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WEDNESDAY, May 27, 2015 / 8 Sha’aban 1436 AH timesofoman.com wtimesofoman.com facebook.com/timesofoman twitter.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company

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Oman, Iran sign pact on maritime boundaryMUSCAT: Oman and Iran on Tuesday signed an agreement to set the maritime boundary be-tween the two countries in the Sea of Oman.

A press statement issued on the occasion stated, ‘’With the support of Allah and as an em-bodiment of the historic rela-tions, good neighbourly ties and mutual respect, whose founda-tions were laid by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and Dr Hassan Rouhani, president of Iran, a maritime boundary agreement was signed in Mus-cat on Tuesday 7th of Sha’aban 1436 AH corresponding to May 26, 2015, between the Sultanate and the Islamic Republic of Iran

in the Sea of Oman area.’’ The agreement was signed

on behalf of the Sultanate’s gov-ernment by Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal Al Busaidi, Minister of In-terior, and Dr Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Iranian government.

The agreement was signed in an atmosphere of cooperation and friendship where the delimi-tation of the maritime bounda-ries between the two countries was made in accordance with justice, fairness and relevant in-ternational laws. On signing the agreement, the two countries hailed the spirit of understand-ing that prevailed throughout the talks at different levels. >A5

A G R E E M E N T

OMANRights awareness

1A proposal to implement a study on social awareness of human rights in

Oman has been suggested by the NHRC. >A6

INDIA800 die in heatwave

2At least 800 people have died in a major heatwave that has swept across

India, melting roads in New Delhi as temperatures neared 50 degrees Celsius. >A9

MARKETSalalah power plant

3Several agreements have been signed by OPWP Company with

a consortium led by Mitsui & Co to build a 445 MW power project, Salalah independent power project (phase 2), and to acquire an existing 273-megawatt power plant from Dhofar Generating Company. >B1

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

A2Routes for new low-floor buses demarcated

First part of rail project tender later this year: MinisterELHAM POURMOHAMMADIelham@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Oman’s ambitious railway project is moving closer to reality as the Ministry of Trans-port and Communications is going ahead with the plans to float and award major contracts this year.

The contract to build the first segment of the project, which

will connect Al Buraimi to Sohar in a 207-kilometre (km) stretch, will be awarded in the second half of the year, said Minister of Transport and Communications Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Salim Al Futaisi.

The second segment will link Al Buraimi to Ibri, he told reporters on the sidelines of an agreement ceremony at the ministry’s head-

quarters on Tuesday.It was recently reported that

Oman Rail had started issuing tenders for the construction of a further 1,207km of the railway network, which will have an esti-mated length of 2,135km.

New tendersThe new tenders are for an addi-tional three segments of the nine-

segment network. When asked if any delay is expected in the pro-ject, the minister said, “We will see when we award the contract.”

Oman-Saudi roadAsked about the road linking Oman to Saudi Arabia, Al Futaisi said that no confirmed date for the inauguration of the road has been received. >A6

P R E S T I G I O U S P R O J E C T

Railwaynetwork

SoharAl Buraimi

Ibri

MuscatSecond

segment

Firstsegment

Nizwa

Graphics

20km

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FAHAD AL GHADANIfahadnews@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: One of Oman’s most controversial labour policies has celebrated its first birthday amid calls from Omani and expatri-ate business leaders for its future to be reviewed.

The requirement for expats to obtain a No Objec-tion Certificate (NOC) if

they want to switch jobs inside the Sultanate, or face a two-year ban from the country, has fuelled debate on whether it is stabilising or stagnating the employ-ment market in Oman.

The rule was first an-nounced in May last year, and 12 months on, the Ministry of Manpower has no intention of ending the ban, according to an official at the ministry.

Labour marketHe insisted the rule was for-mulated only after thorough consideration to regulate the labour market and that’s why it is not logical to review it after a year.

“There is no plan to change the rule and the two-year period is likely to stay,” said the ministry source.

He added that there are no plans to form a commit-tee to review it.

However, a member of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), said he believes the rule should be re-evaluated to determine its effective-ness over the past year.

Ahmed Al Hooti, an OCCI member, said the chamber had not been involved in formulating the two-year ban and wanted the rule to be given a second look.

“Although, I feel it is too early to take a decision, there must, at least, be some sort of re-evaluation, especially since the rule had been in force for almost a year,” said Al Hooti.

Transparency“We need more transpar-ency from the authorities,” said Al Hooti, noting that the OCCI was informed about the rule last year from the Ministry of Manpower in the same way as ordinary citizens. >A6

But the Ministry

of Manpower

insists that the

controversial

rule is not going

anywhere

CALL TO REVIEW NOC RULE IN SULTANATE

DOHA: His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, received yester-day, Sayyid Badr bin Saud bin Harib Al Busaidi, Minister Re-sponsible for Defence Affairs.

Sayyid Badr conveyed His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said’s greetings and wishes of good health and happiness to the Emir of Qatar and the Qa-tari people further progress and prosperity.

Sheikh Tamim asked the minister to convey his greet-ings and wishes of good health, happiness and a long life to His Majesty the Sultan and the Om-ani people further progress and prosperity.—ONA

Q A T A R

HM sends greetings

A2 W E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

OMAN These buses are designed specifically to accommodate the

nature and specifications of roads in the Sultanate, and spaces

will be provided for families, women and disabled passengers

Eng Salim bin Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Chairman of ONTC

Adam-Thumrait road dualisation deals signed

Staff Reporter

MUSCAT: Two agreements to-tally valued at OMR201 million were signed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications for the Adam-Thumrait road du-alisation project, aimed at reduc-ing accidents and enhancing the traffic flow.

The agreements were signed by Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Salim

Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications, and the rep-resentatives of Ghantoot Trans-port & General Contracting and Consolidated Contractors Com-pany, at the ministry on Tuesday.

The agreement with Ghantoot Transport & General Contracting, worth OMR109.9 million, is for the first part of the project with a total length of 120.4 kilometres, which includes a 20.35-km service road.

The value of the agreement with Consolidated Contractors Com-pany is OMR91 million and is for the second part of the road pro-ject with a total length of 119.7 km, which includes a 5.25-kilometre service road.

Six segments“The entire section of the road from Adam to Thumrait is divided into six segments. These are the first two segments. The other seg-ments are still in the process of de-signing,” the minister told report-ers after signing the agreements.

According to him, the first two segments will take three years to complete. Al Futaisi described the project as ‘very important’, noting that it would help reduce car ac-cidents during the Khareef season.

“We are on the verge of com-pleting the part from Izz to Adam, and these two sections will con-tinue from Adam towards Thum-rait,” he said.

The project is

expected to would

help reduce car

accidents during the

Khareef season

SEALING THE AGREEMENT: The entire section of the road from

Adam to Thumrait is divided into six segments. These are the

first two segments. The other segments are still in the process of

designing. – Supplied photo

Photo contest awards tonightMUSCAT: More than 350 pho-tographers from all over the country participated online in the first edition of the Red Bull 5 Pics in Oman.

UniqueThe top 20 finalists and winner will be announced at a unique gallery experience to be held to-night (May 27) at Bait Al Zubair at 7 p.m.

To participate in the digital-based photography event, each photographer was required to submit a photo story online using five of their best photographs of Unseen Oman by uploading them to the Red Bull 5 Pics website.

Participants received support from the online community with

109,067 votes online during the six-week submission process. As a reward the winner will receive an OMR1,000 Nikon voucher.

The winners’ Unseen Oman

photographs will also be on DHL packages sent from Oman all across the world. The event aims to bring together talented young enthusiasts and pioneering pro-fessional photographers.

Photographers from all back-grounds and levels had the chance to reveal the inspiration that drives them, demonstrate the techniques and tricks that give them the edge and most impor-tantly, demonstrate their ability to tell a story through their digital photographs.

R E D B U L L 5 P I C S G A L L E R Y

Main routes for new low-floor buses identified

ELHAM POURMOHAMMADIelham@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Main routes for the new low-floor buses that will be operating in Muscat have been identified by the Oman National Transport Company (ONTC), which will take delivery of 40 buses by the end of the year.

An agreement was signed on Sunday between the ONTC and the Netherlands-based VDL Bus & Coach Company, one of the largest bus producers in Europe, for the purchase of 40 buses. The buses are expected to be de-livered between October 15 and November 15, according to Rémi Henkemans, managing director of VDL Bus & Coach Company.

Main routesThe first route will be from Seeb to Ruwi, Eng Salim bin Moham-med Al Nuaimi, undersecretary at the Ministry of Transport and Communications and chairman of the ONTC, told reporters after an agreement signing ceremony at the ministry on Tuesday.

The second route will be from Ruwi to Wadi Adai and then to Muttrah and back from Muttrah

to Wadi Adai, he said.Al Nuaimi added that the third

route will be from Al Khoud to the Sultan Qaboos University.

He said that the initiative will serve as a pilot project to assess the public demand and other as-pects of the public transport net-work in the city.

There is a plan to establish a public transport authority, added the official.

SpecificationsThe chairman of the ONTC had said earlier that these buses are designed specifically to accom-modate the nature and specifica-tions of roads in the Sultanate, and spaces will be provided for families, women and disabled passengers in these buses.

According to him, the ONTC is coordinating with the Royal Oman Police (ROP) and the Mus-cat Municipality to find solutions for the bus routes and stations.

In addition, Ahmed bin Ali Al Bulushi, chief executive officer of the ONTC, said on Sunday that the company seeks to prepare the necessary infrastructure and sys-tems, including bus-tracking and auto-ticketing systems.

T R A N S P O R T

Muttrah40 km

NEW MUSCAT BUS SERVICE

Ruwi

Wadi Adai

AirportSeeb

Al Khoud

Sultan QaboosUniversity

GraphicsSource: Oman National Transport Company

Route 2Wadi Adai-Ruwi-Muttrah

Route 1Seeb-Ruwi

Route 3Al Khoud-SQU

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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

Prize for Oman’s e-job system

MUSCAT: For the fourth year in a row, the Sultanate has bagged a prize at the World Summit on In-formation Society (WSIS), achiev-ing another international mile-stone towards the Millennium Development Goals.

The Ministry of Manpower was awarded the prize for its E-em-ployment System, in the category ICT Applications during the WSIS Forum 2015, which began at ITU Headquarters in Geneva on May 25 and will conclude on May 29.

A large number of international government bodies and institu-tions, private institutions and in-dividuals, all connected with IT are participating in the event. -ONA

M I N I S T R Y O F M A N P O W E R

Each photographer was re-

quired to submit a photo story

online. -Courtesy Sayeed Waleed

BIG DEAL: The agreement will widen the horizons of cooperation in all fields and will be a role model

for countries in the region. – ONA

A5

OMANW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

They hoped that this agreement would contribute to enhanc-ing the friendship and good neighbourly ties between the two countries, which would benefit both countries and all

other countries in the region. Dr Zarif affirmed in a state-

ment to the Oman News Agen-cy (ONA) and Oman TV that signing this agreement is evi-dence of the strong relationship

between both the countries. He pointed out that the agree-

ment will widen the horizons of co-operation in all fields and will be a role model for countries of the region. – ONA

O M A N - I R A N

Pact to boost cooperation < FROM

A1

Alawi receives Iranian minister

MUSCAT: Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, received at the Ministry’s headquarters on Tues-day Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the friendly Islamic Republic of Iran as part of his official visit to the Sultanate to sign the maritime boundary agreement between the

Sultanate and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Salim bin Nasser Al Ismaili, chairman of the Public Author-ity for Investment Promotion and Export Development, a number of officials at the Foreign Ministry, the Iranian Ambassador to the Sultanate and members of the del-egation accompanying the visiting Minister.

During the meeting, both sides discussed the bilateral relations between the two friendly countries, means of enhancing them, the de-velopments in the region and other issues of mutual interest.

Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran said in a statement that the relationship between the two countries is ideal

and that was crowned by signing the maritime boundary agree-ment between the Sultanate and the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is a step that aims at enhancing the cooperation between the two countries in different fields.

He said the meeting also touched on the developments in the region and issues of mutual interest.

He hailed the role played by the Sultanate under the wise leader-ship of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said towards the different is-sues in the region and its endeav-ours to promote peace and recon-ciliation in the region.

As for the Iranian nuclear issue, the Iranian Minister of Foreign Af-fairs pointed out that the talks are under way and another round of drafting of the nuclear file agree-ment is being held on Tuesday. - ONA

The two sides

discussed bilateral

ties and the means

of enhancing them

BOOSTING TIES: Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, received at

the Ministry’s headquarters on Tuesday Dr. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the

Islamic Republic of Iran. – ONA

Jewellery exhibition opensMUSCAT: Displaying jewellery from around the world, the sixth edition of the Muscat Interna-tional Jewellery and Gold Exhi-bition 2015, organised by Oman International Exhibition Centre (OIEC), started at OIEC on Tues-day under the auspices of Khalid bin Hilal Al Ma’awali, chairman of Majlis Al Shura.

The exhibition will continue for the next five days. Hussain bin Ramadhan bin Sulaiman, acting general manager of OIEC, said that new exhibitors are part of this exhibition and are show-casing new items that were not there at the previous events.

Jewellery and gold companies, traders and businessmen, in ad-dition to goldsmith professionals

and designers from Oman, Arab and Gulf countries, Lebanon and Italy apart from Thailand, Tur-key, Singapore and India are tak-ing part in the exhibition.

Ideal opportunityThe United Kingdom and the United States are also a part of the exhibition. The number of visitors at the previous exhibi-tion stood at 15,000.

This year’s version will include a number of seminars on gold, diamond and jewellery items.

The exhibition, which aims to attract lovers of jewellery and gold items, provides an ideal opportunity to review and pur-chase the latest designs and products. – ONA

L U X U R Y

The exhibition will continue for

the next five days. – Talib Al Wahibi

Times News Service

MUSCAT: There was great excite-ment and happiness among stu-dents and teachers at the Indian School Salalah as the results of the Class 12 CBSE examination were declared on Monday.

The school may be 1,000 kilo-metres away from the capital, but it is never too far away from excel-ling in academics. For yet another year, the school achieved a 100 per cent result in the examina-tion that was conducted in March and April, 2015.

The school has been very con-sistent in securing brilliant re-sults and this year too it has done extremely well. All the 130 stu-dents who appeared for the exam were successful.

The concerted efforts put in by the management, principal, staff and students helped the students to come out with flying colours with top scores and distinctions.

In the Science stream, Ayes-ha Ayaz scored 95.8 per cent (479/500), followed by Shabana T

S with 95.6 per cent (478 marks) and Ahmed Elsayed Gobba scored 94.6 per cent (473 marks). In the Science stream out of 54 students, 39 got distinctions, or above 75 per cent, and 15 secured between 60 per cent and 74 per cent.

In the Commerce stream, Ra-dhika Rajesh Bhujwala topped with 94.8 per cent (474 marks), followed by S Shwetha Srinivasan with 92.4 per cent (462 marks) and B Gayathri with 92.2 per cent (461 marks). In the Commerce stream out of 76 students, 36 got distinc-tion, 36 secured between 60 per cent and 74 per cent and 4 between 45 and 55.

The highlights of the results are as follows: Eighteen students se-

cured more than 90 per cent. The results in English have

been remarkable over the years and each year, the scoring av-erage has been more than the previous years.

The highlight of the English ex-amination result is that 76 out of 130 students topped the subject with a score of 95 per cent.

The other subject toppers are as follows: Ahmed Elsayed Gobba, Devan K S, Saif Abdul Cassim (95 per cent in Mathematics); Ahmed Elsayed Gobba (97 per cent in Physics and 97 per cent in Chem-istry); Shabana T S (98 per cent in Biology); Nisali Sanara Kularatne (98 per cent in Computer Sci-ence); Fatema Naznin (97 per cent

in Business Statistics); Radhika Rajesh Bhujwala (95 per cent in Accountancy); Aljo James (96 per cent in Economics); Ayesha Ayaz (98 per cent in Info ‘Pract’), Su-man (85 per cent in Entrepreneur-ship) and Shradha (91 per cent in Multimedia)

Commendable performanceThe students and the teachers were happy and proud for having accomplished a commendable re-sult, said the school authorities. Ram Santhanam, president of the school management committee (SMC), other members of the SMC and T R Brown, principal, congrat-ulated the students and the teach-ers for the excellent results.

A6

OMANW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

There is supposed to be a big resort there. I think only

now it has started to be realised. So, without that project

and without big tourism activities, it will be difficult

Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Salim Al Futaisi, minister of transport and communications

Sohar schoolgirl tops CBSE exams in Oman

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Archana CM of In-dian School Sohar emerged as the highest scoring student in Oman among all CBSE schools in the Sultanate with 491/500 marks, in the just declared results of the CBSE examinations conducted in March-April 2015.

Apart from Archana CM, who came first in the Science stream, Manhar Kaur Randhava scored 95.8 per cent to come second and Amey Goyal with 95.4 per cent

came in a close third.In the Commerce stream,

Sreelakshmi Sindhulal came first with 95 per cent, Johyena Vin-cent Rodrigues came second with 90 per cent and Vishal Prakash scored 89 per cent and came third.

Naturally, the excitement was palpable at the school, as students strode dazzlingly along the road to success and Team ISS expressed its delight at the performance of Archana and all the others at the remarkable performance.

A total of 70 students appeared for the Class XII CBSE examina-tions in both Science and Com-merce streams, and the school notched up a 100 per cent suc-cess rate. The school’s pledge to emerge exceptional in academics, reflected in the brilliant show by the students.

It was an exemplary achieve-ment that 34 out of the 40 stu-dents in the Science stream and 23 of the 30 students in the Com-merce stream have notched a dis-

tinction, while all the students achieved a first division.

Talking about the success, Sanchita Verma, principal, said, “I am happy to inform you that 48 out of 70 students came first in English scoring 95 per cent marks, while the top scorers in individual subjects are, Archana CM with 100 Chemistry, 99 in Mathematics, 98 in Physics and 99 in Informatics Practices, and Manhar Kaur Randhava with 98 in Biology.

The names of the other toppers are as follows: In the Commerce Stream Economics: 95 – Sreelek-shmi Sindhulal, Johyena Vincent Rodrigues and Shahala Nizar K M; Business Studies: 95 – Sreelek-shmi Sindhulal, Johyena Vincent Rodrigues, Vishal Prakash and Shahala Nizar K M, in addition to Bhumika Mishra, Rahulraj and Srivatsan A; Accountancy: 95 – Sreelekshmi Sindhulal; Physical Education: 96 - Jennis Chacko John.

The school authorities said they were proud of their stu-dents who brought glory to their alma mater.

The school management com-mittee has heaped praise on the teachers for their herculean ef-forts and has congratulated the principal and vice principal. They commended all the outgoing Class XII students for their stunning ef-forts and wished them success in their future endeavours.

The principal observed that the result was largely owing to the deep commitment of students and their supportive families. She congratulated the diligent and dedicated efforts of teachers in ensuring that their students all achieved soaring percentiles.

Most parents and toppers men-tioned that their achievement was a result of the consistent teach-ing and dedication of the senior school teachers as well as the sys-tematic remedial and extra class-es arranged by the school.

Apart from Archana

CM, who came

first in the Science

stream, Manhar Kaur

Randhava scored

95.8 per cent to come

second and Amey

Goyal with 95.4 per

cent came third

Salalah students repeat 100% resultI N D I A N S C H O O L S A L A L A H

Indian School Ibri students shineTimes News Service

MUSCAT: The third batch of Class XII students of Indian School Ibri passed out with flying colours in the CBSE examina-tions held in March 2015.

Nirmal Ram Raghavan scored 93.4 per cent to top the batch, Ananthu Ajey came second with 91.6 per cent and Sivaprasad M came third with 88 per cent.

The toppers of various subjects are: English: Lydia Grace Raju

(96); Mathematics: Abijith K A (90); Biology: Munna Dey (85); Physics: Ananthu Ajey, Nirmal Ram Raghavan and Sivaprasad M (95); Chemistry: Nirmal Ram Raghavan and Sivaprasad M (95) Multimedia and Web Technol-ogy: Nirmal Ram Raghavan (95).

The school management com-mittee and the principal congrat-ulated the students for their out-standing performance and the teachers for their sincere efforts and dedication.

F L Y I N G C O L O U R S

‘Time to re-evaluate ban’ “We were not involved, but we now want total transparency from the ministry in sharing with us, and other authorities, the reasons be-hind this decision and its impact after a year,” he said.

He said this is a chance to re-evaluate the decision and depend-ing on the results, the ministry, in co-operation with the authorities concerned, should formulate a new rule. “I am against tarring all expa-triates with the same brush,” said Al Hooti, adding that such a decision should target unskilled workers rather than expats in general.

“Doctors, engineers, managers and other skilled workers should be treated differently, and anyway, the concerns raised were basically from unskilled expatriate workers

in Oman,” he said. “I understand that an expat coming as a labourer and then becoming an investor in a couple of years after getting a sponsor who does not care about the economy of Oman is similar to carrying out business on the sly and need to be checked,” Al Hooti said.

He added, “However skilled workers should be allowed to move between companies in a free mar-ket to find better jobs, working con-ditions and salaries.”

Mohammed Shafiqul Islam Bhu-iyan, general manager of New Star International Travel and Tour LLC, said that the ruling is good news for employers, but bad news for em-ployees as they cannot change jobs. “I think people should be allowed to change jobs,” he viewed.

Rashid Khalfan, a general man-ger of a construction company, said that the company has been affected by this rule.

“There is no other way for expa-triate workers now to get a better job offer or environment unless they abscond from their current job,” said Khalfan, adding that two of his employees had absconded in the past year.

“The Ministry of Manpower should find ways to decrease the number of cases of absconders instead of finding more reasons to stop them,” he said. “Getting a worker from inside Oman has be-come almost impossible. Nobody is ready to provide NOCs, and this has led to delays in a company projects,” he added.

T W O - Y E A R C U R B

< FROM

A1 ‘Feel the Beat’ aims to educate

women on heart ailment risks

M A J I D A L F U T A I M G R O U P

Minister asks firms

to follow ‘right path’

The new road inside Oman, which has been completed, is around 160km while the stretch on the Saudi side it will be about 519km. The current distance be-tween the two countries via the United Arab Emirates is approxi-mately 2,000km.

Commenting on the Ras al Hadd Airport, the official said that the runway is complete but the chal-lenge in operating the airport lies in the fact that the facility is for tourism purposes and the related projects should be implemented in the area as well.

“There is supposed to be a big resort there. I think only now it has started to be realised. So, without that project and without big tourism activities, it will be difficult,” he said.

In addition, Al Futaisi noted that no date has been finalised yet for the launch of Salalah Airport, but the first trial has given everybody the confidence that it can be oper-ated without a problem.

The minister had said earlier that the airport will most likely be opened in June.

Asked about the arrest of more than 1,000 expatriate workers at the construction site of the new Muscat International Airport pro-ject, he said that people should not relate the quality of the work to this incident.

“We are giving quality very high importance, and we are checking

every part of the airport, and we are not allowing anything which is not in accordance or in compli-ance with the standards and speci-fications,” said Al Futaisi. He explained that the arrested la-bourers were not involved in any work that would directly affect the quality of the project.

The minister also urged the companies to follow the ‘right path’ and not employ illegal work-ers as the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Ministry of Manpower have been working to meet the workforce re-quirements of the project through the right procedure and as quickly as possible.

Additionally, Al Futaisi noted that many investors have ex-pressed interest in introducing a budget airline and the process has started.

N E W A I R P O R T S

< FROM

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TARIQ AL HAREMItariqh@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: ‘Feel the Beat’ cam-paign focusing on cardiovas-cular diseases in women has been launched by Majid Al Fu-taim Group, urging them to get a screening done either at City Centre Muscat or later at the City Centre Qurum.

Specialists from the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) are present for the screening of visitors, educating and training them on how to per-form cardiopulmonary resusci-tation (CPR).

Dr Abdul Hakim Hashim, sen-ior consultant for critical care at the SQUH said, “The initiative is for women. It will look into the risk factors with regard to heart diseases in women by tak-ing their height, weight, BMI and blood sugar. The women will then fill a form about their fam-ily medical history and will be advised by medical professionals on the disease.”

Cardiovascular diseases or heart attacks are the cause of 45 per cent of deaths in the Gulf, but the common belief is that it oc-curs more in men than women.

“What we are noticing is that women also seem to suffer from cardiovascular diseases, but they tend to get diagnosed late,” said Dr Hatim Al Lawati,

consultant international cardi-ologist, SQUH. “The symptoms they present are not the classic symptoms and these are often dismissed and disregarded,” he added.

Dr Hatim said the classic symptoms such as chest pains, as a result of a blocked artery in males, may not necessarily be the same for women. They could experience shortness in breath which is also associated with asthma. It explains how eas-ily it could be disregarded as symptom for a cardiovascular disease.“They tend to be young and, therefore, their symptoms

get dismissed as non-cardiac, only for them to be diagnosed later by which time it may be too late. It can lead to severe compli-cations,” said Dr Hatim.

The public will be educated on heart disease and ways to identify its symptoms and the associated risk factors. For those who are liv-ing with coronary heart disease, they will learn how to avoid dete-rioration of the condition.

When asked about how CPR could contribute to increasing the survival rate, Dr Hakim said, “It depends on a lot of condi-tions and not just about conduct-ing CPR. Of course, it is good to know CPR, but you want to know what is the cause of heart stoppage. If the cause is a heart attack, you need to provide elec-tricity to heart to improve sur-vival chances. ”

Ahmed bin Mohammed bin

Salim Al Futaisi, minister of

transport and communications

Study on human rights in Oman

MUSCAT: A proposal to imple-ment a study on social awareness of human rights in Oman has been suggested by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The commission, in a meeting headed by Mohammed bin Abdul-lah Al Riyami, chairman of NHRC, discussed the conditions of the ex-patriate workers who were spotted at the airport project, which it said, was a clear violation of human rights. -ONA

N H R C

HEALTH TIPS: The public will be educated on heart disease and

ways to identify its symptoms and risk factors. – Jun Estrada

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OMANW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

I was just shocked. I couldn’t believe what had happened. I had

been in touch with my friends in Sarangkot and I just knew, there

was no doubt, I just felt I had to go and help in any way I could

John ONeil, American who lives in Buraimi

Nepal needs tourism, says Oman’s resident who helped quake victims

SARAH MACDONALDsarah@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: When the Gorkha Earthquake hit Nepal on April 25, John ONeil, an American who lives in Buraimi, knew he had to help. Five days later he landed in Kathmandu with a suitcase full of supplies and a very generous heart.

ONeil has been travelling to Ne-pal regularly since 2008 and has a deep love of the country’s moun-tainous landscape and its kind, humble people. In 2009 he even helped a Nepalese family who had become his friends build a guest house in Sarangkot, a popular tourist destination.

Shocked“I was just shocked. I couldn’t be-lieve what had happened. I had been in touch with my friends in Sarangkot and I just knew, there was no doubt, I just felt I had to go and help in any way I could,” ONeil told Times of Oman.

He contacted his Nepalese friend Laxman Chapai who agreed to open a Facebook page to collect donations, and arranged to take three weeks of unpaid leave from his teaching job at the University of Buraimi. He said his coworkers covered his classes in his absence, for which he was most grateful.

One of ONeil’s coworkers posted a note about him on the popular Facebook page What’s Happening Muscat, Oman? and immediately there people across Oman asking how they could help him.

“The response was overwhelm-ing. I was really touched. There were even people at the airport who were handing me money be-cause they’d been following the What’s Happening page,” he said.

At first ONeil, his suitcase of medical supplies and dried goods in tow, worried whether he would even make it to Nepal. Though the flight is only four hours, the air-plane circled over Kathmandu for 90 minutes because of the chaos at the airport with people leaving and rescue teams arriving.

When they finally landed he headed straight to the domestic airport and got a flight to Pokhara, which is about 215km northwest of the capital. From there he headed to Sarangkot, the picturesque vil-lage not far from Pokhara, where the guest house is located.

Even though the guest house only had minor damage, a few

cracks here and there, his friends had been sleeping outside for fear of another quake. But they knew there were other Nepalese much worse off than they were.

‘Let’s do it’“The people in the village all ral-lied around and said, ‘Let’s do it. Let’s see how much money we can raise’,” ONeil recalled.

Through the Sarangkot Devel-opment Tourism Committee’s Facebook page, they had raised $1,266.00 from people in Oman, Europe, and the USA. They bought 2,000kg worth of staple food items like rice, lentils, oil, chili powder, cumin and other items the peo-ple needed like pots and pans and blankets, things that had been de-stroyed or lost in the earthquake. They took them to the Pokhara air-port where the military delivered the goods to Gorkha, the region worst hit by the earthquake.

Then they decided to take even more supplies themselves after meeting a man whose entire vil-lage in Gorkha had been destroyed.

They bought more goods, rented a tractor and after six hours arrived at the remains of a village where they donated the supplies to 32 families whose homes were noth-ing but rubble.

The villagers were living in tents and other temporary shelters made from tarpaulins and whatever they could salvage from their homes. ONeil said he was very hard to see the children living in such a dire situation, especially since he knew that soon the monsoon rains would come, compounding their troubles.

“It was good for us to deliver sup-plies personally because we knew they would get them immediately. They were very appreciative. After everything was distributed to each of the families they gave us a cer-emony, called a puja, where they gave us flower leis. It was a moving moment for me,” ONeil said.

After helping as much as he could in the Gorkha and Pokhara regions, ONeil spent six days in Kathmandu canvassing the city, visiting the tent camps and pass-ing out money and gum. He said

the children were desperate for whatever he could give, and even amounts of money that seemed like very little to him would make a huge difference to them.

“If I pulled out 500 rupees ($5 USD) I had a huge crowd around me,” explained ONeil.

Since 2008 ONeil has visited Nepal more times than he can count, and he was saddened to see that many tourists left and the flow of tourists coming into the country quickly dried up. This was espe-cially noticeable in Sarangkot.

‘Go, support’Tourism is Nepal’s largest indus-try and ONeil said it’s important for people to continue visiting Ne-pal so that they can contribute to the economy.

Many of the temples and other tourist sites have been destroyed or damaged but he said the land it-self is worth seeing, such as places like Sarangkot, where the views of the Annapurna Mountains take one’s breath away.

“I’d say go. Support the locals.

People shouldn’t be afraid. I know most people don’t want to go earthquake-infested areas but it’s a country that needs tourism. Per-haps that’s an obligation tourists need to consider,” he reflected.

He said people can also consider making donations to organisations like the Red Cross and other NGOs that will be working for a long time helping Nepal rebuild and provid-ing care for the people, thousands of whom have been left homeless.

ONeil plans to return to Nepal this September for the Eid Al Adha holidays and contribute to the country again in whatever way he can. As for his most recent three weeks in Nepal, ONeil said he hoped he was able to make a differ-ence with his contributions.

“In the big picture it’s so small, what I was able to do, because it’s such a huge area that’s been affect-ed and so many people. But maybe through this effort it brings aware-ness. A lot of people have emailed and asked how to help. People are more willing to help if they know someone personally,” he said.

At first ONeil, his suitcase of medical supplies

and dried goods in tow, worried whether he

would even make it to Nepal. Though the

flight is only four hours, the airplane circled

over Kathmandu for 90 minutes because of

the chaos at the airport with people leaving

and rescue teams arriving

HELPING HAND: In the big picture it’s so small, what I was able to do, because it’s such a huge area

that’s been affected and so many people. But maybe through this effort it brings awareness. A lot of

people have emailed and asked how to help, said John ONeil (wearing the white cap). – Courtesy John ONeil

DEVASTATION: The villagers

were living in tents and other

temporary shelters made from

tarpaulins and whatever they

could salvage from their

homes. – Courtesy John ONeil

Firecrackers, narcotics seized

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Customs officers foiled a bid to smuggle firecrack-ers into the Sultanate via the Wa-jajah border, on Monday.

The officers were doing a rou-tine check on two vehicles when they discovered 4,816 firecrack-ers and six boxes of fireworks concealed inside, an official from Royal Oman Police (ROP) said.

Meanwhile, customs officers at the Muscat International Airport foiled an attempt to smuggle nar-cotics. After frisking the alleged traffickers, all Asian nationals, more than 1,000 capsules of differ-ent types of narcotics were found.

Department of Combating Narcotics and Psychotropic Sub-stances, Musandam Governo-rate, yesterday arrested an Asian for possessing large amounts of

narcotics and illegally entering Oman. The accused was spotted in Hena area in Khasab behav-ing suspiciously and was held. He confessed he had entered the country illegally. He also had in his possession 15,000 Trama-dol tablets and large amounts of hashish, opium and crystal meth.

He was referred to the public prosecution before being pre-sented at the Court of Justice.

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REGIONW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

Coalition strike kills seven members of Yemeni family

CAIRO/ADEN: Seven mem-bers of a family were killed in an overnight strike by Saudi-led warplanes on a border village in northern Yemen, residents said, as heavy clashes erupted across the frontier after Houthi fire killed one Saudi citizen.

In southern Yemen, the Saudi-led airforce launched nearly 20 raids on Houthi fighters in the port city of Aden, while fighters al-lied with exiled President Abdrab-bo Mansour Hadi made advances near the Houthi-controlled Al Anad military base.

Saudi-led forces have been tar-geting fighters of the Houthi group and supporters of former presi-dent Ali Abdullah Saleh since in March, part of a campaign to re-store Hadi to power.

Residents of the Al Mohssam village, in the northern Hajjah province, said two children and five men and women from the same family were killed in the overnight raid on their home.

A spokesman for the coalition was not immediately available for comment, but the alliance says it only targets Houthi militias and forces loyal to Saleh.

A spokesman for the Saudi civil service in the southern city of Na-jran said one citizen was killed and five wounded by projectiles fired from Yemen.

Saudi forces had earlier pound-

ed the Houthis after fighters from the group attacked Jabal Tweileq, a hilltop on the Saudi side of the border. The United Nations has said that more than 1,870 people have been killed and more than 7,000 wounded in the conflict since March 19.

18 sortiesIn the southern city of Aden, resi-dents and fighters said that Saudi-led planes conducted up to 18 sor-ties over Houthi forces in Khor Maksar and Crater, and that col-umns of smoke were seen rising over the areas hit.

The Saudi-led air force also provided cover for fighters allied with Hadi known as the Southern

Popular Resistance (SPR) as they captured Al Anad junction, a stra-tegic intersection north of Aden from the Houthis fighters, resi-dents and local fighters said.

They said at least six Houthis fighters were killed in the clashes with SPR forces after the south-ern fighters received reinforce-ments from Radfan area in the southern Lahj province.

In the central Al Dhalea prov-ince, residents said they had had the first night without fighting after the city of Dhalea was re-captured by local SPR fighters the day before, regarded as the Houthis’ first significant setback in two months.

But residents warned that the

Houthis had summoned rein-forcements from the Yarim area in Lahj province apparently to try to recapture Dhalea. Meanwhile, relief agency Oxfam said that almost two-thirds of the popula-tion of war-torn Yemen have no access to clean water, two months into the Saudi-led air campaign against rebel forces.

“Ongoing air strikes, ground fighting and fuel shortages mean that an additional three million Yemenis are now without drink-ing water, raising the total number of Yemenis without a clean water supply and sanitation to at least 16 million,” the Britain-based or-ganisation said.

“This is equivalent to the popu-

lations of Berlin, London, Paris and Rome combined,” Oxfam’s Yemen director Grace Ommer said in a statement.

Even before the escalation in fighting, half the population of the war-torn nation had no ac-cess to clean drinking water, the group said.

Weeks of air strikes and ground fighting have damaged and dis-rupted large parts of the water network, Oxfam said.

“People are being forced to drink unsafe water as a result of the disintegration of local water systems, bringing the real risk of life-threatening illnesses, such as malaria, cholera, and diarrhoea,” the organisation said. —Agencies

Two children and

five men and women

from the same family

were killed in the

overnight raid

on their home

Iraqi forces close in on Ramadi to launch offensiveBAGHDAD: Iraqi forces closed in on Ramadi Tuesday and launched an operation aimed at cutting off the militants in Anbar prov-ince before a major offensive to retake the city.

Ten days after the IS group’s shock capture of the capital of Iraq’s largest province, a spokes-man said the latest operation was only a preparatory move before an assault on Ramadi.

The operation will see a mix of security forces and paramilitaries move south towards the city from Salaheddin province, said Hashed Al Shaabi spokesman Ahmed Al Assadi. The Hashed Al Shaabi (popular mobilisation) is an um-brella group for mostly militia and volunteers, which the govern-ment called in after the IS group captured Ramadi on May 17. “The operation’s goal is to liberate those regions between Salaheddin and Anbar and try to isolate the prov-ince of Anbar,” Assadi said.

The Hashed said 4,000 men were heading to the northern edge of Ramadi. Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi and his US allies had been reluctant to deploy mi-

litia in Anbar. Anbar’s provincial capital Ramadi had resisted IS as-saults for more than a year but fell earlier this month after a massive militant offensive and a chaotic retreat by security forces.

The IS group controls most of Anbar, a huge province which bor-

ders territory also under its con-trol in neighbouring Syria.

Pockets of government control include some eastern areas near the capital, the city of Haditha, parts of the town of Al Baghdadi and the Al Asad air base, where hundreds of US military advisers

are stationed. Regular forces and Hashed Al Shaabi paramilitar-ies also made progress south and west of Ramadi, an army lieuten-ant colonel said, and retook an area called Al Taesh. “The Iraqi security forces and Hashed Al Shaabi have now cut off all supply routes for IS in Ramadi from the south,” provincial council mem-ber Arkan Khalaf Al Tarmuz said.

Over the past week, IS is likely to have built up its defences by rig-ging much of Ramadi with explo-sives, the militant group’s weapon of choice.

Washington on Monday moved to appease Baghdad after Iraq’s leadership reacted angrily to com-ments by the Pentagon chief ac-cusing Iraqi forces of “lacking the will to fight”.

Ashton Carter’s remarks to the CNN news channel were widely perceived as unfair in Iraq, where some forces have put up valiant resistance to IS assaults.

In a call to Abadi, the White House quoted Vice President Joe Biden as saying he “recognised the enormous sacrifice and brav-ery of Iraqi forces over the past

18 months in Ramadi and else-where”. The US-led coalition has carried more than 3,000 strikes against IS targets in Iraq and Syria over the past 10 months.

Baghdad and Washington had boasted that IS was a waning force after months of territorial losses but the fall of Ramadi signalled that the militant group may have been written off too soon.

Its seizure of the city prompt-ed 55,000 residents to flee their homes, according to the United Nations. Many of them have been prevented from crossing into other provinces, for fear they have been infiltrated by IS fighters.

The International Rescue Com-mittee said the restriction was forcing some people to return to conflict areas.

“Thousands of people fleeing Ramadi are stuck at checkpoints or being denied entry to safe ar-eas,” IRC’s Syrian crisis response regional director, Mark Schnell-baecher, said.

“For some people the situation has become so hopeless that they are returning to the conflict in Ramadi.” — AFP

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

Washington Post reporter appears in Iran courtTEHRAN: Washington Post cor-respondent Jason Rezaian went on trial behind closed doors in Iran Tuesday on charges of spying, a case that has clouded a rapproche-ment with the United States.

Rezaian’s wife, Yeganeh Salehi, who is also a journalist, appeared in court alongside her husband and a female press photographer, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported. The trial is being held in Branch 15 of the Tehran revolu-tionary court, which usually pre-sides over political cases or those related to national security.

The first session ended after about three hours, according to Mi-zanOnline, a news agency linked to the judiciary. It gave no further details and said the date of the next session would be announced later. Rezaian, an Iranian-American, has been held since July last year in a politically sensitive case that has unfolded while Iran and world powers conduct nuclear talks.

His wife, who worked for The National, an English-language newspaper based in Abu Dhabi, was arrested along with him but released on bail after spending two and a half months in custody.

Rezaian, 39, is accused of “es-pionage, collaboration with hostile governments, gathering classified information and disseminating propaganda against Iran”, accord-ing to his lawyer Leila Ahsan.

Dual nationalityTehran does not recognise dual nationality, and says the case is a purely Iranian matter. State media gave no details of Tuesday’s hear-ing and no indication of how long the trial might last. Rezaian’s case has been played out in the Iranian media, where he has been accused of spying and passing information about Iran to US government of-ficials. Among the offences he is alleged to have committed is writ-ing a letter to US President Barack Obama. — AFP

T R I A L B E G I N S

Egypt opens Rafah crossing to

allow Palestinians return to Gaza

GAZA: Egyptian authorities opened the Rafah crossing on Tuesday, for the first time in nearly 80 days, to allow stranded Palestinians to return to the Gaza Strip, witnesses and officials said.

But it did not allow traffic the other way, leaving thousands of Gazans, some of whom need to travel for medical treatment, stuck inside the tiny enclave, au-thorities there said.

RegisteredMaher Abu Sabha, the Hamas-appointed director of Gaza cross-ings, said more than 15,000 Pal-estinians, including 3,000 people seeking medical treatment, had registered with his office to travel outside the enclave.

“We still hope the Egyptian authorities would reconsider its decision and would open the crossing in the both directions,” he said.

“The situation has become in-tolerable for the people of Gaza.” An Egyptian official said the crossing would also be open on Wednesday. — Reuters

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

CLASHES: People try to put out a burning fuel truck after it was set ablaze during clashes between Houthis and fighters of the Popular

Resistance Committees in Yemen’s southwestern city of Taiz on Monday. – Reuters

Kuwaiti ex-lawmaker’s citizenship restoredKUWAIT CITY: A Kuwaiti ap-peals court on Tuesday overturned a decision by the Gulf country’s government to revoke the citizen-ship of a former hardline opposi-tion lawmaker and his family, his lawyer said.

“The court has scrapped the de-cision and restored the citizenship of the Barghash family,” lawyer Al Humaidi Al Subaie wrote on his Twitter account. The government had revoked the citizenship of Ab-dullah Al Barghash, his two broth-ers and sister, and their children, last July. It charged that the fam-ily had been granted citizenship on the basis of false information, something Barghash denied.

