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

February 21, 2016 12 Jumada Al Ula 1437 AH

SUNDAY

308 40

FROM THE WORDS OF HIS MAJESTYTHE SULTAN

You should treat history with caution and examine its claims carefully. I say to students of history: be critical, go back to the past and think about what things were actually like in those days. We must not just accept everything that has been written and repeat it in parrot-fashion.

‘His Majesty’s Wisdom’

To the students of Sultan Qaboos University, 2000

MORNING MINUTE

s

s 0

C1Boasson Hagen bags fifth stage honours

OMANDesigning mussar is his passion

1Sameer is the first Omani to be able to obtain the copyrights for designing

his own mussars (Omani male headdress), truly the pride of every Omani man. >A2

OMANPACDA personnel put out Mabella blaze

2The Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) has

managed to put out a fire at a carpentry workshop in Mabella Industrial Area on Saturday. >A3

MARKETSebacic acid project coming up in Duqm

3A joint venture between Omani investors and an Indian entrepreneur is

building the world’s biggest plant for Sebacic acid in the Duqm free zone. >B1

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

124 abandoned children in Oman yet to find home

HASAN ALI SHABAN AL LAWATIRAHUL DAShassan@timesofoman.comrahuldas@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: One hundred and ninety abandoned children man-aged to find a home in 2015, while 124 children are still living in a child care centre, according to the Ministry of Social Develop-ment (MoSD).

“It is very encouraging to see that so many families are inter-ested in adopting these children,” said a spokesperson of Child Af-fairs Department of the Ministry of Social Development, Oman.

Out of the 124 children who are staying in child care centre, 86 are males and 38 are females.

People abandon their ‘unwant-ed’ babies to escape punishment and imprisonment. Then there

are cases where parents are dead or serving a prison sentence.

In August 2014, two children were found in the Qurum Natural Park during the Eid holidays.

The two siblings were later tak-en to the child care centre run by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) in Al Khoud.

“Most of the children are usu-ally abandoned in public places so that they can be easily found like the Qurum case,” said Khalid Al Siyabi, who works for a charitable group that has been funding 65 orphans in Oman.

“Some are left in boxes near mosques or in hospitals. How-ever, there are rare cases where children are abandoned as their parents can’t raise them due to fi-nancial crisis,” Al Siyabi said.

He also thinks this year’s aus-

terity and economic hardship will not deter families in adopt-ing these children. Islamic law prohibits having children out-side wedlock.

In the country, law states that any child of unknown Omani par-ents found is eligible to get alter-native child care services, and if any of the parents are in jail, the authorities will also temporar-ily look after the child until the parent is released.

Thorough investigationsThe authorities conduct thorough investigations before giving these children to Omani families, who can look after them.

At times the families are paid between OMR80 and OMR180 for this. Before handing over any chil-dren, the MoSD makes sure that

the family will take care of child.In fact, people who raise an

abandoned baby never tell oth-ers that the child was dumped by its parents. They raise the baby normally.

“We know some families who have taken care of an abandoned baby, but have never disclosed the matter to others as it is an ancient social taboo in Oman,” Al Siyabi said.

“Not every person is able to adopt an orphaned child, but eve-ryone has the ability to support, fund and empower them,” Al Si-yabi added, who has offered help to a number of orphans, suffering from poverty and negligence.

“Since 2012, we have been fund-ing 65 orphans in Oman by pro-viding OMR35 as monthly pocket money to each of them,” he added.

Children become homeless when they are

abandoned by their parents, or when the

parents have died or been sent to jail

A. E. JAMESbusinesseditor@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Oman is committed to supporting initiatives aimed at stabilising crude oil prices if all oil producers agree on a transparent mechanism, a senior official from the Ministry of Oil and Gas said.

“We remain committed to sup-porting the industry in recovering prices and activities if all produc-ing countries agree to a transpar-ent mechanism for such actions,” said Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, undersecretary at the Ministry of Oil and Gas. The official made these comments in the wake of six oil producers agreeing on im-plementing an output freeze.

However, he noted that he is unable to comment on the ef-fectiveness of such a measure since Oman is not party to the discussion among oil producing

countries to freeze output.

Output cutDr. Mohammed bin Hamad Al Rumhy, the Sultanate’s Minister for Oil and Gas, in January said the country will be ready to cut 5 to 10 per cent of its total crude oil production this year, if other pro-ducers were willing to do so the same to stabilise the oil market.

Last week, leading oil export-ers—Saudi Arabia, Russia, Vene-zuela, Qatar, Kuwait and the Unit-ed Arab Emirates (UAE)—had agreed to freeze output at January levels in an effort to tackle a grow-ing oversupply and help recover prices from their lowest levels in over a decade. >A6

T R A N S P A R E N T M E C H A N I S M

‘Steps to stabilise oil prices will have full Oman support’

Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, undersecretary at the Ministry of Oil and Gas.

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

OMAN

Oman’s financial environment has for many years been dictated by five big financial

institutions but they are cur-rently facing a systemic risk of having large liabilities that cannot be sustained.

With the completion of the round up of their balance sheets for 2015, the manage-ment teams of the BIG FIVE are now taking a hard look at the dramatic business model changes in 2016 and beyond. They have many options but at the moment, none of them are attractive enough. Downsiz-ing is one of them. To take a closer look, each of them has too many branches scattered around the country that will start to eat away their profit-ability. With current large capitals that will be difficult to translate to business growth in the current situation, banks will soon find it challenging to sustain the business models.

These banks have relied too much on debt to finance their lending. That debt depends heavily on wholesale mar-ket financing and customer deposits. With the roof of debt starting to show cracks and the floor of lending feeling the weight of the pressure, the

local big banks will be forced to go through restructuring. With large assets that have been built over the years not hitting the targeted mark, the financial institutions will need to trim to avoid the financial crunch.

Credit growth will cer-tainly get weaker as both the government and private sector have already started to cut back. This will force banks to draw from their own internal funds but the reserves are too shallow to keep them afloat for long. The managements will hope that the poor credit growth is cyclical and recovery will be swift. Even when the credit demands pick up, it is required to be matched by loan supply for the recovery to start kick in. This economical cycle that will bring back the credit growth is unpredictable and banks cannot just hold on and wait for it happen.

Large enoughShareholders who are used to good returns, will see their earnings eroding while they have to finance large opera-tions that are surplus to the requirements. The question is that are local banks large enough to see them through bad times? Corporate loans have never hit the level of sup-porting the banks in the past. It is personal loans and small

businesses that have been keeping these banks afloat for many years. The reasons that their bad loan provisioning has been adequate to absorb the losses it is because Oman has always been a consumer society. However, we now see a shift of consumerism as consumers are adjusting to the economic realities.

In the past, the big banks have simply taken growth for granted by expanding very fast. The sector that grew too fast in the last decade is property construction. With the current business realities, the real es-tate activity that has supported the banks for years, is on the verge of decline. The private sector is forced to cut down growth or simply downsize its operations by employing less expatriates. It is no secret that over 70 per cent of the build-to-rent properties are supported by foreign workers. With less credit demand in construction, consumerism and a freeze in new business ventures, banks will be forced to look at their business risk portfolio.

Reason to be optimisticSmaller banks, contrary to the wide belief, are coping better simply because their operations are conservative. They are good on the balance act of matching supply and demand. The sizes of the operations and business expectations are catalysts to their long-term survival. Again contrary to a popular belief that small banks need to be bailed out by going through mergers with big banks, such thinking is not justified. The reason is that small banks have always been realistic while big ones almost reckless in their expansion plans. Having said that, there is every reason to be optimistic but local big banks need to look deep within themselves and consider a major revamp in operations to stay afloat in the current hard times.

Do Omani banks need to downsize?COMMENTARY

SALEH AL SHAIBANY

SUNDAYBEAT

H AV E YOU R SAY AT T W I T T E R.CO M /T I M ES O F O M A N O R S CA N T H E CO D E TO I N STA N T LY P O ST YOU R T H O U G H TS .

Contrary to popular belief that small banks need to be bailed out through mergers with big banks, such thinking is not justified

Mussar-maker extraordinary

DEEBA HASANdeeba@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Sameer Al Zadjali is a man with a vision and immense determination, but you probably won’t know that until you hear his very inspiring story.

Sameer is the first Omani ever to have been able to obtain the copy-rights to design his own mussars (Omani male headdress), truly the pride of every Omani man. In his late teens, Sameer had practically no clue how to tie a mussar, and it was his brother who normally as-sisted him in doing that.

When one day his brother re-fused to help him, Sameer decided that he will be the best at this task one day. His love for mussars slow-ly grew and then, one day, he de-cided to experiment with the cloth. He bought 10 pieces of plain cloth and with some assistance from his mother, marked different spots in a tied-up mussar and when they opened it, Sameer was shocked to learn that a lot of the design gets hidden once the mussar is tied. Sa-meer decided that he couldn’t let this happen any longer.

In the year 2000, Sameer de-cided to craft his own mussar and was able to do it with the help of his mother and sister. However, it took him six long years to reach there. Most of that time was spent reading and researching about the cloth, its crafting process and just reading the history of the fabric.

By the end of it all, Sameer was so well informed that he even came to know the first person who had brought the concept of mus-sars to Oman. However his thirst wasn’t quenched, and his quest for knowledge took him to Kashmir, the home of pashmina.

After designing his first mussar, Sameer, much to the astonishment of friends and colleagues, went to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to get a copyright for it, which he luckily got.

Sameer already had a good rap-port with certain people in India, as he was educated in Pune. He visited Kashmir, the home of ‘pashmina’ (the rich material used to make mussars) and went to the place where craftsmen showed him the process of making mussars.

“I saw artisans and weavers in Kashmir who work in severe con-ditions and are still able to produce some exquisite works. There I met people who have been into this business for generations and it was so inspiring to sit with them, talk to them and watch them work.”

Sameer was delighted, and at the same time, surprised to know that so much effort goes into making a single mussar which sometimes can take up to two or three months. He then started appreciating the art and his mussars much more.

“I was very surprised to know that the people who make mussars don’t even know how it is worn and what does it actually look like when it is worn by someone. I then tied it in front of them, and they ap-preciated that and were also happy to know what their efforts look like in their final stage.”

According to Sameer, his mus-sars are unique, and every piece comes with a how-to-tie descrip-tion. He plans to bring the craft of mussars to Oman, as mussars are truly an object of pride for the coun-try. “I have been paying monthly visits to Kashmir to give the crafts-men my pieces, materials, designs and colour codes. It is not easy and I have had to work very hard. When-ever I go to the artisans, I tell them that I don’t just want a piece of headdress but a Taj Mahal.”

According to Sameer, every year Oman imports five to seven million mussars, and he wants Oman to start producing them. Sameer’s mussars range from OMR50 to OMR1,500 and he has some very prominent customers buying his pieces. How-ever, he also tries to cater to those with smaller budgets by lowering the cost at times just to make his art easily accessible to Omanis.

Now 36, Sameer has his own mussar shop in Qurum called ‘Paradise Muscat’ and plans to start his own factory very soon, so that he can manufacture mussars in Oman and ensure that Omanis learn the art themselves.

“I want to open my own fac-tory here and have a small mu-seum which explains the crafting process from a to z, and I want students to come and be inspired so that they can learn and know about this pride of Oman in the Sultanate itself.

After designing his

first mussar, Sameer

Al Zadjali got a

copyright for it

Sameer Al Zadjali. – Supplied photo

Whenever I go to the artisans, I tell

them that I don’t just want a piece

of headdress but a Taj Mahal

Sameer Al Zadjali, Paradise Muscat mussar shop owner

A3

OMANS U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

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20,000 quality hotel rooms in Oman by 2020

MUSCAT: By 2020, or the end of the current five-year plan, there will be 20,000 hotel rooms in three to five-star category hotels in Oman and if the tourism sec-tor continues to grow, the Sultan-ate will achieve this target before 2018, the Tourism Minister said.

“The (Oman Tourism) strat-egy includes the construction of 50,000 hotel rooms “three-stars and above” during the next 25 years, with permits to build budget hotel rooms, but they will not be listed within the strategy,” Ahmed bin Nasser Al Meherzi, Minister of Tourism, said.

“The Oman Tourism Strat-egy, which has been implemented since the beginning of 2016 after it was approved by the Council of Ministers, focuses on several objectives, the foremost of which

is enhancing domestic tourism, particularly the recreational sec-tor, which the ministry is current-ly executing,” the minister added.

The minister also pointed out that domestic tourism, its trends and objectives, due to its impor-tance, dominates about 50 per cent by strategy. He added that this requires utilities and instal-lations that meet demand of the Omani tourist who looks for rec-reational tourism related-instal-lations and services.

Long-term investmentAl Meherzi also pointed out that the total investments expected for this sector during the upcoming years exceeds OMR1 billion. He added that there are projects be-ing implemented, others were is-sued licenses to be established and

other projects are under study.He further said that among

the recreational tourism pro-jects, which were approved, are construction of two water parks in Salalah and another world-class water park that will be es-tablished by one of the pension funds at Al Athaiba in the Gover-norate of Muscat, in addition to a project for Muscat Municipality, in cooperation with one of the investment companies to estab-lish a world-class recreational city in the Wilayat of Al Seeb, a family recreational project in the Wilayat of Al Musannah stretch-ing over 5 million square metres, and a project to set up a zoo.

Al Meherzi added that the Ma-sirah Island will see the imple-mentation of a tourist project that is aimed at enhancing the tourism sector on the island, as it has good tourism potential. He pointed out that two sites had been presented before an investor for the devel-opment of a yacht marina, tourist resort and chalets.

He stressed the necessity of operating a commercial airline route to Masirah Island to fa-cilitate travel to the island and activate tourist and economic development, especially after the remarkable success of the Na-tional Ferries Company (NFC) in transporting a number of passen-gers to and from the island. -ONA

Oman Tourism Strategy envisages, among

other things, the construction of 50,000

hotel rooms of three-stars and above rating

during the next 25 years, Ahmed bin Nasser

Al Meherzi, Minister of Tourism, said

Man’s body recovered

Staff Reporter

MUSCAT: A Royal Oman Police rescue team has recovered the body of a person who died after he fell along with his vehicle from a mountain in Salalah.

According to a tweet from Pub-

lic Authority of Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) on its official twitter handle, the incident hap-pened in Titam province of Salalah.

The PACDA personnel had to encounter great difficulty during the rescue operation due to hos-tile terrain.

R O P E F F O R T

DIFFICULT WORK: The body of a person who died after he fell along

with his vehicle from a mountain in Salalah was recovered. – ONA

Omantel launches fitness promotionTimes News Service

MUSCAT: In a first of its kind promotion in the Sultanate, Omantel joined forces with Fit-bit and Horizon Fitness to offer a new and unique way to stay healthy and fit.

The Omantel “Fitness Pack-age” promotion gives current and new Mada postpaid custom-ers a combined bundle of special benefits, including; 1GB of free mobile internet monthly for a year, a Fitbit Flex Band and Fit-bit Aria Wi-Fi smart scale, with the added bonus of a year Hori-zon Gym membership valid for all locations throughout Oman.

Commenting on the unique “Fitness Package” smart bundle from Omantel, Saleh Al Maim-ani, senior manager, Consumer Product Development noted, “This is a first of its kind bundled fitness promotion launched in Oman, combining the Fitbit Flex smart wearable, the Fitbit Aria smart scale, a year-long gym membership with Horizon Fitness, and a 1GB free mobile internet every month.”

“This innovative ‘Fitness Package’ promotion is part of our new 3.0 digitisation strat-egy, where Omantel will focus not only on growing its range of products and services but rath-er on enriching the lives of our customers with new technolo-gies and smart digital services. The innovative transformative strategy positions Omantel as the digital partner of choice, in the consumer arena and for the public and private sectors, ena-bling the digital society to flour-ish and grow across all sectors in Oman,” he added.

M A D A P O S T P A I D

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

PACDA PERSONNEL PUT OUT MABELLA BLAZE The Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) has managed to put out

a fire at a carpentry workshop in Mabella Industrial Area on Saturday. The incident led to

damage of property but nobody was injured in the incident. The Public Authority for Civil

Defence and Ambulance received a call about the fire and rescue teams were rushed to

the spot immediately. The operations in the area continued until yesterday morning.—ONA

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

OMAN 101,000 was the number of cruise line tourists who visited Oman from the beginning of 2015 until October, according to National Centre of Statistics and Information data

Oman tourism in cruise mode

REJIMON Kreji@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: As the cruise season in Oman has crossed the half-way mark, 215,266 tourists have already visited Oman so far and 165,000 more are scheduled to come until June proving that Oman’s cruise tourism prospects are quite promising.

According to ship agents in Oman, until February 14 this year, 129 cruise vessels had visited three different ports in Oman. And 99 more are scheduled to visit until June 6.

“Since the current season began in October last year, 75 calls were made in Muscat, 38 in Khasab and 16 in Salalah. And until June, when the current season came to an end, there will be 60 more calls in Muscat, 22 in Khasab and 17 in Salalah,” M C Jose, chief executive officer of Projects and Logistics Group at Khimji Ramdas, told the Times of Oman (TOO).

Anwar Ali Sultan, chairman of Wilhelmsen Towell Co LLC, told TOO that cruise tourism is picking up in Oman at a good pace.

“We are seeing a positive trend and a huge potential for growth too. Tourists see Oman as the safest place to visit in this region. More-over, the exotic locations, which highlight Arab culture and heritage are unique to Oman,” Sultan said.

An official from Wilhelmsen said that for the first time An-them of Seas, one the biggest cruise vessels launched recently, will come to Oman.

“She is the second ship in the Quantum class, which surpasses the earlier Freedom-class ships by over 14,000 gross tonnes (GT), becoming the second largest class of passenger ships after the Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis-class ships on a gross tonnage ba-sis. The cruise ship has capacity for almost 5,000 passengers at a

time, excluding some 1,600 crew members,” the official added.

Meanwhile, Jose said big ves-sels, such as the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth will call Muscat and Salalah this year, which will be a major attraction. According to Jose, cruise tourism in Oman has a huge potential and it should be treated as an important segment of the tourism industry sector.

“It can bring in a lot of employ-ment opportunities to nationals and Small and Medium Enter-prises (SMEs). A large number of four wheel drives, mini buses and 50-seater buses are required to transport passengers to different tourist spots in Oman. In addition to that, a large number of quali-

fied tour guides with multi-lingual capabilities are also required in Oman,” Jose said.

“SME tour companies can be started by trained nationals. These companies can invest in vehicles with the base volume of tourists from cruise vessels. Once they es-tablish their companies, they can also carter to the steady arrival of inbound tourists,” Jose added.

According to Jose, many tour-ists come back for a longer stay af-ter their cruise holiday and hence the cruise industry should be treated as an important segment of the market tourism industry.

While talking about the chal-lenges faced by the cruise tourism industry in Oman, Jose said cruise

liners are constructing larger ships, with larger lengths and hence ports will have to be mod-ernised with longer berths and marine equipment to safely handle these ships.

Growing interest“The planned new waterfront facil-ity at Port Sultan Qaboos is a great initiative and will give a boost to the cruise business. Muscat should have at least three berths that are 400 metres. The interest in Khasab is increasing year after year. An International Ship and Port Facil-ity Security (ISPS) compliant port with two berths is desirable. Sur can be an attractive location if a berthing facility is available. A dedi-

cated cruise berth in Salalah is also desirable,” Jose added.

According to Oman’s govern-ment, OMR500 million has been set aside to transform the Port Sul-tan Qaboos into the region’s pri-mary waterfront destination.

The project consists of four zones and the first phase is expect-ed to be complete in 2019, Minister of Transport and Communications Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Futaisi, said recently.

The first zone of the tourism-based mixed-use project will shape the waterfront’s heart and will consist of a fisherman wharf, a fish souq (market), a five-star ma-rina hotel, a four-star family hotel, and a hotel operated by branded

residential apartments and starter apartments for first time buyers.

Destination shopping, water-side restaurants and cafes, bou-tiques, offices, entertainment and cultural facilities, as well as super yacht and leisure boat marina will also be featured in the first zone.

Data released by National Cen-tre of Statistics and Information (NCSI) revealed that from the beginning of 2015 until October, 101,000 cruise line tourists had visited Oman.

The top five countries from where cruise line tourists come were from Germany, Italy, the British Virgin Islands, the United Kingdom, and Northern Islands and Spain.

According to ship

agents in Oman, until

February 14 this year,

129 cruise vessels

have visited three

different ports in

Oman. And 99 more

are scheduled to visit

until June 6.

Big vessels, such as the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth will call Muscat and Salalah this year, which will be a major attraction. According to Jose, cruise tourism in Oman has a huge potential and it should be treated as an important segment of the tourism industry sector

A5

OMANS U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

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Movie night for awareness on mental health

MOBIN MATHEW BLESSONmobinmathew@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: To promote mental health in a fun and relaxed atmos-phere, the Whispers of Serenity Clinic organised a movie night at the clinic on Thursday.

The clinic is the first mental health and wellness clinic to be opened in Oman.

According to Salwa Ibrahim, the clinic’s manager, the idea for organising such a night was form by the Founder Sayyida Basma Al Said.

“The movie night was organ-ised to promote mental health in a fun, relaxing and chilled-out atmosphere, where our counsel-lors interacted with the audience and held discussions about the movie and what message it was trying to deliver,” Ibrahim told the Times of Oman.

“This event (movie night) is a first of many to come. We are

planning to hold it on a monthly basis, each month we touch on a topic related to mental health, along with holding discussions,” she added.

The movie, “Call Me Crazy” was shown on Thursday. It had five stories, with each character portraying a mental disorder.

The first story talked about schizophrenia and the second about bipolar disorder. The third story was interlinked with the first to show the impact of men-tal health illness on the family as a whole. The fourth story talked about depression and the last one dealt with post-traumatic stress disorder.

According to clinic officials, they adopt a holistic approach to mental well-being, believing that peace of mind comes from mental and physical well-being; they are one and the same.

“Our clinic is devoted to ac-tivities that promote mental health wellness and awareness of different issues in mental health. We are active in society via campaigns, workshops and organise events that shed light on mental health issues,” Ibra-him pointed out.

Dedication“Our most notable campaign “You Are Not Alone” is an ex-ample of our dedication towards raising awareness in the society,” she added.

“The ‘You Are Not Alone’ campaign has featured promi-nent figures and personalities from different backgrounds, who have offered to engage in our awareness programme and to show the public and every pa-tient that: You are not alone, we are here to help you.”

Whispers of Serenity

Clinic is the first

mental health and

wellness clinic to be

opened in Oman

Moscow Rachmaninov to perform with Omani artistsTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Fourth concert of Moscow Rachmaninov will be pre-sented by Arabesque International as part of the second season of the Muscat Chamber Music Series on February 24 at the Bosch Cent-er, the American International School Muscat (TAISM).

The concert, which starts at 07:30 pm is free of charge and be-ing held under the patronage of Envarbic Fazelianov, ambassador of Russia to Oman.

“The cellist and the pianist of the Moscow Rachmaninov Trio, along with Russian clarinettist, Sergey Petrov will perform at the concert, which will include compositions from the chamber music reper-toire of composers, such as Glinka, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Glazunov, Kovács and others,” Said Ahmed Abouzahra, general manager (GM) of Arabesque International, said.

Omani musicians“As part of the project’s aim, which is to let Omani musicians and the international artists exchange their musical experiences, three musicians from the Oud Hobbyist Association will perform with the Russian artists at the concert.

“This will not only add to the musical experiences and knowl-edge of the Omani musicians, but will also add to the Russians’ ex-

perience as they are introduced to Omani culture and music, which will make them go back to their country and talk about their expe-rience,” added Abouzahra.

During the stay of the Trio in Muscat, they will also hold several workshops: on Sunday, February 21 at 12:55 pm at the American British Academy, on Monday, at 9:30 am at the PDO School and at 13:00 pm at the Al Shmoukh Inter-national School, while on Tuesday, a workshop will be held at Our Planet School at 10:30 am and an-other at the Azzan Bin Qais Inter-national School at 14:00 pm.

The artists will also hold two master classes for Omani mu-sicians from the Oud Hobbyist Association on February 22 and 23, in preparation for their col-lective performance on February 24 at TAISM.

The Moscow Rachmaninov Trio is a musical ensemble well

known to music admirers all over the world. Nineteen years of joint creative work has brought the musicians the affection of the au-dience, respect of their colleagues and critical acclaim both in Rus-sia and abroad.

International workshopsThe Trio musicians regularly conduct major international workshops at such recognised or-ganisations. They also organise an annual international festival for piano trios called “The Rachmani-nov Trio and Friends” inviting to Moscow the best piano trios from all over the world.

Sergey Petrov has been a solo-ist with the Russian Philharmonic orchestra since 2002, and was also the soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre orchestra. In 2005, he won the first prize at the First International Rimsky-Korsakov competition in St Petersburg.

F O U R T H C O N C E R T

FOR A CAUSE: Clinic’s founder Sayyida Basma Al Said has been

recognised for raising awareness on mental health. – Shabin E

Moscow Rachmaninov Trio.

A6

OMANS U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

I love the Arabic letters; they are beautiful and I am a fan of calligraphy.

What I have tried to do here is to bring together calligraphy and

abstract designs to make art pieces which people can appreciate

Mohsen Ghareeb, Bahraini artist

Bahraini artist’s work mesmerises visitors

Staff Reporter

MUSCAT: Visitors thronging Bahraini artist Mohsen Ghareeb’s art exhibition titled ‘Another passion’ at Bait Al Zubair, on the opening day, felt enchanted by his craftsmanship and his distinctive calligraphic brush strokes.

Mostly using ink and acrylic on canvas, Ghareeb’s artworks re-ceived a massive response. This is his first solo exhibition in the country, and the third in the world, after Bahrain and Germany.

Ghareeb admits his love for the Arabic letters and says all of his artworks revolve around them.

“I love the Arabic letters; they are beautiful and I am a fan of

calligraphy. What I have tried to do here is to bring together cal-ligraphy and abstract designs to make art pieces which people can appreciate.”

The exhibition at Bait Al Zubair brings together an eclectic mix of selected artworks through which the artist tries to push his art boundaries in new directions.

An artist by nature, Ghareeb be-

gan his artistic journey with cal-ligraphy, and then moved to sculp-ture and installation art, which he enjoys equally. He also has experi-ence in using recycled material to create beautiful artworks out of the ordinary.

His paintings are character-ised by innovation and creativ-ity, away from the fixed classi-cal forms. Ghareeb focuses on the Arabic characters, inspired by poetry, sermons and Islamic proverbs, and puts them to use in a rich artistic fashion that the visitors love.

In some of his smaller art piec-es, Ghareeb has tried to shape the Arabic patterns into objects or animals, an interesting art form to look at. Ghareeb’s artworks are not the generic pieces, made only to adorn the walls , but any place which people want to decorate and adorn.

The exhibition will run at Bait Al Zubair from February 17, 2016 until the beginning of March 2016, and will be open to the public from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm, Saturday to Thursday, at Bait Al Zubair.

The exhibition at

Bait Al Zubair brings

together an eclectic

mix of selected

artworks through

which the artist

tries to push his art

boundaries in new

directions

SOLO EXHIBITION: Mohsen Ghareeb began his artistic journey

with calligraphy, and then moved to sculpture and installation art,

which he enjoys equally. – Supplied picture

Times News Service

MUSCAT: National Heart Cen-tre of the Royal Hospital (RH) succeeded for the first time in the Sultanate to implant the ED-WARDS artificial heart valve by performing a catheter procedure.

The patient had already under-gone a surgery for implanting an artificial valve five years ago.

However, he suffered from valvular cardiomyopathy due to a bacterial infection. He started to experience serious complica-tions such as shortness of breath, immediate fatigue at any effort and weakness in the biological heart functions.

The therapeutic cardiac cath-eterisation was conducted by a medical team from the RH Na-tional Heart Centre, led by Dr. Salim Al Maskri, director of the National Heart Centre and a pae-diatric cardiac senior consultant, with the collaboration of anaes-thetists, cardiac technicians, and

the nursing staff. The procedure took around two hours.

Dr. Abdullah Al Farqani, a paediatric cardiac senior con-sultant, explained the several benefits that this therapeutic Catheter affords to a patient, in-cluding avoiding an open-heart surgery, minimised side effects compared to surgical operations, and short-stay admission.

Above all, the patient can enjoy his normal daily activities after only two days of performing the catheterisation.

It should be noted that the Royal Hospital began to use the MELODY artificial heart valve implantation technique in 2012 and recently introduced the ED-WARDS technique to cover the cardiac cases.

R O Y A L H O S P I T A L

BENEFICIAL: The EDWARDS artificial heart valve was implanted

by performing a Catheter procedure. – Supplied photo

Paediatric conference begins at SQUTimes News Service

MUSCAT: As many as 400 par-ticipants from countries, includ-ing Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, India, Pakistan, Germany and the United States, are attend-ing a conference based on the theme of, “Controversies in Pae-diatrics: Pitfalls in management.”

The 19th International Pae-diatric Conference organised by the Sultan Qaboos University, commenced under the patronage of Dr. Mohammed Saif Al Hosni, undersecretary for Health Affairs at the Ministry of Health.

Prof. Yassir Wali, chairman of the organising committee of the conference said the conference

is part of the university’s con-tinuous commitment to quality improvement.

Wali further said, “Oman, has a relatively young population, 40 per cent being less than 15 years

of age and has surpassed many developed countries, especially in health care.

State-of-the-art diagnostic tools, excellent therapeutic mo-dalities, opening of new hospitals, upgrading old ones and adding so many young local medical staff have really helped make progress in child health in this country.

“It is well known in the cur-rent era that evidence-based guidelines are constantly chang-ing with many controversies in management. The theme of the paediatric conference will be dis-cussed by the best international and regional faculty known in their fields, and they will deliver keynote addresses and lead work-

shops and symposia.” Al Hosni also inaugurated an exhibition of posters on child health research.

In the keynote address, Dr. Ha-deel Faras from Al Sabah Hos-pital, Kuwait, spoke about child development.

“It is important to understand normal development variations and detect any deviations from normal patterns of growth in early life as this may be the first indicator of an underlying organic or cognitive impairment or psy-chosocial problems. Research has shown that children with growth delays face an increased risk of poor outcomes and early identifi-cation is key to maximise child’s improvement potential.”

4 0 0 P A R T I C I P A N T S

First artificial heart valve transplantHowever, Iran, the second-biggest OPEC producer before sanctions were intensified in 2012, said it will not join the league in freezing crude output.

The sanctions, imposed over Iran’s nuclear programme, were lifted last month after an agree-ment with world powers, allow-ing Tehran to resume selling oil freely in international markets.

Al Rumhy said Oman’s oil pro-duction this year is targeted at around 990,000 barrels per day (bpd). The country’s crude oil production stood at 358.1 million barrels (equivalent to 981,000 bpd), against 344.37 million bar-rels (equivalent to 943,500 bpd) in the previous year.

O U T P U T F R E E Z E

Iran defiant

< FROM

A1

ALAWI MEETS ZARIFMinister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yousuf bin

Alawi bin Abdullah and the accompanying delegation

visited Tehran on Saturday. Alawi met Mohammad

Javad Zarif, Iranian Foreign Minister and discussed

bilateral relations between the two countries and ways

of enhancing them in all areas, as well as the matters of

common concern. -ONA

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REGIONS U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

PALESTINIANS MOURN DURING THE FUNERAL OF YOUTH KILLED BY ISRAELISRelatives mourn during the funeral of Abed Hamed, a 20-year-old Palestinian man who was shot dead the previous day

after reportedly carrying out an attack on Israeli soldiers, on Saturday, in the Occupied West Bank village of Silwad. Three

Palestinians were shot dead on Friday, two while carrying out attacks and a third in clashes, the latest in a more than four

months of violence. — AFP

US air strikes on IS kill Serb hostagesBELGRADE/TRIPOLI: Two Serbian Embassy staff members abducted in Libya in November were among nearly 50 people killed on Friday in US air strikes on a suspected IS training camp, Serbia’s prime minister said.

US officials said the site tar-geted in the strikes in Sabratha, western Libya, was a camp used by up to 60 militants, including Tunisian Noureddine Chouchane, blamed for two attacks on tourists in Tunisia last year in which dozens were killed.

Sladjana Stankovic, a Serbian communications officer, and Jo-vica Stepic, a driver, were taken hostage on November 8 after their diplomatic convoy, including the ambassador, came under fire near Sabratha, a coastal city.

“It is officially confirmed that the two embassy staff were killed in air raids,” Prime Minister Alek-sandar Vucic told a news brief-

ing in Belgrade. He described the deaths as “terrible collateral dam-age” and said Serbia had been close to securing their release.

The mayor of Sabratha, Hussein Al Thwadi, said the death toll from Friday’s strikes had risen to 49.

