Times Of Oman - June 28, 2015

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SUNDAY, June 28, 2015 / 11 Ramadan 1436 AH timesofoman.com wtimesofoman.com facebook.com/timesofoman twitter.com/timesofoman blog.timesofoman.com ISO 9001:2008 Certified Company

RAMADAN PRAYER TIMINGSDhuhr 12.15pmAsr 3.33pmMaghrib 7.02pmIsha 8.25pm Fajr (Tomorrow) 3.55am

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FAJR3.55AM

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2 >A12

MARKETLogistics to put Oman on world trade map

3Substantial investments in the logistics sector in recent years will help

Oman to emerge as a major logistics hub in the world. Given the importance of the sector in the promotion of the national economy, several investments have been made in ports, airports and roads sectors. >B1

OMANWhy entrepreneurs’ dreams die young?

1Young entrepreneurs in Oman face formidable hurdles with their new

ventures as many of them see their business collapse within the first year dashing their dreams of making it big. The government had big dreams when it unveiled special funding for young entrepreneurs. >A2

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

C7New-look Lifestyle section

Eid flight tickets out of bounds for flyers

Times News Service

MUSCAT: With Eid holidays ex-pected to begin on July 16 or 17, air tickets for those and the following dates have either been sold out or their prices have reached gone through the roof.

“Flight tickets to most Asian destinations have drastically gone up, while on some sectors the prices have increased by 500 per cent making it difficult for those leaving Muscat after work on July 16,” said a leading travel agent based in Muscat.

Airfares on the Muscat-Delhi route are up at least 100 per cent while those on the Muscat-Kochi route have risen by 200 per cent.

But the biggest increase has been witnessed on the Muscat-Mum-bai route with fares almost rising by a whopping 500 per cent from the normal fares.

“This is simply because eve-rybody wants to travel on these dates, thinking that the Eid holi-days will begin on July 16 and con-tinue for the next 9 days,” a travel agent said.

A senior official of the airline industry, however, claimed that fares have not been hiked be-cause of Eid.

“People are only getting the higher class economy fares, which sometimes reach up to 500 per

cent,” he said.As an example, he said one way

fares to Muscat-Mumbai begin at OMR28, but during peak season they can be as high as OMR150. “Everything depends on supply and demand,” he added.

It is not only India where air-fares have reached sky high.

Flights to almost all the tourist destinations have almost doubled during the holidays. “The flights are full. Those who booked in ad-vance have benefitted,” said a sen-ior official from Mezoon Travels.

For instance, Mohammed Shafiqul Islam Bhuiyan, the gen-eral manager of New Star Inter-

national Travel and Tour LLC, said a round trip ticket from Mus-cat to London will cost travellers OMR650, while a return ticket to Singapore will cost OMR500 and to Paris about OMR530 this Eid.

“For Istanbul it will cost you a little more than OMR450 – if you are not willing to compromise on your dates,” he said.

During the off peak season, the price of flying to Istanbul is around OMR140. >A6

Fares to almost all

Asian and tourist

destinations

have gone up as

everybody wants to

travel after Ramadan

and there are a

limited number of

economy seats

Staff Reporter

MUSCAT: As the Supreme Council for Planning is review-ing the re-planning of Ghala In-dustrial Area project, industri-alists and residents have called for the modernisation of area without any delay.

“Ghala industrial area needs more changes. In the last few years, there has been an expo-nential increase in the number of companies coming up in the area. As the company units are growing, the number of labour camps are also growing. Sunil Kumar KK, a company official working in the area, told the Times of Oman. >A6

S U P R E M E C O U N C I L

Up and awayTicket from Muscat to:

Roundtrip

Oneway

London

Normal Peakseason

250Paris 288

Singapore 198

Istanbul 140

Mumbai 28

650

500

450

150

530

Source: Travel agencies Graphics

(OMR)

increase in some cases

500%

Staff Reporter

MUSCAT: Condemning the gris-ly attack in Tunisia and France, which claimed 38 lives, Oman’s foreign ministry issued a state-ment urging world powers to make more coordinated efforts to combat terrorism on Saturday.

“The attacks on a tourist site in Tunisia and a French factory was against humanity. The regional and global powers should renew their efforts to combat terror-ism,” the ministry of foreign af-fairs’ statement read.

In the same statement, Oman

also expressed its sincere con-dolences to the victims’ families and wished for speedy recovery of the injured.