The government also revoked the citizenship of other opposition figures, including Alam Al Youm newspaper owner Ahmad Jabr Al Shemmari and Popular Action Movement spokesman Saad Al Ajmi, who was later deported. - AFP

V E R D I C T

HOMECOMING: A Palestinian man cries out of joy after retuning to

Gaza through Rafah border crossing on Tuesday. – Reuters

DISPLACED: An Iraqi child who fled Anbar province due to the on-

going conflict between pro-government forces and IS group mili-

tants, carries jerrycans at a camp for internally displaced persons

in Ameriyat Al Fallujah, Fallujah, on Monday. – AFP

Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian’s

wife, Yeganeh Salehi, who is also a journalist, appeared

in court alongside her husband and a female press

photographer, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported

A9

INDIAW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

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Era of tax haven has come to an end: JaitleyAHMEDABAD: With Swit-zerland making public names of some Indians with Swiss ac-counts, Finance Minister of India, Arun Jaitely on Tuesday said the era of tax haven has come to an end and it is no longer safe to keep assets abroad illegally.

“I have been repeatedly saying that the era of tax haven has come to an end. It is no longer safe to keep your assets overseas illegal-ly,” he said in a press conference.

The world is increasingly mov-ing towards automatic transmis-sion of information with regard to illegal money held up.

By 2017, the situation will arise that we will able to get informa-tion in real time, he added.

“In the Black Money Bill, which

we have brought, we have provid-ed a provision of compliance win-dow...you utilise this opportunity, declare your assets, pay tax and pay penalty. If you do not use this chance, then we will take strict action,” Jaitley warned.

Black money billEarlier this month, Parliament had passed Black Money (Undis-closed Foreign Income and As-sets) and Imposition of Tax Bill, 2015, which seek to unearth unac-counted wealth stashed abroad.

The finance minister said per-sistent efforts had been made in the past one year with Swiss authorities to “break their banking secrecy”.

“I have been repeatedly saying

that the veil of secrecy with re-gard to assets and monies kept by Indian entities outside India is go-ing to be lifted... This should give a sufficient indicator to those who hold assets outside India,” he said.

The names of at least seven “Indian nationals” have been made public in Switzerland’s Federal Gazette with regard to details sought about them by the Indian authorities.

Industrialist Yash Birla, as also two Mumbai-based individuals behind City Limousines scam, are among the seven Indian nationals with Swiss bank accounts whose names have been made public in Switzerland’s official gazette with regard to ongoing tax probes against them in India.

The others are Gurjit Singh Kochar, son-in-law of late realty baron Ponty Chadha, a Delhi-based businesswoman Ritika Sharma, Sneh Lata Sawhney and Sangita Sawhney.

“From the last one year we have had extensive negotiations with the Swiss authorities. The Swiss authorities have been moving in the direction of cooperation. I am delighted that this coopera-tion would not have fructified on a better day than when our govern-ment completes its one year,” the finance minister said.

“There is a G-20 initiative on this. The US has also taken ini-tiative in this regard and India is a part of both these initiatives,” Jaitely said. -PTI

L A T E S T S W I S S M O V E

Heatwave claims 800 lives in India

HYDERABAD: At least 800 peo-ple have died in a major heatwave that has swept across India, melt-ing roads in New Delhi as temper-atures neared 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit).

Hospitals were on alert to treat victims of heatstroke and author-ities advised people to stay in-doors, with no end in sight to the searing conditions. India’s Mete-orological Department said it had issued heat warnings to several states where temperatures were forecast to top 45 degrees Celsius over the next few days.

“As of now, we don’t predict any respite from the extreme heat-

wave for the next few days,” said spokesman B. P. Yadav.

Hundreds of people — mainly from the poorest sections of soci-ety — die at the height of summer every year across the country, while tens of thousands suffer power cuts from an overburdened electricity grid.

Streets were deserted in Hy-derabad, capital of the worst-hit state of Andhra Pradesh in south-ern India where 551 people have died in the last week.

“The state government has taken up education programmes through television and other me-dia to tell people not to venture into the outside without a cap, to drink water and other measures,”

said P. Tulsi Rani, special com-missioner for disaster manage-ment in the state.

“We have also requested NGOs and government organisations to open up drinking water camps so that water will be readily availa-ble for all the people in the towns.”

Large parts of India, includ-ing the capital New Delhi, have endured days of sweltering heat, prompting fears of power cuts as energy-guzzling air conditioners work overtime.

The Hindustan Times daily said the maximum temperature in the capital hit a two-year high of 45.5 degrees Celsius on Mon-day -- five degrees higher than the seasonal average. - AFP

Hospitals were on

alert to treat victims

of heatstroke and

authorities advised

people to stay

indoors, with no

end in sight to the

searing conditions

SIZZLING SUMMER: A policeman stands in the shade at the

Indian Defence Ministry in New Delhi on Tuesday. Large parts of

India, including national capital New Delhi, have endured days of

sweltering heat, prompting fears of power cuts. - AFP

A10

INDIAW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

If someone harms my country, I have to take pro-active

action....The army’s basic purpose is that if anyone attacks

the country, attack him back. Pay him back in the same coin

Manohar Parrikar, Defence Minister

SIX KILLED IN WEST BENGAL ACCIDENTPassers-by look at the damaged pickup van and truck after an accident at National Highway in South Dinajpur district of West

Bengal on Tuesday. Six people were killed and 14 others injured on Tuesday when a Howrah-bound bus from Digha turned

turtle at Nimtouri. - PTI

BJP slams Congress

over Baijal claims

COIMBATORE: Latching onto former TRAI chairman Pradip Baijal’s accusations against ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in connection with the 2G scam case, Bharatiya Janata Party ministers in the Modi gov-ernment on Tuesday attacked the erstwhile UPA dispensation, call-ing it a “coalition in corruption”.

“The revelation makes it clear that it was a coalition in corrup-tion....,” Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters in Coimbatore.

Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Baijal’s claims in his book reflected how the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) gov-ernment functioned.

“The government of Dr Man-mohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and

Rahul Gandhi had to face lot of shame because of 2G scam.

Repeatedly they used to talk about zero loss and make fun of CAG report....now if Pradip Bai-jal has written this, I haven’t read his book, it is really unfortunate,” Prasad told a press conference in Bengaluru. Baijal, an accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case, has alleged that Singh had warned him of “harm” if he did not cooperate.

In his self-published book, The Complete Story of Indian Re-forms: 2G, Power and Private En-terprise — A Practitioner’s Diary, Baijal, who was appointed head of the telecom watchdog by the NDA government in 2003, said the 2G scam trail began under UPA’s Telecom Minister Dayani-dhi Maran. - PTI

2 G S C A M C A S E

People’s expectations are ‘high’, much more to be done, says Modi

NEW DELHI: On the first anni-versary of his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tues-day said people’s expectations are “high” and there is “much more to be done” as he enlisted the work done over the last one year, ranging from “rejuvenating” the economy to initiatives for the poor.

He said his government system-atically went about addressing the challenges and its endeavour is to transform the quality of life, infra-structure and services.

Presenting the report card of his year-old government in two open letters to the people, Modi mentioned various measures and initiatives taken and said, “This is just the beginning. There is much more to be done and I know your

expectations are high.” He said he had devoted “every element of my body and spirit” in fulfilling with “fullest sincerity and honesty” the responsibility and honour en-trusted by people a year ago in him of serving them as “pradhan sevak” (prime worker).

“We assumed office at a time when confidence in India story was waning. Unabated corruption and indecisiveness had paralysed the government. People had been left helpless against ever-climbing inflation and economic insecurity.Urgent and decisive action was needed,” Modi said.

Talking about his government’s work, he said, “Runaway prices were immediately brought under control. The languishing economy was rejuvenated, building on sta-ble and policy-driven proactive

governance.” He said the economic growth has been revived and India is among the fastest in the world.

“Inflation is substantially down.Fiscal prudence has been restored Confidence is up. Foreign invest-ments have increased,” the Prime Minister said, adding “This posi-tive outlook is endorsed by major rating agencies and international institutions across the world.”

The government, he said, has implemented the pending “bold reforms” like decontrol of diesel, raising Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit on insurance and de-fence and is moving ahead to roll out the Goods and Services Tax (GST).He said the Indian economy is expected to grow at over 8 per cent in the current fiscal, up from 7.4 per cent in 2014-15.

The fiscal deficit is budgeted to

come down to 3.9 per cent of the GDP this fiscal, from 4 per cent a year ago.

The prime minister said his gov-ernment is dedicated to the poor, marginalised and those left behind as it is “guided by the principle of Antyodaya”.

“We are working towards em-powering them to become our sol-diers in the war against poverty,” he said.

The Prime Minister said “signif-icant changes” have been brought about in the work culture, “nurtur-ing a combination of empathy as well as professionalism, systems as well as breaking of silos.”

State governments have been made equal partners in the quest for national development, build-ing the spirit of Team India, he said. - PTI

Presenting the report

card of his year-

old government in

two open letters to

the people, Modi

mentioned various

measures and

initiatives taken

LISTING ACHIEVEMENTS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with officers at the Prime Minis-

ter’s Office, on the occasion of the first anniversary of his government, in New Delhi on Tuesday. - PTI

NEW YORK: As Prime Min-ister Narendra Modi-led gov-ernment marks its first year in office on Tuesday, American media has taken a critical view of his accomplishments, say-ing his flagship ‘Make in India’ drive is “so far mostly hype”, job growth remains sluggish amid “outsize expectations”.

“India’s Modi at One Year: ‘Euphoria Phase’ Is Over, Challenges Loom,” reads a headline in the Wall Street Journal of an article on Modi’s first year in office.

“A year after Indian voters handed Narendra Modi a once-in-a-generation mandate for change and economic re-vival, messy realities are sink-ing in,” the WSJ report said.

It said that Modi’s ‘Make in India’ drive, aimed at supercharging manufactur-ing growth, “is so far mostly hype”. It cited economic parameters like exports to say that the “economy is merely limping along”. Inflation-adjusted lending for capital investment last year fell to a

level not seen since 2004, it said adding that exports were down for the fifth straight month in April, corporate earnings were dismal and foreign institutional inves-tors have pulled around$2 billion out of Indian stocks and bonds in May so far.

The New York Times, in a news analysis, said Modi must face the reality that much of his agenda is still only potential.

“From abroad, India is now seen as a bright spot, ex-pected to pass China this year to become the world’s fastest-growing large economy. But at home, job growth remains sluggish. Businesses are in wait-and-see mode. And Modi has political vulner-abilities, as parliamentary op-position leaders block two of his central reform initiatives and brand him ‘anti-poor’ and ‘anti-farmer’,” the NYT article titled ‘After a Year of Outsize Expectations, Modi Adjusts His Political Course for India’ said. - PTI

American media critical of prime minister’s first year

One does not keep 1.3m strong

army to preach peace: Parrikar

NEW DELHI: Undeterred by the controversy over his earlier “ter-rorists have to be neutralised only through terrorists” remark, De-fence Minister Manohar Parrikar has asserted that he will go to “any extent” to protect India and those who attack will be “paid back in the same coin”.

Parrikar noted that his remarks evoked a sharp reaction only from one country and, without naming Pakistan, said the question was about his reaction on the terrorist camps in Pakistan-administered-Kashmir supported by Pakistan.

“So the response was based on that,” he said in an interview.

He further added that the word “neutralise” does not mean only killing but also making terrorists switch the sides and surrender-ing. Underlining that his remark was generic and not against any-one in particular, Parrikar main-tained that only a certain part of his remarks was picked up and highlighted.

Defend country“Basically, if I have to defend my country, I will go to any extent...Whatever is required to be done will be done. That is the basic motto which one should have.

“If someone harms my country, I have to take pro-active action....The army’s basic purpose is that if anyone attacks the country, at-tack him back. Pay him back in the same coin,” Parrikar asserted,

underlining that one does not keep 1.3 million strong army to “preach peace”.However, he clari-fied that “I have not said I am go-ing to do covert operation. I did not talk about it. The person who asked me talked about covert op-eration. Not me.”

During a media event last week, Parrikar, in reply to a question, had said, “We have to neutralise terror-ists through terrorists only.Why can’t we do it? We should do it”.

The remarks generated sharp reaction from Pakistan which said it confirms apprehensions about India’s involvement in terrorism.

“This statement only confirms Pakistan’s apprehensions about India’s involvement in terrorism in Pakistan. It must be the first time that a minister of an elected

government openly advocates use of terrorism in another country on the pretext of preventing ter-rorism from that country or its non-state actors,” Sartaz Aziz, Adviser to Pakistan prime minis-ter on Foreign Affairs, has said.

“It is my duty to go to any ex-tent. It is my oath that I have taken that I will protect the con-stitution. Protecting constitution means protecting the country. So obviously, for protection of my country, certain issues have to be done. Giving interpretation to it, I will not give,” Parrikar said.

The minister also said he is clear when he talks about neu-tralising. “The word neutralising does not mean killing all the time.Neutralising means a person sur-rendering, using someone against someone, it can be through peaceful means also. Neutralis-ing means he comes on your side.That means intelligence,” he said.

Parrikar said he has directed the army that if someone starts firing at them, “then kill him”.

“I have told army that they should not hesitate. Don’t lose your men like Col Rai who was such a brave soldier. I can’t afford to lose such wonderful men,” Par-rikar said.

Col M. N. Rai was killed in In-dian-administered-Kashmir in January by a terrorist who said he was surrendering after being encircled. He fatally shot Col Rai before being gunned down. - PTI

C O N T R O V E R S Y O V E R R E M A R K

TALKING TOUGH: Defence

Minister Manohar Parrikar

during an interview with PTI

in New Delhi. - PTI

A11

PAKISTANW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

7 militants killed in Karachi

KARACHI: Seven militants who were plotting rocket, grenade and suicide attacks in Pakistan’s big-gest city Karachi have been killed in two raids by paramilitary rang-ers, a spokesman for the force said Tuesday.

The raids, which began Monday night and continued till Tuesday morning, also saw the recov-

ery of a major cache of weapons and explosives.

Police and the paramilitary Rangers since 2013 have been car-rying out a major cleanup opera-tion in the city which has reduced the level of violent crime.

But critics accuse them of stag-ing firefights to carry out hun-

dreds of extra-judicial killings, and neither the death toll nor the identity of those killed in the lat-est raids could be immediately verified.

MominabadThe first took place in the Mo-minabad shanty town in the city’s

west and was met by fierce resist-ance, according to a statement by the rangers.

It said four militants were killed, including one who blew himself up, while another was arrested.

“There were authentic intel-ligence reports that the terrorists

were plotting to use the explosives to carry out a big terrorist attack in Karachi,” the statement said.

Three more militants includ-ing another suicide bomber who blew himself up were killed in a second raid on Tuesday morning, the statement said. One ranger was injured.

The Rangers recovered rockets, six suicide vests, rifles, automatic weapons, 60 kilograms of explo-sives and three improvised explo-sive devices.

Pakistan has been battling a homegrown extremist insurgency which flared following the US-led invasion of neighbourhing Af-ghanistan in 2001.

Initially confined to the west-ern border areas, it later spread to major cities and has claimed thou-sands of civilian lives since 2004.

Last June ten Taliban militants lay siege to Karachi airport, killing 27 people.

The military responded by launching a major offensive in the North Waziristan tribal district, considered a bastion of Taliban and Al Qaeda militants. — AFP

The raids, which

began Monday night

and continued until

Tuesday morning,

also saw the recovery

of a major cache

of weapons and

explosives SUCCESS: Members of the paramilitary Rangers stand next to

a destroyed house during a raid against militants in Karachi on

Tuesday. — AFP

Automatic weapons, about 16 kilograms of explosives, suicide vests containing seven kilograms of explosives and 500 kilograms of metal nuts and bolts were recovered

11 more prisoners executedMULTAN: Pakistan on Tuesday hanged 11 prisoners, bringing the total number put to death since ex-ecutions resumed last December to 128, officials said.

Ten executions took place in several cities in the central prov-ince of Punjab while one convict was hanged at Mach jail in the southwestern province of Balo-chistan province. All had been convicted of murder.

A moratorium on the death penalty had been in force in Paki-stan since 2008, but executions resumed last December after Tali-ban militants gunned down 154 people, most of them children, at a school in the restive northwest.

The moratorium was initially lifted only for those convicted of ter-rorism offences, but in March was extended to cover all capital offenc-es. The European Union, the United Nations and human rights cam-paigners have all urged Pakistan to reinstate the moratorium. — AFP

M U R D E R C O N V I C T S

Egypt summons Pakistan diplomatCAIRO: Egypt summoned Pa-kistan’s charge d’affaires to pro-test at Islamabad’s criticism of the death sentence handed down to ousted president Mohamed Morsi, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

Egypt denounces any “inter-ference in its internal affairs which casts a shadow on rela-tions between the two countries,” the ministry said in a state-ment a day after summoning Mohamed Eijaz.

Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elect-ed president, and more than 100 other defendants were sentenced to death by a court on May 16 for

their role in a mass prison break during the 2011 uprising.

The sentence was criticised by human rights groups, the United States and the European Union, as well as Pakistan.

Principles of fairness“The dispensation of justice must be based on the principles of equity and fairness . This is all the more important when politi-cal prisoners especially a former elected president, who was oust-ed from office, is brought before the court of law,” Pakistan’s for-eign ministry said in a statement issued on May 19. — AFP

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

Egypt denounces any ‘interference in its internal

affairs which casts a shadow on relations between

the two countries,’ the foreign ministry said in a

statement a day after summoning Mohamed Eijaz

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COMMEN ARYT I M E S O F O M A NW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5 T I M E S O F O M A NA12

A squad of Syrian Kurdish fight-ers was ambushed as it ad-vanced through a grove on the outskirts of a village held by IS fighters near Al Hasakah in the Kurdish enclave in north-east Syria. Azad Judy, an 18-year-old

Kurd, recalls: “We had divided into three groups that were trying to attack the village when we were hit by intense fire from behind and from the trees on each side of us.”

Azad was hit by a single bullet in the spine. He says: “After being wounded, I tried to crawl away and then another fighter came and gave me first aid and an injection.” Azad is now lying in bed in the Shahid Khavat military hospital in the Syrian Kurdish city of Al Qamishli with a despairing look on his face because he may suspect that his legs are paralysed for ever and he will never walk again.

In a week during which the Syrian and Iraqi regular armies were defeated by IS at Palmyra and Ramadi, the lightly armed Syrian Kurdish militia, known as the YPG, won an important victory.

Strategically placed mountain It captured a strategically placed mountain known as Abdulaziz in Arabic and Kazwan in Kurdish, which had been a heavily defended IS stronghold. Supported by US air strikes, 1,000 YPG fighters surrounded the mountain whose lower slopes are covered by pine woods.

The battle started on 6 May and ended last Wednesday when the remaining IS forces with-drew after suffering heavy losses. The Kurds say they buried 300 bodies of IS fighters and believe more were carried away.

A military hospital is a good place to hear eye-witness accounts of the warfare that laps around this isolated area of Syria. It is part of Rojava, the de facto independent Kurdish state-let where sev-eral million Kurds live in three separate cantons.

Though 10 per cent of the Syrian population of 22 million, the Kurds were a persecuted minority up to the moment that the Syrian army withdrew in 2012. Discrimination was so intense that every-thing from babies to mountains had to be referred to by an Arabic rather than a Kurdish name.

Ignored by the outside world, the Syrian Kurds unexpectedly achieved international notoriety when they successfully defended their city of Ko-bani against IS assault in a 134-day-long siege that ended earlier this year. This is the most serious defeat that IS has suffered since the fall of Mosul.

Among the wounded fighters in the military

hospital is a man who says he would like to be re-ferred to only by his Kurdish name of Shiyar, but turns out to be from West Yorkshire. I have always had something of a prejudice against volunteer soldiers in war in the Middle East, suspecting them of indulging in martial fantasies and bigger on bravado than military effectiveness.

Compelling account But Shiyar, 33, turns out to be modest and self-deprecating, giving a compelling account of recent fighting and saying that his wound from shrapnel that had hit him in the back of the head was not as serious as he had feared.

The Syrian Kurdish fighters may be brave, but they are also isolated by IS. The complex Kurd-ish rivalries can have unfortunate consequences for Kurds living on the front line. One of the beds in the military hospital is occupied by Jinda, a 20-year-old woman who had been shot through the right side of the chest, but this had happened in Shingal, a Kurdish-controlled area in Iraq.

Jinda says proudly that she was one of the first women to join protection units of Shingal and had been wounded during a sudden IS attack She be-lieves she might be arrested if she went to a KRG hospital, though she had been allowed across the border from KRG to hospital in Al Qamishli.

She speaks scathingly of the Iraqi Kurdish Pesh-merga failure to defend Shingal last August, “when they withdrew and left our women to be taken as captives and our men massacred”.

The Syrian Kurdish experience is that IS can be defeated when an effective light infantry on the ground is matched with US air power overhead.

In the case of the YPG, they simply send co-or-dinates of IS positions back to the US-Kurdish op-erations room in Irbil, the Kurdish capital, which directs air strikes.

Notable feature But a notable feature of the past week in Syria is that the US air force did not bomb IS forces when they were advancing on Palmyra. The Americans avoided doing this because they did not want to be accused of doing anything that might lead them to be accused of helping the Syrian army or President Bashar Al Assad. Likewise in Iraq, they did not want the militias deployed to defend Ramadi and refused to supply air cover and intelligence if this did happen. But the IS victories of the past week mean that the US may now have no alternative but to give air support to all enemies of IS regardless of their identity. – The Independent

Ignored by the outside world, the Syrian Kurds unexpectedly achieved international notoriety when they successfully defended their city of Kobani against IS assault in a 134-day-long siege that ended earlier this year. This is the most serious defeat that IS has suffered since the fall of Mosul

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

Nothing is ever simple, quick or transparent when it comes to our relations with Afghanistan, but that said there really does appear to be a significant shift in long-entrenched positions by

both countries which aggregate to a more positive relationship over-all. Much of the previous relationship that Pakistan had was charac-terised by implausible denial, mostly in respect of the various Taliban groups operating in Afghanistan. Conversely, the Afghan government of Hamid Karzai was accusatory, perennially peeved at what it saw as meddling in its internal affairs by a neighbour.

This continued for many years, a sterile to-and-fro that profited nei-ther. The situation today is much changed, and Pakistan has for the first time issued a direct warning to the Afghan Taliban, saying they should call off their spring offensive or “face the consequences”. This is the diplomatic equivalent of a 180-degree turn. The consequences are unspecified and the warning was delivered via the Afghan office in Doha. It is reported that it was issued with the full knowledge and consent of the Afghan government.

At this juncture, it is important to note how various elements in Afghanistan are reacting to the warming of relations between the two countries. Mr Karzai is now out of office but continues to fulminate from the sidelines, much to the irritation of the far-from-secure gov-ernment of Ashraf Ghani. He remains a potent force in Afghan politics and he is far from happy at the way relations with Pakistan are devel-oping. In particular, he is concerned about the MoU signed between Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

It concerns proposed intelligence-sharing and Mr Karzai has made it plain that he sees this as against Afghan national interests. The NDS is attempting to pour oil on troubled waters by saying that the MoU will only be operationalised after passing through five legal steps and there appears to be a long way to go before that particular seedling bears any fruit. Mr Karzai cannot be dismissed as an irrelevance but it is the government of Mr Ghani that Pakistan now has to deal with. The previously fractious relationship with Afghanistan was long past its sell-by date. Yesterday’s men cannot be allowed to get in the way of today’s urgent business. - The Express Tribune

Straight talking

Both houses of the US Congress are moving to reform the noto-riously weak Toxic Substances Control Act, which is supposed to ensure the safety of chemicals used in a wide range of con-

sumer and industrial products. The measures under consideration have strong bipartisan support and are thus likely to provide the first significant reforms to the law since it was enacted nearly four decades ago. The measures are a substantial improvement over the current abysmal lack of enforcement, but neither would provide the public with what it needs most: speedy evaluations of the most worrisome chemicals among tens of thousands that have never been tested for safety. The Environmental Protection Agency has been hindered from regulating them by adverse court decisions, a lack of resources and weak provisions in the law itself.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved a bipartisan bill on April 28 by a hefty 15-to-5 vote despite strenuous objections by Senator Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat, whose stronger bill gained no Republican support. The bill approved by the committee has attracted 40 co-sponsors, 20 Republicans and 20 Dem-ocrats, a remarkable feat in a Congress that is typically gridlocked by partisan warfare. The bill would allow the EPA, when assessing chem-icals for safety, to consider only health and safety impacts, not the cost or burden for manufacturers, as current law requires. It would man-date special protections for vulnerable groups such as pregnant wom-en, infants, the elderly and chemical workers. And it would impose a new fee on chemical companies to bear more of the cost of evaluating and regulating chemicals.

Its most disappointing feature is the slow pace of designating high-priority chemicals that require safety assessments and low-priority chemicals that can be left alone. Five years after enactment, at least 25 high-priority chemicals must have been listed, an average of five a year. Agency officials say that with the extra $18 million in funding they could review 20 high-priority chemicals a year, and those chemi-cals would be ones that the agency considered most worrisome, not those for which the industry wanted to get the agency’s seal of ap-proval. The Senate bill is stronger than the House draft in pushing the agency to take action, but neither is sufficient. Legislators in both houses need to ensure that the EPA evaluates at least 20 high-priority chemicals a year of its own choosing, or even a lot more if additional financing can be found. - The New York Times News Service

Stronger regulation of toxic chemicals needed

PATRICK COCKBURN

Arrests, deportation will never solve the problemThis refers to the news story, Mass expat arrests will ‘not delay’ new airport (May 26). The concerned ministry must hold the contracting and subcontracting companies ac-countable for the breach. Why did the subcontracting company allow such a breach to happen? Also, why not penalise the companies on whose work permits the workers were brought in? Obviously these companies were without business, or these workers were brought in on free visa after paying a hefty sum to the agents. The authori-ties should be sympathetic to the workers who may be the sole breadwinners for their families. Now that they have been caught working at the airport illegally, why not regularise their status and allow them to work. Sticking to the

rules is not the best way illustra-tion of professionalism. Getting the job well done with the available resources and making all people happy is the best form of profes-sionalism and an indication of be-nevolent humanity. Besides, such a move will also help in avoiding the illegal entry of workers into the country in the future. This move will indeed be beneficial. Amit BhattacharjieMuscat

Why aren’t the companies being punished as well?This refers to the news story, Mass expat arrests will ‘not delay’ new airport (May 26). The mass arrests of the expatriate workers found working illegally at the new airport project may not delay the comple-tion of the work in time. However,

that is not the question. The issue is that these workers did not come on their own and started working unilaterally for the project. They were hired and were deployed at the construction site by some company knowing fully well that was an illegal thing to do. Why shouldn’t then these companies be hauled up as well and punitive measures taken against them? Pri-marily, it is their fault and workers along should not be punished. DennisMuscat

Israel’s debauchery has tainted our civilisationResorting to messianic claims and reiteration of “ancestral right” to legitimise violations of human rights and crimes must not be allowed to vitiate our civilisation

and our democratic institutions. It is time for Israelis to say no to Zionism. Had the Jews said so way back in 1967 — the day after occu-pation began the Israeli debauch-ery — it would not have smeared our civilisation in such dark hues.Priya KumarMuscat

Iraq is now sitting atop a huge mound of explosives Years of war, periodic outbreak of sectarian hostilities, persist-ing terrorism, lack of sectarian reconciliation and outstanding disputes over oil and territory have all contributed to make Iraq sit at present atop a huge mound of explosives ready to explode into myriads of fragments. Mohammed Osama RawatRuwi

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Kurdish forces count the cost of fighting IS

ONGOING WAR

PERSPEC IVET I M E S O F O M A N W E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5T I M E S O F O M A N A13

There was no moon, only the great array of the stars, with Jupi-

ter outshining them all like a lantern hung in the dark sky; and in the stillness, the night-ingale singing.

It was deep in a hedge be-yond a small lake, and the wa-ter surface seemed to reflect back its notes so they were not only crystal clear but star-tlingly loud; our small group was spellbound.

How many hear this now? Once everybody knew it, at least in southern England. This most remarkable of all birdsongs is audible in the six weeks from mid-April to early June, after the birds come back from their winter quarters in Africa; but over the years it has become less and less of an experience, and more and more just a myth.

There are two reasons for this: one, of course, is that our lives have become increasing-ly urbanised, for many almost wholly so, and excursions to the depths of the country-side never happen, certainly at night (though nightingales sing in the daytime too.)

The other is that the UK population of nightingales has shrunk catastrophically: in 2010 the British Trust for Or-

nithology revealed that num-bers had decreased by 90 per cent since 1970.

In other words, nine out of every 10 nightingales have fallen silent since our other celebrated songsters, the Bea-tles, went their separate ways.

The birds have gone from a number of counties where once they could be heard and are steadily retreating to England’s south-east corner, behind a line drawn roughly from the Wash to the Solent.

Yet this is the bunch of feathers about which more poems have been written than any other – “the most versified bird in the world”.

Are we concerned? Do we miss it?

Some people certainly do, such as the environmentalist Chris Rose (once deputy head of Greenpeace), who has been campaigning for the BBC to broadcast a live nightingale every spring.

Last week Chris received a reply from the series editor of Springwatch promising to try.

But until they succeed, what can you do, if you’ve never heard a nightingale but sense that its song, experienced at night, may be one of life’s most magical experiences? (And I assure you it is.) Well, there

is an answer: you can go on a nightingale safari.

Don’t thing Serengeti; think Sussex. You can go to the Knepp Estate near Horsham, which has become a remark-able piece of countryside: a “rewilding” project, where since 2001 agriculture has been abandoned in favour of letting the land return to its natural state, the way it may have been before Neolithic farmers began to reshape the landscape about 5000BC.

Wildlife at Knepp has ex-ploded since the rewilding began, with turtle doves (gone from most of Britain) and purple emperor butterflies and nightingales all present in numbers; Penny Green, the resident ecologist, thinks there are 32 to 34 pairs of nightingales – about 2 per cent of the British population. And the estate runs safaris to listen to them at night. You’ll need to be quick, because the birds will only sing for a few more weeks at most; but you have an enthralling experience in prospect, especially in fine weather – as I found last week, for it was on a Knepp safari that we heard the bird by the lake, performing its unforget-table concert in the stillness and the starlight. – The Independent

Greece has faced monetary contraction (which has recently become monetary asphyxiation), in contrast to the UK, where the Bank of England has supported the government every step of the way. The result is that Greece is continuing to stagnate, whereas the UK has been growing strongly

A common fallacy pervades coverage by the world’s media of the negotiations between the Greek government and its creditors.

The fallacy, exemplified in a recent commentary by Philip Stephens of the Financial Times, is that, “Athens is unable or unwilling – or both – to im-plement an economic reform programme.” Once this fallacy is presented as fact, it is only natural that coverage highlights how our government is, in Stephens’s words, “squandering the trust and goodwill of its eurozone partners.”

But the reality of the talks is very different. Our government is keen to implement an agenda that includes all of the economic reforms emphasized by European economic think tanks. Moreover, we are uniquely able to maintain the Greek public’s support for a sound economic programme. Con-sider what that means: an independent tax agen-cy; reasonable primary fiscal surpluses forever; a sensible and ambitious privatization programme, combined with a development agency that har-nesses public assets to create investment flows; genuine pension reform that ensures the social-security system’s long-term sustainability; liber-alization of markets for goods and services, etc.

So, if our government is willing to embrace the reforms that our partners expect, why have the ne-gotiations not produced an agreement? Where is the sticking point?

The problem is simple: Greece’s creditors insist on even greater austerity for this year and beyond – an approach that would impede recovery, ob-struct growth, worsen the debt-deflationary cycle, and, in the end, erode Greeks’ willingness and abil-ity to see through the reform agenda that the coun-try so desperately needs. Our government cannot – and will not – accept a cure that has proven itself over five long years to be worse than the disease.

The creditors’ insistence on greater austerity is subtle yet steadfast. It can be found in their de-mand that Greece maintain unsustainably high primary surpluses (more than 2 per cent of GDP in 2016 and exceeding 2.5 per cent, or even 3 per cent, for every year thereafter). To achieve this, we are supposed to increase the overall burden of value-added tax on the private sector, cut already

diminished pensions across the board; and com-pensate for low privatization proceeds (owing to depressed asset prices) with “equivalent” fiscal consolidation measures.

The view that Greece has not achieved suf-ficient fiscal consolidation is not just false; it is patently absurd. The accompanying graph not only illustrates this; it also succinctly addresses the question of why Greece has not done as well as, say, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, or Cyprus in the years since the 2008 financial crisis. Relative to the rest of the countries on the eurozone periph-ery, Greece was subjected to at least twice the aus-terity. There is nothing more to it than that.

Following Prime Minister David Cameron’s recent election victory in the United Kingdom, my good friend Lord Norman Lamont, a former chancellor of the exchequer, remarked that the UK economy’s recovery supports our government’s position. Back in 2010, he recalled, Greece and the UK faced fiscal deficits of more or less similar size (relative to GDP).

Greece returned to primary surpluses (which exclude interest payments) in 2014, whereas the UK government consolidated much more gradu-ally and has yet to return to surplus.

At the same time, Greece has faced monetary contraction (which has recently become mon-etary asphyxiation), in contrast to the UK, where the Bank of England has supported the govern-ment every step of the way. The result is that Greece is continuing to stagnate, whereas the UK has been growing strongly.

Fair-minded observers of the four-month-long negotiations between Greece and its creditors cannot avoid a simple conclusion: The major sticking point, the only deal-breaker, is the credi-tors’ insistence on even more austerity, even at the expense of the reform agenda that our government is eager to pursue. Clearly, the creditors’ demand for more austerity has nothing to do with concerns about genuine reform or moving Greece onto a sustainable fiscal path. Their true motivation is a question best left to future historians – who, I have no doubt, will take much of the contemporary me-dia coverage with a grain of salt. – Project Syndicate

GraphicsGraphic News /Source: Wire agencies

Narendra Modi’s first year in officeOne year after being elected amid a landslide of popular support, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is having a hard time living up to his promisesto tap into India’s potential and generate growth

ACHIEVEMENTS FAILURES

Cut corruption by holding transparent auctions for coal mining rights and mobile phone spectrum

Abolished diesel subsidies by taking advantage of collapsein oil prices

Modi has forged closer ties with major trading powers such as US, China, Russia, Japan, Australia and Germany

Criticised for cuts in welfare spending to poorest 300m of India’s 1.25bn population, to fund infrastructure stimulus

Has failed to reform restrictive labour market, hampering attempts to turn India into global manufacturing hub

Failed to reform school systemand healthcare or improve sanitation

Suffered crushing defeat in Delhi state election in February, winning only three of 70 seats

Liberalised foreign direct investment in areas such as insurance, pensions and defence

The International Mon-etary Fund tells us that Pakistan’s economy

has improved due to prudent monetary and fiscal poli-cies, strong capital inflows, robust remittances from abroad and lower oil prices. Good news about Pakistan is always welcome.

In its analysis on the Paki-stan economy, UK-based publication The Economist tells us that visitors to Paki-stan are surprised to discov-er a strong business culture and good roads as the coun-try is mid-table in the World Bank’s ease-of-doing-busi-ness rankings, well above India. This goes against the image of Pakistan as a place where only chaos and terror-ism prevail.

The good news is that Pakistan is enjoying a rare period of optimism for its economy. While our media focuses with all that is wrong in the country, some sections of the international media talk of a thriving stock mar-ket, a stable currency and low inflation.

And that is not all. High-lighting Pakistan’s economic performance, The Economist reports that the IMF expects that Pakistan’s economy will grow by 4.7 per cent next year, the fastest rate in eight years.

Consumer prices rose by 2.5 per cent in the year to March, the smallest increase for more than a decade. At the same time, the State Bank lowered its bench-mark interest rate three times this year.

Granted the state of the economy doesn’t all have to do with government per-formance. The fall in inter-national oil prices has been a big boon to the economy. In 2013-14 Pakistan’s net import bill for oil came to $12.6 billion.

But if oil prices stay low, Pakistan could save a total of $12 billion in the next three years. This money can be used elsewhere.

And then there are some things for which the govern-ment can be credited. The Nawaz Sharif government has stuck to an IMF pro-gramme agreed to in 2013. Since then, foreign-exchange reserves have more than dou-bled, to $17.7 billion.

The IMF released a tranche of $501 million halfway through its three-year programme ‘based on the solid progress’ made on Pakistan’s economic reform agenda.

So far so good. But inter-national agencies and econo-mists alike warn us that more is needed in terms of tax re-form. Only one in 200 people who are supposed to file tax returns actually do so.

That is why the govern-ment increasingly relies on

foreign help or on indirect taxation to balance its books. Those who pay tax also pay more to tax officials as bribes and less to the national ex-chequer. It is a rotten system.

That is only one side of the story. A number of well to do Pakistanis point to the massive corruption in the government and the manner in which it spends money. Billions are spent on projects that never seem to come to fruition.

Large chunks are siphoned off. There is no check and balance on government spending. Why would they give money to a government whose officials are only look-ing to enrich themselves.

Some taxes are seen as daylight robbery by busi-nessmen. Take for example the case of the Gas Infra-structure Development Cess (GIDC) Bill 2015.

In 2011, after the imposi-tion of the GIDC during the Pakistan Peoples Party gov-ernment, 3,500 cases were filed and the Supreme Court gave a stay order stating it was a fee and not a tax.

Last year, the government again introduced the GIDC Bill 2014, which was rejected by all chambers across the country. Yet the government promulgated an ordinance in September.

Terming GIDC as an “anti-business initiative”, trade chambers say such harsh steps raise the cost of doing business.

Many Pakistanis say they have no faith in the government.

Many spend on projects of their own — building their schools and hospitals, given that the services pro-vided by the state are largely below standard.

It does not come as a sur-prise that one recent report tells us that Pakistanis re-mained in pursuit of real estate in Dubai, in the first quarter of 2015 as third biggest amount of foreign property transactions $379 million came from Pakistani nationals. Pakistanis pur-chased properties worth over $4.3 billion in 2013 and 2014 in Dubai.

The state of the economy may be improving but it must be followed by an improve-ment in governance.

It is a good opportunity for Pakistan to raise its eco-nomic standing but there is always the danger that some politicians will sacrifice the national good for their petty interests. - The Express Tribune

A rare period of optimism

The decline and fall of the nightingale

KA M A L S I D D I Q IYA N I S VA R O U FA K I S

Well, it is austerity that is the only deal-breaker

M I C H A E L M C C A R T H Y

ENERGY FORUM MEETING TO HELP DEVELOP ITMUSCAT: ‘The Middle East IT for Energy Forum’ to be held from may 27 to 29, at the Gulf International Convention Centre in Bahrain, is expected to go a long way in the development of effective IT for energy systems and strategies in the Middle East for the new millennium. The event is being held under the patronage of the Ministry of Oil and Industry, Bahrain, and is organized by Middle East Global Advisers (MEGA). Delegates to the forum will be treated to a meeting with Nicholas Negroponte, who is credited to be the ultimate technology guru. Other keynote speakers are Dr Rlwanu Lukman, sec-retary general of Opec, Gerold Herrmann, secretary of uncitral and Dr Ibrahim Mishari, VP Information Technology and CIO of Saudi Aramco. Locally, interested parties can get more information regarding participation in the forum from the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

FROM OUR ARCHIVES

TODAY IN HISTORY1564 John Calvin, one of the dominant

figures of the Protestant Reformation, dies in Geneva.

1907 The Bubonic Plague breaks out in San

Francisco. 1935 The Supreme Court declares President

Franklin Roosevelt’s National Recovery Act unconstitutional.

1942 German General Rommel begins a major offensive in Libya with his Afrika Korps.

1972 President Richard M. Nixon and Soviet Communist Party chief Leonid Brezhnev sign an arms reduction agreement.

HISTORYNET.COM

International agencies and economists alike warn Pakistan that more is needed in terms of tax reform

A14

WORLDW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

HEAVY RAIN INUNDATES TEXAS Vehicles left stranded on a flooded Interstate 45 in Houston, Texas, United States, on Tuesday. Heavy rains throughout Texas put

the city of Houston under massive amounts of water, closing roadways and trapping residents in their cars and buildings, ac-

cording to local reports. Rainfall reached up to 11 inches in some parts of the state, national forecasters reported, and the heavy

rains quickly pooled over the state’s already saturated soil. — AFP

Turkish opposition candidate woundedISTANBUL: A female candi-date from Turkey’s main op-position party running in next month’s parliamentary election was wounded in a gun attack Tuesday, as concerns grow over the levels of violence ahead of the poll.

Elif Dogan Turkmen, stand-ing for the Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the southern province of Adana, was on her way to a breakfast gathering with businessmen in Cuku-rova district when she was shot three times, provincial governor Mustafa Buyuk said.

“She was shot in the knees, but her injuries are not life threatening,” Buyuk told the of-ficial Anatolia news agency.

Not politicalBuyuk said the attack does not appear to be political, but said the authorities were investigating “all possible mo-tives”. He said the assailants had fled with a rental car used in the attack but that the vehicle had later been found abandoned and that the suspects were at large.

CCTV images published by Dogan news agency showed a man pointing a gun at Elif, 53, at the entrance of what appears to be a restaurant.

It was the latest in a string of attacks against party members in the run-up to an increas-ingly tense June 7 election, with many incidents in Adana. — AFP

G U N A T T A C K

Malaysia unearths secrets of jungle trafficking camps

BUKIT WANG BURMA (MA-LAYSIA): Malaysian police fo-rensic teams, digging with hoes and shovels, on Tuesday began pulling out bodies from shallow graves found in abandoned jun-gle camps where an inter-gov-ernmental body said hundreds of victims of human traffickers may be buried.

The Malaysian government said it was investigating whether local forestry officials were in-volved with the people-smuggling gangs believed responsible for nearly 140 such graves discovered around grim camps along the bor-der with Thailand.

The dense forests of southern Thailand and northern Malaysia have been a major stop-off point for smugglers bringing people to

Southeast Asia by boat from My-anmar, most of them Rohingya Muslims who say they are fleeing persecution, and Bangladesh.

Authorities took a group of journalists to one of the camps, nestled in a gully in thick jungle up a steep, well-worn path about an hour’s walk from the nearest road, where a Reuters witness saw the first body removed on Tuesday afternoon.

Malaysian police said on Mon-day they had found 139 graves, some containing more than one body, around 28 camps scattered along a 50-km (30 mile) stretch of the border in the northern state of Perlis.

Joel Millman, a spokesman for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), told a news briefing in Geneva that the body’s representative in the region “pre-dicts hundreds more (bodies) will be found in the days to come”.