It was the second US air raid in three months against IS in Libya, where the militants have exploit-ed chaos following Muammar Gaddafi’s 2011 downfall to build up a presence on the southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

On Saturday, Libya’s attorney general said one of six wounded survivors told prosecutors those in the building that was hit were “members of IS who came to Libya recently for training and then to carry out terrorist acts in Tunisia”.

Just a houseBut Sabratha’s mayor said the building was “just a house”, adding: “The house was used for meetings and other acts but not training.”

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said Serbian authorities had been negotiating the release of the two staff and “the kidnappers had a financial interest”.But he said the demands had been “impossi-ble” to meet by either the families or the government.

He said Serbia would send a protest note to Washington for not informing Serbian authorities of the raid.

US officials have said they gave

advance warning of the strikes to Libyan authorities, without speci-fying who they contacted.

Since 2014 Libya has had two competing governments, one based in Tripoli and the other, which has received international recognition, in the east.

Both sides are supported by loose alliances of former rebels and armed brigades.

A unity government has been nominated under a United Na-tions-backed plan but has yet to win approval or move to Libya.

Western powers and the Unit-ed Nations have been trying to reach out to armed factions to provide security for the unity government and tackle the threat from IS militants.

The extremists group took con-trol of Gaddafi’s home town of Sirte last year and has carried out attacks in several other towns and cities. — Reuters

American air strikes

hit Libya’s Sabratha

on Friday. Serbian

Prime Minister

Aleksandar Vucic on

Saturday described

the deaths as

‘terrible collateral

damage’ and said

Belgrade had been

close to securing

their release

IN SHOCK: Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic gestures during a

press conference in Belgrade on Saturday. — AFP/ Stringer

Al Qaeda rebels seize southern Yemen townADEN: Dozens of Al Qaeda mili-tants took control of the southern Yemeni town of Ahwar on Satur-day, residents said, consolidating the group’s control over much of the region.

The coastal city and surround-ing district, in Abyan province, is home to more than 30,000 people and is an important geo-graphic link between the major port city of Mukalla to the east and the smaller town of Zinjibar, both of which Al Qaeda seized months ago.

“At dawn this morning the Al Qaeda gunmen clashed with the Popular Resistance forces, kill-ing three of them,” one resident said.”They attacked the sheikh in charge of the area and after he escaped set up street checkpoints and planted their black flag on government buildings.”

Separately, two gunmen rid-ing a motorbike killed one of the most senior commanders in the Popular Resistance, a loose con-federation of southern militias opposed to Al Qaeda.

Sheikh Mazen Al Aqrabi was

killed along with a bodyguard in Yemen’s second-largest city of Aden in the southwest, an eye-witness and a security official said. The gunmen were believed to be from Al Qaeda, according to the official.

Take over portResidents in Aden’s Mansoura neighbourhood also reported heavy explosions on Friday night as gunmen launched shoulder-fired rockets in a failed attempt to take over a container port.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Penin-sula (AQAP), a group that claims to be subordinate to the main global militant organisation, has expanded during Yemen’s civil war. Viewed by Western analysts as the most dangerous arm of Al Qaeda, it claimed responsibility for the deadly January 2015 at-tack in Paris on the French maga-zine Charlie Hebdo.

Hadi’s Aden-based govern-ment has struggled to reverse AQAP’s advance which has reached areas close to the presi-dential palace. — Reuters

C O N F L I C T

A8

INDIAS U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

We will not allow terrorists and criminals to use our

open border. In this regard the security agencies of

the two countries will intensify cooperation

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

Two CRPF personnel killed, 10 injured in militant attackSRINAGAR: Militants attacked a CRPF convoy at Pampore on Srinagar-Jammu National High-way on Saturday killing two jawans and injuring 10 others before they sneaked into a nearby government building, triggering a stand off.

A possible hostage situation was avoided when Central Re-serve Police Force(CRPF) and lo-cal police managed to evacuate ci-vilians who were holed up inside Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) building located at Pampore, in the outskirts of the Srinagar city.

“We have been successful in evacuating the civilians from the building,” Director General of In-dian-administered-Kashmir Po-lice K. Rajendra said. One of those evacuated claimed that they were asked by militants to leave be-cause they did not mean any harm to civilians.

Personnel of the Army, whose elite 15 Corps headquarters is located barely 10km from the en-

counter site, were rushed to the encounter site to assist the local police and the CRPF.

The number of militants, ac-cording to the eyewitness ac-counts, ranges from three to five.

Before storming the EDI cam-pus, militants fired upon a CRPF convoy on Srinagar-Jammu road just outside the campus, officials

said, adding, two para-military personnel lost their lives while another 10 were injured.

Intermittent exchange of fire has been reported from the spot and the security personnel were ensuring a proper cordon and lighting arrangement at the en-counter site to prevent the mili-tants from escaping. - PTI

S R I N A G A R

Sibal asks court to check relevance of Swamy’s documents NEW DELHI: Congress Presi-dent Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul Gandhi and other accused in the National Herald case on Saturday told a Delhi court that BJP leader Subramanian Swamy should first satisfy it about the relevance of documents which were ordered to be summoned from various minis-tries in the matter.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, ap-pearing for the Gandhis, told Met-ropolitan Magistrate Lovleen that complainant Swamy will have to show as to how these documents summoned by the court on Janu-ary 11 were relevant to the case.

ChallengedSibal told the court that the order has been challenged before the high court by Motilal Vora, an ac-cused in the case, and the high court has issued a notice to Swamy on the plea.

The lawyers representing the accused also told the court that these documents should be kept in a sealed cover till the issue is de-

cided by the high court.Opposing the contentions, Swa-

my told the court that the docu-ments, which were placed before the magistrate on Saturday, were related to Associated Journal Ltd (AJL) and they were required for the case.

During the hearing, in which media was not allowed, Swamy ar-gued that although the high court has issued a notice on Vora’s plea it had not stayed the order sum-moning documents from these ministries.

The magistrate, after hear-ing the submissions, reserved his order on the plea moved by the accused persons for 4pm on Sat-urday. The court granted bail to co-accused Sam Pitroda, who ap-peared before it on Saturday, on a personal bond of Rs50,000 and a surety of the like amount.

The Gandhis and other three ac-cused — Motilal Vora, Oscar Fer-nandes and Suman Dubey — were on Saturday granted exemption from personal appearance by the

court as per the Supreme Court’s February 12 order.

The magistrate has now fixed the matter for March 21 consid-ering that the petition filed before

the high court is likely to be heard on March 15.

The court had on January 11 al-lowed Swamy’s plea seeking sum-moning of documents from the

Ministries of Finance, Urban De-velopment and Corporate Affairs, Income Tax Department and other agencies in the case.

The court had on December 19, 2015, granted bail to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes and Suman Dubey, who had appeared before pursuant to the summons issued earlier.

Criminal complaintThe case is based on a private criminal complaint lodged by Swamy against them of cheating, conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

The Supreme Court had last week granted exemption to Sonia Gandhi from personal appear-ance in the trial court and also ex-punged some observations of the high court but refused to interfere with criminal proceedings before the lower court.

The apex court, while allowing the plea of Gandhis, had also said it would be open to the magistrate at any stage to seek their personal

appearance, as and when required.Sonia, Rahul, Vora (AICC Treas-

urer), Fernandes (AICC General Secretary), Dubey and Pitroda were summoned under sections 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property), 406(criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) read with section 120B (criminal con-spiracy) of the IPC.

The trial court had on June 26, 2014 asked them to appear before it on August 7, 2014 but the order was stayed on August 6, 2014 by the Delhi High Court which on De-cember 7, last year vacated the stay by rejecting the plea to quash the complaint and the summons.

On December 15, 2014, the high court had further stayed the summons till final disposal of the petitions.

Along with the Gandhis, five other accused -- Suman Dubey, Moti Lal Vora, Oscar Fernandez, Sam Pitroda and Young India Ltd — had challenged the summons issued to them by trial court on Swamy’s complaint. - PTI

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

India, Nepal sign nine MoUs, to enhance bilateral ties

NEW DELHI: Success of Nepal’s new Constitution will depend on “consensus and dialogue” and India was for peace, stability and overall development of the Him-alayan nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Satur-day after holding extensive talks with his Nepalese counterpart K. P.Sharma Oli.

The two leaders deliberated on all aspects of the bilateral rela-tionship, particularly the politi-cal situation in Nepal, following which Oli said “misunderstand-ings” that persisted in the last few months “no longer exist”.

The two sides inked nine MoUs to expand cooperation in a range of areas including in transport and power sectors.

The relationship between the two countries had soured in the wake of agitation by the India-origin Madhesi community, which shares close family and cul-tural ties with Indians, opposing

Nepal’s Constitution.“The announcement of the new

Constitution in Nepal came after decades of struggle in Nepal. It is a major achievement. I appreci-ate the contribution of the politi-cal leadership and people of Ne-pal for it. But its success depends on consensus and dialogue. I am confident on the basis of these principles and through political dialogue and by taking all sections together, you (Oli) will be able to resolve all issues relating to the Constitution satisfactorily and take Nepal forward towards the path of development and stabil-ity,” Modi said in his media state-ment, in presence of Oli.

The prime minister said India always wanted peace, stability and prosperity of Nepal and that

it would extend all possible help to ensure its all-round development.

On combating terrorism, the prime minister said, “We will not allow terrorists and criminals to use our open border. In this re-gard the security agencies of the two countries will intensify coop-eration.” Oli on his part said India will remain a close friend of Nepal and that the “misunderstandings that persisted between the two countries in the last few months no longer exist.”

Fight extremismModi said it was clear that “Ne-pal’s stability is linked to India’s security” and that the two sides agreed to fight growing extremism and terrorism.

The two prime minister also

dedicated 400KV Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur transmission line via “tele-inauguration” from Hy-derabad House.

India will supply 80 mega watt of power through the line to Nepal now and it will be enhanced to 600 MW in the next two years.

“India’s assistance has always been constructive. Our actions have been in line with the priori-ties of people of Nepal,” Modi said.

The prime minister said both sides are working on a number of hydro-power projects in Nepal.

He said trade and investment are strong pillars of relations be-tween the two countries and men-tioned about the joint initiatives to construct roads in Terai region which he said will boost trade and infrastructure.

“The earthquake hit Nepal, but its pain was felt by every Indian.

Our $1 billion assistance pack-age will take forward our coopera-tion in this area,” he said.

The Nepalese Prime Minister thanked Modi and people of In-dia for “spontaneous support” in aftermath of earthquake in Nepal last year.

Earlier, Oli was accorded a cer-emonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan where Modi was also pre-sent. Before the talks between the prime ministers, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called on Oli.

During the meeting, he con-veyed to her that Nepal is and will remain a “reliable” friend of India.

Official sources said Oli told Swaraj that he wants to “move for-ward in the relationship which is not man-made but entirely natu-ral and civilizational”. Swaraj said the visit will deepen the trust be-tween the two countries.

Swaraj and Oli also discussed reconstruction efforts in Nepal which was hit by a devastating earthquake in April last year, sources said.

“They discussed political is-sues, reconstruction assistance, SAARC satellite and bilateral co-operation,” the sources said. The Nepali prime minister is accom-panied by wife Radhika Shakya, Deputy Prime Minister and For-eign Minister Kamal Thapa, Fi-nance Minister Bishnu Poudyal, Energy Minister Top Bahadur Rayamaji and Home Minister Shakti Basnet among others. - PTI

Prime Minister

Narendra Modi said

India always wanted

peace, stability and

prosperity of Nepal

and that it would

extend all possible

help to ensure its all-

round development

PACT SIGNING CEREMONY: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Khadga

Prasad Sharma Oli clap as Helen Acharya, Secretary, Sangeet Natak Academy and Deep Kumar

Upadhyay, Ambassador of Nepal exchange documents of MoU between Nepal Academy of Music

and Drama and Sangeet Natak Academy at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Saturday. - PTI

HEARING: Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice Presi-

dent Rahul Gandhi leave the Patiala House Courts after a hearing

in National Herald Case in New Delhi, recently. The apex court

on February 12 exempted the Gandhis and others from personal

appearances, noting their presence in the trial court would cause

more inconvenience than convenience. - PTI file photo

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

Hardik Patel admitted to hospitalSURAT: Incarcerated Patel quota stir spearhead Hardik Patel, on a hunger strike since Thursday, has been admitted to a hospital after he complained of weakness and dizziness.

The 22-year-old, who launched his indefinite fast in Lajpore Jail here, was late on Friday night shifted to the prison ward of Civil Hospital where he is fine now, a health official said on Saturday.

“Hardik Patel was brought late last night from Lajpor Jail and admitted to the prison ward of Civil Hospital,” Superintendent of Surat Civil Hospital Mahesh Vadel said.

“He had complained of weak-ness and dizziness. We conducted various tests on him and he is found to be OK. His treatment is going on in the hospital,” Vadel said.

“On our advice he has started taking water,” he said.

Hardik, lodged in the jail since September in two sedition cases, is leading an agitation demanding reservation for Patels in govern-ment jobs and educational insti-tutes under OBC category.

The surprise move of hunger strike by Hardik three days back came at a time when his close aides have expressed willingness to hold talks with Gujarat’s BJP govern-ment to resolve the quota issue, which had led to violent protests.

Three of Hardik’s close aides — Ketan Patel, Chirag Patel and Dinesh Bambhaniya —who are also behind bars in sedition case, wrote a letter to Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on Wednesday and expressed willingness to hold talks. Since the letter did not have the signature of Hardik, specula-tion is rife that the youth leader felt betrayed by his own associ-ates and decided to undertake in-definite fast. - PTI

I N D E F I N I T E F A S T

EVACUATED: Employees being evacuated by security forces

personnel from the Entrepreneurship Development Institute

building where militants reportedly took refuge after launching

an attack on a CRPF convoy at Sampora Pampore, 16km from

Srinagar on Saturday. - PTI

A9

INDIAS U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

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Five killed as Jat agitation turns into unruly violence

CHANDIGARH: Violence and arson in the Jat quota stir in Haryana spread to more areas on Saturday with five people being killed in firing by security person-nel at Rohtak and Jhajjar districts taking the death toll to six even as he Army staged flag marches in af-fected pockets.

As Haryana remained on the boil, Army had to use choppers to reach parts of blocked Rohtak district even as several Haryana Roadways buses, seven railway stations, a police station and some buildings were torched by pro-quota protesters.

As violence spread to more ar-eas, curfew was clamped in five more Haryana towns — the latest one being Jind, Hisar and Hansi on Saturday evening.

Earlier on Saturday, curfew was imposed in Sonipat and Go-hana towns of Sonipat district. Curfew had already been clamped in Rohtak, Bhiwani and Jhajjar

towns. The road and rail traffic through Haryana and destined for neighbouring states, including Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Chandigarh remained dis-rupted with authorities cancel-ling bus and train services on

most routes in the wake of con-tinuing blockades. Five persons were killed while several others sustained bullet injuries in firing opened by security personnel at Rohtak and Jhajjar districts.

“Two persons were brought dead in PGIMS here,” hospital au-

thorities in Rohtak said on Satur-day. “One patient who was critical-ly injured was operated upon but he has also died,” authorities said.

“One patient was brought dead at Jhajjar civil hospital with bullet injury in his head,” a Jhajjar civil hospital official said over phone,

adding that six patients with firearm injuries were referred to PGIMS. Among the five dead, three were identified as Parveen (Jhajjar), Krishan (Jhajjar) and Nitin (Rohtak). The identity of the fourth is not yet known.

One unidentified person was killed in firing by BSF on Friday in Rohtak after the agitation turned violent.

The Jat stir in Haryana has se-verely hit the movement of more than 800 trains, and seven sta-tions in the state were set on fire by the agitators.

Jhajjar, Buddha Khed, Julana and Pillu Kheda were among the seven stations which were set afire, a Railway spokesper-son said, adding that two track machines were also burnt at Pillu Kheda.

Suspended operations The country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India suspended operations at its two plants in Gurgaon and Manesar as compo-nent supplies have been hit by the agitation of Jats demanding job reservation.

In a new twist to the agitation, there were reports of clashes be-tween Jats and non-Jats with 10 persons being injured at Kalayat in Kaithal district and in Hansi area of Hisar district.

Appealing to protesters to end their stir, Chief Minister Mano-har Lal Khattar in a statement asked agitators to “return to their homes as the government has ac-cepted their demands”, but did not elaborate

“Such incidents create dishar-mony,” he said here after review-ing the situation with his ministe-rial colleagues and senior civil and police officers.

But several Jat leaders refused to call off the pro-quota agitation unless the government promul-gates an ordinance to include the community in the Other Back-ward Class category. - PTI

As Haryana remained

on the boil, Army

had to use choppers

to reach parts of

blocked Rohtak

district even as

several buses, seven

railway stations, a

police station and

some buildings were

torched by pro-quota

protesters

‘Youth frustrated, disillusioned with system’

KOLKATA: Stating that there was frustration and disillusion-ment among the youth against the systems world over, Nobel laure-ate Kailash Satyarthi on Saturday stressed the need for compassion to deal with them and harness their strength.

On the ongoing row over al-leged anti-national sloganeering in Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, he said truth will prevail in the case, which has now reached the court.

“(I) strongly see the frustration and disillusionment among the youth against the systems,” Sat-yarthi said during an event here.

“There was also growing intol-erance and violence among the youth. This is not only in India, but happening globally. They (youth) are full of idealism and the youth are looking for better alternatives. Their strength is not harnessed and channelised.

“There is a lack of compassion to deal with the youth. For this, I am planning to launch a special programme targeting the youth,” Satyarthi, said. Asked for his views on the JNU row on the sidelines of the event, he said, “Truth will pre-vail in the JNU incident. But, I will not say anything more as the mat-ter is sub-judice.”

He said the central government should make more budgetary allo-cation for fighting issues relating to child labour and trafficking. - PTI

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

IN FLAMES: Buses set on fire as the Jat stir for reservation intensifies in Sonipat on Saturday. - PTI

NEW DELHI: A host of Con-gress leaders including Rahul Gandhi and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Saturday ap-pealed for peace in Haryana which remained on the boil as the Jat quota stir unleashed fresh incidents of violence and arson.

“I appeal to people of Har-yana to maintain peace and brotherhood. Mutual harmony

and dialogue can alone resolve any issue,” the Congress Vice President said on micro-blog-ging site Twitter.

Speaking to reporters, Hoo-da spoke in similar vein but steered clear of questions as to who was responsible for the deteriorating situation.

Appealing to Haryana gov-ernment to find an early reso-lution to the crisis, he said some forces were bent on dam-

aging the social fabric. “I do not want to speak on politics. The need of the hour is to bring peace. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi are also keen for peace to return,” he said.

Haryana Congress Legisla-ture Party leader Kiran Chaud-hary also spoke in similar vein.

She wanted the state govern-ment to open a dialogue with the agitators to calm down the situation. - PTI

Congress leaders appeal for peace in Haryana

Opposition wants discussion on JNU row in parliament

NEW DELHI: The Opposition has demanded a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the situation in universities across the country, including Jawaharlal Nehru Uni-versity, and the government has agreed to it.

“All parties agreed that the house should work smoothly and important legislations should be passed and the government has agreed that the discussion op-position parties have demanded, whether it is the JNU issue or the farmers’ issue, we will take it up,” Minister of State for Parlia-mentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said .

He said Prime Minister Nar-endra Modi expressed the hope that the house would function smoothly. The meeting was called by Rajya Sabha Chairman Ha-mid Ansari, who discussed with leaders of various parties the mo-dalities of the functioning of the upper house ahead of the budget session that starts on Tuesday. The Rajya Sabha chairman called upon the parties to ensure that the house functions smoothly.

“Time has come to assure the public that parliamentary democ-racy does work and is sensitive to

the needs of the people,” the vice president said.

Leader of the House Arun Jait-ley assured that the government was open to discussion on all is-sues. He said the first part of the budget session should be devoted towards passing urgent bills be-sides the budget.

Azad, meanwhile, demanded a discussion on the prevailing situation in universities includ-ing JNU and the University of Hyderabad.

“The meeting ended with a gen-eral sense of agreement that the house should legislate and delib-erate on all issues. All leaders pre-sent shared the same feeling. The prime minister held that it has been a good meeting and hoped that the session will work,” an of-ficial statement said.

Meanwhile, several Delhi Uni-versity students came out in sup-port of JNU and held a protest on Saturday demanding withdrawal of cases against JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Ku-mar and others, amidst a counter protest from members of RSS’ students wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.

The students on Saturday gath-

ered near Delhi University’s Arts Faculty under the banner of “Save DU”, which received support of several Leftist student outfits in-cluding AISF, AISA and SFI and also members of Delhi University Teachers’ Union.

“We will continue the agita-tion until they withdraw sedition charges on Kanhaiya Kumar and withdraw cases against other stu-dents of JNU. We are here to take the spirit of protest across to eve-ry single college and university in the country,” National General Secretary of AISF Vishwajeet Ku-mar, one of the organising mem-bers, said. A PhD student from DU, Aswathy Senani, who was among those participating in the meeting, said that she supported the ongoing agitation.

“I am not affiliated with any political party but I believe that a university should be a space where all sorts of debates and discussions should happen. The way the present government has acted against students by trying to suppress dissenting voices in educational institutions should be opposed, and that is the rea-son why I decided to come here,” she added. - Agencies

S M O O T H F U N C T I O N I N G

FELICITATION: Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi at his felicitation function at Press Club in Kolkata on Saturday. - PTI

ALL-PARTY MEETING: Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari with Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien, Anand Sharma, Ghulam Nabi Azad and other leaders leave after an all-party meeting ahead of the budget session at Parliament House in New Delhi on Saturday. - PTI

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

ARRESTS OVER ILLEGAL FISHING Fishermen from India look on from behind the bars of lockup cell at a police station in Karachi, Pakistan, on Saturday. According to local media, Pakistan maritime authorities detained 88 Indian fishermen in Pakistani waters and took into custody their 16 boats for illegal fishing in the country’s territorial waters, police said on Saturday. — Reuters

Newly built school blown up by rebelsDERA ISMAIL KHAN: Mili-tants blew up part of a newly constructed government school in Pakistan’s South Waziristan region late Friday night, a spokes-man for a wing of the Pakistani Taliban said on Saturday, the lat-est in a string of attacks on educa-tional institutions.

No one was hurt in the blast in Pakistan’s restive tribal belt, but 18 labourers working on the site were abducted, said Azam Tariq, a spokesman for an arm of the Pakistani Taliban known as the “Sajna” group, which claimed re-sponsibility for the attack.

He said the workers were re-leased a short time later.

“We have blown up the school because it was a government in-stallation,” said Tariq, warning the group would continue to at-tack government targets.

Twenty people were killed and dozens wounded last month when militants launched an at-tack on Bacha Khan University in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a little more than a year after Taliban gunmen massacred 134 students at a military school in nearby Peshawar.

The Peshawar school attack

was seen as having hardened Pakistan’s resolve to fight mili-tants along its border with Af-ghanistan. Officials in South Wa-ziristan said the girls’ wing of the school in the Tehsil Tiarza area was damaged in Friday’s blast, as well as some heavy machinery being used for ongoing construc-tion at the site.

Five militants killedIn a separate incident in Mohm-and tribal area to the north, Pa-kistani security officials killed five militants during a clash near Mohmand Agency’s administra-tive headquarters on Saturday. The militants were planning an attack in the area, a security of-ficial said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A generation of Pakistani mili-tants have used the tribal region to launch attacks on the Paki-stani state and US-led forces in Afghanistan.

The Pakistani Taliban are fighting to topple the govern-ment. They are loosely allied with the Afghan Taliban who ruled most of Afghanistan until they were overthrown by US-backed military action in 2001. — Reuters

I N S U R G E N C Y

‘Battle for Sharmila to be here’

LAHORE: Renowned Indian actor Sharmila Tagore opened the Lahore Literary Festival on Saturday, in a session titled Sa-far to a packed marquee at the Avari Hotel.

“It has been a battle for you to be here today,” said Haroon Hameed, CEO Dawn Media, who was in conversation with the actress.

Draped in a striking maroon sari, Sharmila spoke about her life, career and her delight at being in Lahore.

She said that it was the first time she had come to Pakistan crossing at Wagah on foot.

She recalled how she stepped in to the hotel to the sounds of old In-dian songs in the background and books from Chughtai, which, she said, were examples of how similar the two countries are.

Talking about her childhood,

Sharmila said she lived in a joint family system.

“Everyone lived in my grandfa-ther’s house”.

She was exposed to a diverse group of characters from a very young age — her uncle was from the Congress party, while her cousin was a communist. The debates around the dinner table were, of course, endless.

Heroines did not smileShe said her liberal upbringing in Kolkata also stood at odds with the sense of morality prevalent in Mumbai when she moved there later in her career. “The heroines wore white, sipped coca cola and did not smile,” said Sharmila talk-ing about what was expected of heroines in the city.

It was during this time that Sharmila posed in two-piece swimsuit on the cover of Film Fare (before her movie An Evening in Paris was released) much to the shock of the Indian public at large.

She said at the time she had been naive and it took her time to understand what society was like. “I got a lot of flak for it,” she said candidly but added that she did not have any regrets.

However, once she came to an understanding of the different sense of morality in Bombay, she made a conscious effort to change her image. “I wanted to be taken seriously,” she said.

Sharmila also discussed her as-sociation with director Satyajit Ray, popular for his Bengalis films and introspective subjects. She said he did not value money, and that his films were a work of art. The romance in Ray’s films reso-

nated with audiences largely be-cause of their “essential human-ism”, she added.

She went on to day his work was not about politics and that as a writer and director, he had been more interested in exploring the impact of politics in ordinary people. She said his movies were about everyday ordinary struggles. “There were no villains and heroes in his movies,” she said.

Sharmila was only 13-years-old when she worked with a big name like Ray, although at the time she wasn’t aware of the sig-nificance of it.

“I worked in a film before I had even watched a film,” she said, referring to an earlier comment where she had said children watching films was frowned upon in their house. She said her father had instantly said yes to Ray’s of-fer because he knew of his inter-national acclaim.

Sharmila said she felt one of her best works was Devi, directed by Ray. The film, according to her, dealt growing religious or-thodoxy and the emergence of rational thinking. “Ray had to defend the film saying it is not against Hinduism but against or-thodoxy,” she said.

Session on feminismMeanwhile, the session titled Feminism in Global politics start-ed with a lifetime achievement award being presented to Mus-sarat Mirza, a renowned artist, here in Lahore during the Lahore Literary Festival at Avari Hotel.

The session was sponsored by the European Union Ambassador to Pakistan Jean-Francois Cau-

tain who gave the opening address.He said initially when he had

been asked by the organizers to sponsor the session, he was not sure because the EU does not really involve itself in cultural activities.

“I’ve been here today and I un-derstand now why they wanted to me to sponsor it,” he said.

Cautain also spoke about the presence of women in the EU parliament saying that the num-ber of seats reserved for women had increased.

Democratic movementThe discussion was opened by Ra-chel Holmes, a writer, by saying that feminism was the oldest dem-ocratic movement in the world.

“You can agree or disagree with it,” she said. She also talked about the feminist movement being non-violent. “Even the British violent suffragette did not kill anyone even though they used bombs,” she said.

Mona Eltahawy, a Cairo-based feminist and writer talked about her experience during the move-ment against Hosni Mubarak.

She said it was a false notion that men who are revolutionaries or activists are feminists.

Anita Anand, journalist and au-thor of ‘Sophia: Princess, Suffra-gette, Revolutionary’, spoke of the historical Suffragette movement.

She talked about Black Friday in 1911 when women were very close to gaining the right to vote but the bill had been cancelled by the then prime minister.

She said women marched to-wards the parliament and faced violence and sexual assault at the hands of the police. — Express Tribune

While opening the

Lahore Literary

Festival on Saturday,

the renowned Indian

actor said that it was

the first time she had

come to Pakistan

crossing at Wagah

on foot

ICON: Sharmila also discussed her association with director Satyajit Ray, popular for his Bengali films and introspective subjects. She said he did not value money, and that his films were a work of art. — File photo

After Karachi, Hyderabad walls also become charitableHYDERABAD: Karachi’s chari-table walls have inspired Hy-derabad residents to set up two such walls on Friday with plans to set up more in the future.

The Pakistan-US Alumni As-sociation Jamshoro chapter’s director for youth affairs, Huda Bhurgari, and her four-member team set up a Wall of Kindness on Thandi Sarak. The students brought several sets of clothes, books, school bags and shoes to kick-start the donation drive.

“The next thing we plan to do is to sustain the activity for a few days or until citizens take re-sponsibility for this wall,” said Huda, after she informally inau-gurated the wall around 3pm on Friday. She succeeded in draw-ing dozens of benefactors, be-sides her team, during the first hour of the activity.

Painted with the colours of sky with pastures and a peacock gaz-ing from a tree branch, the wall is drilled with five sets of hooks – enough to hold dozens of clothes.

A footpath under it provides ad-ditional space for books, bags, shoes, food and others items.

“We painted the peacock be-cause it contains an element of beauty besides being a traditional bird that also happens to remind people of Tharparkar – a drought stricken district of Sindh where the people live in perpetual need of help,” said Bahadur Qureshi, a team member, who recently grad-uated from Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences.

He oversaw the painting work which took over five hours to complete.

An adjacent traffic police post, built under a railway bridge in Hussainabad, provides a sem-blance of security against thieves, though they will be difficult to spot in the middle of beneficiar-ies. The wall’s location is sur-rounded by neighbourhoods in-habited mostly by people in need. Since it is the junction of National Highway, Auto Bahn and Thandi Sarak roads, a large number of

people are expected to pass by.Qadeer Sahito was one of the

passers-by who parked his mo-torcycle near the wall to see what was happening. “Are they doing the same donation which we re-cently saw on the television [in news telecast]?” he asked one of the bystanders.

An elderly couple, whose at-tire made them look like beggars, questioned what items were be-ing distributed. “Can we pick the things that we want?” they asked after they were explained the con-cept behind the wall.

Mehtab Khaskheli, who ap-peared to be around 10 years old, ran away with four shirts and t-shirts as other children chased af-ter him trying to grab one or more of his shirts. “I will wear them all,” he shouted.

A day earlier, activist and health practitioner Dr Shamim Ansari has set up a wall of kindness on Wadu Wah road in Qasimabad, just over a kilometre away from the other wall. — Express Tribune

W A L L O F K I N D N E S S O N T H A N D I S A R A K

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Thailand flirts with Russia as US ties cool after 2014 coupBANGKOK: Thailand is pursu-ing closer ties — and possible arms deals — with Russia, with relations between Thailand and its traditional partner, the United States, cooling in the wake of a May 2014 coup.

Two Thai deputy prime min-isters will travel to Russia, just weeks after a visit to Bangkok by the powerful head of Russia’s se-curity council, Nikolai Patrushev.

On the table, officials from both countries say, are wide-ranging talks on trade and security coop-eration, as Russia seeks to develop its position as an Asian power.

Most attention has been focused on Thailand’s warming ties with China, including talks on a mas-sive rail project and the possible purchase of $1 billion worth of Chinese-made submarines.

But Russia appears keen to compete for Thailand’s attention. In the last 18 months, Thai junta leader General Prayuth Chan-ocha has met three times with

Russian Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev, who visited Thailand in April 2015, the Russian ambas-sador to Thailand, Kirill Barsky, told Reuters.

Prayuth will travel to Russia in May for a meeting between Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The big prize of talks — and of most strategic concern to the Unit-ed States — is in defence. Thai-land served as a staging ground for American forces during the Vietnam War, and the Pentagon values its strategic access to the Southeast Asian nation’s airfields and ports. But for a second straight year, the United States scaled back regional military exercises, known as “Cobra Gold”, which Thailand hosted earlier this month.

Thai media have reported that Thailand is seeking to buy dozens of Russian T-90 tanks to replace part of its ageing US-made fleet.

In an interview, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Min-

ister Prawit Wongsuwan said no decision had been made on the tanks. But US restrictions on the sale of arms to the military-ruled country means Thailand needs to

shop elsewhere for the roughly 50 tanks it needs, he said. “The US won’t sell weaponry to us, and as of late we’ve been on a tight budget and can’t afford them,” Prawit said.

A 2011 deal to buy 49 tanks from Ukraine fell through after only 10 were delivered, he noted.

Thailand is on course to sign an agreement with Russia covering counter-terrorism and is looking to buy Russian hardware, such as helicopters, for disaster response, he said.

“It’s not that we’ve decided to be on good terms with China and Russia and not with the US. We’re equally good to all of them.”

Russia has made it clear that its approach to Thailand is part of a broader push for Asian influ-ence. But this will not necessarily be at the expense of China or the United States, Barsky, ambassador Barsky said. “Russia does not need to prove to anybody that Russia is an Asian power, an Asia-Pacific power, a Euro-Pacific power. This is our destiny as a country which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific coast,” he said.

