Founded 1975 . Volume 40 No. | Pages . Baisas 200 . Subscription OMR63 | ISO 9001:2008 Certifi ed Company | Chairman/Editor-in-Chief: Mohamed Issa Al Zadjali | Printed & Published by Muscat Media Group

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HASAN SHABAN AL LAWATIhassan@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: When his child was born, Ali’s wife bought a “Baby on Board” bumper sticker from the United States. “I felt everybody uses the same sign,” Ali thought.

That was when he decided to design an Omani version of such a message, which reads: “The ap-ple of my eye is in the car, don’t mess up.”

“I had the idea a few years back, but I wasn’t very serious about it, so I didn’t take any action. I needed something unique that stands out, so that’s when I said to myself: Aha, I can make money out of this,” the Omani safety ambassador said.

Ali, 38, said his authentic prod-uct has wowed shoppers at The Wave, where many sellers gather on Saturdays to promote and sell locally-made products.

“They look at the product, get surprised, smile, laugh, and then buy,” the Muscat born said, adding that some messages remind people of the old days towards which they

have nostalgic feelings.Asked if he has any plans to go

commercial with his new prod-uct, Ali said if garnered good sales, then yes. “I started selling them at GUTech (German University). This was during the National Day where I had pictures of His Maj-

esty the Sultan, Omani Flag and National Day Logo,” he said.

The brand name is Resaiya-lati, which stands for “My car, my message.”

Being a public speaker, humor-ist and safety ambassador, Ali be-lieves in the importance of safety

and that it should be the main con-cern in all aspects of life.

Humour, on the other hand, is a great tool to draw attention. If you combine both, it becomes really powerful, according to Ali.

However, not all Resaiyalati signs are about safety. Some are

motivational or positive messages. Some are pictures of iconic car-toon characters, while some are popular local phrases.

Customised designs“The unique message it carries is what makes my initiative diff er-ent. I can also customise designs and messages based on customers’ requests so that they can refl ect their personalities,” Ali concluded.

Ali is a public speaker and trainer specialising in self-devel-opment, corporate development, team building, entrepreneurship, safety and public speaking and presentation skills training.

Times News Service

MUSCAT: With heavy rainfall expected in Oman and the weath-er conditions likely to worsen from Tuesday , the Pubic Author-ity for Civil Defence and Ambu-lance (PACDA) has once again advised citizens and residents not to risk their lives.

In the past, civil defence au-thorities have grappled with the challenge of saving lives as some irresponsible drivers tried cross-ing overfl owing wadis and waded in diffi cult terrain.

Such behaviour not only puts the drivers’ lives at risk but also imperils the safety of workers who take up the diffi cult and ar-duous task of saving stranded people.

Cloudy skies and isolated rains are expected over the governo-

rates of Muscat, Musandam, Al Buraimi, Al Dhahira, North and South Al Batinah, Al Dakhliya and North and South Al Sharqiyah, starting from Tuesday.

According to the National Mul-ti Hazard Early Warning Centre at the Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA), the Sultanate will be aff ected by a deep upper air trough starting from Tuesday until Friday.

“PACDA rescue teams are on standby for any distress calls from citizens and residents and we are working in coordination with weather forecast authori-ties,” an offi cial from PACDA said on Monday.

There are chances of isolated rain and occasional thunder-showers associated with hail and fresh winds in the nine gover-norates from Tuesday. “We fear that North Al Batinah will get the maximum amount of rainfall according to the latest forecast,”

said a PACA offi cial.PACA has advised the public to

take precautions during the rain and avoid crossing wadis (val-leys), as well as checking the sea conditions before sailing.

Urging people to stay informed and be ready to act if a warning is issued, PACA has sent out some safety tips.

The safety tips sent by PACA says during a thunderstorm people must rush to the nearest building or vehicle and use it as a shelter. “Avoid standing under tall trees, lamp-posts and telecom-munication towers. Don’t risk working or standing in high plac-es, such as hills,” the offi cial said.

The list also reminded that ly-ing on the ground increases the chances of getting struck by light-ning. “If you happen to be swim-ming, get back to land immedi-ately. If you are away from safe areas, sit in a bending position,” the offi cial added.

February 16, 2016 7 Jumada Al Ula 1437 AH

TUESDAY

304 40

Annual session of council of Oman, 2012

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTYTHE SULTAN

A word, which we wish to address to Omani youth on this occasion: Remember that work, as much as it is a right, it is a duty as well. Everyone who has completed their education or training has to take up any useful profession which fulfi ls their sense of being and through which they can strive to achieve their ambitions, rather than wait to get a government job.

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’

HM sends greetings to Lithuania

MUSCAT: His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of congratulations to President Dalia Grybauskaite of the Re-public of Lithuania on her coun-try’s National Day.

In his cable, His Majesty the Sultan has expressed his sin-cere congratulations along with his best wishes of good health and happiness to President Grybauskaite and the people of Lithuania further progress. -ONA

C A B L E Don’t risk life by crossing wadis: PACDAAmid rain forecast

in Oman from today,

the PACDA has

advised people to

avoid overfl owing

stretches for safetyA6Alfardan Motors hosts Ferrari test drive

OMAN‘Hiring not hit by crude price fall’

1Slowdown in the economy due to plunging oil prices has not aff ected the

expansion of the retail sector or the hiring process in Oman, hypermarket chains’ offi cials in the country said. The offi cials and research agencies are upbeat on retail prospects. >A2

OMANAnantara Salalah to open during Khareef

2Dhofar’s newest luxury hotel, Anantara Salalah - Al Baleed Resort, is set

to open during the upcoming Khareef season. The resort is a joint venture between Omran Hotels & Resorts and Musstir, one of Oman’s leading property developers. >A4

OMANOman National Digital Forensic Lab opened

3ITA celebrated the opening of the National Digital Forensic Lab

yesterday at its headquarters at Knowledge Oasis Muscat. The laboratory was inaugurated under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture. >A6

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

Made-in-Oman stickers promote safety through humour

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

EFFECTIVE MESSAGING: The authentic product has wowed shoppers at The Wave, where many gather

to promote locally-made products.

A. SESHAGIRI RAOraoas@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: It is that time of the year when top cyclists and accom-panying media from around the world descend on the Sultanate for the Tour of Oman.

The annual sporting extrava-ganza that attracts the attention of the world media, leads to the pro-motion of the country as an ideal sporting and tourism destination.

It is expected to be a bit diff er-ent this year. If the organisers are to be believed, the seventh edition of the six-stage Tour scheduled to start at Oman International Exhi-bition Centre on Tuesday, will be more exciting and will have more media coverage than the previous editions.

“The 2016 Tour of Oman will defi nitely be more exciting than the last year,” Eddy Merckx, one

of the organisers of the Muscat Municipality-organised Tour, said.

The Belgian legend, address-ing the media at Hormuz Grand on Monday, said: “Obviously there will be a few changes to the stages which will make it more interesting.”

Bank Muscat support Meanwhile, Bank Muscat, the fl ag-ship fi nancial services provider in the Sultanate, has extended sup-port to Tour of Oman, which is set to witness a star studded line-up of international cyclists for the sev-enth edition of the championship from February 16 to 21.

In step with the ‘Let’s Do More’ vision, the bank’s support to Tour of Oman comes as part of its com-mitment to partnership in pro-moting the Sultanate as a tourist and sporting destination. Over the years, Bank Muscat has extended strong support in making the Tour

of Oman a great success. The bank aims to utilise the opportunity to fulfi l its commitment to national initiatives, uniting citizens, resi-dents and visitors in sharing the good times and discovering the joy of being connected, a statement from the bank said.

As the nation’s leading fi nancial institution, Bank Muscat aims to strongly convey the message of support to varied sporting ac-tivities so as to encourage healthy lifestyle and provide the required impetus for the country to excel in sporting s arena. In the 5th edi-tion of Tour of Oman, Bank Mus-cat headquarters was the starting point of the 3rd stage of the event. Over the years, Tour of Oman has signifi cantly grown in stature and the hosting of the international sporting event refl ects the Oman’s remarkable organisational capa-bilities. See also >C1

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

DANGEROUS ADVENTURE: A fi le picture of the fl ooded street.

TOP EVENT: The annual sporting extravaganza attracts the attention of the world media. -File picture

MORNING MINUTE

One killed, 2 injured in house blazeStaff Reporter

MUSCAT: One person died and two others are in critical condi-tion after a fi re engulfed a house in South Uqad area on Monday morning, according to the Public Authority for Civil Defence.

According to sources, the fi re started on the second fl oor of the three-storey house in the early hours of Monday in Salalah.

“Two people were rescued and rushed to the hospital at around 5:35am,” PACDA tweeted.

Meanwhile, sources confi rmed that the deceased is a Philippine national. “One person is battling for life in intensive care unit in Salalah hospital,” sources added.

A few weeks ago, a trader in Muttrah souq had lost goods worth OMR200,000 in a fi re accident.

S O U T H U Q A D

Tour of Oman set to be more ‘exciting’ than past editions

A2 T U E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

OMAN

SAYYID ASA’AD RECEIVES PAKITSANI AMBASSADOROn behalf of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, His Highness Sayyid Asa’ad bin Tariq Al

Said received in his offi ce on Monday Ayaz Hussain, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic

of Pakistan to the Sultanate to bid him farewell at the end of his tour of duty as his coun-

try’s ambassador to the Sultanate. The ambassador expressed his thanks to His Majesty

the Sultan for the support extended to him during his tour of duty in the Sultanate from His

Majesty, the government and the Omani people, which had enabled him to carry out his duty.

He wished His Majesty the Sultan good health, happiness and long life, and the Sultanate

further progress and prosperity under the wise leadership of His Majesty the Sultan. Sayyid

Asa’ad thanked the ambassador for the eff orts he exerted in serving the good relations be-

tween the Sultanate and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, wishing him permanent success,

and the Pakistani friendly people further progress and prosperity. -ONA

Retail, hiring not impacted by fall in crude prices

REJIMON K reji@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Slowdown in the econ-omy due to plunging oil prices has not aff ected the expansion of the retail sector or the hiring process in Oman, hypermarket chains’ of-fi cials in the country said.

“Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will overcome this crisis. We have seen it happen in 1979, 1986 and 1994. Business will not be hit as presumed. Our expan-sion plans will also not be aff ected, Yusuff Ali M. A., chairman of Lulu, said while opening 16th outlet at Suwaiq in Oman on Sunday.

“We’re very optimistic, and our optimism is based on the circum-

stances in general. The impact of the fl uctuating oil prices is not going to distract us from our long-term business goals in Oman,” Yu-suff Ali added. According to him, the hypermarket will open seven more outlets in Oman in the com-ing two years.

Another offi cial from the same hypermarket said the slowdown in economy has not made them calling a halt to the hiring plans.

Hiring plans not aff ected“Our hiring plans have not been aff ected. We are hiring both, na-tionals and expatriates. Our busi-ness is continuing as usual. Oil price dip has not hit us,” Ananth A.V, Regional Director, Lulu Oman, said.

According to Alpen Capital’s report, the GCC retail sales are expected to reach $284.5bn in 2018, with Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait ranking among the most attractive retail destinations worldwide.

Meanwhile, another offi cial from a diff erent hypermarket chain said they, too, have not stopped their expansion and hir-ing plans.

“We will be opening our big-gest hypermarket in Oman in the coming months in Al Khoud. We will be employing more than 700 workers, both nationals and ex-

patriates, in diff erent categories,” Naveej Vinod, executive director of Mars International, said.

“We are seeing a positive growth in Oman’s retail sector. Oil price dip has not aff ected us at all,” Naveej added. Recently, there were rumours and media reports that oil price dip has aff ected re-tail sector’s expansion and hiring plans in Oman.

According to Business Monitor International (BMI) 2015 report, there are promising opportunities in Oman for retailers to expand.

“Although Oman’s population is small, at about 4m, retail is growing from a lower base, com-pared with the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar, where greater formali-sation has taken place. We ex-pected Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-focused retailers to in-crease their investment in Oman over our forecast period till 2019 as part of a wider regional diver-sifi cation move,” the report says.

According to the report, food retailer Spar International had announced a partnership with Omani company Khimji Rama-das in December 2013, with plans to launch nine stores by 2016.

“There is a lot of room for growth in the country’s food re-tail sector, where sales are fore-cast to reach nearly $4.5b (from $2.2bn in 2014) over the forecast period till 2019,” the report adds.

Hypermarket offi cials

and research agencies

are upbeat on the

prospects of retail

in the Sultanate and

other Gulf Cooperation

Council countries

POSITIVE OUTLOOK: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will overcome this crisis. We have

seen it happen in 1979, 1986 and 1994. Business will not be hit as presumed. Our expansion plans

will also not be aff ected, Yusuff Ali M. A., chairman of Lulu, said while opening its 16th outlet at

Suwaiq in Oman. - Jun Estrada

SQU Business Week beginsTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Thirteenth Business Week, organised by the Business Society, a student group at the College of Economics and Politi-cal Science at the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) commenced yesterday.

The theme of the annual event for this year is Environmental Economics. The opening ceremo-ny of the event was held under the patronage of Dr. Abdul Monem bin Mansour Al Hassani, Minis-ter of Information, in the pres-ence of Dr. Ali bin Saud Al Bim-ani, the vice chancellor of SQU, and a number of academicians and students from the college.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Saeed Mubarak Al Muharrami, dean of the College of Economics and Political Science, said he is proud of the students, who chose environmental economics as the theme of this year’s business week activities.

“The activities focus on recy-cling of used products, green en-ergy, pollution control and related topics in environmental econom-ics. It is good to see some interest-ing student projects and activities throwing light on this fi eld of eco-nomics, which seeks to study the relationship between the econ-omy and the environment. The goal is to balance the economic activity and the environmental

impact by taking into account all costs and benefi ts. The examples of recycling of waste products and manufacturing new materi-als will help protect the environ-ment and save costs at the same time. Recycling of used materials also saves energy and costs. This helps to lead both the economy and nature towards sustainabil-ity,” he observed.

Speaking on behalf of the stu-dent society, Adnan Qais Al Kin-di, a student, stressed on optimal exploitation and sustainable ex-traction of natural resources to protect the environment and save costs. He called upon the society to apply the principles of environ-mental economics and sustain-able models on all aspects of life

in order to save the planet and the environment and create a socially responsible and viable economy.

The Business Week will fea-ture an exhibition of the products and services off ered by many small and medium enterprises in the Sultanate. A poster making session about student projects on green and renewable energy and eco-friendly products will also be held. This includes a project that showcases the production of bio-fuel and organic fertilizers from food waste.

Several activities, such as a quiz competition, a chess competition, lectures on green energy, a horse show and a drone show will be held on the sidelines of the event, which will last until February 17.

E V E N T

ENVIRONMENT WISE: The theme of the annual event for this

year is Environmental Economics. – Supplied photo

Insurance sector in Oman posts growth in gross premiumMUSCAT: Insurance sector in the Sultanate posted growth in the gross premium underwritten in 2015, shows the unaudited fi nan-cial statements of the Capital Mar-ket Authority.

The underwritten direct pre-mium stood at OMR446 million ; a growth of 11 per cent compared to 2014 which was OMR400 million.

The data obtained by ONA point out that despite the growth of the gross premiums written in 2015, the growth rates have been with varying degrees among insurance branches.

Most insurance branches post-ed growth during the year except for three branches, which wit-nessed decline of varying degrees.

Other insurance witnessed highest growth rates (48 per cent) and the biggest decline was re-corded by the engineering insur-ance (6 per cent).

The data point out that health insurance continued its growth and came on top of the other products in terms of growth rates, which stood at 30 per cent in 2015 compared to 2014. Health insur-ance came second in terms of the

gross premiums underwritten in 2015 with 24 per cent.

Automobile insurance topped the list of other insurance with 37 per cent growth rate. The net direct premium underwritten in 2015 stood at about OMR249 mil-lion compared to OMR222 million during the same period in 2014.

It should be noted that the growth of the total premium stood at 12 per cent compared to 2014.

The health and group life insur-ances witnessed rapid growth at more than 40 per cent of the gross underwriting. -ONA

C A P I T A L M A R K E T A U T H O R I T Y

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Chamber of Commerce to modernise facilities

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Oman’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) revealed its plan for 2016 to mod-ernise its facilities and services to meet the demands of investors, customers and business owners.

In its eff orts to enlarge the role of the private sector in the Omani economy, the OCCI will fully em-brace today’s technologies and simplify procedures, including registration, renewal and verifi ca-tion services, its press release said.

The OCCI’s website, which is currently modifi ed for mobile de-vices, will focus on four strategic sectors laid out in the government’s 2040 strategy: Investments; Indus-try; Tourism; and Commerce.

OCCI said in its press release that the website will be in Ara-bic and English and in the future other languages, such as German, French, Hindi and Persian, can be added. Also, an app will be devel-

oped to ensure easy and quick ser-vices for business owners.

The Chamber is also planning to establish outlets in shopping centres to provide quick services, such as renewing memberships of the OCCI.

This service will also be provid-ed on its website. OCCI said this will ensure fast handling of cus-tomers’ applications.

Legal adviceThe OCCI said in its statement that it intends to become a refer-ence point for economic studies, including statistics and analysis of the Omani economy. Legal and economic advice services will be expanded for business owners. This service will also be avail-able on the new website, with the

possibility to directly contact a customer service agent. In addi-tion, the OCCI is preparing for the establishment of the Muscat Ar-bitration Centre, which will settle commercial confl icts.

New facilitiesThe OCCI said a new building is coming up in Bausher. This build-ing will meet the latest demands of investors and business owners.

Also new will be OCCI’s identity. Use of social media will be expand-ed, to reach out more to the youth. OCCI will establish a radio and TV section in the media depart-ment to expand outreach to the outside world. The magazine ‘Al Ghorfa’ will get a new appearance and will be renamed as ‘Al Iqtisadi’ and will cover all economic issues

and activities in the Sultanate, OCCI said.

Attracting investmentIn order to attract foreign invest-ment and capital to Oman, the For-eign Investment Section will meet the demands of foreign investors, who seek to carry out projects in the Sultanate.

Finally, OCCI said it still believes in the importance of receiving eco-nomic delegations from abroad. Several visits in the past have re-sulted in large transactions or joint commercial projects. For this rea-son the OCCI will continue its ex-isting eff orts in this fi eld, it said.

Going forward, delegations from China, Sri Lanka, Germany and Tanzania are expected to visit Oman.

In its eff orts to

enlarge the role of

the private sector in

the Omani economy,

the OCCI will fully

embrace today’s

technologies and

simplify procedures

MOVING FORWARD: The OCCI’s website, which is currently modifi ed for mobile devices, will focus on

four strategic sectors laid out in the government’s 2040 strategy: Investments; Industry; Tourism; and

Commerce. – File

Ooredoo, Al Raff d Fund sign pact for Sanad centres’ internet serviceTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Refl ecting its com-mitment to supporting growth and development in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Oman, Ooredoo has signed a Memorandum of Understand-ing (MoU) with the Al Raff d Fund for internet services for the fund’s 621 Sanad Service Centres across Oman.

Under the agreement, pack-ages will off er the Centres greater connection speeds and a cost-eff ective range of business ser-vices, among other benefi ts.

Greg Young, chief executive offi cer (CEO) of Ooredoo, said, “SMEs make up almost 90 per cent of Oman’s burgeoning busi-ness sector, making it vital that we provide them with products, services, and support they need to continue thriving and support the nation’s development. With that in mind, we have developed two special packages to help the Sanad Service Centres increase their productivity, effi ciency, and eff ectiveness as they continue supporting the Al Raff d Fund and other SMEs throughout Oman.”

Established in 2013 on order from His Majesty Sultan Qa-boos bin Said, the Al Raff d Fund aims to empower Omani youth with the means to establish their own projects. Till date, the initiative has 1,662 listed SMEs, which have in turn created over

3,000 jobs for Omanis.Tariq Al Farsi, CEO of Al Raff d

said, “Ooredoo’s high-value busi-ness products and services are perfectly suited to providing our Centres with the technical ca-pabilities they need to continue operating at the highest perfor-mance levels. Agreements like these are important for SMEs in Oman to receive the support they need and through them, the sector will continue leading the way for Oman’s economic development.”

Highly reliableThe Ooredoo Internet Profes-sional (OIP) service off ers cus-tomers highly reliable, fast and secure bandwidths ranging from 1 megabits per second (Mbps) to 30 Mbps to meet the needs of businesses in the Sultanate. The service also provides customers with a dedicated account man-ager, choice of limited or unlim-ited data use, as well as a direct connection with service manage-ment and a dedicated after sales support team.

Additionally, business cus-tomers, who choose OIP can also opt to receive a permanent IP address that will ensure lower downtime and remote access from anywhere in the world. For more information on Ooredoo’s business products and services, visit any of the 40 Ooredoo stores located across the Sultanate or go to: www.ooredoo.om/Business.

M O U

JOINING HANDS: Under the agreement, packages will off er Sanad

Service Centres greater connection speeds and a cost-eff ective

range of business services, among other benefi ts. – Supplied photo

Itrhraa events throw light on new age work requirementsTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Work practices, the workplace itself, talent, skills, vocational training and careers were scrutinised at a series of seminars organised by Ithraa, Oman’s inward investment and export promotion agency.

Ithraa conducted four semi-nars recently which were de-signed to help Oman’s public and private sector discuss and under-stand the challenges and oppor-tunities of the future of work and the fundamental impact it would have on how Oman nurtures, motivates and attracts a talented workforce that can compete in the twenty-fi rst century.

Changing job market“In the 1980s, companies and government were hiring typists and switchboard operators. To-day, they are recruiting webmas-ters and desktop publishers. We are living in a world few could have imagined even 20 years ago – a world powered by technology, fuelled by information and driven by knowledge,” remarked Taleb Al Makhmari, Ithraa’s Director General for Marketing & Media and organiser of Oman at Work.

Al Makhmari added the ob-jective of the Oman at Work ini-tiative is to bring business and government together to discuss how the Sultanate’s work and skills environment is changing and what those changes mean for inward investment, non-oil ex-

ports, employers, education and training providers and Oman’s youth.

Oman at Work panelist, Shatha Al Maskiry, Managing Director, Protiviti Oman said: “A number of local and global trends are im-pacting business, skills and jobs, ranging from emerging econo-mies, demographic change, mi-gration, technological develop-ments to changing organisational structures. These rapid, complex shifts are aff ecting labour mar-kets, education and training poli-cies around the world.”

In response to these complex shifts, Oman has invested heavily in education and training to cre-ate the next generation of busi-ness and public sector leaders.

The millennial generation, born between 1980 and 2000 and making up 75 per cent of the glob-al workforce by 2025, is better educated and more diverse than any other generation in Oman’s history. And their working lives will be very diff erent to previous generations, research suggests a typical Millennial will have had 10 jobs by the age of 38.

“In the future, people will have shorter careers and more of them and the idea of a single educa-tion, followed by a single career, fi nishing with a single pension is over. As a result, workers will constantly need to gain new skills throughout their working life,” pointed out HH Sayyid Faisal Al Said, Ithraa’s Director General for Investment Promotion.

E D U C A T I O N

SCHOOL HISTORY: Indian School Muscat Alumni Association and

ISM Photography Club organised a photography exhibition.

A4 T U E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

OMAN 2,000 or more could be the number of domestic animal

breeds lost over the next 20 years, according to

the Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources

ISM organises graduation functionTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Indian School Muscat (ISM) held its annual graduation ceremony on Saturday, honour-ing the outgoing batch of Grade 12 students.

Dr. Ahmed Hassan Al Bulushi, dean, Caledonian College of En-gineering (CCE) graced the occa-sion as the chief guest.

Gurbinder Singh Punn, chair-man, Academic Sub-committee, ISM was the guest of honour. Dr. Avirat Vaishnav, president, ISM managing committee, Principal Srinivas K. Naidu, vice principals, assistant vice principals, head of departments, other invitees and parents also graced the occasion with their presence.

The members of the Students Council received the dignitaries. Deep Wilson, vice principal, sen-ior section welcomed the gather-ing. Jubilant fresh graduates of the 2015-16 batch refl ected their passion for being ISM graduates, well-dressed in their ceremonial attire, paced to the fore in an ex-cellent procession and were ac-companied by their respective class teachers.

The guest of honour, accom-panied by Vaishnav, the Princi-pal, Vice Principals of various sections, released the ISM Year Book 2015-16 that chronicles the achievements and aspirations of the students.

Citations and mementos were awarded to the students by the Chief Guest and the Guest of Hon-

our in the presence of the digni-taries. In his address to the gath-ering, the chief guest observed that to be successful in life one should be ready to take risks and expressed the trust that this batch of students would do well in life. Vaishnav presented mementos to the chief guests as a token of ap-preciation.

Alen Jiji Tom and Angela Alex received special awards in rec-ognition of their services as the Head boy and Head Girl of the school. All members of the Sen-

ior Council and all the four house captains were bestowed with cer-tifi cates of recognition for their commitments. Alen Jiji Tom and Avantika Murali won the Best All Rounder Awards in boys and girls’ categories. Alfred John Menezes and Nishita Sandeep Karnik won the Best Sports Per-sonality Awards.

Applauding the students, the guest of honour thanked the teachers, students and parents. He observed that the parent com-munity always does its best to

train the children and it was time to let the children perform with-out their micro-management.

Principal Naidu, while bless-ing the students wished them all the very best for life after school and elaborated on success and its implications.

The assistant head Boy, Tisjy Mohan proposed the vote of thanks. The Graduation Ceremo-ny concluded with the School An-them and Grade 12 students and their parents said they will cher-ish this day throughout their lives.

H O N O U R E D

Photography expo organised at ISMTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Indian School Muscat Alumni Association in collabora-tion with the ISM Photography Club organised ISM@40 Photog-raphy Exhibition on February 11 on the school premises.

The exhibition, in progress, has attracted visitors in great numbers. Mohammed Al Zubair graced the occasion. Accompa-nied by Kanaksi Gokaldas Khimji, and other guests, the chief guest lit the ceremonial lamp inaugurating the exhibition christened ‘Colour & Shades’.

The presence of Kanaksi Goka-ldas Khimji, doyen of the Indian Community in the Sultanate and the fi rst President of the School Managing Committee, Dr. Avirat Vaishnav, President ISM Manag-ing Committee, former SMC pres-

idents, the members of the SMC and distinguished guests added splendour to the event. Principal, Srinivas K. Naidu, the vice princi-pals, Asst. vice principals, heads of various Departments, parents and students were also present.

Dr. Aju Koshy Samuel, alumni and chairman, parent & com-munity, member of the academic sub-committee, welcomed the gathering. Assistant Head boy Tisjy Mohan and Asst. Head Girl Samantha Pinto, in a symbolic gesture, presented potted plants to the guests.

The exhibition encapsulating the 40 years of this pioneer and magnifi cent educational institu-tion, its achievements as well as its progress from a small opening in 1975 to the sprawling temple of learning that it is today, was appre-ciated very well by all.

A T T R A C T S V I S I T O R S

OUTGOING BATCH: Jubilant fresh graduates of the 2015-16 batch refl ected their passion for being

ISM graduates, well-dressed in their ceremonial attire. – Supplied photo

New Salalah luxury address by Khareef

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Dhofar’s newest lux-ury hotel, Anantara Salalah - Al Baleed Resort, is set to open this summer, in time for the upcoming Khareef season.

The resort is a joint venture be-tween Omran Hotels & Resorts and Musstir, one of Oman’s lead-ing property developers, inves-tors and the leading governmental investment company developing tourism locations and infrastruc-ture in Oman.

Welcoming guests in tradi-tional Omani style, the resort, located between a natural lagoon and a beach, will be managed by Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas, the luxury hospitality brand known for off ering indigenous ex-periences for travellers.

Designed to refl ect Dhofar’s heritage, the resort’s Dhofari de-sign features intricate artistic de-tails and is inspired by the region’s coastal fortresses,while being sur-rounded by towering palms, trees, gardens and lush water motifs.

With 136 guest rooms and stu-dios, as well as one, two and three bedroom pool villas – the fi rst of their kind in Salalah and Oman - the resort is located just 10 km from the city centre and 15 km from the airport.

One of the many highlights of the resort includes the Anantara Spa, which will feature a hammam and off er a range of Anantara’s sig-nature spa treatments, featuring local ingredients and techniques.

Guests can enjoy a range of ac-tivities, from water sports to ten-nis, and a children’s and teens’ club will feature an outdoor splash area and the latest game console equipment, as well as a host of fun and creative activities.

Culinary experiences range

from a Middle Eastern beach bar to a signature Asian restaurant, showcasing cuisine from along the Mekong River.

Further, the resort will off er direct access to the beach and is only a boat ride across the lagoon from the city’s renowned Botani-cal Garden and Al Baleed Museum of Frankincense. The resort also puts guests in close proximity to the Al Baleed UNESCO archaeo-logical sites, the Citadel, City Wall and Grand Mosque.

James Hewitson, General Man-ager of Al Baleed Resort – Salalah by Anantara, noted, “On behalf of the team at Anantara Hotels, Re-sorts & Spas, it is a great honour to work with such visionary partners as Musstir and Omran, and to be given the opportunity to open such a distinguished resort in a destina-tion which is developing at such a strong pace. Salalah is a unique location - not just within Oman, but for the whole of the GCC. The Anantara brand has been built by drawing upon the expertise and heartfelt hospitality of our hosts in each destination – my team and I look forward to welcoming team members from the local region.

“With Carillon, the building contractor, we have now agreed

on key delivery and opening dates and will commence this week with our pre-opening recruitment and mobilisation of the training task force from Anantara. We are delighted with the cooperation we have received from the Ministry of Manpower,which is assisting us in securing the right level of Omanis into the hotel and are in discussions with Omran’s Tour-ism College to assist in our preo-pening training programmes.

“We are actively meeting with leading premium and luxury trav-el companies and will announce, later this week, the opening room rates for residents and citizens of Oman,” added Hewitson.

When it opens its doors this summer, Al Baleed Resort – Sala-lah will welcome guests from across the GCC and the world, but the resort also off ers the perfect destination for a relaxing ‘stayca-tion’ for local guests from the re-gion. Proving that home is where the heart is, Omani citizens and local residents will be able to take advantage of preferential rates and opening off ers in Khareef season.

Commenting on the opening of the new resort, Dr. Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, Minister of Com-merce and Industry and Chair-

man of Omran, said, “The opening of Al Baleed Resort – Salalah by Anantara is a major milestone for the region and refl ects our com-mitment to developing the tour-ism sector to support the local economy on a long-term, sustain-able basis.

Salalah is a very popular des-tination, known for having some of the best beaches in the GCC, as well as a rich cultural heritage, and the opening of Al Baleed Re-sort – Salalah by Anantara puts Dhofar fi rmly on the map for in-ternational travellers.”

Dr. Mohamed bin Ali bin Mo-hamed Al Barwani – founder and Chairman of MB Group-Mus-stir, added: “This development of Al Baleed Resort – Salalah by Anantara is a testament to the results which can be achieved through strategic Public-Private Partnerships with the Govern-ment, which is the fi rst of its kind in Oman for the real estate and hospitality sector. It is a learning experience, and we are proud to herald the opening of the resort with our Government partner, Omran.”

Additionally, in line with Anantara’s ongoing commitment to the local community in each of its destinations, the goal of the resort is to provide long-term em-ployment and development oppor-tunities for residents of Dhofar.

For more information about various positions available, and to apply, local citizens are invited to visit http://www.anantara.com/careers/

For more information, go to: http://www.anantara.com/salalah/

The resort’s website will be launching soon and additional in-formation will be availableatwww.omran.om and www.musstir.com

A joint venture

between Omran

Hotels & Resorts and

Musstir, the resort

located between

a natural lagoon

and a beach, will

be managed by

Anantara Hotels,

Resorts and SpasTRADITIONAL STYLE : The resort’s Dhofari design features intricate artistic details. – Supplied photo

Oman conference to focus on saving animal resources Times News Service

MUSCAT: Every week, the world loses valuable animal species, and without adequate action it is estimated that more than 2,000 domestic animal breeds could be lost over the next 20 years, ac-cording to the Oman Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Centre (OAPGRC).

In response to this situation, leading domestic and internation-al scientists will gather in Muscat later this month to discuss con-serving animal genetic resources; food security and traceability; bio-banking; agribusiness; and the im-pact of climate change on animal genetic resources.

Scheduled to be held on February 23 – 24 at Sultan Qaboos Univer-sity, The Regional Conference for Animal Genetic Resources Conser-vation is being hosted by OAPGRC, in collaboration with Sultan Qa-boos University and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

“It’s widely acknowledged that the world’s animal genetic diver-sity is under serious threat, and the reported rate of breed extinctions is of deep concern to scientists and farmers alike,” pointed out Dr. Nadiya Al Saady, OAPGRC Execu-tive Director.

Dr. Al Saady added, “What is just as worrying is that unrecorded animal genetic resources are being lost before their characteristics can be studied and potential evalu-ated. This paints a scary picture of the future, with as many as 30 to 50 per cent of all species potentially heading for extinction by mid-century. And extinction is forever. Biotechnology will not be able to regenerate breeds if they are lost.”

Domestic farm animals are crucial for food and agriculture, providing 30 to 40 per cent of the

agricultural sector’s global eco-nomic value, according to the OAPGRC. Some two billion people – one-third of the world’s popula-tion – depend, at least partly, on farm animals for their livelihoods. And as incomes rise, particularly in developing countries, diets be-come diversifi ed, with the addition of more animal protein. Experts believe meat, milk and egg produc-tion will need to more than double over the next two decades to meet this growing demand.

Dr. Al Saady added, “Strenuous eff orts to understand, prioritise and protect the world’s animal genetic resources for food and agriculture are required. And it is this shared concern and commitment that’s bringing experts from around the world to Muscat this month.”

The full potential of animal ge-netic resources is far from being realised, suggests Dr. Al Saady, and they face serious erosion in both de-veloped and developing countries. This is being caused by changes in production systems, disease out-breaks, poor breeding policies and practices, inappropriate introduc-tion of exotic breeds and climate change, to name but a few.

“In simple terms, these losses matter and aff ect every one of us,” said Dr. Al Saady.

“Ecologists, zoologists and other scientists believe that, without urgent steps to stem the losses, we are facing tipping points from which we may never look back or recover.

“It’s time, and we need renewed eff orts and commitments for the protection, sustainable use, devel-opment and conservation of our remaining animal genetic resourc-es, before they are lost forever. I sincerely hope that the conference can be used as a springboard for action,” noted Dr. Al Saady.

E N V I R O N M E N T

UNDER THREAT: Leading domestic and international scientists will

gather in Muscat later this month to discuss conserving animal

genetic resources; food security and traceability; bio-banking;

agribusiness; and the impact of climate change on animal genetic

resources. – AFP

2040 national tourism strategy targets 6% rise in contribution to GDP

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Culture research has spin-offs for economy: TRC

ERIK PRINSerik@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Reviving Oman’s cultural heritage by promoting research will benefi t the Omani economy and society, The Re-search Council (TRC) said.

Promoting local research on Omani cultural heritage is the focus of a two-day international workshop entitled, “Cultural Her-itage and Sustainable Develop-ment,” organised by TRC.

The fi rst meeting was held on Monday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Muscat and featured special-ists from cultural organisations in Oman and abroad.

TRC is Oman’s research funding body, established in 2005 and sup-ports research and innovation in the Sultanate.

A statement from TRC said the Oman Cultural Heritage Research Programme focuses on the imple-mentation of cultural heritage in sustainable development by con-ducting scientifi c studies on Omani cultural heritage.

The programme will support the sustainable development of Oman, according to Dr. Yousuf Al Busaidi, research director for Culture, So-cial and Basic Science at TRC.

“Sustainable development means more people working in the

cultural sector, more jobs and po-tentially, more income from tour-ism,” he said.

He added that given that Oman has such a rich heritage and di-verse population and at the same time a small population, this makes it diffi cult to conserve.

Oman faces a shortage in re-sources for conducting more re-search, said Aisha Al Bahri, mem-ber of the steering committee at TRC.

Limited resources“We are short of Omani research-ers and experts in the fi eld of cul-tural heritage and there is not enough cooperation between local organisations working in this fi eld. In addition, we have limited fi nan-cial resources,” she said.

Al Busaidi noted: “We have to move fast, but we do not have the capacity to do so.”

He added that in Oman, as in other Arab countries, there is a stigma surrounding the study of cultural heritage.

“Many young people hesitate to work in this fi eld, because they think they cannot earn enough. In-stead, they tend to go for business or engineering,” he said.

According to Al Bahri, however, many young Omanis have shown an interest in their cultural heritage.

“Based on statistics from the Ministry of Heritage and Culture on the number of societies en-gaged in cultural heritage, we can see that cultural heritage is a popu-lar topic with the youth,” she said.

However, not enough Omanis are specialising in the fi eld.

“Employment of graduates in the cultural heritage sector is still low,” she said.

Archiving of cultural heritage is another focus point of the pro-gramme, Al Busaidi explained.

“Archiving is a very impor-tant part of the conservation of cultural heritage. We should ar-chive our rich heritage before it disappears.”

In this matter, Oman can learn from the Egyptian experience, ac-cording to Professor Ahmed Mor-si, professor of Folklore at the Col-lege of Arts, Cairo University.

“In Egypt, we initially had no institution for cultural heritage, making it diffi cult to preserve it ac-cordingly. Oman should not make the same mistake,” he said.

During his presentation, Morsi showcased the Egyptian cultural archives, which also includes a popular YouTube channel.

Despite the challenges facing the sector, Al Bahri said there are “a lot of chances for us to develop this important sector.”

Promoting local

research on Omani

cultural heritage is

the focus of a two-

day international

workshop entitled,

“Cultural Heritage

and Sustainable

Development,

organised by TRCFOCUS AREA: The Oman Cultural Heritage Research Programme

founded by The Research Council focuses on the implementation of

cultural heritage in sustainable development by conducting scien-

tifi c studies on Omani cultural heritage. – Jun Estrada

MUSCAT: Oman’s National Strategy for Tourism 2040, which targets a 6 per cent rise in the contribution of the tourism sec-tor to the GDP, was announced by Minister of Tourism Ahmed bin Nasser Al Meherzi.

He explained that the strategy aims to increase the contribution of the private sector in tourism projects to 88 per cent, and gov-ernment investments by 12 per cent, which includes infrastruc-ture projects.

The Minister of Tourism said in an interview with Economic Forum Programme broadcast by the Radio of the Sultanate of Oman that it is hoped that as per the strategy, 20,000 hotel room level will be reached in 2020 com-pared to the existing 16,000 level.

He pointed out that the mis-sion and vision of the Ministry of Tourism has been drafted, taken into account to be consistent

with the mission and vision of the tourism sector, as expressed in the Omani Tourism Strategy, and compatible well with the mission and vision of the government.

He added that the vision says that the Sultanate will be in 2040 one of the most important tour-ist destinations, visited by tour-ists to spend holidays and explore the country.

Amount of investmentAhmed bin Nasser Al Meherzi, Minister of Tourism, said “un-til we get to what we want, we should focus on the appropriate amount of investment, support the growth of small and medium-sized tourism enterprises, and apply a typical global system of social responsibility to attract, off er an extraordinary range of tourist models, enhance the qual-ity of services and attract more tourists.

More than 2.6 million visitors arrived in the Sultanate last year, according to the Tourism Report 2015 published by the National Centre for Statistics and Infor-mation (NCSI).

GCC nationals topped the numbers at 1.06 million, while Indians came second at 299,661, followed by the British (150,902), and Germans (106,269).

Meanwhile more than 5.4 mil-lion went abroad as outbound tourists last year.

Cruise ship visitors to the Sultanate in 2015 reached 148,000, consisting of 40,225 visitors from Germany, 13,849 from Italy, 9,688 from the UK, 8,578 from the Czech Republic, and 8,517 from the British Vir-gin Islands.

Guests in Oman’s 3-5 star ho-tels numbered 1.2 million last year, with revenues totalling OMR192.1 million. -ONA

T O U R I S M

Omani among top 10 innovators recognised by Shell LiveWireTimes News Service

MUSCAT: An Omani entrepre-neur has been recognised as one of the top 10 innovators by Shell LiveWire for his eco-friendly business idea.

Hadi Al Sarhani, founder of Unique Diamonds, Oman’s sole distributor of Eco2Fume, an eco-friendly pest control fumigant, has been recognised as one of the top 10 innovators by Shell LiveWire for his green business idea.

Al Sarhani was nominated for the reward programme for think-ing out-of-the-box and coming up with a solution for the challenges faced in the agricultural sector in Oman. Farmers have come to re-alise that pests are increasingly developing resistance to tradi-tional fumigation chemicals and, at the same time, serious con-cerns are being raised over its ef-fect on public health.

Given these market sentiments, there is a need for an eff ective and innovative solution, which is what prompted Al Sarhani to start his new business venture. He un-dertook extensive research before deciding to import the product from the United States and today his company has grown to employ 10 staff members. His company has also become the fi rst in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region to train home users for de-livering fumigation.

But Al Sarhani’s innovation just does not end here. The drive to develop tourism in Oman, along with the gaps in the mar-ket, prompted him to diversify his business and move into caravan renting as well. “I have come to re-alise that the Sultanate of Oman has many beautiful places, but we

cannot reach them because we do not have enough facilities.”