The grisly discoveries in Ma-laysia followed the uncovering of similar graves on the Thai side of the border at the beginning of May, which helped trigger a re-gional crisis.

The find led to a crackdown on the camps by Thai authorities, af-ter which traffickers abandoned thousands of migrants in over-loaded boats in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.

“We don’t know if there is a link between the Thai camps and Malaysia camps,” Phuttichart Ekachan, deputy chief of Thai-land’s Provincial Police Region 9, told Reuters.

Thai crackdown“It is possible that because of the Thai crackdown some of the camps moved and some of them (migrants) then walked over or es-caped to the Thai side. It is possi-ble but it isn’t something we have been able to confirm.”

Thousands of Rohingya Mus-lims are ferried by traffickers through southern Thailand each year, and in recent years it has

been common for them to be held in remote camps along the border with Malaysia until a ransom is paid for their freedom.

The IOM’s Millman said the largest camp was believed to have had a capacity of up to 1,000 people.

“If an individual’s family did not pay, those staying long in the camps were tortured, beaten and deprived of food,” he said.

Recently abandonedState news agency Bernama quot-ed Malaysia’s police chief, Inspec-tor General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar, as saying that the camps were thought to have been oc-cupied since 2013, and two were “only abandoned between two and three weeks ago”.

Khalid told reporters on Mon-day that police had been “shocked by the cruelty” of the camps, where he said there were signs of torture.

The scale of the discoveries has raised questions about the level of complicity by officials on both sides of the border.

Malaysia’s Home Minister Ah-mad Zahid Hamidi said on Tues-day that initial investigations revealed links between forest rangers and smuggling syndicates, Bernama reported, adding that some had been detained by police as part of the probe.

“We suspect some of them were involved...but we are working with the forestry department in terms of enforcement as they are sup-posed to carry out enforcement in the area,” he said. — Reuters

The Malaysian

government said it

was investigating

whether local

forestry officials

were involved

with the people-

smuggling gangs

believed responsible

for nearly 140 graves

discovered along the

border with Thailand

FORENSICS TEAM: A Royal Malaysian Police forensics team exhume a grave near at an abandoned

migrant camp used by people-smugglers in a jungle at Bukit Wang Burma in the Malaysian northern

state of Perlis, which borders Thailand, on Tuesday. — AFP

Six held in Austria over smuggling of migrantsVIENNA: Austrian police have arrested several security employ-ees at Vienna airport over their alleged role in smuggling illegal immigrants to Britain and the US, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

Six people were detained, al-though four of them have been released, public prosecutor Frie-drich Koehl told AFP.

“In total, 13 people are being in-vestigated in connection with the case, which was launched at the end of February,” he said.

Austrian AirlinesThe suspects, mainly Austrian and Sri Lankan nationals, worked for private security firms hired by Austrian Airlines (AUA) to carry out passport and ticket controls at the boarding gate.

Thanks to their own security clearances, the men were able to smuggle refugees from Sri Lanka past checkpoints and pro-vide them with boarding passes, said Koehl.

In exchange, they allegedly re-ceived between 7,000 ($7,630) and 9,000 euros per migrant.

Security firm G4S confirmed one of its employees had been in-volved in the smuggling ring.

The suspect was “immediately fired”, the firm said, adding that it would tighten its airport control procedures and carry out more thorough background checks dur-ing the hiring process of new staff.

Meanwhile, AUA said it would address the issue internally with the security firms. — AFP

V I E N N A A I R P O R T

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

Nepal to protect children from smugglers after earthquakeKATHMANDU: Nepal banned children from travelling without parents or approved guardians on Tuesday in an unprecedented move to deter human traffickers who authorities fear are target-ing vulnerable families after last month’s devastating earthquake.

Hundreds of thousands of fami-lies lost their homes in Nepal after two large earthquakes struck on April 25 and May 12, killing more

than 8,600 people and raising con-cerns among rights groups that trafficking rings in the region are taking advantage of the chaos.

Not allowed to travel aloneChildren under 16 would not be permitted to travel outside their home district without a parent or another adult approved by the dis-trict’s Child Welfare Board, a sen-ior official said.

“If strangers are found travelling with children they will be under the watch of police,” said Radhika Aryal of the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare in the capital Kathmandu.

“All district officials and police units across the country have been asked to remain on high alert.”

International adoption of chil-dren from Nepal would also not be permitted for the next three

months, said Kiran Rupakheti, an-other official of the ministry.

The cautionary measures come one week after authorities found dozens of children from earth-quake-struck areas travelling with strangers under suspicious cir-cumstances, officials said.

Tarak Dhital of the govern-ment’s Central Child Welfare Board said 64 children from Dola-kha and Dhading districts, both

of which were devastated by the earthquakes, were now under the care of a registered children’s home.

Police arrested two Indian and three Nepali adults who were travelling with 11 of the children, between 10 and 12 years old, from Dolakha to Kathmandu without the required papers, police said.

“We are investigating if this is a case of trafficking,” police official

Dan Bahadur Karki said.Reports of suspected traffick-

ing since the quakes have so far been limited, considering the scale of destruction and Nepal’s long-running struggle to reign in human traffickers operating in its borders.

Thousands of Nepali children and women are trafficked into In-dia every year to work in brothels and as child labourers, activists say. — Reuters

T A R G E T I N G V U L N E R A B L E F A M I L I E S

2015 is a big year for Myanmar with both a referendum on its constitution and a general election. We have

a responsibility to ensure that the plight of the Rohingya is not lost. We have a responsibility to persuade

our international and regional aid and grant-making institutions, including the European Union, to adopt a

common position making funding the development of Myanmar conditional on the restoration of citizenship,

nationality, and basic human rights to the Rohingya. Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize laureate

SCAN THIS QR CODE TO INSTANTLY VISIT

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

2

a

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A15

WORLDW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

Pictures posted online showed a thick column of black

smoke rising from behind a petrol station near the facility

in China. Another displayed the blackened frame of a

building, with a burnt-out wheelchair in the foreground.

Iran claims foiling cyber attack on its oil ministryTEHRAN: Iran said on Tues-day it had foiled a cyber-attack on the country’s oil ministry, and that those behind the hack-ing attempt were based in the United States.

The Fars news agency cited Brigadier General Kamal Hadi-anfar, head of the cyber police, as saying the unit had thwarted “the hackers’ attack on the oil ministry”.

He said the source of the at-tempt was in the United States, and that the US authorities had been informed.

“The IP address for these hackers was in America,” he said, adding that “an interna-tional judicial order” had been sent to the United States, with-out elaborating.

Hadianfar said the hacking attempt took place over a four-day period at the start of the new Iranian year which began on March 20.

Iran’s nuclear programme was the target of a 2010 cyber-attack by the Stuxnet virus, in a hack Tehran blamed on both the United States and Israel.

A February report by Rus-sian security firm Kaspersky Lab spoke of a powerful cyber-spying tool that can tap into mil-lions of computers worldwide through secretly installed mal-ware, with many signs pointing to a US-led effort.

Last December, US cyber-security firm Cylance said Iran-based hackers had been engaged for two years in an operation dubbed “Cleaver”.

The report said the campaign appeared to be retaliation for the Stuxnet virus. — AFP

HACKERS

Firefighters fired over on-the-job ‘selfies’BEIJING: Firefighters in southwestern China have tak-en heat for snapping photos of themselves while responding to an emergency, state media re-ported on Tuesday.

A local fire house released a statement saying that two of its personnel had been fired while a third was given a warning over the incident, the official Xinhua news agency said.

The punishments came af-ter photos of the three taking “selfies” during a search for a missing child after heavy rain in Yunnan province were posted online, the report said.

“The department said it will better manage its firefighters and it welcomes public supervi-sion in the future,” Xinhua said.

The global craze for taking selfies has prompted debate about the appropriate time and place to do so, as well as wheth-er people are becoming too self-absorbed.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, Danish Prime Min-ister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and US President Barack Obama were photographed tak-ing a group picture with a mo-bile phone in December 2013 at the funeral of Nelson Mandela, prompting both criticism and sympathy. — AFP

CH INA

Fire kills 38 at China nursing home

BEIJING: A fire at a nursing home in central China left at least 38 people dead, officials said on Tuesday, with bodies burned be-yond recognition and wheelchairs reduced to charred frames.

The fire broke out on Monday evening in an apartment building at a privately-owned old people’s home in Pingdingshan, the state

news agency Xinhua said. “The bodies were so badly burned, we couldn’t tell who was who,” Xinhua quoted one victim’s relative saying of the identification process.

Pictures posted online showed a thick column of black smoke rising from behind a petrol station near the facility. Another displayed the blackened frame of a building,

with a burnt-out wheelchair in the foreground. “Only myself and one other roommate managed to get out,” survivor Zhao Yulan, 82, who shared her room with 11 other peo-ple, told Xinhua.

The agency said the home had 51 residents and the blaze was ex-tinguished less than an hour after it broke out.

Two of the injured were in criti-cal condition in hospital, the work safety bureau of the central prov-ince of Henan said in a statement on its website.

The cause of the fire remained unclear, but a provincial television station quoted another resident blaming an electrical fault. The

building was built from steel with flammable foam fillings, the state-run China News Service said on Tuesday. Enforcement of safety standards is often lax in China, with some property and business owners paying off corrupt officials to look the other way.

The country’s vast population is ageing rapidly, with 15.5 per cent aged 60 or above by the end of last year, according to official statis-tics. Nursing homes are becoming more common but are often the last choice in a culture where the elderly have traditionally lived in

multi-generational households.Care workers in such facili-

ties are often outnumbered sev-eral times over by sick and elderly residents. Pingdingshan survivor Chen Runde, 80, told Xinhua the home had “too many” residents and the workers “cannot attend to all of us”. “We cannot find an at-tendant once night falls,” he was quoted as saying.

The home was set up by a lo-cal farmer and the residents were mostly old villagers whose chil-dren had sought jobs far from home as migrant workers, it added.

The incident “highlights pain in ageing China”, Xinhua said in a commentary. — AFP

The fire broke out in an apartment building

at a privately-owned old people’s home

A16

WORLDW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

Teen jailed in Austria over IS plot

SANKT-POELTEN (AUS-TRIA): A 14-year-old Austrian schoolboy was convicted Tues-day of planning to bomb a Vi-enna train station in the name of the IS and sentenced to eight months behind bars. The teen-ager of Turkish origin was found guilty of belonging to a “terrorist” organisation and given an addi-tional suspended jail sentence of 16 months by a court in his home-town of Sankt-Poelten.

According to the charge sheet, the teenager, who emigrated from Turkey in 2007, wanted to carry out the attack before travelling to join the war in Syria alongside IS.

Police had said at the time of his arrest in October 2014 that the boy made “concrete enquir-

ies about buying ingredients” for a bomb and “planned to explode the devices in public places, such as the Vienna Westbahnhof,” a major train station.

His lawyer Rudolf Mayer said his client — who he said grew up “without a father” and who turns 15 in the coming days — had only been “playing with the idea” of making a bomb.

Placed in a special school for troubled children where “pros-pects for professional develop-ment are almost inexistent”, the boy had “looked for recognition, to belong to something,” Mayer told the court.

“Imagine the power of propa-ganda that says to young people who feel they are living an empty existence: ‘You can do something good, and get money and wom-en’,” he said. It was his own fam-ily who alerted authorities to his growing radicalisation.

Police found violent images and IS propaganda on the teen’s computer, mobile phone and games console. The public pros-ecutor told the court that the de-fendant expressed “no feelings of guilt”. The baby-faced teen-ager appeared in court in a grey hooded top. He listened in silence to opening comments from the prosecution and his attorney be-fore media were ejected. — AFP

The teenager of

Turkish origin

was found guilty

of belonging

to a ‘terrorist

organisation’

Taliban raids kill 26 Afghan forcesKANDAHAR (AFGHANI-STAN): At least 26 Afghan po-lice or soldiers have been killed in multiple Taliban attacks in the volatile south, including a 16-hour siege of a college dormitory, officials said on Tuesday.

Taliban militants raided sev-eral police outposts in Naw Zad district in the restive opium-

rich province of Helmand late on Monday.

“Around 16 security forces have been killed in Taliban at-tacks in Naw Zad district,” local council chief Karim Atal said. In Kandahar rebels stormed the dormitory of a school late Mon-day, triggering a 16-hour gunbat-tle with Afghan forces. — AFP

I N S U R G E N C Y

Taiwan proposes peace plan for South China SeaTAIPEI: Taiwan launched a peace plan on Tuesday in what it said was a bid to ease growing tensions in the South China Sea, as Beijing steps up development of a disput-ed island chain.

But China responded by reiter-ating the importance of “national territorial sovereignty” and was unlikely to come to the negotiating table, analysts said.

China and Taiwan are among several claimants of parts of the South China Sea including the Spratly archipelago, where China is building artificial islands and fa-cilities including an airstrip.

TensionsThat has fuelled tension with Washington as well as regional neighbours.

“As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the Sec-ond World War, the countries surrounding the South China Sea should heed the lessons of his-

tory and commit themselves to ad-vancing regional peace and pros-perity,” Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou said at the opening of an international law conference in Taipei.

He called for regional coopera-tion to enable claimants to share natural resources, but gave no further detail on how the “South China Sea Peace Initiative” would be implemented.

Chinese claimChina claims nearly all of the South China Sea, even waters ap-proaching the coasts of the Philip-pines and other Asian neighbours.

The Spratlys -- which lie be-tween Vietnam and the Philip-pines -- are claimed entirely or in part by Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Bru-nei and the archipelago has been at the centre of escalating rows.

When asked about Taiwan’s peace plan, China’s foreign min-

istry spokeswoman Hua Chuny-ing said Tuesday: “We believe that Chinese people from across the straits have the obligation to safeguard national territorial sov-ereignty and maritime rights and interests, as well as peace and sta-bility of the South China Sea.”

Beijing last week warned the US against “highly irresponsible and dangerous” actions after it ordered a US Navy surveillance plane out of airspace near the Spratlys.

Analysts said Ma’s announce-ment could also be a bid to reiter-ate Taiwan’s own claims.

“Few countries may take the initiative seriously, but Ma has to make it clear that Taiwan will by no means back down on territorial issues, while calling for no use of force,” said George Tsai, political science professor at Taipei’s Chi-nese Culture University.

“Saying it at a time when ten-sions are growing may capture more international exposure.” — AFP

D I S P U T E D I S L A N D S

IN THE DOCK: A 14-year-old terror suspect (face covered by

paper) and his lawyer Rudolf Mayr, right, wait for the start of his

trial in St. Poelten, Austria, Tuesday. — Reuters

The Spratlys — which lie between Vietnam and the

Philippines — are claimed entirely or in part by Taiwan,

China, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei and

the archipelago has been at the centre of escalating rows

Postponement of transfer of pipes affected by the projects of Muscat International

Public Authority for Electricity and Water hereby announces that it will postpone the

connecting the new expansion to Barka Plant, which was scheduled to be implemented on Thursday, 28/5/2015, because there was a big consumption of water during the last two days, which indicates that there may be a big shortage in water supply during the scheduled transfer and connecting processes.

The Authority will work with the competent authorities to re-schedule the disconnection to another appropriate time.

MARKEWWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5B

Muscat

6,390.32+ 12.46

+ 0.20%

Dubai

4,059.52 - 8.15

- 0.20%

Abu Dhabi

4,615.09- 10.85

- 0.23%

Saudi Arabia

9,801.40+ 74.44

+ 0.77%

Kuwait

6,309.64+ 5.53

+ 0.09%

Bahrain

1,366.94+ 3.06

+ 0.22%

Qatar

12,409.13+ 9.64

+ 0.08%

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

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

Euro ............................................2.34

Pound ........................................... 1.67

Indian Rs .............................164.93

Pak Rs ...................................260.48

Bangla Taka.......................199.52* Rates are as of May 26

Source: Bank Muscat

Indian Rs ..................................166.00

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

Sri Lanka Rs ...........................347.00

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

Phil Peso .................................... 115.40

* Rates as of May 26 Source: Oman UAE Exchange

Muscat 24ct per gm (OMR) .......15.45

Muscat 22ct per gm (OMR) .......14.85

Dubai 24ct per gm (Dh) ............ 145.75

Dubai 22ct per gm (Dh) .............138.25

* Rates as of May 26

Source: Malabar Gold & Diamonds

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

Oman Crude ............. (Spot) ........$63.37

Dubai Crude ............. (Spot) ........$62.67

Murban Crude ........ (Spot) ........$64.94

Arabian Light ......... (Spot) ........$62.42

N.Sea Brent ............... (Spot) ........$64.85

West Texas Int ....... (Spot) ........$59.04

CRUDE OIL PRICE

DIGEST VIDEO

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

Top stories in one minute with our new daily Digest

OPWP inks pacts with consortium to construct Salalah power project

A E JAMESbusinesseditor@timesofoman.com

MUSCAT: Several agreements have been signed by Oman Power and Water Procurement (OPWP) Company with a consortium led by Mitsui & Co to build a 445 megawatt power project, Salalah independent power project (phase 2), and to acquire an existing 273-megawatt power plant from Dhofar Generating Company.

At a cost of over OMR240 mil-lion, the new natural gas-fired combined cycle power plant will

have an installed capacity of 445 megawatt and will be connected to the existing Salalah grid. The consortium will have a combined capacity of 718 megawatt.

The power generation from the new plant is expected to com-mence in the first quarter of 2018.

“This new capacity will contrib-ute to the growing power demand to meet the needs of urban, indus-trial and tourism development in the governorate of Dhofar as well

as enhancing the efficiency of gas consumption,” said Eng. Ahmed bin Saleh Al Jahdhami, chief ex-ecutive officer of OPWP. In Dho-far region, which covers around 77,000 electricity customers, peak demand is expected to grow at 10 per cent per year, from 420 mega-watt in 2013 to 800 megawatt in 2020. However, the average de-mand is projected to grow from 282 megawatt in 2013 to 553 meg-awatt in 2020.

OPWP released a request for pro-posal in April 2014 for selecting a company for awarding the conces-sion to develop the project. Several firms have competed by submit-ting technical and financial bids, and through evaluation and nego-tiation process carried out by the company, the project was awarded to the consortium consisting of Mitsui, ACWA Power, and Dhofar International Development and Investment Holding Co. >B2

New OMR240

million natural gas-

fired power project

will have a capacity

of 445MW. It will

also buy an existing

power plant

FUELLING GROWTH: Dhofar Generating Company’s existing 273-megawatt power plant in Salalah,

which was bought by the consortium under the agreement. — Supplied picture

Times News Service

MUSCAT: A request for pro-posal (RfQ), an initial tender for inviting bidder, for devel-oping a 20 million-imperial gallon water per day project in Salalah will be floated before the year-end, said a senior of-ficial of Oman Power and Wa-ter Procurement Company.

Appointing an advisor“We are already in the pro-cess of appointing an advisor for developing the project,” Yaqoob Said Al Kiyumi, chief operating officer of Oman Power and Water Procure-ment Company told journal-ists here on the sidelines of a signing ceremony to develop Salalah independent power project (phase 2).

Al Kiyumi said the project

would be commissioned by the first quarter of 2019 and a similar project is planned for Sharqiya region, which will also be completed at the same time.

“There are small water pro-jects in Khasab and Duqm.”

The proposed desalination projects in Sohar and Barka are world’s biggest projects.

Power demandThe Salalah independent power project (phase 2), another 50 megawatt wind project and the existing gen-eration plants will be able to meet power demand in Dho-far region for another 7 years, until 2022, said Al Kiyumi.

“There is a wind project coming up in Dhofar region, which will also add capacity,” he further added.

Salalah water project’s initial tender to be floated by year-end

B2

MARKETW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

Al Jadeed Exchange signs deal to purchase currencies

Times News Service

MUSCAT: Al Jadeed Exchange, a leading exchange house in Oman, signed agreements with Bahrain Finance Company (BFC) and India-based Muthoot Group to import currencies.

BFC is a global business group offering remittance services to over 50 countries through its Ez Remit money transfer service;

while Muthoot Group is one of the world’s largest financial ser-vice providers whose services in-clude Royal Money Global money transfer service.

“Foreign currency business in Oman holds high potential, and the demand for foreign currency is increasing by the day,” said

Sheikh Bakhit Jadeed Jadad Al Kathiri, chief executive officer of Al Jadeed Exchange. “The tie-ups with these two renowned companies will enable us to sup-ply foreign currency at very com-petitive rates.”

“Presently, the currency market is dominated by a few major play-

ers who control the market rates. This arrangement will help us to provide currencies at very com-petitive rates for both wholesale and retail markets,” noted Rajan B, the general manager of Al Jadeed Exchange. “We operate four forex counters at Muscat airport, and 15 branches all over Oman. Another

three forex counters are all set to be opened at Salalah Internation-al Airport. We believe the arrange-ment with BFC and Muthoot will give us a clear edge to become a major player in the Oman mar-ket,” stated Tuan Amit, manager, Business Development & Market-ing at Al Jadeed Exchange.

Tie-ups with Bahrain

Finance Company

and India-based

Muthoot Group will

enable us to supply

foreign currency at

very competitive

rates, said chief

executive officer of

Al Jadeed Exchange

VITAL AGREEMENT: This arrangement will help the exchange to provide currencies at very competitive rate for both wholesale and

retail markets. — Supplied picture

Almarai eyes $5.6b capital expenditure

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Almarai board has approved a capital in-vestment plan which will reach SR21 billion ($5.6 billion) in the next five years, the company said on Tuesday.

The Gulf’s largest dairy firm said the 2016-2020 programme would replace their existing in-vestment plan, and cover the ca-pacity expansion needs in the areas of farming, manufacturing, distribution and logistics.

“The objectives set by the board include increasing further its presence in all segments and geog-raphies where it operates, target-ing to double consolidated sales, while improving the financial per-formance,” it said in a statement.

Its previous investment plan had foreseen spending worth SR15.7 billion between 2013 and 2017. — Agencies

I N V E S T M E N T P L A N

‘Project offers good opportunity’

Speaking at the ceremony, Kazuhi-ro Hashimura, general manager of Mitsui & Co., managing member of the consortium and Moham-med Abunayyan, chairman ACWA Power said that they are very ex-cited to be part of the Salalah in-dependent power project phase 2. It will give them a significant opportunity to be part of the so-cio-economic development of the Sultanate through their extensive business operation knowhow and delivery of reliable electricity.

Mitsui & Co., and ACWA Power each hold a 45 per cent stake in the project while DIDIC hold the remaining 10 per cent.

AgreementsThe agreements were signed by Shaikh Saif bin Mohammed al Shabibi, Minister of Housing and Engineer Ahmed bin Saleh Al Jahdhami, chief executive officer of Oman Power and Water Pro-curement Company and on be-half of the consortium Kazuhiro Hashimura, general manager of Mitsui & Co., Mohammed Abu-nayyan, chairman ACWA Power and Tariq Abdulhafidh Al Ujaili, vice-chairman, Dhofar Interna-tional Development and Invest-ment Holding Co. In attendance were a number of dignitaries in-cluding Shaikh Saif bin Moham-med al Shabibi, Minister of Hous-ing; and Mohammed bin Abdullah al Mahrouqi, chairman of the Pub-lic Authority for Electricity and Water, as well as government offi-cials, and representatives from the consortium and electricity sector in the Sultanate.

S A L A L A H P O W E R P R O J E C T

Greece to repay creditors as long as it canATHENS: Struggling Greece will keep repaying its EU-IMF credi-tors for as long as it can, with some 300 million euros due next week and no deal in sight in talks over its remaining bailout funds, a government spokesman said on Monday.

“To the extent that we are able to pay, we will keep on repaying these obligations,” spokesman Gabriel Sakellaridis told reporters.

He added: “It is the govern-ment’s responsibility to be able to repay all these obligations... It is also the responsibility of the creditors to be faithful to (their) loan obligations.”

Greece’s radical-left govern-ment has been locked in nego-tiations with its creditors — the IMF, the European Union and the European Central Bank — for the past four months in a bid to unlock some 7.2 billion euros in bailout cash.

The IMF’s chief economist Olivier Blanchard said Monday budget reforms that Greece has proposed to its international creditors are not enough to ensure a surplus this year.

Greece was supposed to have a three-per cent budget surplus in 2015, but that now looks out of reach, Blanchard was quoted as saying by French financial news-paper Les Echos.

“Given the latest estimations show a substantial budget deficit

for the time being, credible meas-ures are needed to transform this into a surplus and maintain a sur-plus in the future,” he said.

“Seeing what has been put forward so far, we are still quite far off.”

On Sunday, Greece’s Inte-rior Minister Nikos Voutsis said Greece had “no money” to make a series of repayments to the IMF that are due from June 5.

“The instalments for the IMF in

June are (overall) 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion). This money will not be given. There isn’t any to be giv-en. This is a known fact,” Voutsis said on Sunday.

The Syriza-led government, which was elected in January on an anti-austerity platform, has so far refused to agree to key economic reforms that the creditors want in exchange for the rescue funds.

But with a punishing debt re-

payment schedule in the next three months, the country now desperately needs those funds.

Last week, the parliamentary spokesman for Syriza had also said that the government would be unable to honour its repay-ments to the IMF as its priority is to pay salaries, pensions and running costs.

“No country can repay its debts with only the money from its budget,” Nikos Filis told Ant1 tel-

evision. Greece has stayed afloat by tapping into public corporation reserves and an emergency ac-count at the IMF.

On Monday, the finance minis-try reported a tax revenue short-fall of 884 million euros in the first four months of the year.

Talks in Brussels over the Greek reform list will resume on Tuesday, Sakellaridis said.

He added that the two sides were still apart on tax issues, so-cial insurance, labour rights and the size of Greece’s budget sur-plus, but the government’s goal was to secure a “mutually benefi-cial” agreement by early June at the latest.

Austerity ‘deal-breaker’“Austerity is the only deal-break-er,” Finance Minister Yanis Var-oufakis wrote in a Project Syndi-cate blog entry.

“Greece’s creditors insist on even greater austerity for this year and beyond... Our government cannot — and will not — accept a cure that has proven itself over five long years to be worse that the disease,” he wrote.

The outspoken Varoufakis —said to have irritated European ministers in the debt talks — could not resist taking a swipe at the country’s creditors.

“Clearly, our creditors’ demand for more austerity has nothing to do with concerns over genuine re-form,” he said. - AFP

E C O N O M I C C R I S I S

CREDIBLE MEASURES: A man walks a wall adorned with grafitti on a street in Athens on Monday.

Struggling Greece will keep on repaying for as long as it can. EU-IMF creditors have demanded

reforms and withheld release of the country’s remaining bailout funds, a spokesman said. — AFP

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< FROM

B1

B3W E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

MARKETAsia’s move on patent licencing dubbed as smartphone ‘Cold War’

WASHINGTON: A new front is opening in what’s been dubbed the smartphone wars: this one in-volves countries, not companies.

South Korea and China are adopting antitrust policies that may require companies such as Apple and Qualcomm to licence inventions to rivals more eas-ily and cheaply, potentially giving Asian companies a leg up against

foreign competitors. Brazil and In-dia are considering similar paths.

The clampdown on patents has the potential to alter the balance of power in the global mobile-phone industry, which generated $412 billion last year, according to IDC. These new rules may weaken the ability of Apple, Microsoft and Qualcomm — typically among the top 15 US patent recipients each

year — to compete in China, the world’s largest mobile-phone mar-ket, and others that follow.

“We’re going back to the Cold War and the domino theory,” said Bradley Lui, an antitrust law-yer with Morrison & Foerster in Washington. “The authorities in China see the potential use of pat-ents that might affect companies in China, including state-owned

enterprises. It might be an impe-tus for drawing rules more broadly than we would in the US.”

Asian regulators were spurred by the smartphone wars, in which tech giants battled over billions of dollars on four continents for more than four years. Foreign govern-ments including Korea and China have been looking more closely at their patent policies, emboldened

by debates in Washington over whether patents hinder rather than spur innovation.

“The domestic debate that is supposed to be specific to our country is being latched on to by foreign governments,” said Sean Murphy, Qualcomm’s internation-al government affairs counsel. “It’s giving them justification to take action.”

‘Improve consistency’South Korea’s restrictions on pat-ents went into effect in December. It’s home to Samsung, which bat-tled Apple for years over claims it copied the iPhone’s “look and feel.” China’s rules are expected by August 1. Brazil and India are only beginning to develop policies, a National Academies report said.

US trade officials declined to comment for this article.

The Korea Fair Trade Commis-sion said its policy is to “improve consistency” in antitrust law enforcement and block patent-licensing firms, which are often derided as “trolls” for demanding high royalties for incremental fea-tures. The agency said in a Decem-ber 24 statement that “domestic companies are expected to be pro-tected from the abuse of patents, as the amendment will provide a ba-

sis for effectively regulating global companies’ abuse of monopoly with patents.”

China’s proposals, like South Korea’s rules, have two main components. One involves patent values for technology included in industry standards, such as Wi-Fi. The other may require unique fea-tures — like Apple’s slide-to-un-lock feature, or Microsoft software that synchronises calendars — to be licenced by others if considered “dominant” or “essential.”

‘System works’Some companies are already de-manding a roll back and want a re-turn to their ability to sue the heck out of each other. They argue that there’s been no evidence that pat-ents are being misused, so there’s no need for regulation.

Microsoft, Apple and Intel are among the companies backing rules on standard-essential pat-ents because it would mean lower royalties they pay out for funda-mental technology. — Bloomberg News

South Korea and

China are adopting

antitrust policies

that may require

companies such

as Apple and

Qualcomm to licence

inventions to rivals

more easily and

cheaply

Vodafone Group planning to launch initial public offering for India unitLONDON: Vodafone Group is weighing an initial public offer-ing for its Indian business, the wireless carrier’s biggest unit by customers, said a person familiar with the matter.

Investment bank Rothschild is compiling a report about the benefits of a possible IPO, set to be delivered around August, accord-ing to the person, who asked not to be identified because the plan isn’t public. Vodafone will decide whether to proceed after that, and an IPO will also depend on market conditions, the person said.

An IPO would provide Voda-fone with cash while allowing in-vestors to bet specifically on India, whose wireless growth is outpac-ing that of more mature countries such as Vodafone’s home market, the UK Shares of Vodafone hit their highest level in more than 14 years last week after comments by Liberty Global’s John Malone fueled expectations that the wire-less carrier will take part in the industry’s consolidation.

Representatives for Vodafone and Rothschild declined to com-ment. CNBC-TV18 earlier re-ported Newbury, England-based Vodafone’s plan toward an IPO for the India unit.

The Indian division’s earn-ings before interest, taxes, depre-ciation and amortisation reached

1.28 billion pounds ($2 billion) in the latest fiscal year on sales of 4.3 billion pounds.

Indian mobile companies trade at a median price-to-Ebitda ratio of 5.35, according to data com-piled by Bloomberg. That would value Vodafone’s business at ap-proximately 6.85 billion pounds.

Vodafone shares were un-changed at 253.75 pence at 8:49am London time. The stock has advanced 14 per cent this

year, giving the company a market value of 67.3 billion pounds.

Vodafone, India’s second-larg-est wireless operator, was among carriers spending $18 billion in the country’s airwaves auction this year. Last year, Marten Piet-ers, head of Vodafone India at the time, said in an interview that the company won’t consider an IPO of the unit until it has greater certainty about its access to air-waves. The unit, which has more

than 180 million customers, ac-counts for 10 per cent of Voda-fone’s total revenue.

Early this year, Indian authori-ties said they won’t appeal a court ruling that sided with Vodafone in a tax dispute as the country works to reassure foreign inves-tors about governance rules. The dispute involved the way Voda-fone reported a transfer of shares between its business in India and another unit. — Bloomberg News

I N D I A ’ S S E C O N D - L A R G E S T W I R E L E S S O P E R A T O R

SMARTPHONE WARS: Clampdown on patents has potential to alter the balance of power in the global mobile-phone industry, which generated $412 billion last year, according to IDC. — Bloomberg file picture

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

ROBUST DEMAND: An IPO will provide Vodafone with cash while allowing investors to bet specifi-cally on India, whose wireless growth is outpacing that of more mature countries. — Bloomberg file picture

B4

MARKETW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

MUSCATSECURITIES MARKET

SHARE PRICE BULLETIN FOR TUESDAY, MAY 26

REGULAR MARKET .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................OM0000002374............UNITED FINANCE ..................................................... 285,347 ........... 38,263..................... 24 ............0.133 ........... 0.135 ...........0.133 ........... 0.134 ............. 0.132............ 0.002 ..............1.515 .................0.135 .............. 0.135...................0.138 ...................41,642,502 .........0.100OM0000001962 ............AL MADINA INVESTMENT ................................... 358,123.............27,812..................... 22 ........... 0.078 ........... 0.078 ...........0.077 ........... 0.078 .............0.077 ............0.001 ............. 1.299 ................0.077 ..............0.077...................0.078................... 16,157,808 .........0.100OM0000004669 ...........SHARQIYAH DESALINATION .............................. 162,722.......... 561,339..................... 10 ............3.410 ........... 3.450 ...........3.410 ........... 3.450 ............. 3.410............ 0.040 ..............1.173 .................3.450 ..............3.450...................3.470................... 33,741,745 .........1.000OM0000001749 ............OMAN CEMENT .......................................................... 372,978 ........ 202,300..................... 10 ........... 0.540 ...........0.544 ...........0.540........... 0.542 .............0.536 ........... 0.006 ..............1.119 .................0.544..............0.544...................0.560 .................179,333,009 ........0.100OM0000004735 ...........SEMBCORP SALALAH ................................................ 17,604 ............42,830........................4 ........... 2.430 ........... 2.450 ...........2.430........... 2.435 ............. 2.410 ............0.025 ............. 1.037 ................2.450..............2.450...................2.475 ................. 232,438,270 .......1.000OM0000004925 ...........AL BATINAH POWER ................................................ 345,620 ........... 69,034......................17 ........... 0.200 ...........0.200 ...........0.198 ........... 0.200 ............. 0.198............ 0.002 ............. 1.010 ................0.199 .............. 0.195...................0.198 ..................134,977,486 ........0.100OM0000004933 ...........AL SUWADI POWER .................................................. 688,605 .......... 137,631..................... 42 ........... 0.200 ...........0.200 ...........0.198 ........... 0.200 ............. 0.198............ 0.002 ............. 1.010 ................0.199 .............. 0.195...................0.198 ..................142,881,268 ........0.100OM0000002168 ............AL ANWAR CERAMIC TILES ............................... 130,801 .............55,336........................4 ........... 0.420 ...........0.424 ...........0.420........... 0.424 .............0.420 ........... 0.004 ............. 0.952 ................0.420..............0.420...................0.424 .................125,594,601 ........0.100OM0000001681 ............OMAN AND EMIRATES INV. HOLDING ........... 2,253,077 ......245,487......................61 ............0.107 ........... 0.110............0.107 ........... 0.109 ............. 0.108 ............0.001 ............. 0.926 ................0.110 ..............0.109................... 0.110 ...................13,284,375 .........0.100OM0000002028 ...........GULF INTERNATIONAL CHEMICALS ...............11,700 ...............2,574........................5 ........... 0.220 ...........0.220 ...........0.220 .......... 0.220 ............. 0.218............ 0.002 ............. 0.917 ................0.220 .............0.219...................0.220 ...................4,620,000 ..........0.100OM0000003125 ............GLOBAL FINANCIAL INVESTMENT ................. 38,000 ...............4,238........................3 ............0.111 ........... 0.112............ 0.111 ............0.112 ............. 0.111 .............0.001 ............. 0.901 ................ 0.111 ...............0.111................... 0.112 .................. 22,400,000 ........0.100OM0000002614 ............ONIC. HOLDING ............................................................37,000 .............17,020........................5 ........... 0.460 ...........0.460 ...........0.460........... 0.460 .............0.456 ........... 0.004 ............. 0.877 ................0.460..............0.456...................0.462 .................. 79,774,695 .........0.100OM0000001707 ............OMAN CABLES INDUSTRY .........................................7,866 .............16,823........................3 ............2.135 ........... 2.140 ...........2.135 ........... 2.140 ............. 2.125.............0.015 ............. 0.706 ................2.140 .............. 2.125...................2.140..................191,958,000 ........0.100OM0000003711 ............SOHAR POWER ..............................................................14,950 ...............5,260........................6 ........... 0.350 ........... 0.354 ...........0.350........... 0.352 .............0.350 ........... 0.002 ............. 0.571 ................0.354 ..............0.354...................0.358................... 77,795,520 .........0.100OM0000003968 ...........OOREDOO....................................................................... 475,728 ......... 371,068..................... 29 ............0.780 ........... 0.780 ...........0.780 ........... 0.780 ............. 0.776............ 0.004 ............. 0.515 ................0.780 .............. 0.776...................0.780 ..................507,736,499 ........0.100OM0000002200 ...........AHLI BANK ......................................................................12,823 ...............2,749........................5 ............0.213 ........... 0.215 ...........0.213 ........... 0.214 ............. 0.213.............0.001 ............. 0.469 ................0.215 .............. 0.213...................0.214 ..................304,957,735 ........0.100OM0000001418 ............RAYSUT CEMENT .......................................................... 2,810 ...............4,374........................2 ............1.560 ........... 1.560 ...........1.555 ........... 1.560 ............. 1.560............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................1.555 .............. 1.550...................1.560 ................. 312,000,000 .......0.100OM0000001483 ............NATIONAL BANK OF OMAN ................................. 401,749.......... 128,559......................17 ........... 0.320 ...........0.320 ...........0.318 ........... 0.320 .............0.320 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.318 .............. 0.318...................0.320 .................429,027,280 .......0.100OM0000001509 ............DHOFAR INT.DEV.AND INV. HOLD. .....................58,305 ............28,220........................8 ........... 0.484 ........... 0.484 ...........0.484........... 0.484 .............0.484 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.484..............0.484...................0.490 ................. 119,257,600 ........0.100OM0000001533 ............OMINVEST ........................................................................4,000 ............... 1,836........................2 ........... 0.458 ...........0.460 ...........0.458 ........... 0.460 .............0.460 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.460..............0.460...................0.462 .................170,391,958 ........0.100OM0000002176 ............AL JAZEERA STEEL PRODUCTS ............................2,000 ..................500........................ 1 ........... 0.250 ...........0.250 ...........0.250........... 0.250 .............0.250 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.250............. 0.242...................0.250 ..................31,224,490 .........0.100OM0000002366 ...........AL BATINAH DEV. INV. HOLDING ............................. 500 .....................63........................ 1 ............0.125 ........... 0.125 ...........0.125 ............0.125 ............. 0.125............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.125 .............. 0.121...................0.125 .................... 3,750,000 ..........0.100OM0000002549 ...........BANK DHOFAR ................................................................8,040 ...............2,219........................ 1 ........... 0.276 ........... 0.276 ...........0.276 ........... 0.276 .............0.276 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.276 ..............0.270...................0.276..................426,345,079 .......0.100OM0000002796 ...........BANK MUSCAT ............................................................ 564,763 .........306,593..................... 34 ........... 0.542 ...........0.544 ...........0.540........... 0.542 .............0.542 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.540..............0.540...................0.542 ............... 1,242,167,848 ......0.100OM0000003000 ...........ALMAHA PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MAR. .......10,000 ............ 21,900........................ 1 ............2.190 ........... 2.190 ...........2.190 ........... 2.190 .............2.190 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................2.190 .............. 2.175...................2.190 .................. 151,110,000 ........0.100OM0000003026 ...........OMAN TELECOMMUNICATION ......................... 94,920 ........... 156,751..................... 28 ............1.650 ........... 1.660 ...........1.650 ............1.650 ............. 1.650............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................1.650 .............. 1.650................... 1.655 ................1,237,500,000 ......0.100OM0000003141 ............ACWA POWER BARKA ............................................... 11,000 ............... 9,196........................3 ........... 0.836 ........... 0.836 ...........0.836 ........... 0.836 .............0.836 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.836 ..............0.836...................0.840 .................133,760,000 ........0.100OM0000003398 ...........BANK SOHAR................................................................ 439,000 ............81,539......................12 ............0.186 ........... 0.186 ...........0.184 ........... 0.186 ............. 0.186............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.185 ..............0.184...................0.185 ..................268,107,840 ........0.100OM0000004768 ...........AL MADINA TAKAFUL ...............................................96,650 ............... 8,312........................7 ........... 0.086 ........... 0.086 ...........0.086........... 0.086 .............0.086 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.086 ..............0.086...................0.087...................15,050,000 .........0.100OM0000002226 ...........AL JAZEERA SERVICES .......................................... 137,044 ............ 49,894......................13 ........... 0.364 ........... 0.366 ...........0.360........... 0.364 .............0.366 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.546 ...............0.360..............0.362...................0.366...................22,278,355 .........0.100OM0000001517 ............HSBC BANK OMAN .................................................... 449,068 ............61,496........................7 ............0.138 ........... 0.138 ...........0.136 ............0.137 ............. 0.138............-0.001 ........... -0.725 ...............0.138 .............. 0.136...................0.138 ................. 274,042,852 .......0.100OM0000002820 ...........GULF INVESTMENT SERVICES ......................... 160,000 ........... 21,600......................18 ............0.135 ........... 0.136 ...........0.134 ............0.135 ............. 0.136............-0.001 ........... -0.735................0.134 .............. 0.133...................0.134 .................... 7,943,834 ..........0.100OM0000005005 ...........ALMAHA CERAMICS ..................................................39,600 ............ 20,644........................9 ........... 0.524 ........... 0.524 ...........0.520........... 0.522 .............0.526 ...........-0.004 ........... -0.760 ...............0.520.............. 0.516...................0.520 ..................27,405,000 .........0.100OM0000002440 ...........AL SHARQIA INVESTMENT HOLDING ............... 5,201 ...................671........................ 1 ............0.129 ........... 0.129 ...........0.129 ........... 0.129 ............. 0.130............-0.001 ........... -0.769 ...............0.129 ..............0.129...................0.130 ................... 11,610,000 .........0.100OM0000003521 ............GALFAR ENGINEERING AND CON. .................. 162,950 ........... 20,086..................... 30 ............0.124 ........... 0.124 ...........0.123 ............0.123 ............. 0.124 ...........-0.001 ........... -0.806 ...............0.123 ..............0.122...................0.123 ................... 35,667,618 .........0.100OM0000001772 ............AL ANWAR HOLDING.................................................49,100 ............. 11,752......................16 ........... 0.240 ........... 0.241 ...........0.238........... 0.239 ............. 0.241 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.830 ...............0.238 ..............0.239...................0.240 .................. 31,189,500 .........0.100OM0000001525 ............OMAN INVESTMENT AND FINANCE .............. 134,027 ............30,817......................15 ........... 0.230 ........... 0.231 ...........0.229........... 0.230 .............0.232 ...........-0.002 ........... -0.862 ...............0.229..............0.229...................0.230 ................. 46,000,000 ........0.100OM0000001319 ............NATIONAL ALUMINIUM PRODUCTS ............. 144,500 ........... 43,350........................7 ........... 0.300 ...........0.300 ...........0.300 .......... 0.300 .............0.306 ...........-0.006 ............-1.961 ................0.300 .............0.294...................0.300 .................. 10,071,435 .........0.100.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 8,188,171 .... 2,810,137...................483 ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ TRADED SEC. ......38........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

PARALLEL MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000001566 ............OMAN FISHERIES ..................................................... 173,492...............9,383..................... 26 ........... 0.054 ........... 0.055 ...........0.054........... 0.054 .............0.053 ............0.001 ............. 1.887 ................0.054..............0.054...................0.055.................... 6,750,000 ..........0.100OM0000001368 ............CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IND. .................. 110,453 .............. 4,264........................7 ........... 0.039 ........... 0.039 ...........0.038........... 0.039 .............0.039 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.038 ..............0.038...................0.039.................... 3,315,000 ..........0.100OM0000001590 ............MUSCAT FINANCE ...................................................... 45,561 ...............6,379........................4 ............0.140 ........... 0.140 ...........0.140 ........... 0.140 .............0.140 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.140 ..............0.140...................0.150 ...................35,226,586 .........0.100OM0000002333 ...........SALALAH PORT SERVICES .......................................... 800 ...................518........................ 1 ........... 0.648 ........... 0.648 ...........0.648........... 0.648 .............0.648 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.648 ............. 0.000...................0.648.................. 116,534,635 ........0.100OM0000002564 ...........AL HASSAN ENGINEERING................................... 54,004 ...............5,336..................... 10 ........... 0.099 ........... 0.099 ...........0.098........... 0.099 .............0.099 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.098 ..............0.099................... 0.101 .................... 7,445,592 ..........0.100OM0000004420 ...........BANK NIZWA ................................................................ 157,924 .............11,644......................21 ........... 0.074 ........... 0.074 ...........0.073 ........... 0.074 .............0.074 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.074 ..............0.073...................0.074..................111,000,000 ........0.100OM0000004511 ............ALIZZ ISLAMIC BANK..................................................3,000 .................. 252........................2 ........... 0.084 ...........0.084 ...........0.084........... 0.084 .............0.084 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.084..............0.077...................0.084 ................. 84,000,000 ........0.100OM0000004776 ...........TAKAFUL OMAN INSURANCE ..............................46,750 ...............5,330........................5 ............0.114 ........... 0.114............ 0.114 ............0.114 ............. 0.114 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................ 0.114 ...............0.113................... 0.114 ...................11,400,000 .........0.100OM0000001285 ............NATIONAL MINERAL WATER ............................... 19,499 ............... 1,379........................2 ........... 0.072 ........... 0.072 ...........0.070............0.071 .............0.074 ...........-0.003 ........... -4.054 ...............0.070..............0.070...................0.073.....................1,917,216 ...........0.100.............................................SUM: .................................................................................. 611,483 ............44,484..................... 78 ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ TRADED SEC. ........ 9........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

THIRD MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000002010 ...........OMAN FOODS INTERNATIONAL ............................1,677 .................. 798........................2 ............0.476 ........... 0.476 ...........0.476 ........... 0.476 .............0.476 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.476 ..............0.476...................0.000 .....................952,000 ...........1.000.............................................SUM: .......................................................................................1,677 .................. 798........................2 ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ TRADED SEC. .........1........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

B0NDS MARKET ................................................................................................................................................................................. OM0000004602 ...........BANK MUSCAT CONV. BONDS 4.5 .............................. 101 ..................... 11........................ 1 ............0.104 ........... 0.104 ...........0.104 ........... 0.104 .............0.104 ........... 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.104 ..............0.104...................0.106 ...................31,485,908 .........0.100OM0000004867 ...........BANK MUSCAT C C B 4.5 .................................................104 ..................... 11........................ 1 ............0.101 ........... 0.101............0.101 ............0.101 ............. 0.101 ............ 0.000 .............0.000 ................0.101 .............. 0.101................... 0.110 ...................32,283,910 .........0.100.............................................SUM: ..........................................................................................205 .....................21........................2 ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ TRADED SEC. ........ 2........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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

O M A N S T O C K S

INDICESIndex .................................................High .................Low ..................... Value ............... Prev . Value.......... Diff ...............Diff %MSM30 Index ....................................... 6,390.58 ...............6,377.39 ...................6,390.32 ................... 6,377.86 ..................12.46 ...................0.20Financial Index ......................................7,757.35 ............... 7,748.96 .....................7,751.76 ................... 7,754.30 .................. -2.54 .................. -0.03Industrial Index ....................................8,297.33 ...............8,276.78 ................... 8,297.25 ...................8,278.47 .................. 18.78 ................... 0.23Services Index .......................................3,457.59 .............. 3,452.03 ....................3,456.81 ................... 3,451.66 .................... 5.15 ................... 0.15MSM SHARIAH INDEX....................... 987.96 .................. 985.13 .......................987.93 ...................... 985.32 .................... 2.61 ...................0.26

Trading SummaryVolume ................ Turnover ..........Trades .............. Market Cap............. Up ............Down ............. Equal .........Sec. Traded8,801,536 ....................2,855,440 .....................565 ............... 14,794,946,721 ................ 17 ..................... 10 .................... 23 .........................50

Index rises marginally

MUSCAT: Supported by gains in services and industrial stocks, MSM30 Index ended with gains on Tuesday. The index closed at 6,390.32 points, gaining by 0.20 per cent. The MSM Sharia In-dex also gained 0.26 per cent and closed at 987.93 points. Oman & Emirates was the most active stock in terms of volume while Sharqiya Desalination stood as the highest value traded stock. Tuesday’s top gainer, Oman Fish-eries, was up by 1.89 per cent while National Mineral Water, which went down by 4.05 per cent was the top loser for the day in the trading session.