Next week’s visit will include talks on 25 separate draft agree-

ments, including on trade, culture, technology and security, he said.

Prawit will meet Russian Dep-uty Prime Minister Dmitry Ro-gozin and Trade Minister Denis Manturov for talks on military and technical cooperation, Barksy said. “If Thailand selects Russian tanks, more than welcome, more than welcome.”

Matthew Sussex, a Russia ex-pert at Australian National Uni-versity, said any deal on tanks “would certainly make Washing-ton sit up and take notice”.

Russia already refuels its nucle-ar-capable bombers in Vietnam and is probing Southeast Asia for a possible strategic “toehold”, he said. Even if they remain all talk, warming Thai-Russia rela-tions would still worry the United States, Sussex said.

“The fact that the Thai govern-ment is starting to say ‘well, you know, what about the Russians?’ sends pretty worrying signs to DC.” - Reuters

M I L I T A R Y A N D T E C H N I C A L C O O P E R A T I O N

MAKING A POINT: Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence

Minister Prawit Wongsuwan gestures during an interview at the

Defence Ministry in Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday. - Reuters

Australia in talks with six nations to resettle refugees

SYDNEY: Australia is in talks with Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, among six na-tions, to resettle asylum-seekers detained in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific island nation of Nauru, the Sydney Morning Herald said on Saturday.

The number of asylum-seekers trying to reach Australia is small in comparison with those arriv-ing in Europe, but border security is a hot-button political issue in Australia, which is scheduled to

hold a national election later in the year. Negotiations with the governments of the three South-east Asian countries focus on po-tentially settling 1,459 detainees, many of whom arrived during pre-vious administrations, the news-paper said. Three other countries are also involved in preliminary

stages of talks, it added, but did not identify them.

A spokeswoman for Prime Min-ister Malcolm Turnbull declined to confirm or deny the report.

However, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop cautioned that it was “early days” for the talks, as press-ing local issues would influence

the discussions.“Some of them have domes-

tic issues, like elections,” Bishop said in a statement. The Philip-pines goes to the polls on May 9 to choose a new president and vice president, among other officials.

Australia’s tough immigration policies provide that anyone in-

tercepted while trying to reach the country by boat is sent for processing to camps in Nauru and Papua New Guinea’s Manus Is-land. They are never eligible to be resettled in Australia.

Past Australian efforts to reset-tle asylum seekers elsewhere ran into hurdles.

Last October, Philippine Presi-dent Benigno Aquino said the country had “no capacity” to per-manently relocate asylum seek-ers, adding that his government was “challenged to meet the needs of its own people right now”.

Australia had offered $150 mil-lion spread over five years in ex-change for permanent relocation of some refugees.

A deal struck with Cambodia was halted after only four asylum seekers were resettled.

In 2011, the Australian high court ruled invalid a deal with Malaysia, as it was not a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Refugees.

Australia has also received criticism from the United Nations and rights groups for its hard-line policy. Since 2012, people on boats trying to reach Australia have been turned back or taken to camps in Nauru, where there have been reports of assaults and sys-temic child abuse, or Papua New Guinea, where Canberra has set up processing centres. - Reuters

Australia’s tough

immigration policies

provide that anyone

intercepted while

trying to reach the

country by boat is

sent for processing to

camps in Nauru and

Papua New Guinea’s

Manus Island

TOUGH IMMIGRATION POLICIES: This file photo shows protesters holding placards and candles to

remember Syrian child Aylan Kurdi, who drowned in Turkey creating an international outcry, during

a vigil in Sydney. Australia is in talks with Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, among six

nations, to resettle asylum-seekers detained in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific island nation of

Nauru, the ‘Sydney Morning Herald’ said on Saturday. - AFP

Afghanistan troops pull out of strategic Helmand districtLASHKAR GAH(Afghanistan): Afghan forces have pulled out of bases in Musa Qala, a strategic district of the southern province of Helmand, after months of heavy fighting with Taliban insurgents, officials said on Saturday.

Helmand, a traditional heart-land of the Taliban and one of the world’s biggest centres of opium production, has been threatened for months and the United States recently sent hundreds of sol-diers to the province to bolster its defence. The commander of the Afghan army’s 215th corps, Mo-hammad Moeen Faqir, said troops had been ordered to pull back from Roshan Tower, their main base in Musa Qala, as well as other checkpoints to reinforce Gereshk,

straddling the main Highway One which links Kabul with the south and west.

“Their presence in the area did not mean anything,” he said.

“We will use them in battle with enemies in other parts of Hel-mand province.”

Fierce fighting has raged in Musa Qala and other parts of Hel-mand for months and the Taliban overran the district in August last year before they were driven back by Afghan forces backed by US airstrikes.

Musa Qala itself is a dry and sparsely inhabited district that British and American troops fought hard to control between 2006 and 2008 but its loss could bring further losses elsewhere, in-

cluding Sangin where government forces have been clinging on.

“Now that the government has withdrawn its forces from this dis-trict, we will see Kajaki, Gereshk and Sangin collapsing very soon,” said deputy provincial council member Abdul Majid Akhundzada.

The Taliban said in a statement it had captured armoured person-nel carriers, bulldozers and other equipment abandoned in Roshan Tower and nine other checkpoints.

The withdrawal prompted speculation among local officials that the government had reached an arrangement with the Taliban but Abdul Jabar Qahraman, presi-dential envoy for security affairs in Helmand, denied any such pact.

“There wasn’t any deal,” he said.

“We learnt that there was no need to continue the fight in that area.” No comment was immediately available from the ministry of defence in Kabul.

The outgoing commander of international forces, Gen. John Campbell, recently sent hundreds of American troops to Helmand, where they assist and train Afghan forces but do not fight.

A spokesman for NATO’s Reso-lute Support mission in Kabul said its aim remained to train, advise and assist and referred questions on Afghan troop movements to the defence ministry. US officials estimate the Taliban dominates or threatens almost a third of the country and has full control over at least four districts. - Reuters

M O N T H S O F F I G H T I N G

SECURITY CHECK: An Afghan policeman searches commuters at

a checkpoint in Helmand province. Afghan forces have pulled out

of bases in Musa Qala, Helmand province, after months of heavy

fighting with Taliban insurgents. - AFP file photo

China jails ‘scalpers’ for scamming patientsSHANGHAI: A Chinese court in Beijing has jailed 15 hospital “scalpers” for allegedly scamming unsuspecting patients by posing as medical staff without qualifica-tions, exaggerating positive effects of treatments and then prescribing expensive drugs.

The court in Beijing’s Chaoyang district sentenced the 15 people to jail sentences ranging from 19 months to more than two years, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday.

The issue of hospital-based fraud flared up in January when a woman in Beijing posted a video denouncing other scalpers for buying up “tickets” often needed to ensure an appointment with a doctor and then inflating the price to re-sell them to patients.

Chinese patients contend with a creaking healthcare system which suffers from a shortage of doctors, snarling queues to see medical workers, and a huge disparity be-tween urban and rural care that drives many patients from villages and the countryside to hospitals in big cities. The Beijing court said on its official microblog that the 15 people had illegally rented con-sulting rooms at large hospitals and then lured in patients with fake credentials and prescribed them expensive traditional Chi-nese medicines. - Reuters

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Renewable energy to revive economyMoha Ennaji

The global oil-price bust has devastated economies across the Middle East and North Africa. Having seen severe price de-

clines in the past, many leaders in the region may be tempted to wait for prices to rise again. But this collapse is different, and governments need new energy and development strategies. Morocco’s drive to become a regional renewable-energy pow-erhouse offers a real option for economic develop-ment in other Arab countries.

Morocco has been investing in large-scale re-newable-energy projects for some time; but only now are these investments coming online. Perhaps the most impressive is the gigantic Noor-1 solar-energy compound, located in the Moroccan desert near Ouarzazate. Opened on February 4, Noor-1 uses highly advanced technology to store energy for use at night and on cloudy days.

Considered the largest solar power plant in the world, Noor-1 is expected to produce enough en-ergy for more than a million people, with extra power eventually to be exported to Europe and Africa, according to the World Bank. Given that Morocco imports around 97 per cent of its energy supply, and possesses no oil or natural gas deposits of its own, the government has viewed developing renewable energy as the only way to ensure the country’s continuing economic development. This is an insight others in the region should heed.

The Noor-1 project, covering an area of more than 4.5 square kilometres (1.7 square miles) with 500,000 curved mirrors – some as high as 12 me-ters – cost around $700 million. But it is intend-ed to be only one part of a huge solar compound extending over 30 square kilometres. Indeed, by 2018, three more plants, Noor-II, Noor-III, and Noor-Midelt will be constructed, using a com-bination of technologies, including thermosolar and photovoltaic.

The project will generate up to 2,000 megawatts daily by 2020, helping to reduce the development gap between urban and rural areas.

Of course, the project has demanded huge sums in investment. Of the $9 billion project’s financ-ing, some $1 billion has come from a German investment bank, $400 million from the World Bank, and $596 million from the European In-vestment Bank. The rest of the funding has come

from Morocco’s government as part of its national development strategy.

In the near future, Morocco will also develop a wind programme with a capacity of at least 2,000 MW daily, and a 2,000 MW hydropower project. These could provide the country with 42 per cent of its total electricity production. This represents an unparalleled proportion of renewable energy at both the regional and the international levels.

Already, the Tarfaya Wind Farm, positioned on Morocco’s Southern Atlantic Coast, is Africa’s biggest. With 131 turbines and a daily capacity of more than 300 MW, Tarfaya will help reduce Mo-rocco’s carbon dioxide emissions by 900,000 tons annually, and cut the country’s annual oil import bill by more than $190 million.

Despite this focus on renewables, Morocco has not gone cold turkey on traditional energy sourc-es. Over the next five years, the authorities will set up the infrastructure needed to make liquefied natural gas (LNG) more accessible to domestic industries. This is a huge endeavour, as it also in-cludes a port with an LNG dock and a 400-kilo-metre pipeline. This remarkable project will cost another $4.5 billion, all of which will come from the private sector.

With demand for electricity, mostly from the country’s expanding industries, rising by 7 per cent annually, Morocco’s government has long known that it could not sit still. Today, 90 per cent of the Moroccan population is connected to the grid, up dramatically from the 1990s, when that figure stood at just 18 per cent. Over this period, the country’s investments in electrification rose to more than $3 billion annually.

Morocco’s government is convinced that reform and development will confirm its emergence as a regional leader and gateway to Africa. Increased access to renewable energy will mean that all com-panies will have sufficient power to meet their needs, which is essential to the country’s ability to diversify its economy.

Investors are aware of Morocco’s exceptional geographic position and its political stability in a region all too often held back by uncertainty. The country’s giant solar complex and other invest-ments will help boost the country’s energy inde-pendence, reduce costs, and expand access to pow-er. Others in Africa and the Middle East should take note. - Project Syndicate

Canine charity festival fun for any pet lover This refers to the event Canines for a Cause Charity Festival, which was held on Saturday. It was an unforgettable fun day out for the whole family. We were not short of things to see and do with so many

dogs to meet. One doesn’t have to be the owner of a purebreed to enjoy a dog show. These events are fun for all pet lovers. A special thanks to Al Bustan Palace Hotel for hosting the event at their beautiful beachfront landscaped gardens and also to the organisers for a wonderful very well organised event. — Anu Shaikh, Wadi Kabir

Mwasalat services for book fair to be very helpful This refers to the report Mwasalat bus trips to ease Muscat book fair gridlock (February 20). Indeed, this is a good gesture by the authorities, as the decision gives a boost to the red fleet. Ever since Mwasalat services were introduced in Muscat, a complete change has been seen in the approach of commuters who depend on public services.

A taxi driver appreciated the government move even though it charges less than taxi fares. The introduction of Mwasalat services for the Muscat International Book Fair would definitely be a comfort to the book lovers. —Ramachandran Nair, Ruwi

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Qatabi opens engineer’s forumMUSCAT: Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Qatabi, president of the Majlis Al Shura, opened the Gulf engineer’s forum at Hotel Inter-Continen-tal here yesterday. The three-day forum is being hosted by the Muscat Municipality. Engineering experts from the AGCC countries are tak-ing part in the event. Abdullah bin Abbas bin Ahmed, president of the Muscat Municipality, said in an address, the forum will provide an op-portunity to exchange experience and discuss ideas on the engineer-ing profession. The meeting, he said, will also help in improving the quality of engineering and engineers performance in the Gulf. Qatabi also inaugurated an engineering exhibition organized on the sidelines of the forum.

1878: The world’s first telephone book is issued by the New Haven Connecticut Telephone Company containing the names of its 50 subscribers.

1905: The Mukden campaign of the Russo-Japanese War, begins.

1965: El Hajj Malik El Shabazz (Malcom X) is assassinated in front of 400 people.

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The best thing Pakistan Super League has done is to have returned

the smile to Pakistan cricket. There’s an unmistakable newfound confidence that says ‘we may have

been denied our due — think Indian Premier League — but we’re here,

we have the smarts and we matter’.

KAMRAN REHMAT

The debate about what to do with the slot vacated by the death of

Justice Antonin Scalia last weekend has already turned into a brawl.

Republicans made an initial mistake by insisting they wouldn’t even hold

hearings on any Obama nominee. That alone has the potential to mobilise the Democratic left

ALBERT R. HUNT

Harper Lee, who died Friday at 89, always professed herself astounded at the role of her masterpiece in the lives of so many millions of readers. The story’s images are seared into

us. Those who don’t read it in middle school read it in high school. The book is as firmly installed in the popular culture as a novel can be

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LANTERN FESTIVAL PREPARATIONS People walk in an area decorated with lanterns ahead of the Lantern Festival at Yu Yuan Garden in downtown Shanghai, China, on Saturday. — Reuters

Umberto Eco, author of ‘The Name of the Rose’ dies at 84ROME: Italian author Umberto Eco, who became famous for the 1980 international blockbuster The Name of the Rose, died on Fri-day, Italian media reported. He was 84.

La Repubblica newspaper said it had been informed by the family that Eco died late on Friday night at his home in northern Italy.

Eco was virtually unknown out-

side university circles until well into middle age, when he found himself an international celeb-rity overnight after he published his first novel, an unorthodox detective story set in a medieval monastery.

“He was an extraordinary ex-ample of European intellectual-ism, uniting a unique intelligence of the past with an inexhaustible

capacity to anticipate the future,” Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was quoted as saying by the Italian news agency Ansa.

For the professor from Bolo-gna University, then aged 48, it was a late introduction into the world of international literary fame and one that took many critics by surprise.

“The Name of the Rose, with its

highly detailed description of life in a 14th-century monastery and learned accounts of the philo-sophical and religious disputes of the time, at face value was hardly a novel to appeal to the average modern reader.

But the book’s popularity lay in a clever plot line, the masterfully evoked atmosphere of fear and gloom brooding over the monas-

tery, and the attractive central figure, unashamedly modelled on the famous detective Sherlock Holmes.

Literary prizesName of the Rose was translated into dozens of languages, sold more than 14 million copies and won several international literary prizes. — Reuters

I T A L Y

Cameron calls June 23 vote on EU after clinching deal

LONDON: Prime Minister Da-vid Cameron called a June 23 referendum on membership of the European Union on Saturday as he sought to rally his divided Conservative Party behind a deal which he said would guarantee Britain’s prosperity and security in the bloc.

After spelling out detail of the deal - clinched at an EU summit in Brussels - to his senior ministers, Cameron said he had secured the cabinet’s blessing to recommend to voters that Britain stay in the bloc it joined in 1973.

“I believe that Britain will be safer, stronger and better off by remaining in a reformed European Union,” Cameron said outside his Number 10 Downing Street resi-dence in London.

“Leaving Europe would threat-en our economic and our national security,” Cameron said, adding that he would propose to Parlia-ment that the referendum be held

on Thursday June 23, in the mid-dle of the Glastonbury music fes-tival and the Euro 2016 soccer championship.

One of Cameron’s closest po-litical allies, Justice Secretary Mi-chael Gove, and five other cabinet members will campaign to leave.

They signed a poster for the Vote Leave out campaign saying “Let’s take back control.”

While the rebellion illustrated the depth of the division over Eu-rope within his ruling Conserva-tive Party, Cameron’s most senior ministers including interior min-

ister Theresa May and finance minister George Osborne backed EU membership.

London Mayor Boris Johnson, who has charmed some voters with a buffoonish persona that masks fierce ambition to succeed Cameron, has yet to make his po-sition clear. A source told Reuters that Johnson might show his hand on Sunday.

The agreement Cameron reached in Brussels granted Brit-ain an explicit exemption from the founding goal of “ever closer union”, offered concessions on the welfare rights of migrant workers and safeguards for the City of London.

Though British voters are split over membership, betting odds have moved further in favour of Britain remaining in the EU af-ter Cameron’s deal, according to bookmaker Ladbrokes.

A British exit from the EU would rock the Union - already shaken by differences over migration and

the future of the euro zone - by ripping away its second-largest economy, one of its top two mili-tary powers and by far its richest financial centre.

Pro-Europeans warn an exit could also trigger the break-up of the United Kingdom by prompt-ing another Scottish independ-ence vote. The $2.9 trillion Brit-ish economy would face years of uncertain negotiations over the terms of a divorce.

Opponents of EU membership say Britain would prosper out-side what they say is a doomed Germany-dominated bloc that punches way below its weight on the world stage.

Pathetic deal“This is a truly pathetic deal,” Ni-gel Farage, the head of the UK Independence Party said.”Let’s leave the EU, control our borders, run our own country and stop handing 55 million pounds every day to Brussels.”

The issue of Europe has divided the Conservatives for three dec-ades and played a major part in the downfall of Cameron’s two Con-servative predecessors, Margaret Thatcher and John Major.

Opinion polls show that a sig-nificant number of Britons have yet to make up their mind, though perceptions that the EU has failed to deal with the migrant crisis may be turning some towards a ‘Brexit’.

Bookmaker Ladbrokes said however that betting odds indi-cated there was now a 69 per cent chance of Britain remaining in the EU with a 31 per cent chance of Britain leaving.

Cameron is due to make a state-ment to parliament on Monday, triggering the start of the cam-paign for the referendum.

The cabinet meeting will for-malise government support for staying in the EU and Cameron has said ministers will then be free to campaign on whichever side they want. — Reuters

After spelling out

detail of the deal -

clinched at an EU

summit in Brussels

- to his senior

ministers, Cameron

said he had secured

the cabinet’s blessing

to recommend to

voters that Britain

stay in the bloc it

joined in 1973SUCCESS, FOR NOW British Prime Minister David Cameron makes a statement to the media outside 10 Downing Street in London on Saturday. — AFP

REACTION: An arrangement of British newspapers taken in London on Saturday show front page headlines regarding an agreement on reforming Britain’s EU membership. — AFP

Mugabe warns party members over succession

UN criticises South Sudan rivals over civilian deaths

HARARE: Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe threatened to dis-cipline ruling party members he accuses of fanning divisions over who will succeed him, reaffirm-ing his authority ahead of his 92nd birthday on Sunday.

In a 30-minute speech broad-cast on state-owned ZBC TV late on Friday, Mugabe said he was disturbed by insults among senior officials of the ruling ZANU-PF party, who are divided over who should succeed him.

“We are all being abused, the President, his wife, in a man-ner that is very disgraceful. It’s a shame,” Mugabe said, flanked by his two vice presidents, Emmer-son Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko, at his official State House residence. “So, we will definitely take action where we feel action should be taken within the party.

There is need for a whip of dis-cipline now to be shown and to be used,” he said.

Mugabe says ZANU-PF will choose his successor.

But he plans to contest the next election in 2018 aged 94, seeking his last five-year term under a new constitution that would see him through to 99.

His life presidency aspira-tions are frustrating the feuding factions of ZANU-PF, who have been trying for years to position themselves for a post-Mugabe political era. — Reuters

UNITED NATIONS: South Sudan’s warring government and opposition are killing, ab-ducting and displacing civilians and destroying property despite conciliatory rhetoric by both sides, the United Nations said on Friday.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is due to travel to South Sudan’s capital, Juba, next Thursday to meet with President Salva Kiir.

A political dispute between Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar two years ago sparked a civil war and renewed hos-tilities between Kiir’s Dinka and Machar’s Nuer people.

More than 10,000 people have been killed. After months of in-effective negotiations and failed ceasefires, both sides agreed in January to share positions in a transitional government, and earlier this month Kiir re-appointed Machar to his former post as vice president.

“It cannot be tolerated that leaders make declarations in Juba, while the hostilities and attacks on the civilian popu-lation continue and intensify across the country,” said U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic.

He told the UN Security Council that the conflict threat-ens stability in the entire region.

Villages razedSimonovic said that in the Greater Upper Nile region of South Sudan government forc-es had systematically razed villages and sexual violence and abuse of children’s rights were rampant.

“During an attack on Koch county, one woman described how soldiers killed her husband, then tied her to a tree and forced her to watch as her daughter was raped by at least 10 soldiers,” Si-monovic said. — Reuters

I N F I G H T I N G

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Valls pledges more military support for Sahel regionOUAGADOUGOU: French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Satur-day pledged greater military assis-tance to the former French colony of Burkina Faso and other coun-tries in the Sahel region in the face of a growing extremist insurgency.

French troops stepped in to help Burkina Faso during an attack by militants from Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb on a hotel in its capital, Ouagadougou, last month that killed 30 people.

“We must strengthen our co-operation on intelligence and the training of security and other armed forces,” Valls told reporters in Ouagadougou after a meeting with President Roch Marc Chris-tian Kabore, who took office in December after winning the presi-dential election in November.

Valls said assistance would come in the form of help for a se-curity body known as the G5 Sahel comprising Mauritania, Mali, Ni-ger, Chad and Burkina Faso, as well as support for the United Nations peace keeping force in Mali.

Valls was in Burkina Faso as part of a three-day tour with Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian that incorporated a visit to Mali, which experienced a similar hotel attack in November. — Reuters

E X T R E M I S T I N S U R G E N C I E STruce possible if Russia ends air strikes: Syria opposition

BEIRUT: Syria’s opposition on Saturday said it had agreed to the “possibility” of a temporary truce, provided there were guarantees Damascus’s allies including Rus-sia would cease fire, sieges were lifted and aid deliveries allowed country-wide.

Russian air strikes began last September and turned the tide in Syria’s five-year civil war in Bashar Al Assad’s favour, to the frustration of the United States and its allies who have sup-ported rebels trying to topple the president. Attempts to negoti-ate a truce in recent months have failed. A source close to peace talks earlier on Saturday told Reu-

ters Syria’s opposition had agreed to a two- to three-week truce.

The truce would be renewable and supported by all parties ex-cept IS, the source said.

It would also be conditional on

the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front no longer being targeted, at least to start with, the source said.

The Nusra Front is considered a terrorist organisation by the UN Security Council and banned.

Asked if the opposition’s insist-ence on the Nusra Front no long-er being targeted was the main stumbling block, he described it as “the elephant in the room”.

“They have to deal with this

very delicately or they are going to end up with a civil war in Idlib on their hands,” the source said.

The latest round of talks at the United Nations in Geneva is being jointly chaired by Russia and the United States.

On Saturday, various Syrian opposition factions “expressed agreement on the possibility of reaching a temporary truce deal, to be reached through interna-tional mediation,” a statement from the High Negotiations Com-mittee said. A halt to Russian bombardments did not look im-mediately likely.

The spokesman for Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, said: “Russia is sticking to its consistent policy of rendering assistance and aid to the armed forces of Syria in their offensive actions against terrorists and against terrorist organisations.”

The High Negotiations Com-mittee, which joins various armed groups and Syria’s exiled politi-cal opposition, said the UN must guarantee “holding Russia and Iran and sectarian militias... to a halt to fighting”.

All sides should cease fire si-multaneously and the govern-ment should release prisoners, it added. — Reuters

A source close to

peace talks earlier on

Saturday told Reuters

Syria’s opposition

had agreed to a two-

to three-week truce

CIVIL WAR: Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDS) are transported to the front line of the town of Chaddade in the northeastern Syrian province of Hasaka, on Friday.— AFP

Opponents cryfoul as Museveni wins Uganda pollKAMPALA: Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni extended his 30-year rule on Saturday, win-ning an election that internation-al observers said lacked trans-parency and his main opponent, under house arrest, denounced as a sham.

One of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, Museveni won 60.8 per cent of the vote, while main op-position candidate Kizza Besigye secured 35.4 per cent, according to the electoral commission.

“We have just witnessed what must be the most fraudulent elec-toral process in Uganda,” Besigye said in a statement, calling for an independent audit of the results.

Besigye, who had been de-tained three times this week, said he had been placed under house arrest. A Reuters reporter saw his home encircled by police in riot gear and media were barred from approaching it. The United States on Friday urged Museveni to stop the security services har-assing his opponents.

Another of Museveni’s rivals, former prime minister Amama Mbabazi, had also been put un-der house arrest, according to his spokeswoman.

Museveni, 71, has presided over strong economic growth but is accused at home and abroad of repression of dissent and failing to tackle rampant corruption in the nation of 37 million people.

Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement party said the veteran leader’s victory showed that “opponents failed to offer any alternative apart from empty promises”.

The EU observer mission said it had been conducted in an intimidating atmosphere, while Commonwealth observ-ers said the poll “fell short of meeting some key democratic benchmarks”.

Eduard Kukan, chief observer for the EU mission, told reporters

in Kampala the poll had been un-dermined by a “lack of transpar-ency and independence” at the Ugandan electoral commission.

“State actors created an in-timidating atmosphere for both voters and candidates,” he added.

Besigye urged the interna-tional community to denounce the poll win by Museveni, who has won favour with the West by sending Ugandan troops to So-malia to battle extreamist mili-tants with ties to Al Qaeda.

“Please reject the temptation to ratify this sham election,” said Besigye, who was Museveni’s personal doctor in the 1980s.

US Secretary of State John Kerry called Museveni on Friday to voice concern over Besigye’s detention, the harassment of opposition figures and the shut-down of social media such as Fa-cebook and Twitter on election day. “(Kerry) urged President Museveni to rein in the police and security forces, noting that such action calls into question Ugan-da’s commitment to a transpar-ent and credible election process free from intimidation,” the US State Department said on Friday. — Reuters

3 0 - Y E A R - O L D R U L E E X T E N D E D

CONTROVERSY: Ugandan soldiers patrol a street in Kampala, Uganda on Saturday. — Reuters

Yoweri Museveni won 60.8 per cent of the vote, while main opposition candidate Kizza Besigye secured 35.4 per cent, according to the electoral commission

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Nationwide curfew in Fiji as powerful cyclone nears

SUVA: Fiji declared a nationwide curfew on Saturday, as airlines suspended flights and the prime minister warned people to seek refuge from a cyclone that could prove to be the Pacific island na-tion’s most powerful on record.

After twice hammering outly-ing islands in nearby Tonga last week, Cyclone Winston re-in-tensified and began to track west towards Suva, the capital of Fiji, packing winds of 230km per hour (143 mph), with gusts of up to 325 kph (202 mph).

Prime Minister Frank Baini-marama urged Fijians to pre-pare themselves for a “terrible event”, Australian broadcaster ABC reported.

“We cannot afford to be com-placent,” it quoted the prime min-ister as saying. “And I am especial-ly concerned that some people in urban areas do not appear to have heeded the warnings about the se-riousness of the threat.”

A nationwide curfew has been imposed, the government said on social media website Facebook.

“A total public curfew will take

effect across the country today from 6pm,” it added.

It issued a list of 758 evacuation centres across the nation of just under 900,000 people.

As Fiji’s weather service warned people in the east to “ex-pect very destructive hurricane-force winds,” Suva resident Al-ice Clements said the power had

failed just after 5:00 pm and she expected water supplies to be hit next.

Flying palm trees“I have palm trees flying all around me at the moment,” Cle-ments, an official with a UN agency, told Reuters.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitar-ian Affairs (OCHA) said Win-ston was following a path that might spare Suva the full force of its winds, rated as category 5, the highest ranking on the hur-

ricane wind scale. “The cyclone has tracked further north than expected over the past 24 hours,” the UN agency said. Airlines Vir-gin and Jetstar suspended flights into and out of Fiji’s international airport at Nadi, while the national carrier suspended all flights. — Reuters

After twice

hammering outlying

islands in nearby

Tonga last week,

Cyclone Winston re-

intensified and began

to track west towards

Suva, the capital of

Fiji, packing winds of

230km per hour

HIT HARD: In this photograph supplied by Kris Parsad @Angry_Kpra on Saturday, residents shop at a market as they prepare for

Cyclone Winston in the Fijian town of Nausori. Fiji was struck by its most powerful ever cyclone, according to reports, as the island

nation battened down the hatches with a blanket curfew and mass evacuations. — AFP/ KRIS PARSAD/@Angry_Kpra

The government issued a list of 758 evacuation

centres across the nation of just under 900,000

people on Facebook.

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US, Apple ratchet up rhetoric over encryptionWASHINGTON: The US Depart-ment of Justice filed a motion on Friday seeking to compel Apple Inc to comply with a judge’s or-der to unlock the encrypted iP-hone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters, portraying the tech giant’s refusal as a “mar-keting strategy.”

In response, a senior Apple ex-ecutive, speaking with reporters on condition of anonymity, charac-terised the Justice Department’s filing as an effort to argue its case in the media before the company has a chance to respond.

ShowdownThe back and forth escalated a showdown between the Obama administration and Silicon Valley over security and privacy that ig-nited earlier this week.

The Federal Bureau of Inves-tigation is seeking the tech com-pany’s help to access shooter Syed Rizwan Farook’s phone by disabling some of its passcode protections.

The company so far has pushed back and on Thursday won three extra days to respond to the order.

Another senior Apple executive said Congress is the right place for a debate over encryption, not a courtroom.

Legal requestThe executive said Apple was stunned that such a legal request had come from the US government rather than a country with weaker traditions of protecting privacy and civil liberties.

The motion to compel Apple to comply did not carry specific penalties for the company, and the Justice Department declined to comment on what recourse it was willing to seek.

In the order, prosecutors ac-knowledged that the latest filing was “not legally necessary” since Apple had not yet responded to the initial order. — Reuters

S A N B E R N A R D I N O S H O O T E R

3,000 couples marry in mass event in South Korean cityGAPYEONG (SOUTH KO-REA): About 3,000 couples from 62 countries tied the knot in South Korea on Saturday, in a mass wedding ceremony con-ducted by the Unification Church founded by the late Reverend Sun Myung Moon.

A further 12,000 couples

worldwide participated in the ceremony via the Internet, said Ryu Kyeung-seuk, president of the South Korean headquarters of the church.

Moon, who died in 2012, had presided over mass weddings since the early 1960s. His widow, Hak Ja Han Moon, officiated at

Saturday’s ceremony, which was witnessed by about 22,000 fol-lowers gathered at the Cheong-Shim Peace World Centre in Gapyeong, about 75 km northeast of Seoul. The couples included 1,000 who were newly wed and about 2,000 who were already married. — Reuters

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Democrat Sanders looks to prove minority appeal in Nevada caucus

LAS VEGAS/CHARLESTON (US): Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders will test his appeal with minority voters in Nevada on Saturday, looking to puncture rival Hillary Clinton’s ar-gument that he is a one-note can-didate whose support is limited to mostly white states.

After routing Clinton in New

Hampshire and finishing a strong second in Iowa, states with nearly all-white populations, Nevada’s Democratic caucuses give Sanders his first chance to prove he can win over black and Hispanic voters and compete nationally as the race moves to states with more diverse populations.

Republicans in South Caro-lina also vote on Saturday in the state-by-state contest to pick

nominees for the November 8 election, with opinion polls showing front-runner Donald Trump trying to solidify his spot at the top of the pack and rivals Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio fight-ing for a second-place finish.

Behind them, Republican can-didates Jeb Bush, John Kasich and Ben Carson could be vying in South Carolina to keep their cam-paigns alive before the presiden-

tial race rapidly picks up steam in March when dozens of states hold nominating contests.

The long day of voting begins in South Carolina, where polls open for Republicans at 7am EST and close at 7pm EST.

Nevada’s Democratic caucuses will begin at 2 p.m. EST, with re-sults expected to begin rolling in a few hours later.

Public opinion polling has been scarce in Nevada, where Latinos and African-Americans made up nearly one-third of the Democratic electorate in 2008 and are expect-ed to account for more this time.

A few recent surveys show a tight race, however. Clinton’s campaign has argued she would assert control of the Democratic race once it moved to more diverse states with black and Hispanic populations who have tradition-ally backed Clinton and have been slow to warm to Sanders.

But a Sanders win in Nevada would shatter that perception, fuelling new questions about Clinton’s strength in a campaign that was once considered a cake-walk for her. It would also raise the stakes for the next contest, in South Carolina on February 27.