Proactive approachTalking about his experience in the competition, Al Sarhani said, “I heard about the competition through the Shell Intilaaqah team in Oman, who were very proactive in approaching entrepreneurs and Shell Intilaaqah graduates. I started drafting my entry and fi lming the short video that was a required part of the application. I got a total number of 3,866 votes and won the second place in the competition.”

Thanking Shell LiveWire for the award, Al Sarhani said, “I am grateful to Shell LiveWire for supporting Unique Diamond’s work. With Shell Intilaaqah, Om-ani entrepreneurs have found a partner, who believes in their po-tential and pushes them to excel. This recognition is a big motivat-ing factor for me to do even better

in my businesses and to inspire other young Omanis to consider setting up their own businesses. I graduated from Shell Intilaaqah in 1998 and I’m very happy to get reconnected with the programme after all these years.”

Dr Ali Al Lawati, general man-ager of External Relations at Shell Development Oman said, “Hadi is a great example of how an in-novative approach contributes to making a positive impact to busi-ness, and I congratulate Hadi on his success. Innovative, wealth-creating businesses are impor-tant drivers of economic growth and each of our 10 award win-ners is having a positive impact in their respective business sectors. Shell is proud to support such in-novative enterprises to grow and achieve long-term sustainability.”

The Shell LiveWire top 10 in-novators award programme off ers young entrepreneurs, who have shown success through innova-tion to build their business ven-tures, the opportunity to receive further investment. By support-ing innovation, Shell LiveWIRE intends to not only promote long-term sustainability and growth of the individual winners, but to create role models for future en-trepreneurs.

The inaugural 2015 awards saw 27 businesses compete for a place among the top 10, representing 10 Shell LiveWire programmes around the world, and encom-passing a diverse range of indus-tries. Nine other businesses, who have benefi ted from one of the 16 Shell LiveWire programmes op-erating globally, shared in fund-ing totalling $60,000. Three busi-nesses received runner-up prizes of $10,000 each.

I N N O V A T O R S

Hadi Al Sarhani has been rec-

ognised by Shell LiveWire for

his green business idea.

PRESTIGIOUS PROJECT: The strategy aims to increase the contribution of the private sector in tour-

ism projects to 88 per cent, and government investments by 12 per cent. -ONA

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OMANT U E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

We were inundated with requests for appointments, and as the maximum possible was 30, we had to work with a very strict set of criteria to choose those, which best fi t our goals and objectives

Sheikha Al Mugheiry, OCEC Business Development Manager

Haitham presides over National Digital Forensic Lab opening

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Information Technol-ogy Authority (ITA) celebrated the opening of the National Digital Forensic Lab yesterday at its head-quarters at Knowledge Oasis Mus-cat (KOM).

The lab was inaugurated under the auspices of His Highness Sayy-id Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Min-ister of Heritage and Culture,along with a number of Their Excellen-cies and government law enforce-ment representatives.

The establishment of the na-tional digital forensic laboratory

will allow offi cials to interpret and analyse electronic data to help detect cyber crimes and provide courts with accurate evidence.

This lab will off er training to of-fi cers and law enforcement agen-cies to ensure having qualifi ed experts in cyber crime to help in cases related to the Information and Communications Technology.

With the growing threat of cyber crime and increasing incidents of

such crimes in the Sultanate, there was an urgent need for a national laboratory to collect digital foren-sics and assist law enforcement and judicial authorities in investi-gating these crimes.

In 2015, the ITA investigated over 229 cyber crimes,and sup-plied 570 digital forensic samples of evidence. Further, the number of electronic hackings targeted to cyber space in the Sultanate

reached 100,000 attempts, in ad-dition to 1,500 incidents reported from a number of government, pri-vate entities and individuals.

At the opening, Sayyid Haitham said, “We are pleased to inaugurate the National Digital Forensic Lab here at the ITA, which is the fi rst of its kind in the Middle East, in terms of integrating all concerned law enforcement entities. This project will boost the Sultanate’s

regional and international readi-ness level in dealing with cyber crimes and digital forensics.”

Sayyid Haitham added, “Tech-nology has established itself in a rapid way and infl uenced the lifestyles of individuals in many respects. Consequently, the cyber crime rate has increased on both the local and international fronts. Therefore, there has been a need to have a national forensics lab to tackle digital forensic evidence, helping law enforcement agen-cies and other judiciary bodies to prove criminal acts and bring perpetrators to justice, not to men-tion protecting Information and Communication Technology users in Oman.”

Also, Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications, Chairman of the Information Technology Authority (ITA) Board of Direc-tors noted, “The National Digital Forensic Lab is a great addition to what has already been achieved in the ICT fi eld in Oman. The Sul-tanate is now one of the leading countries in this regard, and inter-nationally recognised during thepast few years.

Immense damage“There is no doubt that cyber crimes cause immense damage, both fi nancially and non-fi nancial-ly, compared to the harm caused by traditional crimes, not only on in-

dividuals, but also on the country’s national security and economic platforms. This is an international challenge and with the estab-lishment of the National Digital Forensic Lab, the cost will defi -nitely be less.”

Fight against cyber crimesSpeaking about its importance, Dr. Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, CEO of ITA added, “Having this lab in Oman constitutes a protection to society in its mission to fi ght against cyber crimes, given its equipped capability and sensitive detection devices to help in inves-tigations and detection.

“Of note, the lab has been es-tablished in accordance with the Electronic Transactions Law and the Cyber Crime Law of the Sul-tanate of Oman, issued by His Maj-esty’s Royal Decree 69/2008 and 12/2011, respectively.

“The formulation of this law began a new era for Oman, where a truly enabled society evolved in the realisation of the digital society of Sultanate. It is a major milestone in the implementation of the national e.oman strategy by ITA.

“The national digital forensic lab aims to obtain an international recognition, which would enhance the credibility of the lab and digital evidence, especially with regard to cyber crimes from outside the country,” said Dr. Al Ruzaiqi.

The forensic

laboratory has

been established to

interpret and analyse

electronic data to

detect cyber-crimes

and to provide courts

with the accurate

evidence

STATE-OF -THE-ART : The laboratory was inaugurated under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid

Haitham bin Tariq Al Said Minister of Heritage and Culture at Knowledge Oasis Muscat. – Supplied photo

Convention centre creates interestTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) took advantage of events’ indus-try powerhouse IBTM Arabia to conduct meetings with high pro-fi le associations and professional conference organisers from the regional and global markets.

The OCEC team leveraged this participation to create meaning-ful business connections with a host of qualifi ed buyers boasting an average budget of $5.1 million.

With its grand opening fast ap-proaching, the world-class new venue attracted an unprecedent-ed level of attention at the highly regarded event.

As OCEC Business Devel-opment Manager Sheikha Al Mugheiry explained, “We were inundated with requests for ap-pointments, and as the maximum possible was 30, we had to work with a very strict set of criteria to choose those, which best fi t our goals and objectives, prioritising the sectors of transport and logis-tics, manufacturing and food pro-cessing, health, education, tech-nology and telecommunications, agriculture and fi sheries, as well as tourism.

“Fortunately, the regular net-working sessions gave us a valu-

able opportunity to catch up with potential clients and we will be able to confi rm a variety of new additions to the OCEC calendar in the very near future.”

According to Al Mugheiry, the IBTM Arabia delegates were im-pressed with the OCEC facilities and its fl exibility. In addition, sig-nifi cant selling points included

the fact that the venue sits in its own purpose-built precinct and is just a 10-minute drive from the Muscat International Airport and off ers global accessibility.

Knowledge hubAlso drawing their attention is Oman’s reputation as a burgeon-ing knowledge hub and intellec-tual capital.

Eric Moris, managing director, Business Pass Travel and Incen-tive Company, said, “I have been to Oman several times and I be-lieve it will be a great destination for MICE travel.”

Advancing to the fi nal stages of preparation for its launch in September this year, the OCEC is currently conducting exhaustive tests on a host of elements, in-cluding the sophisticated lighting and air conditioning systems in fi ve Exhibition Halls and 10 Hos-pitality Suites.

OCEC is located in its own fully integrated precinct only four kilo-metres from the Muscat Interna-tional Airport.

I N T E L L E C T U A L C A P I T A L

ATTRACTS ATTENTION: The OCEC team leveraged participation

to create meaningful business connections with a host of qualifi ed

buyers boasting an average budget of $5.1 million. – Supplied photo

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

Alfardan Motors hosts Ferrari test drive

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Eager guests gath-ered for the exclusive Ferrari Esperienza test drive event at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, (Al Husn) Muscat on Sunday.

Hosted by Alfardan Motors, the offi cial importer of Ferrari in the Sultanate, distinguished guests and prospective owners were treated to a scrumptious brunch before revelling in the opportuni-ty to experience the full power and handling of the acclaimed Ferrari 488 GTB and California T, along one of Muscat’s stunning moun-

tain routes. The experience com-menced with a detailed briefi ng on vehicle performance, handling and innovation conducted by professional Ferrari instructors fl own in from Maranello, Italy es-pecially for the event.

Following the briefi ng, guests were aff orded the pleasure of partaking in the legendary Fer-rari DNA experience, behind the wheel of two of the Prancing Horse’s fi nest models.

Recently launched in Oman in September 2015, the 488GTB boasts of a new 3,902 cubic cen-timetres turbo engine, which is coupled with a seven-gear

F1 dual-clutch gearbox featur-ing Variable Boost Manage-ment that optimally distributes torque (a maximum 750 Nm in seventh gear).

The 488 GTB guarantees exu-berant performance that is abso-lutely exploitable to the fullest, regardless of driving conditions and is accompanied by a deep, se-ductive soundtrack, the signature of all Ferrari engines.

The Ferrari California T epit-omises the sublime elegance, sportiness, versatility and exclu-sivity that has distinguished every California model since the 1950s.

Sprinting from 0 to 100km per

hour (km/h) in 3.6 seconds fl at and from 0 to 200 km/h in 11.2 seconds, the California T is a brilliant expression of Ferrari’s sporty DNA, while it’s retractable hard top (RHT) and 2+2 confi gu-ration, amongst other features, make it supremely versatile.

Like all Ferraris, the California T boasts cutting-edge technologi-cal solutions that make it abso-lutely unique, most notably the new turbocharged V8 engine.

Since opening its fi rst show-room in 2012, Alfardan Motors has provided world-class service to a growing number of luxury car and motorcycle clients in Oman.

F E R R A R I D N A E X P E R I E N C E

FULL POWER: Guests experienced the full power and handling of the acclaimed Ferrari 488 GTB and California T. – Supplied photo

Entry requirements for SQU discussedMUSCAT: Entry requirements for the educational qualifi cation programme at the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) and other pri-vate universities were discussed by the Education Council, which off ered to meet the needs of teach-ers in the Sultanate in various edu-cational disciplines.

Led by Dr. Rawya bint Saud Al Busaidiyah, Minister of Higher Education and deputy chairperson of the Council, the Council held its fi rst meeting of the year on Mon-day. It discussed several topics on its agenda, including a number of issues prepared by the Secre-tariat General.

Within the context of the contri-bution to the 9th fi ve-year Devel-opment Plan to absorb the nation-al workforce in the labour market,

and the extent of harmonisation of education and training outcomes with the needs of economic activi-ties targeted by the plan, the Sec-retariat General of the Supreme Council for Planning screened a presentation during the meeting.

The presentation focused on the promising economic sectors in the 9th Five-Year development plan, and future directions of the output of education and the needs of de-velopment and labour market.

The Council instructed that re-quirements be revised currently in place for enrolment in the pro-gramme. The Council directed that a revision of the results be conducted to fi nd appropriate op-erational mechanisms to put the recommendations of the sympo-sium into practice. -ONA

E D U C A T I O N C O U N C I L

A7

REGIONT U E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

FLEEING FOR SAFETY: An Iraqi man who fl ed the IS’ strongholds of Hawija and Shirqat arrive at a

refugee centre in Makhmour, south of Mosul, in Iraq, on Sunday. – Reuters

Turkey warns Kurd militias in Syria of ‘harsh reaction’

KIEV/BEIRUT: Turkey warned Kurdish militia fi ghters in north-ern Syria on Monday they would face the “harshest reaction” if they tried to capture a town near the Turkish border, and accused Russia of a missile attack there that killed at least 14 civilians.

A major off ensive supported by Russian bombing and militias has brought the Syrian army to within 25km (15 miles) of Turkey’s bor-der. The Kurdish YPG militia has exploited the situation, seizing ground from Syrian rebels to ex-tend its presence along the frontier.

At least 14 civilians were killed in the Syrian town of Azaz, the last rebel stronghold before the border with Turkey, when mis-siles hit a children’s hospital and a school sheltering refugees fl eeing the Syrian army off ensive, a medic

and two residents said. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said a Russian missile had hit the buildings and that many civilians including children had been killed.

Turkey shelled YPG positions for a third day to try to stop its fi ghters seizing Azaz, just 8km (5 miles) from the border. Ankara fears the Kurdish militia, backed by Russia, is trying to secure the

last stretch of around 100km (60 miles) along the Syrian border not already under its control. “We will not allow Azaz to fall,” Davutoglu told reporters on his plane on the way to Ukraine, adding YPG fi ght-ers would already have taken Azaz and Tal Rifaat further south had it not been for Turkish artillery fi r-ing at them over the weekend. “If they approach again they will see

the harshest reaction,” he said.The standoff has increased the

risk of direct confrontation be-tween Russia and NATO member Turkey. Turkey is enraged by the expansion of Kurdish infl uence in northern Syria, fearing it will encourage separatist ambitions among its own Kurds. It considers the YPG to be a terrorist group.

Davutoglu said Turkey would

make the Menagh air base north of the city of Aleppo “unusable” if the YPG, which seized it over the weekend from Syrian insurgents, did not withdraw. He warned the YPG not to move east of the Afrin region or west of the Euphrates River, long a “red line” for Ankara.

At a press conference in Kiev, Davutoglu doubted Russia’s com-mitment to any such deal, pointing to comments from Moscow that it would continue its air strikes re-gardless. Russia, Davutoglu said, had a clear objective: “They want to have just two options in front of the international community: IS or Assad,” he said.

Tens of thousands have fl ed to Azaz from towns and villages where there is heavy fi ghting. “We have been moving scores of screaming children from the hos-pital,” said medic Juma Rahal, fol-lowing the missile strikes. At least two children were killed and am-bulances ferried scores of injured people to Turkey for treatment, he said. French charity Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) meanwhile said seven people were killed and at least eight staff were missing after missiles hit a hospital in the prov-ince of Idlib, west of Aleppo, in a separate incident. — Reuters

Turkish army shells

militia for third day

as missiles kill 23 in

Syrian town of Azaz

IMF to start talks with Tunisia on new loans

TUNIS: A delegation from the In-ternational Monetary Fund (IMF) will visit Tunisia on Thursday to begin talks on a new credit pro-gramme likely to be worth at least $1.7 billion, a Tunisian offi cial said.

Tunisia is seeking to revive an economy that has struggled since the 2011 protests that sparked the revolutions across North Africa, with deadly attacks last year by militants hitting the tourism in-dustry on which it relies for jobs and revenue.

The country has been praised as an example of compromise politics and democratic transition since the overthrow of former leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. But pro-tests across the country to demand work last month turned violent, underscoring the fragility of the economic progress.

The new IMF programme will succeed a two-year deal totalling about $1.74 billion that was agreed in 2013 and extended last year by seven months to buy time for Tunisia to put banking and fi scal reforms in place. Under the pro-gramme, Tunisia also agreed to fol-low certain economic polices, such as keeping its defi cit under control and making the foreign exchange market more fl exible. — Reuters

C R E D I T P R O G R A M M E

Iraq grain board chief to be investigatedBAGHDAD: Iraq’s acting trade minister has referred grain board chief Haitham Al Khishali and 16 unnamed individuals for investi-gation over suspected transporta-tion of illegal wheat shipments, a ministry statement said.

The grain board is responsible for purchasing billions of dollars worth of commodities interna-tionally and from Iraqi farmers to be used in the nationwide ra-

tion programme, making it one of the world’s biggest importers of wheat and rice. Reuters was un-able to reach Al Khishali for im-mediate comment.

A ministry investigation dis-closed that Khishali, the silo man-ager of Khan Dhari in western Baghdad and 15 other employees were implicated in “forging trans-portation documents” for wheat cargoes, the statement said.

The move comes three months after acting Trade Minister Mo-hammed Al Sudani sacked the head of the grain board and six other offi cials over graft allega-tions. “Investigations into oth-er silos in Baghdad, Basra and Samawa are ongoing,” the state-ment added.

Several trade ministry offi cials have faced corruption allegations in the past, and four ministry se-

curity guards were arrested for killing a ministry media adviser in September with a bomb. They are awaiting trial.

Reforming the ministry is a key test for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi, who has prom-ised to tackle corruption in a political system which doles out positions along ethnic and sec-tarian lines, creating powerful patronage networks. — Reuters

G R A F T C A S E

Samples confi rm IS used mustard gas in Iraq: EnvoyAMSTERDAM: Amsterdam: IS militants attacked Kurdish forces in Iraq with mustard gas last year, in the fi rst known use of chemical weapons in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein, a diplomat said, after tests by the global chemical arms watchdog.

A source at the Organisation for the Prohibition of chemical Weapons (OPCW) confi rmed that laboratory tests had come back positive for the sulphur mustard, after around 35 Kurdish troops were sickened on the battlefi eld last August.

The OPCW will not identify who used the chemical agent. But the diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because the fi ndings have not yet been re-leased, said the result confi rmed that chemical weapons had been used by IS militants.

IllnessThe samples were taken after the soldiers became ill during fi ght-ing against IS militants southwest of Arbil, capital of Iraq’s autono-mous Kurdish region. The OPCW already concluded in October that mustard gas was used last year in neighbouring Syria. IS has de-clared a “caliphate” in territory it controls in both Iraq and Syria and

does not recognise the frontier.The matter is expected to be

raised at the next meeting of the OPCW’s 41-member Executive Council in a month, an offi cial said. If IS used chemical weapons, ex-perts are still uncertain of how the group might have obtained them, or whether it could have access to more. Another diplomat, speak-ing on condition of anonymity, said Syria’s stockpile was a possi-ble source of the sulphur mustard used in Iraq. That would mean Da-mascus had failed to fully disclose its chemical weapons programme, which was dismantled under in-ternational supervision in 2013-2014, the diplomat said.

“If Syria has indeed given up its chemical weapons to the interna-tional community, it is only the part that has been declared to the OPCW and the declaration was obviously incomplete,” the diplo-mat told Reuters.

Syrian offi cials could not im-mediately be reached for com-ment but have previously denied any part of the country’s former stockpile remains undestroyed.

Syria agreed to give up its chemical weapons stockpile af-ter hundreds of people died in an attack with Sarin nerve gas in a Damascus suburb in 2013. West-

ern countries blame that attack on the government of President Bashar Al Assad, which denies it.

Iraq’s chemical arsenal, part of a “weapons of mass destruc-tion” programme used to justify the US-British invasion of 2003, proved to have been destroyed and dismantled in the Saddam era, although US troops occasion-ally encountered old Saddam-era chemical munitions during the 2003-2011 occupation.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a specialist in biological and chem-ical warfare, said IS militants may have developed their own chemi-cal weapons capability, and could be preparing to use it again.

“I’m pretty convinced that the mustard IS are using in Iraq is made by them in Mosul,” he said, referring to the main city in northern Iraq, which IS militants have occupied since 2014. “They have all the precursors at hand from the oil industry and all the experts at hand to do it.”

Sulphur mustard is a Class 1 chemical agent, which means it has very few uses outside chemical warfare. Used with lethal effectiveness in World War 1, it causes severe delayed burns to the eyes, skin and res-piratory tract. — Reuters

A R B I L A T T A C K

At least 14 civilians were killed in the Syrian town of Azaz, the last rebel stronghold before the border with Turkey, when missiles hit a children’s hospital and a school sheltering refugees fl eeing the Syrian army off ensive

FIERCE BATTLE: Turkish army cannon shoots in the Syrian direction near Syria border close to On-

cupinar crossing gate in Kilis, in south-central Turkey, on Monday. – AFP

A8

INDIAT U E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

Swacch Survekshan-2016 is primarily intended to measure the impact of the eff orts under Swachh Bharat Mission launched after the survey of 2014

M. Venkaiah Naidu, Urban development minister

‘RBI, government not in favour of undervaluation of rupee’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan on Monday said neither RBI nor the government intends to “undervalue” the rupee to pursue growth unlike countries such as China and Japan because it leads to a lot of problems over time.

Inaugurating the fourth edition of MSME summit here, he said un-dervaluation of the domestic cur-rency’s exchange rate is “not the

intent of RBI and Government of India”. Some people point out that the growth of countries like China, Japan and Korea was due to un-dervaluation of exchange rate and they also want India to follow the same path.

He said however that there are a lot of problems with undervalu-ation over time, which is refl ected in the situations that some of the

countries fi nd themselves today.Pointing out that sustained un-

dervaluation for a long period of time “was not a feasible or desir-able strategy for growth”, he said this was why he “fi rmly believes that RBI’s philosophy of not focus-ing on the level of exchange rate.... trying to manipulate up or down...but trying instead to minimise sit-uation of extreme volatility”.

He added: “So, rate will not be a source of competitive advantage or disadvantage. We want to make reasonable, predictable, reason-ably stable and let the advantage (for growth) come from capabili-ties of MSME’s from cost eff ec-tiveness, innovations and ideas, rather than some kind of exchange rate valuation”.

Rajan said he was not in fa-

vour of stretching norms for non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans as investors will not get the true state of balance sheets.

Bad loansHe said it is useful to keep the NPA norms constant and by changing the defi nition of bad loans will only “dilute and obscure account”. Major state-owned banks in the country including SBI have been reeling under NPAs leading to ero-sion of profi ts on account of higher provisioning for bad loans in the third quarter of the current fi scal.

“NPA norms are not about say-ing that a person is bad. They are about accounting and if we contin-uously stretch the NPA norms, the investor will have no idea about the true state of balance sheet of the bank. That is why it is useful to maintain a constant NPA norms,” he said. “But treat the person whose loan is NPA in an appropri-ate fashion...compassionate fash-ion in value of enterprise. That is what we have to work out rather than changing the defi nition”.

Rajan said that by changing the defi nition of NPA, it would dilute an obscure account.

“It is not the way we need to go” he said, adding that even if a small fi rm’s loan ends in NPA, banks need to serve them. - PTI

Reserve Bank

Governor Raghuram

Rajan said that there

are a lot of problems

with undervaluation

over time, which

is refl ected in the

situations that some

of the countries fi nd

themselves today

Mysuru again tops list of India’s cleanest cities

NEW DELHI: Mysuru has been ranked fi rst in terms of cleanli-ness again after 2014, followed by Chandigarh, Tiruchirappalli and NDMC area of the national capi-tal, according to a QCI survey.

The rankings of the Swachh Survekshan Survey, conducted by Quality Council of India, were announced by Urban Develop-ment Minister Venkaiah Naidu here. Visakhapatnam, Surat, Ra-jkot, Gangtok, Pimpri-Chindwad (Maharashtra) were also among the top ten clean cities. The least clean cities included Dhanbad, Asansol Itanagar, Patna, Meerut, Raipur, Ghaziabad, Jamshedpur, Varanasi and Kalyan Dombivili.

As part of ‘Swachh Bharat Mis-sion’, the survey was commis-sioned across 73 cities, including 51 cities that have a population of over 1 million each and 22 capital cities that do not have that much population.

Naidu said cities from South and West continue to do well overall but those in other parts of the country, particularly, in the North are beginning to catch up with the traditional leaders.

“This is meant to help the cit-ies know where they stand in absolute terms and in relation to others besides what more needs to be done by each city to ensure sanitation. In that sense, the sur-vey is more holistic, participa-tory, purposeful and meaningful for future guidance and evolving course of action,” he said.

Naidu said the results of the survey were analysed to identify the top leaders, aspiring leaders, cities where accelerated eff orts need to be made and the slow movers. Last cleanliness survey was conducted in 2014 among 476 cities with a population of one lakh and above and its results were announced last year.

This was before the launch of ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

in October last. “Swacch Survek-shan-2016 is primarily intended to measure the impact of the ef-forts under Swachh Bharat Mis-sion launched after the survey of 2014,” Naidu said.

ComparisonBased on the comparison of the marks and ranks of the two sur-veys, Naidu said ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ has made a positive im-pact in urban areas in terms of sanitation, attitudes of urban lo-cal bodies and citizens.

The top 10 cities in terms of sanitation and hygiene in order of rank are: Mysuru, Chandigarh, Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu), New Delhi Municipal Coun-cil, Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Surat, Rajkot, both in Gujarat, Gangtok (Sikkim), Pim-pri Chindwad and Greater Mum-bai, both from Maharashtra.

The bottom 10 cities are: Kaly-an Dombivili (ranked 64), Vara-nasi, Jamshedpur, Ghaziabad, Raipur, Meerut, Patna, Itanagar, Asansol and Dhanbad.

Naidu stated that of the 73 cit-ies surveyed, 32 have improved ranks since the last survey in-cluding 17 from the North, 6 from the West, 5 from the South and 2 each from the East and North-East.Of these 32, top 10 movers who have substantially improved their ranks in 2016 survey are: Al-lahabad (improved by 45 ranks), Nagpur (40), Visakhapatnam (39), Gwalior (34), Bhubaneswar (32), Hyderabad (31), Gurgaon (29), Vijayawada (23) and Luc-know (23).

Among the municipal bodies in the NCT of Delhi, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) im-proved its rank from 7 in 2014 to 4 in 2016, South MCD from 47 to 39 and North MCD from 47 to 43, while East MCD slipped from 47 rank in 2014 to 52 in 2016.

The minister also felicitated the 15 well performing cities. - PTI

S U R V E Y

Infl ation slips down marginally

NEW DELHI: Defl ationary pressure persisted for the 15th month in a row as infl ation at the wholesale level slipped to (-)0.9 per cent in January with some food articles turning less expensive.

Although in the negative zone since November 2014, it had started showing a rising trend in the past four months - from last September.

The Wholesale Price Index-based infl ation was (-)0.73 per cent in December. In January 2015, it was (-)0.95 per cent.

As per the offi cial data re-leased on Monday, food infl a-tion stood at 6.02 per cent in January as against 8.17 per cent in December.

Expressing concern over con-tinued defl ationary pressure, industry body Ficci said gov-ernment should increase pub-lic spending in the forthcoming budget to boost demand.

“The government should not shy away from recalibrating the fi scal defi cit target in order to push public investments with a view to add productive capacity to the economy,” Ficci said.

According to offi cial data, infl ation in pulses and onion eased to 44.91 per cent and 5.51 per cent respectively. - PTI

O F F I C I A L D A T A

SPELLING OUT: RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan addresses at the fourth edition of India Micro, Small

and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Summit in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. - PTI

FELICITATION: Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah

Naidu hands over the Swachh Survekshan-2016 award to recipi-

ents in New Delhi on Monday. -PTI

A9

INDIAT U E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

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Lawyers, JNU students clash on Patiala House court premises

NEW DELHI: At least six per-sons, including students and mediapersons, were thrashed on Monday by a group of men in lawyer’s robes inside and out-side a Patiala House court where the sedition case against JNUSU President Kanhaiya Kumar was to be heard.

A scuffl e broke out before the court took up the hearing, as some men, said to be lawyers, entered the court room and allegedly started pushing out students and teachers, mostly from Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU), and me-dia persons, asking them to leave the premises.

“You (JNU) produce anti-na-tionals and terrorists. You should get out of the country. Long live In-dia, shut down JNU,” they shouted and then pushed the students and teachers out.

Defamation case“When the proceedings were going on, some people wearing lawyers’ gowns fi rst started hurling abuses at us. And then suddenly some of them, without any provocation, started beating us badly. They

pushed us and beat us up including women students,” All India Stu-dents Federation President Wali-ullah Qadri told reporters.

A BJP MLA, who had come to the court complex in connection with the hearing in the defama-tion case fi led by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, allegedly roughed up Ameeque Jamai, said to be a CPI activist. The students and teach-ers refused to go out of the court room and said they have a right to attend the proceedings as it was an open court hearing.

At least three students were thrashed by the group of men. The group also began to check the iden-tity cards of media persons and asked them also to leave the court room. The media persons objected to their demand and refused to move out of the court room when they were attacked by the men, who accused the media persons of being JNU supporters and ac-

cused them of wrong reporting.Two print and electronic media

reporters were injured. There was heavy police deployment in the court complex, but the students alleged that they did not take any action against this group.

The policemen later drove all the students, teachers and media-persons out of the court complex. Caught in a controversy over the purported tweet of LeT founder Hafi z Saeed that was pinned by Delhi Police in an alert over Twit-ter asking students not to get car-ried away by anti-India rhetoric, the commissioner said that a probe has been initiated into the matter.

“Don’t go into whether the tweet is authentic or not. Go to the con-tents of the tweet.

“The content of the tweet was blasphemous, which could incite violence, and that is the only rea-son why we issued an alert.

“It is infl ammatory, it incites

people against lawfully estab-lish government in India. I am surprised that people are more concerned about the (authentic-ity of the) tweet than its potential impact,” Bassi said when asked whether the purported tweet of Saeed was genuine or fake.

“Whether Hafi z Saeed posted the tweet himself, did it go through a proxy account or whether some-one else did so by using his name, is a now a matter of investigation. A probe has been initiated into it,” Bassi said adding that the police are now monitoring several tweets which were made by the particular handle and other handles appar-ently related to that.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police’s south district have formed a special team to track down 13 other JNU students who have been identifi ed. The police claim that all of them were involved in anti-India slo-ganeering. - PTI

A scuffl e broke out

before the court took

up the hearing, as

some men, said to

be lawyers, entered

the court room and

allegedly started

pushing out students,

teachers, and

media persons

SCUFFLE: Advocates clash with the Jawaharlal Nehru University students who were protesting against

the arrest of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union President Kanhaiya Kumar at Patiala House

Courts in New Delhi on Monday. - PTI

NEW DELHI: Unfazed by public outcry, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday de-fended his senior in the Home Ministry, Rajnath Singh, saying there were enough indications that Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafi z Saeed was backing the incident in Jawaharlal Nehru University.

“Intelligence inputs indicated that Hafi z Saeed and some related organisa-tions were backing the JNU incident. That is what the Home Minister had said,” he told reporters here.

Rijiju’s comments came a day after Singh said that the JNU event in Delhi in memory of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru had received “support” from terror outfi t LeT founder Hafi z Saeed. The statement sparked a political row with opposition parties asking him to provide evidence.

Intelligence inputs“Intelligence inputs can’t be shared or analysed in public. Political parties supporting the anti-nationals should learn what is patriotism,” Rijiju said.

Coming down heavily against political parties and others who were extending support to the protesting students of JNU, Rijiju said some of the students of the university were trying to immortalise terrorist Afzal Guru, who was convicted and hanged for Parliament attack, and they even talked about

“breaking India”.“There is a support group

for a convicted terrorist who was hanged. The event was organised where people spoke about breaking India into pieces. And then they are getting support from political parties. This is very, very unfortunate,” he said.

Rijiju said at a time when the whole country was paying tribute to martyrs who laid down their lives in Siachen, one section of people was paying tribute to terrorists and their organisations.

“We are clear in our stand. Anything anti-national will be dealt fi rmly. Whether they are extreme Left or anyone. But no innocent will be har-assed,” he said.

Rijiju said raising slogans in favour of a convicted ter-rorist, Afzal Guru, was akin to endorsement of their anti-India designs.

He charged people belong-ing to extreme Left ideology with playing with the image of the country.

Seeking to portray police action against some JNU students similar to action against terrorists hiding in Golden Temple in 1984, Rijiju said (the then prime minister) Indira Gandhi had acted against militants hiding in Golden temple but that was not an action against the shrine but against terrorists.

“Police acted against some students of JNU. It was not an action against the institu-tion,” he said. - PTI

Rijiju defends Rajnath; says Hafi z backing JNU incident

Court rejects plea for CBI probe into Salman’s hit-and-run caseNEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking a CBI probe into the 2002 hit-and-run case on the ground that corrupt means have been adopted in securing the ac-quittal of superstar Salman Khan.

“These are all wild allegations. He must have spent Rs25 crore on lawyers,” a bench comprising Justices J. S. Khehar and R. Ba-numathi observed when the law-yer said there were news reports quoting Salim Khan that they had to spend Rs250 million in secur-ing acquittal for his actor son.

“What are the materials to sub-stantiate this? They must have hired lawyers. How can you say that they did something wrong,”

it said and dismissed the Public interest litigation (PIL) fi led by advocate M. L. Sharma.

The PIL had alleged that Sal-man and others had “succeeded” in manipulating “police and judi-cial system” in the case.

The same bench is hearing ap-

peals fi led by Maharashtra gov-ernment and the family of the victim, who were killed in the incident, against the acquittal of Salman in the case.

Attorney General Mukul Ro-hatgi, who represents the state government in the case, had ar-gued that Salman was driving his SUV in a drunken state when it ran over the victims sleeping on a pavement in Mumbai in 2002.

He had also debunked the the-ory that instead of Salman, his driver Ashok Brahmadev Singh was driving the Toyota Land Cruiser on the night of September 28, 2002 when it crashed into a Bandra pavement, killing one and injuring four others. - PTI

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

Three children crushed to death by lorryKOLKATA: Three school chil-dren were killed and another in-jured when they were run over by a lorry in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Monday, po-lice said.

The incident sparked off vio-lence as angry locals put up a road blockade and when police arrived, two of their jeeps were torched.

One police fi rearm was set afi re

and a traffi c police constable was kept confi ned and thrashed.

Three-four policemen were in-jured in the violence. The speeding lorry crushed the children, aged 5-8 years, at Mathkol on Belgharia expressway where they were wait-ing for a bus.

Three of the victims died on the spot, while the fourth was battling for his life in a hospital.

Police removed the road block after additional reinforcement came from Belgharia and Dum Dum police stations. The Rapid Action Force was also deployed.

“We have got information about four children. Three have died. One is injured. Police are tying to fi nd out if there were more victims,” said Barrackpore police commis-sioner Neeraj Kumar Singh. - IANS

R U N O V E R

Salman Khan

A10

PAKISTAN T U E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

Teachers allowed to carry guns as university reopens

PESHAWAR: The university in northwest Pakistan where Taliban gunmen killed at least 20 people last month reopened for classes on Monday with teach-ers - but not students - allowed to carry weapons.

Pakistani Taliban militants have threatened more assaults on schools and universities since the January 20 attack on Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, fueling a growing sense of insecurity in the country.

The attack had reminded Pa-kistanis of the horrors that took place a little over a year earlier, when militants massacred 134 pupils at an army school just 19 miles (31 km) away, in Peshawar, the main city in Khyber Pakh-tunkhwa province.

Before Monday’s reopening the university took extra security measures, installing new CCTV cameras, hiring more armed guards, and raising the height of boundary walls, Vice Chancellor Fazal Rahim Marwat told Reuters.

The university also decided that teachers could continue to carry their own licenced weapons as long as they do not display them in classrooms, Marwat said.

Issue fi rearmsA chemistry professor who was killed during last month’s assault had been lauded as a hero for fi r-ing back at the attackers. But Mar-wat said the school decided to re-ject a request from some teachers to issue them fi rearms.

“After taking whatever security measures were possible for pro-tection of students and faculty members, we opened the universi-ty today for classes,” Marwat said.

Students who owned weapons had to submit them at the en-trance of the campus, he said.

Firearms are easily available in northwest Pakistan, and gun own-

ership is ingrained in the culture of Pashtun tribes of the region.

Many of the returning students arrived at the campus with their parents and relatives, who waited

while they went to classes.Several, however, were still

too traumatised to attend school or were made to stay home by scared parents.

Not afraid“I know the university has been opened today, but my parents didn’t allow me to go today,” said student Ihsanullah Khan.”I am not afraid and will defi nitely join my friends very soon.”

Vice Chancellor Marwat said the university had arranged coun-selling sessions for students and for recreational trips elsewhere in the country.

Umar MansoorThe Pakistani army said the at-tack on the university was master-minded by Umar Mansoor, a Pa-kistani Taliban militant based in Afghanistan, who was also blamed for the Peshawar school massacre.

The Pakistani Taliban are fi ght-ing to topple the government.

On Monday, an IED blast in Pa-kistan’s volatile South Waziristan region on the border with Afghan-istan left one paramilitary soldier dead and three injured. — Reuters

Before Monday’s

reopening the Bacha

Khan University

took extra security

measures, installing

new CCTV cameras,

hiring more armed

guards, and raising

the height of

boundary walls, Vice

Chancellor Fazal

Rahim Marwat said

VIGILANT: Pakistani police commandos patrol inside the premises of Bacha Khan University after it was reopened in the northwestern

town of Charsadda on Monday. — AFP

UNDETERRED: Pakistani students walk through Bacha Khan university after it was reopened in the

northwestern town of Charsadda on Monday.— AFP

Over 100,000 health workers join anti-polio driveK A R A C H I / I S L A M A B A D : More than 100,000 health work-ers fanned out across Pakistan on Monday, stepping up a drive to eliminate the polio virus this year from one of its last bastions, de-spite continuing militant threats to vaccination teams.

Pakistan accounts for more than 70 per cent of the world’s cases of polio, a virus that can cause life-long paralysis and is now endemic in only two countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“We have intensifi ed our ef-forts,” said Asher Ali, a project manager in the southern city of Karachi for Rotary International Pakistan, one of the groups in-volved in the eff ort.

“If we take normal action, it will never be eradicated.”

Pakistan’s polio cases are de-clining, with just 54 cases of wild polio virus reported last year,

down more than 80 per cent from 2014, when the country suff ered a large spike in cases. The latest immunisation push aims to fi n-ish vaccinating every child in the country by the end of May.

Eff orts to eliminate polio in Pa-kistan have been complicated in recent years, as polio workers have faced attacks by militants who say the health teams are Western spies, or that the vaccines they administer are intended to steri-lise children.

In January, a suicide bomber killed at least 15 people outside a polio eradication centre in the res-tive western city of Quetta, with two militant groups claiming re-sponsibility.

Both leaders of the national anti-polio campaign and security personnel said attacks on the im-munization teams have declined in the face of improving commu-

nity acceptance and coordination with security forces.

“When I started work, I was frightened,” said community health worker Zubaira Bibi, stand-ing near police assigned to accom-pany her team in Karachi.”Now I’m not scared. People in the area know us now.”

The image of vaccination suf-fered by association after a CIA-employed Pakistani doctor used the guise of a vaccination cam-paign to spy on Osama bin Laden in the months up to the US raid that killed the Al Qaeda chief.

Some parents still refuse to let the immunisation teams, who go door to door, administer the vac-cine to their children.

“There are refusals,” said Re-hana Bibi.

“But we try to convince them that there is no harm in giving drops to children.” — Reuters

E N D E M I C D I S E A S E

DETERMINED: A Pakistani health worker administers polio drops to a child during a polio vaccination

campaign in Quetta on Monday. — AFP

Jamaat set to launch street agitation over corruption

ISLAMABAD: After nearly two decades, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) is preparing to hold a series of long marches, reigniting its fervour for the ‘politics of agitation’. This time round, however, the campaign is against corruption — fi nancial, moral or institutional.

But while the strategy may seem a little antiquated, the party aims to carry out the campaign with a relatively liberal outlook.

“Corruption is at the top of the country’s most pressing issues today,” JI Ameer Sirajul Haq, told The Express Tribune in an inter-view. “The country’s institutions are on the verge of collapse. And when they fail, the government will look to sell them.”

“We don’t believe selling state entities is a solution to this issue,” he said. “We need to improve the way they are managed instead.”

Haq sees corruption as to root of why the country’s institutions are failing. But fi nancial corruption, according to him, is only part of the problem.

“Yes, fi nancial corruption is pre-sent in every institution,” the JI ameer said. “But there is also mor-al corruption. There is also elec-toral corruption when the spirit of the Constitution is violated with impunity.”

“We want to improve the pre-sent electoral system,” Haq said. “The current system negates our Constitution. The Constitution clearly states no corrupt person can contest elections, but corrupt individuals not only contest, but win elections,” he added.

“This is not politics. This is a business. And we oppose this.”

Haq held up the recent by-elec-tions in Lahore and Lodhran as examples where contestants spent billions while campaigning. “De-mocracy could not be strength-ened in Pakistan because of such corruption,” he said. — Express Tribune

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Mahathir under probe for defaming attorney-general

GEORGE TOWN(Malaysia): Former Malaysian prime minis-ter Mahathir Mohamad is under investigation for defaming the attorney-general in blog posts criticising his failure to bring cor-ruption charges against Prime Minister Najib Razak, police said

on Monday. The feud between Malaysia’s past and current lead-ers has gripped the Southeast Asian nation for almost a year, with Mahathir repeatedly calling on Najib, his former protege, to step down over a fi nancial scandal

at indebted state-fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

In a February 5 posting on his personal blog, Mahathir wrote at-torney-general Mohamad Apandi Ali had “no credibility”, after he cleared Najib of any criminal of-

fences or corruption arising from a graft probe into a $681 mil-lion deposit in Najib’s personal bank account.

