to the Indian coast.

“The weather system is head-ing north and is likely to affect Oman. It is moving north-west-ward at a speed of 15kmph, shift-ing slightly away from the Indian coast,” said Skymet in its latest update.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has also up-graded the deep depression over east-central Arabian Sea into a Tropical Cyclone (01A), which now lies about 750km south of Karachi.

“The sea conditions along Sindh – Makran coast are likely

to remain rough to very rough with stormy winds from Monday afternoon to Friday.

The Cyclone Warning Centre (Karachi) of the Pakistan Me-teorological Department has warned fishermen in Sindh and Balochistan,” said the PMD in its statement.

As per its current trajectory, Pakistan and Iran could be im-pacted by high waves and strong winds, with the former issuing a cyclone warning, along with an advisory for fishermen to refrain from venturing out into the sea until Friday, June 12.

The Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation (DGMAN) in its latest analysis of the National Multi Hazard Early Warning System (NMHEWS), says that there are various pre-dictions for the track to be taken by the cyclone.

However, the probable track is north towards the Pakistani coasts with indirect influence on the Sultanate’s coasts overlook-ing the Sea of Oman and coasts of the Governorate of South A’Sharqiyah like rough seas and advection of rainy clouds.

F O R E C A S T

‘Smoke alarms

did not go off’

“The smoke alarms did not go off, and since it was early morning, most of the residents were just getting out of bed. By the time we were alerted, corridors were filled with thick smoke. We all had to run out of the building in our night dress,” said some resi-dents of the building.

“I was alerted by my neigh-bours, but by then, smoke had filled the corridors of the fifth floor. I ran to the fire exit and managed to reach the third floor, but could not go any further as I developed breathing problems. However, some police officials saw me and brought me down to the ground floor in the elevator,” said a tenant.

Around 20 families staying on the sixth and seventh floors were badly affected and many were rescued by firefighters who used ladders to reach those floors.

One expatriate woman who reportedly suffered burns and another woman who had suffered uneasiness in breathing were ad-mitted to the hospital.

An official from the Pub-lic Authority of Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) ser-vices said that building owners

should not compromise on the safety aspects.

Safety measures“Smoke alarms and other fire safety measures should be in-stalled and checked periodically in all the buildings. With a pos-sibility of more such incidents in the future, we will launch a campaign in the next few days to ensure the safety of people,” said the official.

Last week, a residential build-ing in Muttrah also caught fire, but there were no casualties. It took two hours for the fire-fight-ers to control that blaze.

Meanwhile, a senior official from a national insurance com-pany said that out of the total number of personal properties in Oman less than 10 per cent have been insured.

“To insure your personal prop-erty, it will cost only a few rials, but many are reluctant to do so. And when such accidents happen they will be unable to cope with the loss,” said Philip K Philip, group CEO, Muscat National Holding Company. “There are provisions even for tenants to in-sure his or her flat,” added Philip.

C B D F I R E

Staff Reporter

MUSCAT: Nearly 60 people who ran out of the CBD build-ing following the fire, were given food and shelter by Oman Cham-ber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) officials.

Tired, worried“When we reached office by 7am, we saw people standing outside the building in their nightdress. Most of them were looking tired and worried. Some were even

showing uneasiness breathing. So, we gave them shelter in our halls,” said Khalsa Khalfan Al Hasani, head of the services and maintenance section at OCCI, who along with other officials helped the people.

“Many, including women and children, were hungry. So we pro-vided them with food and other facilities. Most of them stayed until 11:30am,” said Al Hasani, adding that it is everybody’s duty to help fellow human beings when they are in trouble.

H U M A N I T Y

< FROM

A1

Ghubra plant test

period from July 2

The chairman insisted that the new Ghubra water desalination plant will begin its test period from July 2.

The Times of Oman reported last week how officials had con-firmed that the crisis will last through the Holy Month of Ram-adan and Eid due to delays in the plant becoming operational.

He added that once it reach-es its maximum capacity on September 14, it will be able to produce 191,000 cubic metres (41.79 million gallons) of water per day.

“Then the old Ghubra de-salination plant will be emptied gradually to avoid further dam-age,” he said.

“That plant has been opera-tional since 1974 and since it has reached its operational lifespan it cannot function,” ex-plained Al Mahrouqi to questions about why the old plant was not working.

Water is currently being dis-tributed from the already estab-

lished wells which contribute 84,000 cubic metres of water.

“Still there is a shortage of 43,000 cubic meter per day,” he said. Al Mahrouqi said that they are planning to dig more wells with a capacity of 24,000 cubic metres to reach a total distribu-tion by wells to 107,000 cubic me-tres. Al Mahrouqi also revealed plans that the PAEW is hoping to achieve by 2040.

“Currently we are covering 58 per cent by the pipe network which is a bit disappointing, but we are planning to reach 98 per cent coverage by 2040,” said Al Mahrouqi.

PAEW will also install eleven new water desalination plants with eight expected to finish by the first quarter of 2019 while the remaining three have undeter-mined dates of completion.

During the time between 2010 and 2014 the PAEW recorded a 49 per cent growth in water pro-duction and 57 per cent growth in subscribers.

W A T E R C R I S I S

< FROM

A1

< FROM

A1

HELPING HAND: Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry of-

ficials provided food to the fire victims. – Supplied photo

OCCI officials help CBD fire victims

A7

REGIONT U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post correspondent,

answered some of the charges against him. The reporter

spoke in English and his answers were translated for the

presiding judge at branch 15 of Tehran’s revolutionary court.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency

No negotiations with Houthi rebels in Geneva, says Hadi

SANAA/ADEN/RIYADH: Yem-en’s exiled president took a hard line on Monday ahead of weekend peace talks in Geneva, ruling out negotiations with Houthi rebels and denouncing external med-dling in his country.

Meanwhile, the United Na-tions envoy to Yemen said on Sun-day that peace talks set for next week in Geneva can end over two months of war and save the coun-try from permanent division.

President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi said the sole item for discus-sion would be the implementation of a resolution adopted by the UN Security Council in April demand-ing the rebels withdraw from the large areas of the country they have seized.

“There will be no negotiations,” Hadi told Al Arabiya television.

Just a discussion“It will be just a discussion about how to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2216. We will have a consultation.”

Asked if his government’s del-egation would discuss reconcili-ation with the rebel negotiating team, Hadi said: “Not at all.”

Yemen’s Prime Minister Khaled Bahah echoed Hadi’s remarks, tell-

ing a news conference in Riyadh that the Geneva meeting would be merely a “consultative” process. Bahah, who is also vice president, said the exiled government would head to the meeting with only one goal -- “implementing 2216 and reinstating the state” overran by Houthis. Once the legitimate gov-ernment is reinstated, “all politi-cal factions return to dialogue to resume the political process... and approve the draft constitution and organise elections,” he added.

Announcing the talks on Satur-day, UN chief Ban Ki-moon asked all sides to enter them without preconditions.

Ban “reiterates his urgent call on all Yemeni parties to engage in

these consultations in good faith and without preconditions in the interest of all Yemeni people,” his spokesman said. He said the talks were aimed at securing a ceasefire, agreeing on a withdrawal plan for the Houthi rebels and stepping up deliveries of humanitarian aid.

In the capital Sanaa, coalition warplanes launched new strikes on the Houthis and their allies, hours after overnight raids hit re-bel-held military positions north of the city at Shamlan and Ham-dan, witnesses said.

In second-largest city Aden in the south, a woman and three of her children were killed when a Katyusha rocket, fired by rebels from the city’s north, hit their

home, pro-Hadi militia spokes-man Ali Al Ahmedi said.

The rebels have been trying for five days to advance towards Buraiqa, a strategic part of Aden that houses an oil refinery and a port. Medical officials said nine people, among them three civil-ians, were killed and 53 were wounded in 24 hours of fighting across Aden.

The rebels fired mortar rounds at a western district of third city Taez, killing three civilians and wounding four others, while nine rebels were killed in an attack by pro-Hadi fighters, officials said.

Meanwhile, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed’s interview with pan-Arab channel Al Jazeera raised hopes

of ending Arab bombing and in-ternal fighting which have killed around 2,000 Yemenis, but the government in exile presented a hard line for the negotiations and demanded the dominant Houthi group retreat.

“Geneva is a breakthrough, if it happens, it can lead to a new dynamic, an end to this conflict,” Ould Cheikh Ahmed told the Qa-tar-based Al Jazeera television.

“I’m optimistic that Yemen will remain unified. The conflict has not reached a point of no return ... This is why we need people to re-turn to the negotiating table and help work to avoid sectarianism and the division between north and south,” he said. — Agencies

The sole item for

discussion would be

the implementation

of a resolution

adopted by the UN

Security Council

in April, said the

Yemeni president

Syrian air strikes kill 49 in Idlib

BEIRUT: At least 49 civilians, including six children, were killed on Monday in Syrian government air strikes on a town in Idlib prov-ince in the country’s northwest, a monitoring group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the raids hit a square in the town of Al Janudi-yah, in the west of the province, which is now almost completely controlled by opposition forces.

“It’s a public square, and a lot of people gather there because there are shops,” said Observatory di-rector Rami Abdel Rahman.

He said that people displaced from other areas of Idlib province had also sought refuge in Al Ja-nudiyah. Regime military aircraft fired missiles on the town, he said.

Video uploaded on the You-Tube website by activists showed absolute chaos in the aftermath

of the strikes, with the air thick with grey smoke and dust and the square scattered with the rubble of buildings and the body parts of victims.

Meanwhile, Syrian opposition representatives met in Cairo on Monday in a bid to forge a new, broader alliance against Presi-dent Bashar Al Assad’s regime and agree on a roadmap for end-ing the conflict. — AFP

W A R - T O R N C O U N T R Y

Sudanese team not allowed to go to Europe

US reporter begins his defence in Iran trial

KHARTOUM: A Sudanese op-position delegation were pre-vented on Monday from flying to Europe to meet other opposi-tion leaders and address the Eu-ropean Parliament, one of the delegation said.

Siddiq Youssef, a leader of Sudan’s Communist Party, said members of the seven-strong delegation had been due to meet other opposition leaders abroad, as well as representatives of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front, an alliance of two rebel factions fighting government forces in the Darfur region.

He said they had also been scheduled to meet the Euro-pean Parliament’s foreign af-fairs committee in Paris, and to address a session of the parlia-ment in Brussels on June 12.

Security officials at Khar-toum airport told the delega-tion they were on a blacklist and confiscated their passports, Youssef said. The Information Ministry was not immediately available for comment.

“Stopping us travelling shows that the president’s talk at his inauguration about opening up to the West was just talk with-out action. This government is continuing in its way of being against freedoms and against dialogue,” Youssef said. — Reuters

TEHRAN: Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post correspond-ent accused of spying on Iran, began his defence on Monday in a trial that is taking place be-hind closed doors in Tehran, lo-cal media reported.

Rezaian, a 39-year-old Irani-an-American, has been in cus-tody since last July.

In a short report Iran’s Tas-nim news agency said Reza-ian, who is accused of collect-ing confidential information, cooperating with hostile gov-ernments and disseminating propaganda against the regime, answered some of the charg-es against him. The reporter spoke in English and his an-swers were translated for the presiding judge at branch 15 of Tehran’s revolutionary court, it said, noting that the three-hour hearing ended around 1:45pm (0915GMT). The report did not give any details of what Reza-ian said in court. The official IRNA news agency, quoting an informed source, said the date of the next hearing would be announced later. The Post has said that Rezaian is being used as a pawn in an internal po-litical power struggle about the ongoing nuclear diplomacy. His lawyer insists that there is “no proof” against him.

Monday’s hearing was the second in Rezaian’s case fol-lowing the opening session of his trial on May 25 when pros-ecutors presented the charges against him. Rezaian’s fam-ily has dismissed the charges as false and the United States has urged Iran to release the journalist and other Americans detained in the country. Tehran does not recognise dual nation-ality. Rezaian, who has worked for the Post since 2012, was ar-rested with his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, also a journalist, at their home on July 22, last year. — AFP

O P P O S I T I O N D E L E G A T I O N

S P Y I N G C H A R G E S

REDUCED TO RUBBLE: Yemeni men ride a motorcycle past collapsed buildings following an air-strike by the Saudi-led coalition in the

capital Sanaa on Monday. – AFP

A8

INDIAT U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

Yoga answer to need for mental, moral well-being: PranabNEW DELHI: Amidst prepara-tions for the International Yoga Day on June 21, President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday strongly endorsed yoga as a complete an-swer to people’s need for mental, moral and spiritual well-being.

“Yoga is an art, science and phi-losophy. It helps to join the powers of body, mind and soul for achiev-ing self- realisation. Modern medi-cal science has validated that the practice of yoga not only reduces stress but has multiple long-last-ing beneficial effects.

“Yogic discipline not only helps control the wavering mind but also inspires the pursuit of excellence,” he said at an event where he was presented the first copy of Yogi ka sparsh (yogi’s touch) written by Nivedita Joshi, daughter of sen-ior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi.

Help the visually-impaired Noting that the book is a yoga man-ual in Braille to help the visually-impaired, Pranab said the ancient Indian practice offers “a complete answer to people’s need for physi-cal, mental, moral and spiritual well-being”.

He said the United Nation’s de-cision to observe June 21 as Inter-national Yoga Day will help popu-larise yoga globally and enable people to benefit from this “price-less Indian heritage”.

Marking the occasion in India, about 40,000 people are expected to be part of International Yoga Day celebrations, to be held at Ra-jpath here, where the government is trying to create a record so that it finds place in the Guinness Book of Records.

Pranab said yoga was arguably the most valuable Indian cultural heritage and it was an art, science and philosophy which helps peo-ple in self-realisation.

Speaking on the occasion, Nive-dita said she was bed-ridden by a host of crippling ailments for years before she regained health and vig-our with practice of yoga under the guidance of noted guru late B. K.S. Iyengar. She was long driven by a quest to take yoga to the blind, 39 million globally and one-third of them living in India, Nivedita said.

“This effort will bring so much more light to those who thought they could not move in that direc-tion (of yoga),” she said.

“As we prepare to celebrate the International Day of Yoga, it gives me immense satisfaction that the Yoga manual in Braille is being of-fered as a unique gift to the visually impaired,” the president said.

Meanwhile, the government has invited diplomats from 152 foreign missions in the country for the mega event on June 21 to celebrate the UN-declared International Yoga Day. Every diplomatic mis-

sion has been given three passes for the function to be held at Raj-path here from 7.30am to 7.35pm where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be present, sources said.

Confirmations to attend were still coming-in, they said when asked how many diplomats have confirmed their presence.

However, not every top envoy is expected to be present with some of them travelling or having prior commitments, the sources said.

The UN General Assembly in December had adopted an India- led resolution declaring June 21 as ‘International Yoga Day’, three months after the Prime Minister had proposed the idea.

Live telecastAround 35,000-40,000 people are expected to participate in the event at the Rajpath besides 5,000 members of the armed police forc-es. The event will be webcast and telecast live.

Minister for Ayush Sripad Yas-so Naik on Monday took stock of preparation for the event.

Close to 1.1 million NCC (Na-tional Cadet Corps) cadets are ex-pected to perform yoga across the

country to mark the day.In the run-up to the mega event,

the government is also set to or-ganise an international confer-ence on yoga for holistic health.

“From the Defence Ministry, over 1.1 million NCC cadets are to perform common yoga proto-col while from the Home Min-istry, 5,000 members of armed police forces are to participate at Rajpath.

“About 900,000 will also per-form in their respective field units under the HRD Ministry, observ-ing International Yoga Day in educational institutions as well as arranging 5,000 school children for Rajpath event,” according to a presentation.

It said while Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan and Mahila Mandals under the Youth Affairs Minis-try are expected to participate in yoga demonstrations in respec-tive districts, yoga exhibition through Sangeet Natak Akademi under the Ministry of Culture has also been planned. The Tourism Ministry is making elaborate ar-rangements through its offices in India and abroad to publicise the event. - PTI

I N T E R N A T I O N A L Y O G A D A Y

Modi draws flak for ‘despite being a woman’ remark

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday drew flak for his remark praising his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina for her resolve against ter-ror “despite being a woman” with Congress accusing him of practic-ing “male chauvinism” and neti-zens calling it “sexist”.

“It shows a patronising attitude and male chauvinism. This is in-sulting to womanhood. He has embarrassed Hasina and insulted woman leaders,” Congress leader Anand Sharma said.

He also called Modi a “multiple-offender”, saying the Prime Minis-

ter has always been making com-ments on foreign soil which have stoked controversies.

DefendedHowever, Bharatiya Janata Party defended Modi’s comments, say-ing he was only complimenting Hasina and asked Congress to appreciate his achievements as “people of India and world leaders are doing”.

At an event in Dhaka on Sunday, Modi had said, “It is heartening that Prime Minister of Bangla-

desh, despite the fact that she is a woman, is openly saying that she has zero tolerance for terrorism. I would like to congratulate Sheikh Hasina for her firmness to deal with the menace.”

Attacking Modi for his “de-rogatory” comments, Congress spokesperson Shobha Oza re-minded him that BJP stalwart Atal Behari Vajpayee had hailed former prime minister Indira Gandhi as ‘durga’ after she led India to victory in 1971 war, re-sulting in the formation of Bang-

ladesh. “It shows the RSS’ petty-minded attitude towards women because it has never respected woman and its activities have al-ways been against them. This is derogatory,” she said.

Attacking Congress for its criti-cism of Modi over the comments, BJP leader Shina N. C. said the prime minister was in fact giving a “compliment” to his Bangladeshi counterpart.

“He (Modi) said it is such a her-culean task to fight terror and for a woman it is even more difficult.

It was the biggest compliment he was paying to Hasina. She has taken it as a compliment,” she said, adding she was appalled at the Congress’ attack on the Prime Minister. BJP secretary Shrikant Sharma said Congress should ap-preciate Modi’s successes abroad like 125 crore people of India and leaders across the world.

Twitter, where Modi enjoys huge following, was full of digs at him for his “sexist” and “patron-ising” comments. Many women users said sarcastically that they were on Twitter “despite being a woman”. #DespiteBeingAWoman was the top trend on the micro- blogging site but Modi supporters hit back and #ModiEmpowers-Women soon began trending.

Reacting to Modi’s remark, a Twitter user posted, “Despite be-ing a woman, Kiran Bedi managed to sink BJP in Delhi.”

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said, “(I) can’t think of a single wise crack to use the #DespiteBe-ingAWoman hashtag.”

Foreign media too took note of the remark with Washington Post putting out a story with headline “India’s Modi just delivered the world’s worst compliment”.

Many Modi supporters dug up controversial comments made by Congress leaders on women to at-tack the Opposition party. - PTI

BJP defended Prime

Minister Narendra

Modi’s comments,

saying he was only

complimenting

Sheikh Hasina and

asked Congress

to appreciate his

achievements as

‘people of India

and world leaders

are doing’

IN THE EYE OF STORM: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, talking to Bangladeshi Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina, during a signing ceremony in this picture taken on Saturday. - AFP file photo

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

Congress demands resignation

of Naidu in cash-for-vote scam

NEW DELHI: Congress on Mon-day demanded resignation of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in the wake of allegations against him in the cash-for-vote scam and sought an inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge into the matter.

The All India Congress Com-mittee also questioned BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as to why they have been silent on the issue when the leader of their key ally at the Centre and Andhra Pradesh is involved.

Congress spokesperson Shob-ha Oza used the occasion to also target Telangana’s ruling TRS.

She told reporters that a probe is needed in the wake of a host of allegations against the TRG gov-ernment including that of snoop-ing and tapping of telephones.

She said that a judicial enquiry must be initiated by an SC judge in the scam and Naidu should step down as chief minister before the probe starts to ensure an impar-tial investigation.

Besides, she wanted the Andhra Assembly Speaker to go into the charges against a TDP leader.

“When a scam of such magni-tude has come to the fore, why is the BJP and the Prime Minister keeping mum?” she asked.

Oza alleged that both the TDP and TRS were resorting to “unconstitutional means” to stay in power.

The Andhra Pradesh chief min-ister was caught in a controversy in the wake of some news chan-nels airing an audio recording of a purported conversation Naidu had with a nominated legislator seeking his vote in the Legislative Council elections.

Phone tappingIn a fresh twist in the cash-for-votes scam, Andhra Pradesh po-lice on Monday registered a case against Telangana Chief Minis-ter K. Chandrasekhar Rao over the alleged illegal tapping of the phones of his Andhra Pradesh counterpart.

In a strongly-worded attack over his name cropping up in the cash-for-votes controversy, Naidu warned Rao that things should not be stretched too far, in an attack that comes after his phone was tapped by the Telanga-na government.

“I said it earlier. They have in-dulged in politics of corruption and conspiracy. The Congress, TRS and YSR Congress party are again conspiring against me.

I have lived with honesty and for public service. While Andhra Pradesh develops, this efficient KCR (Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao) is unable to do anything and is conspiring against me,” he said.

Naidu was addressing the ‘Maha Sankalpam’ (grand vow)public meeting organised by the Andhra Pradesh government near here on the first anniversary of his government’s formation.

A Telegu Desam Party MLA was arrested for allegedly trying to bribe a nominated MLA. - PTI

B R I B E R Y A L L E G A T I O N

Jethmalani announces ‘break-up’ with Modi

NEW DELHI: Noted lawyer Ram Jethmalani on Monday an-nounced his “break-up” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said his “diminishing respect” for Modi has “ended”.

The expelled Bharatiya Janata Party MP, who had strongly sup-ported Modi’s prime ministerial bid, had been opposed to the ap-pointment of former CBDT chair-man K V Chowdary as Chief Vigi-lance Commissioner (CVC) and said he will now fight the govern-ment in Supreme Court after his appointment was cleared by Presi-dent on Monday.

“Now we shall fight out in the Supreme Court and the court of the people of India. My diminishing re-spect for you ends today,” Jethma-lani wrote in a letter to Modi.

He posted the communication on Twitter and called it “My break-up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi”. Expressing strong reser-vations over the move to make Chowdary as next CVC, he had written to president and Modi, questioning his credentials. - PTI

D I M I N I S H I N G R E S P E C T

As we prepare to celebrate the International Day of Yoga, it gives me immense satisfaction that the Yoga manual in Braille is being offered as a unique gift to the visually impaired

Pranab MukherjeePresident of India

GEARING UP: A worker fixes

a camera on a pole at India

Gate in New Delhi on Sunday

as part of preparations for the

Yoga Day celebrations. - PTI

Ram Jethmalani

The Andhra Pradesh chief minister was caught in a controversy

in the wake of some news channels airing an audio recording of

a purported conversation Naidu had with a nominated legislator

seeking his vote in the Legislative Council elections

A9

INDIAT U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

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Nitish named CM candidate of the JD(U)-RJD combine

NEW DELHI: Nitish Kumar will be the chief ministerial candidate of the JD(U)-RJD combine in the eastern state of Bihar, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav announced on Monday, re-solving a major irritant in the al-liance between the two parties to take on the BJP in coming Assem-bly elections in the state.

“I am very happy about the unity of Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar. Nitish will be the chief ministe-rial candidate for Bihar. Laluji has proposed Nitish Kumar’s name for the chief ministership. Laluji said he will campaign.

“There are no differences and we will not allow any dif-ferences to crop up,” Yadav said while declaring that they would fight together to root out “communal forces”.

A day after the two parties agreed to fight the Assembly polls in an alliance, Mulayam Singh Yadav disclosed at a press confer-ence here which was also attend-ed by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad and Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav, that Lalu proposed Nitish’s name for the top job in the state.

CompulsionBreaking his silence on the issue, Lalu said he cannot contest elec-tion himself and there was no other chief ministerial contender from his family or party.

“There are no differences be-tween us (between him and Ku-mar),” he said, downplaying ear-

lier remarks of some RJD leaders expressing discomfiture over projecting Nitish Kumar as CM candidate.

The coming together of the once-bitter rivals is seen as a compulsion for the Janata Pari-var, which lost badly in last year’s Lok Sabha elections in which Bharatiya Janata Party won 40 seats in Bihar.

That he had to accept Nitish as CM candidate of the alliance un-der compulsion was evident when Prasad said, “I am ready to con-sume all kinds of poison.

“But we will crush this cobra of communalism. We will destroy them unitedly. We will wipe out the BJP from Bihar.”

Rejecting speculation about the BJP egging on him not to tie up with JD(U), Prasad said his iden-tity in politics was due to “crush-ing the communal forces”.

Holding that “communal forc-es” occupied the seat of power in Delhi because of “division in forces of social justice,” Prasad, who had ordered the arrest of BJP leader L. K.Advani in 1990 at the peak of the Ayodhya movement, said that incident started “Mandal versus Kamandal politics”.

Prasad said he was repeatedly targeted by the BJP after that.

“I and Nitish belong to the same family. We had our share of fights and differences and we had also levelled allegations against each other. But, despite that, when the JD-U was divided at the time of polls for Rajya Sabha seats in Bihar, I had called up Nit-ish Kumar in order stop the BJP. I supported him to check these forces,” Prasad said.

Noting that there were some “illusions” in the mind of people, he said, “I want to clear those il-lusions. Lalu cannot contest elec-tions. I am not a candidate (for CMship). Nobody from my family, my wife, or my children is inter-ested in it. They (his children) are quite young. There was no candi-date from our side (party), nor was any from my family.

“But the communal elements speak through the media. All kinds of rumours are being spread. They are saying we cannot come to-gether. I thank Mulayam ji that he made the announcement that Kumar will be our CM candidate,” the RJD chief said.

Downplaying remarks of some of his party leaders including Vice President Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, who was against project-ing Kumar as CM candidate as merely an “opinion”, Prasad

said,”anybody can give an opinion but the decision is taken here.”

RemarksHe also appealed to workers and leaders of both parties to “control” their speech and took a dig at lead-ers like Prem Chand Gupta from his party and K. C. Tyagi from JD-U while asking media to ver-ify their “off-record” statements from either him or JD-U Presi-dent Sharad Yadav.

Prasad’s remarks came in the backdrop of sparring between leaders of the two parties a num-ber of times in the last few days over the issue of alliance, particu-larly its chief ministerial face.

The RJD chief said that issue has come to an end now expressed confidence that seat-sharing would also be done amicably.

Without naming his ersthile ally Ram Vilas Paswan, who is now a minister in the NDA gov-ernment, Prasad said, “Even an insignifcant person, who is now an NDA ally, was saying that they (JD(U) and RJD) cannot come together.”

There was intense speculation about Prasad cosying up to for-mer Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who broke away from Nitish Kumar’s JD-U and

formed his own party Hindustani Awam Morcha.

Prasad had even openly in-vited Manjhi to join the proposed broader secular coalition against BJP in Bihar.

The RJD chief, however, made it clear on Monday that his party will not have any truck with him, saying “Jitan Ram Manjhi told me that I should topple Nitish and they will accept me as leader. I am not going to fall into that trap.”

Referring to the statement of BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj on the Ram temple issue, he said while Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks something else, the “com-munal elements” from his party say something different.

‘Secular alliance’Asserting that he “does not re-quire a certificate” from anybody on his secular credentials, he said, “when I was fighting for Mandal Commission in Bihar, Advani ji had come with a Kamandal.

Responding to a question on whether the proposed “secular alliance” will also have Congress and NCP, the RJD chief said he had worked for the victory of NCP and Congress candidates in the past and hoped that all, including the Left, will come together. - PTI

Breaking his

silence on the issue,

Rashtriya Janata Dal

chief Lalu Prasad said

he cannot contest

election himself and

there was no other

CM contender from

his family or party

ALLIANCE CONFIRMED: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and JD(U) president Sharad Yadav address a press conference on the JD(U)-RJD alliance for Bihar elections, in New Delhi on Monday. - PTI

‘Queen’, ‘Haider’ big winners at IIFA awards in MalaysiaKUALA LUMPUR: Haider, Vishal Bhardwaj’s modern re-telling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Vikash Bahl’s coming-of-age drama Queen emerged as big win-ners at the 16th IIFA awards by taking home three trophies each, including best actress honour for Kangana Ranaut and best actor for Shahid Kapoor.

Queen, a middle-class girl’s journey of self discovery after getting ditched by her fiance, has been winning Kangana accolades all over. She already has a Nation-al Award in her kitty for the role.

However, the actress was not present to accept the gong as she rarely attends award shows.

Shahid, 34, re-teamed with his Kaminey helmer for his career’s best role of a man deranged by grief and subsequent betrayal by his close ones. The actor dedi-cated his award to Bhardwaj for giving him the opportunity and called the film “scary”.

Recognition“I would like to thank Vishal Bhardwaj for this recognition. A very big thank you to him for be-lieving in me. Today I am standing here because of him. It was a scary film to do because we thought people will never love and under-stand this,” said the actor in his acceptance speech.

Earlier, Shahid, one of the best dancers in Bollywood, took to stage to give a power-packed per-formance on Bismil. Tabu, who played Shahid’s mother in Haider, won the best supporting actress award for her multi-layered per-formance, while co-star Kay Kay Menon bagged the trophy for best negative role for his portrayal of a shrewd politician.

Queen won the award for best picture and story (Bahl, Chaitally

Parmar and Parvez Shaikh) apart from the best actress trophy.

Anurag Kashyap, one of the producers and editor of the film, expressed his love for fellow di-rector Rajkumar Hirani, while receiving the best movie trophy for Queen.

“I don’t know what to say. I love you Raju sir (Rajkumar Hirani).I don’t know how this film hap-pened and it happened somehow.When we started the film we didn’t have any money...,” he said.

Hirani won the best director gong for Aamir Khan-starrer PK, after beating Bahl (Queen), Bhardwaj (Haider), Abhishek Varman (2 States) and Imtiaz Ali (Highway).

“This film fearlessly talked about religion in the country and I want to thank my father and mother for it. Like Subhash Ghai, I also feel a film is incomplete without the help of technicians and actors,” Hirani said.

Deepika Padukone, who was nominated in the best actress category for her stint as a dance

teacher in the multi-starrer Happy New Year, took home the Woman of the Year award.

The 29-year-old actress dedi-cated the honour to women across the globe.

“This award is for millions of women,” said the Finding Fanny star, who looked gorgeous in a black and maroon saree.

Bollywood’s showman Subhash Ghai was honoured with the Out-standing contribution to Indian cinema recognition. It was present-ed to him by his Ram Lakhan stars Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor.

“I am going through so many emotions right now. I have so many memories. Over the years one learns, rises and falls.

“This is one of the most won-derful evenings for someone like me, to receive so much love and adulation. I have so many sto-ries to share. I think success and awards are a trap.

“You achieve these for your past work but then you are expected to keep up that work,” he said in his acceptance speech. - PTI

C E R E M O N Y

ACCOLADES: Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor poses on the green carpet as he arrives to attend the final day of the 16th Interna-tional Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards at the Putra Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. Shahid won the best actor award for his role in film ‘Haider’. - AFP

Weak monsoon to be credit negative for India: Moody’s

NEW DELHI: A weak monsoon is likely to be credit negative for India as it is expected to push up food inflation as well as govern-ment deficits, global rating agency Moody’s said on Monday.

The Indian Meteorological De-partment (IMD) has revised its monsoon forecast for 2015 from “below normal” to “deficit”.

“A weak monsoon is credit nega-tive for India because it lowers ag-ricultural output, increases food inflation and adds to government deficits,” said a Moody’s Investors Service report.

The magnitude of the negative effect will depend on the actual spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall as well as policy measures the government adopts in prepara-tion and in response, it added.

“...a weak monsoon would likely raise food prices, which have been rising faster in India than the glob-al average. Because food accounts for more than 50 per cent of aver-age household spending in India...higher food prices pinch house-hold budgets in India to a greater degree than elsewhere, and hurt GDP...,” the agency said.

India’s inflation touched dou-ble digits in 2012 and 2013 partly because of high food prices, but is now below the RBI’s January 2016 target of 6 per cent, it said.

Decline in inflation and flagging private sector consumption as well as investment growth have led the Reserve Bank to cut the policy rate by 75 basis points since January, but the forecast of a weak mon-soon season will curtail further rate reductions, the agency said.

Moody’s said that below-aver-age rainfall in 2014 slowed agricul-tural output growth to 0.2 per cent that fiscal year, compared to 3.7 per cent the previous year. - PTI

R E P O R T

REVISED FORECAST: School students walk under umbrellas during monsoon rains in Kochi on Monday. - PTI

A10

PAKISTAN T U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

‘3 Bahadur’ becomes Pakistan’s highest grossing animated film KARACHI: Pakistan’s first full-length animated feature 3 Bahadur has become the highest grossing animated-film ever to release in Pakistan.

It is truly an exciting time for Pa-kistani cinema.

Over the course of the last year and a half, Pakistani filmmakers have treaded into new and untest-ed waters and unsurprisingly all of them have managed to wow the audience.

Stellar runFirst there was Bilal Lashari’s action-thriller Waar, then Nabeel Qureshi’s game-changing comedy Na Maloom Afraad and last but not the least Sharmeen Obaid-Chi-noy’s animated movie 3 Bahadur.

Billed as Pakistan’s first ani-mated feature film, the movie is in the midst of a stellar run at the box office and has now become the highest-grossing animated movie in the history of Pakistani cinema.

Previously the record was held by Blue Sky Studio’s Rio 2 which grossed an estimated Rs45 million but 3 Bahadur has comfortably managed to outdo the Hollywood movie after only three weeks with a box office collection of Rs47 mil-lion up till now.

Watching their own filmsAccording to the executive pro-ducer of 3 Bahadur Jerjees Seja, the success of the film underlined the fact that Pakistani audiences want to ‘watch their own films’.

“It is really great that a first ever Pakistani animated film has man-aged to outdo a major Hollywood franchise like Rio 2 in terms of box office,” said Jerjees.

Released in over 35 cinemas the movie has managed to perform well at cinemas in both Punjab and Sindh, with each province contrib-uting 50 per cent to the total box office collection. The film was not

released in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

“Although the film did perform well in its first week it has picked up tremendously during the last two weeks,” said Khurram Gul-tasab, the general manager of the chain of Super Cinemas in Punjab.

He identified ‘exams’ as a major reason behind the lesser turnout in the cinemas during the first week.

Released during the highly crowded summer window the movie faced tough competition from other international releases with movies like Piku, Bombay

Velvet, Tanu Weds Manu Returns and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

“3 Bahadur was released three weeks ago opposite five other films but despite the stern competition, it is still running in cinemas and is doing remarkable business,” he added.

Box office results and critical response aside the movie has man-aged to woo audiences of all ages; which according to various stake-holders of the film industry was one of the key factors that have led to the film becoming such a suc-cess. “With other movies, like Mad

Max: Fury Road, a person would usually go and watch the movie with a friend or two but with 3 Bahadur you have whole families coming in and watching the mov-ies,” remarked Khurram Gultasab.

Outdoing BollywoodA few days ago, at the press con-ference for Moor, Nadeem Mand-viwalla had noted how Pakistani cinema had managed to outdo Bol-lywood with just their first release. “India has made six animated features to-date but none of them have been successful and our first film has become a big hit.”

The success of 3 Bahadur comes as a welcome sign for a number of animation studios which have emerged within the country and shown an interest in animated fea-ture films.

Musician, Haroon who heads the animation company Unicorn Black, which has produced the TV show Burka Avenger, said that as a person belonging from the same industry it was heartening for him to see that such content was being made in the country and was hope-ful more people would follow suit.

“The stuff that Waadi Anima-tions has done is high-quality and I am sure that we would be mak-ing world-class content in the near future.”

Great resultsJerjees Seja seconded Haroon’s notion saying that the first step is always the hardest and consider-ing that it has yielded great re-sults other people would also start showing an interest in this genre of filmmaking.

With 3 Bahadur only going from strength to strength the makers of the film have already provided themselves with a cush-ion given that they intend to re-lease a sequel by December next year. — Express Tribune

B O X O F F I C E S U R P R I S E

BLOCKBUSTER: Previously the record was held by Blue Sky Studio’s ‘Rio 2’, which grossed an estimated Rs45 million but ‘3 Bahadur’ has comfort-ably managed to outdo the Hollywood movie after only three weeks with a box office collection of Rs47 million until now. — Express Tribune

Female motorcyclist pitches for helmets, safety awarenessKARACHI: Tayyaba, 26, zips through Karachi’s traffic on her motorcycle every day to get to work, with a helmet perched on top of her head.

The traffic law mandates the helmet for both male and female riders and co-rider on a motor-cycle. As a woman, Tayyaba can go without the safety gadget but chooses not to.

Campaigners are becoming increasingly vocal about the con-sequences of the helmet-compul-sory drive by the Karachi traffic police. The latter are bent upon making females on motorcycles wear helmets too. This can help save dozens of lives lost each year as well as injuries of hundreds others, they claim.

For a young woman like Tayy-aba, who learned how to ride the motorcycle herself, the helmet-compulsory drive of the Karachi traffic police is praiseworthy, but she is not very optimistic about its success. “We are a stubborn society,” she said. “It will be ex-tremely difficult to make the women understand that it is for their own safety.”

According to her, the helmet will not be much of a problem for the women who already wear a scarf or burka. “It’s like wear-ing a cap,” she said. “Gradually, you become accustomed to it.” She added that if women kept worrying about how the safety gadget will affect their hairstyle, then one can only feel sorry for their naivety.

Finding it weirdTayyaba said that when she rides her motorcycle on Karachi’s Sha-ra-e-Faisal, the people around show her the thumbs-up gesture. “If a girl can drive a car, why can’t she ride a two-wheeler?” she questioned. According to her, she has been riding a bicycle since childhood. “When the bicycle turned into a motorcycle, people started finding it weird.”

Tayyaba started riding her friend’s motorcycle in 2009 when she enrolled herself in Karachi University. In 2010, she felt the need to buy her own motorcy-cle. “I used to live in the campus and had to leave for my job very early in the morning,” she re-called. “I had to wait for hours for a rickshaw and used to get

late for work. Then one day, I bought my own motorcycle and stood against the patriarchal mind-set. It’s better to have your own conveyance than depend on someone else.”

According to her, the gov-ernment should introduce the Scooty motorcycle in Pakistan, which is one of the best rides for a woman. “It doesn’t matter if you wear shalwar kameez, jeans, or a burka. A Scooty can easily be rid-den,” she pointed out.

Road traffic injury research and prevention centre accident investigation officer Irfan Saleem shared that in 2014, 340 cases of motorcycle accidents were reg-istered in which the burka or the dupatta of a female got stuck in the wheel and led to the acci-dent. “Of these, 23 died,” he said, adding that the long dupattas fly with the wind and get stuck in the chain or the wheel.

Mahnaz Rahman, the resident director of Aurat Foundation, agreed. “Most of the motorcycle accidents take place when the huge shawls that women use to cover themselves get stuck in the wheel or chain,” she said. Accord-ing to her, the helmet is a safety gadget and should not be gender-specific. — Express Tribune

T R E N D S E T T E R

Twenty six-year-old Tayyaba is one of the few women who ride a motorcycle against the norm in Karachi

Seven soldiers killed in suicide attackISLAMABAD: A suicide attack has killed seven Pakistani soldiers in a restive northwestern tribal region near the Afghan border, the military said on Monday.

The incident happened in North Waziristan, where the military has been fighting militants linked to the Taliban since June last year.

“When being chased and cor-doned, a terrorist exploded his sui-cide jacket on Sunday night. Re-sultantly, seven soldiers embraced shahadat (martyrdom)”, the mili-tary said in a statement.

The blast triggered a gunbattle between militants and troops in which 19 insurgents were killed.

The area is remote and off-lim-its to journalists, making it dif-ficult to verify the army’s claims such as the number and identity of those killed.

Battling extremistsPakistan has been battling a home-grown extremist insurgency for

over a decade following the late 2001 US-led invasion of Afghani-stan. The army began a major cam-paign against Taliban and other militants in North Waziristan in June last year. Authorities have now vowed to intensify operations both in the border regions and across the country. — AFP

N O R T H W A Z I R I S T A N

Three suspects in air base attacks arrested

QUETTA: Police have arrested three men involved in the Khalid and PAF air base attacks among other acts of terrorism, Balo-chistan Home Minister Mir Sar-faraz Bugti disclosed on Monday.

“Police are making efforts to control targeted killings in coordi-nation with intelligence agencies,” said Bugti said while addressing a press conference at the Captial City Police office in Quetta.

Among those arrested is Ali Gul alias Ubaida Pathan, who be-longs to Kohlu and carried a head money of Rs1 million, whereas Rehman Wali alias Rehman from Waziristan had a bounty of Rs500,000 on him.