A Clinton win, however, would halt the momentum Sanders has generated from his 22-point de-feat of Clinton in New Hampshire and position her to begin rolling up wins and delegates in South Caro-lina and on “Super Tuesday” on March 1.

Both campaigns aggressively courted Hispanics in Nevada, bulking up Latino and bilingual staff members, locating offices in Hispanic neighbourhoods, launch-ing bilingual phone banks and Spanish-language caucus training, and inviting Hispanic celebrities to help spread the word.

“We have to build a culturally

competent campaign,” said Jorge Neri, Clinton’s Nevada organising director. For Clinton, that cultural competence sometimes could be found in small details — like the fact that “house party” does not translate well in Spanish.

The Clinton campaign used the word “cafecito” instead to describe a potluck type event where people gather and talk politics.

The Clinton campaign also built a strong text message list, reflect-ing the fact many Latinos primar-ily or only access the Internet by their phones. The Sanders cam-paign also targeted Latinos.

At a phone bank event on Wednesday, volunteers chatted in Spanish and English to persuade them to turn out for Sanders.

Mexican-American actor and television personality Marco An-tonio Regil made calls for Sanders.

“Bernie, he gets me,” he said, in-between phone conversations. “We have gone so much to the right that we need someone who brings us a little bit to the left.”

Sanders, a US senator from Ver-mont, is a self-described demo-cratic socialist who has criticised Clinton’s ties to Wall Street and generated enthusiasm among young voters with his call for breaking up the big banks and re-ducing income inequality. - Reuters

Public opinion polling

has been scarce

in Nevada, where

Latinos and African-

Americans made

up nearly one-third

of the Democratic

electorate in 2008

and are expected to

account for more

this time

HOLIDAY RUSHVehicles drive at reduced speed on the A43 highway near Chambéry, southeastern France, on Saturday, towards ski resorts

during a crossover of people going to or coming from the ski stations during the school holidays. - AFP

EXERCISING FRANCHISE: Voters sign in to cast their ballots for the

Republican primary at Our Savior Lutheran Church on Saturday in

Columbia, South Carolina. Today’s vote is traditionally known as

the ‘First in the South’ primary. - AFP

$450 million approved for

anti-poverty programme

MANILA: The World Bank on Saturday approved $450 million of funding for the Philippines’ flagship anti-poverty programme, which will provide basic health-care and education to millions of families until 2019.

The financing, under the bank’s Social Welfare Development and Reform Project II, will cover about 7 per cent of the total cost of implementing what is known as the conditional cash transfer (CCT) programme.

Manila has allocated about 62.7 billion peso ($1.32 billion) from its 2016 budget for the scheme, which is expanding this year to cover 4.6 million households.

Commitment“The World Bank is steadfast in its commitment and support for the CCT because we believe it contributes to reducing extreme poverty and inequality,” said Cecilia Vales, the World Bank’s acting country director for the

Philippines. A quarter of the Phil-ippines’ 100 million people live below the poverty line.

The Philippines’ CCT program me has grown into one of the larg-est and best-targeted social safety net programs in the world, with 82 per cent of the benefits going to the bottom 40 per cent of the popula-tion, according to the World Bank.

Recent studies show that the programme has reduced total poverty and food poverty among beneficiaries by as much as 6.7 per centage points. At the national level, the programme is estimated to have reduced both total poverty and food poverty by up to 1.4 per-centage points in 2013.

Globally, more than 1.9 billion people in 136 low- and middle-income countries benefit from social safety net programs such as CCT, according to a World Bank report, The State of Social Safety Nets 2015.

India, Brazil and Mexico have the largest programmes. - Reuters

P H I L I P P I N E S

South Korea isle alarmed by North artillerySEOUL: North Korea fired several artillery rounds into the sea near a disputed maritime border with South Korea on Saturday, causing alarm among residents on a nearby island in the South, but the shells did not fly across the border, the South’s military said.

The two Koreas are in a tense political standoff after the North’s nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch on February 7. South Korea and the United States say they were grave violations of UN Security Council resolutions.

The allies are expected to be-gin large-scale annual military drills in early March, which the North calls preparations for war and routinely vows retaliation over. Saturday’s firing, heard from the island of Baengnyeong, was probably aimed in a north-western direction from the North’s shore as part of an ex-ercise, a South Korean defence ministry official said by tel-ephone, asking not to be named.

The South’s office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said there were several rounds of artillery fire, revising a comment by the min-istry official that there had been a single shot, and there were no other unusual movements by the North’s military. - Reuters

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Sebacic acid project coming up in Duqm

A E JAMESbusinesseditor@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: A joint venture (JV) between Omani investors and an Indian entrepreneur is building the world’s biggest plant for Sebac-ic acid in the Duqm free zone.

Work on the state-of-the-art ex-port-oriented project with a capi-tal expenditure of $62.7 million had already started last month.

Sebacic acid, which is used for making high performance en-gine oil and lubricants, adhesives, engine coolants, bio-degradable packaging, sub-sea pipe/cable coatings, aerospace polymers, anti-corrosion applications and bio-plastics, is manufactured from castor oil (vegetable oil).

“The project has the capacity to produce 30,000 tonnes of Se-bacic acid per annum. We have already started construction and it will take one-and-a-half years to complete the project,” Pradeepku-mar B Nair, chief executive officer

(CEO) of Sebacic Oman SAOC, told the Times of Oman.

“This is the first project to man-ufacture Sebacic acid in the entire Mena (Middle East and North Af-rica) region.”

Project promotersThe project is being promoted by Sheikh Hilal bin Khalid Al Maawa-li (chairman); Nair (CEO) and Sheikh Khalid bin Hilal Al Maawa-li (director).

Nair noted that the entire pro-

duction will be exported to Eu-rope, the US, China and Japan.

The company has already ac-quired 40 hectares of land and an adjacent coastline of 640 metres.

He further said that Sebacic acid is used for producing bio-degrada-ble packaging for replacing cancer causing plastics. “Food packages for children in the United States and Europe are being produced with bio-degradable plastics.”

Demand for Sebacic acid is growing due to a ban on plastics in packaging food products for chil-dren in several developed coun-tries and increasing aerospace applications. The Castor oil de-rivatives market is worth $15 bil-lion per annum and major demand is coming from the United States, Europe and Japan.

Sebacic acid is manufactured from castor oil, which is already grown in Oman. However, the company plans to import castor oil from India. As much as 70 per cent of world’s castor oil is produced

in the Indian state of Gujarat. The castor plant grows on any soil and is found in Oman growing natu-rally. “We are discussing with the Ministry of Agriculture to promote contract farming in Oman. This will help Omani farmers,” noted Nair. The castor plant withstands dry seasons and heavy rains.

For the first phase of the Duqm project, the total castor seed re-quirement will be around 100,000 tonnes per annum. Nair said he has a similar plant in India’s Guja-rat state and his company has been exporting Sebacic acid to several countries globally.

Elaborating on the advantages of building the plant in Duqm, Nair said the tax-free incentives of the Oman government in Duqm and good port connectivity are the ad-vantages considered before locat-ing the project there.

The proposed liquid jetty is also an advantage. “It is going to be the next trans-shipment hub for the entire Gulf region.

With a capital

expenditure of $62.7

million, an Oman-

India joint venture, is

building the world’s

biggest Sebacic acid

project in Duqm.

Work on this state-

of-the-art export-

oriented project

has already begun

last monthDUQM FREE ZONE: For the first phase of the Duqm project, the total castor seed requirement will be around 100,000 tonnes per annum. — Times file picture

Sheikh Hilal bin Khalid Al Maawali. — Supplied picture

Oman’s industrial sector posts growth in financial resultsMUSCAT: Omani industry managed to achieve reasonable growth in financial results last year, despite competition from outside the country.

Several manufacturing compa-nies reported moderate growth in net earnings in 2015. For in-stance, Areej Vegetable Oils and Derivatives Co. managed to control its expenses and post OMR2.6 million in net profits, reflecting a growth of 1.2 per cent in 2015, compared with the pre-vious year. The company said the growth and good financial sheets, along with accumulated profits had forced the company board to recommend an 85 per cent dividend, including a 50 per cent stock dividend and a 35 per cent cash dividend, which is equal to OMR0.350 per share.

The company also pointed out that it operates in a very com-petitive atmosphere, as the 12 oil factories operating in the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) countries are exempted from custom duties in the Sultanate. Moreover, the GCC countries are considered a hub for the export of vegetable oil and fats.

The Oman Cables Industry (SAOG) said it has performed well despite the challenges posed by the tough competition in the market and copper prices declin-ing by 17 per cent in 2015. The company said it even managed to increase its sales and net profits.

The financial statements of the company point out that the group’s net profits stood at OMR21.3 million last year, com-pared with OMR19.8 million in 2014. The company affirmed that it is committed to quality, which is one of the reasons be-hind its success as it enhances the confidence of its local and foreign customers.

For example, Oman Optic Fi-bre Cables believes that the fu-ture outlook for its optic fibre cables in the global markets is more positive than in the Middle

East markets as some oil and gas projects have been shelved due to low oil and gas prices. The com-pany said market conditions have pushed it to appoint distributors in Africa and Europe to enhance its status at the market.

During 2015, the company managed to increase its opera-tional profits to OMR1.9 million, compared with OMR1.6 mil-lion in 2014. The net profits of the company last year stood at OMR1.6 million, compared with OMR7.8 million in 2014, includ-ing OMR7.3 million in revenues from insurance claims. If this item is excluded, the company’s profit growth in 2015 will be good.

National Pharmaceutical In-dustries Co. (NPI) said the GCC market is very big for the phar-maceutical industrial companies in the region, and therefore there are great opportunities for the sale of pharmaceutical products in the Sultanate and countries of the region’s markets.

Last year, the company’s sales grew by 600,000 to OMR10.6 million. The company said the increase in sales came mainly from the export markets, which increased the company profits, despite an increase in opera-tional costs. The company’s net profits grew by 15 per cent to hit OMR1.053 million.

Meanwhile, Omani Packag-ing Co. managed to withstand the competition and maintain its competitive position in the local market. The company also man-aged to boost its export share, which resulted in a 10 per cent increase in sales.

The company added that it is now seeking to continue grow-ing and maintaining its share in the market. It has thus revised its marketing policy from time to time to boost its share in different sectors. The company will gradu-ally reduce its costs to reach bet-ter profit margins. Its net profits stood at OMR959,000 in 2015, up from OMR270,000 in 2014. — ONA

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

Ithraa to attend major trade fair

MUSCAT: Public Authority for Investment Promotion and Ex-port Development (Ithraa) will take part on Sunday at Kuwait first International Trade Fair.

The event will be opened by Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jab-ir Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait. The one-week fair is organised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in the State of Kuwait.

The Ithraa participation comes within the framework of continuing its efforts to tar-get promising markets for the Omani non-oil products, find-ing opportunities for the local partners, benefiting from such fairs to explore broader trade and investment opportunities, exchanging benefits and famil-iarising with the major regional and international companies and institutions representing various sectors. As many as 20 Arab and foreign countries will take part along with several government agencies, local and international companies and owners of world trademarks in various sectors. — ONA

F O R U M I N K U W A I T

B2

MARKETS U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

Petrol production in Oman declines by 13% in January

MUSCAT: Oman’s petrol produc-tion fell by 12.9 per cent to 6.07 million barrels in January this year, compared to the same period last year, according to the latest data released by the National Cen-tre for Statistics and Information .

The Sultanate produced 389,700 barrels of regular (90) petrol in January, logging a sig-nificant 74.3 per cent rise over the output in the same month last year, which stood at 223,500 bar-

rels. At the same time, super (95) petrol production plummeted 17.5 per cent to 1.46 million barrels

from 1.77 million barrels in 2015.Last year’s aggregate output by

Oman Oil Refineries and Petro-leum Industries Company (Orpic) of regular and super petrol stood at 2.02 million bbl and 23.34 mil-lion barrels respectively. Regular

petrol accounted for just 2 per cent of Orpic’s total petroleum products output, while super pet-rol had a share of 28 per cent.

Meanwhile, there was a marked increase of 11.3 per cent in the pro-duction of jet fuel (aviation fuel) in January, which surged to 436,400 barrels from 392,100 barrels in the same month last year.

Gas oil output too recorded a fall of 8.3 per cent to 1.62 mil-lion bbl compared to 1.77 million barrels last year.

Fuel oilFuel oil fell 81.4 per cent to hit 29,000 barrels from 156,000 bbl last year; while LPG (lique-fied petroleum gas) output fell 46 per cent to 152,300 barrels

as against 282,300 barrels pro-duced in January 2015.

The long residual declined 13.2 per cent to 1.5 million barrels

from 1.72 million barrels, while Propylene production recorded a steep fall of 90.1 per cent at 19,800

bbl as against 201,000 in 2015.In contrast, the Sultanate’s im-

proved its SR Naphtha output by 31.3 per cent to reach 419,600 bar-

rels from 319,500 barrels in Jan-

uary 2015. Other products showed a fall in output of 73.1 per cent during the month to stand at 31,7 00 barrels, compared to 117,900 in the same period in 2015. — ONA

Oman’s petrol production was 6.07 million

barrels in January this year, according to the

latest data released by the National Centre

for Statistics and Information

Brazil relaxes fiscal goal as investor fears mountBRASILIA: Brazil’s government said on Friday it will cut its key fis-cal target to a deficit from a surplus this year if tax revenue continues to fall, in a move that increased market doubts about leftist Presi-dent Dilma Rousseff’s commit-ment to austerity.

Rousseff’s government, under pressure from investors and the business community to cut spend-ing amid a deep recession, will be able to run a deficit of 1 per cent of gross domestic product before interest debt payments under the new target.

The government had targeted a primary surplus, or excess revenue prior to interest debt payments, of 0.5 per cent of GDP.

The change came after it an-nounced a 2016 budget cut of 23.4 billion reais ($5.82 billion), lower than the 70 billion reais seen last year. Congress must approve the new fiscal target.

To ease a market backlash, newly appointed Finance Minis-ter Nelson Barbosa also unveiled plans to limit public spending growth by setting annual expendi-ture ceilings and automatic cuts in wages, new hires and tax benefits. Brazil is running an overall deficit of over 10 per cent of GDP. - Reuters

2 0 1 6

Market crash prompts China to replace stocks regulatorSHANGHAI: China has removed the head of its securities regula-tor following a turbulent period in the country’s stock markets, ap-pointing a top state banking exec-utive as his replacement, as lead-ers move to restore confidence in the economy.

The announcement on the of-ficial Xinhua news agency on Saturday follows a string of as-surances from senior leaders fol-lowing the Lunar New Year holi-day that China will underpin its slowing economy and steady its wobbly currency.

Xinhua said Xiao Gang, chair-man of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) since 2013, had been succeeded by Liu Shiyu, chairman of the Agricultural Bank of China (Ag-Bank) and a former deputy gover-nor of the central bank.

“Xiao’s departure is not a sur-prise following the recent stock disaster. This is a role vulner-able to public criticism because most Chinese retail investors are destined to lose money in such a market,” said Zhang Kaihua, a fund manager of Nanjing-based hedge fund Huyang Investment. The CSRC or Agricultural Bank of China could not immediately reach for comment.

Xiao and the CSRC came un-der fire as China’s Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets slumped as much as 40 per cent in just a few months last summer.

Circuit breakerIn a further blow, a stock index “circuit breaker” introduced in January to limit stock market losses was deactivated after four days of use because it was blamed for exacerbating a sharp selloff. Online media nicknamed Xiao “Mr Circuit Breaker”.

Reuters reported in January that Xiao, 57, had offered to resign following the “circuit-breaker” failure. The CSRC said at the time the information did not conform to the facts.

The gyrations in China’s stock markets, an unexpected devalu-ation of the yuan in August and sharp falls in currency reserves rattled global markets, raising concerns about the health of the economy and Beijing’s ability to steer the country through both a protracted slowdown in growth and a shift away from manufac-turing towards services.

Economic growth slipped last year to 6.9 per cent, stellar by Western standards, but the weakest pace for China in more

than two decades.Ahead of two high-profile

events for China — a meeting in Shanghai next week of G20 fi-nancial leaders and the annual gathering of China’s legislature in March — officials have an-nounced various measures to support the economy, including funds for infrastructure projects and increased financial support to struggling industry.

China’s Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said in an interview with state television on Friday that he was confident that the country’s trade conditions would stabilise and improve in 2016.

Uncertainty aheadInvestors and analysts said the new chief Liu, 54, a trained econo-mist, would bring in new policies and strategies, but it remained to be seen what direction he would take. “Liu has a lot of experience in the financial sector, but there will be some policy uncertainty in the short term as it will take at least six months for the for-mer banker to get used to his new role,” fund manager Zhang said.

Liu spent most of his career at the People’s Bank of China, rising to deputy governor and holding that post from 2006. - Reuters

S T O C K M A R K E T

OUTPUT PLUMMETS: The Sultanate produced 389,700 barrels of regular petrol in January as against

223,500 bbl in the same period last year. Super petrol production plummeted 17.5 per cent to 1.46

million bbl from 1.77 million bbl in 2015. – File photo

EROSION OF WEALTH: In a further blow, a stock index “circuit breaker” introduced in January

to limit stock market losses was deactivated after four days of use because it was blamed for

exacerbating a sharp selloff. – Bloomberg News

B3S U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

MARKETOman’s gross domestic product drops 14% in nine months of 2015

MUSCAT: Oman’s gross domes-tic product (GDP) at market price fell by 14.2 per cent in the first nine months of 2015, compared to the same period of previous year, main-ly on account of plunging crude oil prices in the global markets.

The oil sector GDP substantially declined by 38.5 per cent while the non-oil sector witnessed a modest growth of 4.7 per cent, mainly ema-nating from the services sector no-tably under transport and commu-nication, hotels and restaurants and real estate services.

Industrial sectors, such as con-struction, electricity and water supply and mining and quarrying also registered growth.

The Sultanate’s fiscal balance also turned from surplus to deficit during the period, in the wake of the significant and persistent drop in crude oil prices. Inflation con-tinued its downward trend with the average CPI for the Sultanate at a mere 0.06 per cent during 2015 over the previous year.

On the external front, the re-cent trend in merchandise trade indicates that the current account balance for the first three quarters in 2015 would undergo a major ad-justment from surplus to deficit. However, the growth of monetary aggregates in the Sultanate contin-ued its rising pattern despite the decline in crude oil prices. Going forth, however the pace of growth in banking aggregates is expected to show some decline.

The total assets of conventional commercial banks increased by 13.6 per cent to OMR8.2 billion in December 2015 from OMR24.8

billion a year ago. Of the total as-sets, credit disbursement account-ed for 65 per cent and increased by 8.4 per cent as at the end of Decem-ber 2015 to OMR18.3 billion.

Credit to the private sector in-creased by 10.2 per cent to reach OMR16.2 billion as at the end of December 2015. Of the total credit to the private sector as at end De-cember 2015, the share of the non-financial corporate sector stood at 46.3 per cent, closely followed by the household sector (mainly under personal loans) at 45.4 per cent, financial corporations at 5.7 per cent and other sectors the re-maining 2.6 per cent.

Banks’ investmentsCommercial banks’ overall invest-ments in securities increased by 4.6 per cent to OMR3 billion as at the end of December 2015 from OMR2.9 billion a year ago.

Investment in Government Development Bonds increased by 47 per cent over the year to OMR829.2 million at the end of

December 2015. Banks also invest-ed OMR464.2 million in Govern-ment Treasury Bills as at the end of December 2015.

Commercial banks’ invest-ments in foreign securities stood at OMR920 million in December 2015, registering an increase of 29.8 per cent over the year. Aggre-gate deposits held with conven-tional banks registered an increase of 3.4 per cent to OMR7.9 billion in December 2015 from OMR17.3 billion a year ago.

Government deposits with con-ventional banks marginally de-clined by 3.4 per cent to OMR4.8 billion. Deposits of public enter-prises increased by 8 per cent to OMR1 billion during the same period. Private sector deposits, which constituted 66.4 per cent of total deposits with conventional banks, increased by 6.1 per cent to OMR11.9 billion in December 2015 from OMR11.2 billion a year ago.

Sector-wise, the share of house-holds was 50 per cent of the total private sector deposit base, fol-

lowed by nonfinancial corpora-tions at 28.8 per cent, financial corporations at 18.5 per cent and other sectors at 2.7 per cent. Is-lamic banking entities provided financing to the extent of OMR1.78 billion as at the end of December 2015 when compared to OMR1 bil-lion a year ago.

Total deposits held with Islamic banks and windows also registered a significant increase to OMR1.54 billion in December 2015 from OMR0.7 billion outstanding as at the end of December 2014. The total assets of Islamic banks and windows combined, amounted to OMR2.3 billion as at the end of December 2015 which constituted about 7.5 per cent of the banking system assets.

The combined balance sheet of conventional and Islamic banks (other depository corporations) taken together, provides a com-plete overview of the financial in-termediation taking place in the banking system in the Sultanate.

The total outstanding credit

extended by the other depository corporations stood at OMR20.1 billion as at the end of December 2015, a rise of 12 per cent over the level witnessed a year ago. Total deposits also registered a significant growth of 8 per cent to OMR19.4 billion as at the end of December 2015.

Increase in currencyAs at the end of December 2015, narrow money stock (M1) when measured on year-on-year basis, grew by 11.7 per cent to OMR5.4 billion. This rise was a result of increase in currency with the pub-lic by 17.4 per cent coupled with increase in rial Omani designated demand deposits by 9.8 per cent.

Quasi-money (savings and time deposits in Omani rials, cer-tificates of deposit issued by com-mercial banks, margin deposits and foreign currency denominated deposits) witnessed a growth of 9.1 per cent during the period.

Broad money supply M2 (that is M1 plus quasi-money) stood

at OMR15.1 billion at the end of December 2015, an increase from OMR13.8 billion a year ago, reg-istering an increase of 10 per cent during the period.

In respect of domestic inter-est rate structure of conventional banks, both deposit and lending rates softened during this period. The weighted average interest rate on Omani rials deposits declined from 0.986 per cent in December 2014 to 0.936 per cent in December 2015 while the weighted average in Omani rials lending rate decreased from 5.080 per cent to 4.762 per cent during the same period.

The overnight rial Omani do-mestic inter-bank lending rate firmed up to 0.189 per cent in De-cember 2015 from 0.125 per cent a year ago. — ONA

Oil sector GDP

substantially

declined by 38.5 per

cent while the non-oil

sector witnessed a

modest growth of 4.7

per cent in the first

nine months of 2015

DEFICIT: The Sultanate’s fiscal balance also turned from surplus to deficit during the period, in the wake of the significant and persistent drop in crude oil prices. – Times file

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

Yahoo selling its core businessCALIFORNIA: Yahoo officially launched the sale of its core busi-ness on Friday, a move seen as a positive step for frustrated inves-tors but not enough to keep an ac-tivist hedge fund from pursuing a proxy fight against the struggling Internet company.

Yahoo shares jumped after the company announced its board has formed a committee of independ-ent directors to explore strategic alternatives, and that it has hired investment banks and a law firm to run the process.

The launch of the auction pro-cess, a move activist hedge fund Starboard Value and other share-holders have pushed since late last year, showed the company was moving another step closer to selling its core business, which includes search, mail and news sites, rather than spin it off as pre-viously planned.

The move follows more than three years of effort by CEO Marissa Mayer to turn around Yahoo by focusing on mobile apps and trying to boost advertising revenue..Yahoo had acknowl-

edged during its earnings last month that it was open to explor-ing options for its core business.

Despite the launch, Starboard’s founder Jeffrey Smith is not back-ing down, and will continue his pursuit of nominating a group of directors for the Yahoo board, peo-ple familiar with the matter said.

Smith stated in a letter to the board on Jan. 6 that if the board is unwilling to accept the need for significant change, “then an

election contest may very well be needed so that shareholders can replace a majority of the Board with directors who will represent their best interests.”

Annual meetingEven though the board is showing that it’s now willing to accept that need, Smith is still going to nomi-nate a slate of directors to ensure that the sales process is handled properly, people familiar with the

matter said.The window for a shareholder

to nominate a director or group of directors to the Yahoo board begins on February 25 and ends on March 26, with the annual meeting expected to be held in May, according to the company’s proxy statement. “It seems pretty clear that the only reason this is happening even is because of the threat of the proxy fight,” Pivotal Research analyst Brian Wieser said. Starboard, which owns about 0.75 per cent of Yahoo, de-clined to comment.

Yahoo’s attempt to sell its core business comes after shelv-ing previous plans to spin off its stake in ecommerce giant Ali-baba Group. “Separating our Ali-baba stake from Yahoo’s operating business is essential to maximiz-ing value for our shareholders,” Mayer said on Friday.

Yahoo’s committee of inde-pendent directors has engaged Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan and PJT Partners as financial advis-ers, and Cravath, Swaine & Moore as legal adviser. - Reuters

I N T E R N E T C O M P A N Y

IMF chief re-electedWASHINGTON: Christian Lagarde, who steered the Inter-national Monetary Fund (IMF) through some troubled times in-cluding the European financial crisis, has been re-appointed as its managing director for a sec-ond five-year term after an un-contested election.

The executive board of the IMF on Friday selected 60-year-old Lagarde to serve as IMF managing director for a second five-year term starting on July 5, 2016, IMF said in a statement.

The board’s decision was taken by consensus.

Lagarde said that G20 finance ministers and central bank gov-ernors should focus on global economic spillovers from their policy decisions when they meet in Shanghai next week.

“The G20 I think, is going to have to focus on spillovers, on spillbacks and on the combina-tion of various policies in play at the moment,” Lagarde told re-porters after her re-election on Friday. - Agencies

S E C O N D T E R M

A STEP CLOSER: The launch of the auction process showed the

company was moving another step closer to selling its core busi-

ness, which includes search, mail and news sites, rather than spin

it off as previously planned. – Bloomberg News.

B4

FEATURES U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

PUTTING AN END TO US POVERTY

End poverty

Create more jobs

Reform the criminal justice

system

Provide paid leave and paid sick

days

Modestly raising the minimum wage

salary

Increasing state payroll taxes

“Banning the box” that is used to screen

out job applicants with criminal records

Subsidising wages for low income

workers and the hard to employ

Creating stronger incentives for

workers

The main casualty of Washington’s end-less partisan squab-bling is a pragmatic approach to policy —

meaning one that prefers results to noise. Ideological warriors of left and right say centrism of this kind is mere cover for cynical deal-making, splitting the differ-ence and substituting platitudes for principles. They’re wrong, and proof is at hand.

A working group convened by the (conservative) American Enterprise Institute and the (liberal) Brookings Institution has just produced an ex-cellent report on poverty.

Its recommendations don’t take a weak-willed average. They com-bine the strongest parts of what Democrats and Republicans in Congress think on this issue.

Crucially, the group began by accepting three general truths that often derail debate before it begins: Able-bodied adults should work, two committed parents are better than one, and schools must

do more to prepare students for careers. In each of those areas, the group managed to reach consen-sus on policy.

To encourage work, the group endorses some traditionally lib-eral ideas: modestly raising the minimum wage, increasing state payroll taxes to fund paid medi-cal and family leave, offering child-support debt forgiveness for fathers who work, “banning the box” that is used to screen out job applicants with criminal records, and subsidising wages for low-income workers and the hard-to-employ. Traditional conservative ideas also won support: creating stronger incentives for workers not to claim disability benefits, tying housing benefits and food stamps to work, and expanding “workfare” programs for those un-able to find jobs.

Incidentally, one of these rec-ommendations — increasing the value of the earned income tax credit for single adults — has been backed by both President Barack

Obama and House Speaker Paul Ryan. That’s great. The question is why the entire program hasn’t been backed by both.

On education, the group’s ap-proach was no less catholic: It called for increasing and improv-ing pre-K and early learning oppor-tunities, as liberals want, and ex-panding school choice and teacher evaluations, as conservatives want.

The group wants more focus on “social-emotional learning” — standards of behaviour that are essential to workplace success. It calls for expanding career and technical-education opportunities by encouraging community col-leges to offer more employment-oriented classes and businesses to offer more apprenticeships.

Even on policy toward the fam-ily, where disputes over values can get heated, the group was able to agree. It called for expanding programmes that offer counseling and birth control to young men and women, child-rearing guid-ance to low-income parents, and

employment opportunities and parenting support to fathers.

The group also backs a monu-mental endeavour: changing cul-tural norms around single parent-hood, recognising that children raised in single-parent families are far more likely to end up in poverty and prison than those raised in a home with married parents.

Up to now, government ef-forts to promote marriage haven’t amounted to much, but the group notes correctly that campaigns to change public opinion on smok-ing and other health issues have worked. Given the stakes for chil-dren, it’s worth a try.

Taken in isolation, each of these policies is likely to arouse opposi-tion from one party or the other. Bundled together, they form a package that both sides can sup-port. This new report, excellent in its own right, makes an even larger point. The most effective way to make policy is not from the left or the right, but from the radical centre. — Bloomberg News

A working group convened by the (conservative) American Enterprise Institute and the (liberal) Brookings Institution

has just produced an excellent report on poverty. Its recommendations don't take a weak-willed average. They combine

the strongest parts of what Democrats and Republicans in Congress think on this issue.

B5S U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

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Audi Middle East helps ambitious Omani boy get closer to his dream

MUSCAT: In the latest round of the ‘Audi Challenges Arabia’ cam-paign, a fan had challenged Audi Middle East to light up a football pitch with Audi’s Matrix LED headlight technology, a challenge Audi couldn’t refuse.

‘Audi Challenges Arabia’With the help of 22 Audi Q7’s, Audi Middle East has helped an ambi-tious Omani boy towards reaching his dream. As a first and exclusive for the Middle East region, Audi

Middle East has launched a once in a lifetime opportunity. With their ‘Audi Challenges Arabia’ initiative they asked fans to nomi-nate an Audi challenge that would become a reality for them, says a press release.

This is the third challenge to be delivered by Audi Middle East since initiating the ‘Audi Challeng-es Arabia’ campaign in the region. The first challenge took place dur-ing August 2015 at the Dubai Auto-drome with the ‘Audi R8 adrena-

line’ challenge. The second challenge was

the ‘Audi Elevation challenge’, where an Audi RS 7 raced the elevator of the tallest building in the world - Burj Al Khalifa.

More than 4,000 challenges have been submitted since the start of the Audi Challenges Arabia campaign.

The third successful chal-lenge to be made into real-ity came from an Audi fan, who submitted the request to light up

a football pitch. Audi Middle East accepted the challenge, but also helped a 13-year-old Omani boy take a step forward towards his dream to become a professional football player.

Zakaria Daoud, who lives in a re-mote village, located in the moun-tains of Oman, with no proper paved roads, dreams of becoming a professional football player, yet the village lacks any facilities such as a football pitch where he can de-velop his talent and play regularly with his friends.

Audi Middle East extended the challenge of lighting up a football pitch and surprised the child by building a new football field for Zakaria to practise his favourite game with his friends. Neighbour-ing villages will also benefit from the new pitch.

With the help of 22 new Audi Q7’s, the pitch was built in the mountainous area of Al Rustaq governorate, which is located 1,500 metres above sea level and can only be reached by a 40 kilo-metre rocky offroad route.

The second part of the chal-lenge was completed with the help of Audi Q7’s Matrix LED technology, which completely il-luminated the football pitch and surprised the village children with their new pitch.

Audi extended the

challenge of lighting

up a football pitch

and surprised the

13-year-old Zakaria

by building a new

football field to

practise his favourite

game with his friends

Qatar Airways expands operations in AfricaDOHA: Qatar Airways announced a new code-share agreement with Comair, a franchise of British Airways, that will add three new African destinations to the Qatar Airways route map, and provide additional flight options to travel-lers in Cape Town and Durban.

Comair, which this year cel-ebrates its 70th year of opera-tions, is based in South Africa and is an affiliate member of the one world alliance through its Licence Agreement with British Airways, says a press release.

Effective February 23, Qatar Air-ways will place its code on flights that have British Airways livery, operated by its franchise Comair,

from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Durban, Harare, Victoria Falls, and Port Elizabeth. Qatar Airways will also place its code on flights oper-ated by Comair from Cape Town to Durban and Port Elizabeth.

Comair has hub operations in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, South Africa, easily con-necting on to Qatar Airways-oper-ated flights to Doha and beyond to more than 150 destinations.

Akbar Al Baker, group chief executive of Qatar Airways said: “Africa is on the move, and travel-lers deserve better itineraries for their travel needs. Expanding our network with Comair was a natu-ral progression of our investment

in Africa and our desire to make it easier to visit this exciting part of the world, and for the families, businesses and organisations based here to connect globally. With this agreement, more than 150 destinations in the Qatar Air-ways network now connect easily to these business, adventure travel and cultural capitals.”