As many as 565 trades were executed during the day’s trad-ing session generating turnover of OMR2.85 million with more than 8.8 million shares changing hands. Out of 50 traded securi-ties, 17 advanced, 10 declined and 23 remained unchanged. Omani investors were net buy-ers for OMR203,000 while Foreign investors were net sell-ers for OMR103,000 followed by GCC and Arab investors for OMR100,000 worth of shares.

Financial IndexFinancial Index closed at 7,751.76 points, down by 0.03 per cent. United Finance, Al Madina In-vestment, Oman & Emirates Investments, Global Financial Investments, and ONIC Holding increased by 1.52 per cent, 1.30 per cent, 0.93 per cent, 0.90 per cent, and 0.88 per cent respec-tively. Al Anwar Holding, Sharqi-ya Investments, Gulf Investment Services, and HSBC Bank Oman declined by 0.83 per cent, 0.77 per cent, 0.74 per cent and 0.72 per cent respectively.

Industrial Index closed at 8,297.25 points, up by 0.23 per cent. Oman Fisheries, Oman Ce-

ment, Al Anwar Ceramic, Gulf international Chemicals, and Oman Cables increased by 1.89 per cent, 1.12 per cent, 0.95 per cent, 0.92 per cent, and 0.71 per cent respectively. National min-eral Water, National Aluminium, Galfar Engineering, and Al Maha Ceramics declined by 4.05 per cent, 1.96 per cent, 0.81 per cent, and 0.76 per cent respectively.

Services Sector Index was up by 0.15 per cent before closing at 3,456.81 points. Sharqiya De-salination, Sembcorp Salalah, Al Batinah Power, Al Suwadi Power, and Sohar Power increased by 1.17 per cent, 1.04 per cent, 1.01 per cent, 1.01 per cent and 0.57 per cent respectively. OIFC and Al Jazeirah Services declined by 0.86 per cent and 0.55 per cent respectively.

Dubai firm’s repayment Creditors to Limitless are trying to arrange a meeting amid specu-lation the Dubai-based developer, which wants to change terms on $1.2 billion of debt, sold land in Saudi Arabia, five people familiar with the matter said.

Limitless may have sold land in the Al Wasl project in Riyadh, said the people, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. Lenders have asked Lim-itless for clarity on the possible deal and have yet to receive a response from the company, two of the people said. Creditors say proceeds from the possible sale should go toward settling loans owed to banks under the exist-ing restructuring deal, three people said.

“If there are any developments, our stakeholders will be the first to know,” Limitless spokeswom-an Rebecca Rees said by e-mail, declining to comment further.

— United Securities/Bloomberg News

Tuesday’s top gainer, Oman Fisheries, was

up by 1.89 per cent, while National Mineral

Water, which went down by 4.05 per cent,

was the top loser of the day

Sensex ends at one-week low; Tata Motors retreatsMUMBAI: India’s benchmark stock-index declined to a one-week low as industrials and drugmakers dropped before the expiry of monthly derivatives on Thursday.

Tata Motors, owner of Jag-uar Land Rover, retreated to a two-week low before its results, while NTPC, the largest power generator, fell to its lowest level in five months. Sun Pharmaceu-tical Industries lost the most in two weeks and Oil & Natural Gas Corp. dropped for the first time in four days.

The S&P BSE Sensex retreated 0.4 per cent to 27,531.41, the low-est close since May 15. The meas-ure has remained below its 200-day average in all but five days since April 24 on concern about the pace of corporate earnings. While 11 of the 21 Sensex firms that have announced results for the March quarter have beaten or matched estimates, profits will decrease for a second straight quarter, forecasts compiled by Bloomberg show.

“There are no positive sur-prises from corporate earnings and there’s no support for the market at higher levels,” Alex Mathews, the head of research at Geojit BNP Paribas Finan-cial Services, said by telephone from Kollam in Kerala state. “The Sensex is struggling to stay above its 200-day moving aver-age, signaling weakness.”

Tata Motors fell 1.5 per cent. Profit slumped 56 per cent to Rs17.2 billion ($269 million) in the March quarter from a year ago, the Mumbai-based com-pany said in a statement after market hours. That trailed the Rs40.6 billion median of 24 analysts’ estimates compiled by

Bloomberg. Profit at the Jaguar Land Rover unit fell by a third to 302 million pounds, dragged down by a drop in demand for luxury vehicles in China.

Tata Motors skipped dividend payout for the year ended March, according to the filing.

Shocking performance“The poor performance of the company’s foreign subsidiary is shocking,” Chokkalingam G., managing director at Equinom-ics Research, said in an inter-view with Bloomberg TV India on Tuesday. “Pricing and margin pressures are likely to continue in the overseas operations for a

few more quarters as there are reports of them facing price pres-sures in China.”

NTPC slid 1.3 per cent to Rs132.5, the lowest level since December 17, while Sun Pharma fell 0.7 per cent, a second day of losses after jumping 6.1 per cent last week. Oil & Natural Gas lost 2.1 per cent, halting a three-day, 4.8 per cent advance.

Tech Mahindra capped its big-gest two-day loss in a month. It re-ported a fourth-quarter profit of Rs4.72 billion, missing the Rs7.23 billion estimated in a Bloomberg survey of 35 analysts. Earnings were announced after trading ended. — Bloomberg News

I N D I A N M A R K E T S

MUMBAI: India’s rupee fell the most in more than two weeks on speculation importers are stepping up purchases of the greenback to pay month-end bills.

The rupee dropped 0.6 per cent to end at 63.9775 a dollar in Mumbai, the most since May 7, according to prices from local banks compiled by Bloomberg.

The currency has declined 0.9 per cent in May, heading for a third straight monthly loss.

“The rupee’s weakness is partly due to dollar demand from importers to make month-end payments,” said Ankur Jhaveri, co-head of

currency and rates at Edel-weiss Financial Services in Mumbai. Expectations the US is moving closer to raising interest rates are also weighing on the rupee, he said.

Increasing borrowing costs in 2015 will be “ap-propriate,” provided the economy meets forecasts, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said in a May 22 speech in Providence, Rhode Island. The Bloomberg Dol-lar Spot Index rose 0.5 per cent at 5:27pm in Mumbai, with the currency reaching its strongest level in more than seven years against the yen. — Bloomberg News

Rupee falls on dollar demand

B5W E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

ROUND-UP‘Kia on Tour’ set to offer finest moments to fans

MUSCAT: The ‘Kia on Tour’ road show is all set to wind through Qu-rum City Centre, Lulu Hypermar-ket Nizwa, Safeer Mall Sohar and Gardens Mall Salalah. Indeed, the perfect opportunity for Kia fans in Oman to experience some of the finest moments with a Kia now comes from ‘Kia on Tour’, says a press release.

“Through this initiative we wish to allow our fans in Oman numer-ous opportunities to get up close and personal with their favourite Kia. Besides they can also look for-ward to winning exciting prizes on the spot,” said a Kia spokesperson.

“It’s a chance to test drive a Kia and win an Apple iPad and other exciting prizes. Why would anyone want to miss it,” asked an enthusiast.

The latest Kia models are avail-able for test drive at all the venues. Kia fans can also participate in ‘Kia QR Code Contest’ at the road show venues or by visiting any Kia showroom and win a Samsung S5 Mini phone.

“Participants just need to scan the QR codes and answer 3 sim-ple questions correctly to be able to win Samsung S5 Mini phone,” added the spokesperson.

There is also another Kia Quiz contest running on Kia Oman Fa-cebook page where one needs to just answer three simple questions correctly to win Online Roumaan vouchers upto OMR60 every week. One can participate in the quiz on this link http://on.fb.me/1Ivxrkq.

Alongside the road shows there is also a Kia caravan which will cover Oman and impart test drives on the go.

“I am an ardent Kia fan and I of-ten visit the Kia showroom in Wat-tayah,” said a Kia fan. “I got to know about the ‘Kia on Tour’ promotion from their friendly staff there and like every year, I am eagerly look-ing forward to this event. I wish to make the most of this opportunity both in terms of test-driving a Kia and winning prizes too.”

Kia’s range of vehicles has built a strong reputation for embrac-ing some of the most advanced technologies and luxury. Allowing customers the privilege of indulg-ing with the future in the present. Many of its class-leading features

and technologies have been the subject of inspiration for many automobile manufacturers eager to enjoy a fan base as vast as Kia’s.

Take for example the all-new re-designed Sorento. It utilises Kia’s advanced safety equipment and technologies to provide a high level of occupant protection for drivers and their families as measured by the US government, earning a 5-Star rating from NHTSA, in ad-dition to being named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The Sorento’s all-new platform and suspension system is powered by new V6 engine, offering more passenger room. From a styling perspective, redesigned front and rear fascias incorporate new light-ing elements, the 17-inch alloy wheels have been redesigned and a larger 19-inch alloy wheel is of-fered on the top model. Inside, the centre rack, gearshift, instrument clusters, and soft-touch surfaces all feature a redesigned look. Oth-er available features now include panoramic sunroof. The Sorento offers a number of powertrain op-tions including an available 2.4 litre, four-cylinder, engine that provides class-leading horsepow-

er. The analysts were impressed with the Sorento engine’s respon-siveness and noted the availabil-ity of another powertrain includ-ing a 3.5-litre, V6 providing 277 horsepower.

Kia’s Caravan is an experience on wheels that has long registered its significance in the hearts and minds of the people of Oman. Eve-ry year its very mention springs emotions that encourage one to look forward to its arrival in vari-ous towns, as with it come a whole lot of opportunities to celebrate, have fun, test drive Kia’s latest models and also win prizes!

Reliable International Automo-tive (RIA), the distributor for Kia in Oman, provides a rewarding ownership experience for custom-ers. Excellent product attributes and unmatched facilities easily ensure their absolute satisfaction, every mile of the way. No wonder then that Reliable International Automotive has been ranked amongst the top Kia distributors worldwide and has been hon-oured with prestigious accolades including the ‘Good Partnership award, ‘Family Like Care’ Service award’, and ‘Kia ‘Distributor of Distinction’ award.

The latest Kia models

are available for

test drive at all the

venues. Kia fans can

also participate in

‘Kia QR Code Contest’

at the road show

venues or by visiting

any Kia showroom

and win a Samsung

S5 Mini phone

‘Mighty Feast’ offers a 'party in the mouth' from Pizza Hut OmanMUSCAT: Pizza Hut has launch-es the ‘Mighty Feast’, a super-sized promotion that offers ‘Su-per Extra Large Pizza’ for the same price as a ‘Large Pizza Hut Pizza’. This first-time ever pro-motion, a one of a kind 18-inch pizza, will run till July 31, says a press release.

The ‘Mighty Feast’ introduces the ‘Super Extra Large Pizza’, which is 5 inches bigger than the 13-inch Large Pizza.

“We have truly gone all out on this promotion as we wish this pizza experience to be a ‘feast to the senses’ of our valued custom-ers. Due to our innovative propo-sitions in the past our customers have come to expect the unex-pected from us, and we believe that this new pizza will indeed deliver a deliciously pleasant surprise to them,” stated Yogesh Shah, general manager, Khimji Restaurant Division.

The sheer size of the pizza es-tablishes that it’s going to be a party in the mouth. Customers can choose from a range of top-pings, namely, Garden Fresh, Exotica, Super Supreme, Hawai-ian, Spicy Hot, Pepperoni, Hot ‘n’ Sweet. This super-sized pizza is also available with Chicken Fajita, Chicken Pesto, Prawn, Seafood Island and the classic Margherita versions.

“The ‘Super Extra Large Pizza’ is designed to be a meal in itself, one that pizza lovers can share with their family and friends. Not only is this an interesting in-novation from Pizza Hut but the price point is also highly attrac-tive. We are offering our custom-ers more value without having to pay anything extra, as the 18-inch pizza matches the price of a large pizza,” stated Vivek Pande, CEO, Khimji Ramdas Lifestyle Group.

PROMOT I ON

The ‘Mighty Feast’ introduces the ‘Super Extra Large Pizza’, which is 5 inches bigger than the 13-inch Large Pizza. The sheer size of the pizza means customers will have more value without having to pay extra

Accounting, finance students

compete in inter-college events

Times News Service

RUSAYL: One hundred par-ticipants from 10 major colleges competed in the first inter-col-lege competition dedicated to ac-counting and finance students in Oman to showcase their knowl-edge and their spirit for competi-tiveness about finances.

The event was organised by the business club in the depart-ment of management studies from Middle East College (MEC) which was inaugurated by Mo-hammad Jawad bin Hassan bin Suleiman, Adviser at the Ministry of Finance.

Munawar Hamed, head of marketing and public relations at Oman College of Management and Technology, said: “This event, at an intercollegiate level, is the first of its kind in the history of higher education in Oman, espe-cially in the field of accounting and finance.”

The venue saw countless num-bers of accounting and finance students attending as well as heads of departments and staff from ac-counting and finance departments which were there to witness 26 teams compete for the top spot.

“No such event has taken place in the history of Oman and the

idea of assembling staff and fac-ulty of different colleges for aca-demic purpose, from such large number of colleges, is a major contribution from MEC,” said Munawar, knowledge ambassa-dor at Knowledge Oman, direc-tor of education at ISACA Mus-cat chapter, academic advocate ISAC for Oman college, as well as a faculty of accounting and fi-nance in Oman College of Man-agement and Technology. A group of students at MEC delivered ac-counting lessons to the audience through an orchestra which was directed by the chief organiser,

Udaya Sabarish, that happened to be the highlight of the evening.

“This type of events provides a platform for students and fac-ulty members to interact with di-verse peers. There’s need for such events to be organised among the higher educational institutions in Oman,” said Jyotikumar Chan-del, head of business studies de-partment, Waljat College.

Waljat College, Musannah Col-lege of Technology and Ibri Col-lege of Technology won the first, second and third prizes, while the other competing teams were also rewarded for their efforts.

COMPET I T I ON

BLOOD DONATIONMuscat Gujarati Samaj, Gujarati Wing of Indian Social Club, Muscat, recently organised

the annual blood donation drive at temple hall, Darsait. A total of 89 people came forward

to donate the blood voluntarily. — Supplied photo

B6 W E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

ROUND-UPTurtle nesting adds to charm of Sharqiyah during summer

Times News Service

SUR: With the turtle nesting sea-son already on, tourists’ interest in the Al Sharqiyah coast, a 42km beach, will obviously soar.

The region is known to be the nesting ground for the prized green turtles. Thousands of tur-tles migrate to lay eggs during the period from May to September, making Al Sharqiyah coast prob-ably the most important nest-ing ground on the Indian Ocean, where the public can watch the nesting process.

The city of Sur and its sur-

roundings assume more impor-tance because of other tourist at-tractions such as Wadi Shab, Wadi Bani Khalid and Wahiba Sands, to name a few.

“Don’t miss the opportunity to experience the award-winning

Desert Nights Camp at affordable prices. The Desert Nights Camp is the only luxury camp in Oman which has been rated as one of the World’s Top 10 Desert Retreats as well as one of Top 6 Desert Camps in the World,” said an official of

Oman Hotel and Tourism Compa-ny that manages Sur Plaza Hotel and the Desert Nights Camp.

The Sur Plaza Hotel and the Desert Nights Camp have various attractive accommodation pack-ages on half board basis combining turtle watching, water sport activi-ties in Sur; and dune bashing, quad bike riding and many other desert activities in the Wahiba Sands.

One special attraction of the package is designed especially for families with the inclusion of maximum of two kids up to 12 years staying free, sharing par-ents’ bedding.

The city of Sur and its

surroundings assume

more importance

because of other

tourist attractions

such as Wadi Shab,

Wadi Bani Khalid, etc

Bank Nizwa holds

roadshow to raise

awareness on

Islamic finance

MUSCAT: To empower com-munities with the knowledge and understanding on the benefits of Shari’a-compliant banking, Bank Nizwa recently started a roadshow to reach out to people at main shopping destinations across Muscat, before the start of the holy month of Ramadan.

Qualified representatives of the Retail Banking Department are meeting people on-the-go to explain the bank’s diverse value-added solutions and how custom-ers can utilise them to acquire homes, automobiles and other personal financing needs, says a press release.

The Bank Nizwa team kicked-off the roadshow from the Muscat Grand Mall, offering invaluable advice and sharing brochures of the bank’s product portfolio to help people lead financially secure lifestyles. Among other locations, the campaign’s next stop is the City Center Muscat at Seeb.

R E A C H I N G O U T

Bank Muscat workshop evokes strong responseMUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flag-ship financial services provider in the Sultanate, recently hosted a workshop on franchising for en-trepreneurs at the head office.

The workshop, which evoked strong response from existing and prospective entrepreneurs, was organised by al Wathbah, Bank Muscat’s SME department, as part of activities aimed at expand-ing and strengthening avenues for SME development in Oman, says a press release.

Expert trainers from Potential.com, a pioneer in educational technology and a leading pro-vider for life-long learning across emerging markets, led the work-shop to familiarise participants

with key aspects of franchising. Topics covered at the session in-cluded benefits and advantages of franchising, profile of a success-ful franchisor, understanding the best time to franchise a brand,

learning how to select a franchise etc. which are integral for prepar-ing a franchising environment and landscape for SMEs in Oman.

Ilham Al Hamaid, AGM – SME Credit, Marketing and Regional

Corporates, said: “Bank Muscat regularly organises workshops and seminars to facilitate unique learning opportunities to address the challenges faced by entrepre-neurs and thereby create an envi-ronment favourable for SME suc-cess. Over the years, Bank Muscat has launched several initiatives as part of its commitment to SME development in Oman.

“Serving as building blocks for entrepreneurs, these initiatives assume importance in the back-drop of the priority accorded by the government to develop the SME sector in Oman. Aimed at strengthening the SME sector and creating a successful genera-tion of entrepreneurs, al Wath-

bah is committed to facilitating such unique opportunities for entrepreneurs.”

Speaking about the programme, Bassem Banna, Regional Sales & Partnerships Manager – MENA of Potential.com, said: “SMEs and entrepreneurs play a crucial role in creating sustainable growth and leading economic and social development. Entrepreneurs face significant challenges to building successful ventures and creat-ing value for the wider commu-nity. Our partnership with Bank Muscat and al Wathbah Academy will stimulate the development, growth and innovation for start-ups and small and medium enter-prises (SMEs) in Oman.”

S M E D E V E L O P M E N T

Al Araimi all set to host

‘Family Weekend Bazaar’MUSCAT: The ‘Family Weekend Bazaar’ at the Al Araimi Complex this weekend will offer its custom-ers a chance to win exciting prizes and participate in daily raffle draws where a winner will walk away with a stylish iPhone 6 which is up for grabs.

Al Araimi Complex, one of Oman’s premier and long standing shopping destinations, is hosting a ‘Family Weekend Bazaar’ for three days starting tomorrow till Satur-day featuring an array of in-store activities at various outlets in the complex, says a press release.

Al Araimi continues to be a ma-jor attraction for fashion enthusi-asts and brand conscious shoppers as it offers a plethora of choices when it comes to international brands in lifestyle and luxury as well as top local brands. Spanning

an area of 15,000sq. m, the mall has been popular for some of its international food chains, contem-porary coffee shops, banks, etc and most of all the parking lot can ac-commodate over 1,000 vehicles.

Raffle drawsThe weekend bazaar will also in-clude daily magic shows and visi-tors will have the opportunity to participate in exciting raffle draws where one lucky winner will be picked daily. The winners will walk away with a stylish iPhone 6. Visitors will also have the op-portunity to enjoy music and other games along with spot prizes to be won instantly.

A senior spokesperson from Al Araimi management said: “Al Araimi Complex will set a new benchmark for visitor experience

offering continuous promotions, festivals and celebrations that add value to their lifestyle. The week-end bazaar promotion will appeal to shoppers looking for various products and services, with a bo-nus chance to win exciting givea-ways and an iphone 6.”

There will be several kiosks featuring products from a varied range of jewellery, clothes, food, etc. at various locations within the complex where visitors and fami-lies will get to enjoy individual of-fers and benefits. They will also get to enjoy free popcorn and face painting too.

Al Araimi Complex demon-strates its commitment in sustain-ing the ever-changing demands of their fashion conscious patrons by showcasing leading brands around the globe.

P R O M O T I O N

ISC Muscat conducts yoga event

MUSCAT: Indian Social Club (ISC) Muscat, recently organised a day long event at the club’s mul-tipurpose hall, which was a cur-tain-raiser yoga event to welcome the first International Day of Yoga (June 21).

Saji Abraham, secretary bad-minton and facility enhancement, opened the event in the morning followed by free yoga sessions, yoga posture competitions, yoga consultation sessions and much more. A lot of yoga enthusiasts from different walks of life in-cluding senior citizens and spe-cially abled children participated in the whole day programme, says a press release.

Yogacharya Prema Nagesh took the lead in conducting the event supported by Yogacha-rya Marxism Karki, Yogacha-rya Madhumati Nandakishor, Yogacharya Prema Arun and Yo-gacharya Katie Kriefall.

Cultural eventThe event concluded with a cul-tural show in the evening and the occasion was attended by J. S. Mukul, ambassador of In-dia to Oman. ISC Chairman Dr Sathish Nambiar welcomed the guest. The vote of thanks was conveyed by Babu Rajendran, ISC general secretary.

Speaking on the occasion,

Mukul emphasised the rele-vance of yoga in today’s world. He said that yoga helps one to make one’s individual life a pleasant experience.

“Government of India is plan-ning to celebrate the First In-ternational Day of Yoga in all countries, including Oman,” an-nounced Mukul.

Indian Embassy would be or-ganising the First International Day of Yoga celebrations on June 21 at the embassy audito-rium and he welcomed all to join and support this event. Prizes and mementos were given away by Mukul as well as Dr. Sathish Nambiar to the winners.

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

Orpic organises

roadshow campaign

MUSCAT: Orpic Roadshow cam-paign, which is aimed at raising awareness across the Sultanate about who Orpic is, what Orpic does and, importantly, how Orpic contributes to the Omani econo-my, started in Buraimi and has also visited Al Batinah – with many more community visits planned over the coming months. Following the 2011 integration that led to the formation of Orpic, a clear vision and strategy for growth was established. Today, Orpic shares that journey with the community, via the Orpic Roadshow campaign, says a press release.

Dr Hilal Al Hinai - GM Corporate Support Services, explained that since 1982, Orpic has been adding value to Oman’s natural resources and fuelling the domestic market, and it’s time to share our story.

“When we established Orpic, we wanted to build an Omani inte-grated refining and petrochemical business we are proud of. But that pride should not stop with Orpic employees – all Omanis should be proud of the success we have achieved. Over the years, Orpic has grown and provided numerous opportunities to Oman, including employment and training for Om-

anis. Our current projects under-way will further bolster our con-tribution to the local community, small businesses, and the nation as a whole by increasing our produc-tion and product diversity.”

Orpic’s corporate journey to ‘achieve, enhance and grow’ is un-derpinned by three major refining, petrochemicals and infrastructure growth projects underway.

“The Orpic story is about our na-tion and how with vision and drive, anything is possible. We want to share this story by visiting Omani communities in the hope to inspire Omanis to become part of our sto-ry,” Al Hinai concluded

As one of the biggest companies in the region, Orpic recognises that it has an important role to play in the current and future success of the community.

C O R P O R A T E J O U R N E Y

SIS graduates its KG students

SALALAH: Salalah Interna-tional School (SIS) celebrated its fifth graduation ceremony for the kindergartn students. The chief guest for the occasion Dr Amal Ahmed Ajham Al Shahri, senior lecturer of marketing and quality management, was wel-comed warmly and escorted to the auditorium along with Board of Directors, the principal and teachers, says a press release.

The event began ceremoni-ously with the National An-them followed by the solemn recitation of the Holy Quran by Seif Adil Abu Bakar Omar Mahfoodh Alshikh. This was followed by a cordial welcome extended by the young orators of the kindergarten including Fatima Ali Tahir Shaikh Ahmed bin Zain, Areen Ahmed Omar Abdulaziz Al Rawas and Beshr Anwar Aleissa in Arabic, Eng-lish and French respectively. A rich banquet of cultural treat for the parents was all set to go. The ceremony was celebrated in all its spirit and essence of the occa-sion. The young kindergartners received their certificates to progress on to the next stage of learning. An ambience of ambi-tions , hope and heartfelt wishes for the aspiring kindergartners dwelled upon all present there.

A C A D E M I C S

TSC awards two Chevrolet Cruze

cars to winners of Spring Festival

MUSCAT: The Sultan Center (TSC) gave away two Chevrolet Cruze vehicles in the final week of its Spring Festival campaign.

During the raffle finale that concluded the month long cam-paign, TSC put two lucky pa-trons Saed bin Salem Al Hadidi and Amir Ali Khlafan Al Mamari in the driver’s seat of the 2015 edition Chevrolet Cruze, says a press release.

Ziad Rayyan from TSC handed over the vehicles’ keys to the ex-cited duo, congratulating them on their wins and hailing their con-tinued patronage at TSC.

Last month, the retail chain

launched its first ever Spring Fes-tival inviting customers to enter into a lucky draw to win the latest edition of the Chevrolet Cruze on any purchase worth OMR10.

The winners were picked eve-ry Thursday for four consecu-tive weeks during raffle draws held at TSC’s Wholesale Centre in Al Khoud.

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Lulu holds farewell for outgoing Indian envoy

MUSCAT: J S Mukul, Ambassa-dor of India to Oman, was given a fond farewell by the management and staff of Lulu Hypermarket - Oman in the presence of Yusuff Ali M. A, managing director of Lulu Group, who conveyed his best

wishes to him. The ambassador acknowledged

the wishes while recalling the pleasant relations he shared with Lulu, says a press release.

“This year has been quite event-ful for us. We have been guided by the ambassador, who has shown such enthusiasm in all that he does

and this is quite inspiring indeed. He has rendered yeoman service during his tenure and has been an epitome of hard work.

“We are confident that his vi-sion, values and leadership will greatly benefit the country he is assigned. In addition, the support of the Indian Embassy in all our

initiatives is something that we value. We believe that time will only strengthen the ties,” said Yusuff Ali.

The ambassador recounted his association with the Lulu Group and reminisced his interaction with Lulu management and their dedication in providing a credible platform to the Indian products and services and also for the communi-ty support to the Indian Diaspora.

Lulu Oman is known to organize campaigns, promotions and events that continue to enthrall their diverse customers from various ethnicities. The trained staff, dedi-cated service and quality products have won the hearts of each of their customers. The regular fes-tivals that celebrate each occasion, give all its customers an opportu-nity to experience something new every time they come to Lulu.

The ambassador

acknowledged

the wishes while

recalling the pleasant

relations he shared

with Lulu

Ooredoo leads the

way in social media

MUSCAT: With over 133,000 Twitter followers, 9,850 Insta-gram followers, 187,000 Face-book likes, 4,600 YouTube sub-scribers and 8,800 followers on LinkedIn, Ooredoo ranks number one among social media brands in terms of total follower base of local Omani fans in the Sultanate.

By keeping its finger on the pulse and staying in tune with customer needs and community trends, Ooredoo has become a market leader in social media and uses the channels to actively en-gage customers; turning follow-ers into advocates and customers into brand ambassadors through innovative engagement initia-tives and a whole load of passion, says a press release.

“It’s all about how a brand con-nects with its community and how it understands and delivers what customers want. Ooredoo‘s values are centred on caring for our customers, connecting with them and challenging ourselves to add value to their lives and this is where social media is key.

“The rise of various social platforms over the past few years has been astronomical and we have focused on building our presence in a unique way from the very beginning,” said Raed Dawood, Director of Corporate Affairs at Ooredoo.

Setting itself up to lead social media trends in the country, the company was one of the first in Oman to integrate social media into its customer service deliv-ery methods and also the first telecom operator to introduce a payment portal through Face-book. It was also one of the first brands in the Sultanate to adopt new platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat to further engage with younger customers as well as showcasing Omani talent through its one-of-a-kind Instra-gram photography competition, which later became an exhibit in Muscat Grand Mall. Ooredoo was also behind the launch of the first national hashtag; #OurO-man generating over 3,500 posts. The company’s underlying goal is to inspire people from differ-ent walks of life to ‘do more’ and

‘be more’; to help people achieve their dreams.

Dawood added, “Social media is evolving every day and we in-tend to stay ahead of the curve by offering new and upgraded online customer experiences as they increasingly use social media to connect with their friends, family and communities.”

The CEO of The Online Pro-ject, Ooredoo’s partner in social media, said “From the outset our aim for Ooredoo was for the com-pany to become number one in Oman on Social Media.

“But being number one in terms of followers is not the whole picture; being number one in customer service and engage-ment is the ultimate goal and we feel Ooredoo have achieved this, which sets them apart.”

Understanding the nature of this dynamic mode of commu-nication, Ooredoo has not only focused on its customers but has also trained its employees on the latest in social media through internal workshops, teaching family members the tips and tricks to best capitalise on, and use, these influential channels. Social media has also played a key role in Ooredoo’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, building a network of supporters during the Goodwill Journey us-ing ‘live tracking’ and by keeping the community well-informed of developments.

C U S T O M E R E N G A G E M E N T

Oman Air hails success of ‘Spring Sale’MUSCAT: Oman Air has declared its Spring Sale, which ran between May 3 and May 7, a major success.

The campaign offered custom-ers significant savings on both Business Class and Economy Class flights from Muscat to a wide range of destinations across the Middle East, Asia, East Africa and Europe, says a press release.

Mahfood Ali Al Harthy, chief officer, sales at Oman Air, com-mented: “Thousands of customers have benefited from Oman Air’s latest Spring Sale, which has met with very strong demand within the Sultanate. The discounts we offered represented outstanding value and were snapped up in re-cord time. Customers who took advantage of this sale are now set to enjoy the ultimate in 21st Cen-tury air travel.

“Our rapidly-growing fleet of aircraft offer comfortable and spa-cious cabins and the latest inflight entertainment technology. These are complemented by our trade-

mark Omani hospitality and deli-cious inflight dining. Furthermore, the convenience of services such as our online check-in, and the luxury of our airport lounges, make flying with Oman Air a joy.

“We are constantly creating new opportunities for our customers to experience our award-winning products and services. We look forward to announcing more great deals in the future, and to welcom-ing many more new customers to Oman Air.”

The Spring Sale included many of Oman Air’s key destinations across the Middle East, Asia, East

Africa and Europe. Fares to Dubai fell as low as OMR39 for Economy Class seats. Meanwhile, book-ings to Abu Dhabi, Manama and Tehran were available for OMR89 in Economy Class and OMR250 in Business Class. And flights to Amman, Beirut and Cairo were offered at just OMR99 per person in Economy Class and OMR300 in Business Class. A range of des-tinations in South Asia was also included within the sale.

These included Karachi for OMR79 in Economy Class and OMR250 in Business Class, with flights to Bengaluru, Goa, Colombo

and the Maldives all available for as little as OMR129 for Economy Class bookings and OMR400 for Business Class.

In South East Asia, Economy Class bookings to the premium destinations of Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Jakarta could be purchased for just OMR179, with Business Class seats offered for OMR550. And customers could make the most of flights to Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar, in the East African nation of Tanzania, for as little as OMR149 in Economy Class, or OMR450 in Business Class.

Travellers to Europe were also able to make major savings, with flights to Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, Milan and Zurich offering seats for only OMR169 in Economy Class, or OMR600 in Business Class.

All prices quoted are for return flights per person, and include tax-es and surcharges. Whilst Spring Sale flights were available to buy only between May 3 and 7, travel could be taken as late as July 10.

V A L U E D E A L S

The campaign offered customers significant savings on both Business Class and Economy Class flights from Muscat to a wide range of destinations across the Middle East, Asia, East Africa and Europe

QUOTES

Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve. — Mary Kay Ash

You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing and falling over.— Richard Branson

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Omantel bags MENA Excellence Award in employee engagement

MUSCAT: Omantel has achieved another impressive milestone by winning the MENA Excellence Award in Employee Engagement which was presented recently at a special gala in Dubai.

The award, organised by Nase-ba, is given to companies that meet stringent criteria’s within the areas of human resources. The criteria including the endeavours made by the company to develop its human resources, staff engage-ment, efforts to develop the skills and expertise of the employees as well as the innovative initiatives to enhance the human resources function on the whole.

Winning this award is a result of Omantel human resources strat-egy in the employee engagement aimed at enriching the work envi-ronment to enhance employee en-gagement with an aim to achieve success, says a press release.

DelightedSeif Sultan Al Abri, senior man-ager, Employee Engagement at

Omantel HR Unit, expressed his joy and pride on achieving the award, and said: “We at Omantel are delighted to win this award. We are proud to be selected as one of the best companies in the area of human resources. This award comes as recognition of the several initiatives and future plans of the company to enhance and enrich employee engagement.”

“Over the past years, Omantel has adopted a new strategy to-wards the augmentation of em-ployee engagement which focuses on enhancing communication and improved interaction among its staff. It also provides an environ-ment that encourages teamwork to achieve the shared goals and ob-jectives. Employee engagement is one of the critical game changers

of our overall organisational strat-egy,” he added.

Al Abri affirmed that winning this award raises the bar of expec-tations from the company.

“This shall require us to contin-uously strive to enhance positive work culture and provide ideal platforms to staff for enhancing their skills and capabilities,” he added.

Over the past years, Omantel has successfully implemented a number of initiatives that aim at boosting communication, in-teraction and team spirit among employees such as Omantel Tal-ents which aimed to identify and nurture talent among Omantel employees and their families. Omantel Olympics is another of such initiative which is first of its kind in the Sultanate by a private organisation, aimed at developing sport activates among Omantel employees. Omantel also promot-ed a programme focusing on long-serving staff and employees who have exceptional skills based in the different part of the Sultanate. The programme encourages staff to identify ways that can develop their mental and physical skills.

Employee Engagement at Om-antel, led by the HR unit, encour-ages staff to take part at the differ-ent national, sports and religious occasions. To this end, the com-pany organises a number of events within the company premises.

Winning this

award is a result

of Omantel human

resources strategy

in the employee

engagement aimed

at enriching the

work environment

to enhance

employee

engagement with

an aim to achieve

success

BankDhofar bags Best Mobile Banking Oman 2015 AwardMUSCAT: In yet another mile-stone, BankDhofar has been named the ‘Best Mobile Banking Oman 2015” by the International Finance Magazine (IFM). The award recognises bank’s commit-ment to enrich its customers’ ex-perience, employing state-of-the-art technology and applying the best international practices in the banking industry.

The IFM Awards celebrates ex-cellence and recognises individu-als and organisations in the in-ternational finance industry that make a significant difference and add value.

The award shines a spotlight on those who make a contribution to raising the bar in the financial in-dustry through activities that im-pact the global finance community, says a press release.

Faisal Hamad Al Wahaibi, chief retail banking officer, highlighted BankDhofar’s efforts to provide unique services that are available to customers through the bank’s Mobile Banking channel.

“Embracing creativity and in-novation, BankDhofar continues to lead with technology and intro-duces the most innovative banking solutions. We have successfully launched a wide variety of bank-ing services that are accessible to our customers wherever they are through our Mobile Banking app. We invest in innovative technol-

ogy and pledge to deliver the best services that are exclusively de-signed to fulfil the needs of our valued customers and meet their expectations,” he noted.

Value-added servicesThe award comes in recognition of BankDhofar’s instant mobile banking services that are fast, sim-ple, direct and super convenient. Customers can enjoy value-added services that are available at the palm of their hands, such as in-stant connection to accounts and cards details, instant payment of utility bills and mobile top-up op-tions, instant credit cards dues payment, location of nearest ATM, CDM and branch, instant money transfer to any third party’s ac-count within BankDhofar, updated currency exchange rates, instant update on promotions and new products and services.

The mobile app also allows cus-tomers to view account details and check the balance in all their ac-counts, view last 10 transactions (mini-statement), view up to 150 transaction under statements with opening and closing balances. The flagship Cardless Cash Trans-fer exclusive service allows Bank-Dhofar customers to use their mo-bile phones as an ATM card where they can have access to their ac-counts and withdraw cash from any BankDhofar ATM.

Aspiring to be the best bank in the Gulf, BankDhofar has directed all its efforts and resources to-wards these objectives.