Meanwhile, travel agents in Oman said there were not too many travellers from Oman at the Tunisian tourist spots.

“Usually, we don’t have too many travellers from Oman to Tunisia. In our office, we don’t have data of anyone having trav-elled or having been stuck in Tunisia following the attack. If there were any, they would have contacted us by now,” the travel agent said.

T U N I S I A , F R A N C E A T T A C K S

Oman urges world to combat terror

SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY VISIT

PHOTO GALLERY ON TUNISIA AND KUWAIT

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

SKY-ROCKETING FARES: Tickets for the end of the Holy Month of

Ramadan have either been sold out or their prices have reached

stratospheric heights.

Ghala residents seek facilities

RELATIVES CONSOLERelatives of the victims of

Friday bombing console

each other at the Al Jafariya

cemetery in Suleibikhat,

Kuwait while Dutch tourists are

greeted by relatives upon their

arrival at Schiphol airport from

Tunisia on Saturday. -AFP/Reuters

See also >A7, 15

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COMHealthSECTION

C

L I F E S T Y L E

S U N DAY, J U N E 2 8, 2 0 1 5

eat, pray, balance

With 15 hour days and the scorching heat of summer, those fasting this Ramadan

need to take special precautions to ensure they remain healthy throughout the holy month.

By Mohammed Shafeeq

he daily fasting period – up to 15 hours – is the longest in 32 years in the Mid-

dle East. This makes Ramadan a real test of strength and determination this

year, but with a healthy, balanced approach including diet, sleep, and ex-

ercise – our bodies needn’t suffer. During this time of celebrations with family

and friends, we all have an opportunity to turn our diets and bad eating habits

around, and maybe even lose a few kilograms in the process. The key is to approach

Ramadan in a healthy, balanced way.T

SHARE THIS!

By N. GurumurthyI t has been more than two decades since the

Omani government launched its Omanisation

plan, which is one of the national priorities to

provide employment for nationals who enter the

job market every year. This is in line with other countries of the Gulf

Cooperation Council that have adopted similar poli-

cies where expats constitute 40 to 70 per cent of the

population. A number of measures have been undertaken.

These include gradual reduction in the percent-

age of expatriates in various grades; two- year ban

on transfer of employment. The goal of these is

to fulfil the ultimate aim of reaching 100 per cent

Omanisation. It is important to ensure creation of jobs for

nationals - about 50,000 of whom require jobs

yearly. Obviously the authorities need to find

ways to meet the increasing demand for jobs

for the citizens. To meet the challenge, in recent

years, the government has become aggressive in

this front. However, the moot question is how

far Omanisation will succeed in generating more

jobs for nationals? A look at the recent data of National Centre for

Statistics and Information reported by Salim

Al Hashmi, “Omanis won’t go for 88 per cent of

expat jobs, says official”, Times of Oman, June

21, 2015) reveals interesting insights. Since

December 2013, the number of working expats

has increased by 6 per cent from 1.52 million

to 1.61 million contrary to what one would

have expected in the backdrop of the tightened

government policy. As of April 2015, the private sector employed

about 81 per cent of the total working expats.

Private organisations work for profit and not to

provide employment to expatriates. Possible reasons could be that nationals are

not keen to take up those jobs or they find the sal-

ary unattractive. Three countries, namely, India,

Bangladesh and Pakistan account for 1.40 million

out of 1.61 million comprising 90 per cent of the to-

tal foreign workforce. The educational level of 90

per cent of this workforce is secondary or less.

Most jobs held by expats are low paying and un-

attractive. This is confirmed by the survey - that

Omanis won’t go for 88 per cent of expat jobs.

What about the remaining 12 per cent? Expats

with higher qualification and experience in-

deed add value for Oman. Their experience

helps organisations to increase innovative ideas

thereby provide employment opportunity, which

in the long run would benefit nationals. Is Oman

chasing an elusive target? This is not say that Omanisation should be

discarded but to show that Oman might benefit

more from exploring ways to increase long term

employment. Looking the other way might create

more opportunities.

THE GREEN SEA TURTLE

SIZE RANMature individuals’

The peak time for turtle watching in Oman

is from July to October, when

approximately 20,000 turtles visit Oman

beaches to lay their eggs each year.Major nesting sites

Distribution

MuscatRas Al Hadd

Ad Daymaniyat

Ras Al JinzMasirah

Why are terrorists killing innocent people?