Erik Venter, Comair’s chief executive officer, said: “We are delighted to be adding Qatar Air-ways to our growing list of stra-tegic airline partnerships and we are excited about exploring ad-ditional opportunities to expand the relationship. This, in addition to our acquisition of a new Boeing

737-800, is testament to our con-fidence in the regional leisure and business tourism sector.

“We look forward to welcom-ing Qatar Airways’ customers on board our flights.”

This partnership complements the recent expansion of Qatar Airways operations into South Af-rica. In December, Qatar Airways started four-times-weekly service to Durban and increased service from 10 weekly flights to Johan-nesburg to 14. Qatar Airways offers non-stop flights to Doha, where travellers connect easily and com-fortably to destinations across six continents from the airline’s hub at Hamad International Airport.

C O M A I R C O D E - S H A R E A G R E E M E N T

IS Darsait organises graduation ceremony MUSCAT: Indian School Darsait (ISD) organised graduation cer-emony for their outgoing batch of Class XII students recently.

The programme began with a ceremonial procession. The stu-dents along with teachers and the dignitaries including chief guest, guest of honour and principal en-tered the auditorium marching to their assigned seats. The students in their graduation gowns added a colourful ambience to the function.

Alexander Gee Varghese, vice principal (Senior Section), ac-corded a cordial welcome to one and all and expressed his elation over the presence of the chief guest, Dr Amsa Parambil, vice president and head of the Aca-demic Subcommittee of SMC, the guest of honour, Biju Samuel, convener SMC, principal, mem-bers of SMC, staff, parents and students, says a press release.

Class teachers, Premela Is-sac (XII A), Susan Anil (XII B), Ekta Gautam (XII C) and Vincent Mathew (XII D) introduced their classes to the audience and read out a brief profile of each and every student. Representing the classes Ambika Jayasankar (XII A), Divya Elizabeth Mammen (XII B), Joel John (XII C) Aiswarya P. (XII D) shared their nostalgic reminis-cences of their days spent at ISD. They took this opportunity as a matter of honour and privilege to express their heartfelt gratitude to the SMC, principal, administra-tors and their beloved teachers for their constant support provided to their educational endeavour at school. They also reiterated to

practice the values and princi-ples that they had imbibed over the years. Joshua Albert, head boy and Priya Kumari, head girl expressed their sincere gratitude to the school and teachers in their emotional speeches.

Amsa, in his valedictory ad-dress, spoke about the prepared-ness that students should have to face the new challenges of the world. He also urged the students to develop the right attitude to search for the invisible in the form of knowledge, skills and val-ues by going beyond the external appearances. Amsa emphasised, “Attitudes and thoughts guide us in this world. Challenges could be obstacles or stepping stones and it depends on our attitude how we perceive it. Success and achieve-ments are like the visible tip of an iceberg and the invisible hidden part of the iceberg is hard work, pain, failures and persistence.”

He exhorted them to take up the pain of persistent hard work and discipline in order to elude the enduring pain of regret and disappointment in the long run. He concluded his speech by com-mending the teachers for the ex-cellent work they had been doing in providing knowledge, skill, val-ues, attitudes and good thoughts to the children of ISD.

The students were conferred with certificates of course com-pletion and mementos and awards of special recognition for their outstanding performance by Amsa. Besides, students were honoured with certificates for cent percent attendance by Biju.

O U T G O I N G B A T C H

Napco to sponsor Oman’s top runner Sami Al Saidi

MUSCAT: In line with its corpo-rate social responsibility (CSR), National Aluminium Products Company (Napco), one of the leading extruders of aluminium profiles in the GCC, has an-nounced its sponsorship for Sami Al Saidi, a top Omani runner and the winner of the fifth edition of the Muscat Marathon.

The company will extend fi-nancial support to Al Saidi which

includes entry fees to events, ac-commodation, food and running kit. The sponsorship agreement is until December 2016, says a press release.

Sami Al Saidi is Oman’s promi-nent runner who has finished many notable races in the last few years. Recently, he was declared the overall winner and the winner of the men’s event at the Muscat Marathon, where he finished the

full marathon in 2 hours, 50 min-utes, and 20 seconds.

“Napco has decided to sponsor Sami Al Saidi for the year 2016 and cover all financial expenses related to his participation in marathons. He is an incredible sportsman with tremendous strength, stamina and will power – all of which reflect our company’s own brand value. Our sponsorship reinforces our commitment to motivate and nur-

ture local talents to showcase their skills and capabilities in sporting events. It is a matter of great pride for Napco and we wish Sami con-tinued success,” said Robert Holt-kamp, CEO, Napco.

S U P P O R T

Napco has decided to sponsor Sami Al Saidi for the year 2016 and cover all financial expenses related to his participation in marathons

Robert HoltkampCEO, Napco

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ROUND-UPInfiniti range now comes with attractive benefits

MUSCAT: Infiniti’s exclusive offers from the house of Suhail Bahwan Automobiles include an array of benefits on their premium range of vehicles. This one-of-a-kind offer lasts till April 30.

Known to be a trusted name among niche clients, Infiniti Oman has always strived to be different and unique by offering unmatched services towards their patrons. Infiniti’s first of its kind promotion for this year includes high-end services and packages making it one of the most admired and desirable brand of vehicles, says a press release.

Offer highlights include: -

tomers purchasing Infiniti Q50, Q60, Q70, QX50, QX60, QX70 and QX80 will get assured cash gift up to OMR3,000.

purchasing Infiniti Q50, Q60, Q70, QX50, QX60, QX70, QX80 in the scheme period will get free periodic vehicle maintenance of two years or 30,000km (which-ever is earlier); this offer excludes battery and wear and tear compo-nents. Further benefits include free first year vehicle registra-tion, six years/unlimited mileage warranty, free first year vehicle insurance (for Oman and UAE) (on MY15 models only) and free AAA / road assistance card for the first year only and as supported by

AAA Oman and UAE.

Product line-up The Infiniti brand is highly re-garded for its advanced design and powerful performance with its highly refined style and respon-siveness, Infiniti vehicles prom-ises a driving experience with un-paralleled appeal.

Infiniti Q50 The Infiniti Q50 sports sedan brings together category-defining design, rewarding performance, world-first technologies and un-matched levels of connectivity and personalisation.

Infiniti Q60

remains one of the most seduc-

around the central idea that a luxu-ry performance convertible should look equally inviting with its top up or down - and be equally enjoy-able to drive sans roof or not - the

and performance with signature Infiniti attention to detail.

Infiniti Q70 The Q70 is launched with the ex-cellence and luxury grade that features the premium body design. As an added alternative, the sport grade is available with the sport body design.

Infiniti QX50Under QX50’s dramatic body is an equally advanced platform and powertrain. The FM (Front Mid-

ship) platform helps provide high levels of handling performance. Every Infiniti QX50 now comes standard with a VQ37VHR 3.7-li-tre V6 engine, rated at 326 horse-power and 360 Nm of torque.

Infiniti QX60Infiniti QX60 has turned the lux-ury crossover category inside out with its big utility and roominess. As a stylish, luxury, three-row, seven seat intelligent all-wheel drive crossover, the Infiniti QX60 is designed to excel in the areas that crossover buyers desire most – interior flexibility and roomi-ness, safety, and advanced hospi-tality features.

Infiniti QX70Born to perform, the QX70S Elite Sport is an adrenaline-fuelled pleasure to drive.

The QX70S Elite Sport seats are equipped with all types of sup-port reaching from the side to the driver’s shoulders to thighs mak-ing it a perfect addition to the in-command feel of a true sporty car.

Infiniti QX80The Infiniti QX80 is designed to attract and hold viewers’ attention, conveying its underlying sense of power and strength.

Infiniti promise Every Infiniti design model seduc-es the senses. From the smooth in-cline in the front grille to the char-ismatic flared wheel arches and a subtle hint of a samurai sword in the chrome door strip, all conspire

to leave an abiding impression of magnetic muscularity and en-thralling performance.

A unique and rare combination expressed by every Infiniti model – the vehicles are engineered, de-signed and refined to transform raw power into a virtuoso perfor-mance. Infiniti combines design flair, rewarding driving dynam-ics and high levels of technology which are embedded into the DNA of their stand-out true seven-seat luxury vehicles.

Infiniti undergoes comprehen-sive approach to safety and it in-cludes rigorous crash testing, over 50 standard safety features on eve-ry vehicle and available advanced safety technologies. Infiniti Safety Shield is designed and developed into every vehicle they build to help protect passengers.

Easy appointment service

four hassle-free ways to book their vehicles for service. They can log onto their website www.infiniti-oman.com, or email at infinitis-ervice@suhailbahwanautogroup.com, send SMS to 99825454 or call on landline 24529111. Infiniti has three service centres located with-in the Muscat area and 11 branches across Oman.

SBA commitment SBA is largely committed to sup-porting Infiniti Oman’s growth in the Sultanate through major emphasis on customer satisfac-tion and by providing world-class after-sales services in Oman.

Infiniti’s first of its

kind promotion for

this year includes

high-end services

and packages

International conference on inclusive education to be held on February 23MUSCAT:

a multidisciplinary setup that ca-ters to multiple disabilities and actively involves in inclusive edu-cation, is located in Indian School Muscat (ISM), functioning under the aegis of the Board of Directors.

create a platform to debate, dis-cuss and deliberate on ‘inclu-sive education’. Therefore a one day international conference is being organised on February

press release. The presenters, both national

and international, would be those who have made positive contri-butions to inclusive education in their countries. The sessions are in the forms of lectures, presenta-tions, and exhibition focusing on special education, intervention methods, various therapeutic methods, innovative strategies, best practices followed in schools and community which will be de-livered in English.

The conference will cover the

education

early intervention -

havioural issues in classroom

classroom modifications (IEP peer buddy / shadow )

in a school in India and Oman - strategies, role of top manage-ment, teachers, special educa-tors, counsellors

-tions for children with special needs

Inclusive education simply means making education acces-sible to persons with disabilities. It is about embracing the idea that diversity is the reality and therefore each child is a unique

learner. This process must in-corporate fundamental change in the way a school community sup-ports and addresses the individ-ual needs of each child. As such, inclusive education is an effort to make sure all learners including children with disabilities access school along with other children and receive ‘specially designed support and instruction’ which they need to succeed as learners and to achieve the required com-petence and skills.

Inclusive education can be beneficial to all students in a class, not just students with spe-cial needs. Research has shown positive effects for children with disabilities in areas such as reaching individualised educa-tion programme goal, improv-ing communication and social skills, increasing positive peer interactions, many educational outcomes, and post school ad-justments. Positive effects on children without disabilities in-clude the development of posi-tive attitudes and perceptions of persons with disabilities and the enhancement of social status with non-disabled peers.

According to the Unesco, “In-clusive schools must recognise and respond to the diverse needs of their students, accommodat-ing both different styles and rates of learning and ensuring quality education to all through appro-priate curricula, organisational arrangements, teaching strate-gies, resource use and partner-ships with their communities. There should be a continuum of support and services to match the continuum of special needs encountered in every school”.

The journey to becoming an inclusive school may be long and challenging at times, but ultimately this journey can strengthen a school community and benefit all children.

I N D I A N S C H O O L M U S C A T

Anode Plant emerges winner of SA’s first football tourney

MUSCAT: Sohar Aluminium’s (SA) first football tournament con-cluded recently, after two months and 34 exciting matches.

Anode Plant claimed the title af-ter a competitive final match that ended with a score of 1-0 against Human Resources Development department. This match followed a third and fourth place match between Reduction 1 and Reduc-tion 2 teams. Reduction 2 won the match with a 2-0 score. Said

the winners at the end of the final

match, says a press release.The tournament that witnessed

a high level of team spirit and cama-raderie by the players saw 12 teams participating and were divided into two groups. Sohar Aluminium’s ex-ecutive committee kicked off the tournament in December 2015 in a special match with members of the management team.

The tournament that was open for SA’s employees and contrac-tors aimed at engaging the employ-ees and contractors in team-build-ing activities as well as motivating

them to participate in sports and health oriented events. It also helped in promoting the adop-tion of healthy and active lifestyle among the participants. The tour-nament saw a good attendance by employees who came to cheer their colleagues.

Sohar Aluminium firmly be-lieves that people are its number one priority and thus has a number of events and initiatives planned throughout the year focusing on its employees, their families and the wider community.

T E A M B U I L D I N G

Pak envoy awards noted local poetsTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Prominent local Urdu poets and writers Murawwat Ahmed and Qamar Riaz were awarded appreciation letters by the Embassy of Pakistan for their efforts to promote Pakistani art, literature and culture in Oman.

“Your sincere efforts in pro-moting Pakistani art and culture are wholeheartedly appreciated and recognised. During my ten-ure of posting, you organised more than 12 such literary events where internationally recognised poets, writers and scholars vis-ited Oman and shared their views and thoughts,” wrote Syed Ayaz Hussain, Pakistan Ambassador to Oman, who left the country last week after completing his ten-ure here spanning over two years from 2014 to 2016, in the certifi-cate given to the two poets in his

Both Murawwat and Qamar played a leading role in organis-ing a record number of events in a short span of time from the platforms of Alpha Events Oman

-erary Wing, which was headed by Murawwat while Qamar was its general secretary. The poets thanked the ambassador for the recognition. They also thanked

Munir and his team and Fahad Awais Munir, MD, Alpha Events, for their support.

Murawwat, project manager at Alpha Events Oman, and Qamar,

an engineer by profession work--

puted Omani company, are widely acknowledged for their poetry in local literary circle. Qamar Riaz is frequently invited to internation-al Mushairahs in other countries too, representing Oman at big lit-erary events held recently in UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Pakistan. He also had the honour of participat-

ing in a Mushairah hosted recent-ly by Pakistan President Mam-noon Hussain at President House in Islamabad. Qamar was widely appreciated for initiating ‘Mus-cat Urdu Adab Award’ at the In-ternational Mushairah held here

poet Anwar Masood was the first recipient of this award which is likely to be an annual feature now.

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Lulu Group opens sixth hypermarket in Kuwait

KUWAIT: Middle East retail major Lulu Group has further ex-panded its presence in the State of Kuwait by opening its latest hypermarket in Egaila in the Ah-madi Governorate.

The new hypermarket, which is also 6th in Kuwait was officially inaugurated by Dr Abdullah S. Al Owaisi, undersecretary, Minis-try of Commerce and Industry in the presence of Sheikh Malek Al Hamoud Al Malek Al Sahab and Sunil Jain, Indian ambassador to Kuwait, and several high-ranking

officials from various government departments and representatives from local business communities, says a press release.

Located at Sama Mall in South Kuwait, the new 150,000-sq-ft Lulu hypermarket will serve the residents of Egaila and its sur-rounding areas with a one-stop shopping destination for the growing city dwellers, which include nationals and expatri-ate community. As always Lulu

hypermarket provides the wid-est range of quality and value-for-money products all under one roof.

The product mix in Lulu Egaila will also include a wide selection of premium UK and US goods, including special products air-flown for freshness. The outlet has also introduced inaugural of-fers and deals for a range of prod-ucts at attractive prices.

Speaking after the inaugura-

tion, Yusuff Ali M. A., chairman of Lulu, said “Kuwait has always been a preferred destination for us because of its stable politi-cal environment and promising market. We thank His Highness the Emir Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah and the people of this country for encouraging us in all our expansion strategies and efforts in Kuwait.”

The group has also plans to open four new hypermarkets in various regions of the coun-try in the next two years in a phased manner.

Regardless of the challenges arising from the volatile oil prices, Yussuf Ali expressed optimism on the economic outlook of the coun-try. “We’re very optimistic based on the circumstances in general. The impact of fluctuating oil pric-es is not going to distract us from the long-term goals of our busi-ness in Kuwait.”

Other important attendees at the inauguration were: Saifee Ru-pawala, Lulu Group CEO, Ashraf Ali M. A. executive director, Mo-hamed Haris, Kuwait regional di-rector, and other top officials.

As always Lulu

provides the widest

range of quality and

value-for-money

products all under

one roof

McDonald’s adds new juice to drinks’ menuMUSCAT: McDonald’s Oman, Al Daud Restaurants, introduced the blueberry pomegranate Minute Maid juice to its drinks menu. Simply made from high quality blueberries and pomegranates, the limited time juice is available now in all stores until stock lasts, says a press release.

Ali K. Daud, development li-censee and president of McDon-ald’s Oman, commented: “The new blueberry pomegranate juice brings a refreshing new flavour to our juice offerings at McDon-ald’s Oman. Rich in antioxidants, and made of the highest quality of fruits, the juice offers a great taste to start the day off and can be en-joyed either on its own or with any item on our breakfast menu. Cus-

tomers can also enjoy it through-out the day and if they would want to, can ask our crew to substitute their value meal orders drink with the blueberry pomegranate juice.”

B L U E B E R R Y P O M E G R A N A T E M I N U T E M A I D

Dubai Police honours Malabar GoldDUBAI: Dubai Police honoured Malabar Gold & Diamonds in recognition of its active and out-standing participation in various CSR activities in the region.

Shamlal Ahamed M. P., man-aging director - International Operations, received the me-mento from Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Mak-toum, chairman of the Supreme Committee for the protection of the Rights of Persons with Dis-abilities, in the presence of Expert Major-General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina – Commander in Chief of Dubai Police and other digni-taries, says a press release.

While handing over the me-mento, Mansour Al Maktoum ex-pressed his appreciation for the group’s involvement in philan-thropic activities.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds was honoured during the open-

ing ceremony of the forum ‘Best Practices and Innovations in the protection of people with dis-abilities’ which was conducted in collaboration with Rashid Centre for the Disabled, which kicked off under the patronage of Mansour Al Maktoum.

The forum was aimed to take advantage of best practices and innovations in the field of pro-

tection of persons with disabili-ties and for the development of government services provided to them. The forum was held on the sidelines of an exhibition in which companies offer latest innova-tions, practices and experiences specialised in the development of technologies for disabilities.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds, one of the largest jewellery retail-

ers sets a wonderful example for corporate philanthropy through various charity programs in India, Middle East and Far East.

The group, which currently has over 145 showrooms undertakes several welfare activities in the areas of their operations by asso-ciating with like-minded organi-sations and associations to carry out various welfare activities in the respective region.

CSR activities are a fundamen-tal part of Malabar Group’s cul-ture and the charity projects of Malabar Gold & Diamonds have touched the lives of thousands of people across the world.

The group supports many phil-anthropic activities and is always ready to take initiatives to help the deprived section in the soci-ety. The organisation ensures that a percentage of its net profit is used for CSR activities every year.

P H I L A N T H R O P I C A C T I V I T I E S

ahlibank picks daily winners

MUSCAT: ahlibank announced the names of the MyHassad dai-ly prize draw winners.

Issam El Mallah from Al Khu-wair branch, Abdullah Nasser Saif Al Harthi from Aveneus branch, Nasser Hamood Nasser Al Rushaidi from Barka branch, Omer Fahad Loubani from Sala-lah branch, Mohamed Al Sayyid & Nadiya Zaki from Al Khuwair branch, were the lucky winners of OMR1,000 each for the week, says a press release.

MyHassad savings account continues to successfully sat-isfy the existing customers and attract new ones.

MyHassad Saving Scheme was introduced in July 2008 as an extension of the bank’s tradition of product innova-tion. Opening MyHassad Sav-ing account is simple and easy. Customers need only to open their MyHassad account with OMR100 for their chance to win OMR1,000 in the next working day’s draw hence their chance to “open today and win tomorrow” continues.

M Y H A S S A D

ISG alumnus wins prestigious Hans Messer Award 2015MUSCAT: Royce Lanson Pinto, an Indian School Ghubra (ISG) alumnus and a graduate of the master’s programme High Integ-rity Systems, from the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences was awarded the prestigious Hans Messer Award 2015 for his Master Thesis on ‘Secure Instant Messaging’ by the Frankfurt Chamber of Commerce and In-dustry (IHK) recently.

This prestigious award was con-ferred on him in recognition of his outstanding thesis and course-work, says a press release.

Royce Pinto who holds a bach-elor’s degree in Engineering and Computer Science from the Atria Institute of Technology, Banga-lore (2010), is currently residing at Mannheim, Germany working for SAP SE. The prize is awarded in honour of longtime IHK - president and president Dr Hans Messer.

Pinto developed a new encryp-tion option for short message

services (instant messaging [IM] applications) and tested this on a new short message service of the SAP. The technology developed by Pinto software which tested with the IM service – SAP Wire, offers an uncomplicated user access with maximum security of com-munications.

This indeed is a great achieve-ment for Royce Pinto who has brought honour and pride to his Alma Mater by making a mark on the global platform. He definitely has much more to achieve in the years to come with his exceptional brilliance and unparalleled success.

A C H I E V E M E N T

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Bank Muscat honours employees for achieving business growth objectives

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flag-ship financial services provider in the Sultanate, honoured em-ployees of the retail banking de-partment for achieving business

growth objectives in 2015. The management team led by

AbdulRazak Ali Issa, chief execu-tive, felicitated the employees at the Nojoom award ceremony held at the bank’s head office, says a press release.

Issa said: “Bank Muscat is proud to celebrate the valuable contributions of its employees who contributed to providing an

unrivalled experience to retail customers in 2015 with the right mix of traditional and electronic channels. Against the backdrop of the challenging economic situa-tion, the business growth reflects the sincere and focused efforts by employees across the network of branches in Oman. We congratu-late all Najoom award winners for achieving outstanding results and

serving as role-models, which is critical to sustain the bank’s opera-tions and market leadership.”

Bank Muscat offers complete range of retail banking products and services and enjoys over 35 per cent market leadership in credit and deposits. The bank has a high level of commitment to-wards its people and encourages them to take ownership and re-

sponsibility and contribute to the growth of the organisation.

Over the years, Bank Muscat has adopted innovative strategies to motivate employees to achieve optimum performance in tandem with market challenges. The bank has adopted various strategies to groom Omani employees and enhance their level of knowledge and skills on the different business

functions of the bank. As a result, Bank Muscat has the most tal-ented banking staff in the country with a vast knowledge in function-al and leadership competencies. Bank Muscat believes investment in youth will yield sustainable benefits to the financial sector in Oman. For people looking for a ful-filling career, Bank Muscat is the employer of choice.

The management

team led by

AbdulRazak Ali Issa,

chief executive,

felicitated the

employees at the

Nojoom award

ceremony held at the

bank’s head office

Al Kamil Power celebrates milestone achievement in health and safetyMUSCAT: Al Kamil Power Com-pany, part of global energy leader ENGIE, the owner of the inde-pendent power plant at Al Kamil in the Al Sharqiyah region of Oman, recently celebrated a milestone achievement in the company’s long and successful journey.

The team completed 4,500 days without Lost Time Incidents, which translates to approximately 12.3 years of safe and highly pro-ductive work, right from the Com-mercial Operation Date (COD) of the plant, says a press release.

The milestone was celebrated with an event that brought to-gether all stakeholders who have contributed positively to the suc-cess, and was well attended by their representatives including Qais Al Zakwani, CEO – Authority for Electricity Regulation, Oman (AER); Yaqoub Al Kiyumi, COO and Abdullah Al Sawafi, Project manager – Oman Power & Water Procurement Co (OPWP); Jur-gen Devyt, deputy chairman – Al Kamil Power Co. (AKPC), and Mike Maudsley, chairman of Al Kamil Construction & Services (AKCS), the O&M company that is responsible for the plant’s opera-tion and maintenance and Umesh Shee, the plant manager.

Speaking on the remark-able success of the plant and the achievement, Yaqoub Harbi Salim Al Harthi, CEO – Al Kamil Power said, “This is a moment of pride for all the employees and stake-holders of Al Kamil Power and AKCS. There are very few power plants around the world that could achieve a similar milestone, and Al Kamil Power and AKCS have set a new benchmark in the indus-try in Oman with this significant achievement. This is a demonstra-tion of the commitment of all the

stakeholders toward health and safety and comes as recognition for all the hard work that was done during the early years of the plant’s commercial operation.”

Congratulating the manage-ment and staff of AKPC and AKCS on the achievement, Jurgen Devyt, deputy chairman, AKPC said: “Al Kamil Power has established industry leadership with this re-markable achievement. Being part of global energy leader ENGIE, the company follows very high standards when it comes to health and safety at the power plant and in every aspect of its operations. Performing without LTI from the COD is not just an achievement for the company, but for all stakehold-ers involved with Al Kamil Power, and the company’s founding inves-tors ENGIE. We thank them for their support.”

Mission statementElaborating further on the com-mitment of the company and the future, Yaqoub added, “The oc-casion gave us the opportunity to re-pledge our commitment towards Health, Safety & Envi-ronment (HSE) and to make Al Kamil a rewarding place to work. To meet and exceed the world’s best practices in HSE is part of our mission statement, and we are fully committed to continue our efforts in this direction. We will continuously strive to improve HSE awareness among our people, contractors and business partners and empower them with the right tools to keep the record up and cel-ebrate many such milestones in the future.”

Commenting on the accom-plishment, Qais Al-Zakwani, CEO – Authority for Electricity Regula-tion, Oman (AER) said, “12 years

without any accidents is a great achievement and congratulations to the teams at Al Kamil Power. This achievement together with a similar feat that I have recently witnessed in Manah reinforce our belief that achieving this mile-stone or even greater ones is pos-sible when the right efforts and commitment are applied. I would like to address all stakeholders at Al Kamil, Al Manah at AER, OPWP and the entire sector as ‘colleagues’, as it is one team and all of us should work towards the shared goal of a good, safe working environment.”

Speaking on behalf of the OPWP, Yaqoub Al Kiyumi said, “This is a remarkable achievement and illustrates the efforts and the determination of everybody in the company on ensuring that a zero harm work environment is created and practised. A right mindset is the essential barrier on prevent-ing incidents. The belief that tasks can and should be executed with-out causing harm to anyone is the starting point on the safety jour-ney, of course without falling into the trap of complacency. I wish the company, its workers and its con-tractors a continuous safe journey and I look forward to witness an even bigger achievement. “

“One of the factors that led to this great achievement is the team work and exchange of ideas, expe-riences, best practices and syner-gies among the ENGIE plants in the region and worldwide. Many congratulations to the plant team, maintaining the robust proce-dures and systems. I am confident that the plant will continue the greater record in health and safety, Mike Maudsley, chairman of Al Kamil Construction & Services (AKCS) the O&M noted.

R E M A R K A B L E

FRiENDi partners with SALE MUSCAT: Ever since its launch in 2009, FRiENDi mobile, Oman’s 3rd biggest mobile service provid-er, has been continuously working towards keeping customers happy with great products and services.

The company’s partnership with its major recharge distribu-tor, SALE International, since 2010 has not only ensured excel-lent distribution of the product but also easy access of recharge for FRiENDi mobile customers living even in the remotest parts of the Sultanate, says a press release.

SALE International is a tel-ecom distributor focusing on electronic recharge vouchers. With branches in every major city of the Sultanate, the company covers majority of Oman’s popu-lation with FRiENDi recharge servicing merchants efficiently and effectively. FRiENDi mobile customers can recharge their prepaid lines in around 7,000 out-lets in Oman out of which more than 2,500 outlets sell electronic recharge vouchers serviced by SALE International.

With the advent of electronic recharge vouchers, FRiENDi mo-

bile customers have benefited by avoiding the hassle of scratching the physical recharge cards. Addi-tionally, the merchants minimise the risk of running out of stock of physical cards since electronic recharge can be replenished re-motely. Hypermarkets such as Carrefour and Lulu have adopted the concept of electronic recharge vouchers in order to ensure that customers can consistently find recharge available on one hand, and to ensure better stock moni-toring, reporting and control on the other.

“At FRiENDi mobile, we ap-preciate the kind of service that

SALE International has extend-ed to us. We have indeed benefit-ed from their expertise and will continue to nurture this business relationship we share with them to reach out to more customers,” said Alex Bennett, CEO, FRiEN-Di mobile.

According to Mohamad El Ansari, general manager, SALE International Oman, “As pio-neers in telecom distribution and digitisation, we are happy to be associated with FRiENDi mobile whose customer-centric approach has made them a well-established brand among expats and locals in Oman.

D I S T R I B U T I O N P A R T N E R S

Chance for Nissan Sentra customers to

watch 2016 ICC Cricket World T20 live

MUSCAT: As preparations for ‘World Twenty20’ is in full swing and the countdown to a much awaited tournament begins, Nis-san, the official global partner for ‘World Twenty20 2016’ recently announced an interesting line-up of initiatives for cricket fans across the country to celebrate the thrill and action of cricket.

As part of the celebration cam-paign; Nissan will embark on an exciting consumer engagement initiative till March 15, 2016.

As a dynamic automotive brand, Nissan is known to asso-ciate globally with diverse sport activities. Here in Oman, Nissan’s ongoing campaign showcases exclusive benefits on the 2016 Sentra along with an exciting raf-fle draw. Nine lucky winners will get a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to watch the World Twenty20 semi-finals or final, says a press release.

Speaking on the campaign, a senior SBA spokesperson, said: “We are extremely proud to be the official global partners of this year’s ‘Cricket World Twenty20 2016’. At Nissan we understand the passion of the Asian audience for cricket and want to keep the excitement around the Nissan brand alive by engaging with our customers at every point. In our ongoing campaign, all that cus-tomers have to do is purchase the 2016 Sentra. Not only will they receive unlimited benefits but also chances to watch a Twenty20 semi-final or final match live in India. It doesn’t stop there; each winner gets to take along a friend who will also receive an all-ex-pense paid trip from our end.”

“Nissan has always taken the lead in celebrating new and

emerging customer engagement platforms; from cricket to mov-ies to music, the brand has suc-cessfully created memorable campaigns and experiences for customers across the region,” he added.

Offer highlightsThe first five lucky winners of the raffle draw scheduled to be held on March 20 will win match tickets, travel vouchers for two to watch the World Twenty20 fi-nals. Alternatively the next four winners selected from the draw will also win match tickets, travel vouchers for two to watch one of the World Twenty20 semi-finals held in India. Each winner gets a chance to take along a friend who too will receive match tickets and travel vouchers.

The travel vouchers can be used for booking the economy return flight tickets, one night hotel stay, visa, food and logistics expenses only and can be used

for the trip to watch their respec-tive Twenty20 match. The travel vouchers can be redeemed at BCD Travel office only.

Bigger cashback Customers can now enjoy cash-back of OMR1,000 with the Nis-san Sentra. Nissan also assures Sentra customers free registra-tion, six years’ unlimited mile-age extended warranty, easy financing options, a loan term up to eight years with attrac-tive interest rates and periodic maintenance service only up to two years/20,000km whichever is earlier (offer includes only on the new service intervals of 10,000km). The offer is applicable on private registrations or per-sonal vehicles only.

SBA is largely committed to supporting Nissan’s growth in the Sultanate through major empha-sis on customer satisfaction and by providing world-class after-sales services in Oman.

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Dawlat dashes Oman’s hopes of second successive victoryMUSCAT: Fine batting perfor-mances of opening batsman Zee-shan Maqsood and Adnan Ilyas and excellent bowling shows by Bilal Khan and Munis Ansari went in vain as Oman suffered defeat at the hands of Afghanistan in the on-going Asia Cup qualifiers in Bang-ladesh on Saturday.

According to information re-ceived here, Oman after setting up a challenging total of 165 for four in 20 overs had the Afghans on the ropes but the experienced Dawlat Zadran blew away the Sultanate squad’s hopes of second successive victory with two mighty sixes off the final over bowled by left-arm spinner Ajay Lalcheta. Thanks to Dawlat’s daring onslaught, Af-ghanistan achieved their target with three balls to spare scoring 168 for seven in 19.3 overs.

The Afghans are now back in contention for the lone berth avail-able in the Asia Cup and to join the elite teams of the continent hosts Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Afghanistan and Oman as well as the United Arab Emirates, who upset the Afghans on Friday, are now two points each though the latter had played a match less. The UAE are scheduled to play their second match against Hong Kong on Sunday. The qualifying stage concludes on Monday when Afghanistan play Hong Kong and Oman take on the UAE.

Oman, who opened their qualify-ing campaign with a thrilling victo-ry over Hong Kong on Friday, won the toss on Saturday and elected to bat first against Afghanistan.

The Sultanate squad, who are coached by Sri Lankan great Du-leep Mendis, were given a good

start by hard-hitting Zeeshan Maqsood (52) and his fellow open-er Jatinder Singh (23). The two put on 72 runs.

Later Adnan Ilyas made a quick 54 while Aamir Kaleem (13) and Mehran Khan (12 not out) added

valuable runs to take Oman’s total to 165 runs.

For Afghanistan, Gulbadin Naib claimed two wickets while Dawlat and Amir Hamza took one each. Oman then pushed the Afghans on the back-foot as Bilal Khan struck

early to have Mohammad Shahzad (4) caught in the deep by Adnan Il-ays with just five runs on the board.