Najib replaced the previous attorney-general and appointed Apandi just weeks after a Wall Street Journal report on 1MDB re-vealed the deposits of vast sums in Najib’s account.

Apandi closed investigations into Najib earlier this month after concluding that the money was gifted by a member of the Saudi royal family, and most of it had been returned.

Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said several police reports had been lodged against Mahathir over his attack on Apandi.

“We will investigate according to the proper legal procedures. If there is a case to be made, we will discuss it with the attorney-gen-eral’s chambers and take further action if needed,” Khalid said at a press conference in George Town, the main city in Penang state.

Mahathir on Monday used his blog account to issue his own chal-lenge to Apandi. “As a good Mus-lim he should swear on the Quran in a mosque witnessed by mosque offi cials and the public that the

reports did not implicate Najib in any way,” wrote Mahathir.

“He should not try to cheat by vowing in his heart something else, and swearing aloud some-thing else.

“That would be a double sin. He will go to a worse hell.”

In several earlier blog posts, Mahathir had accused Apandi of protecting Najib and expressed doubts about Apandi’s willing-ness to cooperate with his coun-terpart in a Swiss investigation into 1MDB.

To shore up his position, Najib has silenced dissenters within his party, in the opposition and the government. Aside from replac-ing the attorney-general, he also sacked his deputy prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, last year.

Earlier this month Najib loy-alists within the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) forced Mahathir’s son, Mukhriz Mahathir, to quit as chief minister of the northern state of Kedah.

Mahathir was also questioned by the police in November after he made a surprise appearance at an anti-government rally in Kuala Lumpur and called for Najib to re-sign. But no action has been taken so far. - Reuters

The feud between

Malaysia’s past

and current leaders

has gripped the

nation for almost a

year, with Mahathir

repeatedly calling on

Najib to step down

over a fi nancial

scandal at 1Malaysia

Development Berhad

IN TROUBLE: Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mo-

hamad speaks during an interview at his offi ce in Kuala Lumpur

October 18, 2013. Mahathir is under investigation for defaming the

attorney-general in blog posts criticising his failure to bring cor-

ruption charges against Prime Minister Najib Razak, police said on

Monday. - Reuters fi le photo

China urges United States, North Korea to hold direct talksBEIJING: China’s foreign minis-try on Monday urged the United States and North Korea to sit down with each other face-to-face and resolve their problems, as tension continues to climb on the Korean peninsula after North Korea’s lat-est rocket test.

While China was angered by the launch, it has also expressed con-cern at plans by Washington and Seoul to deploy an advanced US

missile defence system, saying it would impact upon China’s own security. “The focus of the nuclear issue on the peninsula is between the United States and North Ko-rea,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily news briefi ng.

“We urge the United States and North Korea to sit down and have communications and nego-tiations, to explore ways to resolve

each other’s reasonable concerns and fi nally reach the goal we all want reached.”

International condemnationNorth Korea launched a long-range rocket on February 7 car-rying what it called a satellite, drawing renewed international condemnation just weeks after it carried out a nuclear bomb test.

It said the launch was for peace-

ful purposes, but Seoul and Wash-ington have said it violated United Nations Security Council resolu-tions because it used ballistic mis-sile technology.

North Korea’s nuclear bomb test last month was also banned by a UN resolution. China, while frus-trated by North Korea and having signed up for numerous previous rounds of United Nations sanc-tions on its isolated neighbour, has

said it does not believe sanctions are the way to resolve the problem and has urged a return to talks.

Numerous eff orts to restart multilateral talks have failed since negotiations collapsed following the last round in 2008.

Chinese popular opinion has become increasingly fed up with North Korea, a country once a close diplomatic ally.

In an editorial on Monday, the

offi cial English-language China Daily called for new UN sanctions to “truly bite”.

“The threat of a nuclear-armed DPRK is more real than ever,” it said, using the North’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Re-public of Korea.

Hong repeated that North Korea would have to “pay a price” for its behaviour. Tension persists on the Korean peninsula. - Reuters

L A T E S T R O C K E T L A U N C H

$890.5m illicit drugs seized in Australia

SYDNEY: Australian authorities said on Monday they had seized A$1.25 billion ($890.5 million) worth of liquid methampheta-mine, or “ice”, their largest haul of illicit drugs in two years.

Four Chinese nationals, three of them from Hong Kong, have been charged over their alleged role in the importation and manufacture of 720 litres of the drug, which were hidden inside gel bra inserts and art supplies. The drugs were seized at several locations in Sydney, in-cluding a shipping container sent from Hong Kong, authorities said.

“This is the largest seizure of liquid methamphetamine in Aus-tralia’s history and one of the larg-est drug seizures in our country’s history,” Justice Minister Michael Keenan told reporters in Sydney.

He said the seizure was the result of a joint investigation be-tween Australian authorities and the Chinese National Narcotics Control Commission.

The haul was biggest in Austral-ia since 2014, when police seized around $1.5 billion in ecstasy and methamphetamines imported from Europe. The Australian gov-ernment declared a crystal meth-amphetamine “epidemic” last year and launched a national taskforce to tackle the drug. - Reuters

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A boring candidate to suit Obama bestNoah Feldman

The death of Justice Antonin Scalia on Sat-urday creates a major challenge for Presi-dent Barack Obama in the run-up to the

2016 election. Obama has said he will nominate a replacement to the US Supreme Court, even though Senate Republican leaders have made it clear they prefer the seat remain vacant for now. Should the president go along, and not nominate anyone, liberals will be enraged at his passivity.

If Obama does nominate a justice quickly, should he pick a liberal whose rejection will gal-vanise Democratic voters to turn out for the par-ty’s nominee in November, in hopes of a second chance? Or should he pick a moderate who has an outside chance of actually being confi rmed, creat-ing the possibility of a liberal balance on the court even if a Republican wins in November?

These questions are essentially unprecedented. The modern era of highly political confi rmation fi ghts began in 1987 when president Ronald Rea-gan nominated Judge Robert Bork and the Demo-cratic Senate blocked him. In the almost 30 years since, we haven’t had a situation in which a justice suddenly died or resigned in the middle of a term at the end of the presidency when the Senate was controlled by the opposing party.

If Obama can’t nominate a successor to Scalia and get the justice confi rmed, it will be almost a year until a new president can be inaugurated and nominate a replacement. So not only will the cur-rent Supreme Court term result in cases being de-cided by only eight justices, but also the term that begins in October 2016 and ends in June 2017.

Two years of the court operating at less than full strength represents a genuine challenge to the institution and to the legitimacy and precedential weight of its decisions in that time.

For Obama, choosing not to nominate a new jus-tice seems like a mistake. True, the nominee may be blocked in the Senate. The fi libuster option still exists for opposing Supreme Court justices, even after Senate Democrats used the “nuclear option” to change the rules governing other judicial nomi-nations in 2013.

Yet Obama has made unilateral executive action a hallmark of his last term in offi ce. Declining to nominate a justice simply because of the unlikeli-hood of confi rmation would look like weakness.

What’s more, by refusing to nominate someone,

Obama could alienate the liberal base that the Democratic Party needs to win in 2016. It’s easy to imagine the scenario: Obama says he won’t make a nomination; Bernie Sanders announces he’d nominate a strong liberal; Hillary Clinton fi nds herself with no choice but to agree with Sanders. Both Democratic presidential candidates would be criticising the president, which is not good po-litical practice in an election where neither of the Democrats is as personally popular as Obama.

It seems probable, then, that Obama will make a nomination — but that the nominee will be a sac-rifi cial lamb to be blocked by Senate Republicans. Who should the lamb be? What features should the lamb have? One option would be to pick a strongly liberal candidate who probably wouldn’t be con-fi rmed by a Republican Senate anyway, no matter the timing of election cycle. If the nominee will never be a justice, then the choice is a kind of free shot for the president to express his liberal values.

In a perfect political world, such a judicial nomi-nee would also be someone whose rejection by the Republican Senate would galvanise the Democrat-ic base without jeopardising the eventual Demo-cratic presidential nominee with moderate vot-ers. One drawback of this approach is that Obama could be criticsed for politicising the confi rmation process still more than it’s already been politicised — and with some reason.

Another twist is that a big brouhaha over the nomination of a liberal might bind a future Demo-cratic president like Hillary Clinton to renominate the same person if she were elected. If the candi-date were too liberal to be confi rmed by the Senate even in a new presidential term, then the sacrifi cial lamb would be a poison pill, promising a defeat for Clinton in the early months of her own presidency.

That leaves Obama with the strategic option of nominating someone very moderate and in theory eminently conformable — like Judge Sri Srinivasan of the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. There’s a small chance the Republicans might confi rm such a candidate, although it seems unlikely. If the Senate refuses to consider the can-didate, the Democratic presidential candidates can use this as evidence of the Republican Sen-ate acting in bad faith. And a Democratic presi-dent could renominate such a candidate and get him or her through. This isn’t an exciting strategy -- but it’s probably the right one, for the court and the country. - Bloomberg View

Carbon tax is a capitalist ploy to boost companiesThis refers to the story Drought likely to aff ect 49 million in southern Africa: World Food Programme (February 15). Everyone is well aware the world is experiencing freak weather conditions due to climate

change. However, the major powers are actively funding wars and creating more confl icts. The United Nations has no say in the world’s aff airs due to its dysfunctional status. The introduction of the carbon tax is not a climate change policy but a capital-ist ploy to earn extra money. It is the study groups on environmental issues that are actually working to boost economies of companies. — Richard Stone, Ruwi

ICC should reprimand Darren Bravo over absence from tourneyThis refers to the story Boycott averted as Windies players sign up for World T20 (February 15. It is indeed nice to know the Caribbean cricketers reached a deal over payments. However, this incident should not have happened as it shows these

players are not sincere to the game. Additionally, the International Cricket Council should take notice of Darren Bravo’s decision of not to sign up. A heavy fi ne along with a ban for a certain period is needed for his unprofessional attitude. — Mohsin Nadeem Butt, Seeb

T I M E S O F O M A NT U E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6A12

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SQU signs MoU with Italian universityMUSCAT: A memorandum of understanding between Sultan Qaboos University and the University of Pisa, Italy, was signed here yesterday. Dr Saud Nasser Al Riyami, SQU vice chancellor, signed on behalf of SQU, while Professor Luciano Modica, rector signed on behalf of Uni-versity of Pisa. Professor Modica and his team members met Moham-med Al Zubair, SQU president, and held discussions in which senior SQU offi cials took part. The MoU aims at developing scientifi c coop-eration and academic exchange between the two institutions in many areas. The salient features of the MoU include assistance in establish-ing new academic programmes with special reference to cultural tour-ism with the College of Arts.

1942: Tojo outlines Japan’s war aims to the Diet, referring to “new order of coexistence” in East Asia.

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1978: China and Japan sign a $20 billion trade pact, which is the most important move since the 1972 resumption of diplomatic ties.

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not far from, those of the US

RICHARD N. HAASS

Apple says it is merely trying to keep iPhones “secure,” and that “Error

53” — the code that pops up after the company bricks a unit — is meant to ensure that nobody messes with the

phone’s fingerprint sensor. Whatever the intent, the company now finds

itself amid a PR and legal debacle that could upend it’s lucrative business

ADAM MINTER

Conversations with smart strategists and pollsters of both

parties suggest a consensus: A three-in-four chance that either Donald

Trump or Ted Cruz will be the Republican nominee, and as much

as a one-in-three shot for Bernie Sanders. Most believe that any of the three would lose the US presidential

election

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WORLDT U E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

BATTLE OF FLOWERS Revellers cruise in fl ower-decorated boats as he take part in the traditional “battle of fl owers” carnival event, on Monday, in Villefranche-sur-Mer, France. — AFP

Vast majority of Czechs oppose taking in refugees

PRAGUE/BUDAPEST: About two out of three Czechs oppose taking in refugees from war zones, according to an opinion poll pub-lished on Monday, refl ecting grow-ing anti-migrant sentiment in a country that has taken a tough stance on migrants and refugees.

Central European nations have opposed quotas for sharing asylum-seekers among European Union members, and Czech Presi-

dent Milos Zeman is one of many leaders to have used anti-migrant rhetoric.

The latest monthly survey by the Czech Public Opinion Re-search Centre found 65 per cent of Czechs were against taking in war refugees, up from 50 per cent in September.

Another 28 per cent said refu-gees should only be accepted until

they can return home.More than 1 million refugees

and migrants crossed into Eu-rope last year, most of them fl ee-ing confl icts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Zeman has limited policymak-ing power but has said integration of Muslim communities in the country of 10.5 million is “practi-cally impossible” and called the

infl ux an “organised invasion”.He has also said that migrants

would impose their own extremist laws. His comments have drawn criticism from the government as well as the UN human rights chief.

Policy failureMeanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Monday that the European Un-ion’s policy on the migration crisis had failed and underlined that Hungary would not ac-cept a distribution of refugees

by national quota.“Brussels wants to let in ... it

wants to transport illegal migrants into the territory of the EU ... and then distribute them in a manda-tory way,” Orban told parliament.

“This is Brussels’ crisis man-agement plan of Brussels ... the Hungarian government does not accept this plan.”

Orban said the migration pres-sure would only increase in 2016 and that Europe was “defenceless and weak”.

The prime ministers of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hun-gary and Poland were set meet in Prague on Monday to discuss the crisis before an European Un-ion leaders’ summit at the end of the week.

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said on Sunday the coun-tries - known collectively as the Visegrad group - were ready to help Balkan countries seal their borders with Greece to stem the fl ow, raising objections from Germany.

The leaders of Bulgaria and Macedonia will also attend the Prague meeting.

Sobotka said he would discuss the plans with the Greek foreign minister on Tuesday. — Reuters

The latest monthly

survey by the Czech

Public Opinion

Research Centre

found 65 per cent

of Czechs were

against taking in war

refugees, up from 50

per cent in SeptemberSAFE: Malakeh Jazmati, a Syrian refugee who used to have a

cooking show on Syrian TV, shows guests how to prepare a Syrian

specialty at the “Uber den tellerrand” cooking workshop in Berlin

on Sunday. — AFP

More than 1 million

refugees and migrants

crossed into Europe

last year, most of

them fleeing conflicts

in Syria, Iraq and

Afghanistan

George Bush to help brother Jeb to secure primary win

CHARLESTON (US): Repub-lican presidential candidate Jeb Bush has enlisted his brother, for-mer President George W. Bush, to try to give him a lift as he looks for a strong showing in South Caro-lina’s crucial primary.

The 69-year-old George W. Bush, who won the 2000 and 2004 Republican primary contests in South Carolina en route to presi-dential victories those years, was to appear with Jeb at a rally in North Charleston on Monday, days before Republicans vote in the state on Saturday.

The appearance of the elder Bush on the campaign trail is seen as helping Jeb with South Carolina Republicans who hold the ex-pres-ident in high regard.

But it also carries some risks given his launching of the Iraq war in 2003, which ended up being unpopular with many Americans and which rival Donald Trump has seized on to criticise him.

George W. Bush’s standing has risen among all Americans since he left power in 2009 and he has stayed on the sidelines of his brother’s presidential bid, headlin-ing private fundraisers but other-wise staying off the campaign trail.

That he is coming out now shows the urgency that Jeb Bush sees in a good performance in South Carolina. — Reuters

S O U T H C A R O L I N A

Body of stowaway found on US cargo plane

HARARE: Zimbabwean civil aviation authorities found the body of a suspected stowaway on a US-registered cargo plane carrying cash for the South Af-rican Reserve Bank, the airline and South Africa’s ambassador in Harare said on Monday.

The MD11 cargo plane, owned by Florida-based Western Glob-al Airlines, had stopped to refuel at Harare’s domestic airport on Sunday when the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) discovered the body and im-pounded the plane.

South Africa’s ambassador to Zimbabwe Vusi Mavimbela told Reuters six crew and a few offi cials from the South African central bank were onboard.

Not aware“Unfortunately there was a stowaway that was found on the plane and (Zimbabwe) authori-ties are trying to get to the bot-tom of the issue,” he said.

“Where did the person get in there? When and how? Because the crew and the Reserve Bank authorities who were there ac-companying the cargo were not aware,” he said. — Reuters

M Y S T E R Y

Bosnia applies to join EUBRUSSELS: Bosnia formally ap-plied for membership of the Euro-pean Union on Monday, although Brussels says it must carry out a series of reforms before the ap-plication can even be considered.

A war in Bosnia in 1990s, part of the breakup of Yugoslavia, killed some 100,000 people.

The country remains split along ethnic lines and economi-cally impoverished, lagging be-hind its Balkan neighbours on the path towards the EU.

Sarajevo has wanted to apply on several occasions, but the 28-na-tion EU said each time it had to further improve its economy, justice system, rule of law, pub-lic administration and political institutions to be able to become a candidate - a message Brussels reiterated on Monday again.

“We see that our neighbour Croatia is already a member state, Montenegro is on its EU integra-tion path, as well as Serbia.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is also a part of this continent,” Dragan Covic, the chairman of Bosnia’s presidency, said in submitting the application letter in Brussels.”We

are aware that this is our task, that we need to do it.”

Bosnia must also adjust a 2008 pre-membership agreement to refl ect changes after Croatia, also an ex-Yugoslav republic, joined the bloc in 2013. The Dayton Agreement that ended the Bos-nian war split the country into the largely Bosniak and Croat region of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the mostly Serb region of Republika Srpska.

It also established a national

government, whose presidency is shared by a Bosniak, a Croat and a Serb. “It’s the beginning” of a long journey, Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said. “Membership is not possi-ble in couple of months, or even a few years.”

The Dutch foreign minister, Bert Koenders, added that Bos-nia’s application would only be considered after “meaningful progress in the implementation of the reform agenda is achieved”, meaning Sarajevo would not be given candidate status for now.

Federica Mogherini, the head of foreign aff airs for the EU, em-phasised the positive message of the move on Monday for both Bosnia - with its complex ma-trix of governments in diff erent regions and elaborate decision-making procedures - and the bloc, engulfed with multiple crises.

“I think it’s good news fi rst and foremost for the people of your country, who can see today that... if all the levels of government of the country move together to-wards a common goal, it can be achieved,” she said. — Reuters

F O R M A L B I D

In its latest report on

Bosnia in 2015, the EU said

it had actually fallen back

on some issues, including

‘the conditions for the

exercise of the freedom

of expression’ and the

required judiciary reforms

I think it’s good news fi rst and foremost for the people of your country (Bosnia), who can see today that... if all the levels of government of the country move together towards a common goal, it can be achievedFederica Mogherini, Head of foreign aff airs for European Union

A14

GLOBAL EYET U E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

AFGHANISTAN: Afghan children play on the remains of a Soviet-era armoured personnel carrier on the outskirts of Jalalabad on Monday. Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan on February 15, 1989, after

ten years of fi ghting against Mujahidin militiamen. — AFP

BRITAIN: Daniel Craig’s “Day of the Dead” costume, as featured in the James Bond fi lm “Spectre” is shown during a press preview in

London, Britain, on Monday, to promote the upcoming Christie’s auction entitled “James Bond Spectre - The Auction”. With an estimat-

ed sale price of $1.3m, an Aston Martin DB10 car is the main item in the auction on Wednesday. — AFP

PHILIPPINES: Students of St. Scholastica’s College gesture the “number one” sign as they dance to take part in the “One Billion Ris-

ing” campaign in Manila, Philippines, on February 15, 2016. The campaign, the fi fth to be held since 2012, calls for the end of all forms

of discrimination and violence against women and girls. The movement refers to UN statistics that one in 3 women, about one billion

globally, will be raped or beaten in their lifetime. — AFP

CHINA: An orangutan drinks milk on a couch at a studio, in Kun-

ming, China, on Sunday. — Reuters

COLOMBIA: Colombian bullfi ghter Juan de Castilla is gored at the

Macarena bullring on Sunday in Medellin, Colombia. — AFP

CHINA: Local villagers get warm around a fi re basket as they wait

for a traditional ethnic Tujia wedding feast during celebrations

marking the Lunar New Year, in Ziqiu, China, on Sunday. — Reuters

SPAIN: A car drives on a snow-covered road near Pineda de la

Sierra after this winter’s fi rst heavy snowfall in northern Spain on

Monday. — AFP

A15

WORLDT U E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

The United Nations has repeatedly warned of Burundi sliding back into an ethnically charged confl ict, more than a decade after a civil war that killed 300,000, and said it has reports of mass graves and gang-rapes by security forces.

Bomb kills Somalia’s ex-defence minister

NAIROBI: Militant group Al Shebaab killed Somalia’s former defence minister with a car bomb in capital Mogadishu on Monday, offi cials said. Al Shebaab, which is aligned to Al Qaeda, told Reuters it planted the car bomb that killed Muhayadin Mohamed, who was also an adviser to the speaker of Somalia’s parliament.

Pictures taken by a Reuters pho-tographer from the scene showed the passenger seat took the brunt of the damage, with passenger-side doors blown out.

“We are behind his killing,” Sheikh Anbdiasis Abu Musab,

Al Shebaab’s military operations spokesman, told Reuters.

Confi rmedA police offi cial confi rmed Mo-hamed was killed and added a sec-ond person in the car survived the blast without any serious injuries.

Mohamed was briefl y defence

minister in 2008 during Somalia’s transitional federal government, which was backed by United Na-tions and had fought alongside Af-rican Union peacekeepers to push Al Shebaab out of Mogadishu and other major cities.

Al Shebaab fi ghters left the capi-tal in 2011 and a permanent So-

mali government was established in 2012, but the government has struggled to end chronic insecu-rity. Al Shebaab, which wants to impose obscurantist rule across the country, has frequently targeted government offi cials and lawmakers and vowed to attack Western targets at home and abroad. — Reuters

Al Shebaab claimed

that it planted

the car bomb that

killed Muhayadin

Mohamed, who was

also an adviser to the

speaker of parliament

Ukrainian prosecutor quits over corruptionKIEV: A senior Ukrainian pros-ecutor resigned on Monday, call-ing the offi ce he worked for a “hotbed of corruption”, another blow to government attempts to clean up the judiciary, a crucial step to unlock more Western aid.

The resignation, the second exit of a Western-backed reform-er in under a fortnight, came a day before a possible no confi dence vote in parliament that could top-ple Prime Minister Arseny Yatse-niuk and lead to a snap election.

Failure to tackle endemic cor-ruption has derailed a $40 billion aid programme that keeps the war-torn country afl oat.

If Yatseniuk falls, it would fur-ther delay negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for the next tranche of money, $1.7 billion, which has been on hold since October. “Today, the General Prosecutor’s offi ce is a brake on the reform of criminal justice, a hotbed of corruption, an instrument of political pres-sure, one of the key obstacles to the arrival of foreign investment in Ukraine,” Deputy General Prosecutor Vitaliy Kasko said in a televised statement.

Kasko’s move follows the exit of Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius, who accused vest-ed interests, including a close ally of President Petro Poroshenko, of meddling in his ministry and try-ing to siphon off state funds.

Kasko’s accusation that there

was merely a facade of change in the prosecution service is dam-aging to Poroshenko, who has resisted pressure to fi re Gen-eral Prosecutor Viktor Shokin. Vladislav Kutsenko, an aide to Shokin, dismissed Kasko’s resig-nation as self-publicity.

But US Ambassador Geoff rey Pyatt called Kasko “a champion for change”. “His resignation is a blow to #Ukraine’s reform progress... #Ukraine deserves a clean judiciary. Will require top-to-bottom rule of law reform to address pervasive corruption + cronyism,” he tweeted.

Yatseniuk’s approval ratings have plummeted to less than 1 per cent since he came to offi ce in 2014 after protests ousted the previous pro-Russian govern-ment. The economy has tanked and a confl ict with separatist re-bels has no end in sight.

Parliament convenes on Tues-day to debate a report on the four-party coalition government’s performance, which could precip-itate a no confi dence vote. A par-liamentary source said that, after a meeting of various faction lead-ers on Monday, “the general mood is that the government should leave”. The prosecution service was hit by scandal last July when two high ranking offi cials were de-tained on suspicion of corruption and a large quantity of diamonds and money were found in raids on their homes. — Reuters

B L O W T O G O V E R N M E N T

EU set to impose more economic curbs on BurundiBRUSSELS: European Union foreign ministers said on Monday they were prepared to strengthen economic sanctions on Burundi following the failure of talks to end a political crisis in the Central Af-rican country in which more than 440 people have been killed.

The United Nations has re-peatedly warned of Burundi sliding back into an ethnically charged confl ict, more than a decade after a civil war that killed 300,000, and said it has reports of mass graves and gang-rapes by security forces.

But President Pierre Nkurun-ziza, whose decision last April to stand for a third term triggered nine months of violence, has re-fused to accept an African Un-ion peacekeeping plan, saying it would amount to an invasion.

“The EU... stands ready to im-pose restrictive measures against those whose actions might have led or might lead to acts of vio-lence and repression (and) seri-ous human rights violations,” ministers said in a statement re-leased during a meeting in Brus-sels, adding that those hamper-ing a political solution could also be targeted.

The EU last year imposed asset freezes and travel bans on four of-fi cials close to Nkurunziza who are accused of using excessive force during clashes in the run-up to his re-election.

However the European Union, Burundi’s biggest aid donor, said it would not suspend aid to one of the world’s poorest countries, although many of the funds are now being rerouted directly to humanitarian agencies rather than to the government.

The EU had hoped that, by inviting Burundian offi cials to Brussels for formal talks, they could chart a path to new elec-tions, but the talks on December 8 failed to fi nd a way forward. The situation remained deadlocked and was likely to worsen as the economy weakened, the Europe-an Union foreign ministers said.

Burundi is a nation with a similar ethnic mix to neighbour-ing Rwanda, were 800,000 peo-ple died in a genocide in 1994. According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, nearly a quarter of a million people have fl ed the violence in Burundi and a further 25,000 are displaced within the country. — Reuters

P O L I T I C A L C R I S I S

Two policemen killed in Dagestan blast claimed by ISJEMIKENT: IS militant group said its suicide bomber had blown up a car in Russia’s volatile Dag-estan that killed two policemen on Monday, the deadliest attack in the southern republic since 2013.

RIA news agency quoted a Dag-estani security source as saying earlier that the suicide bomber had come from “the southern ter-rorist group”, but gave no further detail. “... one of the Caliphate’s (IS) soldiers advanced with a car bomb towards a barrier set up by the apostate Dagestani po-lice... and blew it up in the midst of their gathering leading to the death or injury of all the elements stationed at the barrier,” the Cau-casus “province” of IS said in a statement carried by Twitter ac-counts loyal to IS.

Photographs sent by a local cam-eraman showed several burnt-out cars and a separate engine - be-lieved to be what was left of the sui-

cide bomber’s car - near the village of Jemikent in southeastern Dag-estan. A body covered with white cloth was lying near one of the cars. Dagestan borders Chechnya, where Moscow fought two wars against separatists before regain-ing control of the region.

A patchwork of ethnicities and languages, it has become a hub of militant in the North Caucasus, and some militant groups have sworn allegiance to IS.

Dagestan, where Kremlin crit-ics say widespread poverty and corruption help feed religious ex-tremism, last saw similar attacks on police by suicide bombers in 2013. Monday’s attack, which came about 0900 (0600 GMT), was equivalent to 30kg of TNT, the Interfax news agency cited po-lice experts as saying. The number of injured reached 17, Russian news agencies said, citing health ministry offi cials. — Reuters

I N S U R G E N C Y

ILL-FATED CAR: A destroyed car is seen behind a police cordon after what authorities said was a car

bomb attack which killed Somalia’s former defence minister Muhayadin Mohamed in the capital Moga-

dishu on Monday. – Reuters

A16

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US admiral warns against Chinese fi ghter jet flights

SINGAPORE: Any move by China to fl y jet fi ghters from runways on its new man-made islands in the disputed South China Sea would be destablising and would not deter US fl ights over the area, a senior US naval offi cer said on Monday.

Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, the commander of the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet, also urged Beijing to be more open over its inten-tions in the South China Sea, say-ing it would relieve “some of the angst we are now seeing”.

“We are unsure where they are taking us,” Aucoin said of China’s recent moves during briefi ng with journalists in Singapore.

“So we are going to sail, fl y, op-erate throughout these waters....like we have been doing for so long,” he said.

That, he added, included “fl ying over that airspace.”

Chinese and regional security analysts expect Beijing to start

using its new runways in the dis-puted Spratlys archipelago for military operations in the next few months.

It last month tested for the fi rst time the 3,000-metre runway built on a reclamation on Fiery Cross Reef by landing several civilian airliners from Hainan island. Au-coin said he could not give an es-timate when he expected Chinese military jets to start operating in the Spratlys. “It’s a destablising

uncertainty,” he said when asked about the impact of possible Chi-nese jet fi ghter patrols. He said it would raise questions about the intentions.

China claims much of the South China Sea, while Brunei, Malay-sia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam have rival claims.

International concern is grow-ing over tensions in the waterway, which carries an estimated $5 trillion in trade every year, includ-

ing oil used by northeast Asian nations. Since last October, two US warships have sailed close to Chinese claimed features in the Spratly and Paracel archipelagoes in so-called freedom-of-naviga-tion operations that Beijing has warned are provocative.

Chinese offi cials complained last December that a US B-52 bomber fl ew close to one of Bei-jing’s artifi cial islands.

Other US surveillance and

transport planes routinely fl y throughout the South China Sea.

Chinese warships and civilian vessels routinely fl ank US naval ships in the area, but Aucoin said engagement between the two na-vies would continue, saying the relationship was “positive”. “(The) International Law of the Sea has helped (China) for so many years. We just want them to respect those rights so that we can all continue to prosper,” he said. — Reuters

Beijing is expected

to start using its

new runways in the

disputed Spratlys

archipelago for

military operations in

the next few months

Ugandan police detain opposition leader days ahead of electionsKAMPALA: Ugandan police on Monday briefl y detained opposi-tion leader Kizza Besigye and fi red teargas to disperse hundreds of his supporters in the capital Kampala, offi cials said, just days ahead of Thursday’s presidential election.

Besigye and six other candidates are seeking to end President Yow-eri Museveni’s 30-year grip on power.

Analysts say that veteran leader is expected to win the February 18 poll but that it represents his toughest political challenge yet.

Witnesses and supporters of Be-sigye said he was taken away from the rally by security forces. But po-lice spokesman Patrick Onyango said Besigye was not arrested.

“What I can say is that Besigye is not under any arrest. Right now

he’s at his home,” he told Reuters.Besigye was detained after po-

lice asked him and his support-ers to use a diff erent route during their march into central Kampala, according to a witness at the rally.

“They wanted him to use anoth-er road which was far away from where he wanted to go. Police then started fi ring teargas and arrested (Besigye) with two other opposi-

tion leaders,” said the witness.

CampaigningA government spokesman said all campaigning has been prohib-ited in Kampala’s central busi-ness district, where supporters of Besigye’s Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party were heading.

“It’s unacceptable because it’s congested already, so Besigye had

to be stopped,” Shaban Bantariza, deputy government spokesman, said. The opposition leader has lost three previous presidential elections against Museveni and has been arrested many times, with police accusing him and his supporters of holding illegal rallies. His supporters say such arrests are part of government intimidation tactics. They also

accuse Museveni of rigging polls and using state funds to prop up his party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Offi cials deny all such claims. Semujju Nganda, spokesman for the FDC, said Be-sigye has been barred from staging rallies in a Kampala stadium, and the party’s options to campaign have been curtailed by the govern-ment. — Reuters

P O L I T I C A L T U R M O I L

Drought likely to aff ect 49m in southern Africa: WFP

HARARE: As many as 49 million people in southern Africa could be aff ected by a drought that has been worsened by the most severe and longest El Nino weather pattern in 35 years, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said on Monday.

The WFP, which has already said 14 million people face hunger in the region, said the El Nino conditions had caused the lowest recorded rainfall between October and De-cember since 1981. The forecast for January to March indicated a high probability of below-normal rainfall in southern Africa, which would result in one of the worst droughts on record, it added.

“It is estimated that 40 million rural people and 9 million poor urban people who live in drought-aff ected areas could be exposed,” the WFP said in its latest report.

The drought has hit much of the region, including the maize belt in South Africa, the continent’s most advanced economy and the top pro-ducer of the staple grain. In Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe, planting delayed by two months or more has severely impacted maize yields. Malawi is experiencing its fi rst maize defi cit in a decade, push-ing the price 73 per cent higher than the December 2015 average. In Mozambique, prices were 50 per cent higher than last year. The WFP said food production in Zim-babwe had fallen by half compared to last year and maize was 53 per cent more expensive. Zimbabwe last week said it needed nearly $1.6 billion in aid to help pay for grain and other food. — Reuters

B E L O W - N O R M A L R A I N F A L L

MOUNTING TENSIONS: Chinese dredging vessels are purportedly seen in the waters around Fiery Cross Reef in the disputed Spratly Is-

lands in the South China Sea in this still image from video taken by a P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft provided by the United States

Navy May 21, 2015. – Reuters/US Navy/Handout via Reuters/Files

MARKEWWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMT U E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6B

Muscat

5,349.53 - 15.76

- 0.29%

Dubai

3,003.95- 7.52

- 0.25%

Abu Dhabi

4,107.42+ 32.19

+ 0.79%

Saudi Arabia

5,691.22+ 133.30

+ 2.40%

Kuwait

5,139.13+ 8.08

+ 0.16%

Bahrain

1,166.85 + 0.08

+ 0.07%

Qatar

9,857.20+ 256.23

+ 2.67%

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

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

Euro ............................................2.29

Pound ............................................1.77

Indian Rs ............................. 176.34

Pakistan Rs .......................266.60

Bangla Taka........................201.17* Rates are as of Feb. 15

Source: Bank Muscat

Indian Rs ................................... 176.70

Pakistan Rs ............................. 271.00

Sri Lanka Rs ............................371.25

Bangla Taka........................... 203.50

Phil Peso .................................... 123.10

* Rates as of Feb. 15 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......15.60

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......15.00

Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............ 148.75

Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) .............. 141.75

* Rates as of Feb. 15

Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

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

Oman Crude ............. (Spot) ........$29.20

Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) ........ $28.70

Murban Crude ........ (Spot) .........$31.25

Arabian Light ......... (Spot) .........$28.15

N.Sea Brent ............... (Spot) ........ $33.87

West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ........$30.00

CRUDE OIL PRICE

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Agreement signed for OMR283m mega tourism complex in Duqm

Times News Service

MUSCAT: A major tourism complex with an investment of OMR283 million is taking shape in Duqm. An agreement grant-ing land usufruct for building the

tourism complex was signed by Special Economic Zone Authority in Duqm (Sezad) on Monday with Marina Duqm Company of the Golden group.

“This will include hotels, a

mall, residential complexes, en-tertainment centre, water theme park and a number of other tour-ist services and facilities,” said the press statement.

The tourist façade project in-

cludes three fi ve, four and three-star hotels, a four-star hotel suite and residential complexes com-prising villas and apartments. The project also includes the con-struction of a mall with a range of

restaurants, cafes, stores, water amusement park, a variety of dif-ferent beach games, a mosque, a cultural and entertainment centre, gardens, and public services.

The project area will be about

741,000 square metres and the ex-penditure is estimated at OMR283 million. The implementation will be in four phases, each of about four years. Upon completion, the project will provide about 800 jobs.

Yahya bin Said bin Abdullah Al Jabri, chairman of Sezad, said that the tourist façade project of Ma-rina Duqm is a welcome addition to the economic zone and will help stimulate tourism. It will enrich the tourists and residents because it will include a variety of tour-ism projects that keep pace with their aspirations. After signing the agreement, Al Jabri said; “These initiatives contribute to the capi-tal investment locally and achieve good gains for investors and the national economy alike. These initiatives are also consistent with the government’s eff orts to achieve economic diversifi cation and pro-vide more employment opportuni-ties for the youth.” >B4

The project, which

will provide 800

jobs, is coming up in

an area of 741,000

square metres and

will be completed in

four phases TOURIST FACADE PROJECT: Yahya bin Said bin Abdullah AlJabri

and Sheikh Salem bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Ghazali signing

the agreement. — Supplied picture Master plan of the tourism project. – Supplied picture

Al Hassan adopts new initiatives to strengthen its fi nancial positionTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Al Hassan Engineer-ing’s board has decided to take a series of new steps, including sale of land, eff orts to recover ad-ditional cost and recapitalisation of Abu Dhabi subsidiary, to im-prove its fi nancial position and strengthen balance sheet.

In order to off set Al Hassan Engineering’s loss, the company and the major shareholders are expected to enter into a sale and purchase agreement for a vacant land in Ghala for OMR3.2 mil-lion. This is subject to the ap-proval of shareholders at its an-nual general meeting.

This land was vacated in 2015 by shifting the fabrication, plant workshop and stores to a new im-proved facility in Nizwa.

This agreement is expected to be approved in the annual general meeting, which will give the com-pany a cash infl ow of OMR3.2 million and one-time non-opera-tional profi t of OMR2.7 million in the fi rst quarter of 2016.

All eff orts are also taken to recover additional costs from clients,including involvement of third party/legal dispute resolu-tion process.

Al Hassan Engineering has a very strong market reputation for over three decades for com-pleting all projects undertaken successfully and presently em-ploys over 4,000 people in Oman. It has a confi rmed order book of OMR96 million by end-Decem-ber 2015 and expects revenue in 2016 to be at par with 2015 de-spite the market environment.

In January, 2016 Stephen Scott, CEO, relinquished his po-sition and Dr Shawqi Hamdan Sajwani has taken over as the new CEO. Dr Sajwani has over three decades of experience, starting with General Motors in USA, Dubai Aluminum and Dubai Holding as Group Director Business Excellence. Since 2009 he has practiced consultancy in business management.

Adil Darwish Yousef Al La-wati a Mechanical Engineer from USA, has also joined the company as General Manager-Projects. He is an Omani national and has over

two decades of extensive and di-verse work experience in the oil and gas business in organisations like PDO and Tebodin.

Signifi cant changes led by the new CEO are underway to re-structure the company, improve asset /manpower utilisation and reduce costs all across the com-pany, which can be expected to make it lean and effi cient for the future challenges.

The company has recorded the highest ever turnover of OMR107 million and is highest-ever both in Oman and the UAE in 2015. The growth in revenue has been at 40 per cent over that in 2014.

Though the turnover has grown, a loss of OMR2.7 million has been incurred in 2015 arising mainly from the fi nancial perfor-mance of two ongoing projects in Oman based on the forecasted costs to complete, which has been accounted as per the re-quirements of the International Financial Reporting Standards.

Zauliyah Gas plant EPC pro-ject for Petroleum Develop-ment Omanis being executed by Al Hassan TR LLC JV. Since the duration for completion has been extended, there have been changes to envisaged scope and consequently higher costs. The underlying cause for extended time being delays in engineering and supply of equipment from in-ternational vendors, which have been beyond the control span of the company, despite making sig-nifi cant additional eff orts to mit-igate the same. There was also a signifi cant increase in the cost of Sohar refi nery project for Daelim Petrofac due to variations from original scope/measurement issues,the recovery of which is being pursued with client.

The fi nancial requirements of the Abu Dhabi LLC subsidiary, which has had a good growth, are presently supported by the parent company in Oman. It is expected that in 2016 a re-cap-italisation of this LLC company may be carried out,subject to selection of a new shareholder and all approvals. This will in-crease the share capital and bring in the cash required for independent operations.

S A L E O F L A N D

B2

MARKETT U E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

Iran stocks soar despite slump in global markets

TEHRAN: A leap by the Teh-ran stock market in the past four weeks contrasts with gloom in many bourses around the world and hints at Iran’s investment po-tential as its economy, long isolat-ed by sanctions, rejoins the global trading system.

The Tedpix index has soared 18.3 per cent since January 16, when the sanctions were lifted af-ter an international deal on Iran’s nuclear programme. Average daily trading turnover has tripled from last year to around $150 million.

The economy is still struggling — growth is close to zero, the job-less rate exceeds 10 per cent and many banks face mountains of bad debt. Political tensions between hardliners and moderates could slow eff orts to address these prob-lems. As a result, some commenta-tors are warning that the notori-ously volatile market may not hold on to its gains.

“The Tehran bourse is disre-garding warnings and the condi-tion of world markets ... It is going down the same road as in 2015, the result of which will only be a lack of confi dence and the fl ight

of capital from this market,” the conservative Nassim news agency said in a commentary last week.

But many investors are betting that by restoring Iran’s links with the rest of the world and attracting foreign capital and technology, the end of sanctions will trigger a long-term economic boom.

Corporate earnings“The actual benefi ts of the lift-ing of sanctions will take six to 12 months to start to feed into com-panies’ fi nancials,” said Payam Malayeri, head of asset manage-ment at Griff on Capital, a Teh-ran-based fi rm which last month launched an off shore equity fund focused on Iran.

“Investors are discounting that now - they are looking ahead to corporate earnings growth in 2017 and 2018.” Some economists think Iran’s gross domestic product

could grow 5 to 6 per cent annu-ally in the next several years. That would boost corporate earnings 15-25 per cent a year, Malayeri es-timated. Also, dividend yields are high at around 12 per cent.

So far, auto stocks have led the rally because of prospects for tie-ups with foreign fi rms; Iran Khodro, which announced a 50/50 venture to build cars with Peugeot, has rocketed 52 per cent. Pharma-ceutical and engineering shares have also surged; banks and petro-chemicals have underperformed.