Another accused, who carried a head money of Rs1.5 million and wanted in nine cases, was also arrested.

“Rehman Wali was involved in attacks on Khalid Airbase, and PAF Airbase attacks and cases against him were lodged at Airport police station and Cantt police sta-tion in Quetta,” said Bugti.

The third suspect was Zafarul-lah alias Muzafar Jan,who was wanted in four murder cases, he added. The home minister said po-lice were making efforts and using its resources to eradicate terror-ism in Quetta.

“Police carried out a search op-

eration in Eastern Bypass area of the provincial capital and rounded up three suspects with links to a banned outfit,” said Bugti.

The provincial home minister said acts of terrorism had spiked following the China-Pakistan Eco-nomic Corridor (CPEC) pact, and

all the institutions need to play their role to to prevent terrorist from conspiring against Pakistan and its economic prosperity.

CCTV camerasHe added that four police stations were established in Quetta to facil-itate police, saying that as many as 2,050 CCTV cameras were being fixed in the city to control crime and the project was in its final phases. — Express Tribune

Police are making

efforts to control

targeted killings in

coordination with

intelligence agencies,

said Balochistan

Home Minister

Mir Sarfaraz Bugti

BREAKTHROUGH: Pakistani security officials examine the site of a bomb explosion in Quetta, capital of Balochistan province, on August 12, 2014. — AFP file photo

Provincial home minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti said acts of terrorism had spiked following the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor pact, and all the institutions need to play their role to to prevent terrorist from conspiring against Pakistan and its economic prosperity


COMMEN ARYT I M E S O F O M A NT U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

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T I M E S O F O M A NA12

I was asked by the Atlantic Council to ap-pear at the launch of their “Middle East Strategy Task Force” (MEST) to present a report on how Arab public opinion views the challenges facing their region as well as their assessment of the role the United States can play in addressing these con-

cerns. The goal of the MEST, according to co-chairs, former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright and former National Security Advisor, Stephen Hadley, will be to develop a long-term US strategy to assist the Middle East achieve stability and prosperity.

One might take a jaded view that this is just anoth-er election year effort by a Washington-based “think tank” to develop a policy paper that will, in the end, be nothing more than a restatement of conventional wisdom and existing policy. What, I believe, how-ever, sets the Atlantic Council project apart is the stated resolve of the co-chairs to ground their work in the attitudes and needs of the Arab people.

Instead of projecting policies developed in Wash-ington for the people of the region, the MEST in-tends, as its starting point, to ascertain what the people of the region say they need and then craft policies that meld America’s interests and capacity with Arab aspirations. As evidence of their serious-ness, MEST has formed five working groups — two of which are headed by respected Arab American scholars and composed, in equal measure, of Ameri-can, European, and Arab academics and analysts. The recommendations of the working groups will be considered in the task force’s final report.

It was impressive that the launch event itself be-gan with a compelling “vox populi” video produced by Sky News Arabia featuring interviews with men and women from Tunis, Cairo, Beirut, and Ramallah. In turn, the interviewees spoke of their aspirations and frustrations for themselves and their countries. That set the stage for the main part of the launch — a review of Arab public opinion.

I titled my presentation “Confounded, Lacking Confidence, and Conflicted”, three terms which I felt described Arab attitudes toward the traumatic changes that have rocked the region; the Arab loss of faith in the capacity of the United States to “do the right thing” when it comes to intervention in Arab affairs; and despite this, the continuing strong desire of the Arab public to maintain good relations with the United States.

Our polling shows that Arab opinion is largely confounded when it comes to assessing the region’s current crises. They know where they want to be, but they don’t know how to get there.

Poll after poll of Egyptians, for example, demon-

strate that they want jobs, improved educational opportunities, and a better health care system. They also rank ending corruption as an important con-cern. In short, they want a clean government that delivers services and meets their needs. What con-founds them is: how to get there.

Iraqis want much the same from their govern-ment. Strong majorities of all Iraqi sub-groups reject IS and also express concern with growing foreign in-fluence. They do not want their country to fragment and they want the central government to represent and provide for the well-being of all Iraqis: but they do not know how to get there.

We find similar attitudes when the Arab World looks at Syria. In equal measure, majorities reject IS, Al Qaeda, and the regime in Damascus. They also ex-press deep concern with the prospect that Syria may fragment into sectarian entities.

And because they do not support Western-led mil-itary intervention in Syria to defeat IS, the question remains: how to get out from where they are to where they want to be. An obvious concern that must be confronted by any American effort to consider policy options is the Arab publics’ conflicted attitude to-ward the United States. What comes through in our polling is the fact that while Arabs have strongly fa-vourable views toward the American people, values, culture, and products, they deeply resent American policy toward the region. When we ask Arabs to name the “greatest threats to peace and stability” in their region, in every poll we have conducted during the past 15 years, the top ranked threats are the un-resolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict and “US inter-ference in the Arab World”. This, of course, is to be expected, given the disastrous and failed war in Iraq and continued one-sided US support for Israel.

When we ask Arabs, in repeated polls, to identify the areas where they feel the US can be most helpful, they will suggest aiding in job creation, and provid-ing assistance to improve education and health care.

But on the top of the list will also be “resolve the Is-raeli-Palestinian conflict”. In other instances, how-ever, Arabs will tell us, point blank, “leave us alone”. This is the definition of being conflicted.

I have long argued that public opinion matters. Any American effort to successfully engage the Arab World must listen to what Arabs are saying—even when we don’t like what we are hearing. And any ef-fort to assist the region must be demand-driven.

The author is the President of Arab American Institute. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of Times of Oman.

The US must listen to Arab public opinion

Majority in Syria reject IS, Al Qaeda, and the regime in Damascus. They also express deep concern with the prospect that Syria may fragment into sectarian entities. And because they do not support Western-led military intervention in Syria to defeat IS, the question remains: how to get out from where they are

Letters, containing not more than 200 words with full name, address and telephone number, may be sent by mail (Times of Oman, P.O. Box 770, P.C. 112, Ruwi), by fax (24813153) or by e-mail ([email protected])

WASHINGTON WATCH

History is going to have an interesting time placing Edward Snowden in context and assessing his relevance. Of all the whistle blowers of the modern era there are none that have

had quite the impact that he has had, and two years after he leaked a mass of data relating to the activities of the American National Secu-rity Agency (NSA) and its invasion of the privacy of millions, he is still making waves. On June 2, the US Senate passed a bill that will end the bulk harvesting of many millions of phone records of American citizens without prior authorisation. The Bill was passed swiftly and with minimal opposition to plug the gap left by the expiry of several provisions of the Patriot Act that had given carte blanche to the NSA. It is the most significant revision of legislation relating to surveillance since 1978. The scaling back of surveillance systems in the US are in contrast to the heavy penetration of cyberspace by the government in Pakistan. We live in a time where the nature of warfare is evolving faster than at any other, and the weapons of war are increasingly di-verse. War is fought increasingly in what is broadly called cyberspace, that ill-defined terrain that is a human construct but far removed from everyday reality. The flow of data in cyberspace, be it phone records or how to build a dirty bomb is of overarching interest to the world’s intelligence agencies who are busy trying to prevent acts of terror and cyber warfare. It is at that interface between the priorities of the secu-rity community and the rights of the common man occur that another battle is being fought — that for privacy.

It is of note that analysis of NSA phone surveillance in the US in 2014 revealed that it had no impact on limiting terrorism whatsoever. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has praised the passage of the USA Freedom Act but is apprehensive for the future saying that there were many more intrusive and ‘overbroad’ powers of surveil-lance that were as yet untouched or debated. None of this would be in the public domain were it not for Edward Snowden, be that for better or worse only history will tell. - The Express Tribune

The Snowden effect

Anyone who had the time to read the summary of the 6,700-page report by Senate investigators on the federal government’s programme of torturing detainees captured after the Septem-

ber 11 attacks knew, or at least suspected, that there was more to the sickening story. This week, a Reuters report added to those suspicions with newly declassified statements from Majid Khan, a high-value prisoner who had been affiliated with Al Qaeda, was captured in 2003 and has been held at Guantánamo Bay since 2006. Over more than seven years of conversations at Guantánamo with his lawyers from the Centre for Constitutional Rights, Khan described even more tor-ture and abuse than is contained in the Senate report. Although the details of his account, as documented in notes by his lawyers, could not be independently confirmed, they corroborate many of the find-ings of the report.

Soon after his capture, Khan said, interrogators water-boarded him twice, a contention that contradicts the Central Intelligence Agency’s claim that it had already named all detainees who were subjected to that practice. (The CIA has denied that Khan was water-boarded.) As he was moved among a series of CIA-operated “black sites” over the following months, Khan told his lawyers, the torture continued. He was beaten repeatedly. He was hung naked from a wooden beam for three days, shackled and starved. He was taken down once during that time to be submerged in an ice bath. Interrogators pushed his head under the water until he thought he would drown. “I wished they had killed me,” Khan said. Khan confessed to delivering $50,000 to Qaeda operatives who used it to carry out a truck bombing in Indonesia, and to plotting with Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the mastermind of Sep-tember 11, on various planned attacks. In 2012, Khan pleaded guilty to conspiracy, spying, murder and material support of terrorism in a deal that required him to testify against Mohammed. He faces a sen-tence of up to 19 years, which is set to be imposed by the military com-mission at Guantánamo Bay in February. But his culpability does not justify the depraved treatment he and other detainees suffered at the hands of the United States, in violation of both federal law and the in-ternational Convention Against Torture.

If the story of that treatment ever has a hope of coming out, it won’t be through the American government, which continues to hide key details of torture and abuse from the public. Rather, it will be through men like Khan and Mohamedou Ould Slahi, another Guantánamo detainee, who was recently allowed to publish a diary recounting his experiences at the camp. - The New York Times News Service

A detainee describes more CIA torture

J A M E S J . Z O G B Y

A similar incident of theft happened four years agoThis refers to the news story, OMR14,700 stolen from a car parked in CBD locality (June 8). A similar incident happened with my husband four years ago when OMR7,000 was stolen from his car. He had withdrawn the amount from a bank and kept the sum in his car which was parked outside the bank and went for some other work. He did not carry the amount with him for security reasons. However, when he came back after a few minutes he found the amount missing — rather stolen — in a similar fashion and also in broad daylight. The fingerprints of the criminals were available and there was CCTV camera too. But the culprits are yet to be caught. Dilani CassimMuscat

Muscat was lot safer place at one time with no crimesThis refers to the news story, OMR14,700 stolen from a car parked in CBD locality (June 8). I recall that in the 60s, money ex-change outlets and jewellery stores in some areas in Muscat would simply leave their stores unat-tended when the shopkeepers and employees took a short break for offering their prayers. In the 80s, when I saw the same vendors, they would simply put a cloth across the store entrances and go for prayers without worrying about anything. It would certainly be worthwhile and interesting to go back and check now what those shops do when they take their prayer breaks now. I don’t want to blame anyone in particular .Khalid Sadary Muscat

One must be very careful while carrying large cashThis refers to the news story, OMR14,700 stolen from a car parked in CBD locality (June 8). We all need to be careful. There are people watching us, especially when we leave banks with such large amount. Roaming around with that much of cash is not safe at all and leaving money in our cars is all the more a bad idea. However, I wish that the culprits are soon arrested and the money is finally retrieved.Basma EssamMuscat

Some taxis do not have seat belts at the back seatsThis refers to the news story, Is 500 baizas more really worth a life? (June 8). I have seen that some of

the taxis here in Muscat do not have seat belts available for use in the back seats. It has often scared me, especially when they drive at a high speed. This apart, I have also noticed that there are taxi drivers who do not bother to indicate when they come into the main road from narrow roads or where the roads are merging. Magdalene HeidrichMuscat

Taxis in Oman are one of the best in the worldThis refers to the news story, Is 500 baizas more really worth a life? (June 8). Taxis in Oman and taxi drivers are one of the best in the world. Taxis here are affordable and drivers are understanding.Nagendra PratapBangalore

READERS’ FORUM

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PERSPEC IVET I M E S O F O M A N T U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5T I M E S O F O M A N A13

In 2012, the internationally renowned anti-bribery ex-pert Alexandra Wrage was

recruited to help reform Fifa. By 2013 she had resigned, publicly citing frustration at an unwilling-ness to tackle corruption and en-demic sexism at the highest levels of the organisation. Wrage has not been the only woman to draw attention to Fifa’s problems with corruption.

The dramatic announcement of the FBI’s investigation came from formidable US Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and last year Michael Garcia’s report into corruption identified two female whistle blowers: Bonita Mersia-des and Phaedra Almajid.

Rocked by the latest corruption scandal, is it finally time for Fifa to appoint a female president? No. Not unless she is the best can-didate for the job.

Nonetheless, Fifa’s Executive Committee must diversity. Al-though Fifa have long acknowl-edged the need for international representation from all corners of the globe, those representatives

have an average age of 64 and only one female member. This is de-spite the fact that international management studies provide strong evidence that boards with female representation are less prone to scandals involving cor-ruption, bribery and fraud, and better at responding to crisis.

Some will argue that there aren’t enough senior women in football to make a convincing challenge for leadership roles. But for female talent to rise, the industry needs to move with the times, and step away from its mi-sogynistic past.

Last year, when Women in Football conducted the first major survey of women’s experiences in the football industry, it found that over 66 per cent of women in the sport had witnessed sexism in the workplace, and 57 per cent had directly experienced it.

And of those affected, 89 per cent of women said they would not report sexism because they feared they would not be taken seriously.

During the 2014/15 season,

Women in Football reported 61 incidents of sexism, with most of these incidents taking place dur-ing the professional game.

Concerns about sexism at un-der the previous executive at Fifa are nothing new. Former Presi-dent Sepp Blatter was known for his dated views about females, and infamously suggested that women should play in “tighter shorts” to create a “more female aesthetic” and increase the popu-larity of the sport.

Chief Executive of the Irish FA John Delaney recently re-vealed that he had to ask Blatter to “move on” after he stared at his girlfriend for an uncomfort-ably long time.

Appointing a female president is not going to be the answer to Fifa’s problems.

But football as a whole - not just Fifa - must change its appoint-ment and recruitment processes to be more comprehensive in identifying the best talent avail-able. It’s not about token appoint-ments. It’s about appreciating the value of diversity. - The Independent

QATABI INAUGURATES SIX-DAY ARAB ISLAMIC EXHIBITION MUSCAT: The execution works of Khudh Al Masarrat water lane projects in Dhahira region will bSheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Qatabi, president of the Majlis Al Shura, for-mally inaugurated the six-day Arab and Islamic Exhibition at the Oman International Exhibition Centre yesterday. Qatabi, after touring the exhibition, said he was pleased with what he had seen and hope it would allow a good opportunity to promote items from Arab and Islamic countries. He praised the Omani pavilion which he said would help citizens to learn about the local industrial products. The opening ceremony was attended by a number of ministers, the visiting Iranian mines and minerals minister, undersecretaries, honourable members of the State Council, members of the Majlis Al Shura, government and private sector officials and representatives of participating companies. The exhibition, which is the first of its kind, has been organised by Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), in collaboration with Arabian Expo Company. It will be on until May 22.

FROM OUR ARCHIVES

While Khan predicts that his party would win even better in a more organised poll, the detractors aren’t exactly feverish about starting from scratch for two reasons; one, they are reluctant to compromise the gains they have made, and; two, the consequences of such actions elsewhere

Regardless of the white noise surrounding transparency, local government (LG) polls in the troubled province of Khyber-Pakh-

tunkhwa (KPK), most pundits agree, marks a sig-nificant step forward solidifying Project Democ-racy. Governed by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) currently, facing the brunt of a united oppo-sition over the fairness of its conduct, the province has been a flashpoint of the ongoing military cam-paign against terrorism and extremism.

The sheer scale of the numbers involving can-didates, deployment of law enforcement agencies and the whole gamut of electioneering exercise evoked fears in the lead-up about how it would pan out. There were more than a dozen casualties to be sure, but while these were regrettable, the fatali-ties were largely related to poll violence.

In the not-so-distant past, militants had wreaked havoc with a spate of suicide bombings and killings to stop secular parties like the Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) from campaigning, leading to their dis-mal showing at the 2013 general elections. Even though the two parties in government fared poorly going into the polls, the fact that they could not put up a robust campaign did hurt their fortunes sub-stantially. However, while the PPP continues its rapid decline as a political force of national signifi-cance, the ANP has regained weight with a show-ing second only to the PTI.

But almost the entire opposition — as well as local level leaders of even its alliance partner Jamaat-e-Islami — have accused the PTI of ma-nipulating the polls and demanded the provincial government’s resignation. The Election Commis-sion of Pakistan (ECP) has even ordered re-poll-ing in some polling stations following complaints of wrongdoing. In one highly publicised case, Ali Amin Gundapur, the burly revenue minister from the ruling PTI, was forced to surrender to the po-lice after it registered a case against him for taking away ballot boxes and manhandling a senior cop at a polling station. Gundapur was however, released after he claimed he did not pick up the boxes to stuff it but was, in fact, stopping a rival candidate’s henchman from rigging.

The PTI denies claims of rigging and blames the ECP for failing in its duty to conduct an orderly poll. In a rare rejoinder, the ECP maintained that ensuring law and order was the provincial gov-ernment’s responsibility and also debunked what it called a “misconception” that it was somehow responsible for holding the entire polls in a single day. The ECP also claimed that given the security requirement in which a large number of polling

staff was involved, it had advised the provincial government to hold the elections in phases. In-triguingly, Imran Khan, the PTI chairman, also uses the same ruse in his defence: that the ECP should have conducted polls in phases if it could not have handled it!

Tens of thousands of candidates were in the fray for 43,000 seats spread across cities and villages in 11,200 polling stations. Considering the numbers, and intelligence reports of possible attacks, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police, in fact, did a com-mendable job without any outside reinforcement.

Missed in the commotion raised by the oppo-sition over the conduct of the polls leading to a familiar three-way blame game amongst the gov-ernment, opposition and the ECP was the lack of awareness surrounding new balloting procedures that left the voters high and dry in many constitu-encies. Clearly, not enough homework was done to wisen them up. But in a daring gambit, Imran Khan has offered the opposition fresh polls, with the willingness of the ECP. Interestingly, as some opposition parties welcomed the move initially, second thoughts also surfaced just as quickly.

While Khan predicts that his party would win even better in a more organised poll, the detractors aren’t exactly feverish about starting from scratch for two reasons; one, they are reluctant to compro-mise the gains they have made, and; two, the con-sequences of such actions elsewhere.

The overriding fear for the opposition’s lack of heart is that it would strengthen Khan’s long-standing demands for fresh elections nationally — an issue over which he has raised such a resonant pitch and agitated so successfully that it forced the Nawaz Sharif government at the Centre to set up a judicial commission headed by the country’s chief justice to probe similar charges of widespread rig-ging. The verdict, which may make or break Khan politically, is due out soon. The likelihood there-fore, is that while the opposition will continue to remain vocal about the alleged rigging in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s LG polls, it may stop short of com-mitting to a full re-run.

The irony is that while these opposition parties have raised a ruckus over the conduct of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa polls, two of these — the PPP, which rules Sindh, and Sharif ’s PML-N, which rules Punjab — are themselves reluctant to hold LG polls in their provinces, being loathe to the idea of transferring power to the grassroots.

The author is a senior journalist based in Islamabad. All the views and opinions expressed in the article are solely his and not of Times of Oman.

Why the opposition is shy of fresh local government polls

TODAY IN HISTORY1064 Coimbra, Portugal falls to Ferdinand,

king of Castile. 1790 Civil war breaks out in Martinique. 1863 At the Battle of Brandy Station in

Virginia, Union and Confederate cavalries clash in the largest cavalry battle of the Civil War.

1923 Bulgaria’s government is overthrown by the military.

1945 Japanese Premier Kantaro Suzuki

declares that Japan will fight to the last rather than accept unconditional surrender.

1986 NASA publishes a report on the Challenger accident.

HISTORYNET.COM

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Advanced Cockpit GCS

Ground control station for remote

piloting of Predator drones

Predator C “Avenger”: Stealthy, jet-powered drone under development,capable of long-range reconnaissance and precision strike missions

It is time to start thinking beyond Greece — as the Group of Seven summit

in Bavaria will this weekend. These economic summits go back almost 40 years, when the leaders of what were then the world’s largest six econo-mies — the US, Japan, Ger-many, France, the UK and Italy — were invited by the French president Valéry Gis-card d’Estaing to the Château de Rambouillet, just outside Paris, in November 1975.

The purpose was to discuss how they might pull together to help the world economy recover from the oil shock of 1973-4. Canada, and then Rus-sia, joined later to make up the G8. Now, thanks to the mis-behaviour of President Putin, we are back to a G7. Russia, never naturally a member, has been excluded.

Although the G7 no longer reflects economic might — China is now the No 2 econ-omy — the leaders do have to confront a comparable threat to that of 1975.

Then it was the surging oil price and the threat of run-away inflation. Now it is a de-veloped world overburdened with debts that threatens to undermine the recovery.

The disadvantages of the ultra-easy monetary policies that have fuelled the recovery are becoming more and more evident, particularly their impact on wealth inequality within the developed world.

Assets have soared in value: the German stock market is up 20 per cent since the Eu-ropean Central Bank started its quantitative easing pro-gramme me late last year. But those with few assets have been left behind.

The protesters in Mu-nich over the past few days have a point, though I doubt many of them have thought through the link between QE and inequality.

Yet tightening policy and raising interest rates sharply might kill the recovery. It would certainly make the difficulties of Greece seem a sideshow, which in the broader scheme of things, of course, it is.

Why then have the diffi-culties of Greece, which ac-counts for about 0.3 per cent of the world economy, loomed so large?

The obvious answer, aside from the fact that many of us know and like the coun-try, is that it exemplifies in extreme form the stresses created by a single European currency, with political expe-diency trumping economic common sense.

Less obvious, and more alarming, is the extent to which debt overburdens the entire world economy. Greece is an extreme example of a global phenomenon.

We all know what has hap-pened here, with the national debt still rising both in abso-lute terms and relative to GDP.

But while the details dif-fer, the same broad pattern applies to almost every ma-jor developed economy, as it does to China.

Of the large economies only Germany is running a budget surplus, and even Ger-many faces a problem servic-ing its debts with a declining workforce and rising ranks of retirees.

Similar pressures apply at a personal level. In some coun-tries (including the UK) fami-lies have started to pay down their debts; in others this has happened very little.

After all, with money sprayed around at near-zero rates by mortgage-lenders, why wouldn’t you borrow more, and pay more, for a big-ger house?

Too-easy money encour-ages people to make bad investment decisions, just as too-easy money encour-aged Greece to do so when it managed to scramble into the eurozone.

So what’s to be done? It is easy to work up a sense of de-spair, particularly since the world economy faces other headwinds — particularly from demography and the environment.

But the experience after that first economic summit is broadly encouraging. It did not of itself fix anything.

The humiliation of Britain’s bailout by the IMF followed the next year, and the final burst of global inflation of the late 1970s was still to come.

Then followed the long monetary squeeze, led by the chairman of the US Federal Reserve Board, Paul Volcker. High interest rates did for high inflation, but it took the best part of a decade.

The good news is that we don’t need high interest rates now, or at least not the double-digit ones we had then. We do need higher ones, as the bond markets recognised last week, pushing up rates sharply.

A rise in long-term rates puts pressure on central banks to increase short-term ones. The IMF wants the Fed to hold off its first rise in short-term rates until next year. The bond markets think otherwise.

As rates rise, there will have to be debt relief for those who genuinely cannot pay. That, of course, includes Greece.

Lots of great things are happening in the world economy, in particular the use of technology to make service industries more pro-ductive, and that will drive underlying growth.

But we have to deal sensibly with debt.

Economic summits tend to get hijacked by politics, but if this one nudges our po-litical leaders to understand that debts must be tackled head on, it will have done a useful job. - The Independent

Debts must be tackled head on

FIFA still won’t have a woman president

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CELEBRATIONS: Justice and Development Party (AKP) supporters light flares at the party’s head-

quarters in Istanbul on late Sunday. – AFP

Uncertainty in Turkey after election results

ANKARA: Turkey faced the prospect of weeks of political turmoil after the ruling AK Party lost its parliamentary majority in weekend polls, dealing a blow to President Tayyip Erdogan’s am-bitions to acquire sweeping new powers.

Instead of the two-thirds ma-jority he had wanted to change the constitution and create a new presidential republic, the AK Party, while remaining the big-gest party, failed even to achieve a simple majority. The outcome au-gurs weeks of unpredictability as parties vie to form a coalition and possible early elections.

The result could also prompt some soul searching in the AKP, Turkey’s dominant politi-cal movement for more than a decade, where in recent years religious conservatives, with Erdogan’s support, have gained the ascendancy at the expense of centre-right and liberal elements.

Erdogan, strident in his at-tacks on opponents he has in the past accused of betraying Tur-key, seemed conciliatory in first comments after the poll - a stark contrast to his triumphalist ap-pearances after recent local and presidential elections.

“Our nation’s opinion is above everything else,” he said. “I be-lieve the results, which do not give the opportunity to any party to form a single party government, will be assessed healthily and re-alistically by every party.

The uncertainty triggered a sharp sell-off in Turkish assets,

reviving for some memories of fractious, short-lived coalition governments that battered the economy in the 1990s and trig-gered a string of army coups in the second half of the 20th century.

The lira slid to a record low of 2.8 to the dollar, the Istanbul stock index tumbled 8 percent, and the 10-year benchmark bond yield surged to within a whisker of 10 per cent.

The precarious outcome may also stir concern in Western capitals that see NATO member Turkey as an important island of political stability on the edge of a turbulent Middle East.

Dashed hopesErdogan, Turkey’s most popular modern leader but not one used to compromise and negotiation, had hoped a crushing victory for the AKP would allow it to change the constitution and create a more powerful US-style presi-dency. Opponents feared his vi-sion lacked checks and balances, the judiciary already weakened by purges of officials Erdogan ac-cuses of conspiring to topple him. Decisive was the success of a pro-Kurdish opposition party cam-paigning on a broad leftist agenda that surged ahead to enter par-liament. Deputy Prime Minister

Numan Kurtulmus told reporters the AKP would try to form a coali-tion government as its first option and was optimistic that it would be able to do so, but added that an early election could be on the cards if it failed.

A coalition without the AKP, he said, was impossible. The right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) is seen as its most likely partner. But its leader Dev-let Bahceli all but ruled out such a deal on Sunday, saying Turkey should hold a new election if the ruling party was unable to agree a coalition with other opposition groups. “The possibility of a gov-ernment coming out of the cur-rent situation is very slim,” one senior AKP official said, ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and party lead-ers to evaluate Sunday’s outcome.

“With these results, an early election seems inevitable.”

Two other AKP officials also told Reuters a new election looked unavoidable, while Fi-nance Minister Mehmet Simsek warned a coalition would not be as reformist as a single-party government.

Erdogan has yet to appear in public following the election re-sult, but is expected to meet with Davutoglu later on Monday. He is expected to ask Davutoglu to try to form a government once offi-cial results have been published, but could call an early election if Davutoglu is unable to do so with-in 45 days. “Everything, from the economy to big projects, is cur-rently on hold, and we don’t have the luxury of continuing with an uncertain and weak government at a time when the world is fac-ing great economic risks,” a sec-ond senior AKP official said. The AKP’s failure to win an overall majority marks an end to more than a decade of stable single-par-ty rule and is a setback for both Erdogan and Davutoglu. — Reuters

The polls outcome augurs weeks of

unpredictability as parties vie to form a

coalition and possible early elections

World’s first artificial ‘feeling’ leg offers new hope to amputeesVIENNA (AUSTRIA): The world’s first artificial leg capable of simulating the feelings of a real limb and fighting phantom pain was unveiled by researchers in Vi-enna on Monday.

The innovation is the result of a two-fold process, developed by Professor Hubert Egger at the Uni-versity of Linz in northern Austria.

Surgeons first rewired remain-ing foot nerve endings from a pa-tient’s stump to healthy tissue in the thigh, placing them close to the skin surface.

SensorsSix sensors were then fitted to the foot sole of a lightweight prosthe-sis, and linked to so-called stimu-lators inside the shaft where the stump sits.

“It’s like a second lease of life, like being reborn,” Austrian am-putee Wolfgang Rangger, told AFP ahead of Monday’s media launch.

The former teacher, who lost his right leg in 2007 after suffer-ing a blood clot caused by a cer-ebral stroke, has spent the last six months testing the new prosthesis.

“It feels like I have a foot again. I no longer slip on ice and I can tell whether I walk on gravel, concrete, grass or sand. I can even feel small stones,” he said.

The 54-year-old also runs, cy-cles and goes climbing. When he

moves, the limp is barely notice-able. Every time Rangger takes a step or applies pressure, the small sensor devices send signals to the brain.

“In a healthy foot, skin receptors carry out this function but they are

obviously missing here. However, the information conductors — the nerves — are still present, they’re just not being stimulated,” Egger said. “The sensors tell the brain there is a foot and the wearer has the impression that it rolls off the ground when he walks. All things considered, the procedure is a very simple one given the results.”

This is not the first time the Austrian scientist has caused a stir with his research.

Mind-controlledIn 2010, he presented a mind-controlled prosthetic arm, which the user directed with motor neu-rons previously connected to the lost limb. For the artificial leg, the principle remains the same except that the process works in reverse: information is guided from the prothesis to the brain, rather than the other way around.

In addition to increasing bal-ance and safety, the prosthesis provides another remarkable function: it has helped eradicate the excruciating pain Rangger had experienced for years following his amputation.

“I was barely able to walk with a conventional prosthesis, didn’t sleep for more than two hours a night and needed morphine to make it through the day,” he re-called. But within days of undergo-ing the operation last October, the pain vanished.

As Egger points out, phantom pain occurs because the brain gets increasingly sensitive as it seeks information about the missing limb. “Plus the amputation is of-

ten tied to a traumatic experience like an accident or illness, and the mind keeps reliving these memo-ries,” he noted.

The advantage of the “feeling prosthesis” is that the brain once again receives real data and can stop its frantic search. “Rangger is a very different person now to the one I met in 2012,” Egger said.

The two men were introduced to each other at a support group for amputees.

“It struck me that he never laughed and he had these dark rings under his eyes. It was awful.” Im-portantly, post-surgery recovery is quick and there are no known health dangers associated with the intervention, he added. — AFP

I N N O V A T I O N

Libyan factions ready for talks as G7 calls for ‘bold decisions’SKHIRAT (MOROCCO): Libya’s warring factions geared up for crunch talks on Monday as world leaders called for “bold political decisions” to prevent the oil-rich nation crumbling into a failed state.

Amid warnings that chaos in Libya has allowed the IS militant group to make inroads on Europe’s doorstep, United Nations envoy Bernardino Leon is pushing for an agreement before the start of the holy month of Ramadan on June 17. “The timing for fighting has passed, the moment for bold political decisions has come,” G7 leaders said in a closing statement after a summit in Germany.

“Libyan leaders must now grasp

the opportunity to conclude these negotiations and form a Govern-ment of National Accord account-able to the Libyan people.”

Libya plunged into chaos after a 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed veteran leader Muammar Gaddafi, with the heav-ily-armed former rebels carving out fiefdoms across the country.

Militant groups have exploited the lawlessness, which has also prompted a huge influx of mi-grants trying to make the dan-gerous crossing to Europe, with shipwrecks leaving hundreds dead and the European Union straining to respond.

Three previous rounds of peace

negotiations between Libya’s ri-val parliaments and governments have failed to reach an accord.

The talks in the Moroccan sea-side resort town of Skhirat “will discuss a new draft” of a politi-cal agreement to end the conflict, the UN mission to Libya said on Friday. “UNSMIL is of the firm conviction that this round will be decisive,” the mission said.

Saying Libya was at a “critical juncture”, the mission called on the country’s rivals “to shoulder their historic responsibilities” by reaching a peace deal.

A source close to negotia-tions said talks would start at 1800 GMT. — AFP

V I O L E N C E - H I T N A T I O N

SECOND LEASE OF LIFE: Wolfgang Rangger, a patient of professor

Hubert Egger of Linz University poses with his ‘feeling’ leg prosthe-

sis’ on Monday in Linz. – AFP


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PHOTO GALLERYARTICLE, VIDEO,

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

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US ex-policeman indicted in black man’s killing case

CHARLESTON (US): A grand jury on Monday indicted a white former police officer on a murder charge for the shooting death of a black man in North Charleston, South Carolina, according to the prosecutor overseeing the case.

Michael Slager, 33, was fired from his patrolman job after being charged with murder in the April 4 death of Walter Scott, 50, who was fatally shot in the back as he was running from the officer following a traffic stop.

A bystander using his cellphone captured a video of the shooting, which was widely distributed in the media.

The death reignited a public out-cry over police treatment of Afri-can Americans that flared last year after killings of unarmed black men in Ferguson, Missouri, New York City and elsewhere.

The video evidence does not guarantee the prosecution a con-viction in the case, said Scarlett Wilson, solicitor for the Ninth Ju-dicial Circuit. “Just because you have video in this case, it doesn’t mean it’s the be-all and end-all,” she said at a news conference in Charleston.

“The issue is the people who were there who were involved, who saw or heard anything, who can demonstrate what they saw and heard.”

If convicted of murder, Slager would face between 30 years and

life in prison without the possibil-ity of parole.

No trial date has been set, Wil-son said. Scott was driving a black Mercedes-Benz when Slager pulled him over for a broken tail light.

Video from the dashboard camera in Slager’s police cruiser recorded a respectful exchange between the two men before the officer returned to his patrol car. A few minutes later, after being told by Slager to stay in the Mercedes, Scott emerged from his car and ran off, apparently unarmed.

The subsequent cell phone video showed the men in a brief tussle before Scott ran off again, Slager fired his handgun eight times and Scott slumped into the grass. There was a gap between the two videos. Before Slager’s ar-rest, he said through an attorney that he feared for his life when he shot Scott.

The ex-officer’s current attor-ney, Andrew Savage III, said on Monday his legal team was still waiting to receive the state’s inves-tigative materials in the case.

“Until we have an opportu-nity to fully evaluate the state’s case and to compare it with our own investigation we will not be

commenting on any aspect of the case,” he said.

Shot dead by policeMeanwhile, authorities on Mon-day released a video of a black Muslim man shot dead by police and the FBI in Boston, and ac-cused of planning to behead police officers.

The grainy video was filmed by a surveillance camera fixed to a cafe about 50 yards from the con-frontation with Usaamah Rahim, a 26-year-old security guard, in a parking lot.

Police say Rahim was killed af-ter he refused multiple demands to drop a military-style knife.

Those demands are not audible, nor is the weapon clearly visible on the video.

The footage shows Rahim walk-ing towards a bus stop, officers ap-proaching him, then retreating and then Rahim falling to the ground.

District Attorney Daniel Conley said he was releasing the video to clamp down on “rumours and bad information” as he investigates whether Rahim’s killing was law-ful. It was just one piece of evi-dence among many, he said.

Rahim’s family, who initially claimed he was shot in the back at a bus stop, was shown the footage last week before his funeral.

“This unravelled very quickly. I think they made the right call,” Boston Police Commissioner Wil-liam Evans told reporters Mon-day. Court papers filed last week accused Rahim of buying three military-style knives from Ama-zon and deciding to “go after” the “boys in blue” because they were “the easiest target.”

An alleged associate, David Wright, 25, has been charged with conspiring to obstruct a federal investigation.

Court papers said Rahim had been “planning to engage in a vio-lent attack in the United States” since May 26 -- little over a week before his death. — Agencies

The death reignited

a public outcry over

police treatment of

African Americans

that flared last year

after killings of

unarmed black men

in Ferguson, New

York and elsewhere

MURDER: North Charleston police officer Michael Slager, right, is seen allegedly shooting 50-year-

old Walter Scott in the back as he runs away, in this still image from video in North Charleston, South

Carolina taken April 4, 2015. — Reuters/Feidin Santana/handout via Reuters

Just because you have a video, it doesn’t mean it’s the be-all and end-all. The issue is the people who were there who were involved, who saw or heard anything, who can demonstrate what they saw and heard

Scarlett WilsonLocal solicitor

Russia, IAEA at odds over status of Crimean cityVIENNA: Russia has refused to sign off on the UN nuclear watchdog’s annual report be-cause the document lists a nu-clear reactor near Crimea’s Sev-astopol as being in Ukraine, two diplomats present at the meet-ing told Reuters on Monday.

Russia annexed Crimea last year, but most countries still consider it part of Ukraine.

Monday’s move by Rus-sia is unlikely to block the re-port, but raises serious ques-tions about jurisdiction in the contested area.

Ukraine protested against Russia’s move at the Interna-tional Atomic Energy Agen-cy’s quarterly board of gov-ernors meeting, one Western diplomat said.

Unwilling to acceptAt least eight other countries said they were unwilling to ac-cept Russia’s refusal, citing a 2014 UN resolution confirm-ing the territorial integrity of Ukraine, according to the sec-ond diplomat.

He added that Russia asked for its views to be reflected in official records of the debate when the IAEA’s annual re-port processes further at the United Nations.

In Kiev, state-run EnergoAt-om which looks after nuclear plants said it has told the IAEA that it cannot accept respon-sibility for reactors in Crimea because it no longer has access to them since the annexation by Russia. Russia’s energy minis-try as well as the Rosatom state nuclear energy corporation de-clined to comment. — Reuters

R E F U S A L T O S I G N


Migrants and militants clung to each other protect themselves from

teargas during a police operation to evacuate migrants on Monday

in front of the Vaclav Havel library in Paris, France. Around 30

migrants were arrested and taken to buses as militants and politics

stand in a pacific demonstration against the evacuation. — AFP


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

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Ex-footballer Campbell bids to become London mayorLONDON: Former England foot-baller Sol Campbell announced on Monday that he will bid to become the Conservative candidate to re-place Boris Johnson as mayor of London in 2016.

“I’m in it to win it,” the former Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur defender told The Sun newspaper.

The London-born 40-year-old confirmed he will attend a ques-tion and answer debate on July 4 with other contenders for the Con-servative nomination.

“I know I’m not going to be a frontrunner,” he told the tabloid. “But I look at people who have been in politics for five, ten, 15 years, see them muck up and think, ‘You guys are supposed to be pro’! “I bring something new to the ta-

ble. I come from a working class background, it wasn’t easy for me at all, but I worked hard. And now it’s about giving something back.”

Campbell campaigned along-side Tory candidates in the run-up to this year’s general election, in which Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron won re-election.

He had been touted as a pos-sible candidate for the London parliamentary seat of Kensing-ton and Chelsea, but said that his “ambitions lie elsewhere in the political arena”.

Tessa Jowell and Sadiq Khan, both from the main opposition La-bour party, are the current favour-ites for mayor.

The Tories have yet to find an

instantly recognisable candidate, although MP Zac Goldsmith has been tipped as one of the favour-ites if he decides to run.

Quiet on candidacyCampbell refused to speculate on whether Tottenham fans might boycott his candidacy after he left the White Hart Lane club for North London rivals Arsenal in 2001.

“If we keep thinking about foot-ball we’re not going to do anything. We are dealing with people’s lives here,” he told The Sun.

Johnson was elected to parlia-ment in last month’s vote and after stepping down as mayor next year is expected to be made a minister in Cameron’s cabinet. — AFP

R E P L A C E B O R I S J O H N S O N

NEW ROLE: Former Arsenal football player Sol Campbell during the Premier League match between

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspurs at White Hart Lane in London on April 14, 2014. — AFP file photo

Cameron in a fix over Europe at G7 summit, denies U-turn

KRUEN (GERMANY): British Prime Minister David Cameron tripped up over Europe at a sum-mit of the Group of Seven industri-al nations (G7), appearing to issue an ultimatum to his own minis-ters over the EU only to swiftly withdraw it, saying he had been misunderstood.

The debacle was Cameron’s first serious setback since he was re-elected a month ago and was all

the more awkward because it con-cerned his flagship policy of rene-gotiating Britain’s EU ties before holding an in-out EU membership referendum.

His uncertain handling of such an important issue is likely to be interpreted as a sign of how nerv-ous he is to keep his fractious Conservative Party united to avoid a re-run of past splits which helped topple his two immediate predecessors.