Today it is considered one of the best banks in the region, catering for customers’ needs and require-ments, and setting the standards for the best customers experience within the banking industry in the Sultanate through creative solu-tions and innovation.

The combination of the thor-ough vision of BankDhofar’s ex-ecutive management, the compre-hensive operational strategy that revolves around following best international banking practices and providing best customer expe-rience, as well as commitment to community development and con-tribution to the growth of the na-tional economy, placed BankDho-far on top of the list of best banks in the region. Earlier, BankDhofar was nominated for the ‘Best Mo-bile E-Commerce Bank 2015’ by Global Banking & Finance Review in recognition of its commitment to provide the best banking expe-rience through applying cutting-edge technology and following best international practices. The bank also bagged the Sultan Qaboos Award for Excellence in eGovern-ment 2014 for Best Mobile Ser-vice, and the Best Mobile Banking App 2014 by The Banker Middle East Awards.

A C C O L A D E

NBO’s ‘Souq’ sales campaign kicks offMUSCAT: National Bank of Oman has begun its annual ‘Souq’ sales campaign as it continues to connect with customers across the Sultanate. Two events have been held So far at Lulu Hyper-markets in Ghubra and Al Burj.

The honorary guests of Ghubra and Al Burj Souqs were Khalifa Al Abri, acting CEO of Public Authority of SME Development and Sheikh Ibrahim bin Yahya Al Rawahi, Wali of Seeb. These events are scheduled to tour all parts of the Sultanate, says a press release.

The ‘NBO Souq’ is an innova-tive platform to serve existing

customers around the Sultanate while showcasing the bank’s full offering to potential clients, with exclusive offers and rewards. The bank’s direct sales team was available to assist customers with any enquiries they may have.

Customers can easily and in-stantly apply for loans, credit cards and even open an account at the Souq. Visitors can also avail a package of exclusive offers across a range of retail banking products. The ‘NBO Souqs’ will be held regularly throughout the year with the third event sched-uled to take place at Safeer Mall in Sohar today and tomorrow.

I N N O V A T I V E P L A T F O R M

Roumaan.com, VLCC launch fashion, health week in Oman

MUSCAT: Roumaan.com, Oman’s first online retailer, and VLCC, a renowned well-ness brand in the Middle East and South Asia, have partnered to launch a very unique online fashion and health week

Roumaan.com is offering over 500 deals for online buy-ers during the fashion and health week that can be availed at www.roumaan.com/fash-ionweek. VLCC, a globally recognised holistic brand for health and beauty, is giving a voucher worth OMR35 to rou-maan.com customers. A shop-ping discount of up to 75 per cent along with health and fit-ness services from VLCC is up for grabs on roumaan.com, says a press release.

“We are looking forward to this whole new concept and are excited to see that a lot of our customers will be enjoying well-ness services at VLCC.

“We also hope that this part-nership grows and we establish a long term relation with VLCC,” said Aqeel Abdulmunam Lawa-ti, Roumaan.com’s CEO.

Customers may visit www.roumaan.com /fashionweek for more details. The Fashion Week, launched yesterday, will continue till May 31.

P A R T N E R S H I P

Bank Sohar supports OER Business SummitMUSCAT: Bank Sohar, a promi-nent institution in Oman’s fi-nancial sector, recently partici-pated as the strategic sponsor of the OER Business Summit 2015, which was organised by United Media Services (UMS) in association with the Capital Market Authority (CMA), says a press release.

The forum, titled ‘Life at $50 per barrel’, explored the choices available to the government and the direction of the private sector in light of the current situation related to oil prices. Representing the bank in the event was Rashad Ali Al Musafir, the Acting CEO, who was also one of the panellists in the discussion session.

Held under the auspices of Sheikh Salim bin Mustahail Al Mashani, Adviser at the Diwan of Royal Court, at the Grand Hy-att Hotel, the Business Summit brought together some of the best minds in business and select decision makers of the country to discuss and analyse various aspects of the current state of the Omani economy. The forum was attended by over 200 top-level officials from the public sector, heads of leading institutions, policy makers and corporate leaders; giving business leaders

in Oman an opportunity to delib-erate on global issues and come up with localised solutions.

Commenting on the bank’s support and sponsorship of the event, Rashad Ali Al Musafir said, “We have been facing declin-ing oil prices for some time now, and with our economy primar-ily dependent on oil, such a drop has a definite impact on the local market. It is essential that a pro-active approach is taken to face such impact. The key decision makers and business leaders in Oman need a forum such as the OER Business Summit 2015 to debate such issues that have an impact on business and economy as a whole, and develop innova-tive strategies that are essential

to maintaining a sustainable and robust economy.”

Thanking Bank Sohar for their support, Sandeep Sehgal, chief executive officer, United Media Services, said: “I would like to thank Bank Sohar for supporting and coming on-board as the stra-tegic partner of the OER Business Summit 2015. Being one of the leading banks within the finan-cial sector, Bank Sohar recognises the value and importance of such events and the effects it can have on the economy as a whole based on the outcomes of the debates. It was an honour to have Rashad Ali Al Musafir as one of the key pan-ellists at the event and gaining his insight into the repercussions of sliding oil prices.”

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SECTIONC W E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

HISTORY-MAKER BAYLISS SET FOR ASHES BAPTISM OF FIREStrong, silent and one of cricket’s quiet achievers, Trevor Bayliss may need that stoicism to accompany all his expertise when he becomes the first Australian coach to take charge of England in an Ashes series. >C3

ET E

PARIS: The Eiffel Tower was still standing, the River Seine was flow-ing away to the sea and the traffic still clogged the Peripherique — and Rafa Nadal still ruled Roland Garros on Tuesday.

To all intents and purposes it was just a normal day at the French Open then as Nadal clocked up vic-tory number 67 in western Paris since debuting in 2005.

It felt a little different though as the soon-to-be 29-year-old walked on to Court Phillipe Chatrier -- the rectangle of red clay that has been the stage for his nine titles in a dec-ade of unprecedented domination.

Such has been Nadal’s malaise this year, with claycourt defeats piling up from Monte Carlo to Rome, that the Spaniard arrived in Paris only second favourite to claim a record-extending 10th ti-tle. Tasked with providing the first test of Nadal’s supposed fragile confidence was French teenager Quentin Halys, a wildcard making his grand slam debut. He did just that, pushing 14-times grand slam champion Nadal hard at times be-fore succumbing 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.

Nadal often takes time to get ful-ly into his stride at Roland Garros, so Tuesday’s one hour 50 minute workout offered few clues as to the health of his game. His racket was

equipped with computer technol-ogy meaning he can download sta-tistics later for further analysis.

But the sixth seed will already know that he will have to redis-cover his best form to win the title, having been placed in the same half of the draw as world number one Novak Djokovic and third seed Andy Murray.

Tournament favourite Djokovic, like Nadal, waited two days for his opening round match but quickly found his stride with a 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 defeat of Finnish veteran Jarkko Nieminen.

If Nadal was nervous, one can only imagine the thoughts going through the mind of 18-year-old Halys. He dropped his opening service game but was clearly not intimidated, striking the ball with real menace and occasionally hav-ing Nadal scrambling around be-hind the baseline.

Another service game went beg-ging when he served three double-faults but Halys broke Nadal’s serve in the sixth game, prompt-ing loud cheers from a crowd who revere the champion but adore a homegrown youngster taking it to one of the greats. If the result was never in doubt, Nadal still looked relieved when he clinched victory on his first match point.

While professing himself pleased with the level of his game after failing to win a European claycourt event this year, Nadal sounded a little wistful when com-menting on a brash and fearless display from Halys -- one of seven teenagers in the draw. “He risked on every single ball,” he said.

Earlier Nadal’s compatriot David Ferrer, the seventh seed, bustled into the second round with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 win against Slovakia’s Lu-kas Lacko while U.S. Open cham-pion Marin Cilic hammered Dutch-man Robin Haase 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. Ferrer, runner-up in 2013, joins Na-dal as only the second active player to win 300 claycourt matches. Not that he was celebrating.

Eugenie Bouchard became the highest seed to fall when the num-ber six, the golden girl of 2014 when she reached the Wimbledon final after making the semis in Par-is, slumped 6-4, 6-4 to French girl Kristina Mladenovic.

Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, beat Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 while fourth seed Pe-tra Kvitova beat New Zealander Marina Erakovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Former world number one Car-oline Wozniacki made short work of Italy’s Karin Knapp, the fifth seed winning 6-3, 6-0. - Reuters

Eugenie Bouchard

became the highest

seed to fall when

the number six, the

golden girl of 2014

when she reached the

Wimbledon final after

making the semis in

Paris, slumped 6-4,

6-4 to French girl

Kristina Mladenovic

PERFECT BEGINNING: Spain’s Rafael Nadal serves to France’s Quentin Halys during the men’s first round at the Roland Garros. – AFP

WINNING START: Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a shot to Jarkko Nieminen of Finland during their men’s singles match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros. – Reuters

No alarms for Nadal, easy for Djokovic

Serena strolls past Czech qualifier Andrea Hlavackova

PARIS: Twice former champion Serena Williams made a low-key start to her French Open campaign with a 6-2 6-3 victory over Czech qualifier Andrea Hlavackova on Tuesday.

The world number one, eyeing a 20th grand slam singles title, raced into a 3-0 lead but was givenm a decent workout after that by a player she beat 6-0, 6-0 in their only previous meeting, three years ago at the U.S. Open.

Hlavackova broke the mighty Williams serve in the fifth game, but the first set was otherwise mostly one way traffic as the Ameri-can unloaded some heavy groundstrokes under grey skies on a cool day on court Philippe Chatrier.

Williams, who has already bagged the Australian Open title this year, last won the title in Paris in 2013 and has reached the quarter finals or better eight times, although she crashed out in round two last year to Spaniard Garbine Muguruza.

Arch rival and defending champion Maria Sharapova, also looking for a third Paris win, awaits at the other end of the draw for a potential final.

Older sister Venus went out on Monday to fellow Ameri-can Sloane Stephens. - Reuters

F R E N C H O P E N

CRUISING: Serena Williams reacts during the women’s singles match against Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic. – Reuters

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Tendulkar impressed with Rohit’s captaincy

KOLKATA: Former cricketer and Mumbai Indians icon Sachin Tendulkar has heaped praise on the IPL champion team’s skipper Rohit Sharma, saying that he has grown as a leader over the years.

“If you compare him today with what he was when he started out as

Mumbai Indians captain, he is a far better captain today. He is much more confident now. He has gone through a lot of ups and downs as MI’s captain and has faced a lot of challenges. These challenges only make you a better cricketer and a tougher person,” Tendulkar said.

Rohit led from the front in the final of IPL against Chennai Su-per Kings, scoring a half-century and putting on 119 runs with Lendl Simmons (68) to help Mumbai In-dians post a massive 202 for five, and eventually win the trophy with a 41-run victory.

“I think his execution has been particularly good this season. Whatever we planned in the meet-ings and dressing room, he has been able to execute them very well. You can tell a lot about the captain from the feedback the bowlers give you. The bowlers bowl in the areas and execute the plans that the captain asks them to,” Tendulkar told iplt20.com.

“We can plan many things be-hind closed doors but it is up to the captain, the bowlers and the field-ers to bring it all together. Rohit has done that well,” he insisted.

Tendulkar termed Mumbai In-

dians’ amazing turnaround this season, after four straight losses, as “fantastic!”.

“We had a difficult start, re-ally tough one. But those are the testing moments. That’s when the team stuck together and we worked hard. This victory is not a coincidence; it is the reflection of all the hard work that we have put in,” said the legendary batsman.

“All of us truly believed that we could change things around. It is not how you start but how you fin-ish that matters,” he added.

The 42-year-old legendary bats-man said his team never lost the faith and belief even when they were losing back-to-back matches.

“What stood out for me was the belief and faith we had in our ability. At no stage any player was ready to put his head down thinking this is a difficult season and there is no future for us. We always saw the light at the end of the tunnel,” Tendulkar said.

The retired Indian batsman said former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who currently coaches Mumbai Indians, still has the same approach to the game as in his playing days.

“When we played against him,

he always came across as a seri-ous, fearless competitor who never wanted to give up. The same applied here. At no stage did he feel that we are out of the tournament. We need positive people with good experi-ence around, and Ricky doesn’t lack in any of those departments.”

Applauding Simmons, who seems to have solved the open-ing conundrum for Mumbai In-dians, Tendulkar said, “I thought he batted beautifully throughout the tournament. He has been very consistent. I also felt that the other players played really well around him. He was the anchor of our team and because of him all the other players had the freedom to go and express themselves.”

Asked which Mumbai Indians players were the find of this edi-tion of IPL, Tendulkar said: “Some of the guys that played for MI for the first time this season did ex-tremely well for us. The likes of J Suchith and Hardik Pandya were very impressive. Also, Vinay Ku-mar — I know he is an experienced campaigner. “I thought he didn’t start out very convincingly but he finished brilliantly. He peaked at the right time,” he concluded. — PTI

Rohit Sharma took

over the Mumbai

Indians during IPL

2013 and led them to

the title that year. He

was once again at the

helm when they won

the 2015 edition after

beating Chennai Super

Kings in the final

He (Rohit Sharma) has gone through a lot of ups and downs as MI’s captain and has faced a lot of challenges

Sachin TendulkarMumbai Indians mentor

Record not good enough reason to keep Chanderpaul, says Clive LloydBRIDGETOWN: Chief selector Clive Lloyd says allowing Shiv Chanderpaul to continue playing in order to surpass Brian Lara as the highest run-getter in West Indies cricket was not a good enough reason to retain the vet-eran left-hander.

Chanderpaul was on Sunday axed from the West Indies squad for next month’s two-Test series against Australia, a decision that is likely to end the player’s illus-trious 21-year, 164-Test career with him 87 runs shy of overtak-ing Lara’s 11,953.

He has scored 11,867 runs at an average of 51, with 30 Test centu-ries, reports CMC.

“We’ve taken that into consid-eration but that should never be the sole reason why you want to choose somebody,” said the legend-ary former West Indies captain.

“As you may notice, he has been given quite a lot of games to prob-ably try and get close to that and he hasn’t looked the part that’s why we’ve decided that now is the time to change.”

In explaining Chanderpaul’s axing, Lloyd said the player had experienced a “rapid decline”, av-eraging just 16 from his last 11 in-nings. And with the Guyanese al-ready in the twilight of his career at age 40, Lloyd said the panel had also taken a decision to infuse the team with younger players.

Even if Chanderpaul extended his first class career, Lloyd said the focus would remain on devel-oping younger players.

“If he decides to continue, people have done that before. They’ve not been selected but they’ve continued to play first

class cricket. Our aim as selec-tors is to continue to play our young players and give them that exposure and you can’t get better exposure than playing against one of the best teams in the world, probably the second best team in the world (in Australia),” Lloyd explained.

“They will be tested and that’s what it’s all about. Going forward, we want to play our youngsters and a lot of them are doing well and we feel now is the time to give them that exposure.”

Lloyd said they were several young hopefuls knocking on the door like Shai Hope, wicketkeep-er-batsman Shane Dowrich and Tyrone Theophile.

The 21-year-old Hope made his debut in the third Test against England, scoring five and nine, as West Indies pulled off a se-ries levelling five-wicket victory. Dowrich, who averages 35 in first class cricket, and Theophile, who averages 27, are both in the Presi-dent’s XI squad to face Australia in a three-day game which bowls off Wednesday in Antigua. — IANS

W E S T I N D I E S S Q U A D

NO SUPPORT: Shiv Chanderpaul.

Chanderpaul ‘not treated shabbily, does not fit in’BRIDGETOWN: New West Indies head coach Phil Sim-mons says veteran batsman Shiv Chanderpaul did not “fit in” with the squad to face Aus-tralia in the two-Test series next month, and does not believe that his exclusion means he has been shabbily treated.

The 40-year-old Chander-paul was on Sunday axed from a 12-man squad named for the Australia series, despite boast-ing 11,867 runs at an average of 51, with 30 Test centuries. Sim-mons said selectors did not see it fitting to pick Chanderpaul sim-ply to offer him a farewell series, reports CMC.

“He has had a long and illustri-ous career and we know he’s done a lot for West Indies cricket but at the same time when we sit down to select a team, we sit down to select a team to win a game against Australia, and to play the two Tests in the series against Australia,” Simmons said.

“When we went through the process, he didn’t fit in so it’s not about giving someone two Tests to finish their career, it’s about picking the best team to play the next game.”

Simmons, along with selec-tion chief Clive Lloyd, defended Chanderpaul’s axing, contending the Guyanese left-hander’s form had declined rapidly.

Chanderpaul averaged 48 when New Zealand toured the

Caribbean for three Tests last year and then plundered 270 runs in two Tests against Bangladesh last September without being dismissed. However, he has man-aged just 183 runs from his last 11 innings in series against South Africa and England, prompting selectors to overlook him.

Responding to suggestions Chanderpaul had been shab-bily treated, Simmons said it was now for the West Indies Cricket Board to properly reward the long-serving batsman for his years of service.

“It depends on what you con-sider to be shabby. Players before were not recognised and lauded for their performances. But to say you have to play two Test matches for me to laud your performances over 164 (Tests) doesn’t make sense,” Simmons argued.

“It is a case where we need to acknowledge and laud his per-formances over the years by ac-knowledging it. There are other ways of acknowledging what he’s done for West Indies cricket and that’s in the process now with the Board, of doing things to ac-knowledge that this is what he’s done for West Indies cricket over the past 20 years.”

West Indies face Australia in two Tests, the first starting at Windsor Park in Dominica on June 3 and the second bowling off at Sabina Park in Jamaica on June 11. - IANS

C O A C H ’ S V I E W

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SPORTSW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

History-maker Bayliss set for Ashes baptism of fire

LONDON: Strong, silent and one of cricket’s quiet achievers, Trevor Bayliss may need that stoicism to accompany all his expertise when he becomes the first Australian coach to take charge of England in an Ashes series.

After 138 years of Anglo-Aus-tralian battles in one of the world’s greatest sporting rituals, the 52-year-old, appointed as Eng-land’s head coach on Tuesday, will find himself in a unique and chal-lenging position when the series begins in July.

Bayliss comes on board at a pro-pitious time for English cricket as it celebrates a potential turn-ing point after a miserable run, with rejuvenated captain Alastair Cook and flamboyant all-rounder Ben Stokes inspiring a thrilling win over New Zealand at Lord’s on Monday.

Yet all that optimism could swiftly evaporate if, in the first test at Cardiff beginning on July 10, Australia swiftly continue their ascendancy over England follow-ing the 5-0 series whitewash in 2013-14 and a succession of one-day and T20 victories.

Indeed, the man who has been coaching New South Wales will be asked to help improve a shock-ing record which has seen England beat his home country just once in 18 matches in all forms of the game since September 2013.

It represents the toughest pos-sible introduction to the job but there are plenty of luminaries who will attest to the New South Welshman being exactly the sort of calm, unfussy winner who will thrive in the Ashes cauldron.

“I know him well,” Shane Warne, the great Australian leg

spinner, told Sky Sports. “On all the reports, he’s done a wonderful job with the teams he’s coached, whether it be Sri Lanka, the Kol-kata Knight Riders in the IPL (In-dian Premier League), New South Wales, Big Bash.

“I think he’s more of a ‘back-ground’ sort of coach, a bit like in the New Zealand camp. He’s not front and square all the time, but he’s not afraid to give a few rockets when they’re needed. He’s a good man, Trevor Bayliss, a really good man.

“He gets the best out of his team. He is harsh but fair. He plays the game in the right spirit too. He likes to play an exciting brand of cricket.”

‘Exciting brand’That new “exciting brand” was in evidence in the New Zealand test but it is also Bayliss’s exceptional

record in one-day cricket that of-fers England hope that, after the shambles of the recent World Cup, he may be the man to help revolu-tionise their fortunes in the 50-over and 20-over formats.

Bayliss’s CV is laden with tro-phies, particularly in the one-day game, with the World Cup being the one major title to elude him after he reached the final with Sri Lanka in 2011.

He has twice guided New South Wales to the Sheffield Shield in 2005 and 2014 and also won the ING Cup, Australia’s 50-over com-petition. Bayliss has won the IPL twice with Kolkata Knight Riders and led Sydney Sixers to the 2012 Big Bash title.

As the ECB’s Director of Eng-land Cricket, Andrew Strauss said on Tuesday: “Trevor has an out-standing record as coach, has glob-

al experience and is very highly regarded in the game.

“He has proved himself in both domestic and international crick-et, has a strong reputation for man-management and has shown how to build winning teams in all three formats.”

A decent batsman with New South Wales himself, Bayliss played 58 first-class matches be-tween 1985 and 1993.

He played alongside Steve Waugh, one of the great Australia captains, who was so impressed by Bayliss that, during his spell play-ing county cricket in England at Kent, he invited his old team mate to help with coaching duties.

Now Bayliss will be charged with spearheading England’s bid to regain the Ashes and mastermind-ing a fourth successive home series win over his home country. - Reuters

After 138 years of

Anglo-Australian

battles in one of

the world’s greatest

sporting rituals, the

52-year-old Trevor

Bayliss, appointed as

England’s head coach

on Tuesday, will find

himself in a unique

and challenging

position when the

series begins in July

Farbrace keeps things simple for EnglandLONDON: Interim England coach Paul Farbrace empha-sised the fun factor after leading his team to a thrilling 124-run victory over New Zealand in the first test on Monday.

With England poised to ap-point Australian Trevor Bayliss as coach in time for the Ashes series starting in July, Farbrace looked back with great satisfac-tion on his team’s performance at Lord’s. “It’s been a great day,” he told a news conference. “It’s fitting that it went as long as it did. Full credit to both teams.”

England bowled out New Zealand for 220 on the last day to clinch victory after a magnifi-cent game that fluctuated wildly over five days. “I’ve tried not to do anything differently,” said Farbrace, who was put in tem-porary charge of the side follow-ing the sacking of Peter Moores as coach this month.

“The key was to make it as normal as possible for the play-ers and they have responded to that. We encouraged the lads to play good cricket and have fun and that’s what we have always tried to do. It’s been a continua-tion of what has been going on.

“It’s all very well about being a developing side but interna-tional sport is about the here and now and winning. There’s a lot of good players on the fringes and the people who leave the ground today will be excited about the English cricket team.”

Farbrace knows Bayliss well after working as his assistant coach with the Sri Lanka team.

“He’s an old-fashioned crick-et coach, who likes working in the nets,” Farbrace said.

“He’s quiet but when he says something it counts. He’s a good man who is very knowledgeable. He has experience all round the world. I want to be involved in the future, whatever the role is.” - Reuters

C O O L M A N

Holder inspired by Dhoni’s leadership skillsNEW DELHI: Young West In-dies ODI captain Jason Holder feels that his stint at Chennai Super Kings was a well spent one as he learnt about the nuances of captaincy from none other than India’s limited overs skipper Ma-hendra Singh Dhoni.

“MS is an influential figure. In true sense, he is a leader and I found that during my stint with Chennai Super Kings in the Indi-an Premier League. As a captain, I have always looked upto MS’s leadership qualities for inspira-tion,” Holder told PTI during an interaction.

Asked which qualities of Dhoni he would like to imbibe in his cap-taincy, Holder said,”The manner in which Dhoni handles pressure is exceptional. That is the reason he has achieved so much while leading a team with players from different countries. There is so much to learn from him.”

The 23-year-old Holder is one of three international captains that West Indies have currently.

While Holder enjoyed watching IPL from back home, he was hap-py playing the Test series against England during the window.

“I would only be too happy to be involved in IPL again but this time I had a different goal. I was trying to help the West Indies and solidify our position. At the inter-national level, you will have good days and bad days but you need to have self-belief to perform,” said the tall all-rounder, refer-

ring to his match-saving maiden Test hundred against England at Antigua. Holder was appointed captain last year during West In-dies’ tour to South Africa replac-ing Dwayne Bravo and he said that he was neither weighed down by the pressures of the job nor by the presence of many senior players in the dressing room.

“During my first tour as captain to South Africa, my job was to as-sess the individuals. We needed to put some solid plans in place. I needed to understand how as a team we react to certain situa-

tions. I was an U-23 captain and the situations provided me with a challenging experience,” said Holder, recollecting the experi-ences of his first tour as captain.

The youngster also insisted that the “change of role” hasn’t changed his equation with the senior players as he still shares a very cordial relationship with them.

Holder will be representing Barbados Tridents in the Carib-bean Premier League (CPL) but currently his whole focus is on the West Indies’ home series against

Australia, with the first Test start-ing in Roseau on June 3.

“Right now, my entire focus is the Australia series and after that I will think about the CPL,” the all-rounder made his priorities clear.

On the composition of the Tri-dents side that has players like Kieron Pollard, Justin Ontong, Shoaib Malik, Holder termed it as a “very balanced side”.

“It’s a side which has got good players and especially with guys like Pollard and Ontong, ours is a very good fielding unit,” said Holder. - PTI

R O L E M O D E L

HAILING THE INDIAN CAPTAIN: West Indies ODI captain Jason Holder says he always looked upto

MS Dhoni’s leadership qualities. – File photo

PLAYING CAREERA middle order batsman, he played 58 first-class matches for New South Wales, scoring 3,060 runs at an average of 35.58. He scored five hundreds, 15 fifties, with his highest knock being 163. He took eight wickets as a part-time off spinner.

COACHING CAREERWas in charge of Sri Lanka from 2007-11, guiding them to the finals of the T20 World Cup in 2009 and the 2011 World Cup. In his first season in charge of New South Wales, he guided them to the 2005 Sheffield Shield title. Repeated the feat during his second stint with the club in 2014. Coached Sydney Sixers when they won 2012 Big Bash League and 2012 Champions League In charge of Kolkata Knight Riders when they won the Indian Premier League in 2012 and 2014

OFF THE PITCHWas in Pakistan with the Sri Lanka cricket team when their buses were attacked in 2009 by gunmen in Lahore. The attack left six Pa-kistani policemen and a van driver dead while some players and a local umpire were injured.

B A Y L I S S F A C T B O X

C4

SPORTSW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

ALL SET: Sevilla is seeking the Europa League title as by winning they will become the first side to win the titke four times. – Reuters

SOME SOLACE: Dnipro’s players take part in a training session at the team’s training camp in Dnipro-petrovsk. – Reuters

Sevilla seek history against Dnipro

WARSAW: Sevilla can become the first side ever to win four Eu-ropa League or Uefa Cup titles when the holders face a Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk side playing in their first major European final on Wednesday.

Moreover, victory would also secure direct qualification to next season’s Champions League hav-ing missed out by just a point to Valencia in the battle for fourth place in La Liga.

“The growth that the team has experienced is thanks to what we feel for the Europa League,” Sevilla boss Unai Emery told Uefa.com.

“It means something. The team want the fans to feel the vibra-tions that this competition gives us. We’ve achieved something that makes us bigger, it gives us pres-tige, it gives us a place in history and recognition in Europe for our hard work. We can’t deny that we have the chance to write history. Of course we are grateful to have that chance, to be able to pursue this. We are aiming to achieve something with this team, with Se-

villa. It shouldn’t feel like pressure or stop us from executing our game plan against Dnipro. It will serve more as motivation, like a dream we can achieve.”

In contrast to the late goals and two penalty shootouts that led them to glory in last season’s Eu-ropa League, Emery’s men have been rampant this campaign los-ing just once in 14 games and scor-

ing 26 goals in the process.Dnipro’s unlikely road to War-

saw has been far more hard-fought as the Ukrainians have won just seven of their 16 matches in reach-ing the final.

However, having already upset the likes of Olympiakos, Ajax and Napoli, coach Myron Markevich is prepared for his side’s stiffest task yet in the Polish capital.

“We’ve studied Sevilla’s match-es in the national championship and Europa League thoroughly,” Markevich said.

“They’re very strong opponents. I consider Sevilla to be among Eu-rope’s 10 strongest clubs.

“I expect a very hard encounter in Warsaw, but we want to show our best in the final.”

Dnipro maintained their hopes

of Champions League qualifica-tion through the Ukranian league with a 3-2 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk at the weekend despite Markevich resting a number of key players ahead of the final.

Yet, they could be without strik-er Yevhen Seleznyov, who scored both goals in the 2-1 aggregate semi-final win over Napoli, as he is a doubt with a knee injury.

Other than long-term injury ab-sentees Nico Pareja and Sebastian Cristoforo, Sevilla have a clean bill of health with Timothee Kolodzie-jczak and Vitolo expected to be fit despite missing Saturday’s 3-2 win at Malaga due to injury.

And the Spaniards could have the local fans on their side too with Polish international Grzegorz Kry-chowiak set to start in midfield. - AFP

Victory in the Europa

League final will help

Sevilla make history

and at the same time

it would also secure

direct qualification

to next season’s

Champions League

having missed out

by just a point to

Valencia in the

battle for fourth

place in La Liga

DNIPROPETROVSK: East-ern Ukrainian club Dnipro are unexpectedly poised for possible European soccer glory, lifting the gloom in their war-weary country, at least for a while.

With fighting raging on the doorstep of its hometown of Dnipropetrovsk, the club had to travel 500 km (310 miles) to play their Europa League home matches in the capital, Kiev, away from their fans and often at near-empty stadiums.

That sapped morale early on, they say. But despite the odds, they have fought their way to the Europa League final on Wednesday against Spain’s Sevilla, and when they run onto the pitch in Warsaw they say they will have their compatriots on the front line in mind.

“These are hard times for our state and for us too. We are hop-ing our sporting achievement will inspire our heroes who are defending our country from the enemy,” Dnipro defender Artem Fedetsky told Reuters.

“We know the whole of Ukraine will be with us at the stadium. We will be playing for them,” head coach Myron Markevich said.

An industrial city of just un-der one million, Dnipropetrovsk has avoided being sucked into the war against Russian-backed

rebels, a conflict which has killed more than 6,200 people in just over a year.

It has seen an influx of refu-gees and is home to an impor-tant medical centre for treating military wounded, and has come to be regarded as a bulwark against the separatist threat affecting neighbouring big cities such as Donetsk.

Many attribute this to Ihor Kolomoisky, FC Dnipro’s bil-lionaire owner and president, who bankrolled formation of a pro-government militia to stop early signs of separatist sympa-thies taking root.

He later fell foul of the pro-Western authorities and was dumped as regional governor,

though his Privat banking group still holds FC Dnipro.

War gives an edgeThe main boulevard of Dnipro-petrovsk, where acacias throw off a heady scent in the evening, is still called Prospekt Karl Marx — but probably not for much longer as a national programme for dropping Soviet name tags takes hold.

As in many Ukrainian cities, a monument to Soviet state founder Vladimir Lenin was taken down in the centre last year. The team had to fly back and forth to Kiev for qualifying matches after a ruling by soc-cer’s organising body Uefa that the Dnipro Arena stadium was

too dangerous. “We had to play all our home matches in Kiev and the stands were practically empty and without the Eurocup feel that there should be,” said Fedetsky, 30. “But we gritted our teeth, fought on and eventually people got interested. At the game with Napoli there was a full stadium.”

The war has added an edge to the support Dnipropetrovsk has shown for the team.

“I have friends and friends of friends who are fighting. They have been drafted into the army or are in volunteer battalions. We and our fanatical fans help them as best as we can,” Fedetsky said.

“The world should know

about our country and know that, despite the war, life goes on and that the entertainment of football is not foreign to us,” said Oleksander Moiseyenko, a 49-year-old shopkeeper in the city.

Dnipro’s success on the pitch has been the result of waiting for errors from their opponents and moving quickly to punish them. Their outstanding player is Yevhen Konoplyanka, 25, who expertly laid on the winning second goal to clinch a 2-1 win over Napoli in the semifinal.

Football pundits say it is un-likely that Dnipro will triumph against Sevilla, who captured the Europa League trophy last year against Portugal’s Benfica and have won 10 of their 14 Europa League matches this season.

By contrast, Dnipro’s record en route to the final has been seven victories and four defeats, with five matches drawn.

No matter what happens in Warsaw, the club will celebrate triumph over adversity.

“We (have) understood that, since things are not easy for our country just now, we should strive to do better in European Cup matches so that people can see in Europe and elsewhere that, though things are difficult for us now, football is still alive in Ukraine,” Markevich said. - Reuters

Soccer team’s Euro success lifts gloom in war-weary Ukraine

STRATEGY TALK: Dnipro’s coach Myron Markevych speaks to Artem Fedetskiy during a training session at the team’s training camp in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine. – Reuters

C5

SPORTSW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

Seeb square off against Al Shabab with eye on historic GCC crown

Sports Reporter

MUSCAT: All roads lead to Seeb Sports Stadium on Wednesday as the local outfit Seeb square off against Al Shabab of the UAE in the final of the 30th GCC Clubs Football Championship.

And one question that will be on the minds of all Omani fans — not just those heading to the venue but each and everyone sitting in front of the television sets across the na-tion, is: ‘Will Seeb be able to end Sultanate’s long wait for only their second GCC clubs football crown?’

It was 26 years ago, to be precise on August 22 in 1989, that Fanja brought home the coveted trophy for the very first time after over-coming Bahrain’s Al Muharraq 4-2 via penalties after a keenly con-tested final.

That historic triumph of Fanja is now part of Oman’s football folklore. In the intervening years, disappointingly for Omani football fans, no club from Oman has come close to achieving that feat.

All that may change in Wednes-day’s final, scheduled to kick off at 7.30 pm, as Seeb are just a step away from seizing the trophy.

Though their domestic form has been poor to say the least — they have just been relegated from the Oman Football Association’s Oman-

tel Professional League to the First Division — Seeb have fought bravely throughout the GCC campaign.

Now it is time to cap that im-pressive performances with one final push for the title.

And to emulate Fanja, Seeb can take inspiration from the national team that won the country’s maid-en Gulf Cup at home.

The fans, putting besides club

allegiances and rivalries, will sure-ly be rooting for Seeb — as they did for Oman’s golden generation foot-ballers back in 2009 — and hope-fully to the title.

But it’s the players who have to give their best on the field to seal the title.

Interestingly both Seeb and Al Shabab advanced to the final from the same Group B — the Sultan-

ate squad finishing second behind the UAE side.

And against Al Shabab, Seeb have more than one reason to do well — the regional rivalry as well as their defeats to the same oppo-nents in the group stage.

In the two matches, Seeb man-aged to score just one goal in 1-3 and 0-4 losses. In the subsequent matches, however, Seeb played su-

perbly overcoming Al Jahra of Ku-wait and Al Rayyan of Qatar.

Thanks to those performances, Seeb players are now in good shape and positive mood.

Coach Emaduddin Dahbour summed up Seeb players mood in simple words: “The team will not let this opportunity slip.”

Speaking at the pre-match press conference at the Seeb Sports Sta-

dium on Tuesday, the Syrian said: “We made it to the finals through hard work and the team will not let this opportunity to lift the crown get out of our hands.”

“The players know that they will up against a strong side. But they are ready to give in their best,” Emad added.

The coach also said the team will go for an outright victory.

“We want a win and we will go for,” he said. “I think the team needs this title as a morale booster, especially after our recent relega-tion from the OPL.”

Key players outSeeb, however, will be missing three key players in the title show-down due to injuries and on disci-plinary grounds.

The coach said: “Striker Osa-ma Hadid is out because of two bookings he received in our previous match.

“We will also be missing mid-fielders Mohammed Ibrahim and Mohammed Al Dhamri, both of whom are injured and not fit to play the final.”

The Syrian, however, refused to reveal their replacements, saying “we have not finalised yet and will take the decision later.”

“But all the players are ready to give their best and lift the title,” the coach added.

Not complacentAl Shabab coach Luiz Carlos Saroli in his remarks said his team will not take the hosts lightly.

“We have been very clinical in our performances so far. The final is a different ball game and our players are not complacent,” the Brazilian said.

“We will not take Seeb lightly. They are a very tough team They will also have home advantage.”

“But my boys are focussed and are ready for the match. Hopefully we will emerge the champions.”

Website launchedMeanwhile, the Mirza Ahmed, General Secretary of the Organis-ing Committee for GCC Football, announced the official launch of the GCC Clubs Football Championship webisite (gcc-football.com).

Mirza marked the occasion with a cake cutting ceremony during the press conference with both coach-es joining in the celebrations.

Though their

domestic form has

been poor — they

have just been

relegated from the

OPL — Seeb have

fought bravely

throughout the GCC

campaign. And now

it is time to cap

those performances

with a historic title

BIG DAY: Seeb Club coach Emad Dahbour, second right, speaks during a press conference on the eve of their GCC Clubs Football Champi-

onship final against UAE’s Al Shabab at Seeb Sports Stadium on Tuesday. – ISMAIL Al FARSI/Times of Oman

NOT COMPLACENT: Al Shabab coach Luiz Carlos Saroli, right,

speaks during the press conference.

NEW ERA: GCC football organising committee official Mirza Ahmed,

centre, cuts the cake to mark the launch of GCC football website.

BEST INDIANS CUP CRICKET SEMIFINALS ON FRIDAY

Muscat Fighters, OEC, Bisya Club, Masters XI, Al Faisal, SS Friends and HCC entered the

quartersfinals of the Best Indians Cup cricket tournament after some exciting action. The

quarterfinals, semifinals and final will be played on Friday. Results: Muscat Fighter 124/4

bt Golden Senden 65/5; Masters XI 100/6 bt Mangalorians 67/4; Bisya Club 131/7 bt FCC

92/2; Sialkot Stallions 169/2 bt Sinaw Blues 83/4; Sialkot Stallions 87/6 lost to HCC 90

for no loss. New XI 38 all out lost to Al Faisal 39/2. Dudes of Airmech 62/7 lost to OEC

63/5; Al Faisal 115/6 bt Cheers XI Mct 77/7. — Supplied photo

C6

SPORTSW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

ASSARAIN FELICITATES THEIR OMAN CRICKET LEAGUE TITLE-WINNING CRICKET TEAMAssarain organised a felicitation ceremony to honour the members of Assarain Cricket Team, who recently retained the Oman Cricket A Division League title. During the ceremony, held at the

company’s Head Office, Ibrahim Said Al Wahaibi, Managing Director, congratulated the team and thanked the members for their contribution. A cake-cutting ceremony was held on the occasion in

the presence of other top management officials, when the team members were presented with cash incentives. The management has also announced other incentives to the players. — Supplied photo

GCC Blue beat GCC Redat Al Yam Enterprises Summer Cup tourney

MUSCAT: GCC Blue recorded a one wicket victory over GCC Red in the Al Yam Enterprises Sum-mer Cup Cricket Tournament organised by the Gulf Cricket Centre (GCC) for the under-15 players of their academy.

The first of the three-match series was played on Friday when the GCC Blue, afer winning the toss, decided to field first and went on to restrict the Red team to 127 for nine in 25 overs.

Arjun Rajesh was the top scorer for Red team with 27 runs while Obaidullah contributed 16 valuable runs.

For the Blue team, Prathik claimed three wickets while An-kit Rao and Siddharth Pradeep

bagged two wickets each. In reply, GCC Blue successfully chased the target scoring 128 runs for nine wickets in 17 overs.

Omar scored 20 runs while Siddharth and Sounak Kelkar contributed 18 and 12 runs re-spectively.

For the Red team, Arjun Rajesh, Moin Hussain and Satwik Mishra took wickets apiece.

Brief scores: GCC Red 127 for 9 in 25 overs (Arjun Rajesh 27, Obaidullah 16; Prathik 3/21, An-kit Rao 2/16, Siddharth Pradeep 2/19) lost to GCC Blue 128 for 9 in 17 overs (Omar 20, Siddharth 18, Sounak Kelkar 16; Moun Hus-sain 2/12, Arjun Rajesh 2/21, Satwik Mishra 2/18).

C R I C K E T

MAN OF THE MATCH: Siddarth Pradeep receives his award from

GCC coach Dilip Warkad. – Supplied photo

Premier tests won’t faze rising star Neil

LONDON: Norwich manager Alex Neil is relishing the prospect of pitting his wits against the best of the Premier League after his re-markable rise reached a new high with promotion at Wembley.

Just nine months ago, Neil was a virtual unknown outside the close-knit Scottish community of south Lanarkshire where he was starting his second full season in charge of minnows Hamilton. The first match of Neil’s 2014-15 campaign, a Scot-tish League Cup victory for Hamil-ton against Arbroath in August, was watched by just 730 people.

But fast forward to May and Neil suddenly found himself the toast of an 85,000 capacity crowd at Wembley as jubilant Norwich fans hailed the 33-year-old Scot, who had just underlined his growing

reputation as one of the brightest young managers in Britain by mas-terminding his club’s 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the Cham-pionship play-off final.

After leading Hamilton’s pro-motion to the Scottish Premier-ship via the play-offs last season, Norwich persuaded Neil to come south of the border to England’s second tier following the sacking of Neil Adams in January.

At that point Norwich were languishing outside the top six in the aftermath of last season’s relegation, but Neil, whose unre-markable playing career including stops at Airdrie, Barnsley, Mans-field and Hamilton, presided over an incredible run of 17 victories from 25 games which culminated in promotion thanks to first half goals from Cameron Jerome and Nathan Redmond at Wembley.

Neil’s progress from the back-waters of Scottish football to the bright lights of the Premier League, combined with a fiery temper and determination to win at all costs, has already drawn comparisons with legendary for-mer Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.

And, with a single-minded fo-cus that Ferguson would surely approve of, Neil made it clear he wouldn’t feel inferior when he locks horns with the likes of Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger and Louis van Gaal next season.

“People have made a lot of the last year, telling me I was at Ar-broath in front of 700 fans at the start of the season, but it is not a huge concern to me,” Neil said.

“I set goals and am really deter-mined to achieve them, whether it is Hamilton or Norwich. I don’t get

overawed by anyone or any place. I am not silly, I know how big the task is. But we have our goals once we get there about what to do.”

Driven personalityNeil’s success has prompted Nor-wich fans to nickname him ‘Sir Alex’ in reference to Ferguson, while the club’s majority share-holder, the television chef Delia Smith, jokes he should be knighted.

But Neil is adamant the plaudits won’t soften the fiercely competi-tive personality that has driven him to such great heights.

“The thing that drives me is let-ting people down. The fact that Norwich showed faith in me giving me the job, being so young, a lot was made of that. So I am pleased I have made everybody happy, that means more than anything else and we have sent those fans home happy.