Almost all new buying of stocks has been by local retail investors. Most foreigners remain cautious and while sending money into Iran has become easier, full inter-national banking ties have not yet been restored.

But foreign fund infl ows are picking up. Ramin Rabii, chief executive of Iranian investment group Turquoise Partners, which manages most foreign portfolio in-vestment on the Tehran exchange, estimated $10-20 million had en-tered in the past three months, bringing the total outstanding near $100 million. - Reuters

Average daily trading

turnover has tripled

from last year to

around $150 million.

Falling deposit rates

may push more

money into bourse

DR SHANMUGAM BALAJI

Global economic events are increasingly shap-ing the future of Gulf

Cooperation Council (GCC) economies. The events, which aff ect the economic and social prospect of GCC nation-als, positively or negatively, mainly come from outside their borders.

Recent economic shock ex-perienced by GCC countries and its links to the United States’ quantitative easing (QE) programme through oil price is undeniable, though the degree can be debated. Oil as a fi nancial asset declined in price due to strengthening of the dollar with the ending of QE programme.

Slackening demandOil as a physical commodity enjoyed fl ood of cash into US oil sector with the QE pro-gramme and accelerated the supply expansion and market turmoil. The other aspects like slackening demand fast tracked the downslide and adverse impact on the GCC states’ economies.

GCC growth model and policy responses have to fac-tor the global economic chal-lenges to insulate from such shocks. The global economic issues facing GCC are many like fi nancial instability due to debt overhang, rebalancing of Chinese economy and income inequality. Out of this global fi nancial instability is the sin-gle major destabilising factor for the GCC economies.

The global debt levels have crossed $200 trillion and it is nearly 300 per cent of GDP. Post fi nancial crisis (2008) the contrary to the expecta-tion there has been steady increase in debt level. Former Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke hypothesis of ‘global

savings glut’ (where desired savings is more than desired investment) explained the fl ow of savings/surpluses from the emerging market to US, from the late 1990s and early years of 2000. This led to misalloca-tion of resources resulting in the fi nancial crisis in 2008. Ra-ghuram Rajan, governor of Re-serve Bank of India says, that post-fi nancial crisis in 2008 this pattern reversed as capital fl owed to emerging market from the developed world and warns that it may lead to adverse eff ects with tighten-ing of monetary policies in the developed countries.

Credit bust in rich world has led to the credit booms in emerging markets. The diff erentiating factor is households were main bor-rowers in the rich world and in emerging markets it is the corporate. The rich countries due to their size, sophistica-tion and strength were able to overcome the crisis with little diffi culty. This cannot be rep-licated in emerging markets. One school of thought is that the debt created by modern day institutions never goes away and it just shifts around the economy until some drastic steps like monetiza-tion are resorted to, because as through growth alone it cannot squared off .

Fiscal needsMany of the GCC govern-ments are returning to the markets after long years to maintain their growth and meet their fi scal needs. Bor-rowing when the oil prices are low and repaying when the prices are high is a prudent measure, but the low oil sce-nario and the current account situation does not support to make the off erings attractive to the fi nancial markets.

Credit rating agencies have downgraded the sovereign rating or keeping them under negative watch. This aff ects not only the government’s fi scal programme, but it also reduces the ability or increases the cost of the state-owned entities to progress the projects beyond the govern-ment support. This situation also reduces potential gains

that can be achieved from the low debt/GDP levels of GCC economies.

For GCC economies, the lesson learnt is to evaluate the contra approaches like shor-ing up debt levels in phases even during the days of bounty instead of resorting to debt only during the downward cycle, as it is being done now. International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff paper on public debt while debating which is a greater priority: lower-ing public debt or building public infrastructure? argues for maintaining some level of debt, although not for the reasons explained but for distortive eff ects of taxes. It indicates that policies to pay down debt are undesirable for the reasons that distortive cost associated is likely to exceed benefi t from lower debt. Espe-cially so, under the conditions of ample fi scal space.

Phasing of fund raisingThe present fi nancial market conditions provide incentive for GCC countries, which have similar characteristics and issues but to varying degrees, to collaborate and maximise benefi ts from the fi nancial market. Instead of crowding out each other with objective to fend themselves, collaborative approaches like phasing of fund raising, pooled fund raising by GCC countries, both within and among countries, will benefi t.

Options like pool fund raising can be examined in the cross country projects like GCC railways for the benefi t of all. Extraordinary situation warrants uncon-ventional methods and path breaking coordination to support growth. The debt management system has to be strengthened and improved to closely monitor how debt is created, used and serviced. Given that the property market matters far more than the equity and debt markets in GCC, such discipline needs no reiteration to avoid housing bubbles. Debt should end up in creating new capital assets without funding consumption or real estate, which can lead to such bubbles. >B4

Stabilising economies in GCC nations and global instability

C O M M E N T A R Y

SCAN THIS TO VISIT

PHOTO GALLERYFirst Train Arrives

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

IN DEMAND: The Tedpix index has soared 18.3 per cent since

January 16, when the sanctions were lifted after an international

deal on Iran’s nuclear programme. – Reuters

B3T U E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

MARKET

Opec keen to end oversupply, cut oil output: Nigeria ABUJA: Mood inside the Organi-sation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) is shifting from mistrust to a growing consensus that a decision must be reached on how to end the global oil price rout, Nigeria’s oil minister said.

Oil prices have slumped by more than 70 per cent to near $30 a barrel over the past 18 months as Opec, led by top producer Saudi Arabia, sought to drive higher-cost producers out of the market by re-fusing to cut production despite a supply glut.

The price crash has crippled some economies that depend heavily on oil sales for income, such as Nigeria and Venezuela, and even Saudi Arabia is shoring up its resources to withstand the painful revenue drop.

“There’s increased conversation going on. I think when we met in December ... they (Opec members) were hardly talking to one another. Everyone was protecting their own positional logic,” Nigerian oil minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachi-wku said in an interview.

“Now I think you have cross-logic ... they are looking at what are the defi ciencies, what is the optimum.” Struggling oil produc-ers have made repeated calls for an emergency Opec meeting, but Kachikwu said that the timing had not been right. The group’s next regular meeting is in June.

“We haven’t been sure that if we held those (emergency) meetings that we could actually walk away with some consensus,” he said.

“A lot of barrels are tumbling out of the market from non-Opec members, so the Saudi philosophy is obviously working. But it’s not infl uencing the price higher, which means that whether we like it or not some barrels are coming in from ... members and non-members to cover whatever is dropping out.”

IEA warningThe International Energy Agency (IEA) said on January 19 that oil markets could be oversupplied by as much as 1.5 million barrels per day in the fi rst half of 2016 and warned that prices could decline further as Iran’s emergence from economic sanctions brings more crude to the market.

Opec has declined to trim out-

put without help from non-mem-bers, which so far have refused to participate. Russia, the world’s biggest oil producer, has played coy by fl oating the idea of a cut without saying whether it would participate.

In an attempt to fi nd a compro-mise, Venezuela’s oil minister pro-posed a freeze on new production to place a cap on the growing glut while not requiring countries to surrender market share.

Kachikwu said that he would meet his Qatari and Saudi coun-terparts next week to discuss the situation. “Have we got to the point where we can say there is a defi nite strategy? In terms of pro-duction reduction or freezing, no, I don’t think we have got there. But there is a lot of energy (behind the idea),” Kachikwu said. - Reuters

C R U D E P R O D U C T I O NHSBC not to move itsLondon headquarters

LONDON: HSBC recommit-ted its future to London, ending 10 months of deliberations over whether to move its headquarters, after securing concessions from the UK government on regulation and taxes. The shares rose.

Europe’s largest bank said it will continue its 23-year stay in the UK capital after its board, led by chief executive offi cer Stuart Gulliver and chairman Douglas Flint, con-vened there on Sunday. The deci-sion was unanimous, according to a statement from the bank.

“As we evaluated jurisdictions against the specifi ed criteria, it became clear that the combina-tion of our strategic focus on Asia and maintaining our hub in one of the world’s leading international fi nancial centres, London, was not only compatible, but off ered the best outcome for our customers and shareholders,” Flint said in the statement.

The shares increased 1 per cent to 445.6 pence in London, bring-ing the loss this year to 17 per cent.

The decision is a victory for UK Chancellor of the Excheq-uer George Osborne, who made tax and regulatory concessions to large banks despite their poor standing among voters following the 2008 fi nancial crisis. It also underscores London’s status as a global fi nancial hub at a time when it’s being undermined by debate over whether the UK will quit the European Union.

Default position“Their default position was al-

ways to stay in the UK,” said Chris Wheeler, a London-based ana-lyst at Atlantic Equities, a United States brokerage fi rm. “They would have needed very strong ar-guments to leave given the moun-tain of legal and regulatory work involved in a move, as well as the political pressure.”

Slowdown in ChinaThe loser is Hong Kong, which Bloomberg Intelligence esti-mates accounts for 22 per cent of HSBC’s assets and generated al-most half of the company’s pretax profi t in 2014. A slowdown in Chi-na, which administers the former British colony, and fresh ques-tions over the economic manage-ment of the world’s most popu-lous country would have counted against Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Monetary Au-thority said it respects the bank’s decision. “The HKMA appreci-

ates that for a large international bank such as HSBC, relocation of domicile is a very major and com-plicated undertaking,” chief ex-ecutive offi cer Norman Chan said in a statement.

The bank’s review was “exhaus-tive” and looked at the regulatory regime, future growth, and ex-isting scale in several countries, including Canada, the US, China, Australia, Singapore, France and Germany. The fi nal two markets considered were Hong Kong and the UK, the bank said. A move would have cost as much as $1.5 billion, according to an analysis by Sanford C. Bernstein.

In a sign the board struggled to make a decision, it missed a self-imposed deadline to make its mind up by the end of 2015. It also sought strategic advice from for-mer US secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and Condoleezza Rice, a spokeswoman for the bank said.

The decision was “much as expected,” Hugh Young, Singa-pore- based managing director of top-10 shareholder Aberdeen As-set Management Plc, said in an e-mailed response to questions. The bank gained concessions and

clarity from the U.K. government so a move wasn’t worth the “huge legal eff ort,” he said.

Founded in 1865 as the Hong-kong and Shanghai Banking Cor-poration, HSBC began debating a shift last April, assessing fac-tors such as taxation, fi nancial regulations and the risk of Brit-ain exiting the EU.

Government supportLondon’s appeal grew after last May’s election handed full power to the Conservative Party, allow-ing Osborne to loosen pressure on the fi nance industry after years when “banker bashing” was a popular political stance. The 2008 crisis threw the economy into recession and required about 1 trillion pounds ($1.45 trillion) of government support to stop the banking system from collapsing, though HSBC didn’t require any state assistance. - Bloomberg News

Europe’s largest bank

ended 10 months of

deliberations over

whether to move

its headquarters,

after securing

concessions from the

UK government on

regulation and taxes

Malaysia Airlines on track to post profi t, plans expansionKUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines is on track to return to profi tability by 2018, helped by job cuts and route changes under-taken as the company reeled from two high-profi le plane crashes in 2014, chief executive offi cer Christoph Mueller said.

The airline’s restructuring ef-fort is proceeding as planned and the company has fi nished lay-ing off employees, Mueller said in an interview on Monday with Bloomberg Television in Singa-pore. The carrier wants to buy and own some aircraft once its targets are met, as its existing fl eet structure is skewed toward leased planes, he said.

“The biggest challenge is really to go back to the good old times when we won the best customer quality awards,” Mueller said. “Our product is a little bit tired. We will do a lot of work on our product this year.”

A veteran of turnaround eff orts for Aer Lingus in Ireland, Mueller took over Malaysia Airlines last

March, charged with reviving a carrier that was racking up losses even before hundreds of people died in two 2014 crashes. Ma-laysia’s government bought out small shareholders to delist the airline. After cutting 6,000 jobs, slashing pay and trimming capac-ity by 30 percent, Mueller said the major changes are done.

Malaysian currencyAirlines globally have benefi ted as oil prices have tumbled this year, but the advantage of cheaper oil has been mostly off set by the de-preciation of the Malaysian ring-git against the dollar. That has a slightly larger impact on the com-

pany’s earnings, Mueller said.A network restructuring aimed

at establishing Malaysia Airlines’ Kuala Lumpur base as a hub for regional travel is 90 percent com-plete, Mueller said in November. Malaysia Airlines has scrapped some European routes, relying instead on a code- share deal it signed with Dubai-based Emir-ates for longer-haul destinations and eschewing its traditional model of linking Europe and Aus-tralia via Southeast Asia.

The partnership with Emirates was complementary and gives Malaysia Airlines access to new destinations in Africa and Latin America, Mueller said Monday. The company is keeping all its Airbus A380s for its London routes, while grounding its Boe-ing 777-200s, Mueller said. The carrier said last month it plans to retire and sell the 777-200s.

Malaysia Airlines is shifting to smaller jets as part of the revamp, seeking a buyer for two of its six A380s. - Bloomberg News

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

China’s foreign trade shrinks on sluggish global demandBEIJING: China’s January trade performance was worse than ex-pected as tepid demand persisted both at home and abroad, raising expectations of further govern-ment measures to arrest the slow-down and to quell market jitters.

January exports fell 11.2 per cent from a year earlier — the sev-enth straight month of decline, while imports tumbled 18.8 per cent — the 15th month of decline, both far worse than expected, data released by the General Ad-

ministration of Customs showed on Monday.

Exports declined even though China has allowed the yuan to weaken nearly 6 per cent against the United States dollar since last August, underlining the ex-tent to which global demand has weakened. China posted a record trade surplus of $63.3 billion in January 2016 — partly due to soft demand and falling commodities prices, versus $60.09 billion in December 2016. - Reuters

E C O N O M Y

FINANCIAL HUB: HSBC’s commitment underscores London’s status as a global fi nancial hub at a

time when it’s being undermined by debate over whether the UK will quit the European Union. - Reuters

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

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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

There’s increased

conversation going on.

I think when we met

in December ... they

(Opec members) were

hardly talking to one

another. Everyone was

protecting their own

positional logic

Emmanuel Kachiwku Oil minister, Nigeria

B4

MARKETT U E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

MUSCATSECURITIES MARKET

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15

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

OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 128,499 ............16,102........................6 ............0.125 ........... 0.127 ...........0.125 ............0.125 ............. 0.122 ........... 0.003 ............. 2.459 ................0.125 .............. 0.123...................0.125 ................... 38,845,618 .........0.100

OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST ......................................................................34,599 .............15,997........................6 ........... 0.458 ........... 0.464 ...........0.458 ........... 0.462 .............0.452 ............0.010 ............. 2.212 ................0.464..............0.460...................0.464 .................255,422,079 .......0.100

OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ...........................55,033 ................5,118........................8 ........... 0.093 ........... 0.093 ...........0.093........... 0.093 .............0.092 ............0.001 ............. 1.087 ................0.093 .............. 0.091...................0.092 ................... 5,472,419 ..........0.100

OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ........... 792,488 ........... 83,228..................... 36 ............0.104 ........... 0.106 ...........0.104 ........... 0.105 .............0.104 ............0.001 ............. 0.962 ................0.105 .............. 0.105...................0.106 ....................9,450,000 ..........0.100

OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 340,726 ........... 53,494......................19 ............0.157 ........... 0.157 ...........0.157 ............0.157 ............. 0.156.............0.001 ............. 0.641 ................0.157 .............. 0.157...................0.159 ................. 226,306,080 .......0.100

OM0000001087 ............OMAN UNITED INSURANCE ................................131,117 ............ 26,223........................9 ........... 0.200 ...........0.200 ...........0.200 .......... 0.200 .............0.200 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.200 ............. 0.191...................0.200 ................. 20,000,000 ........0.100

OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT .......................................................... 4,975 ...............4,841........................4 ........... 0.988 ........... 0.988 ...........0.972........... 0.992 .............0.992 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.972 ..............0.972...................0.988..................198,400,000 .......0.100

OM0000001483 ............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 260,254 ............71,299......................17 ........... 0.274 ........... 0.274 ...........0.273 ........... 0.274 .............0.274 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.273 .............. 0.271...................0.274..................367,354,609 ........0.100

OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 132,872 ............13,039..................... 28 ........... 0.098 ........... 0.099 ...........0.098........... 0.098 .............0.098 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.098 ..............0.098...................0.100..................196,030,653 ........0.100

OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE .............. 802,146 ..........153,186..................... 45 ............0.192 ........... 0.194 ...........0.190 ............0.191 ............. 0.191 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.190 .............. 0.188...................0.190 ...................38,200,000 ........0.100

OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT .............................................................. 3,063 ................1,317........................2 ........... 0.430 ........... 0.430 ...........0.430........... 0.430 .............0.430 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.430..............0.430...................0.000 .................142,275,265 ........0.100

OM0000001962 ............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ...........................................100 ....................... 6........................ 1 ............0.061 ........... 0.061 ...........0.061 ........... 0.062 .............0.062 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.061 ..............0.057...................0.060 ..................12,843,386 .........0.100

OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ............. 32,000 ............... 9,216..................... 10 ........... 0.288 ........... 0.288 ...........0.288........... 0.288 .............0.288 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.288..............0.286...................0.288 ...................6,048,000 ..........0.100

OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK .................................................................... 196,020 ........... 35,284........................2 ............0.180 ........... 0.180 ...........0.180 ........... 0.180 ............. 0.180 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.180 ..............0.180...................0.185 ..................256,506,506 .......0.100

OM0000002275 ...........SHELL OMAN MARKETING ......................................1,700 ...............3,230........................ 1 ........... 1.900 ........... 1.900 ...........1.900 ............1.965 ............. 1.965 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................1.900 ..............1.900...................2.160 ..................186,675,000 ........0.100

OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 1,789,336 ...... 799,483..................... 56 ........... 0.446 ........... 0.448 ...........0.446........... 0.446 .............0.446 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.448..............0.448...................0.450................ 1,022,152,878 ......0.100

OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT .................... 3,439 .................. 378........................4 ............0.110 ........... 0.110............0.110 ............0.110 ............. 0.110 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.110 .............. 0.110................... 0.115 .................. 22,000,000 ........0.100

OM0000003661 ............VOLTAMP ENERGY ...........................................................126 .....................54........................ 1 ........... 0.428 ........... 0.428 ...........0.428........... 0.430 .............0.430 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.428..............0.430...................0.000 ..................26,015,000 .........0.100

OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 115,100 ............ 75,966..................... 20 ........... 0.660 ........... 0.660 ...........0.660........... 0.660 .............0.660 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.660..............0.648...................0.660 .................429,623,192 ........0.100

OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER .......................................................... 32 ....................... 7........................ 1 ........... 0.205 ...........0.205 ...........0.205........... 0.205 .............0.205 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.205..............0.194...................0.205 .................138,351,923 ........0.100

OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ...........................13,051 ............. 19,317......................16 ............1.485 ........... 1.485 ...........1.480 ........... 1.480 ............. 1.500 ...........-0.020 ............-1.333................1.480 .............. 1.475...................1.490 ................ 1,110,000,000 ......0.100

OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ..................................................23,250 ...............9,530........................4 ........... 0.406 ........... 0.410 ...........0.406........... 0.410 ............. 0.416............-0.006 ........... -1.442 ...............0.410 ..............0.410...................0.416 ...................21,525,000 .........0.100

OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING............................................... 1,170,918 ...... 202,432..................... 87 ............0.174 ........... 0.175............ 0.171 ............0.173 ............. 0.176 ............-0.003 ............-1.705 ................0.172 .............. 0.172...................0.173 ...................25,962,975 .........0.100

OM0000001145 ............PORT SERVICES CORPORATION ........................ 30,000 ...............3,660........................2 ............0.122 ........... 0.122 ...........0.122 ........... 0.122 ............. 0.125............-0.003 ........... -2.400 ...............0.122 .............. 0.121...................0.122 ................... 11,594,880 .........0.100

OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ..........................73,397 ............ 10,290......................15 ............0.145 ........... 0.145 ...........0.140 ........... 0.140 ............. 0.145............-0.005 ........... -3.448 ...............0.140 .............. 0.135...................0.140 ....................17,485,714 .........0.100

OM0000003141 ............ACWA POWER BARKA ...............................................21,000 ............. 13,148........................8 ........... 0.628 ........... 0.628 ...........0.624........... 0.628 .............0.656 ...........-0.028 ........... -4.268 ...............0.628 ..............0.628...................0.636................. 100,480,000 .......0.100

OM0000002168 ............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ................................... 8,060 .............. 2,260........................2 ............0.281 ........... 0.281 ...........0.280 .......... 0.280 .............0.298 ...........-0.018 ........... -6.040 ...............0.280............. 0.280...................0.298 ..................82,939,831 .........0.100

OM0000003224 ...........RENAISSANCE SERVICES ..................................... 932,236 .........120,320..................... 42 ............0.126 ........... 0.132 ...........0.126 ........... 0.129 ............. 0.139............-0.010 ............-7.194 ................0.127 ..............0.126...................0.127 ...................37,493,982 .........0.100

OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. ...................... 5,872 .................. 335........................5 ........... 0.057 ........... 0.057 ...........0.057 ........... 0.057 .............0.063 ...........-0.006 ........... -9.524 ...............0.057 ............. 0.000...................0.057...................16,528,896 .........0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 7,101,409.....1,748,761...................457 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... TRADED SEC. ......29........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000001053 ............OMAN TEXTILE HOLDING .....................................43,356 ............. 17,369..................... 28 ........... 0.428 ........... 0.428 ...........0.386........... 0.400 .............0.390 ............0.010 ............. 2.564 ................0.386 ..............0.380...................0.386....................2,400,000 ..........1.000

OM0000001301 ............DHOFAR CATTLE FEED .............................................. 5,000 ............... 1,190........................ 1 ........... 0.238 ........... 0.238 ...........0.238............0.217 ............. 0.217............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.238 .............. 0.217...................0.238................... 16,709,000 .........0.100

OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. .................. 408,045 ............ 11,833........................8 ........... 0.029 ........... 0.029 ...........0.029........... 0.029 .............0.029 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.029..............0.028...................0.030 ...................2,465,000 ..........0.100

OM0000001400 ...........OMAN FLOUR MILLS ................................................... 5,000 .............. 2,200........................3 ........... 0.440 ...........0.440 ...........0.440 .......... 0.424 .............0.424 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.440..............0.440...................0.000 ..................66,780,000 .........0.100

OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES .............................................................100 ....................... 6........................ 1 ........... 0.057 ........... 0.057 ...........0.057 ........... 0.058 .............0.058 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.057 ..............0.055...................0.057.................... 7,250,000 ..........0.100

OM0000005963 ...........PHOENIX POWER ...................................................... 715,108 ..........102,260..................... 33 ............0.143 ........... 0.143 ...........0.143 ........... 0.143 ............. 0.143............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.143 .............. 0.143...................0.144 ..................209,152,009........0.100

OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 555,413 ............ 39,460..................... 22 ........... 0.072 ........... 0.072 ...........0.070............0.071 .............0.072 ...........-0.001 ........... -1.389................0.070..............0.070...................0.071 ................. 106,500,000 .......0.100

.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 1,732,022 .......174,318..................... 96 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................................... 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 ....................................... 5,365.92 ...............5,348.79 ................... 5,349.53 ...................5,365.29 .................-15.76 .................. -0.29Financial Index .....................................6,661.34 ...............6,640.91 ................... 6,659.37 ...................6,656.09 ....................3.28 ................... 0.05Industrial Index ................................... 6,620.90 ...............6,535.99 ................... 6,535.99 ...................6,620.90 ................-84.91 .................. -1.28Services Index ...................................... 2,970.40 .............. 2,959.32 ................... 2,959.32 ................... 2,981.41 ............... -22.09 .................. -0.74MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 831.45 ..................826.34 ...................... 826.34 ......................832.00 .................. -5.66 .................. -0.68

Trading SummaryVolume ................ Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up ............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded8,833,431 .....................1,923,078 .....................553 ................ 16,213,963,151 .................. 6 ..................... 10 ....................20 .........................36

MSM index ends lower

MUSCAT: Huge impairment provisions reported by index heavyweights led to dull trading volumes in the MSM30 Index, which closed at 5,349.53 points, down 0.29 per cent. The MSM Sharia Index ended at 826.34 points, down 0.68 per cent. Bank Muscat was the most active in terms of volume and turnover. Oman Textiles was Monday’s top gainer, up 2.56 per cent, while Galfar Engineering was the top loser, with loss of 9.52 per cent.

As many as 553 trades were ex-ecuted today, generating turno-ver of OMR1.92 million with 8.8 million shares changing hands. Out of 36 traded securities, six advanced, 10 declined and 20 remained unchanged. At the ses-sion close, Foreign Investors were net buyers for OMR82,000 followed by Omani investors for OMR22,000 while GCC and Arab investors switched to net sellers for OMR104,000 worth of shares.

Financial Index had marginal

gain of 0.05 per cent to close at 6,659.37 points. United Finance, Ominvest, Gulf Investment Ser-vices, Al Sharqia Investments and Bank Sohar increased 2.46 per cent, 2.21 per cent, 1.09 per cent, 0.96 per cent and 0.64 per cent respectively. Al Anwar Holding and Bank Nizwa de-clined 1.70 per cent and 1.39 per cent respectively.

Industrial Index had heavy loss of 1.28 per cent to close at 6,535.99 points. Oman Textile closed at OMR0.400, up 2.56 per cent. Galfar Engineering, Al An-war Ceramics, Al Jazeera Steel and Al Maha Ceramics declined 9.52 per cent, 6.04 per cent 3.45 per cent and 1.44 per cent re-spectively. Services Index ended at 2,959.32 points, down 0.74 per cent. Renaissance Services, ACWA Power, Port Services and Omantel declined 7.19 per cent, 4.27 per cent, 2.40 per cent and 1.33 per cent respectively.

— United Securities

Oman Textiles was Monday’s top gainer, up

2.56 per cent, while Galfar Engineering was

the top loser, with a loss of 9.52 per cent

Tourism project in Duqm“Sezad welcomes local investors and provides many incentives for investors. We hope to see more investment initiatives of the Omani private sector in Duqm,” noted Al Jabri.

Sheikh Salem bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Ghazali, chairman of Duqm Marina, indicated that the vision of the Golden Group is to cooperate with the government to accomplish a variety of tourism projects to enhance the vision of the Sultanate and its position in

the tourism sector.He hailed Sezad in terms of its

strategic location overlooking the Arabian Sea, which also has a promising tourist area.

“These factors encouraged the Golden Group to take seri-ous steps towards investment in Duqm. Through its new project, Marina Duqm Company seeks to provide a new concept of tourism in Duqm to meet the aspirations of the various segments of society therein,” added Al Ghazali.

Yahya bin Said bin Abdullah AlJabri and Sheikh Salem bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Ghaz-ali have signed the agreement.

Al Sedrah Real Estate Com-pany of the Golden Group would handle the real estate develop-ment of the Tourist Façade Pro-ject of Marina Duqm. The Golden Group has recently signed agree-ments with several international companies to develop and operate hotels of several categories in the various governorates of Oman.

M A R I N A D U Q M

< FROM

B1

Focus on reducing fi scal gapThe vulnerability of resource based economies like GCC to ex-ternal shocks and the importance of good macroeconomic manage-ment, fi scal discipline and coun-tercyclical fi scal policy are well known. Governments are using various measures to reduce the fi scal gap. The focus on capital prioritisation targeted at drop-ping vanity projects and optimisa-tion of operating expenditure to achieve capital effi ciency and op-erating effi ciency respectively are well intended.

Reforms in energy prices lead-ing to reduction of subsidies will drive energy effi ciency.

Eff ective monetisation of assets — both fi nancial and non-fi nancial will lead to local capital market deepening. Encouraging private sector participation in the previ-ously reserved sectors will ease the government funding require-ments. Introduction of new taxes, increase in taxation will improve the revenue sources and lastly most important external borrow-ing will lead to fi scal discipline and

achieve growth. The investing for diversifi cation, innovation and hu-man capability development is not an option but a necessity.

GCC economies have to be sta-bilised during this period of global instability through eff ective use of policy tool kit. The policymakers have to demonstrate confi dence to invest through the cycle to create value to the economy.

Dr Shanmugam Balaji, is an in-vestment professional based in Muscat.

G C C E C O N O M I E S

< FROM

B2

Japanese economy shrinksTOKYO: Japan’s economy shrank more than expected in the fi nal quarter of last year as consumer spending and exports slumped, adding to headaches for policymakers already wary of damage the fi nancial market rout could infl ict on a fragile recovery.

Gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by an annualised 1.4 per cent in October-December, bigger than a market forecast for a 1.2 per cent decline and match-ing a fall marked in the second quarter of last year, Cabinet Of-fi ce data showed on Monday. It followed a revised 1.3 per cent in-crease in the previous quarter.

The data underscores the chal-lenges premier Shinzo Abe faces in dragging the world’s third-larg-est economy out of stagnation, as exports to emerging markets fail to gain enough momentum to make up for soft domestic de-mand. Market speculation of additional monetary easing sim-mers, although the Bank of Ja-pan’s policy ammunition appears to be dwindling, analysts say, af-ter it deployed negative interest

rates last month. “Private con-sumption is especially weak. The economy is at a standstill,” said Junko Nishioka, chief economist at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking.

“It’s a matter of time before the BOJ and the government will take additional stimulus measures,” she said, predicting the central bank will ease policy again as ear-ly as next month.

With his stimulus policies that gave big manufacturers windfall profi ts, Abe had hoped to generate a positive cycle in which compa-nies raise wages and help boost household spending.

Instead the data showed that private consumption, which makes up 60 per cent of GDP, fell 0.8 per cent, exceeding market forecasts of a 0.6 per cent decline.

Economy Minister Nobuteru Ishihara told reporters after the data was issued that the econo-

my would head for a moderate recovery as its fundamentals re-mained strong.

Off ering some hope for poli-cymakers, capital expenditure rose 1.4 per cent, confounding market expectations for a 0.2 per cent decrease.

But analysts doubt whether the economy will gain momentum in coming months, with the recent market turbulence and slowing Chinese growth clouding the out-look for corporate profi ts.

Exports fell 0.9 per cent in Oc-tober-December after rising 2.6 per cent in the previous quarter, underscoring the pinch compa-nies are already feeling from soft emerging market demand.

Domestic demand shaved 0.5 percentage point off GDP growth, while external demand - or net exports - added just 0.1 point.

Last month the BOJ unexpect-edly cut a benchmark interest rate below zero, stunning inves-tors with another bold move to stimulate the economy as volatile markets threatened its eff orts to overcome defl ation. — Reuters

E C O N O M Y

Dana gas reports quarterly profi tDUBAI: Dana Gas, the UAE-based company with most of its production in Egypt and Iraq, had a quarterly profi t after re-ceiving an arbitration settlement and payment for a stake in its Iraqi venture.

Net income was Dh487 million ($133 million) in the fourth quar-

ter, compared with a loss of Dh15 million a year earlier, according to Bloomberg calculations based on the company’s preliminary results released on Sunday.

Dana Gas’s cash and bank bal-ances more than doubled to Dh1.7 billion at the end of the year from Dh674 million at the end of 2014

as a result of a settlement with RWE’s trading unit, according to the statement. In November, Dana Gas and its partners settled an ar-bitration dispute with the RWE unit and agreed to sell a 10 per cent stake in the Pearl Petroleum venture in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region. — Bloomberg News

P E R F O R M A N C E

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Nissan Sentra attracts customers' attention

MUSCAT: After gaining rave reviews from auto enthusiasts, the 2016 Sentra comes in a new 1.6 and 1.8 SV CVT P26 from the house of Suhail Bahwan Au-tomobiles which is set to create another milestone.

The Sentra boasts of top of the range options that focus on class-above design standards inside and out. Loaded with full options, the Sentra 1.6 and 1.8 SV is an edge over competitors in its segment making it an enticing option for patrons, says a press release.

The presence of the Nissan Sentra vehicles on the road is aptly supported by Nissan Oman’s world-class service facilities and trained manpower. The Nissan Sentra off ers drivers the spacious-ness and comfort of cars usually found in the larger segment, as well as technology usually associ-ated with much more expensive cars. Apart from Nissan Sentra 1.6 and 1.8L engine options, the Sen-tra 1.6 SV has an engine capacity of 113hp, dimensions (LxWxH) – 4615 x 1760 x 1495mm and Xtronic CVT transmission.

Powering ahead The Sentra 1.8L engine is designed to excel. With its longer stroke and Twin CVTC (Continuously Varia-ble Valve Timing Control) System on intake and exhaust valves, it of-fers greater combustion effi ciency and maximum fuel economy. Sen-tra’s engine is very durable but lightweight, giving great perfor-mance and power without being a burden to the car.

The Sentra 1.6L engine takes a leap with its lead performance. Equipped with a Dual Injector System and Twin CVTC (Con-tinuously Variable Valve Timing Control), it provides a smoother ride with great control and re-sponsiveness, along with superior fuel economy – making it an ideal road companion for all types of driving conditions.

The Sentra 1.6L SV features rear window defroster with timer, it comes with power window (both front and rear), central lock, key-less entry, driver seat manual height adjuster, roof console sun-glass holder, map lamp, Manual A/C + Rear vent in CTR console, 1CD, AM/FM, MP3, Aux, 2-Speak-ers, Power steering speed sensitive with manual tilt and telescopic, tachometer, drive computer and outside temperature display.

The Sentra 1.6 and 1.8 SV fea-tures rear LED combination lamp, side turn lamp on fender, it comes with 16” alloy wheels, rear window glass antenna and Fr headlamp with LED accent lamp. The steer-ing features state of the art audio and drive computer, Intelligent key w/push engine starter, rear headrest, rear seat CTR armrest, armrest through, wood trims, 4 speakers, audio with USB/I-pod connectivity and bluetooth, navi-gation with 5.8” display and Nis-san Connect and rear view camera.

Best in-class fuel effi ciency From the Sentra’s 130-hp, 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder engine with advanced valve timing to its next-generation Xtronic CVT transmission, Sentra is a technical tour de force aimed at providing the best of both worlds – effi ciency and performance. The result - Best-in-class fuel econo-my that sets the standard – and if

you’re wondering how it handles on the road, one smile-inducing test drive is all you’ll need.

The Sentra 1.8 wears the Pure Drive badge, meaning it meets, or exceeds, Nissan’s global criteria for environment friendliness.

The Pure Drive initiative is just one aspect of Nissan’s commit-ment to developing more environ-mentally friendly transportation for all of us.

The biggest change in effi ciency doesn’t come from technology; it comes from how you drive. In the Sentra, that extra quick start won’t go unnoticed – an eco pedal indica-tor in the instrument cluster gives drivers instant feedback on how they are driving – helping them become a smarter, more effi cient driver. And on models equipped with manual transmission, an in-dicator light will help when to up-shift for maximum fuel effi ciency.

Moving with confi dence Sentra off ers a holistic approach to safety and security; agility com-bined with advanced technology can help the driver easily avoid a situation. And if an accident does occur, an advanced Airbag System combined with Zone Body con-struction, helps reduce injury.

Anti-lock Braking System (ABS): The standard ABS pumps the brakes faster than you possibly can in panic-braking situations,

to help prevent wheel lockup and allow you to maintain steering control around obstacles, while braking heavily.

Electronic Brakeforce Distri-bution (EBD): Designed to send extra force to the rear brakes when there’s additional weight in the back.

Immobiliser: Rest easy know-ing the Immobiliser system only allows ignition with a particular code key.

Zone Body Concept: World-class safety, thanks to a super strong chassis structure, reduces shock impact and protects pas-sengers. Brake Assist: If you need to slam on the brakes, Brake Assist detects how hard you’re braking, and if it senses you are in an emer-gency, it will automatically help to apply maximum braking force.

Suhail Bahwan Automobiles over the years have institution-alised robust systems and people processes to continuously monitor and measure customer satisfac-tion levels at point of sale and ve-hicle service. This is done through periodic surveys with customers, analysing key consideration fac-tors for improving customer sat-isfaction and implementing them. Good reliable customer service has helped SBA to build a loyal fol-lowing thus ensuring additional revenue streams and enhanced its reputation in Oman.

2016 Sentra comes

with higher standards

at a lower price

British envoy visits PetrofacMUSCAT: Jonathan Wilks, Brit-ain’s Ambassador to Oman, vis-ited Petrofac’s Muscat offi ce last week as part of his on-going ef-forts to support UK international trade and industry along with the economic prosperity of the Sul-tanate, says a press release.

Petrofac has hundreds of em-ployees engaged on projects across Oman. Taking time to speak with a number of Petrofac’s employees, Wilks commented: “I was delighted to meet so many young Omanis working for a top British company in a key sector for Oman.

"As the biggest foreign investor in Oman, Britain is committed to

Oman’s development for the long term. I leave Petrofac with a great sense of hope for the future.”

Ray Richardson, Country manager said: “Oman is an im-portant country for Petrofac in the Middle East and it was a great honour for us to host Jona-than Wilks last week.

“We had an opportunity to share with him the scope of Petrofac’s local and internation-al trade in supporting the local economy; currently representing hundreds of millions of dollars of In Country Value across our current project portfolio and in-volving a substantive number of Omani employees.”

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

Maiden cricket tournament a bonding experience for Al NabaMUSCAT: Cricket teams rep-resenting Al Naba Group’s 10,000-plus strong multina-tional workforce battled for top honours in an exciting in-house tournament that was held at the group’s Al Misfah Camp grounds last week.

Such was the success of the maiden hosting of the ‘gentle-man’s game’ that the group is now weighing plans to fi eld its own corporate cricket team to play professional cricket under the prestigious Al Naba brand, says a press release.

In all, eight teams represent-ing the various camps as well as the head offi ce that together make up Al Naba’s formidable footprint in the capital region, went head-to-head in back-to-back matches played over the weekend. While some teams selected names that refl ected their work sites others chose creative and inspiring titles for their groups of 11.

Playing good old fashioned cricket, but with each game trun-

cated to a maximum of seven overs per innings, the tournament saw the teams perform with high en-ergy and true sportsmanship that belied their passion to win.

For many on the fi eld, the tour-nament was a bonding experi-ence because it required them to work together and learn from one another. For others hailing from cricket crazy nations of Asia, playing the game served as a reminder of home.

Rajesh Gonsalves, head of the recreational committee and sen-ior manager of Human Resources,

commented: "We are heartened by the success of this fi rst-ever tournament. There were many ob-jectives behind the hosting of this event. Firstly, we wanted to en-courage our staff to adopt sports as a vehicle for an active and healthy lifestyle. Secondly, we knew it would provide an opportunity for our large and diverse workforce to connect with each other. After all, bonds formed during recreational and fun occasions can develop into strong working relationships, which in turn bode well for pro-ductivity and staff morale.”

C O R P O R A T E C R I C K E T

ITM overwhelms customers at MGM

MUSCAT: alizz Islamic bank witnessed a huge response from customers at its one of a kind In-teractive Teller Machine (ITM) in Muscat Grand Mall. The ITM was installed at the MGM on June 12, 2015.

The Interactive Teller Ma-chine performs services such as cardless cash withdrawal OMR10,000 in any denomination of customer’s choice, cash and cheque deposit, cheque encash-ment, and live interaction with a remote teller. Furthermore, the ITM allows local and interna-tional money transfers. The best part is that this service is avail-able even after bank working

hours even on weekends, says a press release.

Sadiq Al Lawati, head of eChannels at alizz Islamic bank, commented, “Over the last eight months many customers have used the ITM and have expressed satisfaction with the services of-fered. Being the fi rst bank in the Sultanate with an ITM, alizz Is-lamic bank has brought unparal-leled convenience to its deserving customers. Customers who have used this service have been able to carry out many other transac-tions that otherwise would only be possible by visiting the branch, like opening term deposit, pay-off credit card dues, etc."

A L I Z Z I S L A M I C B A N K

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Final trip of Pajero Adventure on Friday

MUSCAT: Calling all Pajero own-ers in the Sultanate, General Au-tomotive Company (GAC), offi cial distributors for Mitsubishi vehicles in Oman, have announced that fi nal trip of the 2016 edition of its ‘Team Pajero Desert Adventure’ will take place on Friday, February 19.

Beginning in November 2015,

the adventure comprised several two-day trips and saw over 1,125 participating in over 225 Mitsubi-shi Pajeros, cumulative over all the trips so far, driving into the vast sandy deserts that are so popular in the Sultanate.

Organised by GAC specifi cally for Pajero owners and enthusi-asts, each of these trips give Pajero owners a taste of a true desert ad-venture in the vehicle best suited to handle the challenge – the Mit-subishi Pajero, says a press release.

Commenting on the success of this event, Manoj Ranade, GM of General Automotive Company, said: “At General Automotive Company, it has been a constant

objective for us to organise events which capture the imagination of our customers as well as allowing them to experience the fantastic capabilities of our vehicles.

“The Pajero has been a con-stant favourite in the region and in this year’s edition of ‘Team Pajero’ we’re really pleased with the positive feedback from our guests so far!”

He also added: “Our annual ‘Team Pajero Desert Adventure’ events have witnessed a growing number of Pajero owners with each passing year.