Britain’s EU relationship was

not on the G7 agenda which was devoted to issues such as Greece, Ukraine and climate change. Yet Cameron’s closing news confer-ence was dominated by the subject with all seven questioners touch-ing on it, forcing a visibly irritated Cameron to repeat himself.

Speaking on Sunday, Cameron had moved to head off the first signs of a Eurosceptic rebellion in his party by suggesting ministers would have to back his EU strat-egy, which envisions Britain re-

maining in a reformed EU, or leave his government.

“If you want to be part of the government, you have to take the view that we are engaged in an exercise of renegotiation to have a referendum, and that will lead to a successful outcome,” he told reporters.

“Everyone in government has signed up to the programme set out in the Conservative manifes-to,” he said.

MisunderstoodBut on Monday, after senior Euro-sceptic lawmakers lined up to crit-icise his stance, Cameron said he had been misunderstood, saying his warning to ministers had only applied to the EU renegotiation period not the referendum cam-paign itself.

“It’s clear to me that what I said was misinterpreted. I was clearly referring to the process of renego-tiation,” said Cameron.

“I’ve always said what I want is an outcome for Britain that keeps us in a reformed EU, but I’ve also said we don’t know the outcome of these negotiations, which is why I’ve always said I rule nothing out. Therefore it would be wrong to an-swer hypothetical questions.”

He declined to say whether min-isters would be allowed a “free

vote” in the referendum campaign.His apparent change of heart

drew derision from his country’s press corps who accused him of flip-flopping on a vital issue and of confused policy-making.

Cameron originally spoke out after a group of over 50 of his own lawmakers said they were pre-pared to join a campaign backing a British EU exit, or “Brexit”, un-less he achieved radical changes in the bloc.

Cameron, who has promised to hold the referendum by the end of 2017, says he is confident he can get a deal that will allow him to recommend Britons vote to stay in the EU, which they joined in 1973.

He has said he needs the EU to alter its founding treaties so that any changes he secures are safe from legal challenge. But he is vulnerable on the home front, commanding a mere 12-seat ma-jority in the 650-seat House of Commons and a rebellion over Eu-rope could derail his wider agenda. Speaking before Cameron’s office tried to clarify his comments, sen-ior Conservative lawmaker Da-vid Davis said Cameron’s stance was “unwise”.

“There is a risk what we may end up doing is turning a decent debate into a bitter argument,” Davis told BBC Radio. — Reuters

Speaking on Sunday,

the British PM had

moved to head off

the first signs of a

Eurosceptic rebellion

in his party by

suggesting ministers

would have to back

his EU strategy or

leave his government

DAMAGE CONTROL: British Prime Minister David Cameron holds

a news conference during the G7 summit at Elmau Castle hotel in

Kruen, southern Germany, on Monday. — Reuters

Malala demands rights for RohingyasLONDON: Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai on Monday urged Myanmar lead-ers to take “immediate action” to prevent the persecution of the country’s Rohingya Mus-lims, most of whom are consid-ered by the government to be illegal immigrants.

The 17-year-old, who was shot by militants in her na-tive Pakistan for campaigning for girls’ rights, said that Roh-ingyas deserved “equal rights and opportunities” and called for them to be integrated into the country.

“I call on the leaders of Myanmar and the world to take immediate action to halt the inhuman persecution of Burma’s (Myanmar) Muslim minority Rohingya people,” said Malala.

Deserve citizenship“The Rohingyas deserve citi-zenship in the country where they were born and have lived for generations,” added the teenager, who won the Nobel prize last year for her activism.

“Today and every day, I stand with the Rohingyas, and I en-courage people everywhere to do so.” — AFP

H A R D S H I P I N M Y A N M A R

MARKEWWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMT U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5B

Muscat

6,464.39+ 10.04

+ 0.16%

Dubai

4,016.04+ 27.10

+ 0.68%

Abu Dhabi

4,563.90+ 9.93

+ 0.22%

Saudi Arabia

9,532.48- 55.53

- 0.58%

Kuwait

6,272.80- 56.68

- 0.90%

Bahrain

1,365.07- 1.44

- 0.11%

Qatar

11,903.08- 78.90

- 0.66%

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

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

Euro .............................................2.31

Pound ...........................................1.69

Indian Rs .............................165.84

Pak Rs ...................................260.28

Bangla Taka.......................199.52* Rates are as of Jun. 8

Source: Bank Muscat

Indian Rs .................................. 166.25

Pakistan Rs ............................ 263.25

Sri Lanka Rs .......................... 343.65

Bangla Taka.............................201.70

Phil Peso .................................... 116.40

* Rates as of Jun. 8 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......15.05

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......14.50

Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............. 141.75

Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) .............134.50

* Rates as of Jun. 8

Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

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

Oman Crude ............. (Spot) .........$61.22

Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) ........$60.82

Murban Crude ........ (Spot) .........$63.15

Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ........$60.42

N.Sea Brent ............... (Spot) ........$62.85

West Texas Int ....... (Spot) .........$58.61

CRUDE OIL PRICE

DIGEST VIDEO

S CA N T H I S Q R CO D E TO I N STA N T LY L AU N C H T H E V I D EO

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Sohar Freezone attracts OMR300m investment

A E [email protected]

MUSCAT: Sohar freezone is pre-paring a major plan to take advan-tage of the port’s planned railway and air connectivity to the rest of the region to become a major lo-gistics hub for the region.

As many as 22 companies have signed with Sohar Freezone for setting up various projects within the free zone, attracting OMR300

million investments so far. Although free zone authorities

have internally prepared a master plan for the phased development of 4500 hectares of land, now the move is to align the master plan with the multi-modal transport at the port to take advantage of the strategic location, which is called as ‘gateway plan.’

Master planning phase“We are currently in a master planning phase. We will then em-bark on a business case and it is very likely that the business case for the second phase will include railway activities, which is ex-pected to be operational within three years,” Jamal Aziz, chief ex-ecutive officer of Sohar Freezone told Times of Oman.

“It is tied up a lot with the rail and markets in the future,” he said, adding; “Usually, we take about 500 hectares of land per phase, but the business case will deter-mine whether we go for a bigger land area.”

Aziz also noted that the first phase area of the free zone is al-most full and the authorities are embarking on second phase ex-pansion. He said the work on the second phase development would start sometime in 2017, after pre-

paring master plan and consider-ing business case. The first two phases are part of a master plan to develop around 4,500 hectares in four phases.

Also, the Sohar Freezone is now focusing on to expand the logis-tics cluster within the free zone. “That is important to showcase Sohar as a strategically con-nected port – by road, sea and in future by railway. Logistics will start to play a bigger role in Sohar for distribution into the rest of hinterland and in the region.”

Referring to the development of a food cluster, he said since the Gulf region is a net importer of food and Sohar is strategically lo-cated to rest of the region, there is a great potential.

He said the UAE’s Essa Al Ghurair Investment is working on the drawing to build their food cluster. “They will be engaging with several companies that will be leasing from their area for vari-ous food-related projects.” Essa Al Ghurair Investment will lease a 93,000 square metre plot from Sohar Port and Freezone until July 2043. The creation of Sohar Food Cluster Company will al-low Essa Al Ghurair Investments to focus on the development of value chains.

Now the move is to

align the master plan

with the multi-modal

transport at the port

to take advantage of

the strategic location,

which is called as

‘gateway plan’, said

the freezone CEO

We are currently in a master planning phase. We will then embark on a business case and it is very likely that the business case for the second phase will include railway activities, which is expected to be operational within three years

Jamal AzizChief executive, Sohar Freezone

Oman’s inflation declines by 0.4% in MayTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Oman’s year-on-year inflation rate witnessed a decline of 0.4 per cent in May. On the other hand, compared to April, inflation rate decreased by 0.04 per cent, ac-cording to the latest data released by the National Centre for Infor-mation and Statistics (NCSI).

The May inflation was mainly driven down by the decreasing price of the foodstuffs and non-al-coholic beverages set, which fell by 1.45 per cent, along with the cloth-ing and footwear set which logged a 1.62 per cent decline.

Transport The transport sub-sector too wit-nessed a 0.55 per cent fall, while the telecommunications prices went down by 0.17 per cent. Goods and miscellaneous services set logged a 0.09 per cent decrease.

Among the most significant sets that recorded an increase in its prices in May compared to the same month of 2014 is the accom-modation, water, gas and other fuel types set that logged a 0.16 per cent

rise. The furnishing, household ap-pliances and maintenance set, and education increased by 0.08 per cent and 4.49 per cent respectively. Finally, the health set price record-ed a 2.24 per cent increase; while the restaurants and hotels set re-corded a 0.37 per cent increase.

At the governorate level, Al-Dhahirah governorate witnessed the highest inflation growth at 0.77 per cent, followed by Dhofar at

0.48 per cent. Inflation rate record-ed in Sharqiyah North and South governorates, however, decreased 0.8 per cent. Al-Batinah North governorate witnessed a 0.85 per cent decrease; while the decline in Dakhiliyah governorate stood at 0.46 per cent. Al-Buraimi posted a 0.37 per cent decrease in inflation; while the fall was 0.29 per cent in Muscat governorate.

Compared to April prices, the

general index of consumer prices in May decreased 0.04 per cent. The clothes and shoes set wit-nessed a fall in inflation of 0.38 per cent; while the transportation set decreased by 0.65 per cent. On the other hand, the foodstuffs and non-alcoholic beverages set increased by 0.46 per cent. The prices of ac-commodation, water, gas and other fuel types set, as well as health set remained unchanged.

N C S I S T A T I S T I C S

Galfar to conduct media briefing on settlement detailsTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Trading suspension on shares of Galfar Engineering and Contracting continued on the sixth trading session on the Muscat Securities Market, pend-ing detailed information on the settlement of compensation for Muscat Expressway.

And the board of directors and senior management of the com-pany will hold a press confer-ence on Tuesday on the settle-ment between the company and Muscat Municipality regarding the Muscat Expressway and the Central Corridor.

The press conference will be held on request by Capital Mar-ket Authority (CMA) to explain the issue to investors for more transparency and disclosure.

CMA has suspended trading of Galfar’s shares on June 3 for failure to disclose the amounts

due in consideration of the settlement offered by Muscat Municipality.

The company has disclosed twice through MSM website that the board of directors has rejected in its meeting dated May 31 Muscat Municipality’s settlement offer without indi-cating the amount.

The second disclosure indi-cated the settlement amount is OMR29.9 million without indi-cating the amounts due to the company recorded in its books.

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

Smart car drive still needs to overcome human errorSAN FRANCISCO: As compa-nies such as Google, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo Cars race to develop vehicles that are smart enough to drive themselves, even the most sophisticated systems will sometimes be no match for human error.

In a recent incident, a Volvo employee trying to demonstrate safety features instead ran into a group of people. The driver thought the car was equipped with an option that detects pedes-trians and brakes automatically. It wasn’t, and the way the driver gunned the XC60 sport utility ve-hicle might have overridden the function anyway.

The mishap wasn’t isolated. Another of Google’s driverless cars was rear-ended on Thursday,

bringing the total to 13 accidents over six years of tests, with nine being a hit in the backside. While smart cars stand to prevent ac-cidents overall, the incidents il-lustrate the challenges posed by the interplay between people and computers.

As cars do more of the driving themselves, alternating control between the machine and a dis-tractable human is “going to be a tough issue,” said Philippe Crist, an OECD economist who coordi-nated a May 28 report on autono-mous driving. That’s a big reason why many automakers probably won’t introduce completely auto-mated cars any time soon. Plus, there’s a risk that such vehicles will result in new types of crashes, he said.

Even if robot autos are still a way off, manufacturers are add-ing more and more systems that can take the wheel in certain situ-ations. The lure for automakers is clear. Demand for features that ease the more tedious aspects of driving, such as steering through stop-and-go traffic, could create a $42 billion market by 2025, Boston Consulting Group estimates.

‘Just rear-ended’The accidents involving Goog-

le’s autonomous cars seem to stem from the fact that they don’t bend traffic rules the way human drivers expect, according to Crist.

“We were stationary” for most of the accidents, Astro Teller, head of the Google research laboratory handling the driverless car effort, said at a May 29 developers’ con-

ference. “The car wasn’t driving. The human wasn’t driving either. We were just rear-ended” by an-other vehicle.

With 94 per cent of crashes cur-rently linked to some kind of driver error, computers taking more con-trol might be a good idea.

“We strongly believe this tech-nology will help reduce accidents,” said Eric Schuh, head of Swiss Re’s Casualty Centre, which analyses risk for the Zurich-based compa-ny’s reinsurance business.

Volvo agrees, despite the embar-rassing crash last month, which went viral on YouTube with more than four million views.

“There was nothing wrong with this car itself,” the Gothenburg, Sweden-based carmaker said in a statement. — Bloomberg News

C A R T E C H N O L O G Y

– Times file picture

WELCOME RELIEF: The May inflation was mainly driven down by the falling price of the foodstuffs and

non-alcoholic beverages. – Bloomberg file picture

TECH ASSISTANCE: A BMW automobile is parked via a mobile

device remote control during a parking assist app demonstration

at the Robert Bosch driverless technology press event in Boxberg,

Germany, in this May 2015 file picture. — Bloomberg News

Indian rupee declines to four-week lowMUMBAI: India’s rupee ended at four-week low, by tumbling 33 paise to 64.08 against the American currency, on fresh dollar demand from banks and importers on the back of firm dollar in the overseas market.

Sharp fall in stocks amidst for-eign capital outflows also affected the rupee value against the dollar, a forex dealer said.

In the overseas market, the dol-lar soared against most of its rivals on last Friday, hitting a 13-year high against the Japanese yen, after a strong US jobs report indi-cated the economy bounced back strongly in May, sparking a surge in treasury yields.

The rupee resumed lower at 64.05 per dollar as against the last weekend’s level of 63.75 per dollar at the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) Market and dropped fur-ther to 64.1675 before ending at 4-week low at 64.08 per dollar, showing a loss of 33 paise or 0.52 per cent.

The domestic currency had last ended at 64.17 per dollar on May 12, 2015.

The local currency moved in a range of 64.00 per dollar and 64.1675 per dollar during the day.

The dollar index was trading lower by 0.22 per cent against its major global rivals on Monday. — PTI

C U R R E N C Y M A R K E T

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MARKETT U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

Sohar delegation visits Germany to explore business opportunities

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADI [email protected]

MUSCAT: A business delegation from the Sohar region recently visited Germany, with the Ger-man Industry and Commerce Of-fice – AHK Oman – stepping up its efforts to boost economic ties between the two countries.

“Recently, we organised and ac-companied a business delegation visit of small and medium enter-prise (SME) entrepreneurs to-gether with the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) from Sohar to different regions in Germany,” a senior official at AHK Oman told the Times of Oman.

AHK Oman, is part of the Ger-man Chamber network that has 130 offices in 90 countries all around the globe. AHK, as it is

called in Germany, is the official representation of the German In-dustry and Commerce in foreign countries.

German expertiseSimone Lisker, head of office and representative of the German Industry in Oman, AHK Oman, explained that AHK is normally always involved if business del-egations from Germany come to Oman as it is a government agency and is working closely with gov-ernment institutions and export business assistance entities in Germany. “We also support and advise Omani delegations or visi-tors when they visit Germany,” said Lisker.

Commenting on the potential areas for further cooperation be-tween the two countries, she said,

“There is potential in many fields of business. Germany is a country that is active in most fields of the economic map. To name just a few, German entrepreneurs are world-wide leading in sectors such as me-chanical engineering, automotive and renewable energy technology.”

In addition, Omani and German companies and institutions can work together in areas such as ed-ucation including vocational train-ing, logistics, healthcare and tour-ism, in addition to environmental technologies and all infrastructure developments, said Lisker.

The official explained that AHK Oman was established in 2009 as a minor representative office in

Muscat and is related to the AHK network of the Lower Gulf Region including the United Arab Emir-ates (UAE), Qatar and Kuwait.

Regular events AHK Oman, which is the official fo-cal point for businessmen planning their market entry, organises regu-lar events to provide a platform for German and Omani businessmen to exchange ideas, experiences and information in order to strengthen the relations and to foster the mu-tual businesses between the two countries, noted Lisker.

Asked about the short-term and long-term plans of AHK Oman to enhance bilateral trade, she said

that export initiatives supported by the German government will continue to be an area of focus.

Workshops, symposia and con-ferences on topics of mutual in-terest such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, healthcare and education will also be held, said Simone Lisker.

Promotion “We will certainly lose no oppor-tunity to inform and promote in Germany the diverse business and investment opportunities in Oman through publication of arti-cles in our newsletters, magazines and speaking at various confer-ences and occasions in Germany,” she added.

Asked if there is any plan to es-tablish a joint business council, Lisker said, “So far, there is no joint business council existing. As far as we know an Omani Ger-man Friendship Association was founded here in Oman recently. This association could be a sort of a first step for a joint council.”

Visa facilitation Commenting on visa facilitation initiatives, she noted that the Ger-man Embassy is the only author-ity that is able to provide and issue visas. “But of course we appreciate

it a lot if the process is facilitated and business people and other travellers to Germany can get their visa more conveniently and in a shorter time. Effectiveness is one of the basic elements of success-fully doing business and visas are the first step to successful busi-ness co-operation,” said the AHK Oman official.

“As far as we can assess the situ-ation, especially during the current peak summer season when both, businessmen and tourists together with persons in need of health-care, are travelling increasingly at the same time, a bit of a longer waiting time might still probably be unavoidable. We, therefore, al-ways advise our friends and busi-nessmen to plan well enough in advance, especially in this season,” said Lisker.

The German embassy recently introduced a new application form VIDEX which allows for an online completion, aimed at reducing the waiting time during an appoint-ment for visas.

Omani and German firms and institutions

can work together in education, including

vocational training, logistics, healthcare and

tourism, said an AHK Oman official


POTENTIAL AREAS Simone Lisker said that

Germany is a country that is active in most fields of the economic map and German entrepreneurs are leading across the globe in sectors such as mechanical engineering, automotive and renewable energy technology

Simone Lisker. – Supplied picture

Economists warn Japan’s recovery in first quarter could be short-livedTOKYO: Japan posted stronger-than-expected growth in the first quarter as a pickup in capital spending powered the world’s number three economy, but some economists warned that the re-covery could be short-lived.

The 1 per cent expansion in Jan-uary-March — or 3.9 per cent on an annualised basis — was sharply up from an initial estimate of 0.6 per cent growth, according to the Cabinet Office figures.

The upbeat data is good news for Tokyo’s efforts to boost the economy, but household spend-ing remains stubbornly weak as the Bank of Japan struggles to push up prices in a bid to end dec-ades of deflation.

Despite wage rises at big firms and a tighter labour market, con-vincing people to splash out on consumer goods has been a strug-gle after Japan raised sales taxes last year to help pay down a huge national debt.

The rise hammered consumer

spending and pushed the econo-my into a brief recession. Japan limped out of the red in the last three months of 2014 with Mon-day’s surprise figures offering some hope for better times ahead.

“The figures show the Japanese economy is gradually heading for recovery,” said Credit Suisse econ-omist Takeshi Saito. Corporate investment rose 2.7 perc ent from the previous quarter, well above an initial 0.4 per cent expansion.

Growth figures were in line with the Bank of Japan’s assessment that the economy was on the up-swing, and may delay any further central bank stimulus. “

At the moment, (the Bank of Ja-pan) is less likely to introduce an-other round of monetary easing,” Saito said.

However, bank chief Haruhiko Kuroda has been forced to push back a timeline for hitting a 2 per cent inflation target — a corner-

stone of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s plan to kickstart the defla-tion-plagued economy — although he insists that healthy price rises are around the corner.

Sharp slowdownIn Asian forex trading, the dol-lar was slightly lower at ¥125.44, against ¥125.56 on Friday in New York where the United States cur-rency climbed briefly to a 13-year high of ¥125.86.

The data on Monday contrast-ed with revised US figures that showed the world’s top economy contracted an annualised 0.7 per cent in the first three months of the year, with the impact of a ports slowdown and cautious consumer spending worse than originally estimated.

The US is a major market for Japanese exporters and despite the apparent strength of Mon-day’s figures, they also raised a red flag as firms’ inventories grew from three months earlier. - AFP

E C O N O M Y

Employers’ group cuts growth outlook; calls for austerity in UKLONDON: The Confederation of British Industry (CBI), a leading employers’ group, cut its fore-cast for UK economic growth on Monday but said the government should not delay its push to fix the public finances.

The CBI predicted growth of 2.4 and 2.5 per cent in 2015 and 2016 respectively, down from forecasts of 2.7 and 2.6 per cent it made in February, echoing cuts to growth forecasts by other organisations including the Bank of England.

The group said the downgrade mostly reflected a sharp slow-down in Britain’s official eco-nomic growth rate in the first three months of this year, which would probably prove a blip. “The recovery has built up a good head of steam,” CBI Director-General John Cridland said. “Our mem-bers are feeling more upbeat than some of the recent official num-bers suggest.”

Asked at a news conference whether the government should slow its plans to cut spending, he said CBI members thought that fixing the public finances re-mained the most important job. “We don’t want the government to ease off on austerity. We want the government to continue to tackle the deficit in the public fi-nances but to do so in an intelli-gent way,” he said.

After five years of spending cuts, the government now needed to focus on “more imaginative”

public service reforms includ-ing making savings by devolving powers to local authorities.

British Prime Minister David Cameron says he wants to negoti-ate reforms of the EU before hold-ing the referendum by the end of 2017, or possibly earlier.

Tackling deficitFinance minister George Osborne is due to announce new plans for tackling the deficit on July 8 af-ter his Conservative Party won a national election last month. Last week, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and De-velopment called on Osborne to spread his budget tightening over a longer period to avoid the risk of hurting growth.

Cridland also said a planned referendum on Britain’s member-ship of the European Union was creating uncertainty for busi-nesses, but there were no broad signs that they were putting in-vestment plans on hold.

He struck a different note to an-other employers group, the EEF, which recently said the referen-dum should be held as quickly as possible to minimise the period of uncertainty.

“There is a lot to do. Let’s take the time to do that properly be-cause the CBI is in favour of re-maining in a reformed European Union and I want that reform to be meaningful. So no, I am not in favour of an early referendum,” Cridland said. - Reuters

G L O O M Y O U T L O O K

Confederation of British Industry projected growth of 2.4% and 2.5% in 2015 and 2016 respectively, down from forecasts of 2.7% and 2.6% it made in February, echoing cuts to growth forecasts by other organisations as wellDavid Cameron. – Bloomberg News

B3T U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

MARKETHuge oversubscription seen in Phoenix Power initial public offeringTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Heavy oversubscrip-tion is seen in Phoenix Power Company’s initial public offering (IPO), which closed its one-month subscription on Monday.

The shares have been priced at 110 baisas per share, with the to-tal offer size of OMR56.3 million. Shares will be allotted to investors on June 18, refund will start on June 21 and listing on June 22.

Market sources expect the fi-nancial institutions must have subscribed to the tune of 15 times, similar to Al Suwaidi and Al Batinah Power.

Apart from expectation of sta-ble dividend payout, ample liquid-ity with institutions also helped heavy subscription of the share offer. Brokerage houses expect the share to list on the Muscat bourse anywhere between 130 baisas and 144 baisas.

Dividend yieldPhoenix Power Company project-ed an attractive 7.3 per cent divi-dend yield for the next five years, which is the highest among listed power companies in Oman. This compares to an average dividend yield of 5.9 per cent for other pow-

er companies listed on the Muscat Securities Market (MSM).

Research analysts highlighted the strategic importance of the largest power plant to the coun-try’s power sector, stable business profile, attractive dividend yields and proven track record of the strong group of committed found-ing shareholders as key factors underpinning the positive invest-ment case for the IPO.

As many as 65 per cent is re-served for the first category, who apply for shares between 1,000 and 600,000, while the second category is institutions and high-net worth individuals who apply for shares between 600,100 and 51,191,000.

As the largest power plant in Oman, the contracted plant’s pow-er capacity of 2,000 megawatt rep-resents 27.8 per cent of the main interconnected system.

I S S U E C L O S E D

China’s imports and exports slumpBEIJING: Chinese imports fell for a seventh straight month in May while exports also sank, ac-cording to official data on Mon-day, as the world’s second big-gest economy shows protracted weakness despite government easing measures.

The disappointing figures also come as leaders try to transform the economy to one where growth is driven by consumer spending rather than by government invest-ment and exports.

Imports slumped 17.6 percent year-on-year to $131.26 billion, the General Administration of Customs said in a statement. The decline was much sharper than the median forecast of a 10 per-cent fall in a survey.

Bloomberg News poll of econo-mists and followed April’s 16.2 per cent drop. “The May trade data... suggest both external and domestic demand remain weak,” said Julian Evans-Pritchard, an analyst with research firm Capital Economics, in a note.

Exports dropped for the third consecutive month, falling 2.5 per cent to $190.75 billion, Cus-toms said, although that was bet-ter than the median estimate of a four per cent fall in the Bloomberg survey. The sharp decrease in im-ports meant the trade surplus ex-panded 65.6 per cent year-on-year to $59.49 billion.

In yuan terms imports fell 18.1

per cent, exports decreased 2.8 per cent and the trade surplus ex-panded 65 per cent. The figures provided further evidence that frailty in the Chinese economy, a key driver of world growth, has extended into the current quarter despite intensified government stimulus measures.

Gross domestic product (GDP) grew 7.4 per cent in 2014, the low-est rate in nearly a quarter of a century, while the new year has shown few signs of a reversal in the slowing trend. GDP expanded 7 per cent in January-March, the worst quarterly result in six years and weaker than the final three months of 2014.

More easing needed Beijing has set the target for the economy to grow by “around sev-en per cent” this year, lower than its target for 2014, which was about 7.5 per cent.

British bank HSBC’s Purchas-ing Managers’ Index (PMI), which tracks activity in factories and workshops and is seen as an important barometer of economic health, contracted for the third straight month in May and econo-mists expect the shrinkage to ex-tend into mid-year.

The government has warned that manufacturing still faces multiple strains even as China’s official PMI gave a different read-

ing, hitting a six-month high in May. Chinese leaders have said they are ready to accept slower but more sustainable growth, as they try to transform an invest-ment-driven expansion model to one in which consumers take centre-stage.

Still, authorities have stepped up stimulus efforts since late last year to try to ensure the slowdown does not get out of hand.

The central People’s Bank of China has cut interest rates three times since November and twice reduced the amount of cash banks must keep in reserve, along with other measures to inject liquidity into the market. - AFP

S L O W G R O W T H

Entrepreneurs in Iran hunt for foreign funding

BERLIN: Tohid Tasoujian is a co-founder of online fashion store Taxi Moda and one of a growing breed of Internet entrepreneurs in sanctions-hit Iran.

He set out his stall this week at a conference of more than 80 Irani-an start-ups in Berlin, the biggest event of its kind outside Iran, as the country gears up for a possible easing of sanctions imposed be-cause of its nuclear programme.

A graphic designer, Tasoujian went back to school three years ago to study for an MBA at the University of Tehran. When he graduated, ecommerce was on the rise, and he persuaded a friend to found the digital shopping plat-form with him. “I liked graphic design but I thought: ‘We can do more,’” the 38-year-old said.

The desire to do more is grip-ping an increasing number of young, tech-savvy Iranians, who have used their country’s isolation under United States and Europe-an Union sanctions as well as do-mestic censorship of foreign rivals to develop home-grown versions of Amazon, eBay or YouTube.

A support system of mentors, seed funders and venture-capital funds has begun to take shape, but financing can still be hard to find and, while Iran produces many top-class computer engineers, business experience is still scarce.

“Access to finance for start-ups is still at a very nascent stage,” Mohsen Malayeri, co-founder of the Iran Entrepreneurship As-sociation, said at the iBridge con-ference. “We have talented engi-

neers but understanding market dynamics is different.” Some Iranian start-ups have flourished with backing from Sarava, Iran’s first venture-capital fund, which has invested in online retailer Digikala and Google Android app store Cafe Bazaar, two of Iran’s best-known Internet companies.

Digikala investmentDigikala went on to attract a $10 million investment from a Eu-ropean fund last year, making headlines as this valued the com-pany at $150 million, while Cafe

Bazaar’s co-founder Hessam Armandehi is a poster child for Iran’s high-tech scene.

“We tried to create a Silicon-Valley culture inside Iran. It’s a hard thing to create. It’s very dif-ferent from the mindset of inves-tors and the government there,” said 29-year-old Armandehi, who has founded two other start-ups.

Cafe Bazaar, which offers most-ly Iranian apps for social media, messaging and other uses, is al-ready used by 21 million of Iran’s estimated 30 million smartphone owners and is growing at a rate of about 35 per cent every quarter, Armandehi said.

His example has given hope to other entrepreneurs that they need not leave Iran to find suc-cess in the United States or Eu-rope — as many continue to do in a brain drain that has been going on for decades. That is also the hope of the conference’s organis-ers, a community of expatriate Iranians that started in Silicon Valley, home to many prominent entrepreneurs of Iranian origin including former eBay chairman Pierre Omidyar and ex-Yahoo technology chief Farzad Nazem.

Tipping point“We said may be we should hold a conference because whenever Iran is mentioned in the media it’s always bad news,” said iBridges core member Kamran Elahian, co-founder of multiple start-ups including Cirrus Logic and now primarily a venture capitalist and philanthropist.

The first iBridge conference was held at the University of Cali-fornia, Berkeley, last year and just 20 Iranians managed to get visas. A key reason for holding the next one in Berlin was the German gov-ernment’s willingness to give 300 visas, he said.

Silicon Valley angel investor Dave McClure, a friend of Ala-hian’s, was a star attraction at the Berlin conference and found himself surrounded by dozens of

hopefuls frantically pitching their companies.

McClure, though, said he had no imminent plans to invest in Iran, although its 81 million-strong population dominated by well-educated people under 35 made it an intriguing prospect.

“I’m here to meet people who are interesting and smart,” he told Reuters. “We will do some investment in Iran as soon as the US lets us.” That cautious ap-proach is echoed by most, but not all, foreign investors.

European fundThe European fund that bought the Digikala stake — which has not gone public about its invest-ment — got a licence from its home government because the business was not in a sanctioned industry. But the process was difficult, said Griffon Capital co-founder Xanyar Kamangar, who advised on the deal.

Germany’s Rocket Internet, which is building a global ecom-merce empire by replicating prov-en Internet businesses in emerg-ing and frontier markets, is poised to enter Iran through a joint ven-ture with South Africa’s MTN.

The venture, Middle East Inter-net Group (MEIG), was founded in 2013 and has operations in six countries in the region, mainly in the Gulf.

Telecoms operator MTN is a minority shareholder in Iranian carrier Irancell. MEIG however is not operating in Iran yet, a Rocket spokesman said.

Any lifting of sanctions is to be welcomed but will be a mixed blessing for Iran’s still-fragile high-tech scene, said Malayeri, who runs a start-up accelerator firm alongside his work. - Reuters

Desire to do more is gripping a rising number

of young, tech-savvy Iranians. A support

system of mentors, seed funders and venture-

capital funds has begun to take shape


Access to finance for start-ups is still at a very nascent stage. We have talented engineers but understanding market dynamics is different

Mohsen MalayeriCo-founder, Iran Entrepreneurship Association

DISAPPOINTING FIGURES: Imports slumped 17.6 per cent year-on-year to $131.26 billion. Exports dropped for the third consecutive month, falling 2.5 per cent to $190.75 billion. – Bloomberg file picture

B4

MARKETT U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

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REGULAR MARKET .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ...................... 161,568 ............ 20,654..................... 26 ............0.127 ........... 0.128 ...........0.126 ........... 0.128 ............. 0.122 ........... 0.006 ............. 4.918 ................0.128 .............. 0.127...................0.128 ....................3,840,000 ..........0.100

OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH ................................................28,192 .............72,971..................... 10 ........... 2.540 ...........2.600 ...........2.540 .......... 2.590 ............. 2.515 .............0.075 ............. 2.982 ................2.600..............2.575...................2.650..................247,234,135 ........1.000

OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT .................. 87,201 .............10,295........................6 ............0.116 ........... 0.119............ 0.116 ............0.118 ............. 0.115 ............ 0.003 ............. 2.609 ................ 0.119 .............. 0.119...................0.120 ...................23,600,000.........0.100

OM0000002614 ............ONIC. HOLDING ............................................................ 13,150 ............... 6,218........................3 ........... 0.466 ...........0.480 ...........0.466 ........... 0.472 .............0.462 ............0.010 ............. 2.165 ................0.470 ..............0.470...................0.000 .................. 81,855,774 .........0.100

OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER ................................................ 226,645 ........... 46,594..................... 22 ........... 0.204 ...........0.207 ...........0.204 .......... 0.206 .............0.202 ........... 0.004 ............. 1.980 ................0.207..............0.207...................0.208 ................. 139,026,811 ........0.100

OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .................................................. 167,788 ............ 34,847......................18 ........... 0.207 ...........0.209 ...........0.207........... 0.208 .............0.205 ........... 0.003 ............. 1.463 ................0.207..............0.207...................0.209 .................148,596,519 ........0.100

OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 567,332............ 80,806..................... 47 ............0.140 ........... 0.146 ...........0.140 ........... 0.142 .............0.140 ........... 0.002 ............. 1.429 ................0.146 .............. 0.146...................0.147 ...................44,128,622 .........0.100

OM0000001962 ............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 184,800 ............14,379......................11 ........... 0.077 ........... 0.078 ...........0.077 ........... 0.078 .............0.077 ............0.001 ............. 1.299 ................0.077 ..............0.076...................0.078................... 16,157,808 .........0.100

OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS .................................................... 6,295 ...............3,288......................12 ............0.516 ........... 0.524 ...........0.516 ........... 0.522 ............. 0.516 ............ 0.006 ..............1.163.................0.524..............0.524...................0.526...................27,405,000 .........0.100

OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS .............. 11,000 ................2,611........................6 ........... 0.235 ...........0.240 ...........0.235 ........... 0.237 .............0.235 ........... 0.002 ............. 0.851 ................0.238 ..............0.236...................0.238....................4,977,000 ..........0.100

OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 799,437 ..........151,861..................... 30 ............0.188 ........... 0.190 ...........0.188 ........... 0.190 ............. 0.189.............0.001 ............. 0.529 ................0.190 .............. 0.188...................0.190 ..................273,873,600........0.100

OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 173,200 ........... 43,222......................31 ........... 0.250 ...........0.250 ...........0.248........... 0.250 .............0.249 ............0.001 ............. 0.402 ................0.248..............0.249...................0.250 ..................32,625,000.........0.100

OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ..........................41,838 .............71,696......................21 ............1.710 ........... 1.720 ...........1.700 ............1.715.............. 1.710 ............ 0.005 ............. 0.292 ................1.720 .............. 1.720................... 1.735 ................1,286,250,000 ......0.100

OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT ..............................................................253 .................. 393........................ 1 ............1.555 ........... 1.555............1.555 ............1.555 ............. 1.555 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................1.555 .............. 1.550................... 1.555 ..................311,000,000 ........0.100

OM0000001483 ............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................... 38,517 .............12,557........................3 ........... 0.326 ........... 0.326 ...........0.326........... 0.326 .............0.326 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.326..............0.310...................0.326 .................437,071,542 ........0.100

OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN ........................................................ 3,877 .................. 523........................2 ............0.132 ........... 0.135 ...........0.132 ........... 0.132 ............. 0.132............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.135 .............. 0.133...................0.135 ................. 264,041,288 .......0.100

OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST .........................................................................3,150 ............... 1,506........................ 1 ............0.478 ........... 0.478 ...........0.478 ........... 0.478 .............0.478 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.478 ..............0.478...................0.486.................. 177,059,469 ........0.100

OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING ........... 760,607 ............83,744..................... 49 ............0.109 ............0.111 ............0.109 ............0.110 ............. 0.110 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.110 .............. 0.110................... 0.112 ...................13,406,250 .........0.100

OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT .......................................................... 119,312 ............ 65,606........................9 ........... 0.546 ........... 0.550 ...........0.544........... 0.550 .............0.550 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.550 ..............0.550...................0.570.................. 181,979,991 ........0.100

OM0000001822 ............UNITED POWER ............................................................. 1,250 ................1,913........................3 ............1.530 ........... 1.530 ...........1.530 ............1.530 ............. 1.530............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................1.530 ..............1.500...................1.570 ....................3,060,000 ..........1.000

OM0000002168 ............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ................................ 40,000 .............17,200........................4 ........... 0.430 ........... 0.430 ...........0.430........... 0.430 .............0.430 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.430..............0.424...................0.428 ................. 127,371,883 ........0.100

OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ............................2,000 ..................484........................2 ........... 0.244 ...........0.244 ...........0.240 .......... 0.247 .............0.247 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.240 .............0.243...................0.250 ..................30,849,796 .........0.100

OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK .................................................................... 101,666 .............21,356........................5 ........... 0.209 ........... 0.215 ...........0.209 .......... 0.210 .............0.210 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.215 ..............0.210...................0.215 ..................299,257,590 ........0.100

OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING ...........................................90 .................. 180........................ 1 ........... 2.000 ...........2.000 ...........2.000 .......... 2.000 .............2.000 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................2.000 ............ 0.000...................2.090 ................ 190,000,000 .......0.100

OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ................................................................ 2,508 .................. 740........................ 1 ........... 0.295 ........... 0.295 ...........0.295........... 0.280 .............0.280 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.295 ..............0.274...................0.295..................432,523,993 .......0.100

OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 125,938.............16,979........................8 ............0.134 ........... 0.135 ...........0.134 ............0.135 ............. 0.135 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.135 .............. 0.135...................0.137 .................... 7,943,834 ..........0.100

OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ................................................... 677,330 .........273,670........................6 ........... 0.406 ...........0.406 ...........0.404 .......... 0.404 .............0.404 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.404..............0.406...................0.414 .................. 24,442,000 ........0.100

OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER .................................................................1,610 ..................602........................2 ............0.374 ........... 0.374 ...........0.374 ........... 0.380 .............0.380 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.374 ..............0.374...................0.380 ..................83,983,800 .........0.100

OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 421,136 .......... 331,938..................... 35 ............0.788 ........... 0.792 ...........0.784 ........... 0.788 ............. 0.788............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.788 ..............0.784...................0.788 ..................512,944,053........0.100

OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL ............................................... 51,887 ...............4,532........................6 ........... 0.085 ........... 0.088 ...........0.085 ........... 0.087 .............0.087 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.088 ..............0.088...................0.089...................15,225,000 .........0.100

OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 461,558 ......... 254,781..................... 48 ........... 0.552 ........... 0.554 ...........0.552 ........... 0.552 .............0.554 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.361................0.552 ..............0.550...................0.552................ 1,265,086,074 ......0.100

OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE .............. 331,800 ........... 79,060..................... 35 ........... 0.240 ...........0.240 ...........0.238........... 0.238 .............0.239 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.418................0.238 ..............0.238...................0.240 ..................47,600,000 .........0.100

OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES .......................................37,300 ..............12,111........................7 ........... 0.326 ........... 0.326 ...........0.320........... 0.324 .............0.326 ...........-0.002 ............-0.613................0.320..............0.310...................0.322 ..................91,398,603 .........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 5,650,235 ....1,739,314................... 471 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......33........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000001285 ............NATIONAL MINERAL WATER .............................. 49,400 ...............3,360........................4 ........... 0.066 ........... 0.071 ...........0.066........... 0.068 .............0.066 ........... 0.002 ............. 3.030 ................0.066 ..............0.068...................0.000 ................... 1,836,207 ..........0.100

OM0000002911 ............THE FINANCIAL CORPORATION ...................... 908,880 ......... 102,703........................2 ............0.113 ........... 0.113 ............ 0.113 ............0.113 ............. 0.110 ............ 0.003 ............. 2.727 ................ 0.113 ............. 0.000...................0.000 ................... 7,913,385 ..........0.100

OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. ...................... 6,073 .................. 249........................2 ............0.041 ........... 0.041 ...........0.041 ........... 0.041 .............0.040 ............0.001 .............2.500 ................0.041 ............. 0.040...................0.041 ....................3,485,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES .......................................................34,100 ............... 1,876........................5 ............0.055 ........... 0.055 ...........0.055 ........... 0.055 .............0.055 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.055 ..............0.055...................0.058....................6,875,000 ..........0.100

OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING....................................45,065 ...............4,461........................6 ........... 0.099 ........... 0.099 ...........0.099........... 0.099 .............0.099 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.099 ..............0.099...................0.102 .................... 7,445,592 ..........0.100

OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA .................................................................. 59,129 .............. 4,402......................15 ............0.075 ........... 0.075 ...........0.074 ........... 0.074 .............0.075 ...........-0.001 ............-1.333................0.074 ..............0.074...................0.076..................111,000,000 ........0.100

OM0000002580 ...........OMAN EDU. & TRIN. INV. HOLDING....................26,700 ...............3,605........................2 ............0.135 ........... 0.135 ...........0.135 ............0.135 ............. 0.143............-0.008 ........... -5.594 ...............0.135 ..............0.129...................0.145 ....................9,450,000 ..........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 1,129,347 ...... 120,656..................... 36 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

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

O M A N S T O C K S

INDICESIndex .................................................High .................Low ..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff %MSM30 Index ....................................... 6,464.50 ...............6,451.63 ...................6,464.39 ...................6,454.35 ..................10.04 ................... 0.16Financial Index .....................................7,842.31 ...............7,828.80 ....................7,841.53 ....................7,835.19 ....................6.34 ................... 0.08Industrial Index ....................................8,327.05 .............. 8,323.38 ................... 8,326.67 ...................8,323.38 ....................3.29 ...................0.04Services Index ....................................... 3,497.91 .............. 3,485.28 ....................3,497.19 ...................3,485.28 .................. 11.91 ...................0.34MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 996.74 .................. 995.75 .......................996.56 ...................... 996.03 ....................0.53 ................... 0.05

Trading SummaryVolume ................ Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up ............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded6,779,582 .....................1,859,970 .....................507 ...............14,924,136,859 ................ 16 ........................5 .................... 19 .........................40

MSM rises marginally

MUSCAT: Oman’s general in-dex, MSM30 Index, ended the day at 6,464.39 points, up by 0.16 per cent. The MSM Shariah In-dex closed at 996.56 points, up by 0.05 per cent. The Financial Corporation was the most active stock in terms of volume, while Ooredoo was the most active in terms of turnover.