Noor Ali Zadran then steadied the ship with a quick-fire 63 and in the company of skipper Asghar Stanikzai (34) put on 54 in just

4.4 overs for the second wicket. But pacer Mehran Khan brought Oman back into the game dismiss-ing Stanikzai, Karim Sadiq and Mo-hammad Nabi in quick succession.

However, Najibullah Zadran scored 23 runs off 21 balls to help in

the recovery. Still the Afghans were far from the victory as Bilal Khan claimed the wickts of Najibullah and Noor Ali in the 17th over.

With 21 required in last two overs, Samiullah Shenwari hit two successive fours to ease the pres-sure and then, with 10 needed off the final over, it was left for the cool-headed Dawlat complete the for-malities with those massive sixes.

A S I A C U P C R I C K E T

OMANZeeshan Maqsood st Shahzad b Hamza 52Jatinder Singh c K. Sadiq b G. Naib 23Adnan Ilyas c N. Zadran b G. Naib 54Aamir Kaleem c R. Khan b D. Zadran 13Mehran Khan (not out) 12Amir Ali (not out) 1Extras (lb-1, w-2, nb-7) 10Total (4 wkts; 20 overs) 165Fall of wickets: 1-72, 2-104, 3-143, 4-164.Bowling: Dawlat Zadran 4-0-27-1 (nb-1, w-1); Karim Sadiq 2-0-18-0; Gulbadin Naib 4-0-24-2 (nb-1); Mohammad Nabi 4-0-30-0; Amir Hamza 2-0-29-1 (nb-1, w-1); Rashid Khan 4-0-36-0.AFGHANISTANM. Shahzad c Adnan Ilyas b Bilal Khan 4Noor Ali Zadran lbw Bilal Khan 63A. Stanikzai c Bilal b Mehran Khan 34K. Sadiq c Adnan Ilyas b Mehran Khan 0M. Nabi c Wategaonkar b Mehran Khan 11Najibullah Zadran lbw Bilal Khan 23Gulbadin Naib (not out) 4S. Shenwari c Adnan Ilyas b Lalcheta 12Dawlat Zadran (not out) 12Extras (lb-2, w-3) 5 Total (7 wkts; 19.3 overs) 168Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-59, 3-60, 4-81, 5-140, 6-141, 7-156.Bowling: Bilal Khan 4-0-33-3 (w-2); A. Lalcheta 3.3-0-43-1; Mehran Khan 4-0-18-3; Munis Ansari 4-0-40-0 (w-1); Aamir Kaleem 3-0-21-0; Amir Ali 1-0-11-0.

S C O R E B O A R D

Zeeshan Masood Adnan Ilyas Bilal Khan Mehran Khan

MUSCAT: A city based IT expert and cricket enthusiast with the help Omani IT talent has launched a special website to wish the Sultanate’s cricket team in the ongoing Asia Cup qualifiers and the forthcoming ICC World T20 qualifiers.

The website, www.goodluck-teamoman.com, launched by Shiv Gupta, CEO of Cirkle IT, is specially dedicated to Oman na-tional cricket team and to wish them all success in the Asia Cup

qualifiers and the forthcoming ICC World T20 qualifiers.

“This is a website developed by our Omani IT team and it is an effort to invite to people of Oman to wish good luck for the team,” Shiv Gupta said.

“Oman are playing against tough teams in Asia Cup qualifying round and they are going to play even more difficult teams in the World T20. That is not an easy task but this (suc-cess) can be possible with their

commitment and people’s good luck,” he added.

“The website went live today (Saturday). We will update it every hour during the match days and we also have live facebook link update, where all likes and comments will automatically published. We will select best comments and publish them to main site,” he said while adding: “We will try to give prizes at some stage to get more people involved and wish the team all the best”.

Special website to wish Oman team good luck

Shiv Gupta

Boasson Hagen bags fifth stage top honours at Tour of Oman

MUSCAT: After losing his overall leader’s Red Jersey to Vincenzo Nibali during Friday’s stage to Ja-bal Al Akhdhar, Edvald Boasson Hagen hit back in style.

On Day 5 of the Tour of Oman, the Norwegian managed to remain in the group of favourites that only just caught the breakaway riders with two kilometres to go, and pow-ered to the line, claiming his second stage success of this 2016 edition.

Already victorious of stage 2 at Quriyat, Boasson Hagen this time beat Greg Van Avermaet and Marco Canola to the line in front of the Ministry of Tourism. Well es-tablished in the front group, Nibali keeps the overall lead and still has a 15 second advantage over Bardet with one day to go.

What better place than Yiti, just by the sea for the start of stage 5 of the Tour of Oman. The conditions were indeed magnificent and the landscape stunning for the start of the race, especially after Friday’s demanding stage to Jabal Al Akh-dhar. But after enjoying the splen-

did scenery, the pack of 138 rid-ers would have to take on a short (119.5kms) but extremely tough course all the way to the Ministry of Tourism.

Indeed after taking off at 12.34 a.m., the first few kilometres would be viciously hard. On the roller-coaster ride just after km 0, Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (DDD) managed to take off early.

The South African was then caught by two other men at km 14: Hugo Houle (ALM) and Pieter Weening (ROP). And the gap in-creased dramatically over a pack led by team Astana of new race leader, Vincenzo Nibali.

At the first intermediate sprint of the day (km 29), won by Janse Van Rensburg ahead of Houle and Weening, the gap was of 5’10’’. It then reached 5’50’’ at the top of the first climb of the day (Al Jissah, km 33) where Janse Van Rens-burg was again first, and even a maximum of 6’15’’ at the top of the second climb (km 40) again won by the virtual leader of the event, Janse Van Rensburg (5’19’’ adrift in the morning’s GC).

But from then on teams Astana and Lampre-Merida started chas-ing. At the top of the first of three climbs up Bousher Al Amerat (km 76.5), Janse again captured the

most points while the pack moved closer at 4’18.

The penultimate climb of the day would be a tough one for Houle dropped by his breakaway compan-ions. Despite several attacks from Janse Van Rensburg, Weening managed to stay put and both men reached the top of the fourth climb (km 91) with a 2’ lead over Houle and 3’38’’ over the pack. While Houle was caught, that advantage dropped down to 1’13 at the second bonus sprint (fifth climb, km 106) again claimed by Janse.

Meanwhile, just over twenty men remained in the red jersey group including all the race favourites.

With 13 kms to go, it was still look-ing good for the front two. Strug-gling against the wind, the leaders did however see the leaders move closer. With 10 kms to go, their lead had dropped to a worrying 38”.

Despite collaborating perfectly, there wasn’t much the front rid-ers could do against the chasing pack. With just over 2 kms to go, they were eventually caught. A group of around 30 men remained together all the way to the final straight. Well led out by his three Dimension Data team mates, Ed-vald Boasson Hagen powered to the line, claiming his second stage success of this edition, his third in

Oman. The Norwegian beats Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) and Marco Canola (UHC) to the line.

Comfortably settled in the front group, Vincenzo Nibali (AST), 12th of the day, keeps command of the GC and will wear the red jersey for the final stage on Sunday from The Wave, Muscat to the Mut-trah Corniche. Thanks to his sec-ond stage success, Boasson Hagen leads the points classification while Brendan Canty (DPC) remains the best young rider. Capturing a total of 21 points today at both sprints and mountain climbs, Jacques Janse Van Rensburg captures the Most Aggressive rider’s jersey.

The Norwegian

managed to remain

in the group of

favourites that only

just caught the

breakaway riders

with two kilometres

to go, and powered to

the line, claiming his

second stage success

of this 2016 edition

SECOND SUCCESS: Norwegian rider Edvald Boasson Hagen celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 5th stage of the 2016 Tour of Oman between Yiti and Muscat

on Saturday. – JUN ESTRADA/Times of Oman

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McCullum scores fastest century in his final Test

CHRISTCHURCH: New Zea-land captain Brendon McCullum broke the world record for the fastest Test century held jointly by his idol Viv Richards on Satur-day without ever being aware he was about to make cricket history.

McCullum, 34, who is playing his 101st and final Test, struck the ball with brutal brilliance to reach his 12th century from 54 de-liveries on the opening day of the second Test against Australia at Hagley Oval.

West Indian Richards set the previous record of 56 balls against England in Antigua in 1986 and the mark was then equalled by Pakistan’s Misbah-ul Haq against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014.

“I had no idea,” McCullum told a news conference after scoring 145 in New Zealand’s 370 all out after they had been reduced to 32 for three in the 20th over on a lively pitch. “I was trying to hit every ball for four or six. Viv was my idol growing up so it’s nice to be able to go past him on this occasion.

“But he was a cracking player, he was an incredible cricketer. I’m almost a little bit of embarrassed to go past him, to be honest.”

McCullum said he knew it was probably going to be his day when he had an “almighty filthy slog” at his second ball which flew over the slips cordon for four.

After scoring 39, he then en-

joyed a huge slice of luck when he sliced James Pattinson to Mitch-ell Marsh who took a brilliant, one-handed catch diving to his right in the gully.

Umpire Richard Kettleborough requested a replay which showed Pattinson had bowled a no-ball.

“I thought it was four as soon as I hit it,” McCullum said. “They do

push the front line a little bit. It was quite a nice reprieve. It probably loosens you up a little bit as well, it just relaxes you a little bit more. You know you’re probably not meant to

be out there. You may as well play with a little more freedom.”

Guard of honourMcCullum, was greeted by a guard of honour formed by the Austral-ians when he went out to bat with his team already in deep trouble but needing to win to square the two-Test series.

He attacked from the start to reach 82 from 48 balls when Josh Hazlewood came in to bowl.

The first two balls were short, preventing him from scoring. The third was hit over fine-leg for six, the next two went for four and the final delivery was sliced over cover for another boundary to give McCullum the record, which was greeted by a standing ovation from the capacity crowd of 8,000.

“When you are confronted with wickets like that, you know you are going to have to be pretty ag-gressive,” McCullum concluded.

“I think we got quite a bit of luck today.” - Reuters

McCullum, 34, who

is playing his 101st

and final Test, struck

the ball with brutal

brilliance to reach his

12th century

from 54 deliveries

on the opening day

of the second Test

against Australia at

Hagley Oval

New Zealand 1st innings M. Guptill c Burns b Pattinson 18 T. Latham c Smith b Bird 4 K. Williamson c Smith b M. Marsh 7 H. Nicholls lbw Hazlewood 7 B. McCullum c Lyon b Pattinson 145 C. Anderson c Voges b Lyon 72 B. Watling c Burns b Bird 58 T. Southee c Hazlewood b Lyon 5 M. Henry c Khawaja b Lyon 21 N. Wagner c Nevill b Hazlewood 10 T. Boult (not out) 14 Extras (lb-2, nb-2, w-5) 9 Total (all out, 65.4 overs) 370 Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-23, 3-32, 4-74, 5-253, 6-266, 7-273, 8-297, 9-333. Bowling: J. Hazlewood 18-5-98-2; J. Pattinson 15-2-81-2 (nb-1, w-1); J. Bird 14.4-4-66- 2; M. Marsh 8-1-62-1 (nb-1); N. Lyon 10-0-61-3.Australia 1st innings D. Warner c Guptill b Boult 12 J. Burns (not out) 27 U. Khawaja (not out) 18 Extras: 0 Total (1 wkt, 20 overs) 57 Fall of wicket: 1-25. Bowling: T. Southee 7-1-21-0; T. Boult 6-1-18-1; M. Henry 6-2-18-0; C. Anderson 1-1-0-0.Umpires: Richard Kettleborough, Ran-more Martinesz.TV umpire: Richard Illingworth.Match referee: Chris Broad

S C O R E B O A R D

145runs from 79 balls

21 fours, 6 sixes

BRENDON MCCULLUM

FIFA rejects demand for transparent voting booths at electionZURICH: FIFA has rejected a demand from a presidential can-didate to use transparent voting booths at next week’s election to ensure delegates do not photo-graph their ballot papers when they choose the head of soccer’s world ruling body.

The request came from Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan, who said he would take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), sport’s highest tribunal.

Prince Ali wanted to ensure that transparent booths were used at the Feb. 26 election “to safeguard the full transparency of the elec-toral proceedings”, he said in a statement released by his French-based lawyer.

FIFA’s 209 member national associations (FAs) each hold one vote at the election where Prince Ali is among five candidates stand-ing to replace outgoing President Sepp Blatter, who is banned for eight years amid a graft scandal that has shaken soccer’s global governing body. Under FIFA stat-utes, voting is secret.

The statement said Domenico Scala, head of FIFA’s electoral committee, had admitted to Prince Ali in correspondence that the voters could produce evidence of their vote by using a mobile phone.

Scala rejected transparent booths, however, and said members would be reminded that voting is secret and told to hand over mobile phones and cameras before doing so.

“He (Scala) has said it is enough just to tell them they must not do so, and has rejected Prince Ali’s request to use transparent voting booths,” the statement said, add-ing that there was an “absence of any dedicated system to detect po-tential violations of this rule.”

Jerome Champagne, another presidential candidate, said this week that FAs were under pres-sure to vote for certain candidates and some had been asked to pro-vide evidence of their vote.

Prince Ali has also said that FAs face reprisals if they fail to tow cer-tain political lines: “Development projects mysteriously stall; tour-nament hosting bids are suddenly compromised or withdrawn; na-tional teams start to mysteriously face less favourable fixtures.” - Reuters

F O O T B A L L

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ICAO planning to invite Anand for tour of Oman and an exhibition tie

A. SESHAGIRI RAOraoas@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: With the main objec-tive of promoting chess in the Sultanate and to ‘encourage and inspire’ the talented children to continue to play the game they are passionate about, the Internation-al Chess Academy of Oman (ICAO) is planning to invite Indian legend Viswanathan Anand to Oman.

The ICAO, which has been in the forefront of promoting the game of 64 squares, has already got in touch with Anand and according to Academy’s manager and chief coach Ismael Karim, if everything works per the plan the seven-time world champion will visit Oman in May this year.

Revealing the details of ICAO’s ambitious plans, Ismael Karim told Time Sport, the idea is to in-vite Viswanathan Anand for a brief tour during which he will play a si-multaneous exhibition match as well as deliver lectures.

“It has been our endeavour to promote chess in Oman and we have found success with our promotional events in the past,” Ismael Karim said.

“The visit of Garry Kasparov in 2014 had a great impact,” he said of former Russian world champion’s private visit to the Sultanate.

During his stay, Kasparov stressed the need for formation of an official Oman chess governing body, which ultimately led to the

Ministry of Sports Affairs forming the Oman Chess Committee just two months later.

“It (Kasparov’s visit) also led to creating awareness among chess players, both Omanis and expatri-ates. And we at the International Chess Academy of Oman did our best to train and educate the players though our training programmes.”

Ismael Karim, who also served as the coach of Oman national team and guided them during their debut outing at Chess Olympiad in Norway in 2014, said: “Now you see a lot of Omani players, both men and women, coming forward to play chess. In fact, they are going out on their own, spending from their own pockets to take part in the international tournaments.”

“Now our main objective in in-viting Vishy Anand is to take the game to the next level, that is to create more awareness and at-tract more and more players, both Omanis and expats, to chess.”

“We first got in touch with Vishy back in November (2015) with our plans. He has readily agreed for our proposal. But he has given us a deadline to work and make all ar-rangements before finalising the tour,” he revealed.

“We have to work out every-thing... the sponsors and our exact plans for the event, by the end of March. If everything works to our plan, Vishy will be here from May 2,” he added.

Exhibition gameGiving details of the proposed plans for Anand’s visit, Ismael Ka-rim said: “As I said the main objec-tive is to promote chess. During his visit, Vishy will be playing an exhi-bition match simultaneously with the selected players.

“The opponents for that match will be selected both from Omani and expat chess players. We will also be visiting local schools to conduct selection trials and take

the best from those schools. And of course, there will be Omani play-ers and our own academy players,” he said.

Speaking about the other plans, he said: “The other plan is to have Vishy deliver a lecture at our academy and obviously that lecture will be aimed at encouraging the kids to continue with their passion of playing chess and realise their ambitions.”

“We want to create strong players in Oman. Hopefully his (Anand’s) presence and his words of advice will encourage kids and parents as well,” he added.

Referring to Anand’s home state of Tamil Nadu, where chess has been made compulsory in some schools, he said: “We will soon be visiting the local schools and in-teracting with the principals as well as other higher officials, to talk about our programmes and the visit of Vishy.”

“If it works out, Vishy will also be talking to the school officials and if possible visit the schools as well. We want him to stress the need to encourage children to play chess,” he said while speaking about how ‘Vishy has been helping a lot of children... with his advice and with his guidance on getting the spon-sors for deserving players’.

Asked about whether the acade-my is confident of getting the right sponsors and then getting the final nod from Anand, he said: “We are very optimistic of getting the spon-sors. He is a big player and very popular throughout the world both for his achievements and for his good nature. I am sure the spon-sors will only be willing to support this event.”

“And about Vishy giving the final nod, it is as good as done. He had conducted training camps in the past, including a summer training camps in the United States. And I am sure he will be only looking for-ward for his first trip to Oman. But for that to happen we have to work hard and make proper arrange-ments,” he added.

If everything works to

ICAO’s plans, Indian

chess legend Anand

will visit Oman in

May this year

Our plan is to have Vishy (Anand) here in Oman to

promote chess. During his proposed visit he will play

an exhibition match and deliver lectures. We are trying

to involve both Omanis and expatriate players as well

as the schools in Oman

Ismael KarimICAO chief coach

AGREED IN PRINCIPLE: Viswanathan Anand

Abdullah to square off against Younis in U-18 summit clashMUSCAT: Oman’s top two play-ers will clash in the grand final of the ISC/Muscat Pharmacy Open Junior Tennis Tournament or-ganised by the Indian Social Club (SIC) Oman when Abdullah Al Barwani will take on Younis Al Rawahi in the finals of the boys under-18 singles.

Curtains will come down on the tournament on Sunday evening when top seed Abdullah Al Bar-wani and second seed Younis Al Rawani will lock horns in the last final of the tournament. Abdullah Advanced to the summit clash af-ter registering a convincing 6-1, 6-1 victory over compatriot Zaka-

riya Al Suleimani in the semifinal. Younis Al Rawahi used all pos-

sible tactics to intimidate third seed Subash Pillai in the second semifinal before securing a 6-0, 6-3 victory and the right to play Abdullah in the final.

Subash paid dearly for his ina-bility to convert as many as three

break points in the first set. You-nis put in a good percentage of first serves and often attacked the net and forced Subash into errors. Subash broke Younis in the fourth game of the second set. Younis broke back and went all out to win the next four games for a place in the final. Abdullah Al Barwani

and Younis Al Rawahi have also entered the final of the junior dou-bles final. In the semifinal, the top seeded Omani duo overcame the team of Tim Rutherford and Za-kariya Al Suleimani 6-2, 6-4 in an thrilling semifinal.

They will take on the second seeded duo of Subash Pillai and Yash Tanna who downed Hassan Haider and Avigyan Bhattacharya 6-0, 6-0 in the second semifinal.

Tennis enthusiasts are invited to witness Oman’s top players in action this evening. The final starts at 7.00 pm and will be fol-lowed by the prize distribution ceremony.

I S C T E N N I S

Abdullah Al Barwani and Younis Al Rawahi have also

entered the final of the junior doubles final where they will

face second seeds Subash Pillai and Yash Tanna

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Reading shock West Brom, Hull hold Arsenal to draw

LONDON: Holders Arsenal’s 14-match winning run in the FA Cup ground to a halt in a dreary 0-0 draw at home to Championship leaders Hull City in the fifth round at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

The first of eight ties spread over three days was less than gripping as Hull hung on for a replay both sides could do without as they chase their respective priorities.

There were goals elsewhere, though, as second-tier strugglers Reading shocked Premier League West Bromwich Albion 3-1 and Watford saw off Leeds United 1-0.

With one eye on Tuesday’s Champions League last 16 first leg at home to Barcelona, Arsenal made nine changes from the side that beat Premier League leaders Leicester City last week.

But even when manager Arsene Wenger, in charge of his 100th FA Cup tie for the club, threw on the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud the Gunners could find no way past Hull’s inspired keeper Eldin Jakupovic.

The Gunners will now need to survive a replay to keep alive their hopes of becoming the first club to win the Cup three times in succes-sion in the modern era.

“The goalkeeper did well of course, but we had maybe 70 per cent possession and more than 20 shots on goal, and we didn’t score,” Wenger, taking charge of his 100th game in the FA Cup told reporters.

“The replay is not especially good news but Hull defended very well. Between that and going out, we choose the replay.”

Great savesThe closest Arsenal came to breaking the deadlock was Joel Campbell’s 54th minute free-

kick that was tipped against the post by Jakupovic who also made great saves from Theo Walcott and Sanchez.

Hull, beaten by Arsenal in the 2014 FA Cup final after leading 2-0 inside the opening 10 minutes, rarely threatened, although David Meyler wasted their best chance when he shot into the side-netting.

The visitors made 10 alterations to their lineup from last week’s draw with Brighton and Hove Albion but manager Steve Bruce defended his selection which included a place for 16-year-old Josh Tymon.

“It’s not like I sent out a team of kids,” Bruce, whose priority is to get Hull back into the top flight, said.

“We made 10 changes and we

rode our luck a bit, but the team deserved it for the spirit and effort they gave.”

Reading have slid down to 15th in the Championship having won only once in the league this year, but goals from Paul McShane, Michael Hector and Lucas Piazon sent them through to the quarterfi-nals at West Brom’s expense.

Captain Darren Fletcher put West Brom ahead but McShane and Hector headed in Oliver Nor-wood crosses before Piazon struck in stoppage time.

Premier League Watford avoided an upset against former winners Leeds when Scott Woot-ton’s own goal proved decisive at Vicarage Road. - Reuters

Second-tier

Sstrugglers Reading

shocked Premier

League West

Bromwich Albion 3-1

and Watford saw off

Leeds United 1-0

GREAT SAVE: Reading’s Omani goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi saves a shot on goal during their FA Cup fifth round match against West Bromwich Albion at Madejski Stadium in Reading on Saturday. – AFP

MDC Enhance defeat ISCMUSCAT: MDC Enhance defeat-ed Indian Social Club (ISC) by 46 runs in a Khimji Ramdas-spon-sored A Division cricket match. MDC Enhance, batting first, scored 277 runs for the loss of just two wickets in 30 overs. In reply, ISC managed to score 231 runs losing five wickets in 30 overs.

Brief scores : MDC Enhance 277 for 2 in 30 overs (Mohd. Khalid Latif 130, Pranav Mehta 94) bt ISC 231 for 5 in 30 overs (Amandeep Singh 90 n.o., Mahek Asher 67 ; Wasim Ali 2/36). Points : MDC Enhance 2, ISC - 0.

Bisiya beat Powertech In an Al Ansari Group of Compa-nies-sponsored B Division match, Bisiya defeated Powertech by 43 runs. Batting first, Bisiya scored 166 all out in 20 overs and then re-stricted Powertech to 123.

Brief scores: Bisiya 166 in 20 overs (M. Nadeem 65, Ishan Ullah 30; Imran Irshad 3/24) bt Powertech 123 for 9 in 20 overs (Nishad K 37). Points: Bisiya– 3 ;Powertech – 0.

Attic Outdoors winIn an Enhance -sponsored D Di-

vision match, Attic Outdoors re-corded a three-wicket win over Landscape Architecture. Batting first, Landscape Architecture put on 181 for seven in 20 overs. Pras-ad Peruli scored 103 runs. In reply, Attic Outdoors scored 185 for sev-

en in 18.5 overs. GhurfanAnjum remained not out on 59.

Brief scores: Landscape 181 for 7 in 20overs (Prasad Peruli 103) lost to Attic Outdoors 185 for 7 in 18.5 overs (Ghurfan Anjum 59 n.o). Points: Attic Outdoors - 2, Land Scape – 0.

Easy for Sayarti In an E Division match, Sayarti defeated Ibrahim Al Kisri. Batting first, Sayarti scored 214 runs in 20 overs with good batting perfor-mance by Rizwan Rupasigne (70) and Sunil Kumar (60). Ibrahim Al Kisri could only manage 162 for seven in their quote of 20 overs.

Brief scores: Sayarti 214 for 9 in 20 overs (RuwanRupasigne 70, Sunil Kumar 69; Muslim Alam 3/25, M. Wasim 3/35) bt Ibrahim Al Kisri 162 for 7 in 20 overs (Mohammed Wasim 38, Afzal Mirza 30). Points: Sayarti - 3, Ibrahim Al Kisri – 0.

MARH down Al Fairuz In another E Division match, Moosa Abdul Rehman Hassan (MARH) defeated Al Fairuz by 32 runs. Batting first, MARH scored 204 for eight in 20 overs and then bowled out Al Fairuz for 172 in 19.4 overs.

Brief scores: MARH 204 for 8 in 20 overs (Khalid Moosa 67, Sarath S 43) bt Al Fairuz 172 in 19.4 overs (Manikandan 43, Satham Hussain 37, Prokash 33; Libin Raju 3/37). Points: MARH -2, Al Fairuz – 0.

O M A N C R I C K E T

MDC ENHANCE HEROES: Pranav Mehta and Khalid Latif.

Suarez, Neymar strike again in narrow Barca winMADRID: Goals from the prolif-ic duo of Luis Suarez and Neymar earned Barcelona a tight 2-1 win at Las Palmas on Saturday to pro-pel them nine points clear at the top of La Liga.

The league’s leading marks-man Suarez opened the scoring after six minutes, meeting Jordi Alba’s cross at the far post to net his 12th goal in seven matches in all competitions and take his Liga tally to 25. Las Palmas equalised four minutes later when striker Willian Jose beat the offside trap to latch on to Jonathan Viera’s brilliant backheeled pass and steer the ball past Claudio Bravo.

Neymar restored Barca’s lead in the 39th minute when Lionel Messi’s shot was parried by goal-

keeper Javi Varas and the Brazil-ian netted the rebound. Suarez, after scoring his 41st goal of the season in all competitions, had a good chance to increase Barca’s lead early in the second half but Varas made a brilliant stop.

Las Palmas almost equalised on the hour when Bravo saved a shot from Viera and Willian Jose put the rebound into the side net-ting. Barcelona gradually took more control in the second half after a very even first 45 minutes but still suffered from the home side’s counter-attacks.

Substitute Sergio Araujo, a former Barcelona B player and Argentina junior international, squandered three chances for Las Palmas near the end. - Reuters

L A L I G A

SHARP SHOOTING: Barcelona’s Neymar shoots past Las Palmas’ goalkeeper Raul Lizoain Cruz during their la Liga match at the Gran Canaria in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Saturday. – AFP

WWWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

HealthSECTIONC L I F E S T Y L E S U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

WWWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

YOUR CHILD AND DIABETESCRYSTAL (name changed), an 8- year-old girl frequently complained of tiredness after coming back from school or after playing even for a short while. She would often dose off to sleep for hours and feel sluggish and weak on waking up. Crystal’s mother often complained about her frequent moodswings and this continued for a while till Crystal had a fall in school. It was a minor cut on her knees which did not heal for weeks. A blood test de-tected her of having Type 1 diabetes, or what we know as juvenile diabetes. Crystal is not the only one. Type 1 dia-betes, that is affecting millions of chil-dren worldwide, is a lifelong condition found in children but with the right support and proper medical interven-tion it can be managed.

Highlighting this growing prob-lem Dr Muneer, senior diabetologist at Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centre, says that diabetes is a chron-ic disease that affects almost every system of our body if not well con-trolled from the time of diagnosis.

“Previously, it was thought children can get only Type 1 diabetes that needs lifelong insulin treatment. But there are other types of diabetes that af-fects children; starting from newborn baby,” he tells.

As per the International Diabetes Federation statistics, in 2015 overall there were 415 million people have diabetes, which means 10 per cent of world’s population has diabetes. This figure will rise to 642 million in 2040. Alarmingly, almost half of the adults with diabetes are undiagnosed and more than half a million children are

suffering from Type 1 diabetes and the percentage of Type 2 diabetes, espe-cially in obese children have also in-creased tremendously.

Talking about the symptoms of di-abtes in children, Dr Muneer tells that a child of 10 years or younger if sud-denly starts passing urine frequently, is frequently thirsty, or losing weight, should be immediately investigated to rule out diabetes.

“Sometimes it is mistaken to be a simple urinary tract infection and is treated accordingly but in significant number of cases the child ends up in the hospital with Diabetic Ketoaci-dosis (DKA) as a first presentation of Type-1 diabetes. Along with ear-lier symptoms, abdominal pain and vomiting also are key symptoms of DKA,” he tells.

In children, diagnosis of the type of diabetes is very important. If a child is diagnosed to have diabetes before the age of 6 months then it is Type 1 un-likely. It is due to a single gene defect that might be temporary or permanent neonatal diabetes or some other rare ge-netic syndromes. “Unlike Type 2 diabe-tes, Type 1 is not inherited from family. It is an autoimmune disease,”

informs the doctor. Further he tells that many causa-

tive factors are responsible for Type 1 diabetes due to its genetic hetero-geneity. “The disease initiates in ge-netically susceptible persons after being triggered by environmental agents. So genetic markers must be present from birth, whereas im-mune markers develop after the ini-tiation of autoimmunity,” he adds.

Sometime, diabetes is diagnosed in a family without any history of Type 1 but it is 15 times more com-mon in siblings with Type 1 than in general population. “Siblings have an average risk of 6 per cent. In off-spring, the risk is 2-3 per cent in case of affected mother and 6-7 per cent in case of affected father,” he adds.

According to World Health Or-ganisation (WHO), ‘Type 1 diabetes (sometimes called insulin-depend-ent, juvenile or childhood-onset dia-betes) occurs when the pancreas do not produce enough insulin, a hor-mone that regulates blood sugar. The cause is not known, but it is thought to be the result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors’.

Many countries are document-ing higher numbers of newly di-agnosed cases of Type 1 diabetes, particularly in younger children. Interestingly, some disease pat-terns among children resemble in-fectious disease epidemics.

Type 1 diabetes can affect vital or-gans of a child’s body including the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes, and kidneys and it is important to keep the child’s blood sugar level normal. In the long run if Type 1 diabetes is not controlled then several complications arise which include cardiovascular problems, nerve and kidney damage, retinopathy which can lead to blind-ness, and other conditions like osteo-porosis and skin disorder.

Once diagnosed with Type 1 diabe-tes, it is mandatory to visit the doctor on a regular basis. A child’s cholesterol levels, thyroid function, liver function

and kidney function must be checked periodically. Also it is essential to en-courage healthy eating and regular physical activity.

Type 2 diabetes, also called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset dia-betes, occurs when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Often preventable, it can result from excess body weight and physical in-activity, and sometimes, a genetic predisposition.

Recently, Type 2 diabetes has in-creasingly been reported in children and adolescents, so much so that in some parts of the world, Type 2 dia-betes has become the main type of diabetes in children. The global rise of childhood obesity and physical inactivity is widely believed to play a crucial role. Healthy eating and lifestyle habits are a strong defence against the disease.

Diabetes in children is an impor-tant health concern, same like that in adults. To prevent the complications of diabetes, both healthcare providers and parents must work hand in hand to get optimum results. Diabetes-structured education is an essential tool for children along with healthy diet and regular exercise to keep ideal body weight. With right support and medical guidance your child can re-main healthy for years to come. —swati@timesofoman.com

Dr Muneer is a senior diabetologist at Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialties Centre, Azaiba, Muscat Email: drmuneer@drmohans.com

Type 1 diabetes that

is affecting millions of

children worldwide, is

a lifelong condition but

with the right support

and proper medical

intervention, it can

be managed.