“Last year, by popular demand, we doubled the number of trips from three to six, and this year we

off ered six trips right from the be-ginning in order to off er our cus-tomers a higher chance of securing a space on one of the trips. As with each of the trips we have hosted so far this year, I am confi dent that each of the participants of this fi -nal trip will return overwhelmed and awaiting the next season.”

As with all the trips so far, Pa-jero owners will have the chance to drive over the dunes and fi nd out just how capable the powerful SUV is at tackling the most de-manding desert terrain and condi-tions. The fun-packed family event will also include dinner and enter-tainment from a traditional Omani band, setting the mood of the camp as the sun set over the dunes.

As an additional bonus, GAC is holding a special contest for the duration of the Team Pajero De-sert Adventure. Participants are encouraged to share photographs or videos taken during the event along with #MitsubishiOman on the Mitsubishi Oman Face-book page (www.facebook.com/mitsubishi-oman). The two best photographers or videographers will each receive a brand new iPad shortly after the fi nal trip concludes this weekend.

Organised by GAC

specifi cally for

Pajero owners and

enthusiasts, the trips

give them a taste

of the true desert

adventure in the

vehicle best suited to

handle the challenge –

the Mitsubishi Pajero

Kalabhavan set to celebrate its annual day on February 19MUSCAT: Kalabhavan School of Music & Arts, the franchisee of Kochin Kalabhavan, will be celebrating its 10th Annual Day on Friday, February 19 at Ramee Dream Resort Hotel, Seeb.

The programme was earlier scheduled to be held on Janu-ary 29 but due to some unavoid-able reasons, it was postponed to February 19. A large number of students and teachers of Kalab-havan will be participating in this mega event which would start at 5.30pm, says a press release.

Indra Mani Pandey, Indian Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, will be the chief guest who will inaugurate the function. Vet-eran mini screen artist K. S. Pras-ad, one of the board members of Kochin Kalabhavan, will also attend the function as a special guest along with a team of mim-icry artists from Kochin Kalab-havan. Prasad is well known for his comedy shows and had di-rected many stage shows in and outside India. He completed 40 years in the industry.

Kalabhavan has always been in the forefront of providing quality training to students – be it dance,

music or any other performing arts. Currently, it provides train-ing in Indian classical dance, Cin-ematic dance, Carnatic music, tabala, mridangam, drums, congo, guitar, keyboard, violin, drawing and karate. Karate training is done in association with India’s Ko-In-Chi Academy of Martial Marts.

For the last several weeks, the students and teachers have been tirelessly rehearsing for the annual day programme which includes fusion dance and musical instruments.

The event sponsor is Al Jadeed Exchange and other main sponsors are Muscat Pharmacy and Doka.

S C H O O L O F M U S I C & A R T S

Customers can now invest easily for future with alizzMUSCAT: Catering to custom-ers’ needs and requirements alizz Islamic bank continues to pro-vide Sharia compliant products and services.

Customers can now invest easily with the ‘Term Investment Depos-it’ account which is a product that always puts customers’ well-being foremost. Based on customers fi -nancial objectives, the bank helps them grow their money through fl exible, short /long term, Sharia compliant investments. This in-

vestment account helps customers earn the expected profi ts based on the principle of ‘Unrestricted Mu-daraba’, says a press release.

About term investment deposit Moosa Al Jadidi, DGM and head of Retail at alizz Islamic bank, said: “We are always attentive to what the customer wants and for this purpose, we have provided ‘Term Investment Deposit’ account. The features and benefi ts in this prod-uct are profi t payment on a quar-terly basis, fl exible tenure (tenure

of 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 months or more) and this is available in multiple curren-cies. The minimum amount for de-posit is OMR400 and the custom-ers have an option to automatically renew the principal amount.

According to the Sharia princi-ple of ‘Unrestricted Mudaraba’ the customer will provide the capital to be invested for a fi xed period and the bank will act as a Mudarib ‘entrepreneur’ using its expertise. The bank pools all customer funds along with its own capital and in-

vests it in Sharia compliant invest-ments for a specifi ed investment term and expected profi t rate. The resulting profi t is then shared be-tween the bank and customers according to predetermined mutu-ally agreed ratios.

alizz Islamic bank prides itself in using transparent processes and providing innovative products and solutions that are inspired by Islamic Sharia and cater to the diverse needs of both commercial and corporate customers.

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

SIS conducts Educational ConferenceSALALAH: Salalah International School (SIS) conducted its Annual Educational Conference 2016: Retrospection Into Pedagogy, in the school campus.

The conference was intended to launch an initiative to meet the ba-sic learning needs of the children. It was an excellent opportunity for the educators to discuss fresh insights, make new connections and discover the latest ideas, says a press release.

The SIS Academic Council headed by the Principal, Rad-hakrishnan, established an Execu-tive Committee, represented by nine faculty members to prepare and organise the conference.

Haefa Mohammed Alawi Al Dha-hab, Regional Supervisor, English, MoE, inaugurated the conference and affi rmed the aptness of the proposed theme of the conference. She demonstrated that teaching practices need to be modifi ed and managed according to the need of the leaner and not vice versa.

She further conceded that an in-trospection into education was in-dispensably essential, as not mere-ly imparting information to the child, instead being the process, of directing them to it, such that they may be better able to discover with accuracy, the peculiar bent of the genius within themselves.

In order to mobilise the theme, Retrospection Into Pedagogy in-tensely, the conference was classi-fi ed into plenary and departmental sessions in Arabic and English

respectively. All the sessions were integrated and focused with a plethora of presentations, panel discussions, videos, workshops and hands-on activities making it interactive and intuitive.

Plenary sessions were led by guest speakers and keynote speak-ers. In the English section, Rad-hakrishnan addressed the del-egates on the topic ‘The Vision and Mission of SIS’ stating that their greatest natural resource is the minds of their children and there-fore the principal goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done.

Cyril Samuel, the guest speaker, chief executive offi cer and prin-cipal consultant-HR, Al Mustaqil Management Consultancy, spoke on ‘Teachers’ Professional Man-agement’; George Kennedy, Inter-

national teacher trainer and Cam-bridge coordinator, SIS conducted a workshop on ‘Know Thyself ’ and ‘Control Vs Management’. Siby Philip, supervisor and mentor, SIS spoke on ‘Teamwork’ and Leyla, Administrative coordinator, SIS spoke on ‘The importance of col-laboration between staff , students and parents’.

The English sessions provided an arena for discussion on diff er-ent topics of academic concern initiated by faculty members.

The Arabic sessions were thought provoking and inter-active with presentations and panel discussions on vital aca-demic concerns.

Abdel Rahim Mistakov, the Re-gional Supervisor, Arabic, from the MoE addressed the delegates.

All the guest speakers were fe-licitated with mementos for their presence and contribution in the conference.

F O C U S O N T E A C H I N G

Last of current Land Rover Defenders is built in SolihullMUSCAT: Land Rover celebrat-ed 68 years of history as the last of the current Defenders was produced at its famous Solihull production facility.

To mark the occasion Land Rover invited more than 700 cur-rent and former Solihull employ-ees involved in the production of Series Land Rover and Defender vehicles to see and drive some of the most important vehicles from its history, including the fi rst pre-production ‘Huey’ Series I as well as the last vehicle off the produc-tion line, a Defender 90 Heritage Soft Top, says a press release.

At the same time, Land Rover announced a new Heritage Res-toration Programme, which will be based on the site of the existing Solihull production line.

A team of experts, including some long serving Defender em-ployees, will oversee the restora-tion of a number of Series Land Rovers sourced from across the globe. The fi rst vehicles will go on sale in July 2016.

Dr Ralf Speth, CEO of Jag-uar Land Rover, said: “We cel-ebrate what generations of men and women have done since the outline for the Land Rover was originally drawn in the sand. The Series Land Rover, now Defender, is the origin of our legendary ca-pability, a vehicle that makes the

world a better place, often in some of the most extreme circumstanc-es. There will always be a special place in our hearts for Defender, among all our employees, but this is not the end. We have a glorious past to champion, and a wonder-ful future to look forward to.”

Nick Rogers, Group Engineer-ing director at Jaguar Land Rov-er, added: “This is a special day of fond celebration for Jaguar Land Rover. We all have personal memories of Defender. It’s a true motoring icon and is much loved around the world. The world has changed dramatically in the last 68 years, but this vehicle has re-mained a constant – something no other vehicle can claim.

“The last of the current De-fender models embraces the ve-hicle’s simplicity, honesty and charm – it represents its Series

Land Rover heritage. Creating the Defender of tomorrow, a dream for any engineer or designer, is the next exciting chapter and we are looking forward to taking on that challenge.”

The Defender celebration in Solihull saw more than 25 unique vehicles from Land Rover’s his-tory come together in a proces-sion around the Solihull plant, featuring the fi nal current De-fender vehicle off the line.

Land Rover associates were joined by a number of previ-ous employees from the past 68 years to help celebrate this his-toric day. The last of the current Defender vehicles includes an original part that has been used on Soft Top specifi cations since 1948 – the hood cleat. The vehi-cle will be housed in the Jaguar Land Rover Collection.

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Bahwan Healthcare bags Best Distributor award

MUSCAT: Bahwan Healthcare Centre (BHC), one of the fl agship companies of the Suhail Bahwan Group, has been adjudged as the Best Distributor by one of its lead-ing principals, Agfa HealthCare for achieving the highest growth in the entire Gulf Cooperation Coun-cil countries during the year 2015.

Bahwan Healthcare has won this recognition for achieving over 400 per cent growth over 2014 in medical imaging and IT segments, says a press release.

In a gala award ceremony dur-

ing the Middle East AGFA dis-tributors meeting held recently in Dubai, Abdullah Nasrallah from Bahwan Healthcare Centre re-ceived the award from Jan Leeu-ws, managing director at Middle East, Agfa Healthcare.

Authorised distributorBHC is the authorised distributor for Agfa HealthCare medical im-aging equipment (Diagnostic and enterprise imaging) in Oman for over seven years and has installed several systems in many hospitals across Oman with Computed Ra-

diography (CR) Digitisers, Digital Hardcopy Printers, Direct Digital (DR) X-ray System and PACS sys-tem. Some of the key installations include; PACS (Picture Archival and Communication Systems) at Armed Force Hospital Muscat, Armed Forces Hospital Salalah and First Ceiling Suspended Digi-tal X-ray System at Khoula Hospi-tal and several other places.

Agfa HealthCare is a leading pro-vider of state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging, integrated IT solutions and contrast media solutions for hospitals and other healthcare cen-

tres across the world and has over a century of experience in this fi eld.

BHC has been providing com-prehensive healthcare solutions across the length and breadth of the Sultanate of Oman since 1979. BHC represents more than 60 globally reputed manufactur-ers encompassing a wide range of products in the fi elds of pharma-ceuticals, surgical instruments and consumables, medical equip-ment, dental equipment and con-sumables, lab equipment and con-sumables, hospital furniture and healthcare IT.

Bahwan Healthcare

has won this

recognition from

Agfa HealthCare for

achieving over 400

per cent growth over

2014 in medical

imaging and IT

segments

Kims Oman provides

specialised services at its

orthopaedics department

MUSCAT: The orthopaedics de-partment at Kims Oman Hospital is fortunate to include state-of-the-art facilities as well as dedi-cated medical staff who are high-ly experienced in their areas of expertise, all combined together to provide remarkable advance-ment in patient’s care.

Led by Dr Nithin Patel, Ortho-paedic surgeon, KOH’s expert medical staff is highly experi-enced in various orthopaedic specialities in addition to ar-throscopy knee such as Meniscal tears, total Knee joint replace-ment Arthroplasty, ACL recon-struction Synovectomy and Loose bodies removal.

Moreover, KOH orthopaedic surgeons are highly skilled in to-

tal hip replacement, and deform-ity correction including elbow, knee, ankle, and foot, as well as all types of fractures. Additionally, Epidural injection for pain due to disc prolapse is available.

“At Kims Oman Hospital, sur-geons perform minimally inva-sive fracture fi xation in children and adults, which is safer and more accurate comparing to other methods. This technique is considered as an innovation in the quality of treatment as well as the recovery speed,” said Dr Nithin.

“We are also specialised in sports injuries, spinal stabilisa-tion for fractures and degenera-tive spine while using advanced procedures and skills,” he added.

H E A L T H C A R E

‘Fungineered’: 2016 Toyota RAV4MUSCAT: The Toyota RAV4 is a global model that is sold in more than 150 countries and regions.

Toyota engineers have added more fun to the 4WD by “fungi-neering” the current generation RAV4. They did so by enhancing the design, the emotional appeal-ing and appointments. The exte-rior was recreated to make it even more dynamic and agile-looking, says a press release.

Equipped with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with Dual VVT-i technology, the RAV4 runs on 177 horsepower. It is equipped with Bi-beam LED headlamps with attractive daytime running lights, aero stabilising fi ns, aero-dynamic roof rails, fl oor mount-ed spare wheels, moon-roof and rear parking sensors (4 pc).

Hi-tech featuresThe RAV4’s interior has a pre-mium, urban look with soft-touch accents and driver-centric con-trols. The hi-tech features include 7” navigation system,with display audio, Touchscreen, AM/FM/CD, Bluetooth connectivity, USB and AUX mini-jack, and six speakers.

A host of interior features like smart entry and start system, rear view camera with back guide monitor, sporty leather seat mate-rial, power driver seat with tilt and slide function, automatic climate control add to the overall interior appeal as well as the functionality.

The RAV4 builds on the very highest standards of occupant safety and pedestrian impact pro-tection evolved over three genera-tions of the compact Toyota SUV.

Safety featuresThe RAV4 has class-leading six

airbags and is packed with a host of safety features like Traction Con-trol (TRC), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Brake Assist (BA), an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Downhill Assist Control, Hill- start Assist Control and Front/Rear Sensors

Visit the nearest Toyota show-room to take a closer look at the thrilling 2016 RAV4.

All specifi cations listed above are standard Toyota equipment.

Safety kit (fi re extinguisher, warn-ing triangle, tyre pressure gauge and fi rst aid kit) is a dealer in-stalled non-Toyota item provided on applicable Toyota model grades as standard equipment.

Vehicle specifi cations may change without prior notice. Pic-tures and colours shown may dif-fer from actual specifi cations of the vehicles. For further details and stock availability, please visit the nearest Toyota showroom.

Well-known brandIn Oman, the nationwide parts and service network of Saud Bahwan Automotive supports Toyota’s outstanding product quality. No wonder then that today, Toyota is one of the most trusted and well-known brands.

G L O B A L M O D E L

Haya Water participates in Muscat Festival

MUSCAT: Oman Wastewater Services Company (Haya Water) conducts many activities and ex-erts huge eff orts in order to raise the level of environmental and health awareness among citizens and residents and provide services to its customers in the Sultanate.

Haya Water, in continuation to these eff orts, has successfully sponsored and participated in Muscat Festival 2016 through its mobile educational unit in Al Am-erat Park. Haya Water repeated its sponsorship of this annual event that contributes to promoting tourism, heritage and culture of the Sultanate, says a press release.

On this occasion, Eng. Hus-sain bin Hassan AbdulHussain, CEO of Haya Water, said: “Over the past years, the company has sponsored Muscat Festival and contributed to the success of this cultural heritage and social event along with Muscat Municipality and other authorities. Haya Wa-ter is one of the leading compa-nies in the Sultanate that always supports and sponsors various activities and events which con-tribute to the development of the Omani society.”

Hussain continued: “The par-ticipation of Haya Water in Mus-cat Festival is part of its social responsibility. Haya Water edu-cates people and conducts aware-ness campaigns about its services and strategic projects.”

He also stated: “The objective of this participation is to educate the visitors of the festival about the company’s role and its cur-rent and future projects and services. In addition, the mobile educational unit conducts many awareness activities for visitors from diff erent ages.”

Eng. Sulaiman bin Muslim Al Rawahi, GM of Corporate Aff airs, said: “Haya Water, through its participation in the festival, has comprehensively elaborated to the public about its products and services. The visitors of the fes-tival, by visiting the mobile unit, enjoyed a detailed explanation about the importance of waste-water treatment. The explana-tion was carried out using various means such as visuals, special publications and other awareness materials that commensurate with various stratum of society that visit the festival. Haya Water

team also responded to all visi-tors’ inquiries related to current projects and the techniques that Haya Water uses in wastewater treatment as well as responding to visitors’ questions about the diff erent products off ered by the company to local markets such as the organic compost ‘Kala’ and treated wastewater that is used for agriculture.

Mohammed Al Alawi, one to the visitors of the mobile unit in Amerat said: “I have been in-troduced to the most important products that are off ered by Haya Water especially ‘Kala’. I also got acquainted with the importance of treated wastewater and its us-age for diff erent purposes.”

Said Al Salmi, another visitor, said: “My visit to the educational mobile unit was a great opportu-nity to get familiarised with Haya Water projects and how to man-age diff erent excavations.”

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The Yellow Chilli opens outlet in Panorama Mall

MUSCAT: The Yellow Chilli, a chain of casual dining restau-rants known for its uniqueness, spearheaded by Master Chef San-jeev Kapoor in association with Mazaya Oman, was inaugurated by Indra Mani Pandey, Indian ambas-sador to the Sultanate, at the Pano-rama Mall, Muscat.

The restaurant off ers spacious indoor seating for 75 people with an additional exquisite private dining area much apt to host your private and corporate dines, says a press release.

A good meal unifi es presentation, fragrance, fl avour and texture – In-dian food has come of age when it off ers all of this and much more. A culmination of all these factors can be found at The Yellow Chilli.

The executive chef at the res-taurant, Manoj Radi, trained un-der Chef Kapoor in India manages both the restaurants in Muscat.

“We are very excited to have The Yellow Chilli as part of building and growing our food and beverage presence in Muscat. The success of our fi rst outlet at Almouj and the extensive experience garnered in the professional services and in the food service industry has been critical to building and maintain-ing our success with The Yellow Chilli restaurant and our guests,”

stated Tirthankar Basu, Business Head, Mazaya Oman, the par-ent company that introduced the brand last year in Oman.

“Being nominated and then voted as the fi nalist of the Oman Restaurant Review Awards in the Newcomer restaurant category, not only are we well-positioned to take advantage of the current con-sumer trends, but we may actually be responsible for the increased emphasis on the Indian dining ex-perience in Oman,” Basu added.

Panorama Mall outlet is yet an-other eff ort to bring The Yellow Chilli closer and within the Mus-cat city limits. Amongst GCC it al-ready has presence in Dubai, Doha, Bahrain and Amman.

Most people assume that the name is an indication of the spice quotient served in the restaurant; but that is a misnomer. Yellow Chilli is one of the spices that im-parts a unique fl avour to a dish and Indian food is all about layering fl a-vours and textures. Indian cooking is a celebration of a blend of spices and herbs, the cooking techniques and the pride with which the food is served and that is what the out-let wants to bring to the fore.

In a televised recording during the The Yellow Chilli, Panorama

launch, Chef Kapoor stated: “I am so happy that this new outlet at the Panorama Mall is guaranteed to create the same kind of wave that the fi rst one did. It is Indian food that gives us comfort, it is Indian food that you love, it is Indian food we prepare with a lot of tender love and care. Mazaya group, the whole group and the great team of the group has created with a lot of hard work the success that Almouj has seen. I am sure this outlet too will see similar success.”

Signature dishesMany of Master Chef Sanjeev Ka-poor’s signature dishes are being savoured at The Yellow Chilli res-taurant operational since August 2015 at Almouj Muscat (previous-ly The Wave Muscat) such as Peru Peyala (guava juice, lemon juice with a hint of mint and rimmed with red chillies), Lalla Mussa Dal (black lentil believed to have originated at the Lalla Mussa sta-tion in the North Western Frontier Province), Tandoori Basil Prawns and Shaam Savera (spinach koftas fi lled with creamed cottage cheese, served in a tomato butter gravy) which was one of the fi rst dishes created by Chef Kapoor on his TV show that went on to be-

come extremely popular.The offi cial opening of the fi rst

outlet at Almouj was attended by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor himself, a popular name in Indian house-hold, he is the most celebrated face of Indian cuisine today and one of the top fi ve celebrity chefs in the world alongside Henston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver and Wolfgang Puck, who currently operates 50 restau-rants outside India.

Other than being a chef and an entrepreneur, Chef Kapoor is a TV host who has Asia’s longest run-ning TV show Khana Khazana to his credit, author of best selling cookbooks and has India’s fi rst 24-hour cooking channel Food-Food. The success has brought him many awards and worldwide rec-ognition. He is also on the board of Singapore Airlines International Culinary Panel. One of the lesser known facts about Chef Kapoor is that he is a percussionist.

He believes every part of India has its own unique cuisine that is vast and extensive. Not only does he dream of introducing cuisines from diff erent parts of India to the people of India but he wants to make Indian cuisine the most popular in the world.

The restaurant off ers

spacious indoor

seating for 75 people

with an additional

exquisite private

dining area much apt

to host your private

and corporate dines INAUGURATION: The Yellow Chilli, a chain of casual dining restaurant known for its uniqueness,

spearheaded by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor in association with Mazaya Oman, was inaugurated by

Indra Mani Pandey, Indian ambassador to the Sultanate. – Shabin E./ TIMES OF OMAN

Sohar Islamic takes part in Arab Industries ExhibitionMUSCAT: As part of its commit-ment towards supporting the de-velopment of the local economy and supporting the Sultanate’s vision of economic diversifi ca-tion, Sohar Islamic - Bank So-har’s Islamic Banking Window, recently participated in the Arab Industries Exhibition which was organised by East Coast for Or-ganising Exhibitions and offi cial-ly inaugurated under the auspic-es of His Highness Mohammed bin Thuwaini Al Said.

The exhibition took place from recently coinciding with the Omani Industry Day which is cel-ebrated on February 9 every year, says a press release.

The venue created the perfect opportunity for companies in Oman to promote their business-es, network with like-minded individuals, and showcase their products; all of which aids in the development and prosperity of the national industrial sector.

Representing Sohar Islamic at the opening ceremony was Salim Khamis Saif Al Maskry, DGM and head of Sohar Islamic. The open-ing ceremony was followed by a tour of the exhibition and con-cluded with a special honouring ceremony for the chief guest.

Commenting on the bank’s support of the event, Salim Khamis Saif Al Maskry, said, “Economic diversifi cation is key towards maintaining a stable and prosperous economy and is at the core of all economic eff orts and initiatives of the government.

We at Sohar Islamic share the same vision and are glad to be in a position to support such vital events that greatly help existing businesses whilst fostering a new generation of young entrepre-neurs; equipping both with the knowledge and business culture necessary to take advantage of the wealth of opportunities avail-able in the region.”

The exhibition, which was open to the public for the duration of the three days, saw the partici-pation of over 120 local entrepre-neurs and companies operating in the private and public sectors. It also played host to governmen-tal institutions interested in industry, economy, and invest-ment in the country. The closing ceremony included the honour-ing of the participating compa-nies, including Sohar Islamic.

“The event was an unequivo-cal success, eff ectively showcas-ing the innumerable opportuni-ties available to entrepreneurs and SMEs in the country. It was also an eff ective showcase of the competencies and capabilities of those already in operation. At Sohar Islamic, we have specially designed value-added products that off er budding entrepreneurs with all the Sharia-compliant fi -nancial support they require in order to start of their new busi-nesses or expand existing ones; thereby enabling them to eff ec-tively make their contribution to the country’s economic diversifi -cation eff orts,” added Al Maskry.

S U P P O R T

Arab Fashion Week event to promote emerging designersDUBAI: The Arab Fashion Coun-cil (AFC) announced that the sec-ond edition of Arab Fashion Week will be held from March 16 to 19.

This four-day event targeting the region’s fashion profession-als will be held in the opulent gardens of St. Regis Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai. This unique, contemporary venue in the heart of Dubai will feature an iconic structure that will be specially fl own in from Milan, this will be the show’s outstanding setting and will provide a truly memo-rable and dream-like experience, says a press release.

The conference panel com-prised key members of the Arab Fashion Council: Jacob Abrian, CEO; Dr Raff aella Carnevale, chief PR offi cer and Ilham Abbas, chief strategy offi cer.

Arab Fashion Week operates as a prestigious platform that aims to introduce and promote emerging designers into the local and foreign markets. The fash-ion week will feature FW16-17 Ready-Couture collections of ex-clusive designers such as Hamda Al Fahim, Lamya Abedin, OT Kutyr - Turk Jadallah, Sylvio Ko-vacic, Tiiya Al Anoud in addition to the participation of several in-ternational designers.

The second edition will be set-ting the bar even higher as the Arab Fashion Council engages

and promotes synergies with the most renowned experts in the fashion industry.

One of the infl uential individu-als that Arab Fashion Council are collaborating with this season is Sorelle Marabini, who has dec-ades of experience in coordinat-ing fashion shows for the elite of the fashion world.

Keeping up with Arab Fash-ion Council’s future vision and the UAE’s sustainable energy programmes, AFC is proud to obtain from the designers the commitment to rely primarily on eco-sustainable resources to manufacture their collections, leaving totally untouched the class and the level of refi nement of each garment.

Another ground breaking step taken for this edition is the launch of a collective Kidswear show fea-turing many renowned Italian brands. AFC aims at redesigning the retail structure in order to better understand the market’s expectations and thus providing support for the buyers in the re-gion. The independent show will take place on March 16 at 4pm at The Dubai Mall.

Speaking on this occasion, Cav-aliere Mario Boselli, the president of both the Arab Fashion Council and the National Chamber of Ital-ian Fashion (Camera Nazionale Della ModaItaliana) said: “The

Arab Fashion Council is proud to have started achieving some of its milestones. A main part of the council’s vision for 2021 is to defi ne the shape of the fashion industry in the Arab region and to strongly accentuate the pres-ence of Arab Fashion on the inter-national map to join the existing global fashion infrastructure.”

The Arab Fashion Week will conclude with an awards gala dinner where AFC will host the participating designers, models, VIPS, international media and members of the fashion commu-nity. For the very fi rst time, the Arab Fashion Council will re-ward the fashion industry from New York to Dubai through es-tablishing the ‘The Fashion Tro-phy’’. During the ceremony, 10 21-carat gold plated trophies will be awarded to the most talented designers. This gala dinner will be a charity event, combining the glamour with more urgent causes for less-fortunate individuals.

“The fashion industry in Italy alone for instance generates 74 billion euros. Consumers’ needs are constantly shifting towards the conception of new style, rep-resented by the Ready-Couture, which is a functional compro-mise between a sellable prod-uct and high-end fashion,” says Jacob Abrian, CEO of the Arab Fashion Council.

P R E S T I G I O U S P L A T F O R M

Total Confi dence Package off ers host of benefi ts on GMC AcadiaMUSCAT: The all-rounder Acadia has initiated an unprecedented support package for its discerning customers.

The Total Confi dence Package does not only communicate the conviction of the brand on its line-up but also adds to customers’ as-surance that they will get nothing less than an enhanced ownership experience, says a press release.

The package intends to spoil the customers by off ering a host of complimentary benefi ts such as free 60,000km service, compli-mentary registration for the fi rst year and fi ve years extended war-ranty along with incredible pric-ing. The starting price of a 2WD is OMR12,995 while that of a SLE All-Wheel Drive is OMR14,245.

“The GMC Acadia continues to be a coveted vehicle for those wanting to own an SUV due to its varied attributes, primarily the high level of luxury and comfort for an eight-seater, performance and of course the looks,” stated Viren-dra Agarwal, CEO Moosa Abdul Rahman Hassan & Co, exclusive distributors of the GMC brand in the Sultanate.

The model stands out for its fl exibility, spaciousness and func-tionality within a confi dent design package that illustrates the brand’s ‘Commands Respect’ philosophy. The Acadia Denali builds on those

attributes with higher levels of luxury and style.

Available in eight-passenger confi guration and a diverse range of colours, Acadia’s line-up in-cludes the SLE and SLT that comes with a 281hp and the Denali model with a 288hp. All models come equipped with a 3.6L V-6 en-gine and a six-speed transmission powertrain that includes perfor-mance and fuel economy optimis-ing technology.

The Acadia’s interior function-ality has become a family staple, including the Smart Slide seating system, which allows easy access to the third row for both seven- and eight-passenger seating confi gura-tions. Additionally, the second and third row still fold fl at for class-leading maximum cargo space.

The spacious interior of the

GMC Acadia is complemented with the user friendly and feature rich IntelliLink infotainment sys-tem. IntelliLink uses Bluetooth or USB to connect the driver smart-phone to Acadia’s high-resolution, full-colour touch screen display. IntelliLink allows smartphone control via voice activation and steering wheel-mounted controls, and streaming stereo audio from the phone. Most importantly, IntelliLink enables seamless in-tegration of stowed portable de-vices with Acadia’s infotainment system, allowing minimum driver distractions.

Moosa Abdul Rahman Hassan & Co is the exclusive distributor of GMC vehicles in the Sultanate of Oman with branches and a service network that coves all major loca-tions across Oman.

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World’s best riders all set for ‘more exciting’ Tour of Oman

A. SESHAGIRI RAOraoas@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: It is that time of the year when the top cyclists and the accompanying media from around the world descend on the Sultan-ate for the Tour of Oman, the an-nual sporting extravaganza that attracts the attention of the world media, leading to promotion of the country as an ideal sporting and tourism destination.

It will be no diff erent this year too. In fact, if the organisers are to be believed the seventh edition of the six-stage Tour which will be fl agged off at Oman International Exhibition Centre on Tuesday will be more exciting and will have more media coverage than the pre-vious editions.

“The 2016 Tour of Oman will defi nitely be more exciting than last year,” Eddy Merckx, one of the organisers of the Muscat Munici-pality-organised Tour, said.

The Belgian legend, who boasts of fi ve Tour de France titles, ad-dressing the media at Hormuz

Grand on Monday said: “Obvious-ly there will be a few changes to the stages which will make it more interesting.”

“All six stages are unique and they are interesting because there is something for every kind of rid-er, from fl at stretches to winding roads to mountain climbs,” he said.

“As we all know the Jebel Akh-dhar stage is very special. But it will be more interesting this time around with the climb extended by more than one more kilometre,” he said.

Impressive fi eld“What is more interesting is the quality of the riders the Tour of Oman has attracted this year,” Merckx added.

“We are going to see in action a very good bunch of young riders who will be part of an impressive fi eld of riders comprising 18 teams.

“There will be fi ve national

champions from countries like Austria, Germany, Luxemburg, France and Belgium, all whom will be vying for top honours,” he said.

The fi eld includes renowned rid-ers from Classic and Grand Tours as well as well-known spinters. But to mention just a few, the major at-tractions are Vincenzo Nibali and his Astana teammate Andrea Guar-dini, Richie Porte of BMC, Tom Du-moulin of Giant-Alpecin and Dan Martin of Etixx-QuickStep.

Asked whether all the riders, es-pecially those who took part in the last year’s Tour, were interested in participating in this year’s edition, he said: “Yes. Without doubt.”

When his attention was drawn to the fi fth stage of the 2015 Tour, when the riders refused to contin-ue the Bausher to Al Amerat climb due to extreme weather conditions which ultimately led to the organ-isers cancelling the stage, Merckx

said: “It was a mistake to start at the foot of the hill in those condi-tions. But I don’t see any such prob-lems this time around, especially with the temperatures expected to be around 28 degree Celsius.

“But if you ask me if all the rid-ers from the last edition will be here this time, I should say it is their choice. But we also have to respect their choice. With Tour de France (July 2-24) and Rio Olym-pic Games (August 5-21) coming in quick succession, some of them may prefer to skip some events,” he added.

Asked how he rates Tour of Oman compared to the other top races of the world, Merckx said: “Obviously we cannot compare Tour of Oman with the Tour de France or Tour of Italy. But if we talk about other competitions, Tour of Oman will be right up there with the others.”

The stagesSalim bin Mubarak Al Hassani, Muscat Municipality’s Commit-tee Member for Sports Events and Tour of Oman, briefed the media about the stages of this year’s race which will see the riders covering a total of distance of 911 kms during six days of action.

Tuesday’s fi rst stage, scheduled to start Oman International Exhi-bition Centre and conclude at Al Bustan, will be of 145.5 kms.

The 162-km second stage will take place on Wednesday starting at Omantel Head Offi ce and con-cluding in Quriyat. On Thursday, the riders will cover a distance of 176.5km in third stage from Al Sawadi beach to Naseem Park.

Friday’s much-looked forward to fourth stage will be of 177kms from Knowledge Oasis Muscat to Jebel Al Akhdar. On Saturday, the peloton will cover 119.5 kms from

Yetti near Al Sifah to Ministry of Toursim. The sixth and fi nal stage on Sunday will start at The Wave, Muscat and will see the riders cov-ering a distance of 130.5kms upto Muttrach Corniche.

Wide coverageThe organisers, meanwhile, re-vealed that the Tour of Oman will have more media coverage than the previous editions as more and more media organisations have shown in-terest in the event . The organisers are expecting about 189 TV chan-nels to broadcast the event while there will be 26 minute daily high-lights and 10 minute news capsules.

“There is also tremendous inter-est shown by new media, like new websites and social media outlets. That means there will be more ex-posure for not just Tour of Oman cycling event but Oman as a na-tion,” the organisers said.

If the organisers are

to be believed the

seventh edition of the

six-stage Tour, which

will be fl agged off at

Oman International

Exhibition Centre on

Tuesday, will be more

exciting and will

have more media

coverage than the

previous editions

Sports Reporter

MUSCAT: Doubts remain over Tour of Oman future but chief organiser Eddy Merckx is optimistic of a contract extension with the Muscat Municipality to organise the annual cycling race for a fur-ther period of three years.

Belgian legend Merckx, who conducts the race in as-sociation with Amaury Sport Organisation, said he is hope-ful of Tour of Oman continu-ing for another three years and beyond. Asked whether the signs are positive, he said with a smile: “You have to check with the Muscat Mu-nicipality and Oman.”

On a serious note, Merckx

added: “I am, of course, posi-tive. So are the Ministry of Tourism.

“They are happy with the mileage the country is getting through the Tour of Oman.”

He, however, insisted the fi nal decision rests with the Muscat Municipality and local government.

Final decisionMeanwhile, Salim bin Mubarak Al Hassani, Com-mittee Member for Sport Events and Tour of Oman, said: “It all depends on the success of 2016 edition. The government will take a deci-sion after the race.”

“There will be an announce-ment after this race,” he added.

Merckx sounds positive on Tour of Oman future

OPTIMISTIC: Belgian cycling legend Eddy Merckx, right, and Salim bin Mubarak Al Hassani, Muscat

Municipality’s Committee Member for Sports Events and Tour of Oman, pose for a photo at Hormuz

Grand Hotel on Monday. – JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

Great start to 2016 EFG SATT MUSCAT: The 2016 edition of EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour (SATT) was given an illustrious opening on Monday, kick starting two weeks of world class racing around the stunning Gulf region.

Mirza Hussain Al Sayegh, Direc-tor of the offi ce of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, was the guest of honour at a special ceremony at Dubai Ma-rina marking the beginning of the race. He was treated to a tour of the 30ft Farr 30 yachts that the nine international crews will race more than 700 miles around the testing Arabian course. He then presented the teams - representing Oman, Ku-wait, Germany, Great Britain, Mo-naco, the Netherlands and Switzer-land - with fl ags for them to fl y from their boats as racing commences.

The Dubai in-port race series is the fi rst of three that will take place during this year’s sixth edition — allowing teams to prove their skill against their rivals around a short course. As well as in Dubai, in-port races will be held in Abu Dhabi and Doha. Five off shore legs will then test their mettle on longer stages, some of which could take more than 48 hours.

All eyes will be on reigning champion Sidney Gavignet and his EFG Bank Monaco team as the crews do battle today for the fi rst time. The three-time winners took the top spot in the offi cial practice race yesterday but today is when the results count as the teams go head to head in the waters off Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah.

Omani skipper Fahad Al Hasni and his Renaissance Services crew trained under the mentorship of Gavignet before forming their own team for this year’s race.

Al Hasni, who with Gavignet set a world record for the quickest lap of Ireland by boat on last year, said his new team were focused on perform-

ing to their best. He has bolstered his all-Omani crew with a host of talented sailors including fellow Round Ireland record holder Sami Al Shukaily and Extreme Sailing Series stalwart Nasser Al Mashari.

Al Hasni said: “Today we have the fi rst in-port race and my team can’t wait to get out there onto the racecourse. The winds are forecast to be light and we are expecting conditions to be very tricky. We will have to work on sailing the best race that we can. Whatever happens today we will still have a long way to go to the fi nish of EFG Sailing Arabia — The Tour but we are going out there today to do our absolute best.”

This year also sees the return of Dee Caff ari after a three-year ab-sence to lead the all-woman Oman Airports-Al Thuraya Women’s Team. Caff ari, the fi rst woman to sail round the world solo both with and against prevailing winds, and most recently a member of Team SCA in the Volvo Ocean Race, said prior to leaving for the race-

course: “There is defi nitely adren-alin fl owing as you walk down the dock – from here on in everything counts towards the fi nal result. “It was great to have the practice race yesterday and get a few nerves out of our systems, but the tension is still there today.

“The winds are going to be light so tactics will be the key to success. All the teams want to do their best and it’s going to be extremely com-petitive out there. We were happy with our boat speed and boat han-dling yesterday and the girls are building in confi dence every day so hopefully we will be a team that continues to improve. It is fantas-tic to fi nally get EFG Sailing Ara-bia - The Tour started but now the pressure is on.”

The nine crews will not only compete for the crown but also a new specially commissioned tro-phy made by British Royal War-rant holder and goldsmiths Thom-as Fattorini Ltd.

David Graham, CEO of the race orgainser, Oman Sail, said this

year’s event is shaping up to be the best yet.

He said: “We changed the course slightly for this year’s tour so there will be a real mix of conditions. There will now be a mix of upwind and downwind sailing in all wind ranges. This year we have nine boats competing, all commercially sponsored by companies from all around the world. Many of the teams have Arab crew members which is part of the objective of the event – to get local sailors involved and to join these countries which have such a rich maritime heritage together in one race.”

The teams: 1. EFG Bank (Monaco) skippered by Sidney Gavignet; 2. Bienne Voile skippered by Lorenz Muller; 3. Zain Sailing Team skippered by Cedric Pouligny; 4. Oman Airports-Al Thuraya Team, skippered by Dee Caff ari; 5. Team Delft Challenge skippered by Wouter Sonnema; 6. Renaissance Services skip-pered by Fahad Al Hasni; 7. Team Al Mouj Muscat skippered by Nicolas; 8. Man-gold skippered by Martin Felgenhauer; 9. Team Averda skippered Marcel Herrera.

S A I L I N G

Enrique’s Barcelona eye second straight treble

LONDON: Barcelona will turn their gaze from domestic honours to Europe in their quest for a sec-ond straight treble when the hold-ers return to Champions League duties against Arsenal in the last 16, which starts this week.

Coach Luis Enrique, who led Barca to victory in last season’s fi nal with a 3-1 win over Juven-tus in Berlin, has already seen his men secure a place in the King’s Cup fi nal as well as chasing a sec-ond successive La Liga crown.

They return to action in the continent’s elite competition next week when they travel to London to face Arsenal on February 23 having never lost to them in Euro-pean competition. Barcelona face a busy time and, having thrashed Celta Vigo 6-1 helped by a Luis Suarez hat-trick on Sunday, they next face Sporting Gijon on Wednesday in their Liga match in hand left over from a trip to the Club World Cup in December.

“I’m very pleased with how we’re preparing and competing in each match. This is the line we must follow each week and if we have this busy calendar it’s be-cause we’ve earned it,” said Luis Enrique as the European season moves to its most exciting phase.

Barcelona, Real Madrid, who face AS Roma, and Atletico Ma-drid, who meet PSV Eindhoven, have all reached the Champions League fi nal in the last two seasons with Real defeating Atletico 4-1 after extra-time in Lisbon in 2014.

Injury worriesReal, bidding for an unprecedent-ed 11th European Cup triumph, have not met Roma since the 2007-08 season when the Ital-ians beat them home and away.

But Real, who travel to Roma on Wednesday, have injury wor-

ries with Pepe (foot problem) Gareth Bale (calf ) and Marcelo (shoulder) all doubtful.

The match will be Zinedine Zi-dane’s fi rst in the competition he graced as a player since becoming Real’s manager in January.

England, like Spain, have three teams in the last 16 and while Arsenal face the toughest task against Barcelona, both Chelsea and Manchester City face impos-ing obstacles.

Chelsea face runaway French league leaders Paris St Germain, who were too good for a much better Chelsea team last season, knocking them out at the same stage on away goals.

Chelsea, who beat Newcas-tle United 5-1 on Saturday, visit Paris on Tuesday amid increased security in the capital after some of their fans racially abused a passenger on the Metro last year.

Manchester City face Dynamo Kiev on February 24 at the start of a hugely signifi cant period be-fore manager Manuel Pellegrini makes way for Pep Guardiola next season.

Title hopesCity’s Premier League title hopes are hanging by a thread after suc-cessive home defeats by rivals Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur. Their only previous bat-tle with Dynamo ended in a 2-1 aggregate defeat in the Europa League in 2010-11.

Guardiola, who is in his last few months with Bayern Munich, has been taken on for next season by City who see him as the man to lead them to Champions League glory.