Al Batinah Investment was the highest gainer to close up by 4.92 per cent, while Oman Education & Training, which lost 5.59 per cent in value, was the top loser for the day.

As many as 507 trades were executed during the day’s trad-ing session generating turnover of OMR1.85 million with over 6.77 million shares changing hands. Out of 40 traded securi-ties, 16 advanced, five declined and 19 remained unchanged. Omani investors were net buy-ers for OMR167,000 while for-eign investors were net sell-ers for OMR111,000 followed by GCC and Arab investors for OMR56,000.

Financial Index closed at 7,841.53 points, up by 0.08 per cent. Al Batinah Investment, the Financial Corporation, Global Finance & Investment, ONIC Holding and United Finance in-creased 4.92 per cent, 2.73 per cent, 2.61 per cent, 2.16 per cent and 1.43 per cent, respectively. Bank Nizwa and Bank Muscat declined by 1.33 per cent and 0.36 per cent, respectively.

Industrial Index posted mar-

ginal gains of 0.04 per cent to close at 8,326.67 points. National Mineral Water, Construction Materials, Al Maha Ceramics and Gulf International Chemi-cals gained 3.03 per cent, 2.50 per cent, 1.16 per cent and 0.85 per cent, respectively.

Services Sector Index closed on a strong note at 3,497.19 points, up by 0.34 per cent. Semb-corp Salalah, Al Batinah Power, Al Suwadi Power and Omantel increased by 2.98 per cent, 1.98 per cent, 1.46 per cent and 0.29 per cent, respectively. Oman Ed-ucation & Training, Renaissance Services and OIFC declined 5.59 per cent, 0.61 per cent and 0.42 per cent, respectively.

Amlak shares gain Amlak Finance’s shares are too expensive, analysts say. That hasn’t deterred retail investors from buying them.

The Sharia-compliant mort-gage provider’s stock has risen the maximum allowed for three straight days, soaring 51 per cent since they started trading on Tuesday to Dh1.54 on Sunday. EFG-Hermes UAE said last week the company’s fair value was less than half its starting price of Dh1.02. Amlak’s shares, which resumed after it restructured $2.7 billion of liabilities, were suspended in November 2008 before the UAEs’ government in-tervened to rescue the company from insolvency.

— United Securities/Bloomberg News

Al Batinah Investment was the highest gainer

to close up by 4.92 per cent, while Oman

Education & Training, which lost 5.59 per

cent, was the top loser of the day

Sensex decline continuesMUMBAI: Indian stocks fell for a fifth day, led by Reliance Indus-tries, as a technical chart signaled more declines are in store for the $1.5 trillion equity market.

Reliance, owner of the world’s largest refining complex, tumbled the most in four weeks. Vedanta, the country’s top copper and alu-minium producer, and Tata Steel were among the worst performers on the S&P BSE Sensex. Tata Mo-tors slid to a 10-month low. Nestle India tumbled 7.4 per cent after capping its worst weekly loss in nine years amid a recall of its Maggi instant noodles.

The S&P BSE Sensex de-creased 0.9 per cent to 26,523.09, the lowest close since October 20. The measure retreated 3.8

per cent last week after central bank Governor Raghuram Rajan said he’d assess the progress of the monsoon rains before adding to three interest-rate cuts this year. Deficient showers would be credit negative for India’s ratings as it would lower farm output and stoke food prices, according to Moody’s Investors Service.

“The credit policy was hawk-ish and monsoon fears have com-pounded pessimism,” Vaibhav Sanghavi, managing director at Ambit Investment Advisors, said by phone from Mumbai. “There are no catalysts for the market in the near term.”

The Sensex’s 50-day moving average fell below the 200-day mean on Monday for the first

time in 22 months. The forma-tion, known as a death cross, last occurred on Aug. 16, 2013, when the gauge lost as much as 9.8 per cent in less than two weeks before bottoming out, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

A death cross in March 2011 heralded an 18 per cent drop to a 28-month low in December, the data show. The 50-day average for the CNX Nifty was 8,385.29, and the 200-day measure was 8,347.94. The gauge declined 0.9 per cent to 8,044.15.

Reliance decreased 2.5 per cent, the biggest drop since May 12. Vedanta plunged 3.2 per cent and Tata Steel lost 2.8 per cent to its lowest level since October 2013. — Bloomberg News

I N D I A N S T O C K S

B5T U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

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Toyota ranked ‘Most Valuable Brand’ again

MUSCAT: For the eighth time in the history of the study, Toyota zoomed to the top spot in the au-tomotive world in terms of total brand value at $28.9 billion.

New research by leading brand valuation and marketing consul-tancy brand has ranked Toyota as the most valuable automotive brand. “Toyota remains the most

appreciated automotive brand by consumers. This is the eight in-stance of this fact coming to the fore,” remarked an enthusiast.

BrandZ Top 100 Most Valu-able Global Brands 2015 is the only study to combine measures of brand equity based on interviews with over two million consumers globally about thousands of global ‘consumer facing’ brands. Accord-ing to BrandZ, consumer percep-tion of a brand is a key input in determining brand value because brands are a combination of busi-ness performance, product deliv-ery, clarity of positioning and lead-

ership, says a press release. Although automotive sales im-

proved in some regions, they re-mained below pre-recession lev-els in others, adversely impacting overall brand values. In contrast, global sales for Toyota Motor Corporation in 2014 increased by 2.5% to 10.2 million units which positively contributed towards the company’s brand valuation in this year’s report.

According to the report, mod-ern societal trends challenge the industry growth, across car mak-ers product quality has improved significantly, however it is getting

increasingly difficult to differenti-ate on the market.

Millennials are less interested in car ownership, connected car technology along with online car sales are called in the report to be the “colliding trends” that compli-cate brand building efforts.

2014 was the year Toyota launched the world’s first com-mercial hydrogen fuelled sedan Toyota Mirai, which is already available in Japan, and will come to Europe and US in the second half of this year. Toyota also pio-neered the world’s first mass pro-duced full hybrid vehicle in 1997 – Toyota Prius. The BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands report, commissioned by WPP and conducted by Millward Brown Op-timor, surveys some two million consumers in over 30 Countries.

In Oman, Toyota is a household name, a part of people’s lives. On the one hand, Toyota offers endur-ing quality. On the other, nothing comes close to it in terms of value-retention. It is no surprise; there-fore, that Toyota soars far above the rest.

New research

by leading

brand valuation

and marketing

consultancy, BrandZ,

has ranked Toyota

as the most valuable

automotive brand

Oman Oasis hosts ISM students at its factory in RusaylMUSCAT: Oman Oasis, the na-tion’s leading water brand pro-duced and distributed by Oasis Water Company, hosted groups of students and faculty mem-bers from Indian School Muscat (ISM) at their factory in Rusayl Industrial Estate.

As part of their ongoing com-munity interaction programmes and CSR initiatives, Oasis Water Company has been encouraging and facilitating schools to visit their premises for the comple-tion of their mandatory factory visit exercise in their academic curriculum. This time it was the higher secondary students from Indian School Muscat who were there to witness and understand the purification and production process that water undergoes to become the pure, balanced and high quality drinking water, says a press release.

Upon arrival at the factory, the students and faculty were warm-ly received by the Oasis Water Company personnel and were taken on a guided tour. During the tour, the students were first given a brief about the company, on the entire production process, the stringent quality control meas-ures, and the international stand-ard and production practices they follow. Post this, they were given a complete walk through

along the production line in the presence of the quality manager and production team, who ex-plained each process thoroughly. The students were free to ask questions and the Oasis Water Company team ensured that they addressed all the queries in a way the students understood.

The school management ex-tended its gratitude to the team of Oman Oasis.

Alexander Gee Varghese, The Head of the Commerce De-partment at the Indian School Muscat quoted, “The Oasis Wa-ter Company factory visit has proved a valuable experience for our students and gave them an insight into what goes behind the creation of the safe, pure drink-ing water we consume. He added, “It has also helped our students value their schooling more, de-velop social skills and consider career options they might have otherwise overlooked.”

It was a rare opportunity for the students of ISM to visit the Oasis Water Company as they got to experience firsthand on how international standards are met and production processes are followed. Oasis Water Com-pany welcomes institutions and schools who are interested in conducting factory visits at their premises.

D E V E L O P I N G S O C I A L S K I L L S

NDC relaunches Bahar dishwashing liquidMUSCAT: National Detergent Company (NDC) has re-launched its Bahar Premium dishwashing liquid with a rich brand promise of superior ability to wash more dishes with fewer drops.

The new product allows users to enjoy the benefits of a longer-lasting dishwashing liquid with-out sacrificing performance, cost, safety, or natural goodness.

The new product is available in stores across Oman and other Mid-dle East nations. With its unique scientifically engineered formula, the dishwashing liquid available in two variants — Regular and Lemon

— cleans more dishes with less liq-uid and also helps to keep dishes stain-free and sparkling. It also cuts through tough and stubborn stains, and effectively strips off grease from dishes, pots, pans, cutlery and

glassware, says a press release. Enhanced with mineral ex-

tracts, the liquid safely and effec-tively protects your family from harmful bacteria on dishes and sponges. Safe, effective, yet gentle on hands, Bahar Premium cares for your family.

The super degreasing range is made with safety cleansing in-gredients. Its quick rinse formula does not leave any harsh chemi-cal residue behind. The new and improved formulation employs the latest technology to help break down grease particles into smaller pieces through a built-in soaking

action that removes tough grease within minutes.

Re-launched to better cater to the needs of homemakers, the prod-uct reaffirms NDC’s commitment to adopting pioneering technolo-gies and further cementing com-pany’s standing as a leader in liquid detergents industry in the region. NDC, a well-loved household brand in Oman and Middle East, contin-ues to provide consumers a wide range of excellent quality and value products that caters to different consumers’ needs. The company remains responsive to the changing needs of today’s consumers.

B E T T E R Q U A L I T Y

Primax batteries becoming customers' preferred choiceMUSCAT: With the onset of sum-mer and the soaring heat, the need for reliable batteries is indispensa-ble. Understanding the demands and hurdles of each region, the manufacturers of Primax batteries make meticulous modifications to produce batteries that can with-stand the heat and are suited to the Middle Eastern harsh summers.

A successful division of the WJ Towell Group, Eint Automotive has emerged as the leading and trusted partner in the auto care af-ter market segment. Recognising car batteries as an integral and one of the most important components of auto care, they have introduced to Oman some of the best names in the world. The well-known brand of Primax batteries was in-troduced in the Sultanate of Oman under the dealership of Eint Auto-motive, says a press release.

“We work closely with the ser-vice engineers from Primax, who cautiously analyse the climatic conditions of Oman to finally come up with the right kind of batteries that are pre-tested and verified es-pecially for Oman roads,” said Sha-jahan Azeez, Business Unit Head, Eint Automotive-PLB Division.

Since its inception, little more than two decades ago, Primax has grown to be a common and reli-able name in the car battery in-dustry. They offer a wide range of battery technologies from VRLA, flooded calcium and selenium, pure lead, tubular and flat plate, in addition to their Ni-Cd tech-nologies such as pocket plate and fibrous plate types.

The new range of calcium main-tenance-free batteries is designed to maximise energy capacity.

With an assurance for lasting performance, the batteries are protected against battery fail-ure, helping vehicle batteries stay strong and perform longer. Tailor-

made for extreme climates like Oman, the batteries utilise a full frame grid design that has several advantages over standard batter-ies. The new calcium tin alloy pre-vents the grid surface from corro-sion while reducing discharge by chemical bonding with grains of calcium. The batteries also fea-ture better resistance to outside impacts and vibrations, thus in-creasing the life of the battery and reducing maintenance costs.

“Coupled with the dedicated service team at Eint Automotive, Primax batteries have received an overwhelming response from our customers in the Sultanate,” Sha-jahan added.

I N D I S P E N S A B L E C O M P O N E N T

New Nissan Patrol set for world stage

DUBAI: Nissan Middle East has announced that the powerhouse partnership of rallying ace Emil Kneisser and his New Nissan Patrol have recently won the T2 category in the Rally of Pharaons in Egypt.

The Rally of Pharaons was the first stage outside the Middle East, as the team has gone inter-national by signing up for a se-ries of international events in the demanding Cross Country FIA World Cup, says a press release.

Kneisser will compete in the T2 category where he has show-ered himself with glory in the Middle East in Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Powered by Nissan and the Sealine Cross-Country Rally of Qatar, both also part of the World Cup competition. The next international test of the met-tle of Kneisser, Russian co-pilot Kuzmich and the New Nissan Pa-trol will be in the Italian Baja from June 25 till June 28.

“We’re taking on the additional challenge of competing beyond

the Middle East and it’s exciting but it will be extremely demand-ing. I’ve had great success in ral-lies in the deserts of the Middle East but the international cours-es will be really different and very gruelling too. But it’s all about having the right vehicle and I’ll be behind the wheel of the very best,” says Kneisser.

“The New Nissan Patrol has power and strength but it also has tremendous versatility. It isn’t called the ‘Hero of All Terrains in Life’ for nothing and this will be in evidence big-time when we tackle the international rallies.

The Lebanese driving champ says: “We’re also still on a high from winning T2 in the Rally of the Pharaons in Egypt. Everyone wants to compete there and win due to the exotic location. It’s very special driving up to the Pyramids and the Sphinx in the rally, but ac-tually there’s not much time for sight-seeing!”

Nissan Middle East managing director Samir Cherfan says the

achievements of Kneisser and the New Nissan Patrol are a source of great pride to the Japanese au-tomaker and “going international is the next logical step.”

“The World Cup rallies will give Emil the chance to expand his already exceptional talents. His combination with the New Nissan Patrol is one to be reck-oned with. Everyone at Nissan is excited at the prospect of the in-ternational contests.

“Emil is entering the big league of rallying. We’re happy to support him every step of the way. Emil’s triumphs will inspire many young Arab drivers to give motor sport a go, particularly rallying.”

Nissan is a major supporter of rallies and motor sport in general in the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia’s Ha’il Interna-tional Rally and the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

Nissan also intends supporting more Arab drivers in the manner it has assisted Kneisser, accord-ing to the company.

R A L L Y O F P H A R A O N S

Cultural Exchange Programme promotes art

MUSCAT: Paragon Arts in col-laboration with Zee Arts Commu-nity held their very first Cultural Exchange Programme recently.

The organisers are taking the lead in establishing programmes and activities that will promote art, as well as artistic exchange.

The artists from the UAE and Oman were given the opportunity to display their talent by sharing all their experiences with others, says a press release.

The event took place at the Moorish Cafe in the afternoon. Then in the evening, there were cultural performances at Muscat Hills Clubhouse. The next day, the artists had a retreat at The Walk in The Wave, Muscat.

Zee Arts joined with Zaahirah Muthy, Amira D. Rahim, Milena Mladenova, Abdulhamid, Ahmed Alhusani, Shefali Ranthe, Ka-sia Dzikowska for the cultural exchange. The exchange pro-gramme showcasing the works of the artists proved that each of

them is gifted with a true talent for the arts.

During the programme, Jalal Luqman, UAE curator, spoke on the subject of the art scene in the UAE, while Omani artist Saeed Al Alawi talked about how to market one’s art and art of Oman.

S H A R I N G I D E A S

B6 T U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

ROUND-UP

Dhamani launches signature boutique

MUSCAT: Premium luxury jew-ellery house Dhamani opened its signature boutique yesterday at the Royal Opera House Muscat.

Created in 1969, House of Dhamani has a deep understand-ing of the intrinsic value and cul-tural importance of jewellery in today’s world. Dhamani Jewels

will satiate the appetite of contem-porary and luxury loving fashioni-stas from across the globe through beautifully crafted pieces, says a press release.

Dhamani Jewels raises the bar in the jewellery industry by pre-senting a unique selection of hand-picked rare gems and diamond en-

crusted jewellery. Dhamani Jewels also marks the

first major step towards position-ing this prominent UAE-grown brand on a global platform.

“For 45 years we have been building on our heritage and world class skills in satisfying the needs of our global customers. House of Dhamani has ensured that custom-ers have always had access to the most brilliant stones and perfect cuts through skilled workmanship and ethical sourcing. We are proud to launch the first ever Dhamani Jewels brand in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. With Dhamani Jewels, we are taking our beautifully time-less yet individual styles to inter-national jewellery connoisseurs,” Amit Dhamani, CEO and managing director of Dhamani, said.

As part of the exclusive bou-tique opening, Dhamani Jewels previewed its unique and timeless diamond encrusted bridal collec-tion. Solitaires of up to 20 carats are intricately woven together to create the bridal diamond collec-tion which reflects meticulous de-sign, suitable for the sophisticated and refined woman who has an eye for detail. Dhamani Jewels collec-tions extend beyond just classic jewellery to encompass statement men’s cufflinks and men’s rings to offer a complete experience to all who enter their boutiques.

Launching the boutique — the first international Dhamani out-let outside UAE — the chief guest, Dr Rawiyah bin Saud Al Busaidi, Minister of Higher Education commented, “The opening of this

prestigious jewellery boutique validates Oman’s business friendly policies. Policies that are designed to offer leading international firms like Dhamani growing opportuni-ties in the Sultanate.”

As Oman’s leading luxury mall, Opera Galleria’s newest boutique adds to its diversity of interna-tional outlets.

“With the opening of the prestig-ious Dhamani Jewels boutique, Op-era Galleria has further cemented its position as the ‘go to’ place for devotees of lifestyle brands,” com-mented Ibrahim Al Qasmi, direc-tor, Business Development, Opera Galleria. “We invite everyone to discover the magnificent jewel-lery that places Dhamani and our clients at the forefront of glamour, elegance and style.”

The Dhamani brand has re-tained its eminent position as jew-ellers to royalty, high society influ-encers, celebrities and those that appreciate the finest standards of dazzling craftsmanship. Visitors and jewellery connoisseurs alike are welcome to preview Dhamani Jewels exclusive and exquisite diamond encrusted selection of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, cuff links and pendants.

“Our prominent boutique loca-tion places us at the heart of the Royal Opera House Muscat, at-tracting tourists, visitors and cus-tomers from all over the world. We invite everyone to discover the magnificent jewellery that places Dhamani and our clients at the forefront of glamour, elegance and style,” said Amit.

Dhamani Jewels will satiate the appetite of

contemporary and luxury loving fashionistas

from across the globe through beautifully

crafted pieces

TAC wins ‘Best Commercial Solutions Provider’ awardMUSCAT:: Towell Auto Centre (TAC) is a trusted name in auto sales and service through 40 years of service to the industry.

A valuable part of WJ Towell Group, TAC caters to the automo-tive aftermarket segment with utmost dedication, perseverance and a strong sense of commitment. TAC’s Bridgestone tyre division is proud to be one of the world’s best in tyres and maintains a flawless record when it comes to quality and service levels.

TAC’s efforts bore fruit at the annual Bridgestone (SBU) confer-ence where TAC was bestowed the title of ‘Best Commercial Solu-tions Provider’ in the Middle East and Africa for the year 2014. TAC has won the title for a third time including the year 2011 and 2012 as well, says a press release.

Annual conference conducted in Italy, Bridgestone reviews and rewards partners who have out-performed others in the region and in set categories. TAC was cho-sen from amongst 69 distributors from the region, bagging the award for the best commercial solutions

provider. This prestigious award was presented by Shoichi Sakuma, president of Bridgestone Middle East and Africa to Riyadh Ali Sul-tan, general manager, Towell Auto Group and Oommen John, assis-tant general manager, Bridgestone Tyre Division at TAC. The annual Bridgestone conferences provide a platform for distributors world-wide to prove their excellence in different categories.

“It is indeed an honour receiv-ing this highly esteemed award. It serves as a motivation not only to keep up our service levels, but also to aim for better,” said Oommen

John. “We bring to Oman the com-plete range of tyres from Bridge-stone, a well renowned brand that has received international acclaim all over the world. Bridgestone maintains superior quality in tyres, guaranteeing utmost reli-ability and meeting extreme du-rability standards and we as sole distributors in Oman, extend value added services to this marvellous brand. We make sure that we work as a complete solution provider to all our customers. We foresee their demand and work to equip our-selves with what our customers want,” he added.

R E C O G N I T I O N

Huawei launches P8 in OmanMUSCAT: Huawei unveiled its new flagship smartphone P8 to the Omani market during a launch held recently at the Oman Avenues Mall. This is the latest offering from the tel-ecom giant, boasting aesthetics, cutting-edge technology and a highly optimised camera that is expected to catapult the brand into the highest echelons of smart communication devices.

At an unbelievable 6.4mm thickness, which makes it quite possibly the thinnest smart phone yet, the P8 is a powerhouse of su-perior performance and avant-garde communications technolo-gy. It feels almost weightless in its metallic aluminium uni-body and slim exterior that is constructed using nano-molding technology. This creates a smooth, seamless, solid and durable integrated shell, says a press release.

The P8 boasts a host of new and evolutionary features such as the double knuckle-tap to capture a screen shot, thus creating an in-genious step-up from ordinary touch screen technology. Another unique feature that had social me-dia buzzing is the option to simply call out if you wanted to find a misplaced phone; the device will

then respond through its speaker. Perhaps the most outstanding

and striking feature is the P8’s high-performing 13-megapixel camera and, possibly for the first time since the advent of smart-phones, an eight-MP front cam-era for the perfect selfie.

The main camera has been highly optimised for high contrast and low light conditions creating the most vibrant images even in dimly lit settings.

Huawei has installed what it refers to as the ‘best-in-class’ op-tical image stabilisation technol-

ogy and a dual-colour tempera-ture flash that simulates natural light so you get the best pictures anytime, anywhere.

That’s not all the P8’s 8-MP front camera has a built in 10-lev-el beauty enhancement which au-tomatically reduces any blemish-es, imperfections and skin tones to give beautiful, perfect photos with every single shot.

The P8 boasts some of the best connectivity features such as the ability to connect with up to three different devices to shoot and re-cord video simultaneously.

S M A R T P H O N E

alizz Islamic bank sets up sales kiosk in Sohar Safeer MallSOHAR: In its efforts towards bridging the gap between the bank and its customers, alizz Islamic bank has set up its first sales kiosk at Safeer Mall in Sohar.

The sales kiosk serves as an interactive platform, educating customers on Shari’a compliant banking. The sales team was pre-sent to assist customers with their inquiries on the bank’s products and services.

Through the sales kiosk, a cus-tomer is able to avail home finance, credit cards, personal and auto fi-

nance, says a press release.“This is a great opportunity for

customers as well as the bank in terms of being able to interact and discuss which product suits the customers’ needs and inter-ests,” said Moosa Al Jadidi, head of Retail. “It is important that we convey the unique features and benefits of our products and ser-vices, which is unrivalled in the banking sector.”

The bank’s success is generally achieved by effectively communi-cating information about products

and services. The kiosk enables the sales team

to identify and engage with new customers for the bank. The bank plans to continue to take its sales kiosk on the road across the Sul-tanate, forging new relationships and solidifying established ones.

alizz islamic bank provides Shari’a compliant financial prod-ucts and services with a focus that lies in offering tailor made and customisable solutions, superior technology and exceptional ser-vice to its customers.

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Hyundai delivers fleet of County buses to school bus operators

MUSCAT: In a recent event in Hyundai’s Wattayah showroom, a fleet of Hyundai County buses was delivered to various school bus operators. These buses were fitted and modified with various safety accessories as per the re-quirement of the Ministry of Edu-cation guidelines.

In addition to these, Hyundai also proposes to impart a series of driver safety training, as safety is the primary concern for Hyundai and OTE, says a press release.

Hyundai County school buses

are well equipped with a host of safety related features that are outlined by the Ministry of Educa-tion for school buses, such as seat belt for every seat, fire extinguish-er, stop alert board etc. and are also available in 26 and 30 seats options. Futuristic and unique, County’s styling beautifully har-monizes with its practical person-ality. Rounded edges and flush fit-ting surfaces contribute to a clean, simple image

With the safety and security of the students becoming a top

priority, County school buses are not only better armed to deliver the required levels of safety for the transport of school children, but also offer high level of comfort and convenience.

The driver is seated in a buck-et-type seat with excellent thigh and lower back support. It is fully adjustable and lumbar support is available as an option. This result in creating a cradle of comfort that helps in keeping the driver alert. The logically organized gauges and

controls provide the ultimate in driving convenience. Tilt and tel-escopic steering enables the driver to position the wheel at a perfect height and angle for a view of the gauge cluster. The one-touch-type door switch is easy to use. Driver fatigue is reduced by a power clutch and a redesigned gear shift which requires lesser effort. The large wind shield and wipers guar-antee better visibility to driver in any weather.

The entry / exit door has a step

with textured surface that gives better foot hold for school chil-dren. The headliner borrows pas-senger car technology to create an elegantly contoured surface. The interior trims match the seat up-holstery elegantly. Neatly styled overhead shelves provide a handy place for school children to stow away their belongings.

The large sized air-conditioner with the perfectly designed ven-tilation system provides comfort for the driver and passengers. Air-conditioning vents are provided for individual passenger comfort. Safety is ensured by the new and improved design of seat belts, re-inforcement bars & automatic folding doors. County ensures a relaxed and comfortable travel for the school children.

The body is well protected from corrosion by the electrostatic im-mersion system which ensures 100% coverage. The sturdy body is mounted on a new box-type frame which offers greater resist-ance against bending and torsional forces. The hydraulic-vacuum

assisted brake system provides safety and stability. Power plant options range from the naturally aspirated D4DC engine which delivers 120ps@3200 rpm to the new CRDI engine which delivers 140ps@2800rpm.

Hyundai County bus with its low initial and running costs scores over competition – miles ahead. Also a combination of great driver and passenger comfort, combined with good looks, makes Hyundai County a preferred choice amongst the school bus fleet operators.

Hyundai as a brand has made sig-nificant strides globally on the back of sophisticated product design, leading-edge quality and safety technology. Satisfied Hyundai own-ers already know Hyundai stands for uncompromising quality.

OTE Group is the exclusive dealer of Hyundai Cars, Trucks & Buses in Oman. With a nation-wide network of showrooms and service centers, OTE Group en-sures that Hyundai customers are never far from getting high quality after-sales service.

Hyundai County school buses are well

equipped with a host of safety related features

that are outlined by the Ministry of Education

for school buses, such as seat belt for every

seat, fire extinguisher and stop alert board

Glowing tributes paid to Iqbal in second event of Virsa seriesTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Glowing tributes were paid to Sir Muhammed Iqbal, popularly known as Allama Iqbal, in ‘Shaam-e-Iqbal’, an evening or-ganised as part of the Virsa series to acknowledge and appreciate the great poet and philosopher’s work and immense contribution to the Muslim resurgence and creation of Pakistan, at Crystal Suites Hotel in Wadi Kabir.

The speakers acknowledged that Iqbal’s poetry provided a plat-form for the reawakening of Mus-lims, offering guidelines for the

youth to become a role model. His thinking and writings showed the way to uplift their spirits, infusing a new life in their struggle for their rights and a separate homeland. Iqbal’s philosophy of ‘Khudi’, con-cept of ‘Shaheen’ (eagle) as a role model for the youth and the holy Quran’s influence in his poetry were also discussed. Allama Iqbal is also known as ‘Poet of the East’, ‘Mufakkir-e-Islam’ and ‘Hakeem-ul-Ummat’.

Chaudhry Shaukat Ali, Counse-lor, Embassy of Pakistan, was the chief guest of the event organised by Alpha Events and supported by

A’Saffa Foods Oman.Virsa series, held in a roundtable

discussion format, aims to recount and relive the literary heritage of Pakistan by organising a series of events. ‘A Tribute to Waris Shah’ was the first of the series held a few months ago. Senior journalist Shahzad Raza briefed the audience about the aims and objectives of the Virsa series which will see its next event on ‘Naat’ during Ramadan.

‘Shaam-e-Iqbal’ was conducted by noted poet Qamar Riaz, who also spoke on ‘Different shades of Iqbal’s poetry’.

The other speakers and partici-

pants included Chaudhry Shaukat Ali, Shahzad Raza, Noaman Abdul Majid, Akhmat Hayat Raja, Prof. Irshad Ahmed, Syed Fayyaz Ali Shaha, Murawwat Ahmad, S.A.S Bukhari, Mohammed Rafique Chaudhry, Faheem Zia and Mian Mohammed Munir.

Maratab Ali, Chaudhry Moham-mad Afzal and Rana Shaukat recit-ed Iqbal’s poetry in their beautiful voices. The event also saw a docu-mentary being played to highlight the work of Allama Iqbal as well as some of his poetry sung by eminent singers. In the end, the guests were treated to a sumptuous dinner.

‘ S H A A M - E - I Q B A L ’

Engel & Völkers: Your partner in finding a homeMUSCAT: “Thinking about sell-ing or renting your property? List it with Engel & Völkers and live your life without stress,” says an official of Engel & Völkers prop-erty company.

“At Engel & Völkers, we strive to ease the effort of finding a home or an office. Our outstand-ing property systems have been developed over the last 36 years, to ensure we provide you with ex-emplary service.

“With our knowledge of local and global markets, our experi-ence and our extensive networks and well-established databases, we can directly target the specific kind of property you are after, adds the official.

For landlords and property owners, Engel & Völkers offers the best professional expertise, the best choices, and the best at-titude to smoothen the task of finding the best offer for property, says a press release.

Customer can have confidence that Engel & Völkers’ sales and leasing teams, part of the largest international real estate fran-

chise in the Middle East and amongst over 400 offices world-wide, will conduct all property dealings on customer’s behalf with the utmost capability and to the highest business standards.

Now operating with 4,700 em-ployees and agents in over 500 offices in 40 countries, Engel & Völkers is one of the world’s fin-est residential and commercial real estate companies.

R E A L E S T A T E

Applus Velosi honours Omani traineesMUSCAT: Applus Velosi in Oman, a leading service provider to the Oil and Gas industry and part of the OHI Group of Compa-nies, recorded yet another mile-stone in its Omanisation journey with a graduation ceremony for its young Omani engineers.

The ceremony was held recently at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Raoul Restucci, managing director of PDO, Abdullah Al Shuely, director Engineering and Operations, PDO and many other senior executives from other E&P companies and other major players in the Oman Oil & Gas sector attended the cere-mony. Staff and management from the company were also present, says a press release.

Velosi was represented by Ei-hab Maqbool Al Saleh, the OHI

Group CEO and Brian Dawes, re-gional manager of Applus Velosi.

The young graduates were congratulated on the successful completion of their training pro-gramme in various fields which included NDT, painting, welding and engineering among others.

For over a decade the company has been assiduously conduct-

ing training programmes for young Omanis and this ceremony marks yet another milestone in the company’s long tradition of empowering them with the re-quired skill sets.

“This recognises the continued efforts of companies to support and encourage programmes to de-velop the level and performance

of Omani technical graduates to become multi discipline inspec-tors in the Oil & Gas industry. Ap-plus Velosi serves as a role model in the industry,” said Restucci.

“Training is the foundation to build a stable career and these graduates have the right stepping stone into the Oil and Gas indus-try. I congratulate them on their achievement and wish them suc-cess,” said Al Shuely.

Speaking on the occasion, Al Saleh said: “We have been com-mitted towards employee empow-erment and with the right training support it creates an environment that is conducive to growth. De-veloping our Omani talent is es-sential towards creating a sus-tainable future and we are proud of this milestone.”

G R A D U A T I O N D A Y

For landlords and property owners, Engel & Völkers offers the best professional expertise, the best choices, and the best attitude to smoothen the task of finding the best offer for property

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Nissan Oman announces unique ‘Big Jackpot Offer’ for customers

MUSCAT: In the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan, Nissan Oman from the house of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA) has announced a unique ‘Big Jackpot Offer’ which comprises a special ‘Scratch & Win’ promotion for all its Nissan customers as they can earn cash rewards up to OMR1,000 (minimum assured amount of OMR500) when purchasing any new Nissan vehicle during Rama-dan. The offer lasts till July 31, says a press release.

Commenting on the promotion, SBA senior official said, “Suhail Bahwan Automobiles has a tradi-tion of putting together the best deals during Ramadan as part of our celebrations of the holy month. Consumer behaviour is particularly interesting during Ramadan. Our current offers give our customers the opportunity to buy a Nissan with a combination of great benefits.”

The Big Jackpot this year comprises:

gifts): Customers buying any Nis-san vehicle will receive a ‘Scratch & Win’ card which will entitle them to two assured gifts comprising free service up to lifetime of the car (min-imum assured 1 year/10,000km PMS) and free fuel up to OMR1,000 (minimum assured of OMR50)

walk away with assured cash gifts up to OMR1,000 (minimum as-sured of OMR500) on purchasing any vehicle from the Nissan stables.

-sures customers free insurance, free registration, six years’ extend-ed warranty (on select models), easy financing options, a loan term

up to eight years and attractive in-terest rates.

This year Nissan has introduced another exciting line-up of Rama-dan benefit for their valued cus-tomers. Customers who already own a Nissan model and want to buy a second one will receive additional incentives from SBA where customers enjoy 10,000km additional service, they will re-ceive special interest privilege card and also be eligible for any trade-in benefits.

Grand raffleThe grand raffle draw from Nissan is being held in association with Al Wisal and Merge FM where par-ticipants can enter the draw to win a sleek Nissan Altima (Two vehi-cles to be won); just SMS <Nissan Altima> to 90448. The lucky win-ner can walk away with a brand new Nissan Altima.

Easy financing options SBA designed the Ramadan scheme to add to the pleasure and convenience of owning a Nissan model and ensure hassle and wor-ry-free driving at all times. Nissan customers can also avail easy fi-nancing option of a loan term up to eight years with attractive interest rates from Bank Muscat. Flexible EMI’s can also be tailor made for any individual requirement from in-house Auto Finance team.

Nissan Oman has always made pioneering efforts to offer world class facilities and services to its valued customers. As the month of Ramadan is just a few weeks away, Nissan Oman has launched this unique way to shop.

Customers can also get unlim-ited access to Nissan’s prestigious vehicle line-up at the comfort of their homes or offices. 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.

SBA speak “We want to offer all our custom-ers with maximum benefits and be able to make their life simple during the new vehicle purchase process. Also if you ‘Like’ us on our Nissan Oman Facebook page and register online, those cus-tomers will get exclusive updates, news, reviews on our entire range of cars. Since this is a special pro-motion for the month of Ramadan, customers can start registering from today itself to be the first to know of our latest offerings,” said a spokesperson from SBA.

The initiative is part of Nissan Oman’s commitment towards its trusted customers and strives to make a difference across the Sul-tanate in raising the Nissan brand among expatriate and local auto enthusiasts.

For every customer purchasing a Nissan vehicle, it is the begin-ning of a fulfilling experience as Nissan’s top class after sales ser-vice makes sure every customer is happy and satisfied. Nissan’s af-ter sales service in Oman ensures that customers get the advantage of factory trained expertise and genuine Nissan replacement parts always. Customers can expect reli-ability and assistance, which will help retain Nissan’s performance and resale value for years to come.

Nissan’s vehicle line-upNissan has built up its reputation through innovative technology, and a broad product line-up. In Oman, people have increasingly opted for Nissan models because they come with class leading features, great performance, ideally suited to the local conditions and offer great val-ue for money besides being among the safest cars on the road.

Sedan rangeThe sedan range of vehicles name-ly Micra, Sunny, Tiida, Sentra, Altima and Maxima come with benefits like free registration, cash gift up to OMR1,000 (with min OMR500 assured), ‘Scratch & Win’ card (Two assured gifts) and six years extended warranty.

The Nissan Passenger Car line up provides customers with a comprehensive product line up and an opportunity to choose from Micra, the all new Sunny, the fa-vorite entry level sedan, the all new Sentra, Tiida , all new Altima and the powerful Maxima. The Altima, available in 2.5 / 3.5L Engine vari-ants, comes with class leading fea-tures like remote engine start, lane departure warning, intelligent key with push button ignition, bose® audio system, built-in bluetooth hands-free phone system, dual-zone automatic climate control and steering wheel-mounted con-trols (includes bluetooth system, audio system and cruise control)

Crossover range The crossover range of vehicles namely Juke, Murano and Path-finder come with benefits like free registration, cash gift up to OMR500, ‘Scratch & Win’ card

(Two assured gifts) and six years extended warranty.

The Nissan crossover range provides customers with a com-prehensive product line up and an opportunity to choose from. The Pathfinder 3.5L comes with thoughtful technology throughout the interior, starting with Nissan’s advanced, class-exclusive Around View Monitor, which provides the driver a virtual 360-degree image of the area around the vehicle. The second generation Nissan Murano made in Japan features a whole range of refinements and enhance-ments designed to keep Nissan’s popular, flagship crossover SUV ahead of the growing number of ordinary entries in the segment.

SUV rangeThe SUV range of vehicles namely X-terra, Pathfinder Classic, Arma-da, and Patrol come with benefits like free insurance, free registration, cash gift up to OMR1,000/- (with min OMR500 assured), ‘Scratch & Win’ card (Two assured gifts) and six years extended warranty.

The Nissan X-terra, Nissan Pathfinder, Nissan Armada and Nissan Patrol are all part of Nis-san’s adventurous 4WD Range. The Nissan 4WD lineup has un-precedented versatility covering a comprehensive range of usage – whether as elegant urban trans-port, off-road warriors, or muscu-lar all-purpose workhorses.

The rugged and powerful Nis-san X-terra is a simple but capa-ble SUV that has “everything you need, nothing you don’t”; It is the master of all terrains. With a pow-erful 4.0 litre engine which deliv-ers 291 HP, the Nissan X-terra is

ready for wherever the road or trail takes you. With its impressive new styling and richly appointed inte-rior, the Nissan Patrol will tran-scend your expectations of a 4WD vehicle. Cruising comfortably on the highways, conquering desert dunes with ease, or manoeuvring through the city at rush hour, Nis-san Patrol offers unrivaled off-road capability and on road handling.

LCV rangeThe LCV range of vehicles namely Pickup, Navara, Urvan 15 seater Bus and Panel Van come with benefits like free registration (on Pickup and Navara variants) cash gift up to OMR1,000/- (with min OMR500 assured), and ‘Scratch & Win’ card (Two assured gifts)

There is extensive commercial activity taking place in Oman and Nissan is favorably contributing to the same with its lineup of depend-able and reliable Commercial ve-hicle models that are being used to transport both men and material. The Nissan LCV Range comprise of a wide range of vehicles – Pick-up, Navara, all new Urvan, Patrol Pick-up & Civilian.