“You see (majority-shareholder) Delia (Smith) on the pitch at the end and it’s special. It was about making sure my family is there enjoying the day because the last thing I would want to do is lose and go home with my kids crying.”

For Middlesbrough’s Spanish manager Aitor Karanka there was frustration at missing out on pro-motion but also pride that his team had enjoyed a strong season.

“I want to congratulate Norwich for getting promotion, but I am so proud of my players,” he said. “When I arrived 18 months ago the team was two points above relegation.

“When you make mistakes it is difficult to win games, but I prefer not to speak about the mistakes because we achieved a lot to play here at Wembley. We win as a team and we lose as a team.” - AFP

Just nine months

ago, Neil was a virtual

unknown outside the

close-knit Scottish

community of south

Lanarkshire where

he was starting his

second full season

in charge of

minnows Hamilton

I set goals and am really determined to achieve them. I don’t get overawed by anyone or any place

Alex NeilNorwich manager

Workshop on sports injuries begins

MUSCAT: A comprehensive workshop on management of knee injuries, being organised by the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC) represented by the Sports Medi-cine Committee, was launched at

the Sports Medicine Centre of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on Tuesday.

Fahd bin Abdullah Al Raisi, Director General of Welfare and Development at the Ministry of

Sports Affairs, presided over the opening ceremony.

Jihad bin Abdullah Al Sheikh, member of OOC Board, and a number of Olympic officials were present on the occasion.

K N E E I N J U R I E S

Prince Ali’s election team informs police of approach by individual offering ‘votes’

ZURICH: Fifa presidential can-didate Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein’s election team informed police after being approached by an in-dividual who said he could deliver 47 votes at Friday’s election, they said on Tuesday.

The approach was made in April and the individual also of-fered to provide “what appeared to be illegally obtained” infor-mation relating to the financial activities of Fifa president Sepp Blatter, his campaign added.

The individual was not identi-fied, although the campaign said he was a third party, who was not part of Fifa nor connected to any national football association.

The matter was referred to Quest, a UK-based corporate in-telligence firm, who were asked to contact the police and the offer was rejected. Fifa’s ethics commit-tee, however, was not informed.

“Our goal was not to create a campaign issue but to properly re-act to an approach made to us that

appeared to involve criminal ac-tivity,” Prince Ali’s campaign said in a statement sent to Reuters.

“The campaign did not want to do anything that could jeopardise the investigation. Because the claims made by the individual strongly suggested criminal acts, Quest re-ferred the matter to the proper law enforcement authorities.

“We did not engage the Fifa Eth-ics Committee because the individ-uals concerned were third parties who were not part of Fifa.” - Reuters

F I F A P O L L S

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMSECTIONC W E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5LIFE & STYLE

Recent research has found

evidence that the feeling

of awe helps bind people

together, motivating them to

act in collaborative ways

Here’s a curious fact about goose bumps. In many nonhuman mammals, goose bumps — that physiological reaction in which the muscles surrounding hair

follicles contract — occur when individuals, along with other members of their species, face a threat. We humans, by contrast, can get goose bumps when we experience awe, that often-positive feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends our understanding of the world.

Why do humans experience awe? Years ago, one of us, Keltner, argued (along with psychologist Jonathan Haidt) that awe is the ultimate “collective” emotion, for it motivates people to do things that enhance the greater good. Through many activities that give us goose bumps — collective rituals, celebra-tion, music and dance, religious gatherings and worship — awe might help shift our focus from our narrow self-interest to the interests of the group to which we belong.

Now, recent research of ours, to be pub-lished in next month’s issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, provides strong empirical support for this claim. We found that awe helps bind us to others, moti-vating us to act in collaborative ways that ena-ble strong groups and cohesive communities.

For example, in one study we asked more than 1,500 individuals across the United States a series of questions to assess how much awe, among other emotions, they ex-perienced on a regular basis. In an ostensibly unrelated part of the study, we gave each per-son 10 lottery tickets that would be entered in his (or her) name for a cash prize drawing. We told each person that the tickets were his to keep but that, if he wanted to, he could share a portion of them with another unidentified individual in the study who had not received any tickets.

We found that participants who reported experiencing more awe in their lives, who felt more regular wonder and beauty in the world around them, were more generous to the stranger. They gave approximately 40 per cent more of their tickets away than did par-ticipants who were awe-deprived.

Some of this research was conducted on the campus of the University of California, Berke-ley, which has a spectacular grove of Tasma-nian blue gum eucalyptus trees, some with heights exceeding 200 feet — a potent source of everyday awe for anyone who walks by. So we took participants there and had them ei-ther look up into the trees or look at the facade of a nearby science building, for one minute. Then, a minor “accident” occurred (actually a planned part of the experiment) — A person stumbled and dropped a handful of pens. Par-ticipants who had spent the minute looking up at the tall trees — not long, but long enough, we found, to be filled with awe — picked up more pens to help the other person.

In other experiments, we evoked feelings of awe in the lab, for example by having partici-pants recall and write about a past experience of awe or watch a five-minute video of sublime scenes of nature. Participants experiencing awe, more so than those participants expe-riencing emotions like pride or amusement, cooperated more, shared more resources and sacrificed more for others — all of which are behaviours necessary for our collective life.

In still other studies, we have sought to understand why awe arouses altruism of dif-ferent kinds. One answer is that awe imbues people with a different sense of themselves, one that is smaller, more humble and part of something larger. Our research finds that even brief experiences of awe, such as being amid beautiful tall trees, lead people to feel less narcissistic and more attuned to the common humanity people share with one another.

You could make the case that our culture today is awe-deprived. Adults spend more and more time working and commuting and less time outdoors and with other people. Camping trips, picnics and midnight skies are forgone in favour of working weekends and late at night. Attendance at arts events — live music, theatre, museums and galleries — has dropped. This goes for children, too — Arts and music programmes in schools are being dismantled in lieu of programmess better suited to standardised testing; time outdoors and for novel, unbounded exploration are sacrificed for résumé-building activities. We believe that awe deprivation has had a hand in a broad societal shift . -Paul Piff and Dacher Keltner/The

New York Times News Service

C8

EXTRAW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

Scientists have shown that arachnophobia is inheritable —

you don’t need to necessarily experience spiders to be

fearful of them

Psychologists believe that one reason why people fear spiders is because of some direct experi-ence with the arachnids instilled

that fear in them. This is known as the “conditioning” view of arachnophobia.

In 1991, Graham Davey at City Univer-sity London ran a study to understand more about this view. He interviewed 118 undergraduate students about their fears of spiders. About 75 per cent of the people sampled were either mildly or severely afraid of spiders. Of those most were fe-male. (This gender bias in arachnophobia has been supported subsequent research.)

There was also an effect from family. Those people fearful of spiders reported having a family member with similar fears, but the study was unable to separate ge-netic factors from environmental ones. What is surprising is that Davey found that archanophobia wasn’t the result of specific

“spider trauma”, which means there was no support for the conditioning view.

So what makes spiders so terrifying? Surely it must be the threat of being bitten? Davey looked at that issue too. It turns out that it is not so much a fear of being bitten, but rather the seemingly erratic movements of spiders, and their “legginess”. Davey said: Animal fears may represent a functionally distinct set of adaptive responses which have been selected for during the evolu-tionary history of the human species.

A criticism of Davey’s work is that per-haps “conditioning” cannot be so eas-ily dismissed, because the spider-trauma event may have occurred during child-hood, and a specific spider event may be buried deep within memories. In 1997, Pe-ter Muris and his colleagues at the Univer-sity of Maastricht tried to looked into this.

Not surprisingly, if you give kids a list of things that might be scary for them,

the vast majority check off things like not breathing, getting hit by a car, bombs, fire or burglars as quite important. Inter-estingly, if you give them a free option to tell researchers what sorts of things they fear the most, both boys and girls report “spiders” as their top fear (the second fear is being kidnapped, third is preda-tors and fourth is the dark). This is sur-prising. Of all the things children might report, they list spiders as the number one fear. So in contrast to Davey’s work, Muris finds that the kids that were most fearful of spiders could relate that fear to specific events. Perhaps conditioning is the pathway to arachnophobia.

Genes or environment?But before we can be sure that condition-ing is the main reason, we need to ensure that genetic factors are not involved too. In 2003, John Hettema at the Virginia

Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioural Genetics and his colleagues conducted twin studies to tease apart genetic factors.

Identical twins have identical DNA but tend to live in different environments in adult life, which allows researchers to find out how genes affect behaviour. When Hettema recorded the responses of twins to “fear-relevant” images (spiders, snakes) compared to “fear-irrelevant” im-ages (circles, triangles). Statistical analy-sis of the results revealed that genetic in-fluences were “substantial”, which means that arachnophobia is inheritable. You need not necessarily experience spiders to be fearful of them.

Scare tacticsSo, to my dissatisfaction, arachnophobia is here to stay. But there may be a simple technique to reduce the fear these bugs cause. In 2013, Paul Siegel at the State

University of New York and his colleague published a study that helped volunteers lessen their arachnophobia.

They first split the volunteers into pho-bic and non-phobic groups, based on sim-ple spider-fear tests. After a week of doing these tests, both the groups were then exposed to images of flowers or spiders, but the exposure was for such a very short time. The idea was that people can’t rec-ognise the images consciously, but it has an effect on their subconscious. When the spider-fear tests were carried out on both these groups again, those who feared spi-ders had become less afraid.

While other general conclusions are hard to draw from the literature on arach-nophobia, arachnologists like me should rejoice at the results of Hettema’s study. If nothing else, at least sharing images of spiders may help reduce arachnophobia. -Chris Buddle/The Independent

Thomas Edison said, “If I find 10,000 ways

something won’t work, I haven’t failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.”

Sometimes when defending at the bridge table, every right discard is another step toward defeating the contract — our theme this week and next.

In today’s deal, how can the defenders beat four spades?

West has a textbook three-level opening bid, and North has a textbook takeout double. Then note

South’s advance. North will assume that South has six or seven high-card points, but here South has a trick more than that, so must jump to four spades.

West leads his singleton heart. East wins with his jack and cashes the heart ace. West should anticipate making two discards — which?

West should throw first the diamond nine, then the diamond two. High-low asking his partner to shift to that suit. And if East does just that, West will ruff to defeat the contract.

If West does not discard like that, East will surely lead a fourth heart, hoping

that it promotes a trump trick for West.

Remember the advice of Andy Robson, an English expert. If a three-level-or-higher pre-emptor leads a side suit, it is a singleton. If he leads his own suit, play him for a singleton in your trump suit.

Phillip Alder is combining in May 2016 with Kalos to run a bridge and golf river cruise starting from Bordeaux, France. Details are available on Phillip’s website:

www.phillipalderbridge.com.

— By Phillip Alder

C9

ENTERTAINMENT

Look forward with your discards

B I G N A T E

B O R N L O S E R

M A R M A D U K E

A C E S O N B R I D G E

K I D S P O T H E A L T H C A P S U L EC R O S S W O R D

Answer to previous puzzle

WITH LOVE

W E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

Send us a colour photograph of the child (below 16 years) whose birthday you are celebrating, along with his/her full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and parents’/your name to Times of Oman, With Love, PO Box 770, PC 112, Ruwi or through e-mail to extra@timesofoman.com

ACROSS

1 Consumer org. 4 Half-star movie 7 Splinter group11 Sir — Guinness13 Dazzle14 Popular cookie15 Queen of Olympus16 Kind of stand18 Like junk mail, usually20 Toys with tails21 Prefix for cycle22 Resinous substance23 Unfastened26 Bribes (2 wds.)30 Umbrage31 Yellow vehicle

32 Holbrook or Roach33 Edges36 In-between state38 Starfish arm39 Wine category40 Kitchen tool43 Metric capacities46 Certain erratum48 Pro votes50 Back muscles51 Modern auto feature52 Seep53 Food holder54 Once named55 Like some glances

DOWN

1 Scrooge’s

exclamation 2 Roquefort hue 3 Capital near Zurich 4 The One-L Lama 5 Felt grateful 6 Ice, to a cat burglar 7 Seattle team 8 QED part 9 Yield territory10 Piggies, in a tots’ rhyme12 Golfers’ rides17 All right19 Sooner than anon22 Frankenstein milieu23 Freedom, in slogans24 Incan treasure25 Above, to Tennyson

26 Faux —27 German physicist28 “When We Was —”29 “Alice” waitress31 Exclaim34 Like an evening gown35 Corn servings36 Tennis official’s call37 Without a flaw39 Dentist’s request40 Young equine41 FitzGerald’s poet42 Comic — Rudner43 Brain part44 Deli loaves45 Whiskery animal47 John, in Glasgow49 Firmament

C I N E M A S C H E D U L EC I N E M A S C H E D U L E

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Mad Max Fury Road (Action)Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult1:45, 7:30 & 9:45pm; CP NO: 1273 (12+)Spooks: The Greater Good ( Act ) Cast: Kit Harintion, Elyes Gabel, Jennifer Ehle4:00, 8:00, 10:00pm; CP No: 1343 (12+)Danny Collins (Comedy/Drama ) Cast: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner2:00 & 6:00pm; CP No: 1346 (12+)Offender (Thriller) Cast: Joe Cole, English Frank, Kimberly Nixon3:45 & 11:55pm; CP No: 1344 (18+)Captain Masr (Arabic) (Comedy) Cast: Mohamed Emam, Edward Bayoumi Fouad5:45pm; CP No: 1345 (PG)San Andreas (Action / Thriller)Cast : Dwayne Johnson, Alexandra Deddario, Carla Gugino11:55pm; CP No: ( PG )

Bhaskar The Raskal (Mal) (Rom/Com) Cast: Mammootty, Nayanthara & Isha Talwar 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30 pm at Cinema Main 36 Vayadhinile (Tamil) (Family/Drama) Cast: Jyothika, Rahman & Abhirami 3:30, 6:30 & 9:30 pm at Cinema -2 Lion (Telugu) (Act/Rom) Cast: Balakrishna, Trisha Krishnan, Radhika Apte & Prakash Raj 3:45 & 6:45 pm at Cinema -3 Piku (Hindi) (Drama\Com) Cast: Amitabh Bachchan , Deepika Padukone & Irfan Khan 6:45 & 9:45 pm at Cinema -4Oru Vadakka Selfie (Mal) (Com\Drama) Cast: Navin Pauly, Manjima & Vineeth Sreenivasam; 3:45 pm Cinema -4, 9:45pm at Cinema 3Next Change: Demonte Colony (Tamil)

San Andereas (Act, Adv)(3D) PGCast : Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario09:15 pm /11:45 pmMad Max Fury Road (Act)(2D) 12+Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron9:30 & 11:45pmPiku (Comedy, Drama)(PG)Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan. 4:40 pmPoltergeist (Horror, Thriller) (2D/15+)Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kennedi Clements. 2:45 pmPoltergeist (3D/15+)Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kennedi Clements. 9:40 & 11:30 pmSpooks The Greater Good (Action, Drama) (12+)Cast: Kit Harington, Tuppence Middleton, Jennifer Ehle. 2:00 pmDanny Collins (Comedy, Drama) (12+)Cast: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner. 7:20 pmTomorrowland (Action, Adventure) (PG)Cast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie; 3:00, 4:15, 6:45 pmOmar (Arabic) (Drama, Thriller) 12+Cast: Adam Bakri, Leem Lubany, Eyad Hourani. 5:30 pmTanu Weds Manu Returns (Com) (TBC)Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan, Eijaz Khan7:00 pm

Kennedi Clements12:45 & 11:45 pmGold Class: 11:15 pmPoltergeist (2D) 15+Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt 12:45 pmTomorrowland (2D) PGCast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie.10:15 am, 2:30, 9:15 & 11:45 pmGold Class: 2:00 & 8:50 pmRobosapien: Rebooted (2D) PGCast: Kim Coates, Penelope Ann Miller, Bobby Coleman. 11:00 amSpooks The Greater Good (2D) 12+Cast: Car Kit Harington, Tuppence Middleton, Jennifer Ehle. 5:00 pmDanny Collins (2D) 12+Cast: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner. 7:15 pm. Gold Class: 4:20 PMTanu Weds Manu Returns (H) (2D) Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan, Eijaz 9:15 pmGold Class: 6:20 pmOmar (2D) (Arabic) (Drama, Thriller) 12+Cast: Adam Bakri, Leem Lubany 5:30 pm

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SCREEN 1

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SCREEN 2

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SCREEN 3

Gabbar - Hindi (Action/Drama) – PG

Mad Max: Fury Road - 3d (12+) ActCast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron7:00, 9:20, 11:45 pmPiku - 2D (PG)Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan  4:45 pm Spooks: The Greater Good - 2D (12+) Action | Drama | ThrillerCast: Kit Harington, Tuppence Middleton, Jennifer Ehle5:00, 11:45 pm Danny Collins - 2D (12+) Com |DramaCast: Al Pacino, Jennifer Garner2:30, 5:15 pm Robosapien: Rebooted - 2D (12+) Adventure |Drama | Family  Cast: Kim Coates, Penelope Ann Miller3:30  pmPoltergeist - 2D (15+) Horror | Thriller  Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt4:30 pmPoltergeist - 3D (15+) Horror | Thriller  Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt 9:45 pmBhaskar the Rascal - 2D  (M)(PG12) ComedyCast: Mammootty, Nayanthara, Isha Talwar, 6:15 pmTomorrowland - 2D  (PG) Act |Adv |   Cast : George Clooney, Britt Robertson 2:30, 7:15, 9:05, 11:30 pmTanu Weds Manu Returns (H) (2D) Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan, Eijaz 2:15, 9:15 pm

San Andreas – 3D (PG) Act, DramaCast: Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino09:20, 11:30 pmSpooks: The Greater Good - 2D (12+) Cast: Kit Harington, Tuppence Middleton 3:00, 11:40pmMad Max: Fury Road – 3D (12+) (Action)Cast: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron4:30, 9:30 pmDanny Collins – 2D (12+) (Com, Drama) Cast: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner. 2:45, 5:00 pmRobosapien: Rebooted – 2D (PG) (Adventure); 2:45, 4:15 pmCast: Kim Coates, Penelope Ann MillerPoltergeist  - 3D (15+) (Horror, Thriller)Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt 7:50, 11:50 pmTomorrowland - 2D (PG) (Action)Cast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson 7:00, 9:30 pmBhaskar the Rascal - 2D (PG12) (Com)Cast: Mammootty, Nayanthara, Isha 6:45 pmDemonte Colony - 2D (TBC) HorrorCast: Arulnithi; 5:45 pm

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Cast: Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, 9:15 pmTomorrowland (Act | Adv) (PG) Cast: George Clooney, Britt Robertson 04:40, 06:30, 08:55pmTanu Weds Manu Returns (Hindi) (Comedy | Romance) (TBC) Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Madhavan, Eijaz 11:15 pm Bhaskar the Rascal (Mal) (Com) (PG12) Cast: Mammootty, Nayanthara, 11:00 pm

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DHARSAN E.May 27, 2013

A.V.A. ABHI NANDAKUMARMay 27

N. HARI PRIYA SATISHMay 27

SRIVIDYA May 27

ADITI SREEVALSANMay 26, 2005

SYEDA ZAINAB FATIMAMay 27, 2004

THUSHYANTH ARVINTHMay 28

AKSHITA ARVIND KUMARMay 29

C10

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HOSPITALSAl Amal Medical & Health Care Centre: 24485052Atlas Hospital: Ruwi: 24811743/ Ghubra: 24504000Al Musafir Specialised Medical Clinic: 24706453Hatat Polyclinic LLC,Ruwi: 24563641, Azaiba: 24499269, Sohar: 2683006Al Raffah Hospital: 24618900/1/2Al Massaraat Clinic & Laboratory: 24566435Al Makook Medical Coordinance Centre: 24499434Apollo Medical Centre, Hamriya: 24787766, 24787780Capital Polyclinic: 24707549Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic, Ruwi: 24799760/1/2Capital Clinic, Seeb: 24420740Ceregem National Raak: 24485633Dr Harub’s Clinic: 24563217Elixir Health Centre: 24565802Emirates Medical Centre: 246045401st Chiropractic Centre: 24472274Hamdan Hospital: 23212340International Medical Centre LLC: 24794501/2/3/4/5Kims Oman Hospital: 24760100

24 Hrs Emergency: 24760123Lama Polyclinic, Sohar: 26751128, MBD: 24799077, Al Khuwair: 24478818Magrabi Eye and Ear Hospital: 24568870Muscat Private Hospital: 24583600Welcare Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, Al Khuwair: 24477666Al-Hayat Polyclinc LLC: 22004000

ROYAL OMAN POLICEEmergencies and inquiries: 9999General Directorate of Passport and Residence: 24569603Directorate General of Customs: 24521109Traffic violations inquiries: 24510228Public Relations Admin: 24560099

ACCOMMODATIONAl Bahjah Hotel: 24424400Al Bustan Palace: 24764000 Al Khuwair Hotel Apartments: 24478171Al Madina Holiday Inn: 24596400Al Maha International Hotel: 24494949Al Fanar Hotel: 24712385Al Falaj Hotel: 24702311Al Qurum Resort: 24605945Azaiba Hotel Apartments: 24490979Beach Hotel: 24696601Bowshar Hotel: 24491105Coral Hotel Muscat: 24692121Crowne Plaza Muscat: 24660660Crystal Suites: 24826100Golden Tulip Seeb: 24510300Grand Hyatt Muscat: 24641234Haffa House Hotel: 24707207Hotel Muscat Holiday: 24487123InterContinental Muscat: 24680000Majan Continental Hotel: 24592900Marina Hotel: 24711711Midan Hotel Suites: 24499565Mina Hotel: 24711828Muttrah Hotel: 24798401

Nuzha Hotel Apartments: 24789199Oman Dive Centre: 24824240Park Inn: 24507888Qurum Beach House Hotel: 24564070Radisson Blu Hotel: 24487777Ramee Dream Resort Seeb: 24453399Ramee Guestline Hotel: 24564443Ruwi Hotel: 24704244Safeer Hotel Suites: 24691200Sheraton Oman Hotel: 24772772Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa: 24776666The Chedi Muscat: 24524400The Treasurebox Muscat Hotel: 24502570

AIRLINE OFFICESMuscat Airport Flight information (24 hours): 24519456/24519223Aeroflot: 24704455, Air Arabia: 24700828, Air France: 24562153, Air India: 24799801, Air New Zealand: 24700732, Biman Bangladesh Airlines: 24701128, British Airways: 24568777, Cathay Pacific: 24789818, Egypt Air: 24794113, Emirates Air: 24404400, Ethiopian Airlines: 24660313, Gulf Air: 80072424, Indian: 24791914, Iran Air: 24787423, Japan Airlines: 24704455, Jazeera Airways: 23294848, Jet Airways: 24787248, Kenya Airways: 24660300, KML Royal Dutch Airlines: 24566737, Kuwait Airways: 24701262, LOT Polish Airlines: 24796387, Lufthansa: 24796692, Malaysian Airlines: 24560796, Middle East Airlines: 24796680, Oman Air: 24531111, Pakistan International Airlines: 24792471, Qatar Airways: 24771900, Qantas: 24559941, Royal Jordanian: 24796693, Saudi Arabian Airlines: 24789485, Singapore Airlines: 24791233, Shaheen Air: 24816565, SriLankan Airlines:

24784545, Swiss International Airlines: 24796692, Thai Airways: 24705934, Turkish Airlines: 24703033

MUSEUMSBait Al Baranda: Corniche (seafront opp fish market), Open from Saturday to Thursday 9am to 1pm and 4 to 6pmNatural History Museum: Al Khuwair, Tel: 24604957, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm; Thursday: 9am to 1pmMuseum of Omani Heritage: (former Omani Museum), Madinat Al Alam, Sat-Wed 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday - 9am to 1pm, Tel: 24600946Armed Forces Museum: Bait Al Falaj, Tel: 24312651, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm; Thurs 9-12pm and 3-6pm; Fri 9-11am and 3-6pm. Al Hoota Caves 24498258; Turtle Beach 96550606/96550707Children’s Science Museum: Shatti Al Qurum, Tel: 24605368, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pmOman-French Museum: near Muscat Police Station, Tel: 24736613, Open from Sat to Wed: 8am to 1:30pm, Thurs: 9am to 1pmBait Al Zubair, Muscat: Tel: 24736688, Al Saidiya St., Muscatmuseum@baitalzubairmuseum.comOpen from Sat to Thurs: 9:30am to 6pm.National Museum Ruwi: Tel: 24701289, Open from Saturday to Wednesday: 8am to 1:30pm, Thursday: 9am to 1pmSohar Fort Museum: Tel: 26844758, Open from Saturday to Wed: 8 to 1:30pm Thurs: 9am to 1pmMuscat Gate Museum: at Al Bahri Road, Muscat open from Sat to Wed 8am to 2pm

W E A T H E R

OMAN

Max 40Min 27

Max 45Min 32

Max 41Min 43

Max 42Min 27

Max 43Min 31Max 42

Min 28

Max 43Min 29

Max 33 Min 28

Clear to partly cloudy skies over the coastal area of Dohfar governorate and adjoining mountains. Mainly clear skies over rest of the Sultanate with chance of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog

patches along the coastal areas of Arabian Sea. Mainly clear skies over the rest of the Sultanate with chances of convective clouds development and thundershower associated with fresh downdraft and hail over Al-Hajar mountains and adjoining areas towards tomorrow afternoon that may extend to coastal areas of Oman Sea.EXPECTED WIND: Along the coastal areas of Oman Sea wind will be southwesterly light at night becoming northerly to northeasterly light to moderate during day and along the coastal areas of Arabian Sea wind will be

southwesterly moderate to fresh while over rest of the Sultanate wind will be southeasterly light to moderate.SEA STATE: Moderate to rough along the southeastern coasts with a maximum wave height of 2.5 metres and slight along the rest of Oman’s coast with a maximum wave height of 1.25 metres.HORIZONTAL VISIBILITY: Good over most of the Sultanate becoming poor during thundershowers and fog.THE NEXT 48 HOURS OUTLOOK: Chances of convective clouds development and rain over Al-Hajar mountains and adjoining areas during afternoon. Chance of late night to early morning low level clouds or fog patches along the coastal areas of Arabian Sea.

Max Min

GULFAbu Dhabi 37 30Doha 44 27Dubai 36 30Kuwait 43 29Manama 40 27Riyadh 37 25

WORLDAthens 27 19Baghdad 41 24Beijing 32 18Berlin 14 9Boston 28 17Cairo 46 24Colombo 30 27Frankfurt 19 9Hong Kong 28 26Istanbul 23 16Johannesburg 22 8Kuala Lumpur 31 25Lisbon 33 13Paris 20 12Perth 19 9Singapore 31 28Tokyo 30 17Toronto 26 17

WORLD

Max 27Min 19

Max 45Min 26

Max 27Min 15

Max 37Min 29

Max 23Min 14

Max 18Min 14

Max 28Min 17

Max 34Min 28

LISTINGS

LONG DISTANCE BUS TIMINGS (OMAN NATIONAL TRANSPORT COMPANY SAOC) *SUBJECT TO CHANGE

QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (Route 36)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 15:00 Quriyat 16:30 Daily15:00 Sur 18:00 Daily15:00 Jaalan 19:30 Daily

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (Route 36)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41)06:30 Sohar 08:50 Daily06:30 Buraimi 11:00 Daily08:00 Buraimi 14:30 Daily via Ibri13:00 Sohar 15:45 Daily13:00 Buraimi 17:40 Daily 16.00 Sohar 18.35 Daily 16.00 Buraimi 20:20 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (Route 41)07:00 Sohar 08:55 Daily07:00 Ruwi 11:40 Daily13:30 Ruwi 20:20 Daily via Ibri13:00 Sohar 14:55 Daily13:00 Ruwi 17:40 Daily 13:00 Sohar 19:20 Daily 17:00 Ruwi 22:15 Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52)17:30 Sinaw 20:50 Daily

TO SINAW (Route 52)07:00 Ruwi 10:25 Daily

To Yanqul (Route 54)14:30 Nizwa 16:50 Daily14:30 Yanqul 19:30 Daily

To Yanqul (Route 54)06:00 Nizwa 08:40 Daily06:00 Ruwi 11:00 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54)08:00 Nizwa 10:20 Daily08:00 Al Araqi 12:30 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (Route 54)15:40 Nizwa 17:55 Daily15:40 Ruwi 20:20 Daily

TO SUR (Route 55)07:30 Sur 12:00 Daily14:30 Sur 18:45 Daily

TO SUR (Route 55)06:00 Ruwi 10:45 Daily14:30 Ruwi 19:00 Daily

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (Route 62)06:30 Fahud 10:30 Daily06:30 Yibal 11:15 Daily

TO YIBAL - FAHUD (Route 62)12:30 Fahud 13:15 Daily12:30 Ruwi 17:30 Daily

TO DUBAI (Route 201)06:00 Sohar 08:30 Daily06:00 Dubai 11:30 Daily13:00 Sohar 15:30 Wed,Thur13:00 Dubai 18:30 Wed,Thur15:00 Sohar 17:35 Daily15:00 Dubai 20:55 Daily

TO DUBAI (Route 201)07:30 Sohar 10:50 Daily07:30 Ruwi 13:40 Daily13:00 Sohar 16:15 Thur-Fri13:00 Ruwi 19:10 Thur-Fri15:30 Sohar 18:45 Daily15:30 Ruwi 21:35 Daily

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (Route 100)07:00 Salalah 20:00 Daily10:00 Marmul 20:30 Daily10:00 Salalah 23:30 Daily19:00 Salalah 07:40 Daily

TO SALALAH -MARMUL (Route 100)07:00 Ruwi 19:50 Daily10:00 Marmul 13:15 Daily10:00 Ruwi 22:30 Daily19:00 Ruwi 07:30 Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101)06:00 Marmul 16:50 Daily

SALALAH TO DUBAI (Route 102)15:00 Dubai 07:00 Daily

TO MARMUL (Route 101)06:00 Marmul 16:30 Daily

DUBAI TO SALALAH (Route 102)15:00 Salalah 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily 07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily 07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (Route 204)Dept Destination Arrival Operating Time Time Days 16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily 16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

FROM MUSCAT (RUWI) TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

WEDNESDAYFLT NO ARRIVALS FROM ETA WY648 KUWAIT  0005WY406 CAIRO  0005WY676 JEDDAH  0005WY672 MEDINA  0005WY682 RIYADH  0010WY914 SALALAH  0020WY916 SALALAH  0120TK774 ISTANBUL  01354H583 DACCA  0200PK229 LAHORE  0215GF560 BAHRAIN  0325FZ035 DUBAI  0340QR1132 DOHA  0345EK866 DUBAI  0350ET624 ADDIS ABABA  0350EY384 ABU DHABI  0400WY114 FRANKFURT  0515WY412 AMMAN  0635WY658 BAHRAIN  0635WY638 ABU DHABI  0640WY902 SALALAH  0645WY644 KUWAIT  0650WY686 RIYADH  0655G9841 RAS AL KHAIMA  0655WY144 MALPENSA  0705WY668 DOHA  0715WY674 JEDDAH  0735WY132 PARIS  0735WY102 LONDON HEATHROW  0740FZ043 DUBAI  0800WY432 TEHRAN  0805WY422 BEIRUT  0805WY602 DUBAI  0805WY342 LAHORE  0825NL768 LAHORE  0830WY202 BOMBAY  0835WY236 HYDERABAD  0900G9114 SHARJAH  0905WY282 BANGALORE  0910WY226 COCHIN  0920EK862 DUBAI  0930WY242 DELHI  0935IX549 TRIVANDRUM  0955WY252 MADRAS  0955QR1128 DOHA  1000EY382 ABU DHABI  1010IX443 COCHIN  1020QR8550 DOHA  1035WY3922 DUQUM OMAN  1035WY652 BAHRAIN  10409W530 TRIVANDRUM  1045WY918 KHASAB  1115WY604 DUBAI  1115WY3302 MUKHAIZNA  1120GF562 BAHRAIN  1130FZ037 DUBAI  1140WY372 COLOMBO  1140IX337 CALICUT  1155PA450 LAHORE  1215WY822 KUALA LUMPUR-SINGAPORE  1215WY818 BANGKOK  1220WY634 ABU DHABI  1220WY904 SALALAH  1230WY670 DOHA  1250WY324 KARACHI  1300WY332 KATHMANDU  1305WY606 DUBAI  1340WY906 SALALAH  1440WY920 KHASAB  1445WY348 ISLAM ABBAD  1515G9119 SHARJAH  1525FZ045 DUBAI  1535WY3304 MUKHAIZNA  1550WY656 BAHRAIN  1610QR1126 DOHA  1650WY204 BOMBAY  1655WY292 CALICUT  1710WY264 LUCKNOW  1740WY664 DOHA  1745EK864 DUBAI  1745WY232 HYDERABAD  1750WY246 DELHI  1750WY254 MADRAS  1750WY610 DUBAI  1800GF564 BAHRAIN  1810WY216 TRIVANDRUM  1820G9116 SHARJAH  1905WY274 JAIPUR  1910WY646 KUWAIT  1920FZ047 DUBAI  1940WY908 SALALAH  2000RG125 ABU DHABI  2005WY632 ABU DHABI  2005WY386 MALE  2020WY614 DUBAI  2025WY848 JAKARTA  2035WY338 KATHMANDU  2040FZ049 DUBAI  2100AI977 BANGALORE-HYDERABAD  2105KL441 AMSTERDAM-DOHA  2105WY124 MUNICH  21059W534 COCHIN  2115AI973 DELHI  21256.00E+81 BOMBAY  2130BA073 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI  2140WY624 DUBAI  2150AI907 MADRAS  2200WY312 CHITTAGONG  2210LX242 ZURICH-DUBAI  2225QR1134 DOHA  2225GF566 BAHRAIN  2240LH616 FRANKFURT-DOHA  2245WY717 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM  2250WY328 KARACHI  2250EY388 ABU DHABI  2300WY414 AMMAN  2300WY910 SALALAH  23109W540 BOMBAY  2315AI985 BOMBAY  2325WY662 DOHA  2335WY636 ABU DHABI  2340WY654 BAHRAIN  2340WY928 SALALAH  2345WY816 BANGKOK  2350WY612 DUBAI  2355WY696 DAMMAM  2355

THURSDAYFLT NO ARRIVALS FROM ETA

WY424 BEIRUT  0005WY676 JEDDAH  0005WY648 KUWAIT  0005WY682 RIYADH  0010WY914 SALALAH  0020BG021 DACCA  0100CV610 LUXORE  0115WY916 SALALAH  0120TK774 ISTANBUL  01354H585 DACCA  0200PK225 KARACHI  0215GF560 BAHRAIN  0325QR1132 DOHA  0345EK866 DUBAI  0350ET624 ADDIS ABABA  0350EY384 ABU DHABI  0400PK291 ISLAM ABBAD  0410MS930 CAIRO  0410FZ041 DUBAI  0415WY114 FRANKFURT  05154H586 DOHA  0600WY658 BAHRAIN  0635WY638 ABU DHABI  0640WY902 SALALAH  0645WY644 KUWAIT  0650WY686 RIYADH  0655WY154 ZURICH  0700WY144 MALPENSA  0705WY678 MEDINA  0710WY668 DOHA  0715WY674 JEDDAH  0735WY102 LONDON HEATHROW  0740FZ043 DUBAI  0800WY602 DUBAI  0805WY346 ISLAM ABBAD  0815NL768 LAHORE  0830WY272 JAIPUR  0830WY202 BOMBAY  0835WY236 HYDERABAD  0900G9114 SHARJAH  0905WY226 COCHIN  0920EK862 DUBAI  0930WY210 GOA  0935WY242 DELHI  0935WY212 TRIVANDRUM  0950WY252 MADRAS  0955QR1128 DOHA  1000EY382 ABU DHABI  1010IX817 MANGALORE  1010IX443 COCHIN  1020WY652 BAHRAIN  10409W530 TRIVANDRUM  1045WY604 DUBAI  1115WY918 KHASAB  1115GF562 BAHRAIN  1130WY372 COLOMBO  1140FZ037 DUBAI  1140IX337 CALICUT  1155WY822 KUALA LUMPUR-SINGAPORE  1215WY818 BANGKOK  1220WY634 ABU DHABI  1220WY904 SALALAH  1230BG023 DACCA-CHITTAGONG  1230WY670 DOHA  1250WY332 KATHMANDU  1305PA950 SIALKOT  1310CV611 MADRAS  1315WY606 DUBAI  1340WY3302 MUKHAIZNA  1350WY632 ABU DHABI  1355WY906 SALALAH  1440WY920 KHASAB  1445WY3922 DUQUM OMAN  1510FZ045 DUBAI  1535KU677 KUWAIT-ABU DHABI  1540SV530 JEDDAH  1550WY344 LAHORE  1605QR1126 DOHA  1650WY204 BOMBAY  1655WY292 CALICUT  1710WY264 LUCKNOW  1740WY664 DOHA  1745EK864 DUBAI  1745WY254 MADRAS  1750WY232 HYDERABAD  1750WY246 DELHI  1750WY284 BANGALORE  1750WY3932 SOHAR  1805GF564 BAHRAIN  1810TG507 BANGKOK-KARACHI  1900G9116 SHARJAH  1905WY374 COLOMBO  1915WY646 KUWAIT  1920FZ047 DUBAI  1940WY908 SALALAH  2000RG125 ABU DHABI  2005WY614 DUBAI  2025WY848 JAKARTA  2035WY338 KATHMANDU  2040WY434 TEHRAN  2055FZ049 DUBAI  2100KL441 AMSTERDAM-DOHA  2105WY124 MUNICH  21054H561 DACCA  21159W534 COCHIN  2115AI973 DELHI  21256.00E+81 BOMBAY  2130BA073 LONDON HEATHROW-ABU DHABI  2140WY624 DUBAI  2150UL205 COLOMBO  2155AI907 MADRAS  2200WY312 CHITTAGONG  2210LX242 ZURICH-DUBAI  2225QR1134 DOHA  2225GF566 BAHRAIN  2240LH616 FRANKFURT-DOHA  2245WY414 AMMAN  2300SG061 AHMEDABAD  2300EY388 ABU DHABI  2300WY910 SALALAH  2310WY910 SALALAH  23109W540 BOMBAY  2315AI985 BOMBAY  2325WY662 DOHA  2335WY662 DOHA  2335WY636 ABU DHABI  2340WY654 BAHRAIN  2340WY816 BANGKOK  2350WY612 DUBAI  2355WY696 DAMMAM  2355WY612 DUBAI  2355

FLT NO DEPARTURES TO ETD 9W539 BOMBAY  0020AI986 BOMBAY  0020WY657 BAHRAIN  0055WY637 ABU DHABI  0105WY235 HYDERABAD  0110WY281 BANGALORE  0110WY201 BOMBAY  0115WY685 RIYADH  0115WY643 KUWAIT  0120WY251 MADRAS  0120WY341 LAHORE  0145WY601 DUBAI  0145WY431 TEHRAN  0155WY371 COLOMBO  0155WY123 MUNICH  0200WY847 JAKARTA  0215WY241 DELHI  0215WY901 SALALAH  0215WY667 DOHA  0225TK775 ISTANBUL  02304H584 DACCA  0300PK230 LAHORE  0315WY331 KATHMANDU  0350EK867 DUBAI  0450ET625 ADDIS ABABA  0450EY385 ABU DHABI  0500FZ036 DUBAI  0510QR1133 DOHA  0515WY651 BAHRAIN  0645GF561 BAHRAIN  0715WY3921 DUQUM OMAN  0740G9842 RAS AL KHAIMA  0745WY603 DUBAI  0750WY903 SALALAH  0750WY3301 MUKHAIZNA  0800WY917 KHASAB  0815WY347 ISLAM ABBAD  0830WY669 DOHA  0835WY323 KARACHI  0835FZ044 DUBAI  0845WY633 ABU DHABI  0900WY815 BANGKOK  0905WY291 CALICUT  0915WY215 TRIVANDRUM  0915WY253 MADRAS  0915NL769 LAHORE  0930WY717 ZANZIBAR-DARESSLAM  0940WY263 LUCKNOW  0940WY385 MALE  0945WY821 SINGAPORE-KUALA LUMPUR  0945WY843 MANILA  0955G9115 SHARJAH  0955WY231 HYDERABAD  1000WY905 SALALAH  1020WY605 DUBAI  1020WY203 BOMBAY  1025WY245 DELHI  1040EK863 DUBAI  1045IX554 TRIVANDRUM  1045WY337 KATHMANDU  1050QR1129 DOHA  1100EY383 ABU DHABI  1105IX442 COCHIN  1120WY311 CHITTAGONG  11409W533 COCHIN  1145WY919 KHASAB  1145QR8550 DUBAI WORLD CENTRE-DOHA  1205WY655 BAHRAIN  1215GF563 BAHRAIN  1215WY273 JAIPUR  1220FZ038 DUBAI  1225WY3303 MUKHAIZNA  1230IX350 CALICUT  1255PA451 LAHORE  1315WY113 FRANKFURT  1320WY663 DOHA  1330WY143 MALPENSA  1350WY645 KUWAIT  1350WY101 LONDON HEATHROW  1400WY423 BEIRUT  1415WY153 ZURICH  1420WY927 SALALAH  1430WY413 AMMAN  1440WY405 CAIRO  1440WY609 DUBAI  1445WY907 SALALAH  1540WY675 JEDDAH  1615G9110 SHARJAH  1615FZ046 DUBAI  1620WY631 ABU DHABI  1640WY613 DUBAI  1710QR1127 DOHA  1750WY327 KARACHI  1810WY623 DUBAI  1840WY681 RIYADH  1840WY647 KUWAIT  1845WY909 SALALAH  1850GF565 BAHRAIN  1855EK865 DUBAI  1910WY695 DAMMAM  1915WY661 DOHA  1920WY653 BAHRAIN  1920G9117 SHARJAH  1955WY913 SALALAH  2000WY635 ABU DHABI  2015FZ048 DUBAI  2025WY611 DUBAI  2035RG126 ABU DHABI  2045WY915 SALALAH  2100FZ050 DUBAI  2145AI978 HYDERABAD-BANGALORE  2200KL442 DOHA-AMSTERDAM  2220WY817 BANGKOK  22259W529 TRIVANDRUM  22306.00E+82 BOMBAY  2245AI908 MADRAS  2300AI974 DELHI  2310WY677 MEDINA  2310GF567 BAHRAIN  2325LX243 DUBAI-ZURICH  2325BA072 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW  2330QR1135 DOHA  2330WY673 JEDDAH  2350EY381 ABU DHABI  2355LH617 DOHA-FRANKFURT  2355

FLT NO DEPARTURES TO ETD 9W539 BOMBAY  0020AI986 BOMBAY  0020WY657 BAHRAIN  0055WY637 ABU DHABI  0105WY225 COCHIN  0105WY235 HYDERABAD  0110WY211 TRIVANDRUM  0110WY685 RIYADH  0115WY201 BOMBAY  0115WY643 KUWAIT  0120WY251 MADRAS  0120WY345 ISLAM ABBAD  0125WY601 DUBAI  0145WY371 COLOMBO  0155WY123 MUNICH  0200WY901 SALALAH  0215WY241 DELHI  0215WY847 JAKARTA  0215WY667 DOHA  0225BG022 CHITTAGONG-DACCA  0230TK775 ISTANBUL  0230WY209 GOA  02554H585 DOHA  0300PK226 KARACHI  0315WY331 KATHMANDU  0350CV610 MADRAS  0355EK867 DUBAI  0450ET625 ADDIS ABABA  0450EY385 ABU DHABI  0500FZ042 DUBAI  0510MS931 CAIRO  0510PK292 ISLAM ABBAD  0510QR1133 DOHA  0515WY651 BAHRAIN  06454H586 DACCA  0700GF561 BAHRAIN  0715WY903 SALALAH  0750WY603 DUBAI  0750WY917 KHASAB  0815WY669 DOHA  0835FZ044 DUBAI  0845WY633 ABU DHABI  0900WY373 COLOMBO  0900WY815 BANGKOK  0905WY343 LAHORE  0915WY253 MADRAS  0915WY291 CALICUT  0915NL769 LAHORE  0930WY263 LUCKNOW  0940WY821 SINGAPORE-KUALA LUMPUR  0945G9115 SHARJAH  0955WY231 HYDERABAD  1000WY283 BANGALORE  1000WY3301 MUKHAIZNA  1000WY905 SALALAH  1020WY605 DUBAI  1020WY203 BOMBAY  1025WY631 ABU DHABI  1030WY245 DELHI  1040EK863 DUBAI  1045WY337 KATHMANDU  1050QR1129 DOHA  1100IX818 MANGALORE  1100EY383 ABU DHABI  1105IX442 COCHIN  1120WY311 CHITTAGONG  11409W533 COCHIN  1145WY919 KHASAB  1145WY3921 DUQUM OMAN  1210WY655 BAHRAIN  1215GF563 BAHRAIN  1215FZ038 DUBAI  1225IX350 CALICUT  1255WY113 FRANKFURT  1320WY663 DOHA  1330WY645 KUWAIT  1350WY143 MALPENSA  1350WY101 LONDON HEATHROW  1400BG024 CHITTAGONG-DACCA  1400PA951 SIALKOT  1430WY927 SALALAH  1430WY405 CAIRO  1440WY413 AMMAN  1440CV611 LUXORE  1445WY433 TEHRAN  1445WY907 SALALAH  1540WY3931 SOHAR  1600WY675 JEDDAH  1615FZ046 DUBAI  1620KU678 KUWAIT  1640SV531 MEDINA-JEDDAH  1650WY613 DUBAI  1710QR1127 DOHA  1750WY623 DUBAI  1840WY681 RIYADH  1840WY647 KUWAIT  1845WY909 SALALAH  1850GF565 BAHRAIN  1855EK865 DUBAI  1910WY695 DAMMAM  1915WY661 DOHA  1920WY653 BAHRAIN  1920G9117 SHARJAH  1955WY913 SALALAH  2000TG508 KARACHI-BANGKOK  2005WY635 ABU DHABI  2015FZ048 DUBAI  2025WY611 DUBAI  2035RG126 ABU DHABI  2045WY915 SALALAH  2100FZ050 DUBAI  2145WY411 AMMAN  22054H561 JEDDAH  2215KL442 DOHA-AMSTERDAM  2220WY817 BANGKOK  22259W529 TRIVANDRUM  22306.00E+82 BOMBAY  2245AI908 MADRAS  2300UL206 COLOMBO  2305WY705 DARESSLAM-ZANZIBAR  2310WY677 MEDINA  2310AI974 DELHI  2310GF567 BAHRAIN  2325LX243 DUBAI-ZURICH  2325QR1135 DOHA  2330BA072 ABU DHABI-LONDON HEATHROW  2330WY673 JEDDAH  2350EY381 ABU DHABI  2355LH617 DOHA-FRANKFURT  2355

A I R L I N E S

—www.met.gov.om

PRAYER TIMINGS

Dhuhr 12.09pmAsr 3.29pmMaghrib 6.52pmIsha 8.12pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 3.56am

Sunset 6.46pmSunrise (Tomorrow) 5.21am

High tide 3:26am 4:11pmLow tide 10:16pm 9:10am

BORN today, you are an upright, forthright and, above all, honest and honourable individual with a tremendous work ethic, the ability to see things through to the end, and the sense to know when it is time to dig in even further or throw up your hands and walk away from a lost cause. Balance is the key to your success and the primary feature of your personality. You know how to walk a fine line — most of the time — between too much and too little, too high and too low, too big and too small. You understand that life is a series of compromises, yet you try at all times to work the angles so that you come out with just a little more than you otherwise might.