Bayern face last season’s beaten fi nalists Juventus on Feb. 23 and the irony not lost on anyone is that Guardiola’s side could face City if both get through this round. - Reuters

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Aussies trounce Kiwis

WELLINGTON: Australia se-cured an easy victory in the fi rst Test against New Zealand on Monday, thrashing the hosts by an innings and 52 runs after lunch on the fourth day to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Nathan Lyon grabbed two more wickets to fi nish with fi gures of 4-91 for Australia, who can take the top Test ranking from India with a series victory.

The second match starts in Christchurch on February 20.

Mark Craig, who top scored in New Zealand’s fi rst innings with 41 not out, was left 33 not out when Trent Boult was bowled by Mitch-ell Marsh for 12 to bring the hosts’ second innings to an end on 327.

New Zealand were dismissed for 183 in their fi rst innings and faced a defi cit of 379 runs after Adam Voges’ second Test dou-ble century drove Australia to amammoth 562.

The visitors captured the last six wickets on Monday without the experienced Peter Siddle, who bowled just eight overs on Sun-day before succumbing to a back spasm. “They (the bowlers) put the ball in the right areas and put New Zealand under pressure and that’s all you can ask for,” Australia cap-tain Steve Smith said in a televised interview.

“We battled quite hard with the

bat and were under a little bit of pressure early but the partnership between Usman (Khawaja) and Voges was spot on and they played out of their skin and put us in a good position.”

Marsh, Lyon and Jackson Bird all grabbed wickets before lunch to set up the victory push in the mid-dle session. Hazlewood trapped Doug Bracewell in front for 14 just three deliveries after they re-turned from the break.

Tim Southee provided some typical rearguard fi reworks with 48 from 23 balls but holed out at long on trying to hit a fourth six off Lyon, before Boult was bowled by Marsh just under an hour into the fi nal session.

The only bright spot for New Zealand was debutant Henry Nicholls scoring his fi rst Test half century before he was bowled by Bird for 59. Hazlewood’s ability to get the older ball to reverse swing should be of concern for New Zealand, whose top-four batsmen made solid starts but failed to push on in what were considered good batting conditions.

“We were outplayed through-out the Test match and Australia deserve to be 1-0 up in the series,” New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said.

“We need to be a bit better than what we were, though obviously Australia were very very good in this Test match.” - Reuters

New Zealand were

dismissed for 183 in

their fi rst innings

and faced a defi cit

of 379 runs after

Adam Voges’ second

Test double century

drove Australia to

a mammoth 562

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

JUBILANT: Australian players celebrate triumph over New Zealand at Basin Reserve in Wellington. – AFP

New Zealand 1st innings: 183 (J. Hazle-wood 4-42) Australia 1st innings: 562 (A. Voges 239, U. Khawaja 140, S. Smith 71) New Zealand 2nd innings:T. Latham c Khawaja b Lyon 63 M. Guptill c M. Marsh b Lyon 45 K. Williamson c Nevill b Hazlewood 22 H. Nicholls b Bird 59 B. McCullum lbw b M. Marsh 10 C. Anderson lbw b M. Marsh 0 B. Watling b Lyon 10 D. Bracewell lbw b Hazlewood 14 M. Craig not out 33

T. Southee c Khawaja b Lyon 48 T. Boult b M. Marsh 12 Extras (b-2, lb-5, nb-4) 11 Total (all out, 104.3 overs) 327 Fall of wickets: 1-81, 2-121, 3-157, 4-178, 5-185, 6-214, 7-218, 8-242, 9-301,10-327Bowling: J. Hazlewood 29-7-75-2, J. Bird 19-4-51-1 (nb-2), P. Siddle 8-0-30-0, M. Marsh 17.3-2-73-3 (nb-2), N. Lyon 31-10-91-4Umpires: Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough TV umpire: Ranmore Martinesz Match referee: Chris Broad Result: Australia won by innings & 52 runs

S C O R E B O A R D

WELLINGTON: New Zealand will bring the same 13-man squad that lost the series-opening Test against Australia into the second match at Christchurch, with all-rounder Mitch Santner and batsman Ross Taylor again ruled out by injury.Taylor had not recovered suffi ciently from a muscle tear in his left side which he picked up during the one-day international series against Pakistan, while Santner was still sore from bone bruising in his right foot, New Zea-land Cricket said. - Reuters

New Zealand unchanged for 2nd Test

Langer thrills in Voges’ late fl ourishMELBOURNE: The amazing high of confi dence and the sober knowledge of cricket mortality have combined to inspire Aus-tralia batsman Adam Voges to the astonishing feats of his golden summer, according to his coach Justin Langer.

Having compiled an unbeaten 269 against West Indies and 106 not out against the same team in his previous two trips to the crease, Voges amassed 614 runs since his last dismissal — way back in November during the maiden day-night Test against New Zealand in Adelaide.

That smashed a 12-year record held by Sachin Tendulkar who collected 497 runs between wick-ets in 2004. It also left Voges with a Don Bradman-esque average of 97.46 from 14 matches.

Not bad work for a man who played his fi rst Test at the age of 35 in June — and promptly be-came the oldest debutant to score a century with an unbeaten 130 against West Indies at Roseau.

Langer, Voges’ coach and men-tor at Sheffi eld Shield side West-ern Australia, has been thrilled to see a player he once helped through a time of crushing doubt become the game’s hottest player.

“It’s been magnifi cent. He could probably never have written a script of how well he’s playing,” Langer said. “That said there’s no more deserving person. He’s

an outstanding character. Like great players and great people do, he’s grabbed his opportunity with both hands. “He’s confi dent and confi dence is an amazing thing. And he knows that at his age he’s got to run with the opportunity for as long as he can, so he’s really hungry to do that.”

Voges’ 899 runs at a giddy aver-age of 179.80 is Australia’s best from the seven matches over the summer. At the age of 35, Voges’ call-up for the touring squad to West Indies and England was something of a surprise for local cricket fans, but not for Langer. A gritty opening batsman in a suc-cession of great Australian teams from 1993-2007, Langer watched his Western Australia captain rack up 1,358 runs at an average of 104.46 during an outstanding Shield season in 2014-15.

Voges was sporting an awk-ward-looking batting stance. “He had the most unorthodox, ro-botic, mechanical stance I’d ever seen,” the 45-year-old Langer, who played 105 Tests for Austral-ia, said. “It was the most bizarre thing I had ever seen. I remember throwing balls at him and I said ‘What are you doing?’ He said ‘What do you mean?’.

“I said ‘You are not going to make runs with that stance, go back to tapping your bat and get-ting natural and watch like a hawk, which is your trademark’. - Reuters

C R I C K E T

MAN OF THE MATCH: Adam Voges the hero of the fi rst Test. – AFP

India underline credentials as World T20 favourites

MUMBAI: Twenty20 series wins over Australia and Sri Lanka have given top-ranked India plenty of cause for optimism as they launch their bid for a second world crown in the sport’s shortest format on home soil next month.

Champions in the inaugural edition of the World Ty20 in 2007, India blanked hosts Australia 3-0 at the start of the year before re-turning home to rally for a 2-1 win

over Sri Lanka. The three-match series started with a surprise de-feat on a seamer-friendly surface in Pune but India were spared the usual outpouring of discontent that follows any cricketing loss with convincing wins in the re-maining two matches.

A green-tinged pitch like the one witnessed in Pune is unlike-ly to be seen during the March 8-April 3 event and captain Ma-

hendra Singh Dhoni has already identifi ed his preferred 11 a month before the hosts open their campaign against New Zealand.

“We are always a top contender when it comes to shorter for-mats,” Dhoni said. “Also, with the World Cup to be held in India, we know the spinners will come into the equation. It gives us the added benefi t. We have got a lot of play-ers, especially ones who are part of

the team, who have got very good experience of playing in India.”

The return of batting mainstay Virat Kohli is likely to be the only change to India’s starting side for the upcoming Asia Cup T20 event in Bangladesh and the subsequent World T20.

“Not everybody has had a chance to bat but we will keep facing this problem because our line-up is quite deep,” Dhoni added. - Reuters

C R I C K E T

Boycott averted as West Indies players sign up

KINGSTON: The threat of West Indies being forced to fi eld a second string side at the World Twenty20 was averted on Sun-day when 12 of 13 players in the original squad signed the con-tracts which had caused a stand-off with the board.

West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) had given the players a deadline of Sunday to agree to the fi nancial terms, which represent-ed a sharp drop in pay compared to previous tournaments, or they would be replaced. After a week of claim and counterclaim, with plenty of recriminations on both sides, only batsman Darren Bravo declined to take up the deal.

“The West Indies Cricket

Board is in receipt of 12 signed contracts from players who were selected for the upcoming 2016 ICC World Twenty20 tourna-ment,” the WICB said in a news release on Sunday. West Indies are former World Twenty20 champions, ranked second in the world in the format heading into the March 8-April 3 tournament in India, and, in opener Chris Gayle, have one of the biggest drawcards in the game.

The WICB said Bravo had writ-ten to them saying he would be skipping the tournament to play in the regional four-day Profes-sional Cricket League. The WICB said they had not yet decided on a replacement for Bravo. — Reuters

W O R L D T 2 0

C3

SPORTST U E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

OGC coach sees future stars in newly-included juniors

MUSCAT: The OGC’s (Oman Golf Committee) junior team coach Milo Breitenwischer is happy with the newly-included faces in the national U-15 squad.

The OGC recently included four golfers, Naseh Al Barwani, Mo-hammed Al Balushi, Qussiah Al Barwani andAyman Al Busaidi, in the junior national side. They had taken part in the recently conclud-ed U-15 GCC Golf Championship held in Bahrain.

The talented trio of Naseh, Aymanand Qussiah underwent

training over the past one year under PGA Pro coach Breitenwis-cheron the lush green course of Ghala Golf Club. Mohammed was included in the OGC Development Squad a few months back. After several rounds of screenings, these kids eventually made the cut, en-tering the U-15 squad.

OGC Chairman Mundhir Al Barwani said,“We have a very good reputation about our U-15 team. We have always got a podium fi n-ish, whether the competition is held in Oman or abroad. This year was challenging for our newly-in-cluded players. But I hope we can keep our standards high.”

The OGC chief is happy that these three kids were chosen through some ‘tough’ rounds of selection process. “The PGA Pro coach Milo has done the job with great precision. We were not cer-tain whoto choose from this group of trainees. They were busy play-ing competitions. But Milo worked hard to choose them from the De-velopment Squad,” said Al Barwani.

Breitenwischer’s assessment of the kids are also very positive. After 7-year-old Ayman spent a few months in the Development Squad, Breitenwischerwas well aware of his talent. He marked him out as “potential member of junior national team” and “he was close to getting a handicap as well.”

Breitenwischersays, “Ayman is very talented and a diligent boy with lots of dedication. For his age, he plays exceptionally good. He is very passionate aboutgolf and shows a lot commitment to the game. That makes him one of the best players in the Development Squad, although he is still very young.His parents are also very supportive. He is regular in practice and shows a lot of interest in con-tinuing the game. He is here to stay.”

Breitenwischeris equally en-thusiastic about Qussiah, saying, “The whole family is very reliable in terms of him participating in all training sessions. Qussiah is not yet a very exceptional player, but more practice and seriousness can really make him a better golfer. He has to be more serious in training. I am hopeful about him.”

Another young gun Mohammed joined the Development Squad a few months back and has already amazed his coach. “He has showed his talent hitting golf shots on the driving range. He hits the ball very far. That was the reason why we had selected him to participate in Under-15 GCC Championship. But I am working on his technique to hit more consistent shots.”

Ahmed Al Jhdhamy,the Vice Chairman of the OGC, said, “We have a very good record in the U-15 category. So we will have to main-tain that. Hope these new kids will fl y the Omanifl ag high in the GCC level.”

Oman had a fabulous record in the U-15 category since 2014.

The inaugural edition of the GCC U-15 tournament was held in Muscat back in 2014 where the Oman juniors comprising Fahad Al Kitani, Rashad Al Harthy and Fahad Al Mahrouqi bagged the team crown in the gross category at the Ghala Golf Club. Al Kitani also fi nished runner-up in the in-dividual category.

The previous year saw a more solid performance from the Oman team, which won both the team gross and individual titles in Dubai. Fahad Al Kitani snatched the individual gross crown, beat-ing some tough competitors from Qatar and Bahrain.

The talented trio of

Naseh, Aymanand

Qussiah underwent

training over the

past one year under

PGA Pro coach

Breitenwischeron the

lush green course

of Ghala Golf Club

GOLF COACH: Milo Breitenwischer

COACHING CLINIC AT BOCThe members of the visiting Marylebone Cricket Club

(MCC) conducted a coaching clinic for 60 local chil-

dren at the Bosher Olympic Centre (BOC) during their

12-day tour of Oman. During their three-hour clinic,

the MCC members gave good tips and expert advice to

BOC’s BOC cricketers. MCC members also applauded

that BOC for providing right facilities and cricket

equipment as well as good coaches for the young play-

ers. — Supplied photo

America’s Cup dreams take shape for Oman Sail’s young sailing acesMUSCAT: Oman’s top young sail-ors are set for a day to remember when they compete in a special race as part of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Oman in Muscat (February 26-28) then get the chance to chat with the su-perstar America’s Cup skippers.

Part of a joint venture between Oman Sail and the America’s Cup Endeavour programme aimed at inspiring young sailors, the once-in-a-lifetime experience will leave members of Oman’s National Youth Squad with a clear under-standing of the America’s Cup, sailing’s equivalent of the football World Cup, and what it takes to compete at the highest level.

But it is not just about showing them the AC 45 foiling boats, which happen to be amongst the fastest racing boats on the planet or intro-ducing them to the amazing sailors who fl y them round the courses. It is more about giving them an op-portunity to show off their own skills and ‘wow’ a crowd of proper big guns in the sailing world.

The 20 children, made up of 14 of Oman’s best young Optimist sail-ors and six older sailors specialis-ing in 29ers and Lasers, will arrive at Oman Sail’s Al Mouj Sailing School and rig their boats before heading off to the technical area where the America’s Cup AC45 foiling catamarans are docked.

After a tour of the boats – and some informed explanation of

what makes them so incredibly fast – the young sailors will return to their own boats….and go racing! In front of crowds gathered in the Hospitality Village, they will go all out to prove who is the best Opti-mist sailor of the day in what is ex-pected to be a hard fought contest.

And when the winners are de-cided, they will be transferred back to the Race Village to meet the six America’s Cup superstar skippers, including British celebrity Sir Ben Ainslie who in 2011 was skipper of Oman Sail’s Extreme 40, Oman Air in the Extreme Sailing Series, as well as America’s Cup rivals Jimmy Spithill and Dean Barker.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for Oman’s young sailors to show off their skills and ask questions of these amazing sailors about what it takes to reach the top,” said Mohsin Al Bu-saidi, Oman Sail’s Youth Manager.

“There are not many young sail-ors who can say they have had tips from Sir Ben Ainslie or Jimmy Spithill so we hope they take full advantage of their chats with the champions.”

David Graham, CEO of Oman Sail said the importance of engag-ing youth in the top sailing events could never be underestimated.

“Everything we do at Oman Sail is geared to inspire and create op-portunities for our youth sailors with the aim to one day have an Omani sailor racing in the Amer-ica’s Cup or winning an Olympic

medal,” he said. “Our National Youth Squad sailors represent a bright future for sailing in Oman and we are sure that the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Se-ries will make other boys and girls around the Sultanate curious to come on board and have some fun.”

America’s Cup Endeavour has parallel aims — to leave a sporting legacy in Bermuda where the 2017 America’s Cup will be held and where all the teams will be based in the run up to the Cup.

To achieve this aim, the Amer-ica’s Cup Event Authority has launched a range of initiatives with AC Endeavour, including gifting a fl eet of Optimist dinghies, which have been refurbished by ORACLE TEAM USA, to kids who have ‘graduated’ from AC Endeav-our so they may continue sailing.

A cross-curricular STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineer-ing, Arts and Math) Education Programme is at the heart of the initiative, where students par-ticipate in experiential learning to increase their understanding of water safety and sailing, as well as developing self-reliance, responsi-bility and teamwork. Sailing takes place on Hobie Waves, RS Fevas and O’pen Bic dinghies.

And some of the top male and female college sailors in the US are visiting Bermuda to learn what it takes to become a professional sailor with ORACLE TEAM USA.

S A I L I N G

OFA’s Al Alawi

to attend

AFC Meeting

MUSCAT: Mohammed Al Alawi, the newly appointed Director of Corporate Aff airs at the Oman Football Asso-ciation (OFA), left for Kuala Lumpur on Monday to at-tend a Football Management Meeting at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Head-quarters. The meeting, to be held on Wednesday, will be coordinated by the AFC and will be attended by repre-sentatives from Member As-sociations of the AFC.

Education ConferenceOFA Technical Director Jim Selby and Khalid Lahori, Manager of Education and Development, will attend a coaching educators direc-tors’ conference titled ‘The Future of Coach Education in Asia’ to be hosted by AFC in Kuala Lumpur from Febru-ary 16 to 18.

Talib to conduct course The OFA, meanwhile, in-formed that Talib Hilal, Oman Beach Soccer Coach and FIFA Beach Soccer In-structor, is invited by the Iran Football Federation to conduct the Beach Soccer A Course from February 26 to March 3. The course is being held for the fi rst time in Iran.

F O O T B A L L

Muscat Grass Roots team. Muscat Football Academy celebrating.

C4

SPORTST U E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

Negi powers Assarain past Muscat

MUSCAT: The Muscat Pharmacy and Stores sponsored Premier Di-vision T20 match between Muscat CT and Assarain at the Ministry of Sports Aff airs ground saw As-sarain prevail by fi ve wickets.

Batting fi rst, Muscat CT put on 125 for 6 in 20 overs. Swapnil Khade and Sudeep Chavan top scored with 32 and 34 each. In re-sponse, Assarain replied with 126 for 5 in 17 overs. Dikanshu Negi top scored with 66, while Badal Singh claimed 3 wickets for Muscat CT.

Brief scores: Muscat CT 125 for6 in 20 overs (Sudeep Chavan 34, Swap-nil Khade 32) lost to Assarain 126 for 5 in 17 overs (Dikanshu Negi 66, Badal Singh 3 for 18). Points: Assarain 3 (BP) ; Muscat CT 0.

OCT Al Hail A winThe Enhance sponsored D Divi-sion match between Mott Mac-donald and OCT Al Hail A at the

Municipality 2 ground saw the lat-ter emerging winners by 38 runs.

Batting fi rst, OCT Al Hail A man-aged 151 for 7 in 20 overs as Waleed Balushi top scored with 51. Ritesh Lad claimed four wickets for Mott Macdonald. In response, Mott Macdonald were bowled out for 113 in 16.3 overs. Ismail Al Balushi claimed four wickets for Al Hail.

Brief scores: OCT Al Hail A 151 for 7 in 20 overs (Waleed Balushi 51, Ritesh Lad 4 for 21) beat Mott Macdonald 113 all out in 16.3 overs (Ismail Al Balushi 4 for 23). Points: OCT Al Hail A 3 (BP); Mott Macdonald 0.

Win for CarillionIn another D Division match, Ca-rillion Alawi beat Al Meer by three wickets. Batting fi rst, Al Meer managed 150 for 8 in 20 overs, largely thanks to Yogendra’s 53. Yusif Zoher claimed 5 wickets for Carillion. In response, Caril-lion scored 151 for 7 in 18.2 overs with Hussain Nimuchawala

remaining unbeaten on 41.Brief scores: Al Meer 150 for 8 in 20

overs (Yogendra R. 53, Yusif Zoher 5 for 23) lost to Carillion Alawi 151 for 7 in 18.2 overs (Hussain Nimuchawala 41 not out). Points: Carillion Alawi 2 ; Al Meer 0.

Atkins lose The E Division match between At-kins and Abu Maather at the Munic-ipality ground saw the latter snatch-ing a nine-run win. Batting fi rst, Abu Maather scored 142 for 8 in 20 overs. Suhail Khot top scored with 47 as Giridharan and Prithvi Raj claimed 2 wickets each for Atkins. In response, Atkins were all out for 133 in 19.1 overs. Sajeev and Ahsan Ali top scored with 45 and 40 each. Hanif Hodekar and Surve Mujahid claimed 3 wickets for Abu Maather.

Brief scores: Abu Maather 142 for 8 in 20 overs (Sunil Khot 47, Prithvi Raj 2 for 20) beat Atkins 133 all outin 19.1 overs (Sa-jeev 45, Surve Mujahid 3 for 10). Points: Abu Maather 2; Atkins 0.

OCT Muscat B prevailOCT Muscat B beat Khurshid CT by fi ve wickets in a F Division match. Batting fi rst, Khurshid CT scored 164 for 5 in 20 overs. Feroz O.V. and Jibin Kunnum top scored with 51 and 71 respectively. Zubair Ali claimed 2 wickets OCT Muscat B.

In return, OCT Muscat B scored 165 for 5 in 18.4 overs. Faraz Is-mail and Najeeb Qader top scored with 61not out and 47 respectively. Parvez chipped in with 3 wickets for Khurshid.

Brief scores: Khurshid CT 164 for 5 in 20 overs (Jibin Kunnum 71, Zubair Ali 2 for 13) lost to OCT Muscat B 165 for 5 in 18.4 overs (Faraz Ismail 61 not out, Parvez 3 for 32) of 4. Points: OCT Muscat B 2; Khurshid CT 0.

White Lotus lose Another F Division match saw White Lotus lose to Bahihi by four wickets. Batting fi rst, White Lotus scored 156 for 8 in 20 overs with Amith Iqbal and Anup Rajan

top scoring with 58 not out and 49 each. Kishore Krishnan and Mu-rad Khan claimed three wickets each for Bahihi. In return, Bahihi scored 157 for 6 in 16.4 overs. Patel Ashok top scored with 51. Anup Rajan and Sachin KP claimed two wickets for White Lotus.

Brief scores: White Lotus 156 for 8 in 20 overs (Amith Iqbal 58 not out, Kishore Krishnan 3 for 10) lost to Bahihi 157 for 6 in 16.4 overs. (Anoop Rajan 2 for 28). Points: Bahihi 2 ; White Lotus 0.

Trust Oilfi eld winThe G Division match between Trust Oilfi eld and Aptus Infotech at the OAC 3 ground saw the former winning by 5 wickets. Batting fi rst, Aptus Infotech scored 142 for 9 in 20 overs. Mohammed Ilyas and Sham-sudeen Irfan claimed two scalps for Trust Oilfi eld. In response, Trust Oilfi eld scored 145 for 5 in 14.2 overs to claim the bonus point. Shamsu-deen top scored with 42.

Brief scores: Aptus Infotech 142 for 9 in 20 overs. (Shamsudeen Irfan 2 for 13) lost to Trust Oilfi eld 145 for 5 in 14.2 overs (Shamsudeen 42). Trust Oilfi eld 3 (BP); Ap-tus Infotech 0.

RAHRC loseIn a H Division match Starcare beat RAHRC by 41 runs. Batting fi rst, Starcare scored 177 for 9 in 20 overs with Rageesh O.K. and K.S. Anoop scoring 48 and 50 re-spectively. Madan Pagar claimed 3 wickets for RAHRC. In return, RAHRC scored 136 for 9 in 20 overs to enable Starcare claim

the bonus point. Sujith Kumar claimed 3 wickets for Starcare.

Brief scores: Starcare 177 for 9 in 20 overs (K.S. Anoop 50, Madan Pagar 3 for 25) beat RAHRC 136 for 9 in 20 overs. (Sujith Kumar 3 for 25). Points Star Care 3 (BP) ; RAHRC 0.

Douglas OHI winThe ‘I’ division match saw Doug-las OHI beat ISWK by 9 wickets. Batting fi rst, ISWK scored 130 for 6 in 20 overs with Rohan Koshy top scoring with 52. In response, Douglas OHI scored 131 for 1 in 14.4 overs. Harekrishna Rao top scored with an unbeaten 75.

Brief scores: ISWK 130 for 6 in 20 overs (Rohan Koshy 52) lost to Douglas OHI 131 for 1 in 14.4 overs (Harekrishna Rao 75 not out). Points: Douglas OHI 3 (BP) ; ISWK 0.

OCT Al Nahdha loseOCT Al Nahdha lost by a massive 119 runs against Mani’s Azad in a J Division match. Batting fi rst Mani’s Azad scored 272 for 6 in 20 overs. Anil Samoon and Saleem Mohammed top scored with 70 and 75 respectively.

In response, OCT Al Nahdha scored only 153 for 6 in 18 overs to enable Mani’s Azad to claim the bonus point. Ahmed Al Balushi top scored with 51. Anil Samoon and William John claimed two scalps each for Mani’s Azad.

Brief scores: Mani’s Azad 272 for 6 in 20 overs (Anil Samoon 70, Saleem Moham-med 75) beat OCT Al Nahdha 153 for 6 in 18 overs (Ahmed Al Balushi 51). Points: Mani’s Azad 3 (BP); OCT Al Nahdha 0.

Assarain’s new

recruit Dikanshu Negi

steered his team to a

good win over Muscat

CT in the Premier

Division T20 League

GOOD WIN: Team Assarain after beating Muscat CT. STARCARE STARS: From left, Rageesh, Sujith and Anoop. D DIVISION: Jubilant OCT Al Hail team. – Supplied photos

I DIVISION: Douglas OHI after beating ISWK. F DIVISION: Team Bahihi after victory over White Lotus E DIVISION: Abu Maather players celebrate win over Atkins.

J DIVISION: Mani’s Azad after their big win against OCT Al Nahdha.ASSARAIN STAR: Dikanshu Negi.

MGR, MFA qualify for Junior Masters Middle EastMUSCAT: Volkswagen, repre-sented in Oman by Wattayah Mo-tors, has announced Muscat Grass Roots (MGR) and Muscat Football Academy (MFA) as the winners of the Volkswagen Junior Masters Oman 2016 Under-13 Football Tournament. The two teams will now represent Oman in the Volk-swagen Junior Masters Middle East 2016 Tournament to be held in the UAE on March 18 and 19, 2016.

The 2016 Volkswagen Jun-ior Masters Oman Tournament, which took place on February 13 at the Rusayl Football Field, consist-ed of two rounds – a round-robin round followed by the Playoff

Rounds. Eight teams took part in the Oman tournament – ALWO-SHIL, Al Jazeera, Muscat Grass Roots, Muscat Football Academy’ Professional, Shinas, Al Badyah and Al Arabi.

After a day of intense football action it was the Muscat Grass Roots that took top honours at the tournament, with Muscat Football Academy taking the runners-up spot. Both teams have now earned the right to represent Oman in the Volkswagen Junior Masters Mid-dle East 2016 Tournament that will take place in Dubai next month.

Commenting on the tourna-ment, Andrew Squires, the Gen-

eral Manager of Wattayah Motors said: “On behalf of Volkswagen and Wattayah Motors I would like to congratulate the Muscat Grass Roots and Muscat Football Academy teams on winning the Volkswagen Junior Masters Oman 2016 Tournament.

“It was a tough fi ght throughout the tournament but both these teams are truly deserving of their top spot placements. With the ter-rifi c show of skill and talent each of their players displayed I am confi -dent they will make Oman proud at the Volkswagen Junior Masters Middle East 2016 Tournament.”

Both teams are now prepping

themselves up for the upcoming Volkswagen Junior Masters Mid-dle East 2016 Tournament, which will be held in Dubai on March 18 and 19. Once there, they will com-pete against teams from Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai and Abu Dhabi for a chance to be crowned Volkswa-gen Junior Masters Middle East Champions. The winners will then head to Paris in May 2016 to repre-sent the region at the Volkswagen World Junior Masters.

The Volkswagen Junior Mas-ters was established 10 years ago by Volkswagen AG as part of its commitment to support youth and sports around the world.

V O L K S W A G E N F O O T B A L L

Hassan, Ayaan make U-14 fi nalMUSCAT: Hassan Haider and Ayaan Malhotra advanced to the summit clash for the boys un-der-14 singles title at the ISC/Muscat Pharmacy Open Junior Tennis Tournament organised by the Indian Social Club Muscat to be played on Thursday evening.

In the semifi nal, top seed Has-san Haider and random seed Ayaan Malhotra were made to fi ght hard to earn their place in the fi nal. Hassan came through a pulsating fi rst set and earned the crucial break in the second to edge past Avigyan Bhattacharya 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.

In a match dominated by long baseline rallies, Avigyan kept the top seed on his toes show-ing consistency in his returns. With neither willing to go for the kill, the stalemate continued, they traded brakes and Avigyan leveled to force the tie-breaker. Hassan raced to a 6-3 lead in the tie-breaker and inspite of Avig-

yan closing in, Hassan closed the set. Avigyan took the early lead in the second set before Hassan ral-lied to 4-all, broke Avigyan in the ninth game and served out the match for a place in the fi nal.

Ayaan Malhotra has made it a habbit to stretch his matches to the wire. In the semifi nal, he won a comfortable fi rst set 6-1 but had to fi ght hard for victory as a de-termined Sanskar Dubey played with doggedness to force the third set super tie-breaker before going down by a razor’s edge ver-dict. Ayaan won 6-1, 3-6, 12-10. The super 10-point tie-breaker was a nerve-wrecking aff air as both fought for every point.

Samar Al Bakri will take on Rafaella Saa in the semifi nal of the under-18 girls singles and Maryam Al Balushi was to play Sanjana Girish in the other semi-fi nal. Aisha Al Suleimani will take on Charvi Attri in the fi nal of the junior girls singles.

T E N N I S

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

DiningSECTIONC L I F E STY L E T U E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

ORIENTAL POTATO CHOPSThis is a mix of potatoes, noodles and bell pepper, wrapped in breadcrumbs and fried till crisp. It can be had during supper or as a starter.

For the FillingIngredients• 200g egg noodles • 1 small to medium carrot,

fi nely chopped or julienned• 1 medium bell pepper - red,

green or yellow, fi nely chopped or julienned

• 1 tsp fi nely chopped celery• 2 to 3 red chillies or green

chillies, broken and deseeded• 1.5 tsp fi nely chopped garlic• 3 to 4 medium spring onions,

fi nely chopped• 1/2 tbsp naturally fermented

soy sauce or add as required• Salt and pepper as required• 1/4 tsp rice vinegar or

white vinegar

• 1/2 tbsp oil for coating the noodles

• 2 tbsp oil for stir frying• Enough water to cook the

noodles

Preparation• Heat enough water in a pan

with salt and a few drops of oil, till it comes to a boil.

• Add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions. While the noodles are cooking, rinse and chop all the veggies, or you can chop the veggies before you start cooking the noodles.

• Drain and rinse the noodles in running water.

• Add oil and gently mix, so that the oil gets evenly coated on the noodles.

• Keep the noodles aside.• Heat oil in a wok.• On medium heat, fi rst add the

dry red chillies and garlic.• Saute for a minute, then add

the fi nely chopped spring

onions .Increase the fl ame and stir fry for 3 minutes.

• Add the carrots, bell pepper, and celery. Stir fry the bell peppers on a high flame till the bell peppers turn brown from the edges. This will take about 2 to 3 minutes.

• Add soy sauce and stir.• Add the noodles and toss it

well and stir fry for a minute on high heat.

• Season with salt and pepper. Add rice vinegar or white vinegar. Continue to toss and cook the noodles on a high fl ame for a minute.

• Toss the whole mixture well and then add the chopped spring onion greens to the noodles.

• Your stuffi ng is done.

For the Outer CoveringIngredients• 750g potatoes, boiled and

peeled• 3 tbsp oil for shallow frying• 1tbsp cornfl our/ rice fl our

• 1 egg beaten• 3 tbsp breadcrumbs • Salt as per taste

Preparation• Meanwhile boil potatoes until

tender. Peel off their skin. Add salt and rice fl our. Mash them with hand.

• Dust some fl our on your palm and make small balls of mashed potato. Make small cavities shaping it like a small bowl. Place small amount of fi lling over it.

• Cover the edges and dip these balls over beaten eggs and roll them over breadcrumbs or semolina.

• Heat some oil in a nonstick pan until hot. Reduce the heat and shallow fry the chops.

• Fry until golden brown and crisp from both sides. Repeat the same with the rest of the mince and potatoes.

• Serve the chops hot with sauce or food or salad.

CHICKEN AND QUINOA STUFFED BELL PEPPERSQuinoa is a quick and fl avourful way to get in a serving of wholegrains and when combined with chicken and bell peppers, it is every weightwatcher’s delight. A wholesome and healthy meal made in a jiff y.

Ingredients• 3 large red and yellow bell

peppers, cored and seeded with tops removed

• 1/3 cup quinoa, cooked• 2 boiled eggs• 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped• 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped• 1/2 tbsp olive oil, divided• 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice,

divided• 1/2 tsp honey, divided• 3/4 tsp ground cumin• 2 chicken breasts, cooked

and diced

• Salt and ground pepper to taste

• 1/4 feta cheese• 4 tbsp of thinly diced bell

peppers( yellow, green and red)

Preparation• Preheat broiler.• Spray baking dish with

cooking spray. Place bell peppers in and broil for 8-10 minutes, until charred. Turn halfway through cooking so it cooks evenly.

• In a bowl, combine quinoa, boiled eggs, mint, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, honey, cumin, chicken pieces, salt and pepper. Once combined, add feta cheese and the chopped colourful bell peppers.

• Spoon the mixture into bell peppers. Top with bell pepper tops and broil for 3-5 minutes.

BELL PEPPER AND SESAME SHRIMP TOASTSThese are great as starters at every party and your guests would request for more of these at every bite.

Ingredients• 150g of shrimps, raw, de-

veined• 1 knob of ginger, thumb-sized• 1 garlic clove, large• 3 spring onions• 1 cup of fi nely diced bell

peppers( any colour of your choice)

• 1 red chilli, deseeded• 1 egg 1 dash of soy sauce• 1 dash of sesame oil•Rice fl our, just enough to bind

the mixture so it’s not too sloppy

• 6 slices of bread, or 8 depending on size

• Sesame seeds• Oil, for deep frying

Preparation• Roughly chop the shrimps,

garlic, ginger, spring onions, bell pepper, and chilli, and put in a food processor with the egg, soy and sesame oil. Blitz until you have a paste, adding a little bit of rice fl our if the mixture is too sloppy.

• Spread the mixture generously over the slices of bread, with more in the middle than the edges. Pour the sesame seeds into a bowl big enough to fi t in the sliced bread and dunk it, with

shrimp mixture side down, into the seeds to stick.

• Cut your slices into two or four triangles.

• Heat up the oil in a wide heavy-bottomed pan and use a shrimp/bell pepper slice to carefully place them in the hot oil, sesame side down. Leave them for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, before carefully fl ipping them over in the oil for another minute or so to brown the other side. Do this in batches, so you don’t overcrowd the pan.

• If you put too many together, the toast will get soggy. Once it’s nicely golden, take the shrimp toast out of the oil and drain it on kitchen paper, before serving with sweet chilli sauce.

Perfect Stuffi ngRecipes Oneza Tabish

FIND-IT-ALLC6 T U E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

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SHATTINavy Seals: The Battle of New Orleans (Action| Horror) 15+Cast: Ed Quinn, Michael Dudikoff, Rick Fox5:00 & 7:15PMThe Choice (Drama | Romance) 15+Cast: Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer5:15PMThe Pack (Horror| Thriller) 12+Cast: Anna Lise Phillips, Jack Campbell11:45PMHow to Be Single (Comedy | Romance) 18+Cast: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson3:00, 7:15 & 11:30PMPride & Prejudice & Zombies (Action) 18+Cast: Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston2:45,9:15 & 11:45PMFitoor (Hindi | Romantic| Drama) 12+Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor , Katrina Kaif 9:15PMThe Finest Hour - 3D (Action) PG123:30 & 9:30PMThe Finest Hour - 2D (Action) PG127:00PMAlvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (Animation) PG5:30PM

MUSCAT GRAND MALLHow to Be Single – 2D (18+) Comedy Cast: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson7:00 PMGold Class – 8:45, 11:00 PMFitoor – 2D (12+) Hindi | Romantic| Drama |Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor / Katrina Kaif / Tabu9:15 PMGold Class – 6:15 PMPride & Prejudice & Zombies – 2D (18+) Action | Horror | Drama |Cast: Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston1:45, 9:30, 11:45 PM

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RUWIScreen 1Fitoor (Romance / Drama) –12 +Cast: Aditya Roy Kapur, Katrina Kaif3.30, 6.30, 9.30 PMScreen 2Sanam Re (Romance / Drama) –12 +Cast: Pulkit Samrat, Yami Gautam3:45, 6:45, 9:45 PMScreen 3Ghayal Once Again (Action) –PG12Cast: Sunny Deol, Tisca Chopra, Om Puri3:45, 6:45, 9:45 PM

SUR

Navy Seal: The Battle of New Orleans (Action |Horror) (15+)

Cast: Ed Quinn, Michael Dudikoff7:30, 11:45 PMFitoor (Hindi) (Romance) (TBC) Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Katrina Kaif.5:00, 9:15 PMPavada (Mal) (Comedy) (PG) CPCast: Prithiviraj Sukumaran, Anoop Menon10:30 PMVisions (Horror | Thriller) (15+) Cast: Isla Fisher, Anson Mount4:45, 8:45 PM.The Finest Hour 3D (English) (Action | Drama | History) (PG12) Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster6:30 PM

SOHARAlvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip -

2D (PG) AnimationVoice over: Jason Lee, Jesica Ahlberg5:45 PMThe Finest Hour - 3D (PG12) Action | Drama Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster5:00, 9:30, 11:45 PMGhayal Once Again - 2D (PG12) ActionCast: Sunny Deol, Tisca Chopra, Om Puri6:30 PMBangalore Naatkal - 2D (T) (PG) ComedyCast: Arya, Sri Divya, Bobby6:30 PMPride & Prejudice & Zombies - 2D (18+) Action | Horror | DramaCast: Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston2:45, 9:15, 11:45 PMHow to Be Single - 2D (18+) Comedy Cast: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson3:15, 7:15, 11:30 PMFitoor - 2D (TBC) Hindi | Romantic| DramaCast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Katrina Kaif , Tabu3:30, 9:15 PMNavy Seals: The Battle of New Orleans -

2D (15+) Action| Horror Cast: Ed Quinn, Michael Dudikoff, Rick Fox3:00, 7:30 PMVisions - 2D (15+) Horror | ThrillerCast: Isla Fisher, Anson Mount, Gillian Jacobs4:45, 11:45 PMPavada - 2D (M) (PG) Action | ComedyCast: Prithiviraj Sukumaran , Anoop Menon

8:55 PM

BURAIMI

The Finest Hour – 3D (Action) (PG12)Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster5:15, 6:45, 9:15PMNavy Seals: The Battle of New Orleans– 2D (Action/Horror) (15+)Cast: Ed Quinn, Michael Dudikoff, Rick Fox3:30, 5:35, 9:35, 11:30PMThe Pack– 2D (Horror/Thriller) (12+)Cast: Anna Lise Phillips, Jack Campbell5:00, 11:45PMVisions – 2D (Horror/Thriller) (15+)Cast: Isla Fisher, Anson Mount, Gillian Jacobs3:30, 7:30PMFitoor – 2D (Romantic/Drama) (12+)Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Tabu3:15, 7:15, 11:15PMPavada– 2D (Action/Comedy) (PG)Cast: Prithiviraj Sukumaran, Anoop Menon

9:00PM

SALALAH

The Finest Hour (3D) (PG12) (Action)

Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster

2:55, 9:00PM

Navy Seals: The Battle of New Orleans

(2D) (15+) (Action| Horror)

Cast: Ed Quinn, Michael Dudikoff, Rick Fox

1:05, 5:10PM

The Choice (2D) (15+) (Drama | Romance)

Cast: Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer

11:35AM, 6:45PMThe Pack (2D)(12+) (Horror|Thriller) Cast: Anna Lise Phillips, Jack Campbell12:00, 5:00, 11:55PMPride & Prejudice & Zombies (2D) (18+) Cast: Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston11:00, 2:00, 4:00, 7:00, 11:35PMPavada (2D) (PG) (Mal) (Action/Comedy)Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran , Anoop Menon

9:05PM

Fitoor (2D) (12+) (Hindi|Romantic)

Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor , Katrina Kaif , Tabu

2:15, 8:55, 11:15PM

Bangalore Naatkal (2D) (PG) (Tamil)

(Comedy / Drama)Cast: Arya, Sri Divya, Bobby6:10PM

CINEMA SCHEDULE CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 3 YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE CINEMA | BOX-OFFICE COUNTER OPENS 30-MINUTES PRIOR TO THE SCREENING OF THE FIRST SHOW

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PHARMACIES

Round the clock

Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24782666

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Salalah 23291635;

Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra 24503585

Muscat Region

Apollo, Al Hamriya 24787766

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Muscat, Al Nahdha Road,

Salalah 23291635

HOSPITALS

Al Amal Medical & Health Care

Centre 24485052

Atlas Hospital

Ruwi 24811743/

Ghubra 24504000

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Medical Clinic 24706453

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Ruwi 24563641

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Sohar 2683006

Al Raffah Hospital 24618900/1/2

Al Massaraat Clinic &

Laboratory 24566435

Al Makook Medical

Coordinance Centre 24499434

Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24787766, 24787780

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Ruwi 24799760/1/2

Capital Clinic, Seeb 24420740

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Lifeline Hospital Salalah 23212340

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Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5

Kims Oman Hospital 24760100

24 Hrs Emergency 24760123

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MBD 24799077

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Ear Hospital 24568870

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Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment

Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666

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AIRLINE OFFICES

Muscat Airport Flight information

(24 hours) 24519456/24519223

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TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

06:30 Sohar 08:50 Daily

06:30 Buraimi 11:00 Daily

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13:00 Buraimi 17:40 Daily

16.00 Sohar 18.35 Daily

16.00 Buraimi 20:20 Daily

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

17:30 Sinaw 20:50 Daily

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

14:30 Nizwa 16:50 Daily

14:30 Yanqul 19:30 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

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08:00 Al Araqi 12:30 Daily

TO SUR (ROUTE 55)

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14:30 Sur 18:45 Daily

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (ROUTE 62)

06:30 Fahud 10:30 Daily

06:30 Yibal 11:15 Daily

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (ROUTE 100)

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10:00 Marmul 20:30 Daily

10:00 Salalah 23:30 Daily

19:00 Salalah 07:40 Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

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SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102)

15:00 Dubai 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)

06:00 Sohar 08:30 Daily

06:00 Dubai 11:30 Daily

13:00 Sohar 15:30 Wed,Thur

13:00 Dubai 18:30 Wed,Thur

15:00 Sohar 17:35 Daily

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TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily

07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily

07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

Dept Destination Arrival Operatingtime time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily

05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily

05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

07:00 Sohar 08:55 Daily

07:00 Ruwi 11:40 Daily

13:30 Ruwi 20:20 Daily via Ibri

13:00 Sohar 14:55 Daily

13:00 Ruwi 17:40 Daily

13:00 Sohar 19:20 Daily

17:00 Ruwi 22:15 Daily

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

07:00 Ruwi 10:25 Daily

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

06:00 Nizwa 08:40 Daily

06:00 Ruwi 11:00 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

15:40 Nizwa 17:55 Daily

15:40 Ruwi 20:20 Daily

TO SUR (ROUTE 55)

06:00 Ruwi 10:45 Daily

14:30 Ruwi 19:00 Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

12:30 Fahud 13:15 Daily

12:30 Ruwi 17:30 Daily

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100)

07:00 Ruwi 19:50 Daily

10:00 Marmul 13:15 Daily

10:00 Ruwi 22:30 Daily

19:00 Ruwi 07:30 Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

06:00 Marmul 16:30 Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

15:00 Salalah 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)

07:30 Sohar 10:50 Daily

07:30 Ruwi 13:40 Daily

13:00 Sohar 16:15 Thur-Fri

13:00 Ruwi 19:10 Thur-Fri

15:30 Sohar 18:45 Daily

15:30 Ruwi 21:35 Daily

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily

16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily

16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

@PANORAMA @BURAIMI

The Choice-2D (Drama, Romance) (15+)Cast: Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer4:45, 7:00 PM

Fitoor – 2D (Romantic/Drama) (12+)Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Tabu3:15, 7:15, 11:15PM

BAHJA CINEMAFilm information 24540856 / Advance Booking 24540855

Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

The Pack (Horror / Thriller) (12+)Cast: Anna Lise Phillips, Jack Campbell2.00, 6.00, 10.00, & 11.55 PM CP No: 321 Navy Seals: The Battle of New Orleans

(Action / Horror) (15+)Cast: Ed Quinn, Michael Dudikoff, Rick Fox 2.00, 10.00 & 11.55 PM. CP No: 322

How to Be Single: (Comedy / Romance) (18+) Cast: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann 4.00, 6.00 & 8.00 PM CP No: 323 The Choice: (Drama / Romance) (15+)Cast: Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer4.00 & 8.00 PM CP No: 324

STAR CINEMAFilm information 24791641 / 24786776Website: www.isurf.co.om

Pavaada (Mal) (Drama/Comedy) Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran & Miya George 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30PM Cinema Main Bangalore Naatkal (Tamil) (Com) Cast: Arya , Sri Divya & Rana Doggadathi 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30PM Cinema -2 Adi Kappyare Koottamani (Mal) (Com) Cast: Dhyn Sreenivasan & Namitha Pramod 6:45PM Cinema -2 2 Countries (Mal) (Com) Cast: Dileep & Mamta Mohandas 3:45 & 9:45PM Cinema -3Jil Jung Juk (Tamil) (Com) Cast: Siddharth & Sanath Reddy 3:45 & 9:45 PM Cinema -4 Airlift ( Hindi) ( Act)Cast: Akshay Kumar & Nimrat Kaur6.45PM Cinema 4Next Change: Miruthan ( Tamil), Monsoon Mangoes ( Mal), Neerja ( Hindi)Programmes are subject to change

@BAHJA

The Pack (Horror / Thriller) (12+)Cast: Anna Lise Phillips, Jack Campbell2.00, 6.00, 10.00, & 11.55 PM CP No: 321

WEATHER

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160

Minimum

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75-50%RELATIVE HUMIDITY

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WITH LOVE

LIFESTYLEC7T U E S DAY, F E B R UA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

Indian American Keen to Make ‘Neglected’ Gujarati Food World FamousIN THE US, she is ‘the Indian girl from Masterchef’! Indian Ameri-can chef Hetal Vasavada, who has been treating her foreign friends on the reality TV show with khichdi and coconut curry soup, says food from her native Gujarat — also the home of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — is neglected in the west. She hopes to bring the cuisine in limelight in the most “traditional” way.