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

The current offers give its customers

the opportunity to buy a Nissan with a

combination of great benefits

Bank Muscat al Mazyona fulfils customers’ aspirational dreamsMUSCAT: The 2015 al Mazyona savings scheme campaign offer-ing the biggest prize money of OMR9 million in Oman and the region has gained momentum with Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the Sultanate, fulfilling the financial aspirations of customers through high value weekly, monthly and special prizes.

Simple strategyOver the years, al Mazyona has provided the largest banking fam-ily in Oman a means of fulfilling their financial aspirations and improving lives. The legacy of al Mazyona is winning the hearts of customers and rewarding them. The al Mazyona strategy is simple and consistent as the customer-focused scheme offers winning chances for all segments, includ-ing ladies, youth, children and high savings balance customers, says a press release.

The 2015 al Mazyona scheme celebrates Oman’s 45th Renais-sance anniversary. Structured on the thematic ‘45’ reflecting the Sultanate’s 45 years of Renais-sance under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the 2015 al Mazyona campaign reaches out with a powerful call to action ‘Save more, Dream big’.

al Mazyona encourages custom-ers to save and achieve their aspi-rational dreams, including chil-dren’s higher education, homes, vacation and everything that cre-ates a lifetime change.

al Mazyona prize money is shared by more winners as customers from all regions are guaranteed to win prizes ranging from OMR45,000 a week to OMR450,000 a month and OMR1.5 million at the end of

the year. A special prize draw of-fering OMR450,000 in celebra-tion of the 45th National Day is another highlight.

Reaching outThe 2015 al Mazyona scheme reaches out to all individual seg-ments with exclusive prizes ear-marked for ladies, youth, children and high savings balance custom-ers in all regions where the Bank Muscat branches are located.

The bank understands cus-tomer expectations and al Ma-zyona reflects innovative cus-tomer segmentation based on two principles — region and de-mographics — ensuring a higher winning chance to all customers across the Sultanate, including ladies, youth, children and high savings balance customers.

Lifetime changeOver the years, al Mazyona has succeeded in inculcating a strong savings culture in Oman. The ob-jective of al Mazyona is to create a lifetime change for winners and al-low them to invest the prize money in things that will make a lasting difference and the well-being of their families. The flexible scheme makes regular saving easier and is available across the largest net-work of 140 branches in Oman.

S A V I N G S S C H E M E

The legacy of al Mazyona is winning the hearts of customers and rewarding them as the scheme offers winning chances to all segments, including ladies, youth, children and high savings balance customers

Nesto Hypermarket set to open first outlet in Oman tomorrow MUSCAT: Nesto Hypermarket, the fastest growing retail chain in the region, is all set to open its 36th outlet in Al Mabelah, to-morrow at 6pm. Ahmed bin Ab-dullah Al Shehi, Minister of Re-gional Municipalities and Water Resources, will inaugurate the hypermarket.

Announcing this, K. P. Basheer, chairman, Western International Group, the parent company, said this is part of Nesto’s overall ex-pansion plans in the region and will set new benchmarks by be-ing the first Nesto outlet in Oman with a spread of 240,000 sq.feet. This initiative will improve lives of the people of Mabelah, and Nesto has plans to open 15 more hypermarkets in Oman, says a press release.

Nesto was established in the year 2004 with a vision of be-ing a ‘String of Pearls’ of depart-mental stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets.

“Our vision is to create a retail chain which is as friendly and ac-cessible as your next door shop and at the same time provide the best quality products at the most competitive prices. Over the years, Nesto has grown to be-come the trusted and preferred choice for shoppers across the GCC. The new Nesto outlet will have two levels of shopping as well as 500,000 plus SKU assort-

ments across diverse categories including fresh foods, grocery and household items, health and beauty products, fashion acces-sories as well as consumer elec-tronics. Nesto Mabelah will also have an assortment of ready-to-eat food items thereby bringing variety, quality and its signature excellence in customer service to customers. We believe that Nesto offers complete shopping experi-ence and are confident that Nesto Mabelah will continue the tradi-tion of offering the best in quality, range, service and price. There is also ample car parking facility and, needless to add, we will pro-vide the best prices and offers in town,” he added.

Guiding principle“Cost effectiveness is our guiding principle. We believe in provid-ing our customers a wide range of products at the best possible price in a great shopping ambi-ence. Our scale efficiencies, direct sourcing approach with mini-mum intermediaries, and sup-ply chain spanning across South Asia, South East Asia and Europe make it possible for us to generate cost efficiencies that are passed on to our customers in the form of attractive pricing. Our fashion section is stacked with the latest trends in apparel, accessories and footwear. We have a wide selec-

tion catering to men, women and children,” he added.

The electronics section show-cases everything from state-of-the-art home theatre systems to white goods, laptops and mobile phones. There is a school supplies section, a separate department for home accessories, home fab-rics, décor and furniture. Custom-ers will also get the freshest fruits and vegetables from around the world, the best cuts of meat and a wide range of local and imported fish in a very clean and hygienic environment,’’ he pointed out.

“We have a strong vision for the future. We want to be among the top players in the region and we aim to have a 100 store presence in the next five years. These stores will be a mix of hypermarkets and supermarkets. As per our two year strategic business plan, we plan to open 14 more stores in next two years and that will enhance our presence to 50 stores in the region by year 2017. The support that we have received from our custom-ers is ample testimony to the fact that our expansion plans are on track. Nesto Mabelah is a grand initiative to support Omani lo-calisation by providing them with jobs and nurture their future with high class training standards and also to be the best solution for all their grocery and lifestyle needs,” Basheer concluded.

3 6 T H S T O R E

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SECTIONC T U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

RESPECTABLE RANKING IS JAMAL’S AMBITIONSpeaking to Times Sport from Dubai, Jamal said he has only one ambition — to train hard and play as many international tournaments as possible in the next two years with the ultimate aim of achieving a very respectable world ranking. >C5

RISSpJatratouyea v

India will have to deal ‘with pressure’ of playing OmanBANGALORE: Pitted against formidable Asian powerhouses like Iran and Oman in the 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifiers, Indian national football team coach Ste-phen Constantine said that his main aim is to target an all-win record in the home games.

India will start their campaign against Oman here on June 11 fol-lowed by an away match against Guam on June 16.

“In these kind of contests like World Cup Preliminary Qualifi-ers, ideally we would like to win home games. Anyway beating teams like Iran, Turkmenistan and others, at home or away is dif-ficult,” he told reporters here after team’s training session.

The Indian squad are here for a preparatory camp ahead of its 2018 Fifa World Cup preliminary qualification matches against Oman and Guam. India have been clubbed in Group D of the qualifi-ers along with Iran, Oman, Turk-menistan and Guam.

Constantine said Oman is a very good side and boys will be under pressure. “Oman has been a very good side for a very long time. You don’t go to Asian finals if you are not a good side. Boys will be under pressure playing against Oman. They have to deal with pressure,” he said.

Constantine further said there are no easy games at internation-al level, even teams like Iran and Turkmenistan would be difficult

to beat. “There are no easy games for us, whomever we play against. Oman, Turkmenistan and others will not be easy to beat,” he said. Constantine said it is not about good or bad team, but

about participating regularly.“It also depends on how active

and inactive you are. If we play two games in a year - that is why we are so low because you are not active. It is not just about how good and how bad is the team is, it is about your participation,” he said.

Constantine said he would like to have two to three weeks at his command before going into the match against Oman because he had some new players in his side.

“Obviously, I would have liked two or three weeks. We have new players and obviously takes time to make them understand what we need but there is no point cry-ing about it. We want to do as good as we can in shot span that we have,” he further added.

Replying to a question, Con-stantine said he had picked play-ers for the national side watching them perform in I-League.

“I-league is the first option where I would have to see players perform and pick them up for the national side. If I don’t find play-ers from I-League, where will I find?” he said.

Asked if he is happy with the kind of players he has in the Indi-an squad, Constantine said, “Pos-sibly, we have the best players at the moment making into the In-dian squad.”

Questioned why he opted for Bengaluru to host India-Oman match, Constantine said it is a good place to play but wished for a training facility at par with inter-national standards.

“I think this is a good place to play. I just wished we had train-ing facility. International teams badly need training centre, where we can always go. I would like to see that happening in some point of time in future,” he said.

Constantine had chose a 26-member squad for the two matches from an initial list of 38 players. — PTI

F O O T B A L L

NO EASY GAMES: Indian foot-

ball coach Stephen Constantine.

Al Arouba, Eid Al Farsi win top awards as ‘exciting’ season ends

Sports Reporter

MUSCAT: Double title winning Al Arouba Club and their star player Eid Al Farsi bagged the top awards as the Oman Football Association (OFA) celebrated the end of an ‘exciting football season’ with the OFA Awards Gala on Monday.

The Sultanate’s soccer governing body hosted the annual awards cer-emony to honour the best of 2014-15 season at Prince Palace Hall with under the auspices of Sheikh Rashad Al Hinai, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Sports Affairs.

Al Arouba who completed a rare double by winning the Omantel Professional League (OPL) as well as the prestigious His Majesty’s Cup Football Championship were handed a cheque of OMR 50,000.

Al Arouba were also present-ed with a special award under achievements of the year category.

Al Arouba garnered another honour when Eid Al Farsi, who is away in India with the Paul Le Guen’s Oman national team to play a World Cup and Asian Cup quali-fier, was declared the best player of the season.

Meanwhile, Fanja, runners-up in the OPL, were presented with a cheque of OMR 30,000 and third placed team Sur were given OMR 20,000.

During the ceremony, the OFA also honoured the best of first and division leagues as well as the age group tournaments. The foot-ball body also felicitated the best coaches and referees as well as sponsors, partners, various govern-mental and private organisations

for their support during the season.Earlier, OFA chief Sayyid Khalid

Al Busaidi described the just con-cluded football season as an ‘excit-ing’ one. “Today we are celebrating the conclusion of an exciting season. There have been many aspects that showed that Oman football is head-ing in the right direction,” he said.

Sayyid Khalid also thanked all the partners for their ‘support and involvement without which the season would not have happened’.

“We would like to thank all the clubs, sponsors, government and private organisations,” he said while also thanking the referees, coaches and players and fans for contribution the season’s success.

List of awardeesOmantel Professional League (OPL): 1. Al Arouba (OMR 50,000); 2. Fanja (OMR 30,000); 3. Sur (OMR 20,000); Fairplay: Suwaiq; Best player: Eid Al Farsi (Al Arouba); Top scorer: Kofi Nishat (Al Nasr); Best goalkeeper: Riyad Subait (Al Arouba); Most promising young player: Mohammed Mubarak (Sur); Best coach: Philippe Burle (Al Arouba); Best man-ager: Hussain Al Mustahail.

Mazda Professional Cup: Cham-pions: Fanja; Best player: Mohammed Mubarak.

1st Division League: 1. Muscat Club (OMR 15,000); 2. Salalah (OMR 10,000); 3. Rustaq (OMR 7,000); Fairplay: Muscat Club; Best player: Venito (Musccat); Top scorer: Imo Philip (Salala); Best goal-keeper: Mohannad Al Huwaidi (Muscat); Best coach: Mohammed Hawali (Mus-cat); Best manager: Hamdan Bait Said (Salalah).

2nd Division League: 1. Bahla (OMR 7,000); 2. Jaalan (OMR 5,000); 3. Al Salam (OMR 3,000); Fairplay award: Diba; Top-scorer: Jermy F (Bahla); Best goalkeeper: Saleh Rasbi (Jaalan); Best player: Osama Al Shukaili (Bahla); Best coach: Abdulaziz Al Riyami (Bahla); Best team manager: Ahmed Al Hinai (Bahla).

Under-16 League: Best coach: Na-seeb Rashid (Al Khabourah); Best team manager: Hashil Al Buraiqi (Suwaiq).

Under-19 League: Best coach: Qasim Al Mukhaini (Suwaiq); Best team man-ager: Salim Mubarak (Seeb).

Under-23 (Olympic): Best coach: Juma Al Khaldi (Saham); Best team man-ager: Issa Al Foori (Seeb).

Achievers of the season: Special achievement of the season: Al Arouba (for win-ning both OPL and His Majesty’s Cup titles).

Age group teams achievements: Suwaiq.

GCC Clubs and age group achieve-ments: Seeb.

Best fans: Sohar fans club.

The Oman Football

Association

celebrated the end of

an ‘exciting’ football

season with annual

awards gala where Al

Arouba and their star

player Eid Al Farsi

won the top awards

C2

SPORTST U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

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India team hits the nets in Mirpur on arrival in DhakaMIRPUR: The Indian cricket team got down to work soon after landing here on Monday for the short series against Bangladesh, sweating it out in a gruelling two-hour net session at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium.

The side led by Kohli arrived here by a morning flight from Kol-kata and they hit the nets at the Stadium in the afternoon.

The Indians will take on the hosts in a one off Test starting on Wednesday followed by a three-ODI series. “Since we arrived and the boys wanted to practice, it was decided to train at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium as Bangladesh were training at Fatullah.

“Tomorrow, we will be training at Fatullah,” BCCI’s administra-tive manager Biswarup Dey told PTI. Since Fatullah, which is in Narayanganj district takes about an hour and half to reach from Dhaka city, where the team is stay-ing, it was decided to hit the straps rightaway. The team manager con-firmed that all 14 members are fit and Wriddhiman Saha, who has

sustained a hit on the chest dur-ing the final training session in Kolkata is absolutely fine and also trained with other members.

The Indian team will be con-centrating on getting the bowling combination right.

While Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh are almost cer-tain to play, it will be upto Kohli and Team Director Ravi Shastri to decide on whether India will go with four or five bowlers. If they go with five bowlers, the toss-up will be between speedster Varun Aar-on and leg-spinner Karn Sharma.

Opener K L Rahul, originally named in the Test squad, was ruled out with fever and the manage-ment decided against his replace-ment. India have won six Tests out of the seven they have played against Bangladesh with one turn-ing out to be a draw.

All the five-day games have been played in Bangladesh and the last time two teams met in a bilateral series was in 2009-10 when India won 2-0. - PTI

I N D I A T O U R O F B A N G L A D E S H

ON JOB STRAIGHTAWAY: Indian cricket players exercise during a practice session in Dhaka. – Reuters

England in search of ODI revival against Black Caps

LONDON: England, not for the first time, will try to re-launch themselves as a one-day interna-tional cricket side when they face World Cup finalists New Zealand in the first of a five-match series at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

Since they made the third of three losing World Cup final ap-pearances back in 1992, England have struggled to keep up with changes in the 50-over game.

But this year’s World Cup rep-resented a new low, with England failing to beat a single Test nation in a tournament where they suf-fered a first-round exit after a de-feat by Bangladesh.

An antiquated approach, where 300 was regarded as a par score, was damned as “prehistoric” by Paul Collingwood, still the only Englishman to skipper the side to a global limited overs trophy -- the 2010 World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.

It also played a key role in Peter Moores being sacked as England coach by incoming director of crick-et Andrew Strauss and replaced by Australian Trevor Bayliss.

For years now, England have tended to regard white-ball crick-et as a necessary, money-spin-ning, evil with results in five-day Test matches all that matters.

But in omitting the likes of sen-ior pacemen James Anderson and Stuart Broad, as well as experi-enced batsman Ian Bell, for the New Zealand one-day series and including the hard-hitting Alex Hales, Jos Buttler and Jason Roy, as well as leg-spinner Adil Rashid, England’s squad — still led by World Cup skipper Eoin Mor-gan — has something of a fresh look about it.

The 2019 World Cup will be staged in England, where pitch and overhead conditions sometimes mean that the huge scores achieved in the south-ern hemisphere are not always within reach.

‘Getting it wrong’But Buttler, England’s wicket-keeper at the World Cup and one of a new breed of fast-scoring batsmen, accepted the team’s ap-proach to 50-over cricket had to change. “You have to be brutally honest and say we were getting it wrong,” the 24-year-old told the Mail on Sunday.

“We have to be looking at scores of 350 and upwards,” added the Lancashire gloveman, who an-nounced himself on the inter-national stage with a thrilling 74-ball 121 against Sri Lanka in a one-dayer at Lord’s last year.

“That’s the way the game is going. In a few years we’ll look back at the (2015) World Cup and say it was a turning point in 50-over cricket.”

During their run to the World Cup final, where they lost to fel-low co-hosts Australia, the Black Caps hammered England by eight

wickets in Wellington.Tim Southee took a stunning

seven for three as England were skittled out for just 123.

New Zealand then pulverised England’s attack, skipper Bren-don McCullum striking 77 off just 25 balls, a they raced to victory in a mere 12.2 overs.

“We certainly played well that day. That’s the way we want to play,” said New Zealand coach Mike Hesson, who last week saw his side square a two-Test series with England at 1-1 after a dy-namic 199-run win at Headingley.

“Hopefully conditions allow that but if not, we’ve got to try to skin the cat a little differently.”

New Zealand certainly played in familiar fashion when thrash-ing Leicestershire by 198 runs in a one-day warm-up match on Saturday.

Both Grant Elliott, who hit Dale Steyn for six to seal New Zealand’s dramatic World Cup semi-final win over South Africa, and wicket-keeper Luke Ron-chi made 106 not out against the Midlands county.

Mitchell McClenaghan then took four for 31 and the left-arm seamer, fresh from winning the

Twenty20 Indian Premier League with the Mumbai Indians, was ea-ger for more limited overs success in England.

“Winning the title in my first year playing the IPL was awe-some,” he told the Blackcaps’ web-site. “I learnt a huge amount, and loved my time in India.

“But it’s also great to be back with the boys. I’m looking forward to the challenge over here, it’s a massive series.”

England (from): Eoin Morgan (capt), Sam Billings, Jos Buttler (wkt) Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, David Wil-ley, Mark Wood

New Zealand (from): Bren-don McCullum (capt), Corey An-derson, Trent Boult, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Luke Ron-chi (wkt), Mutchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Kane Wil-liamson, Ben Wheeler

Umpires: Bruce Oxenford (AUS), Michael Gough (ENG)

TV umpire: Steve Davis (AUS)Match referee: Javagal Sri-

nath (IND). - AFP

Since they made the

third of three losing

World Cup final

appearances back in

1992, England have

struggled to keep up

with changes in

the 50-over game

WHO WILL TAKE THE TROPHY? England captain Eoin Morgan, left, and New Zealand captain Bren-don McCullum pose with the one-day series trophy at Edgbaston in Birmingham. – AFP

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European champions Barca feted

BARCELONA: Thousands of fans took to the streets of Barce-lona on Sunday to celebrate their club’s fifth Champions League win, decking the Catalan capital out with flags, shirts, scarves and confetti.

“Champions, second treble, we continue to write history” was the triumphant message written on the side of the coach ferry-ing Luis Suarez, who scored the decisive goal in the 3-1 defeat of Juventus, Lionel Messi, and the rest of the team to the Camp Nou where a crowd of 67,000 were awaiting them.

“The treble of 2009 was magic because it was the first. But to do it twice, that’s enormous,” said one fan, Adrian Llamazares referring to Saturday’s trophy in Berlin com-ing after the Liga and Cup titles. “I was confident from the start of the season,” chipped in Sara Marco with her grand-daughter enthusi-astically waving a Catalan flag.

But the sixty-something grand-mother was perhaps the only one to have had belief at the start of January when Barcelona suffered a major internal crisis with frosty relations between coach Luis En-rique and Messi.

But then the Catalan giants pressed hard on the accelerator to become a winning machine after a 2013-14 trophyless season had hinted at their decline.

“We were speaking of the end of a cycle, but the cycle is Messi, regardless of the manager and the rest of the players, Barcelona can always win,” suggested 41-year-old David Blasco.

With fans shouting out the

name of their idols, and tourists joining in the party atmosphere the team made its smiling way to their iconic stadium, dancing and singing in the open top bus.

“Where’s Messi?” a six-year-old boy asked his mother, Nuria Boada.

“In our house, our hero is Messi, because he’s the best in the world. He does incredible things, almost without blinking,” the 39-year-old Boada said.

“But we also want to say good-bye to Xavi,” she added quickly, in reference to the record-breaking Barca captain who is leaving the club to join Qatari side Al Sadd.

Xavi’s name, along with Messi, Suarez and the third member of the strikeforce Neymar, were the names that rang out most.

“As long as the three forwards score Barcelona can play as they wish. And next season, they will bring us back the sixth (European crown)!” predicted 27-year-old Eduard Corcelles. - AFP

With fans shouting

out the name of their

idols, and tourists

joining in the party

atmosphere the team

made its smiling

way to their iconic

stadium, dancing

and singing in

the open top bus

GRAND WELCOME: FC Barcelona players parade on a bus through the streets of Barcelona as they celebrate their victory over Juventus one day after the Uefa Champions

League final. – AFP

BARCELONA: Barcelona president Josep Maria Bar-tomeu has insisted Luis En-rique will stay on next season despite the coach refusing to commit to the club after wrap-ping up a treble of titles on Saturday.

Barca’s 3-1 victory over Juventus in the Champions League final meant they be-came the first team to win their domestic league and Cup and Europe’s elite club competi-tion in the same season on two occasions, repeating their feat from 2009.

Luis Enrique is coming to the end of the first year of a two-year contract but was clearly

unhappy with the sacking of sporting director Andoni Zubi-zarreta, the man who appointed him, in January.

He fended off several ques-tions about his future at a news conference after Saturday’s final, saying he was only focused on celebrating the terrific treble. The uncertainty has been ampli-fied by a looming presidential election and a new chief in place of Bartomeu might want to bring in his own man.

Contract extensionBartomeu told Spanish radio on Monday he would offer Luis Enrique a contract extension if re-elected. “There is no need

to suffer, Luis Enrique will continue,” Bartomeu said.

“His season has been 10 out of 10 and there is no reason to break the contract,” he added.

Barca celebrated their magnificent season with an open top bus tour through the Catalan capital on Sunday, culminating in a spectacular party with fans at their giant Nou Camp arena.

They also announced the signing, pending a medical, of Sevilla midfielder Aleix Vidal, who has impressed for the Eu-ropa League winners this term and last month earned a first call-up to Vicente del Bosque’s Spain squad. - Reuters

Luis Enrique will stay as coach, says Barcelona president

EXTENSION GUARANTEED: Barcelona’s coach Luis

Enrique stands in the pitch

at the end of the celebration

parade at Camp Nou stadium

in Barcelona. – Reuters

Raju to help Nepal prepare for World T20 qualifierNEW DELHI: Former India left-arm spinner Venkatapathy Raju is all set to guide the national cricket team from earthquake af-fected Nepal during their ongoing 15-day camp in Dharamsala.

Sharing his knowledge with teams from associate members is not new to Raju, having worked with sides such as UAE and Thai-land in his role of a development of-ficer at the Asian Cricket Council.

“We have been told that Ven-katapathy Raju is coming on June 11 and he will work with the boys for a week. He is going to work with our spinners and I am sure his contribution will really help us. We hear Monty Desai (coach at Rajasthan Royals) will also join us in the coming days. The BCCI has said that we will be getting help from other experts as well,” Nepal head coach and former Sri Lanka player, Pubudu Dassanay-ake, told PTI from Dharamsala.

Dassanayake feels Raju’s valu-able inputs will help them pre-pare a good spin-heavy bowling

attack ahead of the World T20 qualifiers in Scotland and Ireland next month.

“Our strength is spinners. We have got two quality left-arm spin-ners (Basant Regmi and Shakti Gauchan) and couple of off-spin-ners, so Raju is going to talk to them about how to adjust to the extreme conditions in the United Kingdom. Overall, we are really pleased with what the BCCI is offering,” said the Kandy-born Sri Lankan, who is now based out of Canada after hav-ing represented and coached the North American side.

Captain Paras Khadka too wel-

comed Raju’s presence in the camp. “In India, you have all the big experts you can ask for. It is re-ally nice Mr Raju will be here with us. We need to make the most of his inputs and prepare the best we can for the qualifier,” said Khadka.

Nepal, who finished in third in the qualifier last time to secure a maiden World T20 berth, is look-ing to win the tournament this time. BCCI is doing its bit in its preparations, lending a help hand to the troubled neighbouring na-tion which was rocked by a mas-sive earthquake in April.

“We are really happy to be here. The facilities are fantastic. Every-thing is in good condition and we hope to to have a productive 15 days,” said coach Dassanayake.

“Last time we finished third and qualified, this time we want to win the competition. This team has kept improving in the last two years. The preparation is very im-portant, we need to do the right things in the one month that we have,” he added. - PTI

T R A I N I N G I N D H A R A M S A L A

Venkatapahy Raju.

Waqar confident

about reaching

targets in Sri

Lanka tour

LAHORE: Pakistan’s coach Waqar Younis expressed confi-dence the cricket squad would achieve targets in Tests and one-day series as they set off for a tour of Sri Lanka on Monday.

Pakistan will play three Tests, five One-day Internationals and two Twenty20s on their 53-day tour of Sri Lanka, with the aim of qualifying for the 2017 Cham-pions Trophy in England.

Pakistan, currently ninth in one-day rankings, must beat Sri Lanka to get to the eighth spot or better before the September 30 cut off date for the Champions Trophy, which will feature the top eight teams. Waqar said he believed the team would reach the Champions Trophy.

“We have set targets for Tests and ODIs and hope that the team does well on the tour to achieve the targets and qualify for Cham-pions Trophy,” Waqar said. — AFP

C R I C K E T

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Young sailors hope to impress at Oman Sail Ranking Races

MUSCAT: Oman Sail’s most promising young sailors will take to the sea next week in Al Musan-nah for the latest ranking races, organised to test the performances of the Optimist class and prepare to host the Oman Laser 4.7 Cham-pionship for the first time where the best talents will be selected to represent the Sultanate.

Featuring around 55 sailors in total from Oman Sail’s Youth Pro-gramme, sponsored by Omantel and Oman Shipping Company, the races will take place from June 14 to 16, and will be preceded by a five-day training camp for both classes.

The training camp will com-prise sailors from the Oman Op-timist National Squad as well as sailors who have graduated to La-ser 4.7, the next class in the path-way, to qualify for selection to fill four Omani spots at the Laser 4.7

World Championships, to held in Holland next August.

Coaching skillsIt will also provide an opportunity for Oman’s Laser 4.7 coaches to improve their training skills for the young sailors at Oman Sail’s sailing schools around the Sultanate.

“The Optimist is the class that the world’s youth learn to race and

the Laser 4.7 is the first of a series of the Laser sailboats, the most com-petitive sailing class in the world that has produced some of most ac-complished Olympic sailors,” said Rashid Al Kindi, Oman Sail’s Na-tional Youth Team Manager.

“Venturing into the Laser 4.7 class this month will be the next stage for our young hopefuls as part of Oman Sail’s Performance

Pathway,” the official added. “This is an exciting develop-

ment for Oman Sail and although we only expect to have around ten sailors competing in our first La-ser 4.7 Championships, they will in time grow, both in numbers and stature,” he said.

The Laser 4.7 National Cham-pionship, the first one to be held in Oman, will provide an excellent

platform for coaches to gain more insight on how to manage training and future events.

To encourage coaches to do their utmost in race management practices, Oman Sail has offered an opportunity for the most prom-ising Laser 4.7 coach to join the national squad and accompany the team to the World Championships in Holland.

Featuring around 55

sailors in total from

Oman Sail’s Youth

Programme, the races

will take place from

June 14 to 16 and will

be preceded by a five-

day training camp

for both classes

EYEING NAIONAL TEAM PLACES: A file photo of young Omanis taking part in a Youth Sailing Regetta. – Supplied photo

Oman Tennis Association felicitates Al RawahiMUSCAT: The Oman Tennis As-sociation (OTA) felicitated former Davis Cup player Suleiman bin Said Al Rawahi who has success-fully completed Level I Coaches Course held in Bahrain recently.

According to a press release is-sued by OTA on Monday, Suleim-man, who is also the assistant coach of Oman national team, participat-ed in the course as part of the asso-ciation’s plan to promote tennis and encourage national coaches and referees to join training courses for higher qualifications in the man-agement of the game in the future. The felicitation ceremony was or-ganised at the association headquar-

ters when OTA chief Mutassim bin Mahmoud Al Zadjali presented a ‘certificate of thanks’ and apprecia-tion to Suleiman Al Rawahi.

He also wished him and all other national colleagues further suc-cess in their future endeavours.

Suleiman, on his behalf, thanked the OTA for all the support ex-tended to him since he was a child, during his playing days represent-ing from the Sultanate at the in-ternational level and now in his coaching career. Presently the only Omani serving the national team as assistant coach, Suleiman also promised to do his best and train the national players.

C O A C H I N G C O U R S E

OMAN MUSCLEMEN BAG THREE MEDALS AT ASIAN BODY-BUILDING CHAMPIONSHIPS IN JAPANThe Sultanate’s bodybuilding team bagged three medals at the 49th AFBF Asian Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan. Abdullah Al Jabri won the gold medal in 70kg cat-

egory, Faisal Al Mata’eni took the silver in 75kg and Ahmed Al Maskari won the bronze medal in 85kg event. - ONA

RIGHT ENCOURAEMENT: Oman Tennis Association chief Mutassim Al Zadjali, third right, presents a

certificate to Suleiman Al Rawahi during the felicitation ceremony. – Supplied photo

Uruguay’s Forlan heading for Osaka exit

Liverpool confirm

deal to sign Ings

TOKYO: Uruguay’s most-capped player Diego Forlan is un-likely to be offered a new contract by Japanese club Cerezo Osaka, local media reported on Monday.

The 36-year-old striker, who played 112 games for Uru-guay and scored 36 goals before announcing his international retirement earlier this year, has expressed a desire to re-main in Japan.

“If possible I wanted to sign off by getting Cerezo promoted to the J-League first division, but a contract’s a contract,” For-lan told Japan’s Nikkan Sports.

“I’ve done everything I could. I don’t know what the future holds but (if I stay in Asia) I’d prefer to stay in Japan.”

However, after an illustrious career at Manchester United, Villarreal and Atletico Madrid, Forlan has endured a torrid spell in Japan, getting relegated in his first season and failing even to make the bench in the Cerezo’s game at the weekend.

“I’ve informed the player that a contract extension will be difficult,” said Cerezo presi-dent Minoru Tamada, likely signalling the end of Forlan’s stay in Osaka. Forlan won the Golden Ball as the 2010 World Cup’s best player and finished joint top-scorer with five goals as Uruguay reached the semi-fi-nals in South Africa, making his final appearance for his country against Colombia at last year’s World Cup in Brazil. - AFP

LONDON: Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Burnley striker Danny Ings, the Pre-mier League club announced on Monday. “Liverpool FC are delighted to announce that they have agreed personal terms with Danny Ings and, subject to a medical, the striker will join the club on July 1 after his con-tract with Burnley has expired,” the club said on their website (www.liverpoolfc.com).

Ings scored 11 goals in the Pre-mier League last season as Burn-ley finished 19th and were rele-gated. He was their only player to score in the last nine games. The previous season he netted 21 times as the club won promotion from the Championship. - Reuters

F O O T B A L L

F O O T B A L L

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‘There’s strong growth potential for squash in Oman’T.K. [email protected]

MUSCAT: PC Thomas, one of the architect of Muscat Squash League, sees strong growth poten-tial for the game in Oman and feels the future is bright.

Thomas, who works in Oman and pursues his passion in squash, while breaking into a conversation with Times Sport, said that lately he was amazed at the standard set by the senior players.

“I was amazed at the senior level of local squash players, which is very high. But unfortunately most of them are at the senior level. For Oman to excel in squash, we should start at the grass roots level of the sport which is schools and colleges,” he said.

“Local youngsters have great stamina and determination to excel at sports. Squash needs to be introduced to them. We need to spread the sport and have an organisational set up to monitor their growth and training. Squash being a high reflex and pace sport, stamina and agility plays an im-portant factor in physical ben-efits,” he added.

Thomas, who came to Oman in

2012, said that he loved the coun-try from the first day.

“Having played before, I decided to start playing squash again at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. My father used to play in India at a senior level and take me along ini-tially to watch his game and build the interest of the sport, slowly he started training me and taught me the basics of squash,” detailed Thomas, who picked up his rac-quet at a very tender age.

“I first picked up the racquet at age 10, a wooden one, and now even after 25 years I still love the game. I participated at a few local tournaments throughout my early years in India and was able to raise my level of game as I grew older,” he said about his first step.

When asked about the renewed interest in Oman, Thomas said: “Definitely, when we started play-ing at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, there were only a few players. We started spreading the word through our contacts and soon we had a pool of 20 to 30 play-ers from different nationalities. After we completed the first local tournament many national young-sters have picked up racquets and started playing.

“The level of professionalism is very high at the senior level and they are very committed to the sport, they are very keen to see the growth of squash and have high hopes on the next generation.

“With a proper recognised asso-ciation or federation up and with the help of trained coaches, things can improve further and maybe in the future we will have an Oman

Squash World Champion one day. On support from Ministry of

Sports Affairs, he said: “The min-istry has already started to encour-age by conducting a Oman squash tournament for the local players which was a very positive step in the right direction.

“The game needs to be spread to schools more and may be have more squash courts and introduce

the game in sports curriculum. Also setting up a training module for different age groups and moni-toring their growth is vital. Squash is a game which can be played all year, many residential buildings and hotels have started building squash courts as fitness centre since it is a sport not affected by the weather,” said Thomas.

On the Muscat League, Thomas detailed that the League in Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex started with a few players coming together and it is held every month.

“Now more and more local play-ers have joined and the League is getting stronger. Being from differ-ent countries, we each have a dif-ferent style of game. For example the Europeans players were bet-ter at playing the straight power game down the line, while the Asians were better at the boast and drop game. Having a mix of play-ers allowed all of us to learn from each other.”

He went on to say that to develop young players, all of us put togeth-er with the help of Sports Ministry must introduce a 2-3 day coach-ing session at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex.

“Once we have identified the

young players, their growth and training modules have to be chart-ed out separately, as each player have their own physical strength and weakness,” said Thomas.

“The next step would be to con-duct tournaments at schools and colleges to promote the sport. See-ing their classmates play can be an inspirational factor for other youngsters.”

Highlighting further he said: “The plan of the Ministry of Sports Affairs is to hold frequent tourna-ments in all parts of the country. The sport needs to spread out and this will help in unearthing a na-tional hero.”

On his personal front, Thomas said, other than squash he plays football to build stamina. “At the same time I utilise my spare time to impart my knowledge on squash to the upcoming youngsters.”

As a concluding message, Thomas said: “I truly believe, Oman youngsters have great stam-ina and a strong desire to excel in sports. They are highly motivated to represent their country inter-nationally in every sport. Squash is definitely a sport in which they can excel and bring glory and medals to their country.”

F U T U R E I S B R I G H T

CATCH THEM YOUNG: Squash player PC Thomas calls for tapping

talents at the grassroots level.

Q. How did squash happen to you? Are you currently based in the United Arab Emirates?A. Yes, I have been living in Dubai for nearly five years, whilst working as a teacher. Re-garding the game, it is a story. Well if I’m being honest, when I was in primary school I found myself being good at a game called ‘Rounders’ which we used to play during our Physical Ed-ucation lessons. From there weirdly Rounders I resorted to playing tennis. I became pretty good at that too and even became a qualified LTA tennis coach whilst coaching beginners and international players. Growing up I played everything to be honest from rugby, football and badminton to a good standard for my age category. Squash was another sport I enjoyed playing. I played it casually from the age of 10 until about 15 and then I really got the bug for it. Everything then revolved around playing squash. I played in the Welsh senior leagues from the age of 13 and just wanted to play and improve all the time. I used to bug everyone who was better than me for a game, includ-ing a huge mentor and crazy fitness fanatic, who was the coach and No.1 player for Neath Squash Club, a guy named Kevin Williams.

Q. Detail your achievements so far?A. I played for Swansea University Team as the No.1 player from 2001-2004. I was also No. 1 at the Neath Squash Club (2001 – 2003) and Glamorgan Health and Racket Club (2007-2010). Between 2007 and 2010 I was the head coach at Glamorgan Health and Racket Club and was also the head coach at Llanelli Squash and Racket Club during the same period. After coming to the UAE, I was consistently finishing in the top 4 of UAE squash events and highlight was becoming semifinalist in the UAE Squash Champion-ship 2013 and Abu Dhabi Open 2015. I also won the Sheraton Winter Series in 2013. Internationally, I played in many tournaments in France with quarterfinal finishes and I was proud to have been invited to the play the Dubai3s in 2010 with all former World top 10 players. I have also completed my dissertation in Analysis of Squash professionals in my Bsc Honors degree and have consistently trained and played with players ranging from top 10 to 200 in the World. My highest world ranking of 404.

Q. In your view point how can this game grow in Oman?A. If I am being truthful, there needs to be structure. There are boys like Tahir Al Bar-wani, who are really enthusiastic and are great ambassadors to the sport to push the game forward and are putting an abundance of time, effort and finance in. However for it to pro-gress and move forward a coaching structure needs to be in place from grass roots level. I know league matches have been going on and they still need to happen. There also needs to be steps in place for performance players to compete and play on the international stage, which requires funding.

Q. Do you think that the game has at-tracted renewed interest in Oman?A. Well since playing in the first tournament I can see that it has definitely brought interest and publicity. The latest squash tournament in Sohar was also highlighted in squashsite.com, in which anyone who’s anyone in squash looks at.

Q. How do you rate national interest in the game?A. Well I’m not familiar with all the sports that go on in Oman, however the sport gets

addictive at every level. I have seen great en-thusiasm and a push from all players partici-pating in the two tournaments and who have been keen to organise coaching weekends and travel to Dubai for extra exposure to good squash.

Q. Do you think that Ministry of Sports Affairs should give full support and en-courage the game in schools?A. This is the key to promoting the sport. Children need to be encouraged and the initial push for this is to go to the schools. Take squash into the schools or bring them to the squash courts. My previous experience with promoting sport in schools, have had a great degree of success.

Q. You were being looked upon as Oman’s best bet to represent the country in inter-national arena. Detail your ambitions?A. Firstly, I want to train hard and play as many international tournaments in the next two years, to achieve a very respectable world ranking All my training partners are all play-ing internationally. I also want to do this! To do this properly I do need backing. I would love this to come from Oman. Even though I have spent 27 years in Wales, Oman is huge part of my heritage and I would feel really proud that Oman is backing me with playing and representing Oman inter-nationally. I have consistently played with players at the highest of levels and I more than know what is required to play squash as a pro-fessional. This also gives children and other participants in the game in Oman an aim and goal to try and get to. There needs to be professional role models whether they assist in advertising the sport to top players compet-ing at National level, who will encourage the sport. Along with playing and after I am play-ing and I would love to share my knowledge to encourage people at a social level and more importantly produce players that can compete at the highest of levels.

Q. Your ideas for tapping young talents in Oman? A. Going into schools, getting as many chil-dren playing as possible. From there setting up squads for age and ability categories. There also needs to be people playing in the senior categories. When there are all ages playing it just builds a positive vibe surround-ing squash. It is looking likely that I will be in Dubai next year, however there is no reason for me coming over for weekends and also inviting groups to train here in Dubai. I think it would also be a great idea to have a resident coach in Oman.

Q. Can frequent tournaments all over the country help? A. Well I have discussed this with Tahir Al Barwani, who has been fantastic with organis-ing tournaments

Q. Other than squash, what do you do in UAE and Oman and how are you helping in developing the game?A. He...he... (smiles). Well after work, sad as it may sound, but it is a lot of squash. But I love it! But I do like to go to the beach on the weekends, go for dinners, play beach tennis and many more.

Q. Do you run a squash academy in Dubai?A. I don’t run an academy in squash, no. Cur-rently I am training to compete myself and train with coach Khwaja Maqbool and his son and my dearest friend Adil Maqbool.— [email protected]

Oman’s squash warriorIt will not be an exaggeration to describe Jamal

Al Barwani as the Sultanate’s squash sensation.

Considering what the Dubai-based Omani has

been accomplishing, Jamal is undoubtedly

the best squash exponent. Following are the

excerpts from the tête-à-tête

T.K. MOHANDOSS had with Jamal...

Take squash into the schools or bring the children to the squash courts. My previous experience with promoting sport in schools, have had a great degree of success

Jamal Al BarwaniOman’s top squash player

C6


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Stan’s great shots, crazy shorts

PARIS: Forget the breathtaking backhands, formidable forehands and astonishing aces that Stan-islas Wawrinka produced during his magnificent run to the French Open title —it was his bizarre red and white checked shorts that stole the limelight on Sunday.

Where did he get the design? A pair of pyjamas tucked away in his father’s wardrobe, or was it from a 1970’s wallpaper still hanging on an old relative’s house?