Story Swati Dasgupta

FIND-IT-ALLC6 S U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

Dhuhr 12.26pmAsr 3.43pmMaghrib 6.10pmIsha 7.21pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 5.20am

PRAYER TIMINGS

CITY CINEMAContact (10 am to 6PM) 24567664 | 68 www.citycinemaoman.netfacebook.com/citycinemaoman

SHATTIDead Pool (Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi) 12+Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin3:00, 7:15, 9:30 & 11:45PMHail, Caesar! (Comedy | Mystery) 12+Cast: Josh Brolin, George Clooney7:15PMCriminal Activities (Crime| Drama) 12+Cast: Michael Pitt, Dan Stevens3:00, 7:30, 9:30 & 11:45PMEl Americano - 3D (Animation| Action) PGCast: Edward James Olmos, Rico Rodriguez3:30 & 5:30PMPride & Prejudice & Zombies (Action) 18+Cast: Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston5:00 & 11:30PMThe Finest Hour - 3D (Action) PG12Cast: Christopher Whitelaw, Caleb Casey5:00 & 9:30PM

MUSCAT GRAND MALLDead Pool – 2D (12+) Action | Adventure Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin2:45, 9:00, 11:30PMGold Class – 3:30, 8:45, 11:00PMCriminal Activities – 2D (TBC) Crime| Drama | Thriller |Cast: Michael Pitt, Dan Stevens12:30, 9:45, 11:45PMGold Class – 6:30PMPadre De Familia – 2D (12+) Tagalog| Thriller |Cast: Nora Aunor,Coco Martin, Julia Montes5:15PMHail, Caesar! – 2D (12+) Comedy | Mystery |Cast: Josh Brolin, George Clooney,7:45PMEl Americano – 3D (TBC) Animation Voice over: Edward James Olmos, Rico Rodriguez.2:00, 7:00PM

Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Road Chip - 2D (Animation) (PG) Cast: Jason Lee, Jesica Ahlberg12:00, 4:00PMTheeb + Ave Maria – 2D (TBC) DocumentaryCast: Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat, Hussein Salameh Al-Sweilhiyeen5:45PM

PANORAMA MALL

Dead Pool (Action, Adventure)(MX4D)(12+)

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The Finest Hours-3D (Action, Drama)

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7:00, 9:15PM

Dead Pool-2D (Action, Adventure) (12+)

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Criminal Activities-2D (Crime, Drama) (12+)

Cast: Michael Pitt, Dan Stevens

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Black Track-2D (Drama, Thriller) (15+)Cast: Michael Pitt, Dan Stevens5:15, 11:30PM Neerja-2D (Biographical)(PG12)Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Sabana Azmi3:30, 6:30, 9:00PM El Americano-3D (Animation, Action) (PG)2:30, 5:45PM

AZAIBA Dead Pool (2D) (Action|Sci-Fi) (12+) Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin

4:30, 7:15, 11:45 PM

Fitoor (2D) (Romance| Drama) (12+)

Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Tabu

3:00, 9:15 PM

Ghayal Once Again (2D) (Action) (PG12)

Cast: Sunny Deol, Tisca Chopra, Om Puri

3:30, 6:30PM

Neerja (2D) (Biographical) (PG12)

Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azami

2:45, 5:15, 7:30, 10:00, 11:30PM

Ishq Forever (2D) (Romance) (TBC)

Cast: Denzil Smith, Ruhi Singh

6:30, 11:15PM

Miruthan (2D) (Action | Romance) (TBC) Cast: Jayam Ravi, Lakshmi Menon, Kali Venkat9:05PMMansoon Mangoes (2D) (Action) (PG) Cast: Fahadah Fasil, Vijay Raaz, Vinay Forrt9:00PMEl Americano (3D) (Animation) (TBC) Voice over: Edward James Olmos2:30, 5:25PM

RUWIScreen 1Neerja (Action / Biography) –PG12Cast : Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azmi3.30, 6.30, 9.30PMScreen 2Love Shhuda (Romance / Drama) –12 +Cast : Girish Kumar, Tisca Chopra3.45, 9.45PMSanam Re (Romance / Drama) –12 +Cast: Pulkit Samrat, Yami Gautam6.45PMScreen 3Ghayal Once Again (Action) –PG12Cast: Sunny Deol, Tisca Chopra, Om Puri3.45, 6.45PM

Fitoor (Romance / Drama) –12 +Cast: Aditya Roy Kapur, , Katrina Kaif9.45PM

SURDead Pool (Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi) (12+) Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin5:00, 7:10, 11:30 PM.Criminal Activities (Crime | Drama) (TBC) Cast: John Travolta, Michael Pitt, Dan Steven4:45, 8:30 PM.Neerja (Biographical) (PG12) Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Sabana Azmi9:15 PMMansoon Mangoes (Mal) (Comedy) (PG) Cast: Fahadh Fasil, Vijay Raaz, Vinay Forrt.10:30 PM.El Americano - 3D (Animation) (TBC) Cast: Isla Fisher, Anson Mount, Gillian Jacobs. 6:30 PM.

SOHAR

Dead Pool– 2D (Action/Sc-Fi) (12+)

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin

2:30, 7:00, 9:30, 11:45PM

Criminal Activities - 2D (Crime) (12+)

Cast: Michael Pitt, Dan Stevens

2:45, 9:45PM

Hail, Caesar– 2D (Comedy/Mystery) (12+)

Cast: Josh Brolin, George Clooney

5:00PM

Backtrack – 2D (Drama/Thriller) (15+)

Cast: Adrien Brody, Sam Neill, Robin McLeay

4:30, 11:30PM

El Americano – 3D (Animation/Action) (PG)

Cast: Edward James Olmos, Rico Rodriguez

4:30, 11:30PM

The Finest Hour – 3D (Action/Drama) (PG12)

Cast: Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster

11:30PM

The Finest Hour – 2D (Action/Drama) (PG12)

6:30PM

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies – 2D (18+)

Cast: Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston

5:00, 11:45PM

Fitoor – 2D (Romantic/Drama) (12+)

Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Tabu

7:15PMNeerja– 2D (Biographical) (PG12)Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Sabana Azmi 2:45, 9:15PM

Miruthan– 2D (Action/Romance) (15+)Cast: Jayam Ravi, Lakshmi Menon, Kali Venkat7:15PMMansoon Mangoes – 2D (Comedy) (PG)Cast: Fahadah Fasil, Vijay Raaz, Vinay Forrt

8:45PM

BURAIMIDead Pool (Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi) (12+) Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Moreno Baccarin3:30, 9:15, 11:30PM.Criminal Activities (Crime | Drama) (TBC) Cast: John Travolta, Michael Pitt, Dan Steven5:15,7:30,9:30PM.Neerja ( Biographical ) ( PG12 ) Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Sabana Azmi3:15, 7:15, 11:15PM.Mansoon Mangoes (Comedy) (PG) Cast: Fahadh Fasil, Vijay Raaz, Vinay Forrt.9:00PM. El Americano - 3D (Animation) (TBC) 3:30, 5.30PM.Backtrack (Drama, Thriller) 15+Cast: Adrien Brody, Sam Neill, Robin McLeavy

5:35, 7:00, 11:45PM.

SALALAHEl Americano (3D) (PG) (Animation| Action)5:00PMEl Americano (2D) (PG) (Animation| Action )11:15AM Dead Pool (2D) (12+) (Action | Adventure)Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin11:30AM, 2:00, 6:45, 9:00, 11:45PMHail, Caesar (2D) (12+) (Comedy | Mystery) Cast: Josh Brolin, George Clooney5:15PM Criminal Activities (2D) (12+) (Crime) 11:45AM, 1:15, 9:50, 11:15PMPride & Prejudice & Zombies (2D) (18+) Cast: Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston3:15, 11:45PM Neerja (2D) (PG12) (Hindi | Biographical) Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Sabana Azmi2:30,9:15PM Mansoon Mangoes (2D) (PG) (Malayalam) Cast: Fahadah Fasil, Vijay Raaz, Vinay Forrt7:15PM Fitoor (2D) (12+) (Hindi | Romantic| Drama) Cast: Aditya Roy Kapoor / Katrina Kaif / Tabu4:15PM Miruthan (2D) (TBC) (Tamil) (Action)Cast Jayam Ravi, Lakshmi Menon, 7:00PM

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

ROYAL OMAN POLICE

Emergencies and inquiries: 9999

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of Customs 24521109

Traffic violations inquiries 24510228

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EMBASSIES IN OMAN

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PHARMACIES

Round the clock

Al Hashar Pharmacy, Ruwi 24783334

Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24782666

Muscat Pharmacy, Ruwi 24702542

Salalah 23291635;

Atlas Pharmacy, Ghubra 24503585

Muscat Region

Apollo, Al Hamriya 24787766

Muscat, A Seeb Market 24421691

Muscat, Al Khuwair 24485740

Muscat, Al Hail South 24537080

Dhofar Region

Muscat, Al Nahdha Road,

Salalah 23291635

HOSPITALS

Al Amal Medical & Health Care

Centre 24485052

Atlas Hospital

Ruwi 24811743/

Ghubra 24504000

Al Musafir Specialised

Medical Clinic 24706453

Hatat Polyclinic LLC,

Ruwi 24563641

Azaiba 24499269

Sohar 2683006

Al Raffah Hospital 24618900/1/2

Al Massaraat Clinic &

Laboratory 24566435

Al Makook Medical

Coordinance Centre 24499434

Apollo Medical Centre,

Hamriya 24787766, 24787780

Capital Polyclinic 24707549

Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic,

Ruwi 24799760/1/2

Capital Clinic, Seeb 24420740

Ceregem National Raak 24485633

Dr Harub’s Clinic 24563217

Elixir Health Centre 24565802

Emirates Medical Centre 24604540

1st Chiropractic Centre 24472274

Lifeline Hospital Salalah 23212340

International Medical

Centre LLC 24794501/2/3/4/5

Kims Oman Hospital 24760100

24 Hrs Emergency 24760123

Lama Polyclinic, Sohar 26751128

MBD 24799077

Al Khuwair 24478818

Magrabi Eye and

Ear Hospital 24568870

Muscat Private Hospital 24583600

Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment

Centre, Al Khuwair 24477666

Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC 22004000

AIRLINE OFFICES

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(24 hours) 24519456/24519223

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Swiss International

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LISTINGS

LONG DISTANCE BUS TIMINGS (OMAN NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMPANY SAOC) *SUBJECT TO CHANGE

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI)

Dept Destination Arrival Operatingtime time days

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36)

15:00 Quriyat 16:30 Daily

15:00 Sur 18:00 Daily

15:00 Jaalan 19:30 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

06:30 Sohar 08:50 Daily

06:30 Buraimi 11:00 Daily

08:00 Buraimi 14:30 Daily via Ibri

13:00 Sohar 15:45 Daily

13:00 Buraimi 17:40 Daily

16.00 Sohar 18.35 Daily

16.00 Buraimi 20:20 Daily

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

17:30 Sinaw 20:50 Daily

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

14:30 Nizwa 16:50 Daily

14:30 Yanqul 19:30 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

08:00 Nizwa 10:20 Daily

08:00 Al Araqi 12:30 Daily

TO SUR (ROUTE 55)

07:30 Sur 12:00 Daily

14:30 Sur 18:45 Daily

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (ROUTE 62)

06:30 Fahud 10:30 Daily

06:30 Yibal 11:15 Daily

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (ROUTE 100)

07:00 Salalah 20:00 Daily

10:00 Marmul 20:30 Daily

10:00 Salalah 23:30 Daily

19:00 Salalah 07:40 Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

06:00 Marmul 16:50 Daily

SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102)

15:00 Dubai 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)

06:00 Sohar 08:30 Daily

06:00 Dubai 11:30 Daily

13:00 Sohar 15:30 Wed,Thur

13:00 Dubai 18:30 Wed,Thur

15:00 Sohar 17:35 Daily

15:00 Dubai 20:55 Daily

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily

07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily

07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

Dept Destination Arrival Operatingtime time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily

05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily

05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

07:00 Sohar 08:55 Daily

07:00 Ruwi 11:40 Daily

13:30 Ruwi 20:20 Daily via Ibri

13:00 Sohar 14:55 Daily

13:00 Ruwi 17:40 Daily

13:00 Sohar 19:20 Daily

17:00 Ruwi 22:15 Daily

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

07:00 Ruwi 10:25 Daily

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

06:00 Nizwa 08:40 Daily

06:00 Ruwi 11:00 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)

15:40 Nizwa 17:55 Daily

15:40 Ruwi 20:20 Daily

TO SUR (ROUTE 55)

06:00 Ruwi 10:45 Daily

14:30 Ruwi 19:00 Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

12:30 Fahud 13:15 Daily

12:30 Ruwi 17:30 Daily

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100)

07:00 Ruwi 19:50 Daily

10:00 Marmul 13:15 Daily

10:00 Ruwi 22:30 Daily

19:00 Ruwi 07:30 Daily

TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)

06:00 Marmul 16:30 Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)

15:00 Salalah 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)

07:30 Sohar 10:50 Daily

07:30 Ruwi 13:40 Daily

13:00 Sohar 16:15 Thur-Fri

13:00 Ruwi 19:10 Thur-Fri

15:30 Sohar 18:45 Daily

15:30 Ruwi 21:35 Daily

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily

16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily

16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

@RUWI @MGM

Screen 2Love Shhuda (Romance / Drama) –12 +Cast : Girish Kumar, Tisca Chopra3.45, 9.45PM

Theeb + Ave Maria – 2D (TBC) DocumentaryCast: Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat, Hussein Salameh Al-Sweilhiyeen5:45 PM

BAHJA CINEMAFilm information 24540856 / Advance Booking

24540855

Website: www.albahjacinemaoman.com

Criminal Activities: (Crime / Drama / Thriller)

Cast: Michael Pitt, Dan Stevens

4.00, 8.00, 10.00. & 11.55PM

CP No: 331 (12+)

Hail, Caesar! : (Comedy / Mystery)

Cast: Josh Brolin, George Clooney

4.30, 6.00 & 11.55PM

CP No: 332 (12+)

Neerja: (Hindi / Biography / Drama)

Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Shabana Azmi

2.00, 7.00. & 9.30PM

CP No: 333 (PG12)

Navy Seals: The Battle of New Orleans (Action / Horror):

2.00PM

CP No : 322 (15+)

STAR CINEMAFilm information 24791641 / 24786776

Website: www.isurf.co.om

Pavaada (Mal) (Drama\Comedy)

Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran & Miya George

3:30, 9:30PM Cinema Main, 6.30PM Cinema 2

Miruthan (Tamil) (Act\Romance)

Cast: Jayam Ravi & Lakshmi Menon

3:30 & 9:30 PM Cinema -2, 6.30PM Cinema Main

Monsoon Mangoes (Mal) (Com)

Cast: Fahadh Faasil, Vinay Forrt & Iswaya Menon

3:45, 6:45 & 9:45 PM Cinema - 3

Neerja (Hindi) (Act\ Drama)

Cast: Sonam Kapoor , Uday Chopra

& Shabana Azmi

3:45, 6:45 & 9:45PM Cinema -4

NEXT CHANCE: ACTION HERO BIJU

Programmes are subject to change

@SOHAR

Miruthan– 2D (Action/Romance) (15+)Cast: Jayam Ravi, Lakshmi Menon, Kali Venkat7:15PM

WEATHER

270

Maximum

160

Minimum

TEMPERATURE

75-35%RELATIVE HUMIDITY

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 17 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

WITH LOVE

VIJAITHA BABYFebruary 20, 2003

LIFESTYLEC7S U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

Everyone feels tired after physi-cal exertion or long periods of hard work. A good night’s sleep usually solves the problem, but sometimes fatigue seems to drag on for days, and can interfere with our daily activi-ties. The most obvious cause is difficulty in sleeping, but you

may also feel tired if you are stressed, or a bit depressed.

An unhealthy diet and lack of exercise are common

contributory factors. What you can do

try the following adjustments to help you get your energy back.

Don’t postpone your sleep for weekends. Follow a regular sleep pattern.

fresh vegetables, fruit, cereals, whole-grain bread and pasta, and brown rice in your diet. Cut down on fatty foods, such as cheese and red meat, and on sugar and salt.

fresh air. Exercise regularly, particularly if you have a sed-entary job.

-ties. Try some deep breath-

ing and muscle relaxation exercises.

yourself nodding off during the day or you feel drowsy while driving, a brief nap may help you function better. An ideal nap lasts about 10–15 minutes, but even a 5-minute nap will leave you brighter and sharper afterward. Sleep-ing for more than 15 minutes helps, but you may feel groggy afterward.

asleep in front of the TV in the evening, and don’t use naps to catch up on sleep if you are having difficulty sleeping.

feel tired after following the above points. —lifestyle@timesofoman.com

ASK DR. GERRY

Dr Gerry D’Costa has an MD in psychiatry and a special interest in the areas of anxiety, depression, addiction, and children’s psychiatry. He has practised as a specialised psychiatristat Badr Al Samaa hospital in Ruwi for the last 9 years.Dr D’Costa offers advice and professional insights to the readers of Times of Oman. Send your questions to lifestyle@timesofoman.com

While it’s important to con-sult a medical practitioner for one’s ailment, it is also important to empower one-self with the right informa-tion. Every week we will discuss about some common conditions and ways to deal with it before we see a doctor.

Frequent Mood SwingsI am 45 years old woman and working for a private firm. I stay here with my family. From the past few months I have been noticing that I have frequent mood swings. One moment I’m really happy and then the next minute I’m crying for no reasons at all. I even imagine people talking ill about me behind my back and I brood over it so much that it spoils my mood for the entire day. What could be the problem?

You ask an important question that a lot of women have asked me

-ogy. These appear to be perimenopausal mood swings with swings between happiness and sadness, with increased sensitivity and in-creased anger. These are the result of fluctuating ovarian hormones during the transition to menopause. Women with severe premen-strual symptoms in their younger years are more prone to severe mood swings during menopause. Women who have had clinical de-

from mild blues to severe clinical depression.Remember help is available. Exercise and doing activities you

enjoy can help you feel better. Postpone important decisions be-cause generally negative decisions are made during the mood swings. Clinical depression needs you to meet a psychiatrist who could help you get the symptoms under control. -Dr. G

out affects a grow-ing number of peo-ple worldwide with chronic inflam-matory arthritis.

Originally less common than it is now, the lifestyle of the modern world combined with the avail-ability of foods that contribute to gout has led to more people having the disease.

means that they typically suffer from chronic arthritis brought about by the accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints. These crystals are formed within the body because of high levels of uric acid in the blood, which is in turn caused by several factors, which include genetic predisposition, food intake, and lifestyle.

Arthritis attacks brought on by gout can vary in intensity, but is often chronic, lasting for days at a

time. Without treatment, this can lead to constant pain, and eventu-ally permanent damage that the body cannot recover from.

There are a number of ways to treat gout, though the most com-mon method is to deal with the current arthritis attack. Pain relief is possible through the use of a va-riety of anti-inflammatory medi-cations and painkillers; should the person with gout choose, there are also more natural methods and gout remedies that can relieve the pain and lessen inflammation.

-edy is used to deal with the gouty arthritis, the next step to treat-ment is to deal with the height-

sure the levels of uric acid are more normal is vital, in order to prevent future arthritic attacks.

-cine may prescribe medication

to allow the uric acid levels to go down sooner, though this method is only prescribed for more ex-treme cases. Aside from medica-tion, there are also natural gout remedies that are able to help reduce the levels of uric acid in the blood. These can be used in conjunction with the previously

mentioned changes to diet and lifestyle that are recommended to people with gout.

The traditional treatment focuses on losing those extra pounds and cutting out foods foods high in purines, a protein that breaks down into uric acid inside your body. So it is best to avoid meat, seafood, alcohol and many plant foods such as spinach and beans. The focus should be on eating healthier nutrients. So cut back on calories and on satu-rated fats found in foods like dairy products. Eat unsaturated fats

-nut butter, avocados, and olive and canola oils. Choose the right carbs

also important to drink water in

drink water only when you are thirsty, you may not be drinking enough.-ArticleCity

The Excruciating Pain of Gout

H O M E R E M E D I E S

It is best to avoid meat,

seafood, and many plant

foods such as spinach and

beans. The focus should

be on eating healthier

nutrients.

Fatigue

F A M I L Y A D V I C E

LIFESTYLEC8 S U N DAY, F E B RUA RY 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

10 Benefits of Coffee

1

432

5 6 7

1098

You will be surprised to know that

apart from giving us the much

needed energy in the morning,

there are several other benefits

of drinking coffee. Laden with

antioxidants, coffee helps pre-

venting certain diseases. Time

to wake up and smell the coffee.

Protects Against DiabetesEvidences show that coffee has a protective effect against diabetes. In other words, coffee may reduce risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. For every cup of coffee you drink a day, you reduce your chance of getting dia-betes by seven per cent. Researchers at Harvard studied 100,000 people for about 20 years and found that people who increased their coffee intake by over one cup per day had an 11 per cent lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Staves Off StrokeEarlier research suggested that coffee increases the risk of heart disease, by raising blood pressure and cholesterol. But recent study defy’s that old theory and says that “moderate”coffee drinking — three to five cups a day — could prevent the arteries from getting clogged, and stave off strokes and heart attacks.

Have Anti-Cancer PropertiesRegular coffee drinking lower rates of certain cancers, including liver cancer, breast, colon, endometrial, prostate and rectal cancers. Accord-ing to a study by the Harvard Medical School, women who drink three or more cups of coffee a day are much less likely to develop skin cancer than those who don’t.

Protects Against Parkinson’s & Alzheimer’sAccording to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, drinking a few cups of coffee a day could lower the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by as much as 25 per cent. Coffee drinkers who have 3 to 5 cups daily are also 65 per cent less likely to develop dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

Combats DepressionNew research sheds light on how caffeine may alleviates stress, and stress-induced conditions, such as depression. A study found that those who drink four or more cups of coffee were about 10 per cent less likely to be depressed than those don’t drink cofee. It is said coffee acts as a mild antidepressant as it aids in the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.

May Increase LifespanAccording to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine increased coffee consumption is as-sociated with longer life. Although no one knows the exact reason, experts believe it could be due to the protec-tive effect against Type 2 Diabetes, Parkinson’s, and depression.

Helps in Weight LossIf you want to speed up your metabo-lism and fat-burning, then trust the caffeine in coffee, which helps lower our risk of obesity. Caffeine stimu-lates the nervous system, which sends direct signals to the fat cells to tell them to break down fat.

Boosts your BrainpowerCaffeine is a cognitive stimulant that actually boosts brain functioning and improves short-term memory. The caffeine in coffee blocks a brain chemi-cal called adenosine, which prompts feelings of drowsiness. It keeps you alert if you're feeling sluggish but avoid it before bedtime so it doesn't interfere with your sleep.

Cuts Gallstone Disease RiskCoffee drinkers are less likely to suf-fer symptomatic gallstone disease, say Harvard researchers, possibly because coffee alters the cholesterol content of the bile produced by the liver. It was found that men who drank two to three cups of coffee per day had about 30 to 40 per cent reduction in risk of gallstone disease.

Helps Fight CavitiesBlack coffee when had in moderation helps in reduction of tooth decay, thanks to the tannins found in coffee.Experiments have shown that these polyphenolic compounds may reduce the formation of cavity-causing plaque. Brazilian scientists have found that a certain type of coffee bean has an anti-bacterial property.

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

S U N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

RENT D2

*Tourist visa arranged

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

D2 S U N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 2 1 , 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 building

Spacious 2 BHK with sea view,

split A/Cs, fixed wardrobes,

kitchen appliance.

Near Opera Gallery.

Rent RO.900/- negotiable.

Contact - 94084335 / 96920789

Wadi Kabir new building 2 bed-

rooms rent. Contact: 99313274

Single rooms with kitchen

available at Ruwi. Contact:

91214897/98049288

For rent in Misfah near Oman

cement 600sqm shed.

Contact: 96177220

2 BHK flat behind Nesto hyper-

market with split A/C R.O 220/.

Contact 91642157/97653524

2BHK Darsait R.O 300/-.

Contact: 92144045/7799175

1BHK Wadi Kabeer R.O 210/-.

Contact: 92144045/97799175

2 Bedroom centrally air condi-

tioned flat in CBD Prime location.

Contact: 24714625/91173997

1.2 BHK Mumtaz R.O 250/- , 300/-.

Contact: 92144045 /97799175

2BHK AL Khuwair R.O 350/-.

Contact 92144045/97799175

2BHK Ghobrah R.O 325/-.

Contact: 92144045/97799175

2BHK Commercial AL Khuwair R.O 350/-. Contact:

92144045/97799175

5 BHK villa Qurum R.O 700/-.

Contact 92144045/97799175

1& 2 BHK M.B.D commercial.

Contact: 92144045/97799175

Studio Darsait R.O 130/-.

Contact: 92144045/97799175

1BHK Darsait I.S.D R.O 225/-.

Contact: 92144045/97799175

Flat, 1 bedroom, kitchen, toilet in

AL Khuwair family bachelors

R.O 160/-. Contact: 95154331

One flat with split unit A/CS, two

bedroom, sitting room and kitchen

Al-Ghobrah south, stadium side,

RO.315/- Contact - 99310551

(Said)

Al Ansab on main road, 8 rooms,

8 toilets, kitchen & store room.

Contact Owner: 96354553

Ghobrah. Big bedroom, bathroom,

huge terrace. Non-cooking Indian

female/male - Manager/Sr. Exec.

Vegetarian non-drinkers only.

Contact 99283938

Ware house for rent in Ghala

300sqmt. Contact: 99010741

/96007885

Shop Ruwi Rex Road. Contact: 95443207

2BHK /3 BHK OPP Star Cinema.

Contact: 92926199

1BHK Flat with spilt A/C near

star cinema 210/-. Contact:

99358589/95570288 /97079146 Sharing room rent near City

Centre Seeb. Contact: 99037669

Flat for rent south Al Mabela.

Contact: 95331177/95230355

Flats, 3 Rooms & AC, kitchen, hall,

in Al Mabela South, rent RO. 250/-

Contact - 99377290

Shop (rent 250/ 400) commercial

/ Residential building 1& 2 bed flat

(flat rent 350+ 250) available in

Wadi Kabir (Near Lulu) one bed flat

200/- Wadi Al Kabir (near Toyota.

Contact: 92325212 /99451168

2 BHK flat 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

Luxury villa of 5 BHK in Al Khuwair

33 RO.650/- Contact – 91776665

2 Bedrooms, kitchen, toilet, car

park R.O 200/- & 1 bedroom,

kitchen, toilet R.O 140 in

Al Khuwair. Contact: 95154331

Villa for rent 4 room, hall, 3 toilet

(upstairs) R.O 350/- at Al Khuwair.

Contact: 99382008

1 Bed room, sharing K& T, R.O 100,

2 bedrooms , sharing K& T R.O

200/- in AL Khuwair. # 95154331

House in Amerat near to Makah

hypermarket with 3 room+ 5 toilet+

hall+ living room+ kitchen. Contact

98885055/ 92744168

2 bed rooms flat with hall,

2 bathrooms in Darsait near

Muscat Municipality.

Contact: 92584715/ 24700120

1000sqmtrs industrial land for

rent in Ghala suitable for

warehouse workshop etc.

Contact 24700120 /92584715

Villa 2bedroom, 1 sitting room,

small hall, Kitchen & 2 bath-

room behind Sultan center south

Mawalah 300/- O.R. Contact:

92757673 /99388138

Shops for rent in Al Amerat on the

main road (express) opposite to

Mosque and a supermarket

Al Ehsan. Contact: 96434269

2 BHK flat for rent Darsait near

Muscat Pharmacy, ISM.

Contact: 95158570

One / two B/R , RES / Comm flat

near Bank Muscat Bausher directly

from owner. Contact: 92158031

We have 2BHK office, flats for

rent in Ghobrah, Azaiba, Ghala Al

Khuwair prime location. Contact:

93782735/99208033

We have 1BHK, 2 BHK Flats in

Mabela 7 new building. Contact:

93782735 /99208033

Flat in Wadi Al Kabir 2 bedrooms, 1

living room, 1 family hall, kitchen & 3

bathrooms. Contact: 99277787

We have staff accommodation for

rent in Bousher 30 to 40 people can

stay commercial building. Contact:

93782735 /99208033

Modern and spacious 4 bedroom

twin villa for rent in Azaiba north

behind Nov 18st with detached

maids room. Contact 99317349

One large BHK in Al Khuwair near

Ibis hotel with A/C.

Contact: 95124975

DAILY GUIDES U N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 2 1 , 2 0 1 6 D3

FOR RENT

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

LOST

WAREHOUSE AVAILABLE FOR RENT

IN BALADIA SANAYAH AMIRAT

(Floor area 600sqmtrs and mezzanine of 500sqmtrs)

1100sqmts fully cover warehouse

Please contact: G.S.M

99417229/92621039

Running shop with paint machine for sale in kadra

- - 260 Square meters- Warehouse facility

BUILDING MATERIAL SHOP FOR SALE

9322 3382 or mail to cs@mpesllc.com

Dental clinic for sale in Seeb.

Contact: 96404090

Almost new beach/ garden lounge

chairs /bar stools/ counter. Photos

can be sent 95865457

Beauty Saloon for sale in Al

Amerat interested party contact:

97028867/95878812

Building material shop behind

Honda Road Abu Zaki show room.

Contact: 97006687 /94079401

Single colorful Bed and Sofa

for Sale at Al Khuwair. Contact

92881849 / What`s up No 97290565

Heidelberg Offset 52x 74cm –

20 1/2 x 29 1/8 single Color – SORM

printing machine in good condi-

tion. Contact: 99369880

Restaurant for Sale - A running

Pakistani restaurant ideally located

at Saham for sale - for details

call 99417418

Space for printing press available

at wadikabir with or without

machinery. Contact 99328430

HD Scaffoldings, Shuttering

Jacks, Wooden Planks, Shuttering

wood assorted, Tower hoist (lift),

Concrete Mixer, Bending Machine,

Steel Fabrication Machinery

(Searing/Cutting, lathe & Welding)

including tools for immediate sale:

Contact 99273774/ 99202278

Special Dental Center for sale.

2 Dentist room, dental lab, full

brand instruments with external

public pharmacy in Muscat.

Contact no. 99019144

Fire rated portacabins and steel

caravans. ContacT: 94058574

A well Established Indian restau-

rant with all necessary equipments

well qualified staff furnished party

hall (capacity 150) is up for imme-

diate sale at MBD area.

Contact: 92978956

INDUSTRIAL LAND

FOR RENT

(BARKA)

1100 SQ MTR free industrial land for

all purpose is available with compound and furnished

offi ce in Barka

Contact:

24707088, 98283896

ACC. AVAILABLE BUYING

FOR RENT

Spacious semi furnished room with

separate bathroom for executive

bachelor opposite OC centre Ruwi.

Call: 92273779

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/-. #98958586

Flats 3 bedroom available at Ghob-

rah near Indian School. #99236718

Room with attached bathroom and

sharing kitchen available for

Executive bachelor or small

family at wadikabir 9304 9849

Room available in Mumtaz area

1 room, 1 Bathroom, Kitchen &

1 room, common bathroom. Interested

please Contact: 92680041 Mr. Altaf

Commercial flats of 3 & 2 BHK

in Al Ghobra North 18 Nov street

RO.650/- & 450/-

Contact 91776665

600 M2 showroom or office in

Bousher in front of Dolphin com-

plex. RO.3.5 per m2.

Contact 91776665

Brand new villas in Al Ansab.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Offices & 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 flat in Remalbow-

sher. RO.550/- Contact – 91776665

Spacious 1 BHK flat 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

Warehouse at Wadikabir - total

area 3500 sqm - covered ware-

house (500sqm), office,

accommodation (1000sqm), open

area (2000sqm) please contact:

99273774 - 99202278

Flats for rent at Mawaleh near

Omantel main office opposite Lulu

bandar comprises 3 rooms,

2 toilets and one kitchen OMR

250/- Per month. Contact:

93131497 or 99203435

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 Hos-

pital. #97380548 / 99680499

1/2/3 bedrooms flats at Al Hail

including utilities bills 92817777

2 Bed room flat 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

Commercial office at prime

location in Azaiba for rent. 171sq.

mtr. Contact: - 91398925

2 clean & spacious flats with A/C,

first flat is behind City center Al

Seeb consist of 2 bedroom and liv-

ing room second flat is in Al Khoud

3 consist of 1 bedroom and living

room. Contact: 93366421

FOR SALE

CAT Excavator with

Bucket

Model: 330D, Year: 2007

(Finance Available)

Contact:

99654205, 99338410

INDUSTRIAL LAND

FOR RENT

(BARKA)

1100 SQ MTR free industrial land for

all purpose is available with compound and furnished

offi ce in Barka

Contact:

24707088, 98283896

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 Flats for rent, Muttrah near

Oman house S/ AC.

Contact: 97007934 / 92629232

New flats for rent at Darsait near

to ministry of sports, Mumtaz area

the flats include 1 living room, 2

Bedroom, kitchen, 3 toilets every

room with split A/C & high Quality

finishing, rent per flat is R.O 340/-.

Interested candidates please

Contact: 00968- 92225523

1 & 2 BHK Ruwi C.B.D.

Contact: 99024730

1& 2 BHK flats for rent at Hamriya Wadi Adai, Al Khoud,

Mabela & shop at Al Khoud & land

line Contact: 24834644 GSM

93994401/02/03 3 lines

3 BHK flat near Darsait ID medi-

cal. RO 420/- Contact – 99358589

/ 97079146 / 95570288

Villa for rent in Al Khuwair.

Contact: 96571151

1BHK flat near Star Cinema 220/-

Contact 99358589 /95570288

Flats two bed room for rent in

Al Khuwair. Contact: 96571151

*Classified Advertisement space booking with text,

should be done till 12.00 noon

for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability

Contact : 24 70 30 60

FOR RENT RUWI :

Ware House - 630 M2

SPACIOUS -2 B H K FLATS

& 1 B H K

CBD: SHOWROOM & OFFICE-

Mezz.fl oor

Monir Hussen has lost Bangla-

deshi Passport No. C0470356.