Vasavada, 28, who was one of the top six fi nalists of the last season of Star World show MasterChef US, said that most people in the west think that Gujarati food is all about dollops of sugar.

But she wants to dispel the notion as she feels regional cuisine is an answer to foreign-ers who think Indian food is “heavy” and “creamy”.

“I think Gujarati food is neglect-ed a lot, especially in restaurants in the US. There are south Indian restaurants with dosa, and then there are Punjabi restaurants. A lot of people think that Gujarati food is

just lots of sugar... But it’s not. It is defi nitely healthy and very tasty,” Vasavada told .

There are other things to Vasavada’s stride — be it being the first Indian vegetarian to be a part of the foreign show or be it popularising the sombre In-dian khichdi. Now, she wants to do more to widen the perception about Indian food in the west.

“The fi rst way I did it was on ‘Masterchef’ when I made khichdi, and then I made other authentic

dishes. But I think that the best way to introduce (the cuisine) is to make it in a traditional way and show people what Gujarati food is, especially to some westerners who say that ‘I don’t want to have Indian food because it is very heavy, so creamy.

“Gujarati food is for them. It can be very light. It is Indian food, but a diff erent kind of Indian food,” she said.

Vasavada is happy about the growing interest around Indian food on foreign shores, as she shares that now people are willing to experiment beyond the butter-chicken and chicken tikka.

“I think a lot of people are ven-turing out and trying new food and diff erent versions.

There are two reasons why Indian food is becoming famous -- because of diff erent spices, and because people are ready to try diff erent food.

Vasavada left behind the busi-ness world to pursue her dream in the culinary world. — IANS

I N T H E N E W S

These celebrated chefs are ready to woo those visiting the

festival with their culinary expertise.

Dubai Food Festival, a packed 17-day cu-linary celebration of new events, activi-ties and promotions,

has announced the fi rst instalment of coveted celebrity chefs who will be headlining the launch celebra-tions. Representing Arabian, Greek, French and Australian cuisines these culinary masters are set to en-tice and excite the tens of thousands of residents and visitors expected at the Middle East’s only truly city-wide food festival.

Serving up a mouth-watering epicurean showcase for Dubai Food Festival will be Australian legends and stars of the critically acclaimed Australian MasterChef series, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan. Also joining them is

the French-born star of My Kitchen Rules Manu Feildel; television fa-vourite and restauranteur Matt Moran and the hugely popular restauranteur and author, Shan-non Bennett. Adding to this star studded international line-up is the “Queen of the Arabian Kitchen”, Chef Manal Al Alem, a highly celebrated figure in Middle Eastern cooking.

Visitors to the festival, running 25 February to 12 March 2016, will have multiple opportunities to get up close to the stars, whether at the highly-popular and exclusive Dining with the Stars events, the family-friendly Beach Canteen on Kite Beach or at the interactive chef MasterClasses at distinguished cookery school, Scafa in JLT.

“We are extremely happy to wel-

come this calibre of celebrity chefs as part of our upcoming Dubai Food Festival. The fact that these world class masters chose Dubai Food Festival to showcase their culinary mastery is clear proof that Dubai is steadily becoming a beacon for foodies and experts from across the globe,” said Laila Suhail, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Estab-lishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) that organises the event.

“This announcement is just one of many to come with the main ob-jective being to drive more atten-tion to the diverse culinary mosaic that Dubai, uniquely, off ers to its visitors. We will continue to work closely with our partners within the restaurant sector in Dubai to

ensure that they reap the benefi ts of this partnership and attract more visitors to Dubai.”

Dubai’s gastronomy scene has continued to go from strength to strength, with a dazzling array of gourmet and avant-garde restaurant concepts to local haunts and hidden gems. And Dubai Food Festival’s ce-lebrity chefs are looking forward to immersing themselves to see what concepts they can take back home with them to weave into their own restaurant off erings.

“I fi nd travelling, experiencing other cultures: new tastes, new techniques, incredibly inspiring. Dubai has always proven exciting. I like searching Dubai for unique cooking techniques I can bring back to our kitchens. I am looking forward to being involved in the

Dubai Food Festival and exploring what unique produce and cooking techniques Dubai has to off er,” said Shannon Bennett, whose restaurant Vue de monde was awarded Res-taurant of the Year in The Age Good Food Guide, 2013 and 2014.

Also relishing his chance to ex-plore Dubai’s restaurant off ering is British born and trained Chef Gary

Mehigan — best known for his role as host and mentor on MasterChef Australia.

“I always enjoy my time in Dubai, so I’m really excited about coming to the Dubai Food Festival in February. Dubai is famous for its eclectic mix of world class chefs and restaurants that boast some of the most exqui-site locations, I also love digging a little deeper to fi nd and experience some authentic and unique local

Emirati cuisine,” added the star, who co-hosts two shows on Austral-ia’s Lifestyle Food Channel, Good Chef, Bad Chef, and Boy’s Weekend.

Dubai Food Festival and Beach Canteen run from 25 February – 12 March 2016. The event promotes the diversity, creativity and multi-cultural nature of Dubai’s culinary off ering — from fi ve-star gourmet dining to everyday restaurants and cafés for all budgets; international brands to a burgeoning scene of home-grown concepts infl uenced by traditional Emirati cuisine and the fl avours of the 200 nationalities that live in Dubai.

For more information on the Festival’s schedule and details on how to register for or buy tickets for events, visit www.dubaifoodfestival.com

STAR CHEFS SET TO DELIGHT AT DUBAI FOOD FESTIVAL

GeorgeCalombaris

Manal ManuFeildel

ShannonBennett

GaryMehigan

MattMoran

LIFESTYLEC8 T U E S DAY, F E B RUA RY 1 6, 2 0 1 6

S CA L LO PScallop is simple and easy to prepare. This mildly sweet seafood

is soft and fl avourful, and also easy to chew. Sear it, grill it, or serve

it raw, there are plenty ways to cook scallop.

Scallop SoupMelt 2tbsp butter

in a pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup diced bell pepper and 1/2 cup onion and sauté until tender. Add 2 cups chicken broth, 1 1/2

cups chopped spinach, cream and crushed red pepper. Cover and simmer until spinach is tender.

Add 10-12 pieces of scallops, halved horizontally and simmer

for about 3 minutes. Mix in 2tbsp of chopped basil leaves. Season

with salt and pepper.

ScallopFritters

Take 500g scallops and grind well. Combine 1 egg,

beaten, 1tsp salt and shape into patties. In a skillet heat 2tbsp oil

and 2tbsp butter, dip the patties in fl our and fry for a minute or less.

Serve with lemon slices.

Scallop SaladCombine 2tsp minced ginger, 1tsp

minced garlic, 2tsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper

in a large bowl. Toss gently to coat. Heat a large non-stick skillet and spray cooking oil. Add shredded

scallop pieces to the pan and cook for until done. Add 1 cup of

halved cherry tomatoes, 1 cup pre shredded carrot, 1 cup sliced

cucumber, some chopped red onion, along with salad dressing.

Mix them well and serve.

Scallop CurryTake the scallops and pat them dry. Sprinkle both sides with curry powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and pepper. Heat butter in a large

nonstick skillet. Add the scallops and cook until golden brown.

Remove to a plate. Add cooked rice, cilantro, scallions, lemon

juice and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt to the pan. Cook, stirring, until

heated through, about 1 minute. Serve the scallops with

the rice.

Scallop PoachedHeat 1tbsp of olive

oil in medium heat. Add 1/2 cup chopped carrots and leeks and

cook for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Season 10 large scallops with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and place on top of the vegetables. Simmer it

until the scallops are cooked. In a bowl, combine parsley and garlic,

pine nuts, and little oil. Stir the vegetables and broth.

Serve with the scallops.

ONE INGREDIENT

FIVE WAYS

NGREDIENT

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

CONNECT H E D A I LY G U I D E

D

D4 VACANCY CARGO D7

T U E S D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

RENT D2

*Tourist visa arranged

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifi eds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

D2 T U E S D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE

FLATS FOR RENT

CONTACT : 93202733

1 BHK and 2BHK Flats with Split ACs - Opp. to MOD -

Near Lulu Darsait

Luxury flat for rent in Bareeq Al Shatti buildingSpacious 2 BHK with sea view, split A/Cs, fixed wardrobes,

kitchen appliance. Near Opera Gallery.

Rent RO.900/- negotiable. Contact - 94084335 / 96920789

Flat for rent in

CBD area - Ruwi

Two rooms and a large hall

•Office spaces for rent in Al Hail on

the main road On the same building

of Al Khamis Shoes at Al Hail

•2 bed room flats in Qurum 29 for

rent next to ABA New building

-split AC - Good location

Contact No: 96177505

Shop (rent 250/ 400) commercial

/ Residential building 1& 2 bed fl at

(fl at rent 350+ 250) available in

Wadi Kabir (Near Lulu) one bed fl at

200/- Wadi Al Kabir (near Toyota.

Contact: 92325212 /99451168

Villa for rent 4 room, hall, 3 toilet

(upstairs) R.O 350/- at Al Khuwair.

Contact: 99382008

2 BHK fl at near Indian School

Wadi Kabir behind Sana for rent.

Contact: 92120539

Flat for rent, 3 bedroom, 2 bath

room, living room, 1 kitchen & store

240/- R.O at Darsait.

Contact: 92328142

Ware house for rent in Ghala

300sqmt. Contact: 99010741

/96007885

Room at Mabela. Contact: 92300572

2 Bedrooms, kitchen, toilet, car

park R.O 200/- & 1 bedroom,

kitchen, toilet R.O 140 in

Al Khuwair. Contact: 95154331

1 Bed room, sharing K& T, R.O 100,

2 bedrooms , sharing K& T R.O

200/- in AL Khuwair.

Contact: 95154331

House in Amerat near to Makah

hypermarket with 3 room+ 5 toilet+

hall+ living room+ kitchen. Contact

98885055/ 92744168

2 bed rooms fl at with hall,

2 bathrooms in Darsait near

Muscat Municipality.

Contact: 92584715/ 24700120

Flat for rent south Al Mabela.

Contact: 95331177/95230355

Villa 2bedroom, 1 sitting room,

small hall, Kitchen & 2 bath-

room behind Sultan center south

Mawalah 300/- O.R. Contact:

92757673 /99388138

Restaurant for rent or sale in Al

Ghobrah with its equipments and

permitions for workers. For details

contact: 95094062

1000sqmtrs industrial land for

rent in Ghala suitable for

warehouse workshop etc.

Contact 24700120 /92584715

Warehouse at Wadikabir - total

area 3500 sqm - covered ware-

house (500sqm), offi ce,

accommodation (1000sqm), open

area (2000sqm) please contact:

99273774 - 99202278

Flats for rent at Mawaleh near

Omantel main offi ce opposite Lulu

bandar comprises 3 rooms,

2 toilets and one kitchen OMR 250/-

Per month. Contact: 93131497 or

99203435

WAREHOUSE AVAILABLE FOR RENT

IN BALADIA SANAYAH AMIRAT

(Floor area 600sqmtrs and mezzanine of 500sqmtrs)

1100sqmts fully cover warehouse

& staff accommodati onsPlease contact: G.S.M

99417229/92621039INDUSTRIAL LAND

FOR RENT (BARKA)

1100 SQ MTR free industrial land for

all purpose is available with compound and furnished

offi ce in BarkaContact:

24707088, 98283896

One / two B/R , RES / Comm fl at

near Bank Muscat Bausher directly

from owner. Contact: 92158031

1 BHK near medical Darsait Mut-

trah House. R.O 180/-. #95076261

Brand new Twin deluxe villas, ex-

cellent location in Madinat Qaboos

4 bedrooms, housemaid room, 2

kitchens, 2sitting rooms, study

room, full A/C, remote control car

parks. 1,600 RO each villa

Contact 00968 92503825

FULLY RENOVATED 5 BHK VILLA

For Rent in Azaiba, behind Al Sawa

Towers. WITH Majlis, Living room,

Dining, Kitchen, Laundry, Store.

CONTACT: 93332444, 95166141

Spacious 160 sq meter offi ce with

pantry and toilet built in eagle eye

view of Al Khuwair on 7th fl oor

Jasmine Building near Radisson Blu.

1,100 RO per month.

Contact 00968 92503825

Modern and spacious 4 bedroom

twin villa for rent in Azaiba north

behind Nov 18st with detached

maids room. Contact 99317349

Flat in Wadi Al Kabir 2 bedrooms, 1

living room, 1 family hall, kitchen & 3

bathrooms. Contact: 99277787

2 BHK in MSQ opposite Al Fair with

split AC. Contact: 96708000

One large BHK in Al Khuwair near

Ibis hotel with A/C.

Contact: 95124975

2 BHK in Bareeq Al Shatti with split

AC. Contact: 96708000

DAILY GUIDET U E S D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 6 , 2 0 1 6 D3

FOR RENT

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

Running shop with paint machine for sale in kadra

- Prime locati on with good daily sales - 260 Square meters- Warehouse facility - Staff accommodati on

BUILDING MATERIAL SHOP FOR SALE

Interested parti es may call 9322 3382 or mail to cs@mpesllc.com

Cradle lift for external Building

painting, almost new height up to

100 Mts six mtr cradle. Contact :

99235701 / 90648313

Restaurant items for sale.

Contact: 96772479 /98428507

Heidelberg Off set 52x 74cm –

20 1/2 x 29 1/8 single Color – SORM

printing machine in good condi-

tion. Contact: 99369880

Used supermarket shelvings.

Contact; 97752395

Restaurant for Sale - A running

Pakistani restaurant ideally located

at Saham for sale - for details

call 99417418

A well Established Indian restau-

rant with all necessary equipments

well qualifi ed staff furnished party

hall (capacity 150) is up for imme-

diate sale at MBD area.

Contact: 92978956

Space for printing press available

at wadikabir with or without

machinery. Contact 99328430

Sale of shop with interiors and

basement go down in Wadi Kabir

near to Lulu Market, on the Juma

Masjid road. Contact: 99344106

HD Scaff oldings, Shuttering

Jacks, Wooden Planks, Shuttering

wood assorted, Tower hoist (lift),

Concrete Mixer, Bending Machine,

Steel Fabrication Machinery

(Searing/Cutting, lathe & Welding)

including tools for immediate sale:

Contact 99273774/ 99202278

Fire rated portacabins and steel

caravans. ContacT: 94058574

ACC. AVAILABLE LOST

CHANGE OF NAME

ACC. AVAILABLE

In Al Khuwair 2 rooms, toilet, avail-

able for Indian family or working

woman. Rent R.O 150/- per month

only. Please Contact: 97884967

Single room at Walja, opposite MBD

area SPAR available for executive

bachelors inclusive of electricity and

water for OMR 110/-.

Contact: 98958586

Flats 3 bedroom available at

Ghobrah near Indian School.

Contact: 99236718

Room with kitchen, bath avail-

able in Ruwi for a couple or single

working lady. Contact: 91450718 /

91429608

Room with attached bathroom and

sharing kitchen available for

Executive bachelor or small

family at wadikabir 9304 9849

WANTED

IELTS Coaching (academic)

required nearby wadi Kabir area.

Please call on mobile or msg on

Whats up.

Mobile no: 92927880/99012165

BUYING

FOR RENT

Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299

Buying cars for cash.

Contact: 90202090

Commercial fl ats of 3 & 2 BHK

in Al Ghobra North 18 Nov street

RO.650/- & 450/- # 91776665

600 M2 showroom or offi ce in

Bousher in front of Dolphin com-

plex. RO.3.5 per m2. #91776665

Brand new villas in Al Ansab.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Offi ces & Showrooms in Muttrah.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Brand new 4 BHK villa in Al Fai

compound Al Khoud. RO.475/-

Contact – 91776665

Villa of 3 BHK and sitting area in

Al Ghobra North. RO.525/-

Contact – 91776665

Luxury and brand new semi

furnished 2 BHK fl at in Remalbow-

sher. RO.550/- Contact – 91776665

Spacious 1 BHK fl at in Al Wattaya

with all split A/C’s and parking.

RO.300/-Contact – 91776665

Flats in Darsait. Contact - 94051789-97201688

Flats in WadiKabir. Contact - 94051789-97201688

Fully Furnished apartments in

Boucher (35) Contact: - 94051789-

97201688

Offi ces in Qurum opposite City

Center.# 94051789-97201688

Duplex villa in Qurum 29.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

SCRAP COMPANYFOR SALE OR RENT

(BARKA)An excellent Grade 1 Scrap Company, fully certi fi ed is available with compound

and furnished offi ce, in Barka Industrial Area.

Contact: 24707088, 98283896

Villa is composed of 5 bedrooms

and sitting toilets and 5 living

room, kitchen and Seeb (North

Al Hail). Contact: 91130875

For Rent near ONTC Bus stop Ruwi.

Contact: 99475052/99502708

Shop for rent near Al Nahdha

Hospital. Contact: 97380548 /

99680499

1/2/3 bedrooms fl ats at Al Hail

including utilities bills 92817777

Modern offi ce space for rent at

MBD area near Atlas hospital.

Contact: 98825805/98825806

Email: info@rns-group.com

2 Bed room fl at for rent in AL

Azaiba, well maintained, split A/Cs

300/- PM. Contact : 92447365

1B/R apartment executive fully

furnished at AL Khuwair 33 & 5

B/R villa unfurnished at Madinat

Al Ilam & 5 B/R villa furnished at

Madinat Al Ilam. Contact: Atlas

Real Estate & rent a car LLC 24834

888/99249069/92888376/94617

563 Email: info@alshahiintl.com

Flats for rent in Ruwi Mumtaz

area 2 bedroom. Contact:

91409667/24291500

Flat for rent in Al Hail

south 2 bedroom. Contact:

91409667/24291500

Luxury villa of 5 BHK in Al Khuwair

33 RO.650/- Contact – 91776665

Commercial offi ce at prime

location in Azaiba for rent. 171sq.

mtr. Contact: - 91398925

For rent 1 B/R Apartment Execu-

tive Fully Furnished @ Al Khuwair

33, 5 B/R Villa – Unfurnished @

Madinat Al Ilam 5 B/R Villa – }

Furnished @ Madinat Al Ilam

Please Contact: Atlas Real Estate

& Rent A Car LLC24834888/

99249069 / 92888376/94617563

/ Email: info@alshahiintl.com

2 BHK apartment in

Al Wadi Al Kabir.

Contact 93252324, 99364041.

2 BHK Flats for rent, Muttrah near

Oman house S/ AC.

Contact: 97007934 / 92629232

New fl ats for rent at Darsait near

to ministry of sports, Mumtaz area

the fl ats include 1 living room, 2

Bedroom, kitchen, 3 toilets every

room with split A/C & high Quality

fi nishing, rent per fl at is R.O 340/-.

Interested candidates please

Contact: 00968- 92225523

One bedroom fl at with big balcony

in al Ghubra near Oman Oil of 18

November street. OMR 280 Month-

ly. Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or

97509955

*Classifi ed Advertisement space booking with text, should be done

till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space

availability

Steel Scrap materials for

immediate sale:

Contact 99273774/ 99202278

Special Dental Center for sale.

2 Dentist room, dental lab, full

brand instruments with external

public pharmacy in Muscat.

Contact no. 99019144

Accommodation available at

Al Hail Keralite family only.

Contact: 96234708

Fully furnished room with attached

bath for Executive bachelor, behind

Al Meera hypermarket, Azaiba

150/-R.O. Contact: 99455735

Single room attached bath, kitchen

in Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99336206

Room available in Mumtaz area 1

room, 1 Bathroom, Kitchen & 1 room,

common bathroom. Interested

please Contact: 92680041 Mr. Altaf

Furnished room for an Indian in

Al-Khuwair33 - 95234062

RUNNING CONDITION CONCRETE BATCHING PLANT READY FOR SALE

A UK manufactured Pemat Mixer, Econoncrete, Alkon Control systems, 3CBM Per Batch, 90CBM Installed / 50CBM Per Hour Producti on Capacity, in a Good & currently running conditi on, Concrete Batching Plant ready for Sale, as is where is basis.

Interested parti es can visit our yard for physical check up at our yard in Azaiba, with prior appointment with Mr Mateen 92892209 / Mr Sreejith - 99478263

Off ers in sealed envelopes to be handed over to Head Finance SRM&C asap.

GOOD CONDITION PORATCABIN OFFICE FOR SALE

A ready to use Portacabin Offi ce, measuring apprx. 450 square meters, with accessories like doors / windows intact and faciliti es like, space for 12 offi ces, wash room, pantry, prayer room, with excellent conditi on, suitable to be uti lised as Site Offi ce is ready for sale.Interested parti es may please visit and check and forward Off ers to Head Finance SRM&C in a sealed Envelope.

For inspecti on and checking please contact Mohd Aqueel – 99338619 / Archie 99256757

1 & 2 BHK Ruwi C.B.D.

Contact: 99024730

3 BHK fl at near Darsait ID medical.

RO 420/- Contact – 99358589 /

97079146 / 95570288

Villa for rent in Al Khuwair.

Contact: 96571151

1BHK fl at near Star Cinema 220/-

Contact 99358589 /95570288

Flats two bed room for rent in

Al Khuwair. Contact: 96571151

2 clean & spacious fl ats with A/C,

fi rst fl at is behind City center Al

Seeb consist of 2 bedroom and liv-

ing room second fl at is in Al Khoud

3 consist of 1 bedroom and living

room. Contact: 93366421

1& 2 BHK fl ats for rent at Hamriya Wadi Adai, Al Khoud,

Mabela & shop at Al Khoud & land

line Contact: 24834644 GSM

93994401/02/03 3 lines

Two bedroom fl at in Al Ghubra

near Oman Oil of 18 Novem-

ber street. OMR 330 Monthly.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360 or

97509955.

Near Hamriya Roundabout for

executive bachelors (no kitchen,

furniture and A/c available) includ-

ing water & electricity OMR 130.

Contact 98145825, 98949724.

2 BHK Flat for Rent (with split AC)

available for commercial or resi-

dential purpose in Al Khuwair Near

Badr Al Saama Polyclinic. Contact

9129 8773 / 9450 4213

FOR SALE

CAT Excavator with Bucket

Model: 330D, Year: 2007(Finance Available)

Contact: 99654205, 99338410

Mini Furnished Apartment in

Qurum. #94051789-97201688

Offi ces & Showrooms in Al Khoud. #94051789-97201688

Tharumalinkan Chanthiran has

lost India Passport No. J 6233291.

Finder please handover to ROP

Najeemiya Kamarudeen Seyed Ahmed has lost Sri Lankan Pass-

port No.N 4417933. Finder please

handover to ROP

I Thayyil Shindu ( holder of

Indian passport No. L 9735252)

S.O Sivanandan having permanent

residence in Kizhinkirath House

Chelavoor P.O Calicut -673571,

kerala (Complete postal address

in India) and presently residing in

AL Bustan , Muttreh P.O Box. 1998 (

Complete postal address in Oman)

intend to marry Ms Rose Mary

Calado Talania holder of Pilipinas

passport bearing No. EB 8604693

D/O of Rey caasi Talania in Sultan-

ate of Oman according to Hindu/

rites. I swear that I am marrying

her at my own free will and not

under any duress and intimidation.

Any objection towards this Mar-

rying may please be communi-

cated to Embassy of India , Muscat,

Diplomatic Quarters , AL Khuwair,

PB No. 1727 , PC 112 , Ruwi ,

Sultanate of Oman.

DAILY GUIDED4 T U E S D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

SITUATION WANT-SIT. WANTED

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifi eds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

BEAUTY

DRIVER

MEDICAL

ADMIN

ADMIN

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

SALES / MARKETING

Required urgently a Legal Consultant/ Lawyer for reputed

law fi rm in Sohar, Muscat. Can-

didates should have 5-7 years

experience as a Legal Consultant/

Lawyer with good knowledge of

Computer & should be fl uent in

English both written & spoken.

Email C V to shejaanil66@gmail.

com or Contact 99153620

between 8am to 1pm & 2pm to

5.30 pm on Sunday to Thursday

MBA Finance Indian lady 23

yrs currently on visit visa family

resident Oman seeking opportunity

for career enhancement in suitable

fi rms ready to join immediately.

Contact: 99872664 /92651331

Part Time Accounting, Accounts

Finalization as per IFRS, Audit

Preparation, Project Report, Training

for Accountants, Internal Audit,

Accounting System for New

Companies, Contact: 96975454,

email:ibfc.gcc@gmail.com

Indian male good experienced in

Accounts, ERP Tally 9 & Admin in

India & Oman, presently on visit

visa, looking for suitable placement.

Contact 94834687

Indian male 25 yrs, Graduate in

commerce, overall 5 yrs exp in ac-

counts/ fi nance fi eld. On visit visa.

Immediately available.

Contact – 92836216 /

muhammad.tausif623@gmail.com

Contact -91262604Email: chillapalli76@gmail.com

Wanted female GP, female Gynecologist, female Staff

Nurse, female X- Ray Technician With MOH license for Al Saadi

Specialized Medical Centre in Musanna.

DOMESTIC HELP

Indian male, 28, Post Graduate, 6

years exp. in Oman in Sales and

Credit Control , with valid Oman D/L

looking for suitable placements.

NOC available. Ph: 9206 6523

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Indian male, 26 with MBA (Finance

/ Marketing) having 2 years experi-

ence in (Accounts / Finance) on visit

visa looking for suitable position

immediately joining available.

Contact: 92989197 Email:

abdulqhizer2004@gmail.com

CA with 16 years experience in

fi nance / audit, seeking suitable

senior position and available for im-

mediate joining. Contact: 96320588

Indian male 30 B.com, 6 yrs

accounts exp in East Africa & 1year

exp in Oman NOC available. Looking

for suitable placement.

Contact: 94613626

Email: sharis.shaheer@gmail.com

Accounts part time services

available to handle all accounts up

to fi nalization, on Monthly basis

fi nalization and consulting works.

Contact: 96247295

Accounting Assistant, BBA M.Com,

tally, peach tree, can work on current

visa ph: 98269281

Part time up to fi nalization.

Contact: 91126314

Indian Accountant with experi-

ence in fi nancial/cost accounting,

Administration, HR and Mate-

rial Management in construction

(more than 30 years) seek suitable

placement. Contact 98598099

Indian male accountant with 7

years experience in Oman seeking

for suitable placement NOC avail-

able. Contact: 95578150 Whatsapp

BBM graduate with 3 years expe-

rience looking for job in fi nance /

Admin / retail currently on visit

visa. Contact: 98993590 Email:

mohammedasitucm@gmail.com

Indian male, B.Com with 6 years

experience as an Accountant,

looking for suitable placement.

Mob: 93903458 ,

Email : Akkandyrijesh@gmail.com

2 years experience in Oman for

accountants seeks suitable place-

ment. Contact: 99615920

Indian male bachelor degree

fi nance 3.5 years experience

in Oman handling cargo opera-

tion and accounts Oman driving

license holder seeking job in lo-

gistics account. Contac: 95137665

Email: shajeer002@gmail.com

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, with

13yrs experience, 6 yrs Oman in

manufacturing, trading & contract-

ing Cos, capable of handling all

accounting, fi nance, banking, L/C,

import, export & fi nalization seeks

placement. NOC Available.

Call+968-98932752,

mail:jjohnmuscat@hotmail.com

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT-M. Com

Finance-Indian with 7 years expe-

rience in Finance & Accounts up to

fi nalization. Currently employed in

Oman. Having D/L & NOC.

Mob: 94122464,

Email: cammk13@gmail.com

Accounting Services for small/

medium Businesses. Accounting

from Data Entry to preparation

of P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash fl ow

and complete reports for auditing

contact: 99679247

Indian male Accountant having

B.Com, M.Com with 7 years

experience up to fi nalization look-

ing job, on tourist visa ready to join

immediately. Contact: 91651695

Email: danishpa2005@gmail.com

Indian female 25 yrs, MBA HR &

Marketing, with one and half years

experience as accountant and

6 months experience in teaching,

now on a visit visa,

seeking suitable position.

Contact: 99624044,

mail: np.neethu1@gmail.com.

Indian female Accountant 8 yrs

exp in Oman. Contact: 93726921

Indian male, MBA in fi nance with

more than 6 years of experience,

profi ciency in accounting software

like tally, focus SAP (FICO) etc

seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 98665219 Email Id:

abdulhameed1527@gmail.com

Indian male 12 yrs exp in

accounts location Sohar .

NOC available. Contact :91212471,

Email: rennyj6@gmail.com

Young 24, ACCA affi liate,

Advanced diploma in Accounting

and Business, seeking suitable

placement in Accounts, Finance or

audit With valid driving license.

Contact - 92430152,

Email - rau_dey@yahoo.com

EDUCATION

Bangladeshi male having MBA

(fi nance) & M.com (accounting)

with 2 yrs exp. looking for suitable

placement have valid D/L & NOC.

Contact :968 92491009,

Email: rasubiswas4@gmail.com

Indian male 35 years, BBM,

diploma in accounts manage-

ment & banking, 5 years experi-

ence in Oman as sales executive

& accountant, with valid Oman

D/L, seeking suitable placement

in Muscat. Contact: 98163037/

92683606 Email:

abhi.abrahan09@gmail.com

Indian male 34 Yrs, Dual MBA

Finance and marketing with IT

skills, 7+ yrs of experience, Look-

ing for suitable placement.

Contact : 94879615,Email-

sajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com

Urgently required a Gulf experi-enced professional hair dresser cum beautician (lady) for a

reputed beauty salon, immediate

appointment. Contact: 99816262

/ 98557585 Fax: 24796211 Email:

skin.hair.makeup@gmail.com

A Well reputed Media Company looking for professional market-ing ladies with experience,

visa available. Send CV to

job08080@gmail.com or

Contact: 98563312

Experienced Graduates/MBAs with pleasing personality, excel-

lent communication skills and

own car for sales & marketing with

leading media enterprise.

jobs@interacoman.com

A Leading trading group is looking for Sales executives / Outdoor sales Co-coordinator having experience in construction

equipment / Building materials

with driving license & Release /

NOC. Email CV to

alhajoil@omantel.net.om or

fax: 24701683

Urgently Required Steel Fabri-cated Products Salesman with

an experience in steel fabrication,

MUST have Oman driving license,

and immediately join. Apply,

fax 00968–24605955, emails

sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com,

sbeoman@yahoo.com

Building material company look-ing for a Marketer with experi-

ence. Contact: 95342240 &

send CV to Email:

venice.decoration@gmail.com

Urgently required Marketing Executive with driving license

for sales of furniture. Contact:

97164554 / 99452755

Email: aliasgar.tarwadi@yahoo.

com

Wanted experienced Sales Person for show room related

to safety products (PPE) having

knowledge of computer, driving

license is an added advantage.

Contact: 99344106/99893938

Urgently required a building maintenance / cleaning person worked in gulf if Oman has already

completed 2 years stay in India.

Contact: 99231676

Required experience carpenter & Gypsum worker for interior fi t-out.

Contact: 98825805/98825806

Email: info@rns-group.com

Need master cutter, tailor for tai-

lor shop. Contact: 99825211

Required experienced Accountant for group of restaurant.

Visa available. Contact: 99190190

Audit Assistants. Email: aoabmuscat@gmail.com

QHSSE ADVISOR - Interna-

tional Oilfi eld Services Company

requires a NEBOSH qualifi ed

QHSSE Advisor (Omani National)

to ensure continual improvement

in our Muscat base. Main duties

to include Journey Management,

supporting implementation of

policies and procedures, mentor-

ing staff , training coordination,

reporting, audit & inspection and

risk assessment. Submit CV to

me-job@interwell.com

Required Cleaners & offi ce boys. Contact 24707833

Urgently required House Maid Cum Cook for an Indian Business Family.

Call for Interview 99471085

Keralite house maid required for 3

hrs evening part time job at Ghubra.

Contact:92448315

Looking for Indian or Bangla-deshi cook and Porata, Chapatti, maker for restaurant at Misfah.

Contact: 95212017

Wanted experienced continental cook for reputed family in Qurum.

Contact: 99466062

Required Cook, Omani food &

continental experienced. Visa

available. Contact: 99190190

CATERINGRequired Yacht Captain for a marine tour company in Muscat,

English speaking and valid boat

driving license. Contact: 92014572

TOURS/TRAVELS

Required Female Teacher to teach

Physics and Maths for grade

11 girl, studying at Al Ibdaa PS.

Tel 99227839)

MISCELLANEOUS

URGENTLY REQUIREDMobile

TechnicianContact:

91577519/99737812

Décor Company looking for an Engineer or Technician deco-

rated with experience. Contact:

95342240 & send CV to Email:

venice.decoration@gmail.com

Senior Factory Control Room Operator Required for a Manufac-

turing Company in Oman. Candi-

date should possess a Diploma in

Electrical and Electronics

Engineering with minimum

5 years of experience.

Candidates who have experience

in Oman are preferred. Kindly

forward relevant resumes to

info.companyoman@yahoo.com

Local man power required for one

year for construction.

Contact: 99340205

Email: omaniantrad@gmail.com

One of the leading Business

Groups in Oman is looking for

Secretary- male / Secretary – Female / Accountant / Driver with valid Omani license

& Laborer (loading & unloading). Interested candidates

may apply to

muscat.supply@gmail.com

Required candidates for following

posts: Accountant, Storekeeper, Foreman Building Maintenance, Van-salesman (water), Helpers. Candidates with Omani driving

license preferred.

Contact 99273774/99202278

Wanted experienced English speaking Indian driver for reputed

family in Qurum.

Contact: 99466062

Urgently required heavy duty driver for trailer. Contact: Krishnan 99310859 or

24449345

An Indian light driver. Contact: 24705605, Ruwi

ENGINEER

LOOKING FOR SALES EXECUTIVES &

SALES ENGINEERS WITH AT LEAST TWO YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD

OF EARTHMOVING EQUIPMENTS,

CRUCHERS, QUARRY & MINING INDUSTRY.

Email: applyinggchr@gmail.com

Required gynecologist GEN: practitioner lady lab Technician and pharmacologist immediately

for a clinic in Suwaiq.

Contact: 95081010

Email: umchealthcare@gmail.com

Required gynecologist GEN: practitioner lady lab Technician and pharmacologist immediately

for a clinic in Suwaiq.

Contact: 95081010

Email: umchealthcare@gmail.com

Vacancy dermatologist doctors & internal medicine for inquiry or

send CV. Contact: 24571094/

Fax: 24571097

Email: zmczahara@yahoo.com

Experienced CEO required

Kindly send your emails :- issa@nibras.om, kevin@nibras.om

Omani Based Group of companiesRunning a midsized successful holding organization

With multi discipline of fi elds is looking for an active CEO with minimum of ten years Experience

who has a global Business outlook, he should have strong leadership, and be able to give clear direction

and guidance to the management team.

FMCG is looking for a SALES SUPERVISOR - Bachelor ‘s degree on the same fi eld- 5 Years experience in the (FMCG) fi eld.- Minimum Age 30 to 40 years- Speaks English and Arabic- Driving license

Ready to directly of work Send your CV to Email :

receptionist@mescooman.com

26/Pakistani Male/MBA-HR

having 2 years of experience in

HR with MN Insurance Company

and banking industry is currently

in OMAN on VISIT VISA & looking

for a suitable job in HR, ADMIN or

FINANCE.

Email ahmadraja010@gmail.com

GSM 91716268/93228785

Indian female Graduate over

6 years experience in Admin

operations support with excellent

communication skills looking for

suitable job. Contact: 94231020

Indian male MBA 33yrs having 10

yrs of exp seeking full time suit-

able placement in Administration/

HR/ Operations/ Coordination/

Logistics. Holding valid D/L.

Contact 99054786

MBA with 18 years of experi-

ence in Procurement, 2 years

in Sohar, Oman driving license

with vehicle, looking for suitable

position.M:94047501,

ahmed16071974@gmail.com

Indian female 27 yrs Masters

in computer, 2 yrs exp in admin.