Perhaps it was from a blanket handed down in the family over generations.

The hullabaloo over his “lost property” park-player outfit was not lost on the new champion on Sunday as he draped the baggy shorts over the dais in front of him, placing them next to the gleaming Musketeers’ Cup.

“I know a lot of people talk about it, and it’s quite funny that they won the French Open,” grinned Waw-rinka after joining the likes of Mats Wilander and Ivan Lendl in com-

pleting the boys’ trophy-Musket-eers’ Cup double at Roland Garros.

A few days after declaring he was going to “swim, play tennis and then sleep in them”, he an-

nounced that the star attraction of the 2015 French Open was head-ing for a new home.

“They will be in the museum of Roland Garros. You will see my

shorts every day if you want,” he added to hoots of laughter.

“Everybody talks about those shorts since I put them on. Appar-ently I’m the only one who likes it.”

Completely crazy Jokes aside, Wawrinka was still struggling to digest the fact that he had won a second Grand Slam title, and did it by overcoming a player who had until Sunday, been unbeatable on clay in 2015.

Novak Djokovic was on a 28 match winning streak.

The world No. 1 had beaten nine-time champion Rafa Nadal and third seed Andy Murray to en-ter the final with a 16-0 record on clay this year.

The Serb had also beaten Wawrinka in 17 of their previous 20 meetings. Despite the stats stacked against him, Wawrinka showed that what happens in the past does not dictate the future.

“To say that I won the French Open, it’s something completely crazy,” said the 30-year-old.

“Winning this one is really spe-cial, playing Novak here in final, the number one player. He won almost everything since beginning of the year.

“I’m still surprised the way I played, because I think I played amazing today.

“I was really nervous but I didn’t choke. I was always going for my shots.”

A slow-starter who won his first major at the Australian Open 18 months ago, Wawrinka added: “It’s quite strange when I tell myself that I have an (Olympic) gold medal, the Davis Cup and two grand Slams. It’s quite amazing. Never expected that so late in my career.” - Reuters

It was Wawrinka’s

bizarre red and

white checked

shorts that stole the

limelight during his

magnificent run to

the French Open title

WHERE DID HE GET THE DESIGN? Stanislas Wawrinka joked ‘they (the shorts) will be in the museum of Roland Garros. – Reuters

Djokovic haunted by Paris ghosts of Sampras, Edberg and BeckerPARIS: They came, they saw but never conquered and now No-vak Djokovic is staring into the same Paris abyss that swallowed up the Grand Slam ambitions of Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker.

The world No. 1 lost his third final in four years at Roland Gar-ros on Sunday when his hopes of becoming just the eighth man to complete a career Grand Slam were swept away by Stan Waw-rinka’s tide of killer one-handed backhands.

His 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 defeat left Djokovic on eight majors — five Australian Opens, two Wimble-dons and a single US Open success — against eight defeats in finals at the majors. Djokovic will be back in 2016, when he will be 29, for an-other attempt, his 12th in total, but statistics and history threaten to conspire against him.

Sampras won 14 majors — seven Wimbledons, five titles in New York and two in Australia.

But 13 times the great American tried to win the French Open and 13 times he failed.

His best was a semifinal in 1996 and his last appearance at the age of 30 was in 2002 when he lost first round to patched-up Italian jour-neyman Andrea Gaudenzi, who was ranked 69.

“I don’t want to say it’s a jinx,” said Sampras at the time.

Edberg won twice each in Aus-tralia, Wimbledon and at the US Open, but his best Paris perfor-mance was runner-up to a teenage Michael Chang in 1989, with his classical serve-and-volley game horribly unsuited to the slow clay.

“At the time I thought I played a great tournament and I thought I would get another chance to win it, but I never really got another chance after that,” the Swede told CNN.

Like Sampras, Edberg played 13 times at Roland Garros, the last time as a 30-year-old in 1996.

Becker, who was close at hand on Sunday as Djokovic’s coach,

tried nine times to win the French Open and add the title to his three Wimbledons, two Australian and one US Open.

But he had to settle for three semifinal spots in 1987, 1989 and 1991, playing the tournament for the last time as a 27-year-old.

John McEnroe also flopped in Paris, the four-time US Open and three-time Wimbledon winner having to console himself with a runners-up spot against Ivan Lendl in 1984. When he last ap-peared as a player he was 33.

Dream deferredEven the traditionally fickle Paris crowd expressed their sympathy

with Djokovic’s plight on Sunday, according him a lengthy standing ovation as he stood for the third time as a runner-up on the podium.

Djokovic was in tears by the end of it, although he insisted he’d keep trying to secure the title.

He may have time on his side -- even if the gut feeling remains that this year was his best opportunity, having disposed of nine-time win-ner Nadal in the quarterfinals and longtime rival Andy Murray in the semifinals.

But there is another statistic that could concern the Serb. He now has a record of eight wins from his 16 Grand Slam finals.

Roger Federer can boast 17 Slam titles in 24 finals and Nadal 14 tro-phies and six losses.

Djokovic’s defeat on Sunday ended his 28-win streak just as his 2011 semi-final loss to Federer halted a 41-match unbeaten run.

In cricket, that kind of record may be interpreted as one of a “flat track bully”.

But Djokovic insists that it’s get-ting tougher to rack up the majors.

“I think people tend to cre-ate more of a story where it’s just me,” he said. “It feels like I’m the only player who wants to win this trophy and nobody wants to win it as much as I do; this is complete-ly untrue.” - AFP

G E T T I N G T O U G H E R

STARING INTO PARIS ABYSS: Novak Djokovic. – AFP

Hodgson tells Sterling to develop ‘thicker skin’DUBLIN: England manager Roy Hodgson warned Raheem Sterling he will need to develop “thicker skin” after the under-fire forward was roundly jeered dur-ing a goalless friendly against the Republic of Ireland.

Sterling, 20, has become the tar-get of opprobrium since revealing he rejected a contract offer worth £100,000 ($152,695) a week from Liverpool, and his every touch met with a volley of boos at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Sunday.

With each week yielding a link to a different club, Hodgson warned that life could get harder for Sterling before it gets better.

“I think he’s going through a bad time publicly,” Hodgson said.

“You can’t expect people just to shrug off the criticism he has been receiving, not least from the local press in Liverpool.

“That becomes national pretty quickly,” he said.

“He does ever so well and tries well to shrug it off, let his football do the talking.”

“He needed this game to realise that if he is going to get it out of his system, he’s going to have to work harder still and get a thicker skin than he has at the moment, ” Hodgson added.

Players not robotsSterling was replaced by Andros Townsend in the 66th minute af-

ter a subdued display, but Hodg-son said he had “no reservations” about selecting him for this weekend’s 2016 European Cham-pionship qualifier in Slovenia.

“I trust Sterling. But players are not robots,” Hodgson told re-porters. “He’s done some fantas-tic things for us, but today (Sun-day) he didn’t hit those heights. It’ll take a lot before I and the English national team sway from Raheem Sterling.”

While Hodgson admitted his side “never got close” to their best level during an insipid game that saw Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy make his England

‘Very decent response’Rioting far-right hooligans had caused the last meeting between the teams in Dublin in February 1995 to be abandoned after only 27 minutes, but with the Foot-ball Association having urged the 3,000 travelling supporters to behave prior to Sunday’s reunion, there was a distinct lack of edge to the atmosphere.

“Two obvious positives were the spirit in which the game was played — competitive, both teams trying to win — and the atmosphere in the stadium,” said Hodgson, who was present at Lansdowne Road in 1995.

“The behaviour of the fans was a remarkable positive.” - AFP

F O O T B A L L

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMSECTIONC T U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5LIFE & STYLE

In January 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration ap-proved a new kind of obesity therapy. Vbloc is a vagus nerve pacemaker developed by Enter-

oMedics, a company based in St Paul, Minnesota (US). It works by intermit-tently blocking vagal nerve signals be-tween the brain and the stomach. The idea stems from the observation of weight loss among patients who had their vagus nerve cut just below the diaphragm, once a common treatment for duodenal ulcers, because it reduces acid secretion.

Instead of cutting the vagus nerve, Vbloc positions the pacemaker wires on the nerve between the oesophagus and the stomach. Then a pacemaker provides a nerve-blocking stimulus for 14 hours a day. Because the vagus nerve carries information about digestion and

fullness to the brain, the theory is that faulty signals can fool the brain into thinking the body needs more food, so people eat more than they actually need. Blocking the vagus nerve stops these faulty appetite signals from reaching the brain, which reduces hunger and promotes a feeling of fullness.

Scott Shikora, the chief medical officer at EnteroMedics comments: “The patients in our trial that were receiving vagal nerve blocking didn’t eat different foods, they just had less appetite, so ate less.” Mike Magnant, a machinist from Carver, Massachusetts, was one of more than 200 patients in the Vbloc trial. Magnant had battled with obesity since his teens, tried nu-merous diets and diet pills, yet at 5 feet 6 inches tall, he weighed 132 kilograms — a body mass index of 47. “Every new diet I tried, I’d lose 20 kilograms and

then within a few months, I’d put it back on,” he says. “Just bending over to tie my shoelaces was exhausting, climbing stairs was an issue, fitting in a plane seat or at a restaurant booth was impossible, and I was suffering from high blood pressure.”

In 2011, Magnant heard a radio ad for candidates to be part of a blind clinical trial for weight loss. He went along to a meeting to see the device and learn more. And he was impressed: “This actually sounded like it might work. It was cutting-edge and like sci-fi to use a pacemaker to tell your brain you were full. I thought, ‘Wow, this is cool!’ I had the surgery on Friday 2 December, and on Monday I was back at work. Friends who have had gastric bypass have been off work for at least six weeks.”

And the results were similarly speedy. “By Christmas, I was struggling

to eat the family dinner — I just wasn’t hungry. Before the surgery I was eating at least 3,000 calories per day and still not feeling full; since, I rarely eat half of that. In the first month I lost 8 kilo-grams, and after a few months everyone noticed, but I kept the device secret at first in case all the weight piled back on again,” he says. Magnant went down to 93 kilograms, but says people com-plained he was “looking very thin and drawn”, so he has settled at being a bit heavier and says he is comfortable with this. “I walk three miles a day, I climb three flights of stairs, I don’t feel people are looking at me because of my weight — it’s a brand new experi-ence. I’m 63 and I feel as though I can do anything.”

Trials of the device in people with a body mass index of greater than 35 showed that more than half lost mean-

ingful weight — and they kept it off for at least the 18 months of the study. Unlike a gastric bypass, the vagal implant is ful-ly reversible, doesn’t require a major di-etary change and doesn’t cause “dump-ing syndrome”, in which food moves too quickly from the stomach to the bowel, or hypoglycaemia. Shikora points out that less than one per cent of potential candidates for bypass surgery actually have it because of the risks and lifestyle changes involved. “But this could offer a simpler, safer weight loss alternative.”

“My life has completely changed,” says Magnant. And this is partly be-cause it no longer revolves around food: “Before, I’d stop at a fast-food restaurant on my way home from work, eat a couple of burgers, then go home and have dinner. Now, I’m not hungry enough to want to do that,” he laughs. -Gaia Vince/The Independent

THE NEW PACEMAKER HELPS OVER-EATERS

By blocking the electrical signals sent by the digestive system to the brain, it can fool us into feeling full

C8

EXTRAT U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

Edible flowers are catching on.

A shop specialising in these flowers

opened in Tokyo this year

FLOWERS SOOTHE THE MIND AND PLEASE THE PALATE

Do edible flowers taste

good? How do you eat them? Pink alyssum and blu- ish-purple violas

presented like a salad were displayed at Table, the nation’s (Japan) first edible flower speciality shop,

which opened in the Ikebukuro district in January. Jiro Kataoka, the president of the marketing company that

runs the shop, became aware of the flavours of flowers about a year ago. Kataoka, who grows herbs as a hobby, casually ate the petal of a begonia and found it had a sweet-and-sour taste like a strawberry. He decided to

open the shop, thinking, “I want more people to know about this.” The shop’s main customers are women,

but an unexpectedly large number of men come in as well. “I think they want to surprise their

wives and girlfriends,” said Kataoka, 46. People around the world eat flowers, with some traditions dating back

to the pre-Christian period. In Japan, edible chrysan-themums were imported from China about 1,300 years

ago, and the flower became widespread in the Edo pe-riod (1603-1867). The famed haiku poet Matsuo Basho

wrote, “A butterfly comes and consumes vinegar in a namasu dish using chrysanthemum.” The term edible flowers often refers to Western blooms. They started to become popular in the United States around the 1980s.

Edible flowers are rich in fibre and nutrients such as vi-tamins and minerals — a nasturtium has about five times

as much vitamin A as a tomato, for example. There are many flavours of edible flowers, including sweet, sour and

spicy. I ate the petal of a nasturtium, and it had a pun-gent taste like wasabi. In Japan, the flower is avail-

able at department stores or upscale supermarkets. Edible flower growers established a group in mid-

April called Nihon Edible Flower Kyokai (Japan edible flower association), comprising six farmers in areas from Hokkaido to Fukuoka. One member is Yuichi Wak-isaka, 53, the president of the Wakisaka Engei flower-growing company based in Agano, Niigata Prefecture.

A producer of seedlings for flower beds such as pan-sies and marigolds, Wakisaka started growing edible

flowers after the 2011 Great East Japan Earth-quake. Frustrated that he could only send

f l o w e r s to disaster-affected areas, he recalled a

newspaper arti-cle that had fea-

tured a dish using

edible flow-ers. He thought, “People can eat edible flowers, and also heal their suffering hearts.” The flowers will be eaten by people, so Wakisaka does not use pesticides. Grow-ing them requires great care, but orders from restaurants and other buyers have been gradually increasing, and Wakisaka’s shipping volume is now three times as much as when he started. “I want to make the peo-ple who eat them smile, with flowers grown with the utmost care,” Wakisaka said. Saori Kihara, a 25-year-old part-timer in Adachi Ward, Tokyo, became interested in edible flowers in high school after

learning she could eat a purple-red cook town orchid that was served in a glass at a cafe. She wasn’t satisfied

doing research with books or the Internet, so she moved to Tokyo from Fukuoka in April and qualified as an ed-ible-flower coordinator. She now grows six kinds of ed-ible flowers, including verbena and chives, in pots on her balcony. “They’re beautiful and attractive, and I can experience various flavours,” she said. “I want to use the

knowledge I acquired while studying for the qualifica-tion to create new dishes using edible flowers and open

a cafe in the future.” I also took a cooking lesson from food researcher Can’Na, trying my hand at Vietnamese

spring rolls. I put shrimp and potherb mustard on rice paper, sprinkled them with violas and marigolds, and then wrapped it all up in rice paper. The rolls looked lovely, as the petals of the flowers can be seen through the rice paper. When I ate the spring roll, the subtle aromas of the flowers came through. “It’s also great to mix nasturtiums rubbed with salt into rice or a potato salad,” Can’Na said. She recommended dishes such as spaghetti mixed with verbenas served cold for the coming season. Edible flowers can satisfy people’s stomachs and hearts — the people growing the flow-ers or cooking them were all smiling. I will also decorate my table with the dishes I learned about and enjoy the early sum-mer season using all five senses. -Mayumi Oshige/ The

Washington Post

JAMES WHISTLER said, “If other people are going to talk, conversation becomes impossible.”

If other bridge players are distracting you by talking, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to think of the best play.

Our final deal in this series on discarding is the hardest of all. South is in three no-trump. West leads his fourth-highest club. Assuming South holds up his ace until the third round of the suit, how can the defenders obtain a topic of conversation for years to come?

South has seven top tricks — two spades, three

hearts, one diamond and one club. He hopes to establish his diamond suit for the loss of only one trick and either find clubs 4-4 or keep West off the lead while setting up his diamond suit.

Suppose East discards the heart two on the third club. Declarer plays a spade to dummy and returns a low diamond. If East plays low, South wins with his ace and leads a second round.

Alternatively, if East puts up his diamond king, declarer plays low from his hand, then cashes the diamond ace next. In both cases, South ends with an

overtrick.What is the answer? On

the third club, East must discard his diamond king! Then West will gain the lead with his diamond queen to run his clubs. Yes, that is a tough play to find, but note that if South has the ace-queen of diamonds, East’s king is powerless.

Phillip Alder is combining in May 2016 with Kalos to run a bridge and golf river cruise starting from Bordeaux, France. Details are available on Phillip’s website: www.phillipalderbridge.com.

— By Phillip Alder

C9

ENTERTAINMENT

A tough discard even to consider

B I G N A T E

B O R N L O S E R

M A R M A D U K E

A C E S O N B R I D G E

K I D S P O T H E A L T H C A P S U L EC R O S S W O R D

Answer to previous puzzle

WITH LOVE

T U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 16 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to [email protected]

LAKSHMITHAJune 9, 2010

MEDHANSH MANJUNATH June 9, 2008

CHRIS TIJO THOMASJune 9, 2010

ACROSS

1 Laird’s daughter 5 Fat cat’s frequent victim 9 Atlas page12 Four Corners state13 — Lisa14 Molecular biology topic15 Murder and such16 Forms a hard coating18 Novel closers20 Swift-footed21 Mauna —22 Drab color23 Link hands26 Backslide30 Word before

“Fire!”31 Oxygen source32 Not just mine33 Falls for lovers36 Panorama38 TV network39 Team cheer40 Kind of bull43 Outcomes47 Stole the spotlight49 Kind of squad50 “Luck — — Lady”51 Pueblo people52 First-century emperor53 Mach 1 exceeder54 Gave the once- over55 Kind of leopard

DOWN

1 Olympic event 2 Perched on 3 Hindu attire 4 Beach finds 5 Alpha opposite 6 Puts on 7 Business mag 8 Scolding, so to speak 9 Dept. store inventory10 — up (pay)11 Dinosaur’s time17 Radius companion19 Alley from Moo22 The, to Wolfgang23 Paint container24 Caesar’s 52

25 Rx writers org.26 Narrow inlet27 “The Bells” poet28 Nearest star29 Before31 Equator segment34 Annoying insect35 On fire36 Stockholm carrier37 Butter makers39 Started over40 Ale sources41 Goodall subject42 Exam for jrs.43 Descartes’ name44 Mortgage, e.g.45 Matador’s foe46 Stash the bags48 Author — de Maupassant

C I N E M A S C H E D U L EC I N E M A S C H E D U L E

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Tanu Weds Manu Returns (Romance/Drama/Comedy) – TBCCast: Kangana Ranaut, R. Madhavan3:45, 6:45 & 9:45 pm

San Andreas (2D) (12+) (Action, Drama) Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario3:15pmSan Andreas (3D) (12+) (Action, Drama) Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario9:15 & 11:30 pmJungle Master (2D) (PG) (Animation, Adventure, Comedy) Cast: Victoria Justice, David Spade4:00 pmSurvivor (2D) (PG12) (Action/Thriller) Cast: Milla Jovovich, Pierce Brosnan, Dylan McDermott5:20, 9:45 & 11:45 pmCut Bank - 2D (12+) ThrillerCast: Liam Hemsworth, Teresa Palmer02:30 pmEntourage - 2D (15+) ComedyCast: Adrian Grenier, Jeremy Piven05:20 & 07:15 pmWoman in Gold - 2D (PG) DramaCast: Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Brühl04:15 & 06:15 pmInsidious: Chapter 3 - 2D (15+) HorrorCast: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Angus Sampson02:10, 05:30 & 11:30 pmSpy - 2D (18+) Action | ComedyCast: Jude Law, Raad Rawi, Melissa McCarthy07:15, 09:30 & 11:30 PMDil Dhadakne Do - 2D (TBC) (Drama)

San Andreas – 3D (PG) Action, DramaCast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino09:30 & 11:45 pmSpy - 2D (18+) Action, Comedy Cast: Jude Law, Melissa McCarthy 03:15, 07:15 & 11:30 pmSurvivor – 2D (PG12) Action, Thriller Cast: Milla Jovovich, Pierce Brosnan2:45, 5:30, 8:15 & 10:00 pmBurying the Ex – 2D (12+) Comedy Cast: Anton Yelchin, Ashley Greene04:30 pmWoman in Gold – 2D (PG) Drama Cast: Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds02:45, 06:15 pm Insidious: Chapter 3 - 2D (15+) Horror Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott04:45, 11:45 pm Chandrettan Evideya – 2D (PG) Comedy Cast: Anusree, Dilip, Namitha Pramod 06:30 pm Dil Dhadakne Do – 2D (TBC)Drama Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shetty, Priyanka Chopra 08:45 pm

San Andreas (3D) (Action | Thriller) (PG) Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino07:30 pm Survivor (Action | Thriller) (PG12) Cast: Milla Jovovich, Pierce Brosnan4:45 & 9:45 pm

San Andreas (2D) (12+) (Action, Drama) Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino2:45pmSan Andreas (3D) (12+) (Action, Drama) 9:15 & 11:30PMSpy (2D) (18+) (Action, Comedy) Cast: Jude Law, Raad Rawi5:00 & 9:30PMCut Bank (3D) (12+) (Thriller) Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Teresa Palmer11:00AM & 3:15PMSurvivor (2D) (PG12) (Action, Thriller) Cast: Milla Jovovich, Pierce Brosnan12:45 & 7:15PMWoman in Gold (2D) (PG) (Drama) 12:30 & 06:30PMInsidious: Chapter 3 (2D) (15+) (Horror) 2:30 & 11:45PMJungle Master (2D) (PG) (Animation) Cast: Victoria Justice, David Spade11:00AMEntourage (2D) (15+) (Comedy) 4:20 & 7:20PMBurying the Ex (2D) (12+) (Comedy) 1:30PMChandrettan Evideya (2D) (PG) Cast: Anusree, Dilip, Namitha Pramod5:00PMDil Dhadakne Do (2D) (PG12) (Drama) Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor8:30PM

Insidious: Chapter 3 (Horror) (15+) Cast: Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott06:30 pm Spy (Action | Comedy) (18+) Cast: Jason Statham, Jude Law05:15, 11:30 pm Dil Dhadakne Do (Hindi) (Drama) (TBC) Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shetty, Priyanka Chopra 08:15 pm Chandrettan Evideya (Mal) (Comedy) (PG) Cast: Anusree, Dilip, Namitha Pramod 11:15 pm

SCREEN 3

Gabbar - Hindi (Action/Drama ) – PGCast: Akshay Kumar, Shruti K. Haasan, Kareena Kapoor3:45, 6:45 & 9:45 pm

Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shetty, Priyanka Chopra 02:15 & 08:15 pmChandrettan Evideya - 2D (M) (PG) ComedyCast: Anusree, Dilip, Namitha Pramod07:25 PM

C10

FIND-IT-ALLT U E S DAY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

PHARMACIESRound the clockAl Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24783334; Appolo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24782666; Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi: 24702542, Salalah: 23291635; Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra: 24503585; Ruwi 24811715Muscat RegionApollo, Al Hamriya. Tel: 24787766Muscat, A Seeb Market. Tel: 24421691Muscat, Al Khuwair. Tel: 24485740Muscat, Al Hail South. Tel: 4537080Dhofar RegionMuscat, Al Nahdha Road, Salalah. Tel: 23291635

HOSPITALSAl Amal Medical & Health Care Centre: 24485052Atlas Hospital: Ruwi: 24811743/ Ghubra: 24504000Al Musafir Specialised Medical Clinic: 24706453Hatat Polyclinic LLC,Ruwi: 24563641, Azaiba: 24499269, Sohar: 2683006Al Raffah Hospital: 24618900/1/2Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory: 24566435Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre: 24499434Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24787766, 24787780Capital Polyclinic: 24707549Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi: 24799760/1/2Capital Clinic, Seeb: 24420740Ceregem National Raak: 24485633Dr Harub’s Clinic: 24563217Elixir Health Centre: 24565802Emirates Medical Centre: 246045401st Chiropractic Centre: 24472274Hamdan Hospital: 23212340International Medical Centre LLC: 24794501/2/3/4/5Kims Oman Hospital: 24760100

24 Hrs Emergency: 24760123Lama Polyclinic, Sohar: 26751128, MBD: 24799077, Al Khuwair: 24478818Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital: 24568870Muscat Private Hospital: 24583600Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair: 24477666Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC: 22004000

ROYAL OMAN POLICEEmergencies and inquiries: 9999General Directorate of Passport and Residence: 24569603Directorate General of Customs: 24521109Traffic violations inquiries: 24510228Public Relations Admin: 24560099

ACCOMMODATIONAl Bahjah Hotel: 24424400Al Bustan Palace: 24764000 Al Khuwair Hotel Apartments: 24478171Al Madina Holiday Inn: 24596400Al Maha International Hotel: 24494949Al Fanar Hotel: 24712385Al Falaj Hotel: 24702311Al Qurum Resort: 24605945Azaiba Hotel Apartments: 24490979Beach Hotel: 24696601Bowshar Hotel: 24491105Coral Hotel Muscat: 24692121Crowne Plaza Muscat: 24660660Crystal Suites: 24826100Golden Tulip Seeb: 24510300Grand Hyatt Muscat: 24641234Haffa House Hotel: 24707207Hotel Muscat Holiday: 24487123InterContinental Muscat: 24680000Majan Continental Hotel: 24592900Marina Hotel: 24711711Midan Hotel Suites: 24499565Mina Hotel: 24711828Muttrah Hotel: 24798401

Nuzha Hotel Apartments: 24789199Oman Dive Centre: 24824240Park Inn: 24507888Qurum Beach House Hotel: 24564070Radisson Blu Hotel: 24487777Ramee Dream Resort Seeb: 24453399Ramee Guestline Hotel: 24564443Ruwi Hotel: 24704244Safeer Hotel Suites: 24691200Sheraton Oman Hotel: 24772772Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa: 24776666The Chedi Muscat: 24524400The Treasurebox Muscat Hotel: 24502570Sifawy Hotel +968 24749111Juweira Hotel +968 23239600

AIRLINE OFFICESMuscat Airport Flight information (24 hours): 24519456/24519223Aeroflot: 24704455, Air Arabia: 24700828, Air France: 24562153, Air India: 24799801, Air New Zealand: 24700732, Biman Bangladesh Airlines: 24701128, British Airways: 24568777, Cathay Pacific: 24789818, Egypt Air: 24794113, Emirates Air: 24404400, Ethiopian Airlines: 24660313, Gulf Air: 80072424, Indian: 24791914, Iran Air: 24787423, Japan Airlines: 24704455, Jazeera Airways: 23294848, Jet Airways: 24787248, Kenya Airways: 24660300, KML Royal Dutch Airlines: 24566737, Kuwait Airways: 24701262, LOT Polish Airlines: 24796387, Lufthansa: 24796692, Malaysian Airlines: 24560796, Middle East Airlines: 24796680, Oman Air: 24531111, Pakistan International Airlines: 24792471, Qatar Airways: 24771900, Qantas: 24559941, Royal Jordanian: 24796693, Saudi Arabian Airlines: 24789485, Singapore

Airlines: 24791233, Shaheen Air: 24816565, SriLankan Airlines: 24784545, Swiss International Airlines: 24796692, Thai Airways: 24705934, Turkish Airlines: 24703033

MUSEUMSBait Al Baranda: Corniche (seafront opp fish market), Open from Saturday to Thursday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 6pmNatural History Museum: Al Khuwair, Tel: 24604957, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm; Thursday: 9am to 1pmMuseum of Omani Heritage: (former Omani Museum), Madinat Al Alam, Sat-Wed 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday - 9am to 1pm, Tel: 24600946Armed Forces Museum: Bait Al Falaj, Tel: 24312651, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm; Thurs 9-12pm and 3-6pm; Fri 9-11am and 3-6pm. Al Hoota Caves 24498258; Turtle Beach 96550606/96550707Children’s Science Museum: Shatti Al Qurum, Tel: 24605368, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pmOman-French Museum: near Muscat Police Station, Tel: 24736613, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm, Thurs: 9am to 1pmBait Al Zubair, Muscat: Tel: 24736688, Al Saidiya St., [email protected] from Sat to Thurs: 9:30am to 6pm.National Museum Ruwi: Tel: 24701289, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm, Thurs: 9am to 1pmSohar Fort Museum: Tel: 26844758, Open from Saturday to Wed: 8 to 1:30pm Thurs: 9am to 1pmMuscat Gate Museum: at Al Bahri Road, Muscat open from Sat to Wed 8am to 2pm

PRAYER TIMINGS

W E A T H E R

Dhuhr 12.11pmAsr 3.29pmMaghrib 6.57pmIsha 8.20pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 3.52am

Sunset 6:52pmSunrise (Tomorrow) 5.19am

High tide 12:37am 1:53pmLow tide 7:23pm 7:09am

OMAN

Max 42Min 34

Max 36Min 28

Max 39Min 29

Max 39Min 29

Max 38Min 30Max 40

Min 24

Max 40Min 26

Max 32 Min 29

Clear to partly cloudy skies over Dhofar governorate with chances of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog along the southeastern coastal areas. Mainly clear skies over rest of the Sultanate with chances of

convective clouds developments and thundershowers over Al-Hajar mountains and adjoining areas towards tomorrow afternoon and evening that may be associated with hail and fresh downdraft wind, may extend to the desert areas causing blowing dust.EXPECTED WIND: Along the coastal areas of Oman Sea wind will be variable light at night becoming northeasterly light to moderate during day and southwesterly moderate to fresh along the coastal areas of Arabian Sea. While over rest of the Sultanate it will be southerly to southeasterly light to moderate

and occasionally fresh.SEA STATE: Moderate to rough along the southeastern coasts with a maximum wave height of 3.0 metres and slight along the rest of Oman’s coast with a maximum wave height 1.25 metres.HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate becoming weak during fog, dust and thundershowers.THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Chance of convective clouds developments and thundershowers over Al-Hajar mountains and adjoining areas toward afternoon. Chances of late night to early morning low level clouds along the coastal areas of Arabian Sea.

Max Min

GULFAbu Dhabi 38 30Doha 40 25Dubai 42 28Kuwait 43 32Manama 36 26Riyadh 41 26

WORLDAthens 26 19Baghdad 45 27Beijing 29 19Berlin 19 11Boston 24 16Cairo 36 18Colombo 30 26Frankfurt 20 12Hong Kong 30 22Istanbul 23 16Johannesburg 17 3Kuala Lumpur 30 25Lisbon 26 16Paris 18 11Perth 24 12Singapore 29 26Tokyo 26 19Toronto 23 14

WORLD

Max 28Min 19

Max 45Min 25

Max 23Min 12

Max 36Min 29

Max 29Min 18

Max 19Min 11

Max 20Min 12

Max 34Min 27

LONG DISTANCE BUS TIMINGS (OMAN NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMPANY SAOC) *SUBJECT TO CHANGE

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (Route 36)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 15:00 Quriyat 16:30 Daily15:00 Sur 18:00 Daily15:00 Jaalan 19:30 Daily

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (Route 36)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41)06:30 Sohar 08:50 Daily06:30 Buraimi 11:00 Daily08:00 Buraimi 14:30 Daily via Ibri13:00 Sohar 15:45 Daily13:00 Buraimi 17:40 Daily 16.00 Sohar 18.35 Daily 16.00 Buraimi 20:20 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41)07:00 Sohar 08:55 Daily07:00 Ruwi 11:40 Daily13:30 Ruwi 20:20 Daily via Ibri13:00 Sohar 14:55 Daily13:00 Ruwi 17:40 Daily 13:00 Sohar 19:20 Daily 17:00 Ruwi 22:15 Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52)17:30 Sinaw 20:50 Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52)07:00 Ruwi 10:25 Daily

To Yanqul (Route 54)14:30 Nizwa 16:50 Daily14:30 Yanqul 19:30 Daily

To Yanqul (Route 54)06:00 Nizwa 08:40 Daily06:00 Ruwi 11:00 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54)08:00 Nizwa 10:20 Daily08:00 Al Araqi 12:30 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54)15:40 Nizwa 17:55 Daily15:40 Ruwi 20:20 Daily

TO SUR (Route 55)07:30 Sur 12:00 Daily14:30 Sur 18:45 Daily

TO SUR (Route 55)06:00 Ruwi 10:45 Daily14:30 Ruwi 19:00 Daily

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (Route 62)06:30 Fahud 10:30 Daily06:30 Yibal 11:15 Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (Route 62)12:30 Fahud 13:15 Daily12:30 Ruwi 17:30 Daily

TO DUBAI (Route 201)06:00 Sohar 08:30 Daily06:00 Dubai 11:30 Daily13:00 Sohar 15:30 Wed,Thur13:00 Dubai 18:30 Wed,Thur15:00 Sohar 17:35 Daily15:00 Dubai 20:55 Daily

TO DUBAI (Route 201)07:30 Sohar 10:50 Daily07:30 Ruwi 13:40 Daily13:00 Sohar 16:15 Thur-Fri13:00 Ruwi 19:10 Thur-Fri15:30 Sohar 18:45 Daily15:30 Ruwi 21:35 Daily

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (Route 100)07:00 Salalah 20:00 Daily10:00 Marmul 20:30 Daily10:00 Salalah 23:30 Daily19:00 Salalah 07:40 Daily

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (Route 100)07:00 Ruwi 19:50 Daily10:00 Marmul 13:15 Daily10:00 Ruwi 22:30 Daily19:00 Ruwi 07:30 Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101)06:00 Marmul 16:50 Daily

SALALAH TO DUBAI (Route 102)15:00 Dubai 07:00 Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101)06:00 Marmul 16:30 Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (Route 102)15:00 Salalah 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily 07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily 07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily 16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

LISTINGS

—www.met.gov.om

BORN today, you are a highly energetic, imaginative and creative individual, but you are not the type to build your entire life on aspirations, ambitions and illusions. On the contrary, you have your feet firmly planted on the ground, and this enables you to work in a realistic fashion to turn your dreams into reality — for despite your honest, down-to-earth nature, you are surely also a dreamer, as there is a dreamer in every Gemini native, whether he or she wishes to acknowledge it consciously or not! You’re likely to enjoy a quick start to a lucrative career, but not long after your initial success, you will come to a crossroads, and there you will be required to make a decision that may affect you for the rest of your life.

Many doors will have opened to you in your early years — socially and professionally — and it will be difficult for others to anticipate which you will step through, for you have interests and abilities that could lead you in virtually any direction. What is most important is to make a choice — any choice at all!

Also born on this date are: Johnny Depp, actor; Natalie Portman, actress; Michael J. Fox, actor; Les Paul, guitarist; Cole Porter, songwriter; Jackie Mason, comedian; Jackie Wilson, singer; Robert Cummings, actor; Robert McNamara, statesman; Gloria Reuben, actress.

You may find that you’re a hot topic on the rumour mill. This can give you some enjoyment — up to a point.

VIRGO [AUG. 23-SEPT. 22]

LIBRA [SEPT. 23-OCT. 22] LLLLLLLLLLLLLLL[S[S[S[S[[[S[[S[S[S[[S[S[SSS[SS[SSSS

SCORPIO [OCT. 23-NOV. 21] S[

SAGITTARIUS [NOV. 22-DEC. 21] S[[[[[[[[[[[[[[

AQUARIUS [JAN. 20-FEB. 18]

Don’t let yourself be tempted to do anything that, deep down, you believe is better left to someone else. You know your limits!

You must not let your own emotions keep you from making the correct business decision. Later, you can sort out how you feel.

You’ve settled on a course of action, but you may still be considering an alternative that can somehow be explored separately.

A faster pace is tempting, surely, but you must be aware of certain dangers that will arise if you try to do anything too quickly.

You may not be understood completely, yet at the same time, you may be misunderstanding what a loved one is trying to tell you.

You must pay attention to one or two sticking points. The success of a current project depends on your ability to maneuver.

You may be expecting too much from others. Realise that not everyone is able to keep up with you — at least, not in the way you prefer.

PISCES [Feb. 19-March 20]

You’re expecting a great deal from teamwork, but you may actually get better results working on your own.

GEMINI [MAY 21-JUNE 20]

CANCER [JUNE 21-JULY 22]

LEO [JULY 23-AUG. 22]

CAPRICORN [DEC. 22-JAN 19]

Y O U R B I R T H D A Y

ARIES [March 21-APRIL 19]

TAURUS [APRIL 20-MAY 20]

You must be ready and willing to step in and ease tensions that arise quickly when someone says the wrong thing.

There is much you can do at home, but you must tend to business in a certain order — otherwise, mess begets more mess!

You’re getting closer to the bull’s-eye, but there’s still something that is keeping you from hitting dead center.