Finder please handover to ROP.

Offices in Qurum opposite City

Center. Contact: 94051789-

97201688

Duplex villa in Qurum 29.

Contact - 94051789-97201688

Mini Furnished Apartment in

Qurum. Contact: 94051789-

97201688

Offices & Showrooms in Al Khoud. Contact 94051789-

97201688

Steel Scrap materials for

immediate sale:

Contact 99273774/ 99202278

Bobcat available for rent.

Contact 97623299

Buying cars for cash.

Contact: 90202090

WANTED

Required Sub –Contractors, we have

projects. Contact - 92926630

IELTS Coaching (academic)

required nearby wadi Kabir area.

Please call on mobile or msg on

Whats up.

Mobile no: 92927880/99012165

DAILY GUIDED4 S U N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT SITUATION WANT-SIT. WANTED

SITUATION WANT-SIT. WANTED

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

DRIVER

MEDICAL

ADMIN

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

EDUCATION

DRAUGHTSMAN

SALES / MARKETING

Required urgently a Legal Consultant/ Lawyer for reputed

law firm in Sohar, Muscat. Can-

didates should have 5-7 years

experience as a Legal Consultant/

Lawyer with good knowledge of

Computer & should be fluent in

English both written & spoken.

Email C V to shejaanil66@gmail.

com or Contact 99153620

between 8am to 1pm & 2pm to

5.30 pm on Sunday to Thursday

MBA Finance Indian lady 23

yrs currently on visit visa family

resident Oman seeking opportunity

for career enhancement in suitable

firms 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/ finance field. On visit visa.

Immediately available. #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

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

A dynamic professional, female, MBA, 8 yrs MNC exp in

purchase,secretary,sales coordi-

nation, office assistant, logistics,

petty cash, stock, dispatch, project

management, documentation,

residing in oman with valid NOC

from current company, looking for

suitable job, ready to join immedi-

ately. Contact- phone:-94157662

Email: shiji4123@gmail.com,

Indian male M.com with 7 years

of experience in running own busi-

ness , seeking for job currently on

visit visa. Contact : 91089088

CA with 16 years experience in

finance / audit, seeking suitable

senior position and available for im-

mediate joining. Contact: 96320588

MBA in finance having 3 years

experience in India looking for job

as accountant. Cashier or store

keeping living in Oman in visit

visa. Contact: 99181193

Internal Auditor Presently in

Oman & having 2 years of Gulf

experience and 7+ experience in

accounts & Auditing with valid

GCC driving license looking for an

opportunity in Oman,Qatar,UAE.

Contact +968 99356707

Indian male 7 years Oman exp,

Tally ERP 9, Accounting, Inventory

Controller/Asset Supervisor & IT

Supports seeking suitable job. NOC

available. B.Com, PGDCA, location So-

har, having Oman D/L, #98317698.

Email: sukuanilkumar@gmail.com

Indian male 25 B.Com (graduate)

2 years experience as accountant

in country club India with ERP ora-

cle r12, tally knowledge. On visit

visa immediately available.

Email: shabi.hyd@gmail.com

Contact- 9042-1161

Egyptian sr. Accountant / chief

accountant / accounts manager

with more than 10 years experi-

ence in construction have Oman

valid driver license on transfer

visa. Contact: 96131088

Indian female accountant 8 years

exp in Oman. Contact: 93726921

Indian male 5 yrs experience in

data entry & accounting assistance

seeks suitable placement NOC

available. Content: 94452346

Email: subishkuruvilla5@gmail.com

Indian male accountant B.com,

M.com with 7 years experience

including gulf on tourist visa.

Contact: 91651695

Email: danishpa2005@gmail.com

Accounting Services for small/

medium Businesses. Accounting

from Data Entry to preparation

of P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash flow

and complete reports for auditing

Contact: 99679247

Indian Male Accountant 10yrs Exp.

in OMAN Retail & Furniture Co. (Re-

lease Available) GSM.92564955

Indian female (25) M.com Finance,

3 yrs, exp in accounts / finance

seeks suitable position in corpo-

rate finance / Banking / consulting

purchase coordination / Admin now

in family visa. Contact: 96953705

Email: prapullasuvarna@gamil.com

Accounts finance Indian male

35 years B.com MBA (F)

7 years experience tally ERP9

valid Oman D/L family visa.

Contact: 93257426/95230114

Email: sibigeorgep@gmail.com

Indian female accountant having

more than 8 years of experience in

Oman. Can handle accounts inde-

pendently up to finalization. Good

knowledge of tally ERP9 and MS

Office seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 91229415

Indian male MBA (F) with 6 years

of experience as accountant pro-

ficiency in A/C software like tally,

focus, Sap (FICO) seeking suitable

placement. Contact: 98665219

Email: abdulhameed1527@gmail.com

Jordanian, Senior accountant, 15

yrs experience in Oman finance &

accountant. Contact: 92881223

Indian male M.Com with 10 years of

experience in Finance/accounting,

analysis, can do finalization inde-

pendently seeks suitable positions.

Contact 92839679 (can join imme-

diately- local release available)

Indian male 30 B.com, 6 yrs

accounts exp in East Africa & 1year

exp in Oman NOC available. Looking

for suitable placement. #94613626

Email: sharis.shaheer@gmail.com

Accounts part time services avail-

able to handle all accounts up

to finalization, on Monthly basis

finalization and consulting works.

Contact: 96247295

Part time up to finalization.

Contact: 91126314

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 finance /

Admin / retail currently on visit

visa. Contact: 98993590 Email:

mohammedasitucm@gmail.com

Accounting Assistant, BBA

M.Com, tally, peach tree, can work

on current visa ph: 98269281

Indian male, B.Com with 6 years

experience as an Accountant,

looking for suitable placement.

Mob: 93903458 ,

Email : Akkandyrijesh@gmail.com

22 years experience in Oman for

accountants seeks suitable place-

ment. Contact: 99615920

Indian male bachelor degree

finance 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 & con-

tracting Cos, capable of handling

all accounting, finance, banking,

L/C, import, export & finalization

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

finalization. Currently employed

in Oman. Having D/L & NOC.

Mob: 94122464,

Email: cammk13@gmail.com

Needs Sales Executives for oil

trading co. With Oman driving

license. Office contact 24467177

E mail: fakhar@bestlubes.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

Need master cutter, tailor for

tailor shop. Contact: 99825211

Audit Assistants. Email: aoabmuscat@gmail.com

QHSSE ADVISOR - Interna-

tional Oilfield Services Company

requires a NEBOSH qualified

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 & office boys. Contact 24707833

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

CATERING

MANAGER/SUPERVI.OFFICE/SECRE.

MISCELLANEOUS

URGENTLY REQUIRED

Mobile Technician(keralites only)

Contact:

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

Urgently required Sales execu-tives (2 Nos) & Graphic designer for signage/ print media with

minimum 1 to 2 years experience.

Please email your CV to –

info.kkllc@gmail.com

Contact - 91275555

Reputed company in Muscat

invites application for the following vacancies Admin Omani, good

communication skill in English &

Sales graduate, valid Oman driving

license. Kindly send CV at Email:

infooman@orchidinternational.ae

Building Material Salesman & Electrician cum plumber & C.CT.V Technician & maintenance work

super us or with D.L.

Contact 99383044

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 – Fe-male / 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

ENGINEER

Required gynecologist GEN: practitioner lady lab Technician and pharmacologist immediately

for a clinic in Suwaiq.

Contact 95081010

Email: umchealthcare@gmail.com

Wanted lady Doctor with MOH li-

cense – A clinic at Ghala for morn-

ing shift. Contact : 99374541

Required General Practitioner doctor to open branches in Oman.

Contact 98116480

Required gynecologist GEN: practitioner lady lab Technician and pharmacologist immediately

for a clinic in Suwaiq.

Contact 95081010

Email: umchealthcare@gmail.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

REQUIRED PROJECT MANAGER

FDuqm/Oman

20+ years experience preferably in Oman/ GCC with valid D/L

and transferable visa, computer literate. Send CV to Email :

omanproject2011@gmail.com

Leading Medical Services company in Oman is looking for

X-Ray Technician &

Lab Technician

Candidates with MOH license and NOC

Send in your resume to

athirababylon@gmail.com. athira@babylon-om.com, info@babylon-om.com.

Required executive secretary male or female English perfect

Microsoft office perfect research

skills filling organizations. Send

CV to info@bustanrealestate.com We are looking for Experienced Omani Receptionists for our

organization Ayaan Healthcare

centre. Contact - 93676708 Email:

jooprakash.mba@gmail.com

A well – known private school is

in need of Laboratory Assistant, Biology, Chemistry and Computer Teachers. Contact: 96910649

Email: staffing.oman@gmail.com

MEP DRAFTMEN Required with 4

to 5 Years Oman Experience. Mail

your CV @ trustllc@yahoo.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.

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

Young 24, ACCA affiliate,

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

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Required Construction Forman Oman Driving License required, 2+

years’ Experience 93246786

Urgently wanted the following

staff for reputed Aluminium Com-

pany in Ghala Sales Manager & Factory Foreman. Please contact

– 96404166 / mail CV to –

mansoormohd2011@gmail.com

URGENTLY REQUIRED LIGHT DUTY DRIVER

Interested candidates may send in their CVs to Fax # 24600217

or email on: zeeshan@starslightllc.com

SALES / MARKETING

Urgently required Marketing Executive with driving license

for sales of furniture. Contact:

97164554 / 99452755

Email: aliasgar.tarwadi@yahoo.

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

SITUATION WANT-SIT. WANTED

DAILY GUIDES U N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 2 1 , 2 0 1 6 D5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

DRIVER

DRIVER

ADMIN

CATERING

DESIGNER/DRAUGHTSMAN

ENGG. / TECH./MECH.

ENGG. / TECH./MECH. IT

Cooks (Arabic Indian) gulf exp

looking job. Contact: 99531802

Finance / Project/Program Manager Professional

Country Exposure Canada &

Canadian, In Person Interview on Sundays

Contact No:

Interior Designer 3 years

experience, AutoCAD 2D & 3D

Max & Photoshop.

Contact number: 99025312

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.

Indian male senior electrical engi-

neer 10yrs experience in all kinds of

LV, HV works residential commercial

infrastructure looking for a suitable

position. Contact: 93676607

Indian male Electrical Engineer, 7 years experience, valid GCC driv-

ing license, NOC available looking

for suitable job. Contact: 96137008

Email: joshuaruarkfernandez@gmail.

com

B.SC civil Engineer, road construc-

tion field with 13 years experience

in Oman. Contact: 92200485

Indian Electronics Engineer female

24 M.Tech 9Communication) Engi-

neer and signal processing) with C,C

++ & matlab programming skills 7 1

year exp in teaching. Seeking suit-

able jobs, now on visit visa.

Contact – 91310557/

Email: aswanimidhun12@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 99462068 /

Email: vale_jazib@yahoo.com

Indian male, 22 Chemical Engineer residing in Oman looking for suitable

placement. Contact: 92379181

Mechanical Engineer (male) with

2 years experience in project &

production field seeking suitable

jobs now on visit visa. Contact:

94823009/94223483

Email: jisso.joseph@outlook.com

Structural Engineer, 8 yrs expe-

rienced in flat slab, post tensioned

& slab-beam multi story building

design & supervision with driving

license. Contact: 98256860

Civil Engineer having 7 years

experience in construction field,

looking job in suite international

company with Oman driving

license. Contact: 91800277

Young Electrical and Electron-

ics Engineer Indian B.Tech male

24 seeking job presently in Oman

having one year experience in

design and estimation of Ht and Lt

Projects. Contact: 968 94851525

Email: rabeehbinrahman@gmail.

com

Electrical Engineer 4.5 years

experience oil & gas water projects

& subseries. Contact: 99525856

Mechanical Engineer 7 years

experience 4 years in pipe line

projects NOC is available.

Contact: 91117089

Indian male 23 years B.E in me-

chanical fresher and have CSWIP

certification on visit visa seeking

employment foe mechanical jobs

as entry level. Contact 98422072

Email Id: j-joel92@yahoo.com

Mechtronics Engineer, Indian

male 2 yrs exp in industrial auto-

mation & maintenance, seeking

suitable job. Presently on visiting

visa. Contact – 97315735 / jith-

inm717@gmail.com

Omani HSE supervisor. Email:

jeebal3000@gmail.com

Sudanese Civil engineer - 4 years

experience – 98093544

27 years male diploma in Civil

Eng having 6 years Oman experi-

ence valid driving license seeking

suitable placement. Contact:

98809638 /98666735

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 refinery. 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

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

Process Engineer Chemical Engi-

neer, MBA certified 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 fields with

valid GCC D/L, NOC available seeking

placement. Contact: + 968 96547828

Email: deva0234@gmail.com

MANAGER

MEDICAL

Indian male 3 years experience

in IT as Linux Administrator and

1 year experience in Amazon

EC2 cloud at Wipro technologies

looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 92889678

Email: amalpathikal@gmail.com

Male 24 from, India B.SC Comput-

er science with 2 years of network-

ing and IT help desk support expe-

rience and a Cisco certified, came

to Oman on visit seeking a suitable

placement. Contact: 96910605

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: basithmck0@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 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

LOGISTICS

IT

Bangladeshi male light vehicle

driver looking for job.

Contact: 95601163

Pakistani male 38 years with 10

year experience in driving Omani

license (littlie).Contact: 93084806

Can with driving 3 years ex-

perience per time job. Contact:

92041902

Needed light driver job urgently.

Contact: 94085449

Light driver with car.

Contact: 96379697

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

Driver with car 2015 model,

speak British English.

Contact: 94039796

Indian House maid looking for

part time full time job perfect in

baby care, mother care, cooking,

cleaning etc. Contact 93675855

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 diploma, 4 yrsexp

seeks suitable position ina reputed

company. NOC available.

Contact – 96789711

HSE Engineer B.Tech (safety & fire)

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

Civil Engineer (B.Tech), Indian

male 24 years with 1+years Indian

experience,(Certified in Staad

Pro/ Quantity Survey/ Auto Cad).

Looking for a Suitable position.

Available In Sultanate of Oman

(Muscat) on Visit Visa.

Contact: 92835952. E-mail:

mohammedamair.bin@gmail.com

Indian male Electrical Engineer, having 6 years gulf experience in

designing, assembling, commis-

sioning execution etc having valid

GCC license too looking for a suit-

able. Contact: 00968-98052942

Email: azamjeelani78@gmail.com

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

Electrical Engineer with 18 years

exp in UAE. Contact: 98148034

Email: shassalih66@gmail.com

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

Indian experience

Contact 90493674 email-

inayathhussainshaik@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

Mechanical Engineer (4 years

exp) (3 years HVAC 10 months

Piping Engineer) job visa Indian

Muslim (27). Contact: 90486758

Email: afsalhyder@gmail.com

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

Indian male 26 yrs have 6 yrs

exp in technical assistant in tyre

production, visit visa at Ruwi.

Contact: 92600859

Iraqi Architect with 10 years of

experience in Engineering designs

and Construction Supervising

professional in 3Ds Max, AutoCAD

Photoshop. Contact: 96011716

Indian female (22) BE Computer

Science & pursuing MBA in sym-

biosis, looking for a job in HR & IT

with 2 years experience in IT field.

Contact: 92649477 / 96043223

Civil Engineer 6 yrs Exp in Oman

with license. Contact: 98975518

Bachelor Civil Engineer 6 Years

in Oman experience Valid Driving

License seeks suitable placement

Phone 97619722

Email – golamrob@yahoo.com

Indian female, 31 yrs, 7 yrs expe-

rienced as AutoCAD civil drafts-

man (2 yrs experience in Oman)

currently in Oman seeks suitable.

Contact 96789441

Email: simi5304@gmail.com

Indian male 40 yrs degree and

diploma in logistics , having 16 yrs

experience 6 yrs GCC , including

Oman in storekeeping and mate-

rial management seeking suitable

placement NOC available.

Contact: 98966849

Egyptian male finance manager

7 years experience release avail-

able. Contact: 95539923

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

MISCELLANEOUS

Indian female 29 yrs LLB, 6 yrs ex-

perience in Litigation Legal Counsel.

Looking for full time jobs.

Contact 96079342

Bangladeshi male, University

M.Com, Working as an Accountant

& Administrator in Oman; search-

ing better job. Phone: 94864966

Email: sunrisetoiqbal@gmail.com

A Filipina lady having experience

in call center, airline booking and

reservations, secretarial and real

estate is now looking for a job in

any fields. 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

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Indian male 32 yrs with 9 yrs

experience in MIS & Administra-

tion good knowledge of MS .Office

currently on visit visa looking

for suitable position.

Contact 99815835 Email:

rinumohan.842@gmail.com

A Female Postgraduate with over

5 years of working experience

in HR/Business Development/

Banking/Admin/Coordinative/

Secretarial duties seeks a suitable

placement.

Contact 99357522/92800281

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

Young Omani male have experi-

ence 12 years as P.R.O , Clerk helper

supervisor Admin supervisor , H.R

Manager have diploma in H.S.E, IT

and P.D.O license looking for H.R

position or P.R.O license . Looking for

H.R position or P.R.O part time or full

time. Contact: 95933288

Indian Female, MBA-HR having 8+

experience in Administration/HR,

Customer Support, Office Coordina-

tor with good Computer skill, Now on

Visit Visa,looking for suitable posi-

tion.Contact: 90196235

Indian male MBA 33yrs having 10

yrs of exp seeking full time suitable

placement in Administration/ HR/

Operations/ Coordination/ Logistics.

Holding valid D/L.

Contact 99054786

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

BBA Mare administration officer

with admin, Accounts purchase

experience valid Noc.

Contact: 91329571

Civil diploma Engineer cum

quantity survey male 6 years

experience in Oman valid Oman

D/L. Contact: 93747759 Email:

jaleelvanimalkp@gmail.com

Indian female civil engineer B.Tech

having 3 years experience sound

knowledge of software, REVIT STAD

PRO structural detailing currently

on family visa seeks suitable place-

ment. Contact: 95345591

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

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

Civil Engineer (BE) having total

5 years experience in building

construction looking for a suitable

placement. D/L available

Contact# 94450270

Road and Construction Engineer with 5 years exp in Oman.

Contact: 97667113

Mechanical Engineer M.Tech

2 years experience HVAC design

& site Engg revit MEP Auto CAD.

Contact: 90150913 Email:

mahmanmechengg@yahoo.im

7 Yrs Exp. PM in Mech. Engg in

the field of Building Const. Oil &

Gas Seeking Job.94625598

Sudanese Telecom Engineer, 5 years experience, 3 years in

Oman PMP certificate.

Contact: 93391008 Email:

momen.awadallam@gmail.com

Mechanical Eng. Diploma 31

years experience (22 Oman) Steel

fabrication, steel furniture, Powder

coating, Production and Planning.

Machine shop, looking for Mana-

gerial position in Sohar.

Contact 99314899

MEP Engineer 5 years exp in Gulf

driving license NOC.

Contact 97838220

Hospitality/Hotel/ Restaurants

Dynamic result oriented hospital-

ity professional with 20 years of

international exp. MBA in Hotel

Management, specializing in Ho-

tel/Restaurant start ups, concepts

& Franchise development with

proven records. Seeking for Chal-

lenging positions in reputed groups

as GM/COO/CEO/Business Head.

(NOC available) Contact: 96059470

Indian male hotel management

graduate above 12 yrs experience

in hospitality looking placement

GCC driving license and release

available. Contact: 94525463

HOSPITALITY

Indian male Orthodontist & female

BDS Prometric dataflow completed

looking suitable post.

Contact 90377433

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 flow. 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

28/male/MBA - finance/B.Com -

Accountant with 4 years of Dubai/

India experience looking for a

suitable placement. #90187483

shobinkarikkan1987@gmail.com

Wanted driver. Contact:

91025698

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 need job knows

Arabic & Hindi. Contact: 95145988

Job for driving. Contact:

98982410

Civil Engineer 8 years experience

in Oman as a project engineer for

governmental & private projects.

Contact – 90164912

Indian male, Mechanical

Engineer having 1year experi-

ence, on visit visa looking for

suitable job. Contact:97416564,

Email:jovinmathias@gmail.com

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

Civil Engineer 8 years experience

Structural buildings marine. Avail-

able NOC release. Contact: 92451323.

Email: zubairali134@yahoo.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

AutoCAD draftsman experience 2 years.

Contact: 93738335 /95809393

Email: mammoosing@gmail.com

Indian female 28 years, MCA,

B.com, 3 years experience in the

field 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 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

DAILY GUIDED6 S U N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

GOOD NEWS

SITUATION WANTED

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 (Vaid-

yaratnam).Contact:24475280 /

95371664 / 92504980 www.

siddhayur.com

Genuine Ayurvedic treatments

& massage, Ayurvedic clinic at

AL Khuwair. Contact: 24478618 /

97263637 / 93309131

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

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

15 years of working experience

in Business development in Oman

& UAE & UK , marketing plans and

strategies & importing fire woks for

festivals & preparing government

tenders , Operations and logistics ,

importing and international busi-

ness trading , CNC engineering &

industrial areas , I have dual na-

tionality ( I can travel abroad easily

without needing visa, for finalizing

business trading NOC available.

Contact: 94123939

Indian male UK- MBA (International

Business) having 2 years UK exp

with full UK D/L, now on visiting

visa. Seeking suitable jobs.

Contact – 96446013 /

mmmidhun777@gmail.com

MBA Indian male 4 years experi-

ence sales & marketing seeking

suitable opportunities.

Contact: 96931719

Sales Engineer (M.Eng) Canada

five + years Oman market experi-

ence with leading brands with D/L.

Contact: 93985140

Email: jbom628@gmail.com

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-

ficiency in Arabic language, seeks

suitable placement. NOC available.

Contact: 96725458

Email: ranisadhu@yahoo.com

MBA graduate having 6 years exp

in Sales & Marketing, 4 years with

PEPSI, India, having international

driving license permit seeks suitable

placement. Contact : 95308167,

Email : samir.pag@gmail.com

Indian male 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.

Contact 98250829

Indian sales marketing profession-

al highly experienced in business

development in ME India and Africa

seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 97897611

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, Structural Engineer

seeking for a job in Structural

design field. Having 6 yrs experi-

ence in Design field. Residing in

Muscat. syam036@gmail.com,

GSM 91176187

Mechanical Engineer (Indian

Male, 24 Years) with three years

experience, looking for suitable

job. Currently on visit visa, ready

to join immediately. # 92175441,

Email: ihabeeb24@gmail.com

Indian male with three years of

experience in IT as system admin-

istrator seeking for IT administra-

tion job placements. Presently in

Muscat on visit visa.

Contact: 90664136,

email: szuheabikram@yahoo.com

Iraqi Civil Engineer with more

than 30 years experience in (Iraq

and G.C.C) looking for a job, (N.O.C.)

is available. Contact No. 96561306

iq.bgd.mnsr@gmail.com

Indian Female, 24 MA Eng. Litr

with 2 yrs experience in teach-

ing & 14 months in Administra-

tion cum Secretary, Currently

on visit visa, seeks suitable job.

Contact: 92613704/99260702

Email:rohinis2010@gmail.com

Indian male AUTO CAD Draughts-

man (civil) 8 years experience, seek-

ing for part time job.#- 99070584 /

email: remluvp@gmail.com

Diploma (Electrical Engineering) from Government polytechnic.

Age 27 years, 6 years Experience

in troubleshooting and managing

and Technical in substation as a

Electrical Engineer. Seek suitable

placement. Contact - 92995899, 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

BS in Civil Engineering Experience: 3 Year (Road Projects)

Omani license: 9 Years.

Contact: 97427701

Email: hassanrvc1989@gmail.com

Indian Male, total 8+years gulf

experience in Document Controller

/ Coordinator / Secretary. Looking

suitable position. Local release

available. CONTACT: 94524259

EMAIL: madhuppnair@yahoo.com

Mechanical Engineer (Indian

Male, 24 Years) with three years

experience, looking for suitable job.

Currently on visit visa, ready to join

immediately. Contact 92175441,

Email: ihabeeb24@gmail.com

Indian female, holds LLB

& Masters in business

administration(MBA),2 yrs oman

experience as HR & Admin, seeks

suitable placement in jobs @

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.

Indian male 23 years Diploma in

Mechatronic having 3years expe-

rience in production and mainte-

nance department looking for suit-

able placement #+919597008904

(sachin.valappil92@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 Office. # 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

AVAILABLE

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirt-

ing, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery,

Crockery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes,

Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound

Systems and spectacular lighting.

Call Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering

and Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound &

Light. ww.tunesoman.com,

E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

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

earn in two monthstion guaranteed

Tel: 95244310

WEB, ERP and Business Intelli-

gence (BI) creation and man-

agement at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

Classes for Spoken EnglishTOEFL / GRE / GMAT / SAT

Excellent Guidance and Coaching Satisfaction Guaranteed

IELTS PREPARATION Target Band 8.0

EAGLES INSTITUTE92325542 | 93657915 | 93657917 | Email: engominst@gmail.com

MATRIMONIAL

Sunni Muslim girl, Mumbai origin,

24yrs BCA graduate from Oman,

homely with good religious value,

seeking alliance of age max 29 from

Muslim Sunni Mumbai origin family,

well settled in Oman or Middle East.

Contact: 94150040

Indian male Roman Catholic 40yrs

divorcee working in Muscat. Seeks

suitable alliance from widow/ divor-

cee/ single.Contact: 96059801.

55 years widower looking life

partner Mangalore widows only.

Contact: 99014325

MANAGER

MBA with 18 years of experience in

Procurement, 2 years in Sohar, Oman

driving license with vehicle, looking

for suitable position.M:94047501,

ahmed16071974@gmail.com

The Business Development Man-

ager, Iraqi, Experience 15 Years

Inside and outside Oman follow-

ing activities: construction(Very

strong and qualified to bringing

business for civil work Or any

type of the construction work for

many million per year with a good

experience in pricing and collect

payment and cash management of

the company & marketing projects

& investments& tenders & real

estate. Contact 92385033

SALES / MARKETING

Indian male 31 years with over 10

years sales & marketing experience

seeking suitable placement NOC

& Oman D/L available in addition

have proficiency in Arabic language.

Contact: 95760969

Indian male 35 yrs MBA having

11 yrs experience in G.C.C includ-

ing Oman in sales and marketing of

industrial products, heavy EQPT, &

construction machinery of having

valid Oman driving license NOC avail-

able. Contact: 97296248 /91483978

Indian male (31 yrs) sales super-

visor, total 9 yrs gulf exp, 4 yrs in

Oman with valid GCC D/L with NOC,

release & transferable visa.

Contact: 94014327 Email:

praveankotian188@gmail.com

Indian male MBA marketing 3 yrs

exp with D/L available.

Contact: 98904200

Email: haris.hameedali@gmail.com

Indian Male 34 yrs, having 5 yrs

FMCG experience as sales executive

and sales supervisor with valid GCC

driving License Contact- 92536979

Sudanese B.S.C Business admin-

istration experience 8 years sales

management purchases H.R market-

ing. Contact: 96112453

Indian male with Oman driving

license & NOC looking for Sales &

marketing / purchase job fluent

English. Contact: 94742666

Male 38 yrs Graduate 07 years

experience indoor / outdoor

electronic field with D/License &

NOC available (as per new rule).

Contact: 92453375

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, seek-

ing suitable placement.

Contact: 98371144

email: nabilnazar22@gmail.com

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

SKILLED / UNSKILLED

Mason, SH / carpenter, steel fitter

gulf & Indian exp looking job.

Contact: 95175192

Indian male 25 years experience

as secretary controller looking for

a job Noc available.

Contact: 92906042 Email:

prakashpv1959@gmail.com

Lady Secretary / Sales Co-co-

ordinator 12 years experience in

Oman in reputed companies, seek

immediate Employment.

Call: 95244761

Indian male 26, on vist visa, 2+

yrs of experience with UAE D/L,

IATA-FIATA,BBA looking for any

suitable job. Contact 91324567

Indian Male ,MBA Finance & Mar-

keting 28 yrs,6+ Exp, with oman

D/L & NOC, Hospital Pharma ,Herb-

al ,FMCG, F&B Marketing ,construc-

tion 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

33 year old Filipina with experi-

ence in Teleperformance, Manila

call centre ,now working as Wait-

ress in Qatar seeking suitable post.

Contact 99022484

Bangladeshi Male, University

MA, Working as Store keeper in

Muscat; searching better job.

Phone:91997605, email:

mohamednazrulislam2@gmail.com

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

Indian Male, 26 years, With 7 years

of experience in Sales Field in ship-

ping company in “Dubai” , looking

for suitable placement. Experienced

working in safety Marine equip-

ment and well versed with MS

Office. Contact: 90182494,

manojmallya999@gmail.com

Indian female 25 yrs, MBA HR &

Marketing, with one and half years

experience as accountant and 6

months experience in teaching,

now on a visit visa, seeking suit-

able position. Contact: 99624044,

mail: np.neethu1@gmail.com.

MBA (F), B.COM. Indian female

having knowledge of accounts

with Tally looking for full or part

time job. presently on family visit

visa. Contact :- 96259171. Email:-

bhumicapandya@gmail.com

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

DAILY GUIDES U N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 2 1 , 2 0 1 6 D7

TOURS

TOURS

RENT A CAR

25 - 50 seater bus with PDO &

BP specification for monthly rent

& small car with driver. Contact

99839898

SITUATION WANTEDCARGO

TRANSPORTATION

TRANSPORTATION From Mabela to Mawaleh for school

student. Contact: 92757673

Transportation. Contact: 96248040

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

MANPOWER

DRIVING

SITUATION WANT-ED

BUSINESS

Transportation. Contact :98505294

Transportation in Muscat.

Contact: 96004045

Transportation available Ruwi to

Al Khuwair, Ghubra & Azaiba.

Contact: 91103909

Transportation. Contact 92015894

Land for sale 40 cents NH 47 road-

side opposite Pankaj theatre alleppy

town. Contact: 968- 99075495

Email: mathewneena@gmail.com

Land for sale 13 cents peroorkada

Trivandrum 12L per cent and

22 cents eroor Kochi.

Contact: 96892973928

Email: pmnayar1810@yahoo.com

NRI

NRI

MV SALE

Chevrolet Ebica 2006 manual good

condition register 4.8.2016 550/-R.O.

Contact: 92802299

Volvo FHIZ 1997 with 1 year’s insur-

ance flatbed tailors up to.

Contact: 99454425

Hyundai Tucson model 2011 No.2

and CC 2.4 light green colour prices

3800/- R.O . Contact: 99376544

2008 2ltr VW Passat, good condition, 115k km, 99659946,

RO 2800

Flat for sale Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram 3 bed room

Flat in cyber Palm (SFS)Area

1860sqf, Flat in cyber gate way

Area 1159,Cont no +91 99-95-674657

D8 S U N D AY, F E B R UA R Y 2 1 , 2 0 1 6

DAILY GUIDE Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461Fax: 24812624

SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

SERVICES

General cleaning etc.

Contact : 94277020

Split & window A/c servicing & main-

tenance. # 93769089 / 95323517

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet & sofa shampooing,

Contact 99314807/24792998

Cad drafting architecture MEP

design MEP BIM – REVIT.

Contact: 91233975

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

LEGAL SERVICE

L

new business in Oman, Civil, criminal cases,.service issues.

S LLB, MBA,L Advisor

Muscat. GSM: 97351649

FURNITURE SHIFTING

Maintenance, Dismantling, Packing,

Shifting & Fixing furniture

with expert technicians.

Contact: 99041337

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of your

marble.# 24793614/ 99314807

Marble Crystallization & Grinding, Ocean Center L.L.C.

Contact: 99344723

Water proofing ABUQABAS-

Contact 99320217/24788722

A/C maintenance & servicing, fridge,

washing machine & dish washer re-

pairing, painting & cleaning services,

electrical & plumbing. # 99447257 /

97014234 / 24504281

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles

polishing, carpet shampooing,

maintenance. Contact ABU QABAS-

99320217 /24788722

House shifting. Contact: 99708138

Pest Control Treatments Ocean Center L.L.C. # 99344723

Cleaning & Carpet Shampooing Ocean Center L.L.C. # 99344723

Building maintenance. Contact: 96173326

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

Contact 98480070 / 94134784

Al farzdaq Al Fedi Trad and Cont

Maintenance services electric,

plumbing and A/C.

Contact: 96524904 / 94285064

Split A/C servicing R.O 10 only.

Contact: 94217681 / 99210141

House shifting packing.

Contact: 99657644 /

98518013

*Classified Advertisement space booking with text,

should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space availability