Looking for full-time or part-time

jobs Contact: 99417993

Looking for H.R Admin Assistant post or any related position, cur-

rently on visit visa, available for

immediate placement Qualifi ca-

tion MBA H.R. Contact: 94665450

Email:

paulwesleywilliaams@yahoo.com

Indian Female, MBA-HR having 8+

experience in Administration/HR,

Customer Support, Offi ce Coordina-

tor with good Computer skill, Now

on Visit Visa,looking for suitable

position.Contact: 90196235

Indian male MBA- UK 18 yrs Gulf

exp in Administration/ HR & Pub-

lic relationship. Fluent in Arabic/

English with D/L. Looking for suit-

able position. Contact - 99897280

Indian female, Masters in HR,

having 4 + years Oman experience

in media management and HR,

looking for openings in HR, Educa-

tion, Admin, Corporate communi-

cations. Contact 98252030

Young Omani male have experi-

ence 12 years as P.R.O , Clerk

helper supervisor Admin supervi-

sor , H.R Manager have diploma in

H.S.E, IT and P.D.O license looking

for H.R position or P.R.O license .

Looking for H.R position or P.R.O

part time or full time.

Contact: 95933288

REQUIRED PROJECT MANAGER

For an Infra/ Bldg project in Duqm/Oman

Graduate Engineer with 20+ years experience preferably

in Oman/ GCC with valid D/L and transferable visa,

computer literate.

Send CV to Email : omanproject2011@gmail.com

REQUIRE Primavera

Project Planner for outside Muscat

Project. Civil Engineer with min 10yrs planning

experience in Infra/Building projects Please send CV to

capsspac@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING

Required building material outdoor sales man with Omani

driving license

3 years experience in outdoor.

Contact: 24817708

Required marketing Executives females in Muscat with Oman

driving license. Email:

excellentchoice1ccs@gmail.com

Required male / female Market-ing person for man power Supply

Company with minimum 3 years

experience with valid GCC / Oman

driving license.

Contact: 97158893 / 94148972.

Kindly send CV at

Email: rastllcmuscat@gmail.com

Chartered Accountant - Indian,

9 yrs + Exp (7 yr in Oman & UAE) in

Finance, Accounts & Auditing, seek-

ing suitable position in Muscat/

Dubai ASAP, Can Join Immediately,

NOC Available, Contact : 98707434 /

casmart007@gmail.com

28/male/MBA - fi nance/B.Com -

Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/

India experience looking for a

suitable placement. #90187483

shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com

Indian Male Accountant 10yrs

Exp. in OMAN Retail & Furni-

ture Co. (Release Available)

GSM.92564955

DAILY GUIDET U E S D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 6 , 2 0 1 6 D5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

DRIVER

ADMIN

CATERING

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

Indian Kerala male 39 well exp

commis chef /cook / supervising

in hotel / catering seeking suitable

placement. Contact: 98137476

Cooks (Arabic Indian) gulf exp

looking job. Contact: 99531802

Finance / Project/Program Manager ProfessionalQualifi cati ons : MBA, PMP, Six Sigma

Country Exposure Canada & Middle East, Industry Any Nati onality

Canadian, In Person Interview on Sundays

Contact No: 97203531, +923352855176

Interior Designer 4 years experi-

ence design and supervision skills

(3D Max, AutoCAD Photoshop.

Contact: 95246737

Email: yassalnajjar@gmail.com

DOMESTIC HELP

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

EDUCATION

Indian Lecturer Lady, MTECH

with 5+ years teaching experience

in Electrical engineering - RUWI-

95073922 /

chithrarakeshkumar@gmail.com

Indian male Electrical Engineer, 7 years experience, valid GCC driving

license, NOC available looking for

suitable job. Contact: 96137008

Email: joshuaruarkfernandez@gmail.

com

Electrical diploma Engineer with

1.5 years experience in AutoCAD

designing for LV constructions and

diesel generator maintenance look-

ing actively for job in Oman.

Contact: 92171858/90595609

Email: nelsondas213@gmail.com

Indian male – B.Tech -8 yrs exp in

Mfg (operations /material)

seek suitable placement urgently -

NOC & Oman D/L available -

Contact 99462086 /

Email: vale_jazib@yahoo.com

Indian male, 22 Chemical Engineer residing in Oman looking for suitable

placement. Contact: 92379181

Mechanical Engineer (B.Tech) with

QA / QC piping Engineering (ASNT)

level 2 (UT, RT, MPT, LRT) with

experience QC Inspector in a expan-

sion project of a refi nery. Currently

on visiting working for suitable job.

Contact: 00968 97697944

Email: arskpo7@gmail.com

Project Engineer (Civil) Indian Male

11 years in Building Construction.

Visa release & D/L available.

Contact: 93836362/94605415,

mathan.civil04@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer (B.Tech) with

2 and half years experience Indian

male 24 years in visit visa. Contact:

96620482 / + 919605423272

Email: bijumonps@gmail.com

27 years male diploma in Civil

Eng having 6 years Oman experi-

ence valid driving license seeking

suitable placement. Contact:

98809638 /98666735

Civil Engineer with Oman experi-

ence and having driving license.

Contact - 91102892

Civil Engineer B.E 12 years

experience with valid Oman

driving license NOC available.

Contact: 93843448

Civil Engineer B.E (Indian) having

total experience 14 years in build-

ing construction NOC available.

Contact 92971284

Email: mkamran1508@gmail.com

Civil Engineer (B-Tech) 2 year In-

dian experience contact 90493674

email-

inayathhussainshaik@gmail.com

Civil Engineer (B. Tech) Indian

male with 3 years experience

skilled in the area quantity survey-

or, primavera, MS Excel, AutoCAD.

Contact: 00968 94853061, E mail:

arunmohan.13990@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer (4 years

exp) (3 years HVAC 10 months

Piping Engineer) job visa Indian

Muslim (27). Contact: 90486758

Email: afsalhyder@gmail.com

Indian Civil Eng., (BE) 16 years

exp in Oman const. having driving

license & NOC. Contact : 99446335

Email: sonymathew76@yahoo.com

Technical Analysis Trainer with

automated trading system (NSE)

looking for a job. Contact: 91285811

Diploma in Civil Engineering

having an experience 16 years

(8 years in Oman) looking for

a suitable placement. Contact:

95900744 / 98028329

Email: skalam744@gmail.com

B.E .Mechanical Engineer Indian

over 4 yrs of exp in HVAC design

auto cad drafting on visit visa.

Contact 90305596, Email:

shaikrizwan330@gmail.com

Mechanical Eng. Diploma 31

years experience (22 Oman) Steel

fabrication, steel furniture, Powder

coating, Production and Planning.

Machine shop, looking for

Managerial position in Sohar.

Contact 99314899

Chemical Engineer Sudanese

male 29 yrs. Master degree in

chemical engineering , Experience

1 yrs and 2 months OSHA Course

,HACCP Course , look for suitable

job in Oman. Contact 96533430

HOSPITALITY

Hospitality/Hotel/ Restaurants

Dynamic result oriented hospital-

ity professional with 20 years of

international exp. MBA in Hotel

Management, specializing in Hotel/

Restaurant start ups, concepts &

Franchise development with proven

records. Seeking for Challenging

positions in reputed groups as GM/

COO/CEO/Business Head. (NOC

available) Contact: 96059470

Civil Engineer 6 years experience, 4

years in Oman, driving license avail-

able. Contact number 92553263

Telecom Engineer, Indian, M.Tech

(Communication System) 2 years

exp O& M of Ericsson BSC, RNC

equipments seeking suitable job,

presently on visit visa.

Contact: 968 93615443

Email: shabnaspk@gmail.com

Diploma Engineer looking for job

(Civil) 7 years experience in Oman.

Contact: 92076339

Process Engineer Chemical Engi-

neer, MBA certifi ed in supply chain

(MGT) 6 years experiences in opera-

tion. Contact: +968 94690325 Email:

phahad.hashim@gmail.com

Indian male Electrical Engineer with MBA (Mktg) having 4 and half

years experience in technical com-

mercial and marketing fi elds with

valid GCC D/L, NOC available seeking

placement. Contact: + 968 96547828

Email: deva0234@gmail.com

Civil Engineer diploma, 4 yrsexp

seeks suitable position ina reputed

company. NOC available.

Contact – 96789711

HSE Engineer B.Tech (safety & fi re)

M. Sc 8 years experience

Indian 31 years presently occupied

on notice period available with clean

NOC, holds Oman driving license &

owns car. Contact: 94616721

Email: aibelg19@gmail.com

B.Sc Civil Engineer, 27 yrs Oman

experience as Project Manager,

Structure Engineer looking for suit-

able placement. NOC / LOCAL trans-

fer available. Contact: 99349578

Email: farooqatm@hotmail.com

Procurement Engineer (27 years

single male with Oman Driving Li-

cense) having 7 years experience

(UAE 2, Oman 3) with expertise in

MEP, Water, Electromechanical,

Instrumentation seeking suitable

placements. Contact 95852033,

mail: hemal1988@gmail.com

Indian male Nurse Prometric 70%

with MOH license. Smart & fl uent

in English. Ready for immediate

joining. Contact – 92194649

Male GP Doctor with NOC 6 yrs

experience in Oman for perm/locum

job. Contact : 97746074

Indian Bsc Female Nurse with

6.5 years exp, 4 years in KSA.

Passed Oman Pro Metric with 69%,

completed data fl ow. Presently in

Muscat in visit visa looking for a

suitable placement.

Contact 94744900, 94742834,

jincyalphonese@gmail.com

An experienced Sudanese female Dentist with MOH license look-

ing for job. Contact 96436517

/97396088

MANAGER

MEDICAL

A Female Postgraduate with over 5

years of working experience in HR/

Business Development/Banking/Ad-

min/Coordinative/Secretarial duties

seeks a suitable placement.

Contact 99357522/92800281

Indian male, MCA, 15 years

experience in Oracle, developer,

Orion Sage ERP, 5 years in Oman

working as IT In charge, with NOC

release and transferable visa.

Contact: 95398567,

Email: anasa4@gmail.com

Diploma holder in computer hard-

ware and networking with more

than 9 years experience and with

driving license seeking suitable

placement. Contact: 95249087

BCA Indian male one years expe-

rience system Admin IT support

MCITP CCNA looking for suitable

job currently on visit visa.

Contact: 94821943

Email: basithmck@gmail.com

AutoCAD draftsman experience 2 years.

Contact: 93738335 /95809393

Email: mammoosing@gmail.com

Indian male 27 yrs master in

computer applications currently in

Muscat with Oman driving license

seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 93191800

Email: vijilraj60@gmail.com

Indian Male, IT System Engineer

having 4 yrs of experience in sys-

tem administration.CCNA,MCSE,

Linux. Looking for suitable job.

Contact :91272867

Indian Female, MSC, 2.5 Yrs

experience in Infosys Ltd as senior

systems engineer. Currently on

family visa. Area of expertise-

Java, Ecommerce, IBM-Sterling,

SQL, C/C++, Oracle, Java script.

Looking for suitable job opportuni-

ties. Contact: 93092729

Indian female 28 years, MCA,

B.com, 3 years experience in the

fi eld of computer hardware, ERP

software and windows network-

ing where planning, implementing

and troubleshooting with multiple

platform of OS Microsoft XP /7/8

on visit visa. Contact: 95089170

Email: anjuretnakar@gmail.com

Indian male 25 years BSC (C.S)

with basic hardware and software

knowledge seeks suitable place-

ment now on visit visa. Contact:

92319677

Email: ismabsc@gmail.com

Indian male having B. Tech

C.C.NA M.C.SA 3years Saudi expe-

rience in IT System Administrator,

2 years experience in Networking

(routing & switching) & server

administrator presently on visit

visa looking suitable placement.

Contact: 92339064 Email :

anshadsainullabdeen@gmail.com

Indian female, B.Tech graduate,

with one and half years experience

as ‘web developer’ interested in

web development and has experi-

ence working in HTML, CSS, Boot-

strap, JavaScript and Photoshop.

Contact : 9592 7075, e-mail id:

mariarosejacob90@gmail.com

LOGISTICS

IT

ARCHITECTURE

Indian female diploma in archi-

tecture having 5 years of working

experience in Oman (Engg Consul-

tancy having valid Oman driving

license. Contact: 96683293

Wanted driver. Contact:

91025698

Looking for job driver K.S.A 7

years & Oman 5 years education

H.S.C. Contact: 93940319

Looking for truck visa.

Contact: 94087276

Looking for driving job.

Contact: 98255214

3 years driver experience in

Muscat Oman, language known:

English, Hindi Arabic & Bengali.

Contact: 97462781

Indian heavy duty driver having

15 years experience in Oman NOC

available. Contact: 91395329

/94730087

Driver with car 2015 model,

speak British English.

Contact: 94039796

Embassy experienced driver with

17 years experience seeks suitable

placement. Contact: 92191698

Driver with release Oman

4 years, K.S.A 12 years exp.

Contact: 93885404

Pakistani light driver looking

for job with 5 years experience.

Contact: 92617293

Looking job for driving with car.

Contact: 90436094

Looking for job car driver.

Contact: 98388947

Light driver looking for job

experience 8 years.

Contact: 94297563

Light driver. Contact: 99141481

Light driver looking for job.

Contact : 95494310

Light driver need job knows

Arabic & Hindi.

Contact: 95145988

Looking job L.T.V with car,

without car. Contact: 94436276

Driver, 5 years experience in

Oman looking for job.

Contact : +968 99139890

Job for driving. Contact: 98982410

Housemaid (overseas) Indian

family looking for job.

Contact 99531802

Indian Male, 36 years, over 16

years’ Stores, Logistics and Import

Export experience with US based

MNC, seeks suitable placement.

Mob: 9822 6568

Civil Engineer 8 years experience

in Oman as a project engineer for

governmental & private projects.

Contact – 90164912

Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian

male 24 years with 1+years Indian

experience,(Certifi ed in Staad

Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).

Looking for a Suitable position.

Available In Sultanate of Oman

(Muscat) on Visit Visa.

Contact: 92835952. E-mail:

mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com

Indian male Electrical Engineer, having 6 years gulf experience in

designing, assembling, commis-

sioning execution etc having valid

GCC license too looking for a suit-

able. Contact: 00968-98052942

Email: azamjeelani78@gmail.com

Electrical Testing Engineer (B.Tech) having 7 yrs Gulf expe-

rience expertise in testing pre-

commissioning commissioning of

electrical systems, currently on visit

visa seeks suitable job in Muscat.

Contact: 90188231

Mechanical Engineer male 26 yrs,

with 4 yrs of experience in manu-

facturing oil & gas retail, brand pro-

moting, marketing, logistics having

valid Omani D/L seeking for a suit-

able placement. Contact: 97098676

Email: ja237le@gmail.com

Indian male, Mechanical

Engineer having 1year experi-

ence, on visit visa looking for

suitable job. Contact:97416564,

Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com

Civil Engineer 8 years experience

Structural buildings marine. Availa-

ble NOC release. Contact: 92451323.

Email: zubairali134@yahoo.com

Seeking for Job: Male Bachelor of

Science In Industrial Technology

Graduate Job Exp.6yrs water safe-

ty rescue/lifeguard/scuba diving

Contact: 96094260 / 96023570

Electrical Engineer with 18 years

exp in UAE. Contact: 98148034

Email: shassalih66@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer B.Tech with

4 yrs experience in India available

on visit visa looking for suitable

placement. Contact: 94741401 /

97239852 Email:

sobinthomask05@gmail.com

Indian male 26 yrs have 6 yrs

exp in technical assistant in tyre

production, visit visa at Ruwi.

Contact: 92600859

Civil diploma Engineer cum

quantity survey male 6 years

experience in Oman valid Oman

D/L. Contact: 93747759 Email:

jaleelvanimalkp@gmail.com

B.Tech Mechanical Engineer Experienced from Indian & Sin-

gapore, experience in QA/QC is

looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 98919114

7 Yrs Exp. PM in Mech. Engg in

the fi eld of Building Const. Oil &

Gas Seeking Job.94625598

Indian female (22) BE Computer

Science & pursuing MBA in sym-

biosis, looking for a job in HR & IT

with 2 years experience in IT fi eld.

Contact: 92649477 / 96043223

Indian male, Age 22, B.Tech,

Mechanical Engineer, seeking for

job on any position presently on

family visa. Contact 94597785

Indian female, 31 yrs, 7 yrs expe-

rienced as AutoCAD civil drafts-

man (2 yrs experience in Oman)

currently in Oman seeks suitable.

Contact 96789441

Email: simi5304@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer Indian male

30 years, having 5 years of experi-

ence in industrial automation and

utility maintenance in India (MRF

Tyres) holding valid Oman D/L.

Contact: 92789995 Email:

akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com

Offi ce Manager / personal As-

sistant with extensive experience in

overall admin, commercial activi-

ties, purchase, accounts with driving

license seeks suitable change. Local

release available. #99168054

A lady entrepreneur with BF Tech

1st Class (Fashion Technology)

since 2006 in Kerala like to make

change for better. Specialized in

designing, Production Manage-

ment, Fashion Art, Grading, Surface

ornamentation, Garment Construc-

tion. Email: prettyjinu08@gmail.

com Mobile: +919539397097.

Egyptian male fi nance manager

7 years experience release avail-

able. Contact: 95539923

Showroom & Offi ce &Purchase

manager with legal background

and operation management-6

years experience inside Oman

-An ongoing relationship with a

number of customers & supplier

in Oman-with valid Omani driving

license. Contact: 97792871 –

email : m.hossam1986@gmail.com

The Business Development Man-

ager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years

Inside and outside Oman follow-

ing activities: construction(Very

strong and qualifi ed to bringing

business for civil work Or any

type of the construction work for

many million per year with a good

experience in pricing and collect

payment and cash management of

the company & marketing projects

& investments& tenders & real

estate. Contact 92385033

MBA (marketing) with 17 years

experience in freight forwarding/

logistics industry in GCC & Oman.

Presently working as branch

manager in Muscat. Looking for a

suitable position. Release and NOC

available. Contact: 99856331

Indian male, with experience in

operations management, informa-

tion security, purchase & stores

mgmt, hold UAE driving license, on

visit visa, seeks suitable job.

Contact 91904541

Email: naushers@yahoo.com

The Business Development Manager, Iraqi, Experience 15

Years Inside and outside Oman

following activities: tenders& real

estate& construction & marketing

projects& investments &

transportation & Marine services&

companies management& develop

business. Contact: :-

92385033

MEP Engineer 5 years exp in Gulf

driving license NOC.

Contact 97838220

Mechanical Engineer with 3 Yrs

experience in international Oil

& Gas company looking for job

Contacts: Tel: 90164236 Email:

mustafaoshi-62@hotmail.com

Indian Electrical Engineer Btech,

female 24 seeking job, presently

in oman having 2 year experience

in design and estimation of Ht &Lt

projects. Contact 968 97436557,

Mail id : sibinanoop1@gmail.com

Diploma in Mechanical Eng piping system in AutoCAD work,

21+ years experience with Driving

license. Contact: 95267113

Email: rkakkaryil@gmail.com

Sri Lankan Engineer (27 Years

old) – B.Sc Engineering (Hon)

Mining / Geotechnical Presently

in Muscat, 1.5 years experience.

Contact 91295802 /

acmfaslan123@gmail.com

Indian Male 23 years B.Tech

Civil having 2 years experience in

quantity survey and site manage-

ment looking for suitable place-

ment. Contact:- 95042656

Iraqi Architect with 10 years of

experience in Engineering designs

and Construction Supervising

professional in 3Ds Max,

AutoCAD Photoshop.

Contact: 96011716

Civil Engineer (BE) having total

5 years experience in building

construction looking for a suitable

placement. D/L available

Contact# 94450270

Mechanical Engineer M.Tech

2 years experience HVAC design

& site Engg revit MEP Auto CAD.

Contact: 90150913 Email:

mahmanmechengg@yahoo.im

Indian female civil engineer

B.Tech having 3 years experience

sound knowledge of software,

REVIT STAD PRO structural detail-

ing currently on family visa seeks

suitable placement.

Contact: 95345591

Bachelor Civil Engineer 6 Years

in Oman experience Valid Driving

License seeks suitable placement

Phone 97619722

Email – golamrob@yahoo.com

Road and Construction Engineer with 5 years exp in Oman.

Contact: 97667113

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

Bangladeshi male, University

M.Com, Working as an Accountant

& Administrator in Oman;

searching better job.

Phone: 94864966

Email: sunrisetoiqbal@gmail.com

Well experienced COMMERCIAL/

PROCUREMENT MANAGER

Seeks immediate placement, Indian, over 26 years of

experience in import, purchase, logisti cs, commercial acti viti es.

Can join immediately.

Contact : 91048922 / 90502724 /

tk.sasi@gmail.com

Sudanese Telecom Engineer, 5 years experience, 3 years in

Oman PMP certifi cate.

Contact: 93391008 Email:

momen.awadallam@gmail.com

Civil Engineer 6 yrs Exp in Oman

with license. Contact: 98975518

Offi ce boy, exp, knows English/

Hindi, can work on current visa

94263603

Bachelor of Science in Agricul-

ture, Major in Animal Science,

Male, 5yrs experience in poultry

farm, seeking for job.

Contact 96093752.

A Filipina lady having experience

in call center, airline booking and

reservations, secretarial and real

estate is now looking for a job in

any fi elds. Contact: 93839304

Indian female on visit MBA

(International Business- Market-

ing & Logistics), BE (Computers &

Science Engg.) Trained in SAP-BI/

BW with 1 year experience

seeking for job Contact: 90228586

Email:fathimasha16@gmail.com

Graduate, computer literate,

experienced in sales, credit

control, accounts, Omani D/L ,

seeks suitable placement.

Gsm 98805474

DAILY GUIDED6 T U E S D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifi eds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

SITUATION WANTED

MISCELLANEOUS

Mechanical Engineer (Indian

Male, 24 Years) with three years

experience, looking for suitable

job. Currently on visit visa, ready

to join immediately.

Contact 92175441,

Email: ihabeeb24@gmail.com

Indian female, holds LLB

& Masters in business

administration(MBA),2 yrs oman

experience as HR & Admin, seeks

suitable placement in jobs @

SOHAR. Contact: 96541959

IT professional, B.E. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/

networking/server support, valid

Omani D/L seeking suitable place-

ment in IT/Network/Server sup-

port. Contact 92607532.

BS in Civil Engineering Experience: 3 Year (Road Projects)

Omani license: 9 Years.

Contact: 97427701

Email: hassanrvc1989@gmail.com

Indian Male, 26 years, with 7

years of experience in Sales Field

in shipping company in Dubai,

looking for suitable placement.

Experienced working in safety

Marine equipment and well versed

with MS Offi ce. Contact: 90182494

Accountant. Having 6 years

experience in accounts in reputed

companies. Presently working in

Muscat (NOC Available)

GSM. 00968-97010584, Email -

usman7678@yahoo.com

Iraqi civil Engineer with more

than 30 years experience in (Iraq,

U.A.E. and Oman) looking for a job,

(N.O.C.) is available.

Contact No. 95626218

Email- amin.sarim007@gmail.com

Bangladeshi male, University MA,

Working as Sales coordinator cum

Store In-charge in Muscat; search-

ing better job. Phone: 91997605

email: mohamednazrulislam2@

gmail.com

Indian Male ,MBA Finance &

Marketing 28 yrs,6+ Exp, with

oman D/L & NOC, Hospital Pharma

,Herbal ,FMCG, F&B Market-

ing ,construction A/c & sales ,

93379044

Diploma in civil engineering

having an experience 26years

(22years in Oman) experience

in Estimator / quantity surveyor

looking for a suitable placement.

Willing to join immediately

contact: 96328687.

Indian female, B.Tech graduate,

with one and half years experience

as ‘web developer’ interested in

web development and has experi-

ence working in HTML, CSS, Boot-

strap, JavaScript and Photoshop.

Contact 9592 7075, e-mail id:

mariarosejacob90@gmail.com

Indian male 26, on vist visa, 2+

yrs of experience with UAE D/L,

IATA-FIATA,BBA looking for any

suitable job. Contact 91324567

Bangladeshi Male, University MA,

Working as Sales coordinator cum

Store In-charge in Muscat; search-

ing better job. Phone: 91997605

email: mohamednazrulislam2@

gmail.com

33 year old Filipina with experi-

ence in Teleperformance, Manila

call centre ,now working as Wait-

ress in Qatar seeking suitable post.

Contact 99022484

9 yrs exp Site Engineer in Civil &

Shade Structure. 2d, 3d draughts-

man (HOLDING OMANI DRIVING

LICENSE) seeking job. #90139903

Bangladeshi Male, University

M.Com, Working as an administra-

tor in Oman; searching better job.

Phone:94864966,

email: sunrisetoiqbal@gmail.com

Bangladeshi Male, University MA,

Working as Sales coordinator cum

Store keeper in Muscat; searching

better job. Phone:91997605. E mail:

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com

Assistant Manager – Planning

(B.Tech EEE): Indian Male, over

10 years( 7+ Yrs in Oman & UAE)

of experience in Project Plan-

ning & Scheduling, Liaison &

Coordination, Budgeting and

Client Interaction. Seeking a

suitable Job in Muscat. Contact

– 00971503529608, Email Id:

saravananbe44@gmail.com

Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/net-

working/server, valid Omani D/L

seeking suitable placement in IT/

Network/Server support.

Contact 92607532

AVAILABLE

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirt-

ing, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery,

Crockery, Glassware, Chafi ng Dishes,

Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound

Systems and spectacular lighting.

Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering

and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound &

Light. ww.tunesoman.com,

E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

9 yrs exp Site Engineer in Civil &

Shade Structure. 2d, 3d draughts-

man (holding Oman driving

license) seeking job. #90139903

Indian Male, 26 years, With 7

years of experience in Sales Field

in shipping company in “Dubai”

, looking for suitable placement.

Experienced working in safety Ma-

rine equipment and well versed

with MS Offi ce. Contact: 90182494,

manojmallya999@gmail.com

Indian female 25 yrs, MBA HR &

Marketing, with one and half years

experience as accountant and 6

months experience in teaching,

now on a visit visa, seeking suit-

able position. Contact: 99624044,

mail: np.neethu1@gmail.com.

MBA (F), B.COM. Indian female

having knowledge of accounts

with Tally looking for full or part

time job. presently on family visit

visa. Contact :- 96259171. Email:-

bhumicapandya@gmail.com

Indian Male, 27 Years, MBA

Finance pursuing, BCA, 6 years

working in Airline Cargo Op-

erations, Airline Passenger Ticket

Auditing domain, looking for a

suitable placement, currently on

visit. email: jeevamal89@gmail.

com, Phone:- 91713489

Assistant Manager – Planning

(B.Tech EEE): Indian Male, over

10 years( 7+ Yrs in Oman & UAE)

of experience in Project Plan-

ning & Scheduling, Liaison &

Coordination, Budgeting and

Client Interaction. Seeking a

suitable Job in Muscat. Contact

– 00971503529608, Email Id:

saravananbe44@gmail.com

B.Com 5yrs experience good

command on tally, Excel sheet on

family visa. Contact: 98002428

Email: lubnakanwal36@gmail.com

Diploma in civil engineering

having an experience 26years

(22years in Oman) experience

in Estimator / quantity surveyor

looking for a suitable placement.

Willing to join immediately

Contact : 96328687.

Indian B.Tech 37 years Project

Engineer , 12 + years experience

in construction, maintenance of

STP, Pumping stations, sewer lines,

drinking water distribution and ser-

vice reservoirs & pipe lines. Contact:

99364007 / +91-887422635

Email: mdzubair01@gmail.com

Indian Mech Engineer, 9+ years

of Saudi experience in HVAC, MEP

oil & gas and hospital projects with

valid Saudi driving license can join

immediately. Contact: 99364007 /

+966-505899608

Email: shuebmech@gmail.com

Bangladeshi Male, University

MA, Working as Store keeper in

Muscat; searching better job.

Phone:91997605, email:

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.

com

Electrical Engineer with 11 years

experience in Electrical Design

(LV&HV) Villas , apartments ,

seek part time jobs.

Contact -91403412

Pakistani Male having 6 years

Experience Valid Omani Driving

license working as a Transport

Manager looking for a suitable

position. salary is negotiable.

mail: mohdnaveed043@gmail.

com, Mob: +96893363316 /

94202746

Indian male 25 yrs, MBA (Finance,

Marketing), Overall 2 yrs exp in

Accounts/Finance fi eld, On Visit

Visa. Immediately available.

Contact - 92989197/94786544.

abdulqhizer2004@gmail.com

Bangladeshi Male, University MA,

Working as Store keeper in

Muscat; searching better job.

Phone: 91997605,

email: mohamednazrulislam2@

gmail.com

Electronics service Technician , 4 Years experience as Electronics

service engineer. Knowledge in all

type of Electronics items. Looking

for suitable placement.

GSM- 99105043

Highly experienced mechanical/

steel structural fabrication engineer

looking for suitable placement. NOC

available. Contact: 99860714,

hussain20173@gmail.com.

Part- Time Accountant, well expe-

rience senior accountant ,doing all

type of accounting works, Finaliza-

tion, Budgeting available.

Contact 98803439

SITUATION WANTEDEDUCATION/COMPUTER/WEBSITE

Karate and self defense classes

at Azaiba 18 Nov Street. RO 10 per

month twice a week Monday and

Tuesday 6. 30 TO 7. 30. PM.

CONTACT 98294551

Spoken Arabic class for Non Arabic Speakers & English

class for Malayalam Speakers in Azaiba and Ruwi

• Learn in two months• Satisfaction guaranteed

Tel: 95244310

WEB, ERP and Business Intelli-

gence (BI) creation and man-

agement at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

MATRIMONIAL

M. Tech Girl Hyderabad SMP

invite alliance for their daughter

D.O.B 20.05.1989 Fair 5-2 groom

required graduate Engineer and

branch or pharmacist well settled

in gulf family status.

Contact: 94678861

22, Indian BBA graduate, 1 year

experience, presently on visit visa,

looking for suitable placement.

Contact 91881053

Bangladeshi Male, University

M.Com.Working as an Admin-

istrator cum Accountant in

Oman; searching better job.

Phone:94864966,

email: sunrisetoiqbal@gmail.com

Indian male M. Com 10 years of

experience looking for Part time

Job can do fi nalization #97433387

or thodaforme@gmail.com

IT professional, B.E. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/

networking/server support, valid

Omani D/L seeking suitable place-

ment in IT/Network/Server support.

Contact 92607532.

Light Driver looking for job.

Contact:99594946

Sudanese Mechanical Engineer

26 years old (male) with 4 years

experience as Mechanical engineer ,

Sales engineer and Call center agent

seeking suitable placement. Contact:

+968.90644235

Bangladeshi Male, University

M.Com Working as an Administrator

cum Accountant in man; searching

better job. Phone:94864966,

email: sunrisetoiqbal@gmail.com

MBA - (F), M.Com, B.COM. Indian

female having knowledge of ac-

counts with Tally looking for part

time or full time job. Presently on

family visa. Contact :- 91892264.

Email:- yv.dixit@yahoo.com

Bangladeshi Male, University

MA, Working as Sales administra-

tor in Oman; searching better job.

Phone:91997605, email:

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com

Indian Female, BE Electronics and

Communication, having oman ex-

perience looking for full time or part

time job. Ready to join immediately,

currently on family visa.

Contact : 92115948 / 99327912

Indian male B.Eng. in IT, CCNA,

MCSA, MCSE, 3yrs exp. in IT/net-

working/server, valid Omani D/L

seeking suitable placement in IT/

Network/Server support.# 92607532

Searching a land surveyor job fully

know latest instrument of Survey

GPS and Total station two year

OMAN experience.NOC Available.

Contact +96894144052,

Email- wasifnaz 313@yahoo.com

Indian male 34 Yrs., Dual MBA

Finance and marketing With IT

skills, 7+ yrs. of experience, looking

for suitable placement. Contact:

94879615, Email-

sajan_chacko1981@yahoo.com

B.TEC ( IT) . 24 years, 2 Years of

experience in technical support,

software development, networking,

troubleshooting and managing. seek

suitable placement.

Contact GSM- 98184170

Light Duty Driver Professional,

Indian male having 5 years of

experience with valid Oman driving

licence.NOC Available. #91652481

Indian male experienced material

segregation with D/L seeks suit-

able placement. Contact: 92715032

Email: santhoshgeorge99@gmail.

com

Purchase Executive Professional,

Indian male having 6 Years of

Experience in Oman Having Valid

Driving Licence working as a Pur-

chase offi cer, Looking for a suitable

Position, NOC/LR Available.

Contact: 95132564/96456071,

E-mail: naji1988@gmail.com

Flats for sale Kerala Trichur fully

furnished 3BHK fl at 1575 sq ft ready

to occupy. Contact: 99073124

Ready to occupy fl at, 3BHK 1600

sq ft 1No & 3 BHK 1200 sq ft 1No. at

heart of Trichur N.H road frontage.

Contact: 99073124

NRI

MBA Indian male 4 years experi-

ence sales & marketing seeking suit-

able opportunities. Contact: 96931719

Male 26 BBA studied in Oman

3 yrs exp in MNC and now on visit.

Contact: 98180071

Email: nikhildasin@gmail.com

Indian male with 27 years of rich

experience in sales/ marketing in

Oman with driving license and pro-

fi ciency in Arabic language, seeks

suitable placement. NOC available.

Contact: 96725458

Email: ranisadhu@yahoo.com

Sales Engineer (M.Eng) Canada

fi ve + years Oman market experi-

ence with leading brands with

D/L. Contact: 93985140 Email:

jbom628@gmail.com

Indian male pluming sanitary

ware & building materials experi-

ence in outdoor sales (9 years)

experience with D/L UAE valid

visit visa. Contact: 98723456

Sri Lankan lady experienced in key

accounts, Market Demand planning

& Communications, Brand/Sales in

multinationals seeks placement in

Muscat. 98250829

Marketing exceutive BBA, MCOM,

Tally, exp in accouting (can

continue in current visa)

ph : 98269281

Indian sales marketing professional

highly experienced in business

development in ME India and Africa

seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 97897611

MBA gradate (Indian male 25 yrs)

having two years experience in

sales and marketing looking for suit-

able position. Contact: 92129799

Email: nabu096@gmail.com

Indian male 4 years sales experi-

ence & Business development

look forward for suitable position.

NOC & Oman D/L available.

Contact: 97198976

Email: qubaisakhan@gmail.com

Indian male, Graduate, experi-

enced Sales person (FMCG) with

valid UAE driving license, on visit

seeks suitable position.

Contact 92419491 / 94881950,

Email : pranilpp76@gmail.com

Indian male 26, with more than 3

years experience in Counter Sales

& Marketing with valid N.O.C Cont:

94704522, 97826454 & Email-

md.noman.mansoori@gmail.com

Male 38 yrs Graduate 07 years

experience indoor / outdoor

electronic fi eld with D/License &

NOC available (as per new rule).

Contact: 92453375

MBA graduate having 6 years exp

in Sales & Marketing, 4 years with

PEPSI, India, having international

driving license permit seeks suitable

placement. Contact : 95308167,

Email : samir.pag@gmail.com

Indian male plumbing sanitary

ware & building materials experi-

ence in outdoor sales (9 years)

with valid D/L UAE.

Contact: 98723456

Indian male, MBA Marketing

having 2.5 years Sales experience

immediately looking for a suitable

position. Contact: 91415145,

Email: shariqs88@gmail.com

B.Com male 2 yrs experience in

sales Computer knowledge,

seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 98371144

email: nabilnazar22@gmail.com

SALES / MARKETING

TECHNICIAN /MECH.

Instrumentation & controls Technician with 2-3 years

experience preferably in water

sector and having valid driving

license call Ph:+968 99450811

Send CV to shiju@spec-link.com

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

Mason, SH / carpenter, steel fi tter

gulf & Indian exp looking job.

Contact: 95175192

Lady Secretary / Sales Co-co-

ordinator 12 years experience in

Oman in reputed companies, seek

immediate Employment.

Call: 95244761

Indian female B.C.A having exp in

Offi ce Assistance cum Secretary

looking for job. Contact: 97384206

Email: rani_sweet786@live.com

DAILY GUIDET U E S D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 6 , 2 0 1 6 D7

TOURS

TOURS

RENT A CAR

25 - 50 seater bus with PDO & BP

specifi cation for monthly rent &

small car with driver. # 99839898

SITUATION WANT-

ED

TOURS

SITUATION WANTEDCARGO

TRANSPORTATION

TRANSPORTATION

MV SALE

Transportation available Ruwi to

Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909

From Mabela to Mawaleh for school

student. Contact: 92757673

Transportation. Contact: 96248040

Transportation. Contact :98505294

Transportation.Contact: 99099714

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise with

Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain

Marine Tours contact 98029602,

92808636

We arrange tours & accommoda-

tion at all the beautiful places in

Oman. Contact 99839898

MV SALE

MV SALEHyundai Santafe 2010 model, 2.7

litres, Black Colour, Expat driven,

well maintained, 86000 kms.

Contact - 93304439.

2007 Nissan Tiida in good condition

for sale. Contact 98241569

GOOD NEWS

Ayurvedic treatment for joint

pain, backache, paralysis, mas-

sage, steambath, obesity, spondy-

litis. Ideal Care Ayurvedic Clinic,

18 November Street, Azaiba.

Contact: 99639695 / 97397320

FREE INFORMATION ABOUT ISLAM. If you would like to

know more about Islam, please

call: 99425598, 99250777,

99353988, 99253818, 99341395,

and 99379133. For ladies:

99415818, 99321360, 99730723

Orvisit:www.islamfact.com

Ayurvedic treatment for back-

ache, paralysis, arthritis etc &

massage, All Season (Vaidyarat-

nam).Contact: 24475280 /

95371664 / 92504980

www.siddhayur.com

Genuine Ayurvedic treatments

& massage, Ayurvedic clinic at

AL Khuwair. Contact: 24478618 /

97263637 / 93309131

Hyundai Tucson model 2011 No.2

and CC 2.4 light green colour prices

3800/- R.O . Contact: 99376544

Chevrolet Ebica 2006 manual good

condition register 4.8.2016 550/-R.O.

Contact: 92802299

MANPOWER

Experienced 10 Shuttering

carpenters, 10 Steel Fixers and

10 mason to ready to joined with

our organization with release

& NOC. Salary will be fair, food

and accommodation is available.

Contact 90234289 / 91496549 /

24494900

Transportation. Contact 92015894

Transportation in Muscat.

Contact: 96004045

DRIVING

SITUATION WANT-

ED

BUSINESS

Partner wanted 10 to 30% share

handover for running Construction

Company. Contact: 97491117

2008 2ltr VW Passat, good condi-

tion, 115k km, 99659946, RO 2800

D8 T U E S D AY, F E B R UA R Y 1 6 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDEEmail: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifi eds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

SERVICESWe Provide Cleaners,

Offi ce boys, Cleaning Contracts, General cleaning etc.

Al Mudakhir Nati onal Est. LLC Contact : 94277020

Split & window A/c servicing &

maintenance. Contact 93769089 /

95323517

Building maintenance. Contact: 96173326

Cleaning services sofa, carpet,

shampoo old house or new house.

Contact: 92179395

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

LEGAL SERVICEAn Indian lawyer Provides all legal

services in company matt ers. Labour issues, contracts, agreements, LLC formati on, legal help for starti ng new business in Oman, Civil, criminal

cases,.service issues.Ibrahim Al Massalhi.legal consultancy

Sarafudheen, LLB, MBA,Legal Advisor

Muscat. GSM: 97351649

FURNITURE SHIFTINGMaintenance,

Dismantling, Packing, Shifting & Fixing furniture with expert technicians.Contact: 99041337

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing,

Contact 99314807/24792998

A/C maintenance & servicing,

fridge, washing machine & dish

washer repairing, painting & clean-

ing services, electrical & plumbing.

Contact 99447257 / 97014234 /

24504281

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your

marble.# 24793614/ 99314807

Marble, Grinding, Crystallization.Ocean Center L.L.C.

Contact: 99344723

Water proofi ng ABUQABAS-

Contact 99320217/24788722

Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont

Maintenance services electric,

plumbing and A/C.

Contact: 96524904 / 94285064

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles

polishing, carpet shampooing,

maintenance.

Contact ABU QABAS- 99320217

/24788722

Pest Control Treatments Ocean Center L.L.C.

Contact: 99344723

Cleaning & Carpet Shampooing Ocean Center L.L.C.

Contact: 99344723

Split A/C servicing

R.O 10 only. Contact: 94217681 /

99210141

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile

polishing, pest control & anti-ter-

mite treatment, general cleaning

painting,Plumbing, Electrical,

shifting. Contact Mundhir

Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C.

Contact: 24810137, 99450130

Marble ti les grinding & polishing, Mosaic ti les grinding & polishing,

carpet shampooing, sofa shampooing, pest control treatment & general cleaning

of villa & building.Express Building Cleaning Services.Contact 98480070 / 94134784

House shifting. Contact: 99708138

Cad drafting architecture MEP

design MEP BIM – REVIT.

Contact: 91233975

Muscat Driving School. Contact: 97026581

House shifting packing.

Contact: 99657644 / 98518013