FLT NO DEPARTURES TO ETD AI986 BOMBAY 00209W539 BOMBAY 0020SG062 AHMEDABAD 0030WY657 BAHRAIN 0055WY637 ABU DHABI 0105WY235 HYDERABAD 0110WY281 BANGALORE 0110WY685 RIYADH 0115WY201 BOMBAY 0115WY643 KUWAIT 0120WY251 MADRAS 0120WY345 ISLAM ABBAD 0125WY271 JAIPUR 0135WY601 DUBAI 0145WY341 LAHORE 0145WY431 TEHRAN 0155WY371 COLOMBO 0155WY123 MUNICH 0200WY325 KARACHI 0210WY901 SALALAH 0215WY241 DELHI 0215WY667 DOHA 0225WY383 MALE 0230BG022 CHITTAGONG-DACCA 0230NL769 LAHORE 0230TK775 ISTANBUL 02304H584 DACCA 0300WY331 KATHMANDU 0350PK282 SIALKOT 0400EK867 DUBAI 0450ET625 ADDIS ABABA 0450EY385 ABU DHABI 0500FZ042 DUBAI 0510QR1133 DOHA 0515GF561 BAHRAIN 0715WY651 BAHRAIN 0730WY3301 MUKHAIZNA 0730WY903 SALALAH 07404H562 DACCA 0745WY603 DUBAI 0750WY917 KHASAB 0815WY323 KARACHI 0835WY669 DOHA 0835FZ044 DUBAI 0845WY633 ABU DHABI 0900WY373 COLOMBO 0900WY215 TRIVANDRUM 0900WY815 BANGKOK 0905WY291 CALICUT 0915WY263 LUCKNOW 0940WY385 MALE 0945G9842 RAS AL KHAIMA 0945WY821 SINGAPORE-KUALA LUMPUR 0945G9115 SHARJAH 0955WY231 HYDERABAD 1000WY905 SALALAH 1020WY605 DUBAI 1020WY203 BOMBAY 1025WY245 DELHI 1040EK863 DUBAI 1045WY337 KATHMANDU 1050IX818 MANGALORE 1100QR1129 DOHA 1100EY383 ABU DHABI 1105WY311 CHITTAGONG 1140WY919 KHASAB 11459W533 COCHIN 1145GF563 BAHRAIN 1215WY223 COCHIN 1215WY655 BAHRAIN 1215FZ038 DUBAI 1225WY631 ABU DHABI 1240IX350 CALICUT 1255WY253 MADRAS 1255WY113 FRANKFURT 1320WY693 DAMMAM 1330WY3303 MUKHAIZNA 1330WY663 DOHA 1330WY131 PARIS 1345WY143 MALPENSA 1350WY645 KUWAIT 1350WY101 LONDON HEATHROW 1400BG024 DACCA 1400PK192 GWADUR-TURBAT 1405PA951 SIALKOT 1430WY927 SALALAH 1430WY405 CAIRO 1440WY609 DUBAI 1445WY907 SALALAH 1540WY675 JEDDAH 1615FZ046 DUBAI 1620WY671 MEDINA 1705WY613 DUBAI 1710QR1127 DOHA 1750WY623 DUBAI 1840WY681 RIYADH 1840WY647 KUWAIT 1845WY909 SALALAH 1850GF565 BAHRAIN 1855EK865 DUBAI 1910WY695 DAMMAM 1915WY661 DOHA 1920WY653 BAHRAIN 1920G9117 SHARJAH 1955SV535 RIYADH 2000WY913 SALALAH 2000TG508 KARACHI-BANGKOK 2005WY635 ABU DHABI 2015FZ048 DUBAI 2025WY611 DUBAI 2035RG126 ABU DHABI 2045WY915 SALALAH 2100FZ050 DUBAI 2145WY411 AMMAN 2205WY421 BEIRUT 2215WY817 BANGKOK 22259W529 TRIVANDRUM 22306.00E+82 BOMBAY 2245AI908 MADRAS 2300UL206 COLOMBO 2305AI974 DELHI 2310GF567 BAHRAIN 2325LX243 DUBAI-ZURICH 2325BA072 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW 2330QR1135 DOHA 2330WY673 JEDDAH 2350LH617 DOHA-FRANKFURT 2355EY381 ABU DHABI 2355

FLT NO DEPARTURES TO ETD 9W539 BOMBAY 0020AI986 BOMBAY 0020WY657 BAHRAIN 0055WY637 ABU DHABI 0105WY235 HYDERABAD 0110WY281 BANGALORE 0110WY201 BOMBAY 0115WY685 RIYADH 0115WY643 KUWAIT 0120WY251 MADRAS 0120WY341 LAHORE 0145WY601 DUBAI 0145WY431 TEHRAN 0155WY371 COLOMBO 0155WY123 MUNICH 0200WY847 JAKARTA 0215WY241 DELHI 0215WY901 SALALAH 0215WY667 DOHA 0225TK775 ISTANBUL 02304H584 DACCA 0300PK230 LAHORE 0315WY331 KATHMANDU 0350EK867 DUBAI 0450ET625 ADDIS ABABA 0450EY385 ABU DHABI 0500FZ036 DUBAI 0510QR1133 DOHA 0515WY651 BAHRAIN 0645GF561 BAHRAIN 0715WY3921 DUQUM OMAN 0740G9842 RAS AL KHAIMA 0745WY603 DUBAI 0750WY903 SALALAH 0750WY3301 MUKHAIZNA 0800WY917 KHASAB 0815WY347 ISLAM ABBAD 0830WY669 DOHA 0835WY323 KARACHI 0835FZ044 DUBAI 0845WY633 ABU DHABI 0900WY815 BANGKOK 0905WY291 CALICUT 0915WY215 TRIVANDRUM 0915WY253 MADRAS 0915NL769 LAHORE 0930WY717 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 0940WY263 LUCKNOW 0940WY385 MALE 0945WY821 SINGAPORE-KUALA LUMPUR 0945WY843 MANILA 0955G9115 SHARJAH 0955WY231 HYDERABAD 1000WY905 SALALAH 1020WY605 DUBAI 1020WY203 BOMBAY 1025WY245 DELHI 1040EK863 DUBAI 1045IX554 TRIVANDRUM 1045WY337 KATHMANDU 1050QR1129 DOHA 1100EY383 ABU DHABI 1105IX442 COCHIN 1120WY311 CHITTAGONG 11409W533 COCHIN 1145WY919 KHASAB 1145QR8550 DUBAI WORLD CENTRE-DOHA 1205WY655 BAHRAIN 1215GF563 BAHRAIN 1215WY273 JAIPUR 1220FZ038 DUBAI 1225WY3303 MUKHAIZNA 1230IX350 CALICUT 1255PA451 LAHORE 1315WY113 FRANKFURT 1320WY663 DOHA 1330WY143 MALPENSA 1350WY645 KUWAIT 1350WY101 LONDON HEATHROW 1400WY423 BEIRUT 1415WY153 ZURICH 1420WY927 SALALAH 1430WY413 AMMAN 1440WY405 CAIRO 1440WY609 DUBAI 1445WY907 SALALAH 1540WY675 JEDDAH 1615G9110 SHARJAH 1615FZ046 DUBAI 1620WY631 ABU DHABI 1640WY613 DUBAI 1710QR1127 DOHA 1750WY327 KARACHI 1810WY623 DUBAI 1840WY681 RIYADH 1840WY647 KUWAIT 1845WY909 SALALAH 1850GF565 BAHRAIN 1855EK865 DUBAI 1910WY695 DAMMAM 1915WY661 DOHA 1920WY653 BAHRAIN 1920G9117 SHARJAH 1955WY913 SALALAH 2000WY635 ABU DHABI 2015FZ048 DUBAI 2025WY611 DUBAI 2035RG126 ABU DHABI 2045WY915 SALALAH 2100FZ050 DUBAI 2145AI978 HYDERABAD-BANGALORE 2200KL442 DOHA-AMSTERDAM 2220WY817 BANGKOK 22259W529 TRIVANDRUM 22306.00E+82 BOMBAY 2245AI908 MADRAS 2300AI974 DELHI 2310WY677 MEDINA 2310GF567 BAHRAIN 2325LX243 DUBAI-ZURICH 2325BA072 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW 2330QR1135 DOHA 2330WY673 JEDDAH 2350EY381 ABU DHABI 2355LH617 DOHA-FRANKFURT 2355

A I R L I N E S

TUESDAYFLT NO ARRIVALS FROM ETA WY406 CAIRO 0005WY648 KUWAIT 0005WY676 JEDDAH 0005WY682 RIYADH 0010WY914 SALALAH 0020BG021 DACCA 0100WY916 SALALAH 0120NL768 LAHORE 0130TK774 ISTANBUL 01354H583 DACCA 0200PK281 ISLAM ABBAD-SIALKOT 0300GF560 BAHRAIN 0325QR1132 DOHA 0345EK866 DUBAI 0350ET624 ADDIS ABABA 0350EY384 ABU DHABI 0400FZ041 DUBAI 0415WY114 FRANKFURT 0515WY412 AMMAN 0515WY658 BAHRAIN 0635WY638 ABU DHABI 06404H562 JEDDAH 0645WY902 SALALAH 0645WY644 KUWAIT 0650WY326 KARACHI 0650WY686 RIYADH 0655WY154 ZURICH 0700WY144 MALPENSA 0705WY678 MEDINA 0710WY668 DOHA 0715WY132 PARIS 0735WY674 JEDDAH 0735WY102 LONDON HEATHROW 0740FZ043 DUBAI 0800WY432 TEHRAN 0805WY602 DUBAI 0805WY346 ISLAM ABBAD 0815WY342 LAHORE 0825WY272 JAIPUR 0830WY202 BOMBAY 0835G9841 RAS AL KHAIMA 0855WY236 HYDERABAD 0900G9114 SHARJAH 0905WY282 BANGALORE 0910EK862 DUBAI 0930WY242 DELHI 0935WY252 MADRAS 0955QR1128 DOHA 1000IX817 MANGALORE 1010EY382 ABU DHABI 10109W530 TRIVANDRUM 1045WY3302 MUKHAIZNA 1050WY604 DUBAI 1115WY918 KHASAB 1115WY652 BAHRAIN 1125GF562 BAHRAIN 1130FZ037 DUBAI 1140WY372 COLOMBO 1140IX337 CALICUT 1155WY384 MALE 1210WY822 KUALA LUMPUR-SINGAPORE 1215WY705 DARESSLAM-ZANZIBAR 1215WY904 SALALAH 1220WY634 ABU DHABI 1220WY818 BANGKOK 1220BG023 DACCA-CHITTAGONG 1230WY670 DOHA 1250WY324 KARACHI 1300WY332 KATHMANDU 1305PA950 SIALKOT 1310PK191 GWADUR 1320WY606 DUBAI 1340WY906 SALALAH 1440WY920 KHASAB 1445FZ045 DUBAI 1535WY632 ABU DHABI 1605WY656 BAHRAIN 1610QR1126 DOHA 1650WY3304 MUKHAIZNA 1650WY204 BOMBAY 1655WY292 CALICUT 1710WY264 LUCKNOW 1740WY664 DOHA 1745WY216 TRIVANDRUM 1745EK864 DUBAI 1745WY232 HYDERABAD 1750WY246 DELHI 1750WY610 DUBAI 1800WY694 DAMMAM 1805GF564 BAHRAIN 1810TG507 BANGKOK-KARACHI 1900SV534 RIYADH 1900G9116 SHARJAH 1905WY374 COLOMBO 1915WY646 KUWAIT 1920FZ047 DUBAI 1940WY908 SALALAH 2000RG125 ABU DHABI 2005WY386 MALE 2020WY224 COCHIN 2025WY614 DUBAI 2025WY338 KATHMANDU 2040FZ049 DUBAI 2100WY124 MUNICH 21059W534 COCHIN 2115AI973 DELHI 21256.00E+81 BOMBAY 2130WY254 MADRAS 2135BA073 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI 2140WY624 DUBAI 2150UL205 COLOMBO 2155AI907 MADRAS 2200WY312 CHITTAGONG 2210LX242 ZURICH-DUBAI 2225QR1134 DOHA 2225GF566 BAHRAIN 2240LH616 FRANKFURT-DOHA 2245EY388 ABU DHABI 2300WY910 SALALAH 23109W540 BOMBAY 2315AI985 BOMBAY 2325WY662 DOHA 2335WY654 BAHRAIN 2340WY636 ABU DHABI 2340WY928 SALALAH 2345WY816 BANGKOK 2350WY696 DAMMAM 2355WY612 DUBAI 2355

WEDNESDAYFLT NO ARRIVALS FROM ETA

WY648 KUWAIT 0005WY406 CAIRO 0005WY676 JEDDAH 0005WY672 MEDINA 0005WY682 RIYADH 0010WY914 SALALAH 0020WY916 SALALAH 0120TK774 ISTANBUL 01354H583 DACCA 0200PK229 LAHORE 0215GF560 BAHRAIN 0325FZ035 DUBAI 0340QR1132 DOHA 0345EK866 DUBAI 0350ET624 ADDIS ABABA 0350EY384 ABU DHABI 0400WY114 FRANKFURT 0515WY412 AMMAN 0635WY658 BAHRAIN 0635WY638 ABU DHABI 0640WY902 SALALAH 0645WY644 KUWAIT 0650WY686 RIYADH 0655G9841 RAS AL KHAIMA 0655WY144 MALPENSA 0705WY668 DOHA 0715WY674 JEDDAH 0735WY132 PARIS 0735WY102 LONDON HEATHROW 0740FZ043 DUBAI 0800WY432 TEHRAN 0805WY422 BEIRUT 0805WY602 DUBAI 0805WY342 LAHORE 0825NL768 LAHORE 0830WY202 BOMBAY 0835WY236 HYDERABAD 0900G9114 SHARJAH 0905WY282 BANGALORE 0910WY226 COCHIN 0920EK862 DUBAI 0930WY242 DELHI 0935IX549 TRIVANDRUM 0955WY252 MADRAS 0955QR1128 DOHA 1000EY382 ABU DHABI 1010IX443 COCHIN 1020QR8550 DOHA 1035WY3922 DUQUM OMAN 1035WY652 BAHRAIN 10409W530 TRIVANDRUM 1045WY918 KHASAB 1115WY604 DUBAI 1115WY3302 MUKHAIZNA 1120GF562 BAHRAIN 1130FZ037 DUBAI 1140WY372 COLOMBO 1140IX337 CALICUT 1155PA450 LAHORE 1215WY822 KUALA LUMPUR-SINGAPORE 1215WY818 BANGKOK 1220WY634 ABU DHABI 1220WY904 SALALAH 1230WY670 DOHA 1250WY324 KARACHI 1300WY332 KATHMANDU 1305WY606 DUBAI 1340WY906 SALALAH 1440WY920 KHASAB 1445WY348 ISLAM ABBAD 1515G9119 SHARJAH 1525FZ045 DUBAI 1535WY3304 MUKHAIZNA 1550WY656 BAHRAIN 1610QR1126 DOHA 1650WY204 BOMBAY 1655WY292 CALICUT 1710WY264 LUCKNOW 1740WY664 DOHA 1745EK864 DUBAI 1745WY232 HYDERABAD 1750WY246 DELHI 1750WY254 MADRAS 1750WY610 DUBAI 1800GF564 BAHRAIN 1810WY216 TRIVANDRUM 1820G9116 SHARJAH 1905WY274 JAIPUR 1910WY646 KUWAIT 1920FZ047 DUBAI 1940WY908 SALALAH 2000RG125 ABU DHABI 2005WY632 ABU DHABI 2005WY386 MALE 2020WY614 DUBAI 2025WY848 JAKARTA 2035WY338 KATHMANDU 2040FZ049 DUBAI 2100AI977 BANGALORE-HYDERABAD 2105KL441 AMSTERDAM-DOHA 2105WY124 MUNICH 21059W534 COCHIN 2115AI973 DELHI 21256.00E+81 BOMBAY 2130BA073 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI 2140WY624 DUBAI 2150AI907 MADRAS 2200WY312 CHITTAGONG 2210LX242 ZURICH-DUBAI 2225QR1134 DOHA 2225GF566 BAHRAIN 2240LH616 FRANKFURT-DOHA 2245WY717 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM 2250WY328 KARACHI 2250EY388 ABU DHABI 2300WY414 AMMAN 2300WY910 SALALAH 23109W540 BOMBAY 2315AI985 BOMBAY 2325WY662 DOHA 2335WY636 ABU DHABI 2340WY654 BAHRAIN 2340WY928 SALALAH 2345WY816 BANGKOK 2350WY612 DUBAI 2355WY696 DAMMAM 2355

C11


Much of what you read on Twitter is hoax, says study

AT LEAST 25 per cent of all the news that you get on Twitter is fake, says a new study. Also, the study found that 25 per cent of all tweets sent are “not credible”. For frequent Twitter users this might not come as a sur-prise. People post false information all the time for various reasons — some inadvert-ent, others deliberate — such as ignorance

about a particular issue or if they are curious to know more about a subject. Some people also have malicious intent to mess with peo-ple’s heads and then there are all the rumours about celebrities, big brands and politicians. The study appeared in The New Scientist.

Feel virtual reality with new

gloves that let you sense things

YOU WOULD have sensed virtual reality through sight and sound so far. Now, you can touch the virtual objects, thanks to a new pair of gloves. Gloveone, the new green and black gloves from Spain-based tech company NeuroDigital Technologies, will let you actually feel sensations like shape and weight when interacting with virtual objects. The developers claim that the wearers will be able to feel rain and fire, and also something as ethereal as butterfly wings, Discovery.com reported.

Facebook ‘unfriend’ app could steal your dataBEWARE while downloading apps, some of them may steal your data, say experts. Recently, an app, Unfriend Alert — that alerts you when someone “unfriends” you on Facebook — has been found to be collecting users’ Facebook data. The app is free and notifies you whenever someone removes you from the Facebook friend list. But it asks for your sign in and password. The app also displays ads and can instal malicious software on the user’s computer. -IANS

BR I E FS

RESEARCH

BY REPLICATING a famous experiment where an object is given a choice for how to behave, physicists found that the object doesn’t actually make its decision until it is seen. The finding proves one of the central parts of quan-tum theory, a branch of science that has been applied to make much of our modern technology.

Scientists gave an object a chance either to act like a wave or a particle, and looked to find out when the decision was made. While one might expect that it is either one or the other, quantum physics predicts that it will only act one way or the other when it is measured, after it has decided — and that was confirmed by the experiment. To perform the test, scientists isolated a single he-lium atom. They then dropped it through a laser beam, and used a random number to decide whether a second set of beams were added that would interfere with the atom’s path.

But the researchers found that number wasn’t calculated until after the atom had passed through the crossroads of lasers and decided which way to go.

Though the atom had already

decided whether it would be-have like a wave or a particle, it wasn’t decided which way it would go until it was measured, the research found. The test is known as the delayed-choice thought experiment, and was proposed by John Wheeler. When he came up with it in 1978, it seemed impossible that it could ever be put to the test

— but researchers from the Aus-tralian National University were able to run a slightly varied ver-sion of it in tests. “It proves that measurement is everything. At the quantum level, reality does not exist if you are not looking at it,” Truscott said.

Truscott and his team pub-lished their findings in Nature Physics. -Andrew Griffin/The Independent

Reality doesn’t exist until it’s measured

Facebook, Instagram, Google, Twitter — all services we rely on and all services we believe we

don’t have to pay for. Not with cash, anyway, but ad-financed Internet platforms

Are we paying for our privacy, or are we not?

The ad-financed In-ternet aren’t free, and the price they extract in terms of privacy and control

is getting only costlier. A recent Pew Research Centre poll shows that 93 per cent of the public be-lieves that “being in control of who can get information about them is important,” and yet the amount of information we gen-erate online has exploded and we seldom know where it all goes.

Facebook and other social networking sites that collect vast amounts of user data are fi-nanced by ads. Just this week In-stagram, which is owned by Fa-cebook, announced plans to open users’ feeds to more advertisers. The dirty secret of this business model is that Internet ads aren’t worth much. Ask Ethan Zucker-man, who in the 1990s helped found Tripod.com, one of the web’s earliest ad-financed sites with user-generated content. He even helped invent the pop-up ad because corporations were wary of the user content appear-ing next to their ads. He came to regret both: the pop-up and the ad-financed business model. The for-mer is annoying but it’s the latter that is helping destroy the fabric of a rich, pluralistic Internet.

Zuckerman points out that Facebook makes about 20 cents per user per month in profit. This is a pitiful sum, especially since the average user spends an impressive 20 hours on Face-book every month, according to the company. This paltry profit margin drives the business mod-el — Internet ads are basically worthless unless they are hyper-targeted based on tracking and extensive profiling of users. This is a bad bargain, especially since two-thirds of American adults don’t want ads that target them based on that tracking and analy-sis of personal behaviour.

This way of doing business rewards huge Internet platforms, since ads that are worth so little can support only companies with hundreds of millions of users.

Ad-based businesses distort our online interactions. People flock to Internet platforms be-cause they help us connect with one another or the world’s boun-ty of information — a crucial, valuable function. Yet ad-based financing means that the compa-nies have an interest in manipu-lating our attention on behalf of advertisers, instead of letting us connect as we wish. Many us-ers think their feed shows eve-rything that their friends post. It doesn’t. Facebook runs its billion-plus users’ newsfeed by a proprietary, ever-changing algo-rithm that decides what we see. If Facebook didn’t have to con-trol the feed to keep us on the site longer and to inject ads into our stream, it could instead offer us

control over this algorithm.Many nonprofits and civic

groups that were initially thrilled about their success in using Fa-cebook to reach people are now despondent as their entries are less and less likely to reach peo-ple who “liked” their posts un-less they pay Facebook to help boost their updates.

What to do? It’s simple: Inter-net sites should allow their users to be the customers. I would, as I bet many others would, hap-pily pay more than 20 cents per month for a Facebook or a Goog-le that did not track me, upgrad-ed its encryption and treated me as a customer whose preferences and privacy matter.

Many people say that no sig-nificant number of users will ever pay directly for Internet ser-vices. But that is because we are misled by the mantra that these services are free. With growing awareness of the privacy cost of ads, this may well change. Mil-

lions of people pay for Netflix despite the fact that pirated cop-ies of many movies are available free. We eventually pay for ads, anyway, as that cost is baked into products we purchase. A seamless, secure micropay-ment system that spreads a few pennies at a time as we browse a social network, up to a preset monthly limit.

There are other obstacles. Someone has to build those vi-able, privacy-preserving micro-payment systems — but Silicon Valley is known for its entrepre-neurial spirit, right? And we’re not starting from scratch. Mi-cropayment systems that would allow users to spend a few cents here and there, not be so easily tracked by all the Big Brothers, and even allow personalisation were developed in the early days of the Internet. Big banks and large Internet platforms didn’t show much interest in this mi-cropayment path, which would

limit their surveillance abilities. We can revive it.

If even a quarter of Face-book’s 1.5 billion users were willing to pay $1 per month in return for not being tracked or targeted based on their data, that would yield more than $4 billion per year.

Facebook’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, seems to have plenty of money, but I’d like to give him some of mine. I want to pay a small fee for the right to keep my information private and to be able to hear from the people I want — not the sponsored-content mak-ers I want to avoid. I want to be a customer, not a product.

Zuckerberg has reportedly spent more than $30 million to buy the homes around his in Palo Alto, California, and more than $100 million for a seclud-ed parcel of land in Hawaii. He knows privacy is worth paying for. -Zeynep Tufekci/The New York Times

News Service

C12


Scientists produce self-healing aircraft wings

Even the researchers in-volved in the project describe it as “verging on science fiction”. A

team of British scientists has produced aircraft wings that can fix themselves after being dam-aged, suggesting that self-heal-ing technology will soon become commonplace.

Their research, due to be pre-sented at a Royal Society meet-ing in London this week, is being billed as an important step in an emerging field which could soon produce self-healing nail pol-ish and a cure for cracked mobile phone screens.

A team at the University of Bris-tol has been quietly developing the technology for the past three years. Speaking exclusively to The Independent on Sunday, its leader, Professor Duncan Wass, said he expected self-healing products to reach consumers in the “very near future”. His team specialises in modifying carbon fibre compos-ite materials, the strong but light-weight substances used increas-ingly widely in the manufacture of everything from commercial air-craft wings to sports racquets and high-performance bicycles.

Professor Wass and his team have been working with aerospace engineers at the university, who wanted to know if there was a way of preventing the tiny, almost un-detectable cracks that form in an aircraft’s wings and fuselage.

The team’s ingenious solution

started “on the back of an enve-lope” but has since developed into useable technology. It in-volves adding tiny, hollow “mi-crospheres” to the carbon mate-rial — so small that they look like a powder to the human eye — which break on impact, releasing a liquid healing agent.

The agent seeps into the cracks left by the damage before coming into contact with a catalyst, trig-gering a rapid chemical reaction which causes it to harden.

“We took inspiration from the human body,” Professor Wass said. “We’ve not evolved to with-stand any damage — if we were like that we’d have a skin as thick as a rhinoceros — but if we do get damaged, we bleed, and it scabs and heals. We just put that same sort of function into a synthetic material — let’s have something that can heal itself.” Laboratory tests have established that the material is just as strong after it has “healed”, raising the possibil-ity of aircraft wings that can repair themselves “literally on the fly” if a bird strike takes place in mid-flight, Professor Wass said.

The technology could also make airline safety checks far cheaper as a dye could be added to the healing agent causing any dam-age to an aircraft to stand out like a bruise. This would allow engi-neers to identify damaged areas quickly — and ensure that they do not miss anything as they examine the plane.

Professor Wass said a bruise was a “good analogy” — but ac-cepted that the dye would need to be tweaked to cater for nervous fliers. “We’d probably do it with something which is invisible to the naked eye that you’d need to put an ultraviolet light on, because you don’t want an aeroplane wing with a big red splodge on it show-ing that it’s been damaged.”

Depending on the outside tem-perature, the material can take an-ywhere between a couple of hours and a day to recover. “If you’re on a runway in Dubai it would probably heal in a couple of hours, but if you were on a runway in Reykjavik in winter it would probably be more like 24 hours,” Professor Wass said.

The research was funded by the Engineering and Physical Scienc-es Research Council’s UK Cataly-sis Hub, a collaborative project be-tween universities and industry.

This week’s conference, entitled Catalysis Improving Society, will be one of the first events at which the team’s achievements have been detailed in public. Professor Richard Catlow of the University of London, one of the organisers of the meeting, said the research showed that catalysis — which is already used widely in the petro-chemicals industry — could of-fer enormous benefits in other areas, at a “relatively low cost”. The Bristol team’s advances could be applied to all kinds of carbon fibre composite materi-als — meaning that self-healing golf clubs, tennis racquets, fish-ing rods and bike helmets could be just around the corner.

The cosmetics firm L’Oréal has also contacted the team to register its interest in self-healing nail var-nish. This would require different technology, but Professor Wass said the general principle would remain the same.

“We’re definitely getting to the stage where in the next five or 10 years we’re going to see things like mobile phone screens that can heal themselves if they crack,” he said.

The dawn of self-healing tech-nology was heralded in 2001, when researchers at the University of Il-linois in the US created a plastic capable of repairing itself when it cracked. Last year, the same team created a polymer, inspired by the human blood-clotting system, which patched holes up to 3 centi-metres wide. -Chris Green/The Independent

The technology could also make airline safety checks far cheaper as a dye could be added to the healing agent causing any damage to an aircraft to stand out like a bruise

The research is an important step in an emerging field which could soon produce

self-healing nail polish and a cure for cracked mobile phone screens

Salman upset with fake social media users

IT SEEMS like Bollywood super-star Salman Khan is upset with those social media users who post abusive messages to other celebri-ties via fake accounts in order to show unethical support for their favourite star. The 49-year-old, who is currently busy shooting for his upcoming film Bajrangi Bhai-jaan, took to Twitter on Monday to show his concern over the issue by asking how many people are following him with fake identities.

“How many of u r on false identities n y,” Salman tweeted. In another post, he added: “Fan who is on a false identity using it to put another actor, friend, colleague down, is no fan of mine, don’t like. Simple funda hai.” In the past few months, many big stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Kangana Ranaut and Yami Gau-tam have warned their fans over following their fake accounts on various social networking websites.

Shilpa Shetty turns 40, gets ‘Bond’ themed surprise

BOLLYWOOD actress Shilpa Shetty, who turned 40 on Monday, received an “unbelievable” birth-day surprise party from her hus-band and businessman Raj Kun-dra, who made sure that she had the best birthday ever. Kundra planned a surprise birthday party for Shilpa in Montenegro and in-vited her close friends and family members to celebrate the occa-sion, without her being aware about it. Shilpa’s sister Shamita

Shetty, and actor Harman Baweja were among the ones pre-sent at the party. Shilpa took to Twitter to share her happiness about the surprise party on Monday. “UNBELIEVABLE birthday surprise! In Montenegro and all my dearest family and friends flown in to wish me @TheRajKundra u r the “Bestest” she wrote.

My role gives me a unique outlook: Kamal Haasan

KAMAL HAASAN who will act in and direct Amar Hai, says his role in the movie will have a unique outlook. “My character, though not that of a conventional antagonist, would present a point of view that is far from ordinary,” Kamal said. The film will also feature Saif Ali Khan, and it is an intense tale based on politics, business dynam-ics and underworld equations. Be-ing produced by Virendra K. Arora and Arjun N. Kapoor, the project

will be a two-hero project. Two actresses will be cast for the movie. Kamal is currently shooting for Tamil thriller Thoon-gaavanam, while awaiting the release of another thriller Pap-anasam. Amar Hai will be actor Kamal Haasan’s second di-rected Hindi film in 18 years, after Chachi 420.

Malaika wanted to be styled by Gaurang Shah

DESIGNER GAURANG SHAH, who showcased his creations at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend and Awards’ fashion extravaganza in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, says he was thrilled when actress Malaika Arora Khan said she wished to be styled by him. Shah showcased 26 looks from his latest collection Umrao. “I met many Bollywood stars at the event. When I intro-

duced myself, they said they have heard a lot about me. I was humbled to meet,” he said. -IANS

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residence. Contact 99369081

/99142314

Luxury 3 BHK flat in Al Wattaya

with split A/C & private parking.

RO.500/- Contact – 93191111

Commercial 3 BHK flat in Al Ghobra

18 Nov Street. RO 700/-

Contact – 93191111

2 BHK flat in Al Azaiba near sea,

with split A/C. RO.340/-

Contact – 93191111

Flat in Darsait, Mumtaz behind

Ministry of Sport 2 bedrooms, living

room, 3 bathrooms & kitchen split

400/- R.O . Contact: 92479515

5000 sqm prime indusial land in Mis-

fah, Bausher, with 550 sqm of covered

warehouse and office space, for rent

only. Contact: + 968 – 99264162

Brand new 6 BHK villa in Al Azaiba

with split A/C & lift. RO.1200/-

Contact – 93191111

2 BHK near Oman House Khimji H.O.

Contact: 95865686

2 rooms, 1 bath room for Indian near

Ruwi church. Contact: 99746379

Shop / office near Oman house

Muttrah. Contact: 99233116

Office space in new building at

MBD South. Contact : 94460790 /

24714625

Furnished 2BHK Amerat 200 rent.

Contact 95113797

Villa for rent in Al Khuwair 33, 8

bedrooms, 5 bathrooms with parking

area near Taimur Mosque.

Contact: 99366624

4 Ware house at Barka Falaij.

Contact: 99337857

Flats for rent in Muttrah near Oman

house 2 BHK. Contact: 97009734 /

92629232

1BHK, 2BHK, 3BHK new flat avail-

able at Mabela in front of Modern

English School Contact: 96239126

500 sq mtrs office space on mezza-

nine floor near Royal Hospital. OMR

6.500 per sq mtr. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

3 bedroom at Al Khuwair 33. House

No. 866, Way No. 4712. Contact

Mohamed : 99580484, Ahmed :

99486805, Awadh 95525509

For rent in Darsait new flats.

Contact: 99777351

For rent in Darsait, new flats.

Contact: 99311525

Villa for rent at Al Ansab 3rd 4 bed-

rooms total 230 sqm, air conditioned

1 living room, 3 toilets, kitchen, store

only RO 700/-. Contact 99299689

2 BHK near Medical Darsait R.O

250/-. Contact : 98748925

Room for rent family /ex bachelor/

sharing in Ruwi. Contact : 99777496

Flats in Al Ghubra near 18 Nov .St, 1

bedroom, living room, bathroom, and

kitchen with AC 280/- R.O family

only. Contact: 92479515

Big flats in Darsait near Al Falaj ho-

tel, 3BHK living room, dining room, 2

bathrooms, Kitchen AC FAMILY only

500/-R.O .Contact : 92479515

1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in

Misfah Industrial area near to

Khanco. OMR 1,500 Monthly. It has

Electricity and boundary wall.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

3 rooms with attached bath room,

hall Brand new in Mabelah near

Sharahe Noor. Contact 99663905/

99415119

For rent 3 industrial land.

Contact 92702891/ 95490842

2 bedroom flat new building in

Wadi Kabir. Contact 99313274

506 sqm space with mezzanine

available for rent in Al Wadi Al

Kabir. Suitable for carpentry / auto

workshop and /or electrical shop.

Interested parties may

Contact 24703981

Flat with 2 rooms, toilet & kitchen

in second floor in Souk Al Khoud

behind bank Al Ahli 200/- R.O .

Contact : 99738881

3 flats for rent 3 bedrooms include

A/C, near the highway (Bowshar

Amerat). Contact 97777911 /

95533777

2BHK at Al Azaiba, 2bedrooms,

1 hall & dinning , 3 bathrooms.

Contact : 99224748 / 99425665

Flats shops and store for rent in

Ruwi, MBD Honda road.

Contact 97293708 / 92433127

2BHK in Ghoubra South behind Ex-

tra (350/- R.O). Contact: 99342661

1BHK in Darsait near ISM (220/-

R.O). Contact: 99342661

1BHK in Ghoubra South behind Ex-

tra (280/- R.O). Contact : 99342661

3000 sq mtrs Industrial landß,

in Barka Sanaiya, with electricity

400KW, shed, staff accommodation

and office. Ready to start any kind

of factory. Contact 99384255.

Flat at Darsait. Contact 99326879

DAILY GUIDET U E S D AY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5 D3

FOR SALE

ACC. WANTED

FOR RENT

Running computer shop for sale

Souq Sohar. Contact 99420543

Indian restaurant fully furnished

and equipped with banquet hall and

spacious parking opposite Na-

seem Garden for sale. Contact Eng:

99771466 Arabic: 99454415

4000 sqm building ware house

area for sale or rent next to Express

highway also used 40 ft seaworthy

container for sale in very good con-

dition. Contact 99771466

Commercial land for sale 3000 m

in quriyat road main high way can

use as a petrol station license avail-

able asking price 350,000

For more information please call on

99070701 with out name

Running business material shop for

sale good location & profitable busi-

ness. Contact : 92249983

Super market in (Hairoon Hairithi)

Thamrith road. Contact 98189810 /

99675190.

Shop for sale in Ibra and Bid Bid.

Contact: 95304693

Ice Cream & Juices shop in Ruwi

good location for sale 1.5 mt fish

display machine unused for sale.

Contact: 92150455

5 Flats of 1 bedroom for Sale in

Boushar: OMR 35 Thousand each.

Monthly income OMR 270 Tel:

99333479 or 95215360

Coffee shop for sale in North

Al Ghubra. Contact 95256009

60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in

Misfah, can be changed to Industrial

Land. OMR 29 Per Square Meter.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

3 floor commercial building in

Muttrah behind Police. Generating

income of OMR 18 Thousand annu-

ally. Neat and well maintained. Built

on 197 sq mtrs land. 2 tailor shops

on ground floor and 6 flats. OMR

207 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

We have planned industrial lands

in a prime location (Bowshar / Al

Misfah) the space 8575 SQ. M for

each plot, meter price 120/- OMR

only. Contact: 99883338

Furnished flats for rent in

Al Buraimi, daily, weekly, monthly.

Contact 97819981 / 93593336

Al Khuwair (17/1) a room & hall,

kitchen, toilet with ACs ground floor.

Contact Owner : 99385553

2BHK Darsait R.O 325/-, 300/-.

Contact: 92144045

1BHK Ghubra R.O 275/-.

Contact 92144045

3 BHK villa and 2 BHK flat with A/

Cs at Muttrah, near Oman house.

Contact : 95915154

Flat 1BHK for rent, Opp Omani

School near Al Tajaweed Furniture,

bldg No 1057, Way 5917, Hamriya.

Rent 150/- P.M.

Contact: 99350946

Villa for rent - Al Seeb/Al Mawelah

- Block 5 - 4 bedrooms with attached

bathrooms, Majlis, 2 halls, kitchen

and storeroom. split Ac and carpark.

Contact 99564616

2BHK flat with store room,

split A/cs in CBD, Ruwi near QNB.

Rent 400/-.Contact 99603696

1 BHK Flat in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 92275454

Flat for rent in Al Khuwair 33.

Contact: 92277419

ACC. AVAILABLE

LOST

Family sharing villa room available

at Al Khuwair. Contact: 99382008

Furnished single rooms available

for Executive bachelors at Ruwi.

Contact: 98049288

Fully furnished 1 BHK Flat available

in Ruwi 2 moths only (July/August)

Contact: 99369081

Single bedroom available for veg.

family/bachelor at Wadi Kabir,

behind Mars. Contact 99877845.

Furnished room attached bath for

lady in Wadikabir

(Mars Hypermarket) – 95941515

3bedrooms Al Hail. Contact 92817777

Semi furnished single room for

Executive bachelors behind Kamat

Restaurant Al Khuwair. #94271085

Single room at Walja, opposite

MBD area available for Executive

bachelors inclusive of electricity

and water for OMR100/-. Contact:

93079877

Room for rent 130/-RO, A/C, E/W

kitchen Including bachelor only.

Contact: 95423391

Independent flat (1 Bed Room + Bath)

is available at Mawaleh (Behind City

Centre) for a Non Cooking Executive

Bachelor. Contact: 95931004

Family room available at Muttrah.

Contact: 24712088 / 99022790

Fully furnished room attached

bath for Executive bachelor behind

Al Meera hypermarket Azaiba R.O

150/-Contact : 99455735

AVAILABLE

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting,

Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crock-

ery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes, Ice

Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems

and spectacular lighting. Call Andrea

9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden

9623 5555 for Sound & Light.

www.tunesoman.com,

E-mail: [email protected]

Technical Trading Co. LLC is

looking for a bachelor accommoda-

tion for their 150 staff in Al Hail,

Seeb, Maabela, Mawaleh area on

immediate basis. Interested parties

please contact Mr. Qais Al Rashdi on

99421323

Required villa for office in

Mawallah. Contact : 96996938

23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land

with water well in Al Salwa, Barka.

OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479

or 95215360

2,560 sq mtrs industrial land

Wadi Kabir Main Road, First line on

way to Al Bustan hotel. Possible to

make petrol station or hotel. OMR

990 Thousand Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

Semi furnished room with at-

tached bathroom for Executive

bachelors at CBD area behind

chamber of commerce. Contact:

96389375/93554942

Independent house with 1 room,

kitchen and toilet in Wadi Kabir.

Rent: RO 170. Contact: 96639246

2 Rooms with separate bathroom &

kitchen for executive bachelors.

Gsm 942-888-63

SITUATION WANT-MANPOWER

Available for longer period : Mig

Welder 5 nos, General worker with

PDO pass 10 nos, Helper 10 nos,

Mason 8 nos. Contact 99610703

*Classified Advertisement space booking with text,

should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication.

* Subject to space availability

Flats for rent in Wadi Kabeer.

Contact : 92800007

Bath attached room for rent

Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569

Labor camp available with all facili-

ties at Sohar Falaij (Near Sohar Sea

port) - Contact – 92982172

Flats/villas owned by ROP pen-

sion fund available for rent in

Muscat. Contact 99349526

1BHK Mumtaz R.O 250/-.

Contact: 97799175

Tho Al figar Islam has lost Pakistan

Passport No. AH 5782561. Finder

please handover to ROP.

Wards Else Baey Aly El Sayad has

lost Egyptian Passport No. 4096489.

Finder please handover to ROP

MOTOR VEHICLE FOR SALE

2014 model Toyota Yaris 1.5 fully

automatic with power window expat

driven Mulkya valid till Nov. 2015 for

sale. Contact: 93581825

13- seater Hiace Toyota bus model

-83 for sale OR 500 only.

Contact : 99325827

BMW X1 2012 model 20750 km

excellent condition, sun roof. Indian

lady driven RO 9750 new price

17000. Contact 95865457

Peugeot 206-2007 Model, expat

driven. Contact 99209285

2 Prime Movers Man 2008 with 40

ton petrol tank each working at the

moment in Al Maha. Price OMR 35

Thousand each. Contact 97000155

or 92688692

Land Cruiser 2012.

Contact GSM- 99336093

Hyundai Accent 2004, fully automatic.

Contact: 99045803

TRANSPORTATION

Pick & drop available. Contact

96913836.

Transportation. Contact: 95190627

Pick & Drop anytime Contact:

91653903

Transportation available. Contact: 99867456

Transportation. Contact: 91310107

Driver with vehicle. Contact:

99159277

Pick & Drop any time. Contact:

97014786

DAILY GUIDED4 T U E S D AY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT

Email: [email protected] [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

IT

CATERING

DOMESTIC HELPER

DESIGNER

ENGINEER

ENGINEER

EDUCATION

SALES / MARKETING

SALES / MARKETING

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

Required looking for full time Housemaid for Omani family

at Mabela, visa available. Contact:

92454170

Urgent required House maid in

Mabela. Visa available.

Contact 95200180.

Indian CA with 15 yrs exp working

as Finance Head for MNC looking for

suitable job. NOC available. 94047434

M.Com, CA (Article ship), 15 years

Gulf experience looking for suitable

position in finance & accounts on

visit visa valid up to 10/7/2015.

Contact: 97767828, knowledge of

quickbooks, Tally 9, Focus V.5 Email:

[email protected]

Indian female 25 years married,

MBA Finance, Diploma in foreign

accounting 3 months experience in

a CA firm on family visa.

Contact: 95916769

Email: [email protected]

Indian male 25 yrs B.com having

experience in accounts for 3 yrs

currently on visit looking to job.

Contact: 97937868 Email:

[email protected]

ACCA & B.Com with Noc more than

5 years of experience in accounts

& finance looking for a suitable job

can join immediately.

Contact: 97012146

MBA Indian male looking for suit-

able position having 2 years working

experience as an accountant now

in Oman a visiting visa. Contact:

99424803

An Indian lady Chartered Accountant

with five years experience (including

article ship) on family visa in Oman

looking for a suitable job. Please

Contact 9621 0347 / 9943 5346,

[email protected]

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

Required Office Assistant

160+25+Acc, Contact 99454425

ACCOUNTANT

ADMIN

Urgently required Sales & Mar-keting Executive for Electrical &

lighting products with Oman driving

license. Send CV at Email :

[email protected]

A leading tissue paper and food stuffs company requires Sales and Marketing person with minimum

5 years exp in Oman with good

communication skills & valid Oman

D/L. Candidate with Interior market

knowledge & experience preferable.

Send CV: [email protected]

Fax: 24451430

Urgently required outdoor Sales Executive for furnishing company

with valid Oman D/L and minimum

3 years experience.

Contact 93231403 /

[email protected]

Required urgently energetic Mar-keting Executive for acquiring new

customers. Should possess a Valid

Omani D/L. Contact 96545020.

Required Senior Sales Executive 2nos focused with successful track

record in this industry. 2-3 years

experience in similar capacity with

valid driving license. Attractive sal-

ary package for the right candidates.

Contact : 92673856 Email CV:

[email protected]

Required male candidates to

work full / part time in an interna-

tional Café “franchise”. They will be

trained for the job.

Contact 97673395

Sales Coordinator : Mechanical

Diploma holder with 3-4 yrs exp.

in sales department preferably in

Metal fabrication Company. Omani

D/L is must. Contact: 99102383

[email protected]

Bangladeshi Driver seeks suitable

job K. S.A 12 years Oman 3 years 42

yrs. Contact 95796030

Looking for job driving Bangladeshi.

Contact: 97418036

Pick up and drop anytime.

Contact: 96748967

Light driver for job. Contact:

95779594

Light vehicle driver looking for job.