Relationships, to you, are the key to all manner of success in business, recreation, love and friendship. Maintaining close ties to those who are part of your life — in all aspects of your life — is something of an art form to you, which you are always working to develop and improve.

Also born on this date are: Christopher Lee, actor; Louis Gossett Jr., actor; Todd Bridges, actor; Vincent Price, actor; Henry Kissinger, politician; Wild Bill Hickock, Old West lawman; Isadora Duncan, dancer; Paul Bettany, actor; Joseph Fiennes, actor; Hubert Humphrey, politician; Sam Snead, golfer.

You’ll gain the advantage, but what you do with it is far more important than anything else you may have up your sleeve.

VIRGO [AUG. 23-SEPT. 22]

LIBRA [SEPT. 23-OCT. 22] LLLLLLLLLLLLLLL[S[S[S[S[[[S[[S[S[S[[S[S[SSS[SS[SSSS

SCORPIO [OCT. 23-NOV. 21] S[

SAGITTARIUS [NOV. 22-DEC. 21] S[[[[[[[[[[[[[[

AQUARIUS [JAN. 20-FEB. 18]

You’re looking to the wrong person for inspiration, as he or she is in a downward spiral that could possibly endanger you.

Are you willing to economise today? Current cash flow is going in the wrong direction, but you can find a remedy.

You are likely to wear your passions very near the surface all day long. See if you can’t do something useful with those extra feelings!

You can make the most of very little. The competition will heat up during afternoon hours, but you’re ready for anything.

You must be willing to respect even those boundaries you do not believe have been wisely or effectively established.

You’ll be watching the end of one thing while preparing for the beginning of another. A coming change requires patience.

You may not be ready to say what most needs to be said — but you’re likely to enjoy a trial run that allows you to experiment.

PISCES [Feb. 19-March 20]

You’re going to have to dig deep to find the patience you need to deal with a family member who is being unreasonable.

GEMINI [MAY 21-JUNE 20]

CANCER [JUNE 21-JULY 22]

LEO [JULY 23-AUG. 22]

CAPRICORN [DEC. 22-JAN 19]

Y O U R B I R T H D A Y

ARIES [March 21-APRIL 19]

TAURUS [APRIL 20-MAY 20]

Take care that someone else doesn’t push you across a certain boundary and into a danger zone. Maintain your balance at all times!

You’ll want to know in some detail just what is in store for you in the coming days or weeks, but guesswork will surely play a part.

Complications arise after you unwittingly walk into a trap set for you by a rival. You’ve got to pay more attention!

C11

EXTRAW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

Robots will always need humans

“Human beings are ashamed to have been born instead of made,” wrote

the philosopher Günther Anders in 1956. Our shame has only deep-ened as our machines have grown more adept.

Every day we’re reminded of the superiority of our comput-ers. Self-driving cars don’t fall victim to distractions or road rage. Robotic trains don’t speed out of control. Algorithms don’t suffer the cognitive biases that cloud the judgements of doctors, accountants and lawyers. Com-puters work with a speed and precision that make us look like bumbling slackers.

It seems obvious — The best way to get rid of human error is to get rid of humans.

But that assumption, however fashionable, is itself erroneous. Our desire to liberate ourselves from ourselves is founded on a fallacy. We exaggerate the abili-ties of computers even as we give our own talents short shrift.

It’s easy to see why. We hear about every disaster involving human fallibility — the chemical plant that exploded because the technician failed to open a valve, the plane that fell from the sky because the pilot mishandled the yoke — but what we don’t hear about are all the times that people use their expertise to avoid acci-dents or defuse risks.

Pilots, physicians and other professionals routinely navigate unexpected dangers with great aplomb but little credit. Even in our daily routines, we perform feats of perception and skill that lie beyond the capacity of the sharpest computers. Google is quick to tell us about how few

accidents its autonomous cars are involved in, but it doesn’t trumpet the times the cars’ back-up drivers have had to take the wheel. Computers are wonder-ful at following instructions, but they’re terrible at improvisation. Their talents end at the limits of their programming.

Human skill has no such con-straints. Think of how Capt. Chesley B. Sullenberger III landed that Airbus A320 in the Hudson River (US) after it hit a flock of geese and its engines lost power. Born of deep experience in the real world, such intuition lies beyond calculation. If comput-ers had the ability to be amazed, they’d be amazed by us.

While our flaws loom large in our thoughts, we view comput-ers as infallible. Their scripted consistency presents an ideal of perfection far removed from our own clumsiness. What we forget is that our machines are built by our own hands. When we trans-fer work to a machine, we don’t eliminate human agency and its potential for error. We transfer that agency into the machine’s workings, where it lies concealed until something goes awry.

Computers break down. They have bugs. They get hacked. And when let loose in the world, they face situations that their program-mers didn’t prepare them for. They work perfectly until they don’t.

Many disasters blamed on hu-man error actually involve chains of events that are initiated or ag-gravated by technological fail-ures. Consider the 2009 crash of Air France Flight 447 as it flew from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. The plane’s airspeed sensors iced over. Without the velocity data, the autopilot couldn’t perform

its calculations. It shut down, abruptly shifting control to the pilots. Investigators later found that the aviators appeared to be taken by surprise in a stressful situation and made mistakes. The plane, with 228 passengers, plunged into the Atlantic.

The crash was a tragic example of what scholars call the automa-tion paradox. Software designed to eliminate human error sometimes makes human error more likely. When a computer takes over a job, the workers are left with little to do. Their attention drifts. Their skills, lacking exercise, atrophy. Then, when the computer fails, the humans flounder.

In 2013, the Federal Aviation Administration (US) noted that overreliance on automation has become a major factor in air dis-

asters and urged airlines to give pilots more opportunities to fly manually. The best way to make flying even safer than it already is, the research suggests, may be to transfer some responsibility away from computers and back to people. Where humans and machines work in concert, more automation is not always better.

We’re in this together, our computers and ourselves. Even if engineers create automated sys-tems that can handle every possi-ble contingency — far from a sure bet — it will be years before the systems are fully in place. In avia-tion, it would take decades to re-place or retrofit the thousands of planes in operation, all of which were designed to have pilots in their cockpits. The same goes for roads and rails. Infrastructure doesn’t change overnight.

We should view computers as our partners, with complementary abilities, not as our replacements. What we’ll lose if we rush to curtail our involvement in difficult work are the versatility and wisdom.

The world is safer than ever, thanks to human ingenuity, tech-nical advances and thoughtful reg-ulations. Computers can help sus-tain that progress. Recent train crashes, including the Amtrak de-railment this month, might have been prevented had automated speed-control systems been in operation. Algorithms that sense when drivers are tired and sound alarms can prevent wrecks.

The danger in dreaming of a perfectly automated society is that it makes such modest improve-ments seem less pressing — and less worthy of investment. Why bother taking steps forward, if utopia lies just around the bend. -Nicholas Carr/The New York Times News Service

Pilots, physicians and other professionals routinely navigate unexpected dangers with great aplomb but little credit. Even in our daily routines, we perform feats of perception and skill that lie beyond the capacity of the sharpest computers

The best way to get rid of human error is to get rid of humans, so goes the argument with

companies that vouch for robots

New ‘pain sensing’ gene identified by researchers

EXAMINING rare individu-als who are born unable to feel pain, an international team of researchers has identified a gene essential to make our brains sen-sitive to pain. The discovery could lead to new pain relief methods. “We are very hopeful that this new gene could be an excellent candidate for drug development,” said the study’s first author Ya-Chun Chen from University of Cambridge. “This could poten-

tially benefit those who are at danger from lack of pain percep-tion and help in the development of new treatments for pain relief,” Chen said. People who are born unable to feel pain — an inherited condition known as congenital insensitivity to pain (CIP) — accumulate numerous self-inflicted injuries, often leading to reduced lifespan.

Got a pot belly? Blame it on exposure to traffic noise

LIVING near an airport, highway or train station could increase your risk of developing a mid-riff bulge, indicates a new research. Exposure to a combination of road traffic, rail, and aircraft noise may pose the greatest risk of acquiring a spare tyre — otherwise known as central obesity, the researchers said. Noise exposure may be an important physiological stressor and bump up the production of the hormone cortisol, high levels

of which are thought to have a role in fat deposition around the middle of the body, the study said. “This may explain why the effects of noise were mainly seen for markers of central obe-sity, such as waist circumference and waist-hip ratio, rather than for generalised obesity, measured by BMI (Body Mass Index),” the study said. The researchers assessed how much road traffic, rail, and aircraft noise 5,075 people living around Stockholm, Sweden, had been exposed to since 1999.

Researchers find new way to treat diabetic blindness

US RESEARCHERS said they have found a new way to restore the eyesight in patients who have a blinding eye disease caused by diabetes. The key is to block a sec-ond blood vessel growth protein, along with one that is already well-known, when it comes to treating and preventing diabetic retinopathy, the most common diabetic eye disease, they reported in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the normal blood vessels in the eye are replaced over time with abnormal, fragile blood vessels that leak fluid or bleed into the eye, damaging the light- sensitive retina and causing blindness. -IANS

H E A L T H N O T E S

C12

EXTRAW E D N E S DAY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

Women spend more than five hours a week on selfies

DO YOU know how much time your peers might be taking to get her perfect selfie? Well, it may be close to 48 minutes a day or five hours and 36 minutes a week! The time that goes up in clicking a perfect self-portrait includes make-up, getting the right lighting and perfecting the an-gle. One in 10 young girls was found to be storing at least 150 selfies on her com-puter and smartphones, taken from bath-rooms or cars to their office desks. Of the

2,000 women (age 16-25) surveyed, 28 per cent admitted to taking a photo of themselves at least once a week. Over half of the women agreed that taking an attractive selfie boosts their mood. Nearly 22 per cent young women cited getting “likes” to boost their ego as the main reason for taking selfies.

Most people love being alone, says a new study

IF YOU enjoy being all by yourself, then you are not alone. Most people love to spend their time being alone than being surrounded by people, new study says. The results of a recent Pew survey found that 85 per cent of the surveyed people think it is “important” to have alone time, while 55 per cent categorised alone time as “very important”. The research, which focused on how Americans feel about se-curity and privacy, also found that 79 per cent of respondents felt it was important

that they should not be asked highly personal questions. A Harvard study found that people are more likely to form far more accurate and lasting memories when they experience them alone.

Climate engineering may better protect coral reefs

WHEN IT comes to protecting coral reefs from rising seawater temperature, climate engineering could be a better method than conventional carbon dioxide (CO2) mitigation strategies, new research says. Geoengineering of the climate may be the only way to save coral reefs from mass bleaching which increases coral mortality risk. Coral reefs are considered one of the most vulnerable ecosystems to future climate change due to rising sea surface temperatures and ocean acidifi-

cation, which is caused by higher atmospheric levels of carbon di-oxide (CO2). The geoengineering technique called Solar Radiation Management (SRM) reduces the risk of global severe coral bleach-ing, the researchers noted. -IANS

BR I E FS

The Indian Ocean may be the dark horse in the quest to explain the puzzling pause

in global warming, researchers report in ‘Nature Geoscience’

Indian Ocean may be key to global warming hiatus

The study finds that the Indian Ocean may hold more than 70 per cent of all heat absorbed by the upper

ocean in the past decade.Scientists have long suspected

that oceans have played a crucial role in the so-called warming hiatus by storing heat trapped in the atmosphere by rising levels of greenhouse gases. But pin-pointing exactly which ocean acts as a global air conditioner has proved challenging.

Prior research suggested that a significant amount of heat moves from the atmosphere into the Pacific Ocean, where La Niña-like conditions have dominated since the turn of the century. As a result, wind patterns and ocean currents have increased the drawdown of warm surface wa-ters in the subtropics. This pro-cess and others enhance ocean heat uptake.

But when Sang-Ki Lee, an oceanographer at the University

of Miami in Florida, and his col-leagues went looking for this heat beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean, they couldn’t find it. Tem-perature data compiled by the US National Oceanic and Atmos-pheric Administration’s (NOAA) World Ocean Atlas (WOA) sug-gest that the upper 700 metres of the Pacific have actually cooled in recent years, Lee says.

So Lee’s team used a computer model to explore the fate of the ocean’s “missing heat.” The re-sults suggest that easterly trade winds have strengthened during the hiatus, causing warm water to pile up in the western Pacific. The water seeps between the islands of Indonesia and into the Indian Ocean, bringing heat with it.

In the model, this surge of wa-ter produces dramatic warming in the upper Indian Ocean start-ing in the early 2000s, in agree-ment with the WOA data, the au-thors write. This explanation also fits with measurements of flow

through the largest Indonesian channel — the Makassar Strait — which increased over the same period of time.

“The big story is that they’ve found the heat,” says Matthew England, an oceanographer at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. He says the study solidi-fies the Pacific’s role in driving the hiatus. “It’s resolving a question that has a lot of people stumped.”

However, some say the case isn’t closed yet. Lee’s team only analysed trends in the upper 700 metres of the ocean, but “there’s evidence that a significant part of the heat has been going down into the mid and deeper layers,” says Gerald Meehl, a climate scientist at the US National Centre for At-mospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. Previous stud-ies suggest that one-third or more of the total ocean warming has occurred below the depths con-sidered in the new study.

Kevin Trenberth, also a climate scientist at NCAR, says the results

disagree with studies that use alter-natives to the WOA data.

There are large observational gaps in the WOA dataset, and Trenberth says that NOAA has accounted for these without con-sidering the long-term warming of the ocean, leading to cooler values where measurements are missing. For instance, Trenberth and his colleagues found pro-nounced Pacific warming dur-ing the hiatus and only modest warming in the Indian Ocean using heat content estimates de-rived in part from satellite meas-urements. Other studies have also implicated warming in the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean. For now, it seems that the hunt for the missing heat may continue. But scientists say it is important to get to the bottom of the story to fully explain the current hiatus and prepare for others that might occur in the future. “We need to understand the energy imbalance of the Earth,” Lee says. -Julia Rosen/The New York Times News Service

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

W E D N E S D AY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

RENT D2

*Classified Advertisement space booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication.

* Subject to space availability

DAILY GUIDE Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

For rent furnished, non furnished

flats & shops in Duqm.

Contact: 97283999

Labour camp for rent 100 pax

labour camp in Duqm near special

zone. Contact 97283999

Flat for rent South Ghubrah 3 bed-

rooms, 3 bath rooms & kitchen with

A.C. Contact: 97896982

Flat for rent in Al Hamriyah,

3 rooms & accessories.

Contact: 99341112

3 rooms with attached bath room,

hall Brand new in Mabelah near

Sharahe Noor. Contact 99663905/

99415119

Three new Executive flats oppo-

site grand mall 287, 273 & 219 m2

respectively, Elevator available.

Contact: 99207840

Labour camp for rent in Wadi

Kabir. Contact 99792181

Three bedrooms flat, first floor

Al Rawdha Street Al Hail North.

Contact: 99207840

2 BR flat for rent in Wadi Kabir

Mazoon Building, behind Wadi Kabir

Garden, very close to Al Maha petrol

pump. Rent RO 275 PM.

Call 99440826

1 Villa & 4 big apartments of 2/3

BHK with hall, Kitchen & ACs

Al Khoudh 6. Tel 97600322

alnehang@gmail.com

1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in

Misfah Industrial area near to

Khanco. OMR 1,500 Monthly. It has

Electricity and boundary wall.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

1-BHK apartment available for

immediate occupancy from June

1st in Azaibah next to Al Meera

hypermarket, close to highway and

18-November St. Call 93504997

for viewing.

Deluxe 3 Room Penthouse with

Seaview, ideal for office / resi-

dence at Qurum near PDO.

Contact: 97721313 / 9507 0421

D2 W E D N E S D AY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

For rent new building 2 & 3 BHK

flats at Wadi Al Kabir behind Mus-

cat Bakery. Contact: 99338133

1BHK flats at Muttrah near Oman

House. Contact: 93231403

One BHK flat near Wadi Adi R/W,

Hillat Assad. Contac: 98772585

Commercial villa 10 BHK

Al Khuwair 25 near HTC.

Contact: 94300909

Showroom 606 sqm Bousher

height. Contact: 94300909

Independent villa in Darsait (Opp.

KIMS Hospital, behind Khimji Mart)

for rent 4 bedrooms, big hall and 1

kitchen + 1 pantry. Please call Ms

Hiba Shaikh. Contact 98048210/

Mr. Anil Kumar 99261773

Villa for rent in Azaiba near

well roundabout & Umm AL

Qura Mosque, 5 bedrooms, two

hall, kitchen. Contact: Mr Sunil

92887809/ Mr. Habib 98048207

Flat ( ground floor ) with living

room + 2 big room & hall , big kitchen

& store , 3 toilet with car parking in

Mabela South with new split AC only

240/- R.O. Contact 93295953

Flat for Rent- Contact No 99315515

AL- Khuwair 33/1 3 Bedrooms.

Dining room. Family hall. 3 Bathrooms.

Kitchen with store. Split A/C units

2 bedroom flat new building in

Wadi Kabir. Contact 99313274

1,2 & 3 BHK flat for rent in

Al Khuwair. Contact 99792181

.2 BHK flat in Azaiba.

Contact 99792181

2 BR in Rex road. Contact 99792181

Spacious 1& 2 BH flats having

good finishing A/C kitchen etc,

AL Khuwair near Al Zawawi

mosque. Contact: 99385074

Villa 12 rooms and a lounge Council

in citrus 11 first line along with

Omantel serve as a school or as

liaison offices: 91256340

Villa for rent with 4 bedroom at

Al Khodh, Rent 600/-RO.#92888115

Flat at Darsait. Contact 99326879

3 bedrooms flat for rent near NIT

Institute Darsait. Contact 93494098

1 Bedroom bachelors, sharing K & T

in Al Khuwair R.O 100/-.

Contact 95154331

506 sqm space with mezzanine

available for rent in Al Wadi Al

Kabir. Suitable for carpentry / auto

workshop and /or electrical shop.

Interested parties may

Contact 24703981

Labor camp available with all facili-

ties at Sohar Falaij (Near Sohar Sea

port) - Contact – 92982172

10 BHK Villa in Al Khuwair

25 for Executive bachelors.

Contact 99792181

2 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99792181

5000 sqm prime indusial land in Mis-

fah, Bausher, with 550 sqm of covered

warehouse and office space, for rent

only. Contact: + 968 – 99264162

1BHK, 2BHK, 3BHK new flat avail-

able at Mabela in front of Modern

English School Contact: 96239126

Deluxe 1, 2 BHK flats in Darsait,

AL Khuwair 1deal for office &

residence. Contact 99369081

/99142314

Showroom for rent 200 m in

Al Misfah, Bousher facing the main

road. Contact 95202430

New building, residential apart-

ments and offices, in Al Khoud

Souq. Contact 95202340

2 BHK Flat in Azaiba.

Contact 99792181

Flats for rent south AL Mabela.

Contact: 95331177/95230355

For rent special price 3 BHK Al Falaj

area 270/- , 3BHK South AL Hail

275/- Contact: 24707340/95282986

2 & 3 BHK in Qurum, with split AC, Near PDO Gate 2.

Contact 94057023

7 BHK Flat in Azaiba for Executive

Bachelors. Contact 99792181

2 BHK (with split AC) residential

flat at Honda road.

Contact 98087644 / 99795241 3000 sq mtrs Industrial landß,

in Barka Sanaiya, with electricity

400KW, shed, staff accommodation

and office. Ready to start any kind

of factory. Contact 99384255.

DAILY GUIDEW E D N E S D AY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5 D3

MV. SALE

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

FOR SALE

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

FOR RENT

Curtain shop for immediate sale

South Al Hail with 2 clearance.

Contact: 99041337

Used supermarket Gondolas

OR 40 = 000 per meter, double tube

light fittings O.R 2=000/ PC.

Contact 97752395

Best Investment opportunity in

Muscat a brand new furnished show

room for electronics building, mate-

rial mobiles etc available for sale at

prime location. Contact : 91710624 /

98873484

Running computer shops for sale

Souq Sohar. Contact 99420543

Shop in Ruwi OPP: OC.

Contact: 99378397

A well equipped running dental clinic

in Ruwi for sale. Contact 93769963

Coffee shop & BBQ running

Wadi Kabir, open parking having

clearance. Contact: 97161811

Shfandish & tables for sale.

Contact 99368907

Restaurant for sale well running

with open area and good parking

area. 3 new clearance also in Wadi

Kabeer near Mars hyper market.

Contact 99656863

2,560 sq mtrs industrial land

Wadi Kabir Main Road, First line on

way to Al Bustan hotel. Possible to

make petrol station or hotel. OMR

990 Thousand Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

5 Flats of 1 bedroom for Sale in

Boushar: OMR 35 Thousand each.

Monthly income OMR 270 Tel:

99333479 or 95215360

23,886 Sq Mtrs Agriculture land

with water well in Al Salwa, Barka.

OMR 260 Thousand. Tel: 99333479

or 95215360

3 floor commercial building in

Muttrah behind Police. Generating

income of OMR 18 Thousand annu-

ally. Neat and well maintained. Built

on 197 sq mtrs land. 2 tailor shops

on ground floor and 6 flats. OMR

207 Thousand. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

Ice cream & Juices shop in Ruwi

good location for sale, 1.5mt fish

display machine unused for sale.

Contact: 92150455

Ladies beauty parlor for sale in

Muttrah, above Ahla Sceps Market.

Contact : 93231403

New 3 bedroom flats split AC,

attached toilets available behind

Kims Oman hospital. # 95225662

Mezzanine floor office space

for rent area 200 sq. Contact

97175979 / 99001341

Flat with 2 rooms, toilet & kitchen

in second floor in Souk Al Khoud

behind bank Al Ahli 200/- R.O .

Contact : 99738881

Villa for rent in Khuwair 33, 8 bed-

rooms, 5 Bathrooms with parking

area near Taimur Mosque.

Contact 99366624

2BHK flats in Al Khuwair-33 with

split AC. Contact: 94057023

WANTED

Treadmill –motorized. Contact:

99378397

One BHK flat for rent in Ghobra

with attach and common bathroom.

For Indian family.

Contact 92322096

Flats for rent in Wadi Kabeer.

Contact : 92800007

3 flats for rent 3 bedrooms include

A/C, near the highway (Bowshar

Amerat). Contact 97777911 /

95533777

1st floor flat in Amerat Phase 5,

4 rooms, bathrooms (3), kitchen

with A/C for family.

Contact 95522405

1 BHK flat in Honda Road (Ruwi).

Contact 99792181

2 & 3 BHK flat in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99792181

200 Sqr mtrs office space in CBD.

Contact 99792181

1st floor flat in Amerat Phase 5,

4 rooms, bathrooms (3), kitchen

with A/C for family.

Contact 95522405

2BHK at Al Azaiba, 2bedrooms,

1 hall & dinning , 3 bathrooms.

Contact : 99224748 / 99425665

2 BHK & studio flat at Darsait 1SM.

Contact 99024730

Flats shops and store for rent in

Ruwi, MBD Honda road.

Contact 97293708 / 92433127

2 Prime Movers Man 2008 with 40

ton petrol tank each working at the

moment in Al Maha. Price OMR 35

Thousand each. Contact 97000155

or 92688692

Land Cruiser 2012. Contact

99336093

2013 LEXUS ES350 for Sale 40,000

km Full Option Gold Color Bought

from Bahwan dealership Price:

13,500 Riyals Call: 9291 2660

Nissan Tiida 2009, H/B fully

automatic, expat lady driven.

Contact 99457908

Peugeot 206-2007 Model, expat

driven. Contact 99209285

Fork Lift for rent or sale Nissan 3.5 Ton. Contact: 94102899

Furnished flats for rent in

Al Buraimi, daily, weekly, monthly.

Contact 97819981 / 93593336

2 BHK with A/C Muttrah near Oman

house. Contact: 99896838

2 BHK with A/C Ghobrah. Contact:

92144045

Flats for rent near Indian school in

Wadi Kabir. Contact 99777122

Labour Camp for Rent in Wadi

Kabir. Contact 99792181

Flat for rent 1 & 2 bedroom avail-

able behind Zaker Mall Al Khuwair.

Contact - 99530405

2 BHK flat in Rex Road.

Contact 99792181

Ghubra near Al Maha hotel &

Indian school (2BHK with 5 split

ac units). Contact 94652485/

99273774 / 99202278

Labour camp for Rent in

Wadi Kabir. Contact 99797422

Room main road, Al Khuwair

R.O 110/-. Contact 97799175

For rent 3 industrial land.

Contact 92702891/ 95490842

1/3 BHK Flat Ghubrah, close to

ISG Way 4041, building 4390.

Contact 99319880

1& 2BHK for rent at Wadi Kabir,

Hilal Al Sad and Al Khoud areas .

Contact Office: 24834644

Mobile: 93994401/02/03

Flat for rent, 2 BK near Kuwaiti

Mosque, Wadi Kabir. Contact

97007934 / 92629232

Flat for rent 2 BK near Oman

House Muttrah. Contact 97007934

/ 92629232

If require flats for rent in Wadi

Kabir please send me

messages through whatsapp or

call 99376454

Spacious 2 BHK flats in Ruwi MBD

area only on 350/- OMR.

Contact – 95122188 / 96441499

Studio flat Wadi Kabeer 160/-O.R.

Contact - 99358589 / 97079146/

95570288

1BHK flat near star cinema with

split A/C 230/- O.R.

Contact - 99358589/

97079146/95570288

Villa in Al Khuwair and Seeb.

Contact 95250300/ 99119699 /

92125648

Industrial land for rent in Wadi

Kabir 7000 Sq mtrs.

Contact 99354340

Apartments for rent Ghubra : near

Indian School Ghubra & Al Maha

International Hotel (2BHK with 5

split A/C units).Contact 99273774 /

99202278 /94652485

Flats/villas owned by ROP pen-

sion fund available for rent in

Muscat. Contact 99349526

Bath attached room for rent

Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569

Port cabin new & refurbished –

porta cabin for sale & rent.

Contact: 96723468 / 97775501 /

97775502

Restaurant for sale. Contact:

97710015 / 92934027

Coffee shop for sale in North

Al Ghubra. Contact 95256009

558 Sq mtrs residential land in

Barka (Al Jenainah) near Lulu and

near to school. OMR 32 Thousand.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Residential land for sale 21000

sqm, best for housing complex

at Al Harm – Barka, opp to Khimji

logistic. Contact 99438397

60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in

Misfah, can be changed to Industrial

Land. OMR 27 Per Square Meter.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Shopping center for sale at Bousher

by good price 400 m2 with all

equipment. Reason for selling

part-time. Contact 92916490

AVAILABLE

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirt-

ing, Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery,

Crockery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes,

Ice Sculptures, to Large Sound Sys-

tems and spectacular lighting. Call

Andrea 9606 2222 for Catering and

Croyden 9623 5555 for Sound & Light.

www.tunesoman.com,

E-mail: info@tunesoman.com

DAILY GUIDED4 W E D N E S D AY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT

MEDICAL

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com classifieds@timesofoman.comTel.: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

DRIVER

BEAUTICIAN

CATERING

SKILLED LABOUR

ARCHITECT / DRAFTSMAN

DOMESTIC HELPER

ENGINEER

EDUCATION

DOMESTIC HELPER

SALES / MARKETING

SALES / MARKETING

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

Omani family looking for full time

lady driver. Contact: 91401838SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

SITUATION WANT-SIT. WANTED

SITUATION WANT-SIT. WANTED

An Indian family in Al Ghubra re-

quires a full time living housemaid. Contact : 97084023

Required looking for full time Housemaid preface Indian / Sri

Lanka for Omani family at Mabela,

visa available. Contact: 92454170

Urgent required House maid in

Mabela. Visa available.

Contact- 95200180.

Indian CA with 15 yrs exp working

as Finance Head for MNC

looking for suitable job.

NOC available. 94047434

Indian male M.Com 6 yrs experi-

ence in accounts up to finalization in

Oman having Oman D/L available to

join immediately with NOC.

Contact : 98363897

Email: princ9496@hotmail.com

MBA Graduate seeking a suitable

position as an Assistant Accountant.

Contact 94627227

Accountant having 8 yrs, experience

looking for part time job.

Contact: 99867456

Jordanian, Senior accountant, 34 year old, 12 years experience in

the GCC, 7 years in construction & 4

years in hospital having Oman D/L

proficient in tally 9.0.

Contact 96470036

Young dynamic Indian MBA having

one year exp in CA Firm looking for

an opening. Skills: MS Office & Tally.

Contact:+919744732896/

Email: asifakbar4@gmail.com

Finance Manager (15+yrs experi-

ence) thorough knowledge on Hold-

ing Company accounts. Well versed

on Trading, Investment, Insurance

Brokerage, Travel & Rent A Car

accounts. Ability to manage Group

of companies. Contact: 92701962 :

amritaa.m2002@gmail.com

Indian male B.Com, 1 year experi-

ence in accounts and sales looking

for suitable placement on visit visa.

Contact: 98295101

Chief Accountant / Accounts

Manager, Indian male (34 years)

MBA/ M.com more than 10 years

experience (7 tears in Oman) with

D/L NOC available seeks suitable

placement. Contact: 96915438

MBA Indian male looking for suit-

able position having 2 years working

experience as an accountant now in

Oman a visiting visa.

Contact: 99424803

Indian female B.com 4 years experi-

ence in accountant 1 years experi-

ence in Oman having knowledge of

tally seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 93491124/92054531

Indian female B.com Graduate

over 8 years experience in Finance,

customer relation, sales coordinator,

secretary, Bank Office seeks suitable

placement. Contact: 95433987

Indian male graduate B.com looking

for suitable in Account Finance / sales

marketing release available with

2 years working experience.

Contact: 94574596

Indian male 2 years experience in

account cum sales coordinator NOC

available looking for suitable job.

Contact: 91298422/96458189

Indian male 22 yrs B. Com Graduate

1 year exp in Accounts, currently on

visit visa. Looking for suitable job.

Contact 94341848 /

Email – mohdhaji7272@gmail.com

Accountant: Indian male 10 years

experience, 6 years in Oman with

Oman driving license, seeking

suitable job. Contact 96012973

Analyst accountant knowledge

& skill excel Advance misreport

account & finance administration

work document oracle advertising

knowledge degree MBA, BBM.

Contact 91840109/99783953

Email: mohd.rashid19@gmail.com

Indian male 25 yrs B.com having

experience in accounts for 3 yrs

currently on visit looking to job.

Contact: 97937868 Email:

rehman.naseer999@gmail.com

Indian male, MBA finance, presently

working as branch supervisor in

a reputed logistics co. For past 10

years with an overall experience of

21 years in finance& logistics,

looking for a suitable placement.

NOC available. Contact: 96567151

Email: girishlalmahadev@yahoo.com

Part time Accounts job & finalization

work Muscat. Contact: 92917448

Accountant Indian male 10 years

experience in Oman looking for a

suitable position, up to finalization

NOC available can join immediately.

Contact: 94134085

Email: muscatoman95@yahoo.com

An Indian lady Chartered Accountant

with five years experience (including

article ship) on family visa in Oman

looking for a suitable job. Please

Contact 9621 0347 / 9943 5346,

shincycrajan@gmail.com

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

Required Office Assistant

160+25+Acc, Contact 99454425

Reputed Construction Company

required Draughtsman / Accountant experience in

Construction Company with ac-

countancy degree.

Email: jvacancy05@gmail.com

ACCOUNTANT

ADMIN

CATERING

Furniture company urgently seeks outdoor sales team, attractive sala-

ries for right candidates. Contact:

batrading2014@gmail.com

Required Sales Staff for a reputed

insurance Broker male / Omani.

Contact at 97619595 or send CV to

msaif@ace-ins.com

website: ace-ins.com

Marketing Representative – Gen-

eral items, Experience: Minimum

2 - 3 years, Should have knowledge

about Oman market, Valid Oman

Driving License must Forward CV to

hr@barikgroup.com

Urgently required out door Sales Executive for furniture company,

minimum 5 years experience with

Oman D/L. Contact: 93231403

Looking for smart & intelligent female Telesales Executive/Sales coordinator with IT background, 2-3

yrs experience with clear & com-

manding voice, good & effective

communication, correspondence and

coordination skills. Send your resume

to 002atech@gmail.com

Urgently need a Marketing Executive to develop marketing

campaigns to promote company’s

product &service. He/She should

have 2-3 years in organizing events,

product branding, Social Media

marketing, Email Marketing and

Web Site promotion. Send your

resume to 002atech@gmail.com

Looking for a Retail Sales Execu-tive & 3-5 yrs experience in selling

building material, structure cabling,

Access control, and CCTV products

& motivated by sales and targets.

Candidate with Omani D/L will be

given preference. Send your resume

to 002atech@gmail.com

Required Van Salesman for a major

beverages company in Qatar. Salary

1800 Qatar Riyal + free accomoda-

tion & food+ Sales commissions

averaging around 2000 Qatari Riyal.

Also require key accounts supervi-

sor. Salary negotiable. Interested

candidates may send their CV to

rlkekkas@gmail.com or

contact 0097455096272

Salesman experienced 5 yrs in

Oman, in the field of industrial &

oilfield service, garage equipment

tools & spares, safety wears &

rescue equipments. Please forward

your CV to almaadhi.trd@gmail.com

Urgently needed Marketing Execu-tive for kitchens, Sales Assistant for kitchens and sanitary ware,

Office Assistant ( all male) for a

marketing company, graduates

with 3 to 5 yrs relevant experience

please email CV to

yourfutureinoman@gmail.com

Light duty driver seeks job.

Contact : 91122145 / 95992137

Driver with car, 3 years experience

part & full time looking for job.

Contact: 97456062

Light Driver needs Job.

Contact: 93284327

For Driving. Contact: 95870012

Bangladeshi male looking for a light

vehicle driving job.

Contact: 97751070

Pakistani male looking for a

light vehicle driving job.

Contact: 95149231

DRIVER

DESIGNER

MISCELLANEOUS

Vinyl Applicators (preferably for

vehicles), Metal Fabricators.

Contact 98918344

Required Salesman, Tailor and Barber. Contact : 96964767

Urgently Required: Draftsman - Temporary for 1 month. Apply,

fax 00968–24605955,

emails sbc@steelbuildingsllc.com,

sbeoman@yahoo.com.

Urgently required a junior Architect for a consultancy office.

Email: ajith@milesconsultancy.com

Urgently required a Senior Drafts-man for a consultancy office. Email:

ajith@milesconsultancy.com

Leading Construction company requires MEP Draftsman and Civil Draftsman with 5 to 7 years gulf

experience with NOC available.

Send your CV to

recruitment1947@gmail.com

Indian male, MA multimedia, 25 yrs

presently working in Bangalore as

visual layout / Graphics designer hav-

ing 2 years experience, seeks suitable

placement. Currently on short visit.

Contact 92368969

Email: don007james@gmail.com

Urgently required Indian experi-ence beautician, good salary +

Accommodation + Food visa Avail-

able location Al Hail.

Contact: 92284899 / 92139922

Beautician required with good

experience visa available.

Contact: 95867900

Required Nurse for a Clinic in

Al Buraimi, S. Of Oman.

Contact: 00968 92737149. Send CV

to drpkabbas@yahoo.co.in

Urgent required staff Nurse

in Mabela. Contact- 95200180.

We are looking for a Staff Nurse, who is having 60% or above in pro-

metric exam. Contact : 99235643

/99463609 Email:

abuahamedclinic@gmail.com

Urgently required Staff Nurse, Pharmacist and endodontist Fe-male Staff nurse, Pharmacist and endodntist with MOH License/

Prometric exam passed

with 60% and above.

Contact 24780088, 97374459

Email : karamadental@gmail.com

Immediate placement ( with or

without MOH) A. Pharmacist - 3 nos B. Asst.pharmacist - 2 nos

Contact Tel.99338219 , 93240949

Wanted Lady Doctor GP or Gynecologist with MOH license.

Immediate opportunity.

Contact - 99310590

ADMIN/HR

ADMIN/HR

Indian male 29, MBA (HR & Admin),

six years experience in UAE as sales

coordinator and office / Administrator

valid GCC driving license. Now on visit

visa looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 98466505/93061079

Filipino Female, 30 yrs old, with

8yrs experience in Payroll/Admin/

HR and 2yrs experience as Techni-

cal Support/Cashier/Secretary.

Currently in Muscat on Family Visit

Visa, Seeking for suitable placement.

Contact: 96708114

Email: lucy08_tm@yahoo.com

Indian Female MBA, 3 Years experi-

ence in Admin MIS, Family Visa.

Contact 98234427,

jkjsmith01@gmail.com

Indian female, 28 yrs, experience

in Admin / sales coordination /ac-

countant and secretarial. Knowledge

in accountant software, with Oman

D/L, looking for a suitable place-

ment. Contact: 96751993

Indian male 2+yrs oman exp in HR.

joing immediatly. release available.

Contact :93671437

Indian female, 29 yrs, MBA (HR)

4 yrs exp. India & Oman in HR & Ad-

min, seeks suitable placement.

Contact 96759820

Indian, 45 years, Housekeeping

working one of five star hotel 10 yrs

experience and health club exp also,

experience in Oman.

Contact: 99628602 /98693655

Indian male currently in Oman on

visit, looking for suitable vacancy in

hotel Industry as Supervisor having

8 years experience in Europe.

Contact: 97376612

Indian male 38 yrs senior chef

de parst pastry & bakery 15yrs expe-

rience one of the five star hotels in

Oman experience 10 yrs Oman

looking job. Contact: 96460519

Email: venagovindhan@yahoo.com

MFA (Master of finance and account-

ing), B.com. 6 months experience,

looking suitable position in finance

and accounts. Contact: 97829315.

Email: muhsin1819@gmail.com

Male 24, B.com / PGD having 2

years experience in accounts and

inventory field. Looking for suitable

job, on visit visa. Contact 94129550

Indian male MBA, Finance, 6 years

experience in Finance & Accounting

spatially in Oil & Gas , Now on visit

visa . Contact: 94327063

Email: shabab3939@yahoo.com

Part Time Accounting, Accounts

Finalization, Audit Preparation,

Internal Audit, Onsite Tally Train-

ing, Inventory Management

Contact: 96975454,

Email: ibfc.gcc@gmail.com

Indian Female, 34 yrs, B.Com,

Knowledge in MS Office & Tally, exp

in accounting & admin seek suitable

placement 99199710/96744965

Sr. Accountant M.com (finance)

15 years experience (2years in Oman

with a reputed firm) NOC available.

Contact: 92404608

Email: jin_75@rediffmail.com

Indian Female 25 MBA looking

for a suitable opening in Accounts,

Admin/Hr. Contact 97013375

Urgently required Site Engineers & all kinds of civil construction work-

ers for a reputed construction com-

pany. Interested candidates can send

your CV’s to mohamed@oasisgrace.

com, contact 99881459, 24826566,

fax: 24812226

Engineers / Tech urgently required Civil Engineer with four years expe-

rience for a consultancy office.

Email: ajith@milesconsultancy.com

Omani lady HR Manager for a lead-

ing metal fabrication company. Min.

5 yrs exp, familiar with Oman labor

Laws. Responsibilities – Making HR

policies, Training of Omanis, liaising

with various Ministries. Contact:

operation@khancogroup.com Teachers required (B.A, BEd, BSc,

and B.ed) for Omani Pvt. School

Al Hail (North). Contact 95141554/

96653118

AUTO CAD/ARCHITECT

Autocad D man, Gulf exp in major

projects, knows arch, structural,

MEP, NOC available ph: 98225740

Female architect (27) 4 years ex-

perience seeking for suitable job in

Oman experience in Oman,

India & UK. Contact: 96146645

Email: anjuovil@gmail.com

Finance Manager, CPA, with more

than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC.

Fully knowledgeable in Finance,

General & Management Accounting .

NOC available. Contact 96209331

Indian male, 32 years, M. Com.

7 out of 9 years experience in Oman

in Accounts/finance. Having NOC and

valid Oman D/L. Contact 98277143,

Email: anzarks@gmail.com

Indian male with total 5 year experi-

ence (2 years experience in Account-

ant cum sales co ordinator in a FMCG

Company in Oman) in accounts field

and NOC available. Looking for suit-

able job Contact 92130188

MBA (international business) from

London, 4 years of UK experience in

banking operational, looking for suit-

able position. Contact 91710075

India Accountant: Male, M com,

7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to

finalization, having knowledge of

ERP, Tally, seeks suitable placment.

contact 93950138 Email:

lijinrajan123@gmail.com

MBA Graduate with 6 yrs exp in

finance/accounts/ auditing. Special-

ized in accounts payable dept, Oracle

app user, proficient in Sap (fico) end

user & tally 9.0. lean &six sigma

certified trainer on visit visa.

Contact – 91967213 / 99064780

Tanzanian male, 25 yrs Accountant

successful experience in Tanzania

looking for suitable placement in any

field. Contact : 96710154

Shawarma /Arabic/Chinese/ cook & helper. Contact 95529970

Well trained, with military base

experience catering staff available

for contractual catering operation.

Cook – 08, Waiter - 6, Utility worker - 6, Supervisor-1. Contact: 97984335

Wanted experienced female tailor from Philippines. Contact: 99466062

Required Sales man - 1 Person

Qualification. Gulf Experienced

- Minimum 5 Years with Oman

Driving Licence Language - English

Education:- Any Degree Further

Contact :Mr. Abdul Hameed

Nashabat - Mobile No: 97414307

and -92807399

amn@yaqeeneng.com

Salesman with driving license for

company. Contact: 96440587

Over 15 years of gulf experience

in Admin /HR /Logistics, fluent in

Arabic & English with D/L looking

for suitable position.

Contact 95824598

Indian female with 10 yrs of experi-

ence in HR/Banking/Operations

seeks a suitable placement. Can be

contacted on 98919015 or

sherianne.coelho@gmail.com

Document controller / project coor-

dinator having 15 years experience

is same Field.

Contact: 00919605635590

DAILY GUIDEW E D N E S D AY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5 D5

DAILY GUIDESITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

ENGG. / TECHNICAL

Indian female M.E power system

B.E Electrical Engg, seeks suitable

placement. Contact: 99842083

/99326054

Keralite Comp: Engr experienced

in BPO on visit seeking any type of

job. Email: khais2001@gmail.com,

contact 92094926

B.Com DMM logistics Telecom-

munication Agriculture 15 years

experience 2 years Oman seeking

placement. Contact: 91227198 Email:

raju_poduval@rediffmail.com

Indian- B.E.-MBA having 25 years

Experience. Last 12 years in Oil

& Gas Sector in Oman. Business

Development /Sales. Looking open-

ing in Oil Gas Trading/Drilling

Service Companies as GM/ Country

Manager/ Business Development

Manager. Email :

gmbdm2015oilandgas@gmail.com;

Contact -94688594;

Graduate Electrical Engineer

having 6 years experience of Gulf

and professional license available to

join. Contact: 98063081

Indian male, B.A, 4 years experi-

ence in Teaching 3 years experience

in life insurance, 3 years experience

in supermarket division UAE as

Sales Promoter for the whole group.

Contact : 91968699

Indian male, (B.E) Electronics and

Communication (ENC), 2 years

experience in Instrument Engineer

and plant supervisor in India.

Contact : 94188216

Email: azeez45ec@gmail.com

Indian Civil Engineer (building)

available immediately as supply

contract. Contact : 95218004

Electrical Engineer 10 years experi-

ence in underground cables exten-

sion and distribution substation and

terrestrial station available in Oman,

on visit visa. Contact : 95471606

Civil Engineer: 5 years experience

in building & structure works in

Oman seeks suitable placement.

NOC available. Contact: 98180524

Engineer (ECE) seeking job.

Contact: 98584498 / 91981503

Electrical Engineer new in Oman

B.Tech (Hons.) with Diploma of

Electrical Engg. seeks a suitable job.

Contact: 96752080

Email: ilyasqader97@gmail.com

Btech computer science graduate

2015 passout.. Android application

marketing.. Having good communi-

cation skills and mindset to work in

a team. Contact 91024385

Toms Davis, 5+yrs Exp in Projects

and design, 10+2+Diploma in Mech

Eng, 92068508

Civil Engineer, Indian Female, 3 yrs

experience, on visit visa seeking suit-

able placement. Contact: 99195433

Indian female 27 yrs-BSc Biotech

and P.G Diploma in Quality Assur-

ance having experience in Pharma-

ceutical Industry seeking immedi-

ate placement- Contact- 93218363.

Fiber design and implementation

Engineer, 8+ yrs experience (6 yrs in

Saudi ARAMCO) in OPS & ISP/FTTX,

on visit visa till June end, with valid

GCC D/L, GSM: 94769479,

email: fiberoptic2011@gmail.com

Indian male B.Tech marine Engi-

neer on visit visa. Seeking suitable

placement. Contact – 91991386 /

prvnpurushan@gmail.com

Sudanese Electrical Engineer, 2 years experience.

Contact: 91211592 Email:

aymanhamza1990@gmail.com

Network / system Engineer B.E /

ECE + CCNA & Ms certified with 4+

yrs exp looking for a job, currently

in Oman on visit visa. Contact :

92589502 / 96216397,

Email : jeganscareer@gmail.com

Filipino HSE officer with 7 years

and 5 months experience in MEP

and civil construction works, Qatar

petroleum, nakilat shipyard, super

substation and high NSE building

with Nebosh IGC 3, IOSH, Auditor

lead course etc. Contact 98938461

Email: e.romil@yahoo.com

MEDICAL

29 Indian male Nurse.B.SC prometric

exam passed on a visit. 10 years expe-

rience in India & Italy seeks a suitable

placement in multinational hospitals

& clinics. Contact 96071773 –

sanukochiparampil@gmail.com

Assistant Pharmacist (Indian female,

28 yrs) with MOH license.

Contact 93022787 / 99108751

Indian female Dentist MOH Oman

passed seeking a suitable placement

in capital region. Contact– 91377681

hashimsarawat@gmail.com

Well experienced MOH Licensed

Indian GP Doctor looking for

locum / permanent position in the

Capital area. Contact 98140024

email:drgpoman@yahoo.com

Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf

experience) looking for a suitable

job (NOC available)

Contact-93344378

Indian male, B.E ( computer science

engineer), MBA (finance), OCA certi-

fied, having 5 years of experience in

oracle Dba/ oracle apps Dba, seeks

a suitable position in the field of IT.

Contact: 96212062

email: zubairkhan11@gmail.com

Omani Mechanical Engineer, has

3 years experience ,has HSE, H2S,

Riggers/Banks men Permit, Drawing

/ cad, SCBA, Safety Leadership and

Initial Fire Response Courses. good

with computer and English language

looking for suitable job. Contact

99224319-98454500

Indian male 22 Mechanical Diploma

holder Engg with HVAC certified,

having 1 year exp. seeking suitable

position. Currently available on visit

visa. Contact - 92835952

IT

Indian female B.E 2 years of IT expe-

rience with IBM – Indian certified in

oracle PL /SQL and forms developer

seeking job in IT field in reputed

company. Contact: 95094189

Email: bijigopu7@gmail.com

Indian male BCA, MCA, 2 years

experience in software programming

knowledge of Java, SQL, NET, C#, ASP.

NET, DB2, Oracle. Contact: 99210940

IT, female fresher MCA, BCA Oracle

certified 6 months PLSQL, data ware

housing training PHP seeking job at

good company. Contact: 95694330

Email: monakasapool@gmail.com

Expat Lady (M.Sc IT), Looking for

suitable position in IT/Office work.

Contact 98176793,

Email : santhi.85@gmail.com

IT professional with 20 years

experience MBA, PMP, OCP, ITIL cer-

tified looking for suitable position.

Contact: 91829676

Indian female 27 yrs B.Tech (IT)

MBA one years of experience as a

software analyst. Contact 91234864

Email: ashwinirathnam2011@gmail.

com

Network Engineer, Female, CCNA,3

yrs exp specializing in DHCP, DNS,

NTP, desktop level3 assistance

in different OS, on resident visa

94525630/93215372

Indian female MCA, Experience in

C#.Net, SQL Server, ORACLE with

4.5 years experience seeking

suitable positions.

Contact: 96485923, 99886271

prathibhakp07@gmail.com

Indian male, 20+ years experience

in IT management, ERP imple-

mentation, seeks suitable opening.

Contact: 96101779

IT Network and Security Engineer

with a master degree, CISCO and

Linux red hat certified seeking a suit-

able job in a good company.

Contact 99818601

Networking technician with

driving license, with Noc, having

2 experiences in data & telephone

structured cubing EPABX & CCTV

installation is looking for suitable

jobs. Contact: 96027516

Gulf experienced Software Develop-

er & certified professional in English

looking from a Job with vast experi-

ence in sales and Management +

D/L. Contact 00968 96701312

Email: farhanaslam586@yahoo.com

Indian male 25, BSE computer with

MBA, 3 years experience in IT, in

visit visa seeking a suitable post.

Contact: 92364368

Network system Engineer B.E / ECE

+ CCNA & Ms certified with 4+ yrs exp

looking for a job. Currently in Oman

on visit visa. Contact: 92589502

Email: careersjegan@gmail.com

DRIVER

B.Sc in civil Engineer having

2 years experience with driving

license in Oman. Contact 94618906

Email: msamps988@yahoo.com

BE Electric & telecom Eng: 4 yrs

exp in Oman , exp in AV system

design integration & telecom work

with D/L , looking for better opportu-

nity field of electronic & telecom.

Contact 97423932 Email:

mzeeshanshaikh89@gmail.com

Indian male, Mechanical Engineer,

2 years experience in fabrication

& erection of heavy structures as

Project Engineer in India, now on

visiting visa seek suitable place-

ment. Contact: 91251818 Email:

krishnakumarkk9@gmail.com

Indian male 26 yrs mechanical

Engineer with 3 yrs experience in

Indian in MEP, HVAC& mechanical

maintained field on visit visa looking

for suitable job. Contact: 99191535

Email: fareed029@gmail.com

Electrical Engineer : Indian male 29

years , having 5 years of experience

in industrial automation and utility

maintenance in India (MRF Tyres)

seeking suitable placement.

Contact 92789995,

Email: akhilabrahamlktr@gmail.com

BE Mechanical Engineer -NDT level

2, Quality Control (Oil & Gas) . 1 year

exp ph: 95908293

Sudanese Civil Engineer, 2 yrs

experience. Contact 96077482,

Email : ebraheemann@gmail.com

Civil Engineer (B.E) 12 years experi-

ence with valid Oman D/L.

Contact: 93843448

Sudanese Petroleum Engineer, 4 yrs

experience looking for job, MC office,

C, Exlips. Contact 96039290

Indian Male, IT Support Engineer,

2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experi-

ence. Contact 97311847

Indian female, B.Tech biotechnology with strong computer

skills and 2 years experience as

associate research analyst (Media

Monitoring) in Nasdaq Oman seek-

ing growth oriented jobs. Contact

92044603 /918056169148 or

angeline.babithac@gmail.com.

Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need

suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.

Email: mohd.ateeq.khan@gmail.com

Indian male fresher BCA young and

energetic, seeking good opportu-

nites.email: jlaxmimenon@gmail.

com, Contact 00919567722270

Indian male 29 yrs, M.sc post gradu-

ate having 7 years experience in

healthcare Industry presently work-

ing in orthopedic Implants company

(MNC) in Indian ( trauma & spine )

on visiting visa seeking suitable job

opening. Contact: 93083553

Email: prakash05629@yahoo.com

Cargo & logistics Manager, Indian

with more than 15 years experience

in UAE, seeks suitable position.

Contact: 95402099

Indian male 24 years, Mechanical

Engineer,pdms.1 yr experience in

pipeline,16years in oman seeking

immediate placement # 95775742

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

13 Years UAE experienced in MNC &

reputed firms logistics distribution

looking for a suitable placement, on

visit visa contact 99838743,

gani.dawood@gmail.com

Construction Surveyor Indian

looking for suitable job.

Contact 91977142 / 95141554

Graduate 1 yr experience in India,

Clerk now in Oman on visit visa.

Contact 92933431,

princemathew2813@gmail.com

SECRETARIAL/OFFICE

Arabic – English translator having,

3 years experience currently on visit

visa seeks translation or Bi-Lingual,

Secretarial job. Contact: 96599601

Email: gawadjamal@gmail.com

Indian (Kerala) male 37yrs, B.com

graduate seeking for suitable

employment one year experience.

Preferably as an office assistants.

Contact 96701495

Indian male more than 10 years

Gulf experience in Office / Sales

Coordinator, Admin (employees visa

processes), Secretarial and purchase

coordination with good computer

skills. Having Driving license and

NOC available. Looking for suitable

placement. Contact 99709336

SALES / MARKETING

SALES / MARKETING

Indian male 10 years experience in

Welding Supervisor NDT Technician,

MIG Welding specialist seeking suit-

able job. Contact 96771841

Indian male MBA 7 years experience

in Hospitality industry, operation,

sales & marketing looking for suitable

vacancy. Contact 92115860

Email vibin.py@gmail.com

Indian male, 30 yrs, 6 years Gulf

experience in shipping operations

and customer service, NOC available.

Contact: 93042516

8 years store experience Indian

male looking for placement. N.O.C

available. Contact: 98456535

8 years purchase experienced

Indian male looking for job. N.O.C.

available. Contact: 98161323

Indian male, 30, BSc, Food Science

and Quality control, MBA 5 years

experience, driving license.

Contact: 93405643

Indian male with 08 yrs exp in sales

& marketing, seeks suitable place-

ment. NOC available.

Contact: 95970204

Indian Male, B.Com Graduate, 23,

with experience in Sales looking for

suitable placements.

Contact - 9837 1144

25 Indian female B.S.C. Fashion

Technology. 5 years experience in

textile industry as a merchandiser

and good in fashion marketing.

Currently available on visit visa,

seeking for a suitable job.

Contact 96990368.

Email: simmy.missy@gmail.com

TOURS & TRAVELS

Indian female MBA Finance cur-

rently on visit visa. Seeks immediate

placement. Phone: 968-98430089

23,Male, ACCA with 2.5 years ex-

perience in Big6 audit firm and Oil/

Gas,looking for permanent place-

ment in Accounts/Audit. Contact

#95140445 a.saran891@gmail.com

Indian female MBA Finance

currently on visit visa, seeks imme-

diate placement. Phone- 98430089

Female British Beauty Therapist looking for suitable situation.

Contact 97175240

Civil supervisor-8 year’s experi-

ence in commercial and residential

building, including portable cabin,

natural and artificial play ground’s,

and Oxy petroleum field, at sultan-

ate of Oman. GSM :91249005. Mail

:sandeep88joseph@gmail.com

Indian Male 28yr age having 6year

gulf+ Indian experience in HR field.

Looking for suitable placement.

Contact: 97914340,

Email: rajkv3086@gmail.com

Indian male 27, looking for suitable

placement in Piping Design & Engi-

neering. Having 7 years of experi-

ence in AutoCAD. Also familiar with

PDMS (11.6 Version),CAESAR ll. Con-

tact : 97351786 / 96143708, E-mail :

mohammednazeer07@gmail.com

Indian Male 34 years Mechanical

Engineer 3 years of Experience seek-

ing suitable placement immediately

contact: 91991435, 93310821

Indian male 21 Diploma in Mechani-

cal Eng with HVAC certified having 6

yrsexp and seeking job in HVAC field

as a supervisor. Currently on visit

visa. Contact 92835952/ 92734863

Sudanese / 29 years old / Bsc

English language and Translation / 3

years experience in Oman teaching

& translation / have driving license.

Contact 94211377.

Email: hosam.karar.1@gmail.com

Indian female B.Com graduate,

4years experience in accounts & ad-

ministration department looking for

suitable placement. #98928220

Indian female, B.Com. Knowledge

of MS Office &Tally, 4yrs experience

in accounting & admin dept. looking

for good placement in any field.

Contact.98928220

EDUCATION

English Teacher female (M. A. B.

Ed) having 14 years experience with

11 years experience in Oman with

reputed Institute and School. Con-

tact: 92289080 / 99318276 Email:

babvjosev@yahoo.com

Qualified primary English Teacher for almost 12 years W/ experience in

Qatar independent school interna-

tional school & British curricular

IELTS qualified looking for immedi-

ate post. Contact: 98938272

Email: me_ann_laloma@yahoo.com

Having 20 years experience in Gulf

area for sales, marketing distribu-

tion, having Oman D/L looking for

suitable work, speaking Arabic &

English. Contact: 94639053

Indian male, B.Sc (Mathematics)

PGDBM (Marketing). 9 yrs of Oman

experience in sales in midlevel

management, NOC available.

Valid Oman D/L.

Contact: 95278838

Email: anup2p4p@yahoo.com

Indian male B.com, 5 years experi-

ence in shopping center can manage

purchase / sales and admin func-

tions valid Oman driving license

NOC available. Contact 95459944

BE computer science 6 years experi-

ence software developer and support

Engineering exp sales and man-

agement Oman D/L, NOC available.

Contact: 98097722

P.H.D , 20 years, 2.5yrs Oman

agriculture green house fertilizers

marketing seeking suitable place-

ment. Contact 93220249

Email: anthurium7777@gmail.com

Indian male MBA (HR& marketing)

2 years experience in sales seeking

suitable position now on visiting.

Contact: 96483964

An Indian male having rich

experience in procurement, Sales

marketing and office administration

seeking suitable position.

Contact: 93689602

Indian male Graduate in business

management having work experi-

ence of 12 years looking for

a suitable position.

Contact : 93431567

Male MBA (General) from Cardiff

Metropolitan University London)

looking for a suitable placement.

Contact 92819301

Email: adicbhat@outlook.com

Pakistani male 34 yrs Intermedi-

ate 2 yrs exp in sales & marketing

in Oman. Looking for suitable job.

Contact - 92146864

Indian male 45+ yrs , 20 yrs exp as

sales supervisor in India looking for

indoor sales /stores /cashier or any

suitable placement can speak

Hindi , English, Malayalam, Tamil,

kannada can join immediately

on visit visa.

Contact 93086105/33016546

Driver light. Contact: 91020999

Driver looking for job.

Contact 92137431

ACCA affiliate & Bsc (Oxford

Brookes University), 2.5 years expe-

rience in oilfield & audit/finance in

Big6 firm, seeking permanent place-

ment. Release available. Contact

95140445, a.saran891@gmail.com

Indian Male 27, Piping Design

Engineer looking for suitable place-

ment in Piping Design & Engineer-

ing. Also familiar with PDMS (11.6

Version),CAESAR ll, AutoCAD. Con-

tact : 97351786 / 96143708, E-mail :

mohammednazeer07@gmail.com

Mechanical Engineer B.E fresher

(QA, QC , Piping & NDT + 1 month

practical training in production & oil

field) seeking immediate placement

currently on visit visa. Contact –

0096896107833, Email -

albinalbin.thomas@gmail.com

Indian Male 58yrs, Oman experi-

ence 31yrs in Multifunctional Man-

agement, Administration, Business

Development, Purchase & Opera-

tions, seeking suitable Manager/

Supervisory Position. Visa transfer/

NOC Available. GSM: 95036410

23 yrs old Pakistani bachelor in

accounts and marketing 3.5 yrsexp

2 yrsexp in Oman, looking for a job.

Contact- 99374062

Indian Male 33 looking for Scaf-

folding Supervisor vacancy in Oil &

Gas field in Oman. Having 5 years

experience in CCC Qatar and 3 years

in Saudi” Contact 96155921

fysal.nellaya@gmail.com or

Sudanese/Bsc IT/26/2 years expe-

rience/excellent Eng-Arb speaking/

Omani driving license/96387227/

henrykarrar@gmail.com

Indian male, 34 yrs, ca inter pass,

with 14 yrs experience, is seeking

suitable placement, currently on

visit visa & ready to join immediate-

ly. Contact: 95585069 or 95630747

26 years Indian male with MBA &

PGDFM, Total 3.8 years experience

in Administration, seeking suit-

able placement in any gulf region.

Holding Oman valid driving license.

Contact :93359371

ACCA affiliate,male,2.5 years expe-

rience in an audit firm in Finance &

Audit, looking for suitable immedi-

ate placement. Release available.

Contact 95140445,

a.saran891@gmail.com

Indian Female: MCA, 3 Years Exp. as

Asst. Professor, Specialization in C #

(sharp).net, Data Comm.& Network-

ing, Knowledge about Web Develop-

ment, ASP.Net, Oracle, SQL,VB.net.

Seek Immediate Placement. Now on

Visit Visa.9588 7051

ashwininakod@gmail.com

Indian male 21 IT Engineer

Networking & Computer hardware

course 01 yr experience currently

on visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact 96036273, E mail

faizanfarooqui23@gmail.com

Indian male, 14 yrs Experience in

Maintenance & Supervisor in hotel

field ( Electrical . Ac Mechanical &

Plumber ) N O C available # 95253640

email: hareeshma24@yahoo.com

Sales/ Marketing Executive : 35

years old Indian male, MBA, having

experiences in UAE and India in

sales and marketing field, presently

on visit visa, looking for a suitable

job in Salalah or in Oman.

Contact 91233648

Well experienced hair dresser/

beautician required, visa available.

Contact – 96524717

Indian female 25 yrs MBA finance

currently on visit visa seeks imme-

diate placement. Contact 9843 0089

Civil Autocad draughtsman looking

for part time job. Mobile: 95218737

30 years Indian male with hotel

management degree, 02 years

experience in F&B service at five

star hotel in Dubai and 05 years

in American 6 star cruiseliner as

Butler . Currently in Muscat on visit

visa. Contact 91075704

Indian male 27 years, MBA, hav-

ing more than 5 yrs experience in

sales and marketing, looking for

suitable job. Contact no.99224057,

+919824823734

DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com

D6 W E D N E S D AY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

Civil Engineer, Diploma, Male 25, 3

years experience in site, CAD, 3d, MS

Project, Seeking job in Oman.

Contact 92875345,

jubincivileng@gmail.com

Indian female B.ED & BCA looking

for a suitable placement in school

or admin office, having 5 yrs exp in

same field. Contact – 97384206 /

rani_sweet786@live.com

Electronics and instrumentation

Engineer 28 year Indian male, elec-

trical, electronic, industrial, building

& automation exp of 4+ yrs in India.

Contact - 93154156

CCNP Network Professional with 6

years experience having Bachelors

degree on visit visa looking for suit-

able job. Contact: 96760618 email:

varghese.manthara@gmail.com

Indian female with MBA (Finance)

on visit visa, seeks immediate place-

ment. Phone: 968-98430089

Indian female, IATA, Bsc, Looking

for suitable placement.

Contact-95514305, email id-

raveendranmala@gmail.com

Sudanese male, 31 year old, have 3

year Diploma in electrical engineer,

5 year experience in different activi-

ties. Contact; +96894549609

Male, 30 years Accountant, 1 year

Oman experience in accountants,

finance. Seeking suitable position in

Muscat .Can join immediately, NOC

available. Email: lalitbls1@gmail.com

Call: 97903175

CCNP Network Professional with 6

years experience having Bachelors

degree on visit visa looking for suit-

able job. Contact: 96 76 06 18

Indian male, post graduate,

currently in Oman on visit visa.

Seeks suitable placement.

Contact 92388346

Indian male 60 years old have 30

years Muscat experience in all office

works with Omani driving license.

Contact: 99024055

Indian female, B.Com. knowledge of

MS Office & Tally, 4yrs experience

in Accounts &admin dept. looking

for good placement in any field.

Contact.98928220

Indian male, total experience is 5

years in Retail industry. Currently su-

pervisor in Sun and sand sports Mus-

cat City centre. Contact : 96994345.

Email : jsp.jsr85@gmail.com

More than Ten years of experience

in Sales & Marketing, Advertisement

and Credit Control and Logistics&

Administration.

Contact 91076608 / 99322748

MCA IT Professional Indian Female

seek placement in Teaching/ Non

Teaching field. Presently on visit

visa. Contact 9588 7051,

Email: ashwininakod@gmail

Indian male, Engineer, BE Mechani-

cal, having with 21 years of experi-

ence in India and 13 years in Oman,

In production, project management,

quality control and assurance and

MR for ISO and API Standards look-

ing out for a suitable placement

in Oman. GSM: 00968 97311616.

E-MAIL: fahazasa@yahoo.com

Indian female BA graduate. My total

experience is 4 and half year in Call

Center looking for jobs in admin

and HR. Contact : 96089143, Email:

sharanjit_kaur2009@yahoo.com

Indian male, MBA marketing &

finance with B com & diploma in

IFRS seeks job.

Contact 99469726 / 99469729

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

MISCELLANEOUS

Sr. Manager, MBA, 18yrs profes-

sional exp in Building materials, in-

teriors, tiles, sanitary wares, Gypsum

in gulf, seeking job immediately/on

visit/ Contact - 93364846 /

mgrprofessional@hotmail.com

Indian Male 34 years Mechanical

Engineer 3 years of Experience seek-

ing suitable placement immediately

Contact: 91991435, 93310821

Indian Male, 29 years, CCNP, MCITP

having Bachelor degree and 6 years

of experience in Networking looking

for job. 96760618 /

varghese.manthara@gmail.com

B.E. Civil Engineer from India with 3

years of experience looking for suit-

able vacancy in oman now on visit

visa. Contact 9571 3441,

Email . Khatrialeem@gmail.com

Indian male 21 IT Eng. networking &

computer hardware diploma, 1 year

experience, currently on visit visa

looking for a suitable job

Contact 96036273 email:

faizanfarooqui23@gmail.com

Indian Female, Commerce Graduate,

Total 9 yrs of experience in India.

worked as Accounts Assistant and

Business executive seeking for

suitable placement.

Tel : 96173533/24222457

Email : topranidivya@gmail.com

24 year Indian Chartered Account-

ant male with 3yrs of experience is

seeking suitable placement in Mus-

cat, currently on visit visa & ready

to join immediately. Contact him on

98201476 or email at

lokeshkaluri@gmail.com

Indian, 32 years, completed M.A.

English, M.Sc. Psychology and B.Ed

in English. Searching for suitable job

in the field of teaching. To

Contact: 00968 99869535

Email: sahadkeyi33@gmail.com

8 Years successful experience, SEN-

IOR ACCOUNTANT, Indian male,29

years. Presently working in Oman as

a Senior Accountant with oman Driv-

ing license seeks suitable opportu-

nity. GSM: 97705854

Female Executive Assistant/Execu-

tive Secretary with 27+ experience,

worked with top management/Board

in financial services with shorthand

skills & Omani driving license, seeks

suitable placement. call 95941515

26 years Indian male with MBA &

PGDFM, Total 3.8 years experience

in Administration, seeking suit-

able placement in any gulf region.

Holding Oman valid driving license.

Contact :94501423

8 yrs exp Site supervisor cum 2d,

3d Draughtsman (holding Omani

driving license) seeking job.

Contact : 93790601

Indian Male 24 years, Looking for a

Suitable Job in Telecom / Network-

ing. 1 year sales experience. MSc.

Communications Engineering &

Valid Driving license. Ph: 91280121.

Email: jackrprasad@yahoo.com

Indian Male, 29 years, CCNP, MCITP

having Bachelor degree and 6 years

of experience in Networking looking

for job. 96760618 /

varghese.manthara@gmail.com

Iraqi Pharmacist with 15 years

experience as regulatory affairs and

Marketing Manager seeking job in

pharmaceutical co. Mobile 96720441

Finance ACCA Affiliate, 2.5 years

experience in audit/finance and oil

company in reputed firms. Look-

ing for suitable permanent place-

ment. Release available. Contact

95140445, a.saran891@gmail.com

ACC. AVAILABLE

Excellent room, with A/C kitchen

available from June/ July 1st, near

ONTC Bus station (Ruwi).

Contact 95569740

Furnished single room / sharing for

Exe. bachelor at Rex Road.

Contact 92873832

Independent rooms in Qurum /

Al Hail. Contact 95529970

Single room with sharing bathroom

and kitchen available for rent near

honda road signal.

Contact: 99562884 / 93654412

1BHK available Mumtaz area Ruwi.

Contact: 99269751

Sharing accommodation available

for Indian family Ruwi high street

Raymond bld. Contact : 97380459

Furnished room attached bath for

Indian bachelor - Al Falaj area &

for lady at Wadi kabir (Al Maya) -

95941515.

Sharing accommodation available

for Executive bachelor. Ruwi high

street. Contact-99776193

Single room for executive bachelor

near AL Falaj Hotel.

Contact 99643845

Fully furnished room with attached

Bath for executive bachelor, behind

Al Meera Hypermarket Azaiba

R.O 150/-. Contact: 99455735

Sharing accommodation avail-

able opposite Mars at Al Ghubra for

Executive bachelor or small family

sharing, kitchen. Contact 94474351 /

96237050

Sharing for non-cooking Executive

bachelor in CBD area wi fi free,

advance deposit. Contact 95934642

Accommodation available for South

Indian family, one bedroom with

attached toilet, kitchen, hall in a villa,

Al Ghubrah. Contact 99209160

Sharing acc. Available in Muttrah

behind Oman house.

Contact 99354340

Sharing family accommodation in

Wadi Kabir. Contact 99335057

2 Rooms with separate bathroom &

kitchen for executive bachelors.

Gsm 942-888-63

Key Account Executive, Indian

male, currently working with a

reputed FMCG company Oman is

looking for a placement asap, NOC

will be given. Valid Omani driving

license. Total experience in Oman is

12yrs and particularly in Sales is 8

1/2 years. Contact 95589765 Email :

agnelfrancis@yahoo.co.in

25 Indian female, B.Sc fashion tech-

nologist, 5 years exp in merchandis-

ing, familiar with fashion marketing

& designing. Currently available on

visit visa, seeking for a visual mer-

chandising job. Contact : 96990368,

email jumshi@gmail.com

Sudanese male BSC Telecommuni-

cations Engineer , 4 years experi-

ence in telecom field #97783092,

Email: Alrsheed88@hotmail.com

Indian male, 28 years, 7 years

experience in transporting & heavy

equipment renting company. Having

Omani driving license seeks suitable

positions. Contact 94410485

Civil autocad draughtsman part

time work for job mob :96023726

Working as Senior Accountant, 4 yrs.exp.in oman, relevant computer

skills, Audit, Accounting upto fina-

lization, valid oman driving license,

languages known Arabic, Hindi.

NOC available can join immediately.

Tel: (+968) 96339599, E-mail-

(ahmedmohdkhan@gmail.com)

Mechanical Engineer, Indian, (B.E.)

on visit visa, seeking suitable post.

Contact :99534733

Email: rajesh92prince@gmail.com

Male, 19 years of experience in

Finance and Administration cur-

rently on visit visa seeks suitable

placement. Contact: 99720132/

abidrafi33@hotmail.com

Sudanese male BSC Telecommuni-

cations Engineer, 4 years experience

in telecom field.Contact : 97783092,

Email: alrsheed88@hotmail.com

Piping Design Engineer, Indian

male 27, looking for suitable place-

ment in Piping Design & Engineer-

ing. Having 7 years of experience in

AutoCAD. Also familiar with PDMS

(11.6 Version),CAESAR ll. Contact :

97351786 / 96143708, E-mail :

mohammednazeer07@gmail.com

Indian female, B.Com. knowledge of

MS Office &Tally, 4yrs experience in

Accounts &admin dept. looking for good

placement in any field. #98928220

Key Account Executive , currently working with a reputed

FMCG company Oman is looking for

a placement asap, NOC available,

valid Omani driving license.

Total experience in Oman is 12yrs

and particularly in Sales is 8 1/2

years. Contact 95589765

Email : agnelfrancis@yahoo.co.in

Senior IT Professional, Indian Male,

more than 17 yrs. of experience in

software development(PB, Oracle,

SAP ABAP) and IT Support with

valid Oman DL and NOC available

Contact : 92193867,

Email : cp.prasad@gmail.com

Software development based on

requirements such as: Web devel-

opment & cloud computing, SAP

implementation & services. Android

App development networking.

Contact 97423932

BUSINESS

BUSINESS

DRIVING

Learn driving with professional

only automatic. Contact 94022250

Looking for a working partner to

run a well established fabrication &

carpentry workshop in Barka. Con-

tact: 95120404 or mail to

elmechoman@gmail.com

Required business Researcher.

contact 99229700

Email: kjaaraimi@hotmail.com

Business Consultant, feasibility

study. Contact 99229700

DAILY GUIDEW E D N E S D AY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5 D7

DAILY GUIDESITUATION WANTEDCARGO

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise

with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain

Marine Tours Contact- 98029602,

92808636

RENT A CAR

TOURS

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation available. Contact:

99867456

Transportation. Contact

99077348

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

Transportation. Contact

99508282

Transportation. Contact: 91310107

Driver with vehicle. Contact

99159277

Transport to ISWK. Contact

93172589

Pick & Drop any time. Contact

97014786

DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com

D8 W E D N E S D AY, M AY 2 7, 2 0 1 5

DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.comDAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.comDAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624

Email: dailyguide@timesofoman.com

SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

Specialist available for explosive

growth in term of restructuring

all modules of businesses with

over 30 years of experience across

continents with a decade in Oman.

Contact 96733578

Email : profitoman@gmail.com

Maintenance / House shift. Ng

works / Labour supply on daily ba-

sis. Contact: 95696001 / 97439768

A/C maintenance & servicing.

Fridge, washing machine & dish

washer repairing. Painting & clean-

ing services & electrical & plumb-

ing. Contact 99447257/97014234/

24504281

We do building maintenance all

kind of works. Contact 99247663

Carpet & sofa cleaning, house clean-

ing. Contact 99542979 / 98855815

P.R.O services. Contact 99368907

House shifting packing. Contact 99657644/ 98518013

Carpet & sofa shampooing. Ocean

Centre LLC. Contact 99884591 /

92682970

WEBSITE

WEB, ERP and Business Intelli-

gence (BI) creation and man-

agement at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

CLASSES

COMPUTER

COMPUTER

ACCOUNTANTS AND CONSULTANTSWE ARE PROVIDING

ACCOUNTING/ AUDITINGTAX/ CONSULTING

CONTACT: 24 567 251 / 95 498 033

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet

& sofa shampooing, Contact

99314807/24792998

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of

your marble. Contact 24793614/

99314807

Window & split unit A.C servicing & repairing.

Contact 99557080

Split & window A.C servicing &

maintenance. Contact: 96236476

Split & window A.C servic-

ing & maintenance. Contact

93769089/95323517

Air condition maintenance split

and window services AC specialist

ducted and package type unites.

Contact: 98667326

A/C maintenance split A/C servic-

ing. RO. 10 only. Contact 94217681/

99210141

House shifting. Contact 99708138

Pest Control Treatments, Termites, Cockroaches, Bedbugs.

Contact Ocean Centre LLC.

Contact 99344723

MATRIMONIALCHANGE OF NAME

KERALA NAIR BOY working in

Muscat, age 31 ,Height 165cm.

Seeking alliance from Nair /

Nambiar girls, especially from north

Malabar area. Manager visa with

family status GSM: 96344388

Alliance invited for a Hindu, Ezhava

male 28, 5”8” working as a machin-

ist in a well established company in

Oman. Contact: 98323862

We are Muslim family seeking

alliance for our son interested

families. Contact 97664009

Kerala Nair girl, B.Com, 22 yrs, 5.2”

very fair, slim, (Star Uthrattathi)

Presently working in infosis, Chen-

nai. Financially sound, from parents

of nair boys from Trissur, Palakkad

and Eranakulam & Calicut dist. .

Contact :0091 8301865688

email: raveendrandr@yahoo.com

Alliance invited for a Nair girl 24 yrs, 5ft, 1”, fair, slim, B.Tech

graduate reputed family of

Ernakulam dist. (Star Thiruvonam

Sudhajathakam) financially

sound, from parents of B.Tech

nair boys from Trissur, Palakkad

and Eranakulam dist. . Contact

:00919495924302

email: raveendrandr@yahoo.com

NRI

Ready / under construction apart-

ments / villas / row houses / shops,

available for sale in North / South

Goa (India). tel # 95867021 E- mail -

tonynoronha@rocketmail.com

Residential plot 47 cents, also as

10-15 cents plots at Manjapra 15kms

from Nedumbassery Airport with

calm and beautiful surroundings.

Price IRS.180,000/cent.

Contact 9193 6563

SERVICES

Split & window A.C servicing &

maintenance. Contact 93769089 /

95323517

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles

polishing, carpet shampooing,

maintenance.Contact ABU QABAS-

99320217 /24788722

Water proofing ABUQABAS-

Contact 99320217/24788722

Carpet Shampoo, marble & tile

polishing, pest control & anti-ter-

mite treatment, general cleaning

painting, Plumbing, Electrical,

shifting. Contact Mundhir

Al-Rizaiqi trading. L.L.C.

# 24810137, 99450130

Hindu Ezhava family, settled in

Muscat looking for suitable groom

working within Oman for their

daughter 25 yrs (MBA) working

with a reputed company in Muscat.

Contact : 98689663

I Ramandeep Singh (holder of In-

dian passport No. J 1342004) Son of

Mohinder Singh having permanent

residence in Vill- Barsal, PO - Ud-

hopur, Distt – Jalandhar (complete

postal address in India) and pres-

ently residing in Ibri, PO. Box – 273,

Postal Code -511 (complete postal in

Oman) intend to change my name

from Ramandeep Singh (old name)

to Ramandeep Singh (Given name)

Grewal (Sur name) (new name) for

all practical purpose. Any objec-

tion towards my name change may

please be communicated to Em-

bassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic

Quarters, Al Khuwair, P. Box No. 1727,

Postal Code 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of

Oman.

I, Ashvini Sunil (holder of Indian

Passport No. H6685906) daughter

of Bindu Madhavarao Kavathekar

having permanent address in 113rd

main Nehru Nagar, Gokul Road Hubli

Dharwad 580030 Karnataka (com-

plete postal address in India) and

presently residing at P. O. Box No.

1834, PC No. 114, Muscat, Sultanate

of Oman (complete postal address in

Oman), intend to change my name

from Ashvini Sunil (old name) to

Ashvini Sunil Hattiholi (new name)

for all practical purposes. Any objec-

tion towards my name change may

please be communicated to Em-

bassy of India, Muscat, Diplomatic

Quarters, Al Khuwair, P. Box No. 1727,

PC 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman.

GOOD NEWS

Ayurvedic massage backache, joint

pain & neck pain etc.

Contact: 98254909

Ayurvedic treatment for backache,

paralysis, arthritis etc & massage,

All Season (Vaidyaratnam).

Contact 24475280 / 95371554 /

92504980 www.siddhayur.com

Ayurvedic treatment for joint pain,

backache, paralysis massage, steam

bath, obesity, spondylitis IDEAL ,

CARE Ayurvedic Clinic 18 November

street, Azaiba. Contact 99639695 /

99117987

FREE INFORMATION ABOUT IS-LAM. If you would like to know more

about Islam, please call: 99425598,

96050000, 99353988, 99253818,

99341395, and 99379133.

For ladies: 99415818, 99321360,

99730723

Orvisit: www.islamfact.com

Taimour Ayurvedic Clinic, Ruwi

offers genuine & effective treatment

for back pain, paralysis, cervical and

lumbar spondylitis, osteoarthritis,

joint pains, sinusitis, migraine, aller-

gic problems, varicose vein and all

other health related problems. Kerala

massage and rejuvenation package

available. For details please

Contact 92197920/ 24799689