Contact: 91452930

Driver looking for job, light vehicle.

Contact: 95446207

Driver light. Contact: 91020999

Pakistani driving available.

Contact : 96913836

DRIVER

MISCELLANEOUS

A company from UAE require 2 merchandisers in retail food

supply, store keeper with English

and invoicing experience. Email:

[email protected]

Mason, C.C.T.V, Technician, Electrician cum Plumber. Contact: 99383044

ADMIN/HR

ADMIN/HR

Indian female MBA, 3 Years experi-

ence in Admin MIS, Family Visa.

Contact 98234427,

[email protected]

Indian male 2+yrs oman exp in HR.

joing immediatly. release available.

Contact :93671437

Over 14 years of gulf experience

in Admin /HR /Logistics, fluent in

Arabic & English with D/L looking

for suitable position.

Contact 95824598

Filipino Female, 30 yrs, with 8yrs

experience in Payroll/Admin/HR and

2yrs experience as Technical Sup-

port/Cashier/Secretary. Currently in

Muscat on Family Visit Visa, Seeking

for suitable placement.

Contact: 96708114


Indian, male, 26, Commerce gradu-

ate, three years experience as Ad-

ministrative Assistant in UAE, seeks

a suitable job in Oman.

Contact: [email protected];

+971-558291437.

Indian female, Postgraduate in HR,

with 8 years working experience in

Oman(HR and administration), look-

ing for suitable placement.

Contact 97411008

Indian female 29 MBA (HR) BSc,

4 yrs exp in HR& Admin looking suit-

able placement. Contact : 95619537

MBA (international business) from

London, 4 years of UK experience in

operations with D/L, looking for suit-

able position. Contact 91710075

Indian female post Graduate with 5

years experience in HR and Admin

looking for good opportunity.

Contact: 94692244

A well reputed company is looking

for experienced digital Signage Technicians & Managers. Send CV

to [email protected]

Required full time Social Network-er for sites like twitter, LinkedIn,

face book.


MEP Contractor in Muscat looking

for AC Foreman with minimum 5

years experience in Split AC instal-

lation. Contact: 92472326 Email:[email protected]

Mechanical / Civil Site Supervi-sor; diploma / ITI fitter; 3-4 year’s

exp in supervision of Erection work

of sheds, customer coordination,

and project execution. Omani D/L is

must. Contact: [email protected]

/ 99102383

Urgently Required: Civil Engineer with an experience minimum in 5

years in building construction and

MUST have NOC. Apply,

fax 00968–24605955,

emails [email protected],

[email protected]

Indian Manager is required to work

an administrative and real estate

valuer in properties office in Shatti

al Qurum. He has to be qualified and

speaks English with experience in

Oman. Contact : 99109094

Omani lady HR Manager for a lead-

ing metal fabrication company. Min.

5 yrs exp, familiar with Oman labor

Laws. Responsibilities – Making HR

policies, Training of Omanis, liaising

with various Ministries. Contact:

[email protected]

Qualified female Teacher required

for Maths & Science with 3 years

minimum experience and IELTS

school in Al Khuwair.

Contact: 99353961

Teachers required (B.A, BEd, BSc, and

B.ed) for Omani Pvt. School

Al Hail (North).Contact: 95141554/

96653118

AUTO CAD/ARCHITECT

Indian Female 23yrs, Autocad

draftsman with 3ds max & rivet

, 3yrs exp, Looking for suitable

vacancy in Muscat, now in visit visa

Contact:95601266

Email : [email protected]

Male 24, B.Com /PGD having 2

years experience in accounts and

inventory field looking for suitable

job on visit visa. Contact: 94129550

Experienced up-to finalization accountant looking for part time job.

Contact : 99002390

Indian Female 25 MBA looking for a

suitable opening in Accounts, Admin/

Hr. Contact 97013375

Indian male, B.Com, 1 year Exp in

Accounts/ Sales, on Visit Visa,..

Contact – 98295101

Indian / Keralite – CMA (US) , CA-

Inter , M.Com, total 20 years experi-

ence with 11 years M/ East experience

as Finance / A/ Cs Manager, seeks

suitable offers from reputed compa-

nies in Oman. Sunil V.S.

Contact : +91-9526756488


Sudanese Accountant seeking job

in Nizwa state experience 10 years 3

years in Saudi Arabia, 7 yrs in Sudan.

Contact : 97796394 / 94003247

Senior Accountant 10 years experi-

ence 4 years experience in GCC now

working with trading & project based

concern holding Oman driving li-

cense. Well experience all accounting

software’s. Contact: 94079432

Indian male B.Com MBA (HR), 2

yrs experience in HR & Accounts

department, on visiting visa seek-

ing for job in any field.

Contact: 96491347


Indian male Graduate 26 yrs 5 yrs

experience in Accounts and Adminis-

tration looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 91301983

Indian male 22 yrs B. Com Graduate

1 year exp in Accounts, currently on

visit visa. Looking for suitable job.

Contact 94341848 /

Email – [email protected]

Accounts part time works up to

finalization on monthly basis. Profit

& loss A/C and financial statements,

MS Reports Etc. Contact: 96247295

ACCA affiliate , BSc Honors in ap-

plied Accountancy advance diploma

in Accounting and Business, CAT

Affiliate 1 year hand on working

experience of Oman, with Oman

driving license looking for a suitable

placement in Audit firm. Having

NOC can join immediately.

Contact : 98989970

MBA Graduate with 6 yrs exp in

finance/accounts/ auditing. Special-

ized in accounts payable dept, Oracle

app user, proficient in Sap (fico) end

user & tally 9.0. lean &six sigma

certified trainer on visit visa.

Contact – 91967213 / 99064780

Tanzanian male, 25 yrs Accountant

successful experience in Tanzania

looking for suitable placement in any

field. Contact : 96710154

Tunisian lady has Professorship in

social and economical sciences and

accounting, diploma in Experimen-

tal Sciences degree in English for

media. Contact 95391050,

[email protected]

Family in Muscat seeking to hire an experienced butler. Hotel experi-

ence is preferred. Candidate must

hold a valid driver’s license. Please

send CV’s on

[email protected]

Construction Company in Oman

urgently requires following candi-

dates: Accountant with minimum

5 years experience with operating

knowledge of tally.


A reputed shipping and forwarding

company urgently require following

personals 1) Accountant 2) Opera-tions Executive valid Omani D/L is

must. Experienced hands in ship-

ping field are preferred. Send your

CV to [email protected]

Urgently required Omani IT Soft-ware professional fluent in Arabic

and English with 2 years experience

email: [email protected],

fax: 24564459

Urgent required Offset printer / binder / designer. Good experience

in printing press industries. Please

send C.V to fax: 24453227 Contact:

92872940 Email: kkh104@hotmali.

com / [email protected]

MEDICAL

Required Gynecology, General Phy-sician, Dentist, Staff Nurses, Lab technicians, Pharmacists, X Ray technicians. Contact : 95133572 / 96064925


Wanted Staff Nurse for a polyclinic

in Sohar. Contact :3457270

Required a MOH licensed female Nurse for a private clinic near

Al-Suwaiq. Call 93746086

Urgent required staff Nurse

in Mabela.

Contact- 95200180.


Wanted urgently female for Travel agency knowing Sabre Reservation

and ticketing system.

Contact : 95878812

TOURISM

Required light driver, Excavator Operators & heavy drivers. Contact: 99454425

Required Light duty driver from

Kerala with construction experience.

Contact : 98294695

DRIVER

Indian Beautician looking for job in

Oman, with 5 yrs Oman experience.

Contact: 98869716

BEAUTICIAN

Construction Company in Oman

urgently requires following candi-

dates: BE Civil Engineer, minimum

3-5 years gulf experience &

Civil site foreman, minimum 5

years gulf experience,

diploma not required.


Required Sales man - 1 Person

Qualification. Gulf Experienced -

Minimum 5 Years with Oman Driv-

ing Licence Language - English Edu-

cation:- Any Degree Further Contact

:Mr. Abdul Hameed Nashabat -

Mobile No: 97414307 and

-92807399 [email protected]

Urgently required Advertising & Media Sales Executives with Oman

D/L. Trainee positions available

for Freshers.


Urgently required Marketing Executives male / female Acrylic

bender. Contact: 95453949

Urgently required Sales and Market-ing Executive for Graphic designing

company. Contact: 96727631

mail: [email protected]

Salesman experienced 5 yrs in

Oman, in the field of industrial &

oilfield service, garage equipment

tools & spares, safety wears & rescue

equipments. Please forward your CV

to [email protected]

Sales man required for printing

press preferable with car.

Contact : 97842797

SITUATION WANT-ED

SIT. WANTED

Finance Manager, CPA, with more

than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC.

Fully knowledgeable in Finance,

General & Management Accounting .

NOC available. Contact 96209331

Indian male with total 5 year experi-

ence (2 years experience in Account-

ant cum sales co ordinator in a FMCG

Company in Oman) in accounts field

and NOC available. Looking for suit-

able job Contact 92130188

Indian male, 32 years, M. Com.

7 out of 9 years experience in Oman

in Accounts/finance. Having NOC and

valid Oman D/L. Contact 98277143,


Indian Accountant: Male, M com,

7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to

finalization, having knowledge of

ERP, Tally, seeks suitable placment.

contact 93950138 Email:

[email protected]

Indian female MBA – HR 1 and half

years experience seeking suitable

job. Contact : 99257214

Indian female with 10 yrs of experi-

ence in HR/Banking/Operations

seeks a suitable placement.

Can be contacted on 98919015 or

[email protected]


SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

Quantity Surveyor with 5 Years ex-

perience (one year in Oman) looking

for job. Contact 91090036

Mechanical Engineer, Indian, 24

years with Piping Engineering,

Autocad, Ansys NX- Cad, pro-e,

Catia & PDMS now on visiting visa

seek suitable placement. Contact:

99168054 / 96684345

Email: : [email protected]

BE Mechanical Engineer 2 years

experience in fabrication and erec-

tion of heavy structures as project

Engineer in India, now on visiting

visa seeks suitable placement. Con-

tact: 92151818

B.Tech Civil Engineer Indian male

13 year’s exp seeking suitable job.

Contact 0091 9640973798 Email:

[email protected]

Interior Architecture Engineer, 7 years experience (5 years in

Oman) expert in exterior & interior

architecture designs presented by

3D MAX- V ray AutoCAD Photoshop,

fluent in Arabic & English.


[email protected]

Indian M 25 yrs B.E Mechanical,

3 yrs exp in Oil & Gas project Engi-

neer now on visit visa.

Contact: 96487013 Email: ri-

[email protected]

B.Tech Mechanical Engineer Indian

1 year experience HVAC (MEP) avail-

able in Muscat on visit visa seeking

suitable job. Contact : 93670280


Indian male 25yrs, BE Electrical

and electronics engg, seeking for a

suitable position, with DL, NOC,

Contact :98347864

Iraqi female Communication Engi-

neer having 5 yrs of exp in teaching

computer program.

Contact : 99132159


Iraqi male Medical Equipment

Engineer one year of exp in Iraq

looking for suitable job in Oman.

Contact: 99132159


Electrical Engineer Pakistani male

4 years B. Tech & 3 years’ diploma

seeking a suitable placement.

Contact: 96752080


Civil Engineer 7 years experience

valid Omani D/L looking for job

immediately, ready to join.

Contact : 96936406

B.E (Civil Engineer) with 5 yrs expe-

rience, valid Omani driving license.

Noc available. Contact: 91693008

Iraqi Civil Engineer 12 years experi-

ence, resident having Omani driving

license. Contact : 94695595

Land Surveyor, one and half year

experience in India, well handle total

station, auto level and AutoCAD.

Looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 95140761 / 99208290


B. Tech Instrumentation Engineer more than 4 year experience SCADA,

PLC, DCS, ESD (Honeywell, Yoka-

gawa). Contact: 93670890


Indian, male, Civil Engineering

graduate with 8 years Dubai experi-

ence in Estimation, Project/Design

Co-ordination seeks suitable job in

Oman. Hold UAE driving license.

Contact: shibupnbr@ gmail.com;

+971-501426982

Indian male Electronics & Instru-

mentation Engineer having 5 yrs

exp with valid Omani D/L & NOC.

Contact: 96082604

Civil Engineer, Indian Female, 3 yrs

experience, on visit visa seeking

suitable placement.

Contact: 99195433

BE Mechanical Engineer 4/5 years

experience in Planning Engineer.

Interested companies kindly contact

95403146 / 99426840 candidate

available till 12.06.2015

B.Tech Civil Engineer, Indian female

2 yrs experience in Oman, looking

for suitable position.

Contact 91690345

MEDICAL

MISCELLANEOUS

BSc Staff Nurse with license.

Contact 92765457

Indian female Dentist MOH Oman

passed seeking a suitable placement

in capital region. Contact– 91377681

[email protected]

Dentist with MOH license looking

for locum post. Contact 93571021. Indian male Nurse, 31 years

Oman prometric passed 6 yrs ICU

experience. Contact : 94195150 /

92758895

Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf ex-

perience) looking for a suitable job

(NOC available) Contact-93344378

Omani Mechanical Engineer, has

3 years experience ,has HSE, H2S,

Riggers/Banks men Permit, Drawing

/ cad, SCBA, Safety Leadership and

Initial Fire Response Courses. good

with computer and English language

looking for suitable job. Contact

99224319-98454500

Indian male 22 Mechanical Diploma

holder Engg with HVAC certified,

having 1 year exp. seeking suitable

position. Currently available on visit

visa. Contact - 92835952

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE

MISCELLANEOUS

DRIVER

DOMESTIC HELPER

Indian male fresher BCA young and

energetic, seeking good opportu-

nites.email: jlaxmimenon@gmail.

com, Contact 00919567722270

Highly Qualified & Experienced

Finance Manager Pakistani with

USA , UK & Canadian Degrees, CPA ,

ACCA-UK . MBA-USA ,IFA- Financial

Consultants Canada , Corporate An-

alyst USA Professional of Banking ,

Audits ,ERPs & Profit Maximizations

(NOC available) call 94 504505 –

94403270

MSc qualified female on female

joining visa good experience in Ad-

ministration, Advertising media and

branding at managerial level with 13

years experience. Good knowledge

in the field of marketing looking for a

suitable position.

Contact : 91980400

Sr Manager, B.Tech, MBA, Prince -2

from UK. 24 yrs exp in EPC project

management of oil & gas pipelines,

refineries & power plants. Seeking

job immediately / on visit/

Contact: + 00968912639


MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

MCA, BCA with 2 yrs relevant expe-

rience seeking suitable opportunity.

Contact: 96377039

Looking for job building mainte-

nance electric and plumbing.

Contact: 99365092

Ware house In charge or store

keeper 27 yrs Gulf experience 4 yrs

in Oman NOC available.


[email protected]

Indian male MBA having 10 years

experience in Oman as Document

controller and 2+ Years experience

as Project Assistant / Executive

Secretary seeks suitable placement.

NOC available Contact: 95373198,

email: [email protected]

Indian male more than 10 years

Gulf experience in Office / Sales

Coordinator, Admin (employees visa

processes), Secretarial and purchase

coordination with good computer

skills. Having Driving license and

NOC available. Looking for suitable

placement. Contact 99709336

SALES / MARKETING

SALES / MARKETING

Indian male MBA 7 years experience

in Hospitality industry, operation,

sales & marketing looking for suitable

vacancy. Contact 92115860

Email [email protected]

M.B.S (Management) looking for

suitable Marketing job.

Contact: 96487152

Indian male over 5 years experience

in media marketing sales collection

looking for suitable job.

Contact : 95064202

Indian male, 27 yrs, Post Graduate,

5+ yrs exp in Oman in Sales & Credit

Control, with valid Oman driving

License, NOC available, looking for

suitable placements. Ph: 91993376

Indian male MBA Marketing cur-

rently on visit visa seeking for Sales

& marketing job 2 years experience.


[email protected]

Indian female B.Com Graduate hav-

ing 8 yrs experience in India & 2 yrs

experience in Oman as Customer

Service, Office Asst, Sales Coordina-

tor, Secretary seeks suitable place-

ment. Contact: 95433987

Sales man looking for a opening in

Oman with 18 years Gulf experience.

Contact: 91957861

An Indian male having rich

experience in procurement, Sales

marketing and office administration

seeking suitable position.

Contact: 93689602

8 years purchase experienced

Indian male looking for job. N.O.C.

available. Contact: 98161323

Graduate Indian male 25 yrs, look-

ing for a suitable placement for an

Executive or Sales support job in a

reputed organization.

Contact : 98558648


Salesman cum Driver 6 yrs exp

Know English, Arabic, Hindi, Educa-

tion B.A. Contact: 98522914

8 years store experience Indian

male looking for placement. N.O.C

available. Contact: 98456535

Sr Manager, B.Tech, MBA, PRINCE-2,

British National. 24 yrs exp in EPC

Project Management of Oil & Gas,

Pipelines, Refineries & Power Plants.

Seeking job immediately/on visit/

Contact- 00968-91263952/

[email protected]

Toms Davis-Indian, Diploma in

Mech Eng, 4+yrs exp in Projects &

co-ordination, 1yr exp in HVAC De-

sign & Draughting, Mob-92068508,

[email protected]

Structural Engineer 4 years experi-

ence Indian, will handle projects

independently, able to get

Municipality approvals easily.

Contact: 91668044

Quantity Surveyor (Civil Diploma)

2 yrs experience in Oman, looking for

full/ part-time job.

Contact 96936793

Indian male diploma in Computer

Engineering seeking suitable

placement immediately now on

visiting visa .Contact 97317844 /

92580948

BSC. Mechanical Engineering, 17 yrs exp in Oman, 30 yrs exp in

production management, erection

and maintenance of refineries, stock

piling equipments, belt convoying

systems structures, power transmis-

sion equipments gear boxes -

Contact 98214442;


Indian male 29 years Civil Engineer

diploma 4 years Oman experience,

2 years road construction looking

placement. Contact: 93298395

N.O.C available

Adarsh.B , B. Tech Mechanical N.D.T

ASNT level 2, 2 years 10 months

experience in New Delhi. Contact

[email protected]

Indian male 30 years Mechanical

Engineering Diploma with 4+ years

of Experience in Fabrication draw-

ings using CAD Software’s in India,

now on a visit visa seeking for a

suitable placement in OMAN. Will be

available till 12/6/15 for interview.

Contact 99013952,

[email protected]

Instrumentation Engineer, Indian

male having 2 years experience in

process instruments and sales seeks

suitable placement on visit visa.

Contact: 95954385


Looking for job for House maid.

Contact : 93599302

Laundry Housekeeping profession-

al looking for a opening in Oman

with 18 years experience.

Contact : 91957861

Indian male 28 years Electronics &

Instrumentation Engineer 4+ years

experience in Industrial automa-

tion (SCADA) seeking suitable job.

Contact: 93154156 / 98416190

Network Engineer, Security Engi-

neer with a Bachelor degree seeking

a suitable job in a good company.

Contact: 98129846

Sudanese Industrial Engineering &

Management, experience 12 years

in QA/QC and production. Contact:

94041960 / 94044784,

Email: [email protected] /

[email protected]

Indian Male, IT Support Engineer,

2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experi-

ence. Contact 9731 Indian male, B.Tech Mechanical

having 4 years experience with QA/

QC / CSWIP looking for a suitable

position. Contact: 99447106


Graduate Electrical Engineer

having 6 years experience of Gulf

and professional license available to

join. Contact: 98063081

Indian Civil Engineer (building)

available immediately as supply

contract. Contact : 95218004

Electrical Engineer 10 years experi-

ence in underground cables exten-

sion and distribution substation and

terrestrial station available in Oman,

on visit visa. Contact : 95471606

Btech computer science graduate

2015 passout.. Android application

marketing.. Having good communi-

cation skills and mindset to work in

a team. Contact 91024385

Engineer with 3 yrs experience in

Indian in MEP, HVAC& mechanical

maintained field on visit visa looking

for suitable job.

Contact 99191535


Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need

suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.


Indian female, B.Tech biotechnology with strong computer

skills and 2 years experience as

associate research analyst (Media

Monitoring) in Nasdaq Oman seek-

ing growth oriented jobs. Contact

92044603 /918056169148 or

[email protected].

Indian male/30 years with hotel

management degree, 02 years expe-

rience in F&B service at 5 star hotel

in Dubai and 05 years in American 6

star cruseliner as butler.

Contact 91135371

4 yrs exp (Money Exch. Services &

hospitality services in Oman& India)

Indian male 27, Graduate in Hos-

pitality Science, fluent in English,

Hindi & Arabic seeks job.

Contact 91383167

HOSPITALITY

IT

IT

Omani Citizen searching a job in

the field of computer especially in

data base professional in operating

Oracle SQL, PL/ SQL, form6i, Report

6i. Contact 96977368


Indian female MCA, experience in

C#.Net, SQL Server, ORACLE with

4.5 years experience seeking

suitable positions.

Contact: 96485923, 99886271.

[email protected]

IT Desktop Support Engineer 2 years Oman 3 years in Indian Exp.

Contact 91937060

M.C.A Indian male 36 yrs experi-

ence in IT Support/ customer serv-

ing support with 5 yrs experience

seeking suitable position.

Contact: 92041909

Male 26 completed acter MBA and

have 1.5 years experience, good

knowledge of computer, software’s,

looking for job in procurement /

warehousing. On visit visa till 5th

Sep /2015.

Contact: 00968 91795092


Computer Networking/Facil-

ity Mgmt 5 Yrs of Exp Holds

B.E(ECE),CCNA Looking for Good

Opportunity, Indian - Visit Visa.

Contact 91911792/

[email protected]

IT & Media Sales specialist looking

for job opportunities also decent

exposure to H.R & customer rela-

tions currently in Muscat on visit

visa kindly. Contact : 96238199 or

99874205

Email Id: [email protected]

Net work Technician CCTV, UTP,

OFC, Flooring work 6 yrs experience

(GCC). Contact: +91 9526888134

Indian male, B.E ( computer science

engineer), MBA (finance), OCA certi-

fied, having 5 years of experience in

oracle Dba/ oracle apps Dba, seeks

a suitable position in the field of IT.

Contact: 96212062


Well experienced MOH Licensed

Indian GP Doctor looking for

locum / permanent position in the

Capital area. Contact 98140024

email:[email protected]

Light Driver having own visa

looking for job as driver.

Contact: 97073429

Driver available with or without car.

Contact 96771598

L.T.V driver language, Hindi, Arabic

& English. Contact: 98802079

Heavy duty driver valid license

Omani need job & visa.

Contact: 91139936

Driver looking for job with visa,

release available, 5 yrs driving expe-

rience. Contact: 96261895 Faruqu.

Driver looking for job, with

driving license of Oman.

Contact : 98007513

Light Driver needs Job.

Contact: 93284327

Network system Engineer B.E / ECE

+ CCNA & Ms certified with 4+ yrs

exp looking for a job. Currently in

Oman on visit visa.

Contact: 92589502


MCA Indian male 24 yrs seeking

suitable placement in software /

Database support currently on visit

visa. Contact 96785261 Email:

[email protected]

In search of job. Qualification b.com,

key skills- MS office, Tally, Inter-

net with valid Oman light driving

license. *NOC available.

Contact:92239065

Indian Female with over 9 yrs ex-

perience with good communication

skills seeks jobs in customer service

or sales field. Contact : 96108289,

[email protected]

Part- Time Accountant, well experi-

ence senior accountant ,doing all

type of accounting works, Finaliza-

tion, Budgeting available.

Contact 98803439

13 Years UAE experienced in MNC &

reputed firms logistics distribution

looking for a suitable placement, on

visit visa contact 99838743,

[email protected]

Indian 23 years B.Com Graduate,

2 years experience in Sales knowl-

edge of TALLY, ERP & MS Office.

Contact: 93134643


Indian Male, B.Com Graduate, 23,

with experience in Sales looking for

suitable placements.

Contact 98371144

Indian male, B.Sc (Mathematics)

PGDBM (Marketing). 9 yrs of Oman

experience in sales in midlevel

management, NOC available.

Valid Oman D/L. Contact: 95278838


Indian male 45+ yrs , 20 yrs exp as

sales supervisor in India looking for

indoor sales /stores /cashier or any

suitable placement can speak Hindi

, English, Malayalam, Tamil, kannada

can join immediately on visit visa.

Contact 93086105/33016546

Pakistani male 34 yrs Intermedi-

ate 2 yrs exp in sales & marketing

in Oman. Looking for suitable job.

Contact - 92146864

SALES / MARKETING

Indian male, IATA qualified &

English graduate on family visit

looking for a suitable job. Contact no.

93449151, 99475217.

25 Indian female B.S.C. Fashion

Technology. 5 years experience in

textile industry as a merchandiser

and good in fashion marketing.

Currently available on visit visa,

seeking for a suitable job.

Contact 96990368.


TOURS & TRAVELS

Sr. Manager, MBA, 18yrs profes-

sional exp in Building materials, in-

teriors, tiles, sanitary wares, Gypsum

in gulf, seeking job immediately/on

visit/ Contact - 93364846 /

[email protected]

Indian Male 34 years Mechanical

Engineer 3 years of Experience seek-

ing suitable placement immediately

Contact: 91991435, 93310821

Civil Engineer, Diploma, Male 25, 3

years experience in site, CAD, 3d, MS

Project, Seeking job in Oman.

Contact 92875345,

[email protected]

Indian female B.ED & BCA looking

for a suitable placement in school

or admin office, having 5 yrs exp in

same field. Contact – 97384206 /

[email protected]

Electronics and instrumentation

Engineer 28 year Indian male, elec-

trical, electronic, industrial, building

& automation exp of 4+ yrs in India.

Contact - 93154156

CCNP Network Professional with 6 years experience having

Bachelors degree on visit visa looking

for suitable job. #96760618 email:

[email protected]

Indian female with MBA (Finance)

on visit visa, seeks immediate place-

ment. Phone: 968-98430089

DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624


D6 T U E S D AY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

SITUATION WANT-ED

SIT. WANTED

SITUATION WANTEDSIT. WANTED

SITUATION WANTEDSIT. WANTED

SITUATION WANT-ED

SIT. WANTED

Piping Design Engineer, Indian

male 27, looking for suitable place-

ment in Piping Design & Engineer-

ing. Having 7 years of experience in

AutoCAD. Also familiar with PDMS

(11.6 Version),CAESAR ll. Contact :

97351786 / 96143708, E-mail :

[email protected]

ACCA Affiliate, Experience in audit/

finance of 2.5 years in Big 6 Firm

and Oil industry, looking for suitable

permanent placement, Release NOC

available. Contact: #95140445

[email protected]

B.Tech Computer Engineer Wanted

job to work on(IT/Banking/Admin-

istrator/Technical/Office works)

having NOC with the limited time

from (04/06/2015 to 13/06/2015).

Mobile:98402389

email:[email protected]

MCA IT Professional Indian Female

seek placement in Teaching/ Non

Teaching field. Presently on visit

visa. 9588 7051,

[email protected]

Highly Qualified & Experienced

Finance Manager Pakistani with

USA , UK & Canadian Degrees , CPA

,ACCA-UK . MBA-USA ,IFA- Financial

Consultants Canada , Corporate

Analyst USA Professional of Banking

, Audits ,ERPs & Profit Maximizations

( NOC available ) call 94 504505 –

94403270

27 year Indian female who has 4

years of experience with logistics

function in distribution of spares

for both heavy machinery & wind

turbine parts. Kindly contact me on

+91 9790769104

E-mail: [email protected]

Looking for managerial post (full

time ), More than Ten years of expe-

rience in Team Development ,Train-

ing, planning, Administration, Sales

& Marketing, Advertisement and

Credit Control and Logistics. Contact

91076608 / 99322748. RELEASE &

NOC AVAILABLE

Female 26 M.Tech bio medical

Engineer, 1plus years experience

in research and teaching seeking

opening. Contact : 91960160 Email:

[email protected]

7 and half years experience working

accounts / inventory manager look-

ing suitable job. Contact: 96991782


Indian male, 28 yrs MBA (HR/M) 2

years experience in Indian Oman in HR

& admin seeks suitable placements.

NOC available. Contact 97484159


Indian female , MCA BCA, certifica-

tion PL SQL , 6months training PHP,

date warehouse looking for suitable

placement. Contact : 95694330


Part- time accountant, well experi-

ence senior accountant , doing all

type of accounting works, finaliza-

tion, budgeting available.

Contact : 98803439

HSE Advisor, NEBOSH IGC, Indian

male, 4 years experience in con-

struction and oil fields, seeking suit-

able jobs. Gsm: 97458900,

Mail: [email protected]

Highly Experienced Finance Man-

ager, CPA ,ACCA-UK . MBA-USA , Pro-

fessional of Banking, Audits , ERPs

Sap , Management as Team Leader

and Problem Solver call 94 504505

/ 94403270

Indian male MBA Finance presently

OMAN IN visit visa, 26 years, look-

ing for an accountant job.

Contact 95240641, email Id

mohammadabdulazharuddin@

gmail.com

Indian male, looking for a part time

accounting job. Having additional

knowledge & experience in

HR admin & purchase.

Contact 99196621

Indian male MBA (U.K), 10 Years

of experience in Admin, Sales, HR,

stores and logistics seeks suitable

placement. Contact 99271903.

Indian Female MCA, 4 plus Years

of experience in Web designing, Ad-

min, P.A, seeks suitable placement.

Contact 99486374

Admin Executive, 31, Indian Male,

having 9+ years exp. in reputed

companies. Seeking suitable place-

ment in any gulf region. Contact

+968 99276601 & 97693456. email :

[email protected]

B.Com with more than 5 yrs exp.

looking for an accounts part tome

job work. know with tally.

[email protected]

Indian male Executive Secretary

having vast experience in admin,

logistics & procurement well versed

with computer .seek suitable place-

ment. Contact : 99514286

MEP Quantity Surveyor-Estima-

tion-Project, 10 Years Experience

(3 years in Oman). Having NOC &

Oman D/L, looking for suitable job,

Contact - 98291626

B.E. Civil Engineer age 27, total 3

years of experience in Mumbai look-

ing for placement asap in oman now

on visit visa of 1 month ph 9571 3441

Email. [email protected]

Indian house maid looking full time

job. Contact : 98254909

Indian Female, 24yrs, M.COM (Ac-

counts) having 3yrs experience

in Accounts, HR, Administration,

Customer Service. Good Computer

Proficiency. Seeking Suitable Posi-

tion. Visa Transfer/NOC Available.

Contact: 99654913

Indian Male, 29 years, CCNP, MCITP

having Bachelor degree and 6 years

of experience in Networking looking

for job. 96760618 /

[email protected]

ACCA affiliate, with 2.5 years experi-

ence in Big6 audit firm and Oil indus-

try, looking for permanent placement

in Accounts/Audit. Release available

#95140445 [email protected]

Sudanese male, 31 year old, have 3

year Diploma in electrical engineer, 5

years experience in different activi-

ties . Mobile No ; +96894549609

8 yrs exp Site supervisor cum 2d,

3d Draughtsman (holding Omani

driving license) seeking job.

Contact : 93790601

Iraqi Pharmacist with 15 years

experience as regulatory affairs and

Marketing Manager seeking job in

pharmaceutical co. Mobile 96720441

B.E Biomedical Engineer, having 5

years of experience in Diagnostics

division seeking suitable position.

94151658

Indian male seeking suitable vacan-

cy in office works 30 years Muscat

experience. Contact: 99024055

Indain Male MBA Marketing/HRM

3 year experience with Omani D/L,

seeking suitable jobs. #97424188


MISCELLANEOUS

Indian Male, 29 years, CCNP, MCITP

having Bachelor degree and 6 years

of experience in Networking looking

for job. 96760618 /

[email protected]

B.E. Civil Engineer from India with

3 years of experience looking for

suitable vacancy in oman now on

visit visa. Contact 9571 3441,

Email . [email protected]

Indian male 21 IT Eng. networking &

computer hardware diploma, 1 year

experience, currently on visit visa

looking for a suitable job.# 96036273


Indian, 32 years, completed M.A.

English, M.Sc. Psychology and B.Ed

in English. Searching for suitable job

in the field of teaching. To

Contact: 00968 99869535


8 Years successful experience,

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, Indian

male,29 years. Presently working in

Oman as a Senior Accountant with

oman Driving license seeks suitable

opportunity. GSM: 97705854

Indian Female, Commerce Gradu-

ate, Total 9 yrs of experience in India.

worked as Accounts Assistant and

Business executive seeking for suitable

placement. Tel : 96173533/24222457


Indian Male 24 years, Looking for a

Suitable Job in Telecom / Network-

ing. 1 year sales experience. MSc.

Communications Engineering &

Valid Driving license. Ph: 91280121.


Female Executive Assistant/Execu-

tive Secretary with 27+ experience,

worked with top management/Board

in financial services with shorthand

skills & Omani driving license, seeks

suitable placement. call 95941515

26 years Indian male with MBA &

PGDFM, Total 3.8 years experience

in Administration, seeking suit-

able placement in any gulf region.

Holding Oman valid driving license.

Contact :94501423

Finance ACCA Affiliate, 2.5 years

experience in audit/finance and oil

company in reputed firms. Looking

for suitable permanent placement.

Release available. Contact 95140445,

[email protected]

24 year Indian Chartered Account-

ant male with 3yrs of experience is

seeking suitable placement in Mus-

cat, currently on visit visa & ready

to join immediately. Contact him on

98201476 or email at

[email protected]

Indian female, B.Com. knowledge of

MS Office & Tally, 4yrs experience in

Accounts &admin dept. looking for

good placement in any field.

Contact.98928220

Indian female, IATA, Bsc, Looking

for suitable placement.

Contact-95514305, email id-

[email protected]

Indian male, Engineer, BE Mechani-

cal, having with 21 years of experi-

ence in India and 13 years in Oman,

In production, project management,

quality control and assurance and

MR for ISO and API Standards look-

ing out for a suitable placement

in Oman. GSM: 00968 97311616.

E-MAIL: [email protected]

Male, 30 years Accountant, 1 year

Oman experience in accountants,

finance. Seeking suitable position in

Muscat .Can join immediately, NOC

available. Email: [email protected]

Call: 97903175

CCNP Network Professional with 6

years experience having Bachelors

degree on visit visa looking for suit-

able job. Contact: 96 76 06 18

Indian male, total experience is 5

years in Retail industry. Currently su-

pervisor in Sun and sand sports Mus-

cat City centre. Contact : 96994345.


Indian male, post graduate, current-

ly in Oman on visit visa. Seeks suit-

able placement.Contact 92388346

Indian male 60 years old have 30

years Muscat experience in all office

works with Omani driving license.

Contact: 99024055

Sudanese male, 31 year old, have 3

year Diploma in electrical engineer,

5 year experience in different activi-

ties. Contact; +96894549609

More than Ten years of experience in

Sales & Marketing, Advertisement and

Credit Control and Logistics& Admin-

istration.# 91076608 / 99322748

MCA IT Professional Indian Female

seek placement in Teaching/ Non

Teaching field. Presently on visit

visa. Contact 9588 7051,

Email: ashwininakod@gmail


SITUATION WANTEDCARGO

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise

with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain

Marine Tours Contact- 98029602,

92808636

RENT A CAR

RENT A CAR

TOURS

GOOD NEWS

Ayurvedic massage backache, joint

pain & neck pain etc.

Contact: 98254909

Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain,

backache, paralysis massage, steam

bath, obesity, spondylitis IDEAL ,

CARE Ayurvedic Clinic 18 November

street, Azaiba. Contact 99639695 /

99117987

Taimour Ayurvedic Clinic, Ruwi

offers genuine & effective treatment

for back pain, paralysis, cervical and

lumbar spondylitis, osteoarthritis,

joint pains, sinusitis, migraine, al-

lergic problems, varicose vein and

all other health related problems.

Kerala massage and rejuvenation

package available. For details please

Contact 92197920/ 24799689

FREE INFORMATION ABOUT IS-LAM. If you would like to know more

about Islam, please call: 99425598,

96050000, 99353988, 99253818,

99341395, and 99379133.

For ladies: 99415818, 99321360,

99730723

Orvisit: www.islamfact.com

Ayurvedic treatment for backache,

paralysis, arthritis etc & massage,

All Season (Vaidyaratnam).

Contact 24475280 / 95371554 /

92504980 www.siddhayur.com

Genuine Ayurvedic treatments &

massage, Ayurvedic clinic at Al Khu-

wair. Contact 24478618 / 97263637

/93309131

DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624


D8 T U E S D AY, J U N E 9, 2 0 1 5

SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

Specialist available for explosive

growth in term of restructuring

all modules of businesses with

over 30 years of experience across

continents with a decade in Oman.

Contact 96733578


Split & window A.C servicing &

maintenance. Contact 93769089 /

95323517

A/C maintenance split A/C servic-

ing. RO. 10 only. Contact 94217681/

99210141

Tailoring churidar, anarkali,

salwar kameez dance costumes

shop 32 Dhofar bldg, Ruwi.

Contact: 99740196

Churidar, Anarkali, Salwar Ka-

meez, Dance costumes, shop 32,

Dhofar building, Ruwi.

Contact 99740196

Carpet & sofa cleaning, house clean-

ing. Contact 99542979 / 98855815

Split & window A.C servicing &

maintenance. Contact: 96236476

House shifting packing.

99657644 / 98518013

Water proofing ABUQABAS-

Contact 99320217/24788722

Window & split unit A.C servicing

& repairing. Contact 99557080

Split & window A.C servic-

ing & maintenance. Contact

93769089/95323517

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles

polishing, carpet shampooing,

maintenance.Contact ABU QABAS-

99320217 /24788722

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile

polishing, pest control & anti-ter-

mite treatment, general cleaning

painting, Plumbing, Electrical,

shifting. Contact Mundhir

Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C.

# 24810137, 99450130

A/C maintenance & servic-

ing. Fridge, washing machine

& dish washer repairing. Paint-

ing & cleaning services &

electrical & plumbing. Contact

99447257/97014234/ 24504281

WEBSITE

WEB, ERP and Business Intelli-

gence (BI) creation and man-

agement at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

CLASSES

COMPUTER

ACCOUNTANTS AND CONSULTANTSWE ARE PROVIDING

ACCOUNTING/ AUDITINGTAX/ CONSULTING

CONTACT: 24 567 251 / 95 498 033

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet

& sofa shampooing, Contact

99314807/24792998

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of

your marble. Contact 24793614/

99314807

House shifting. Contact 99708138

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

Learn Cup cakes, exotic cakes, Icing

decorations, handicrafts.

Contact 95941515

DRIVING

Learn driving with professional

only automatic. Contact 94022250

NRI

Ready / under construction apart-

ments / villas. Near guruvayur.

Contact: 00919846877773

Ready / under construction apart-

ments / villas / row houses / shops,

available for sale in North / South

Goa (India). tel # 95867021 E- mail -

[email protected]

BUSINESS

Wanted Sub Contractors : Shut-

tering work, steel, concrete block

work, plastering, tile fixing for

Buraimi, School project.

Contact : 99427674/ 24700373/

Fax: 24701368

Scrap business running scrap busi-

ness sale with 60 Ton Weighing

Bridge in Mabellah.

Contact: 92295780

New Construction Company re-

quired investors for financial project.

Contact: 92959251

MATRIMONIAL MATRIMONIALAlliance invited for Ezhava girl,

Anizham star, 27 years, B.Tech

(Civil), employed with Kollam

Engineering College, Kollam, from

parents of same community. Contact:

99030647

Nair 36 yrs, Accountant in Muscat

(M.Com) need suitable brides BSc

Nurses preferred.

Contact : 96146560

Alliance invited for a nair boy 28

yrs 165cm working with a leading

business group in Muscat.

Contact : 91717912

Muslim family seeking

alliance for our son interested

families. Contact 97664009

Kerala Nair girl, B.Com, 22 yrs, 5.2”

very fair, slim, (Star Uthrattathi)

Presently working in infosis, Chen-

nai. Financially sound, from parents

of nair boys from Trissur, Palakkad

and Eranakulam & Calicut dist. .

Contact :0091 8301865688


Alliance invited for a Nair girl 24 yrs, 5ft, 1”, fair, slim, B.Tech

graduate reputed family of

Ernakulam dist. (Star Thiruvonam

Sudhajathakam) financially sound,

from parents of B.Tech nair boys

from Trissur, Palakkad and Er-

anakulam dist. .

Contact :00919495924302


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Times of Oman - June 9, 2015

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