This refers to the news story, Terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Ku-

wait and France stun three continents (June 26). It was very sad

news. Many innocent people die without any reason. Many chil-

dren, who are the future of the world, perished. There is nothing

to be gained through terrorism. Why are they killing innocent

people? How will they profit from this? If they want to kill people

why they not kill criminals. — Mu-hammed Riyas Kakkaattil, Muscat

No probes into weapon entry

This refers to the news story, Terrorist

attacks in Tunisia, Kuwait and France

stun three continents (June 26). One

question I have in my mind is how do

the terrorists get weapons inside the

country. In my opinion, it means there

are no proper investigations. — Justin

Sanctus, MuscatKillers have lost their mind

This refers to the news story, Oman

condemns suicide blast at Kuwait

mosque (June 26). This incident is

indeed very tragic. The killers have lost

their mind. It needs to be asked why the biggest crime of kill-

ing innocent people is committed. May God protect our Oman

always. — Shailender Singh Panwar , MuscatTerrorist attacks repugnantly hateful

This refers to the news story, Oman condemns suicide blast at

Kuwait mosque (June 26.) In my opinion, this atta k

ble by all standards. Only the most he

of committing such a repHabsi , Mus

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A D V E R T I S I N G

C I R C U L A T I O N

Essa bin Mohammed Al ZedjaliMohamed Issa Al ZadjaliAnees Essa Al Zedjali Ahmed Essa Al Zedjali

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S U N DAY, J U N E 2 8, 2 0 1 5

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Is Omanisation best way to generate jobs?

ONLINE HOT PICKS

READERS’ FORUM

NEW INDIA ASSURANCENew India’ PA

CLIPPINGS

PICTOGRAPHSeminar on petroleum and energy held

Rashid bin Khalid Al Barwani, marketing adviser to the oil

and gas minister, yesterday presided over the fourth Oman-

Japan joint seminar on petroleum and energy on the ministry

premises. A total of seven working papers will be presented

during the one-day symposium, of which four by the Omani

side and the rest by the Japanese. The seminar aims at

building and strengthening joint ties among exporting and

importing countries and enhancing cooperation between the

Sultanate and Japan.

1743: Engli h

#TRENDINGM O S T R E A DTIMESOFOMAN.COM

M O S T P O P U L A R V I D E O

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

Former Russian prime minister Yevgeny Primakov, who died

on Friday, was once Vladimir Putin’s most credible rival for

the Russian presidency. Had he won, Russia probably would have

embarked on its anti-Western course even earlierhttp://bit.ly/1AFkcgl

LEONID BERSHIDSKY

To be sure, my generation has never heard of such staggering

stats resulting from a heatwave in Pakistan: More than 1,100 killed — over a thousand in

Karachi alone — and another 40,000 affected by the scorching

weather, who struggled for timely treatmenthttp://bit.ly/1AFkcgl

KAMRAN REHMAT

Amy Winehouse died at 27, like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim

Morrison and Kurt Cobain before

her. For an industry so grievously familiar with premature death, the music business has yet to pay any serious attention to

preventing it, to recognising the fragility of its talentshttp://bit.ly/1AFkcgl

ALICE JONES

F R O M O U R A R C H I V E S

T O D A Y I N H I S T O R Y

An Omani businessman infected with the deadly

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus

visited a hospital in Oman more than 10 days before he

boarded a flight to Thailand,

JUNE 1999

Scan this QR code to send letters to the Readers’ Forum, 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).

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TIMESOFOMAN.COM/VIDEOS

1 More imported vehicles entering across land borders:

Royal Oman Police http://bit.ly/1TUtlrJ

2 Oman condemns suicide blast at Kuwait mosque

http://bit.ly/1BVsgKx3 Oman accident: Three killed in Saham road crash http://bit.ly/1NmYYFI4 27 killed 222 injured in

Kuwait mosque attack claimed by IS militant group

http://bit.ly/1JpzgSz5 Attack on Tunisian beachside hotel: Britons, Germans and Belgians among 37 killed

http://bit.ly/1FGV0S2

1 Indian worker’s body to be repatriated from Oman

http://bitly.com/1LBGnYz2 Omani environmentalist hoists national flag on North

Pole http://bit.ly/1BJJhqL3 Terrorist attacks in Tunisia,

Kuwait and France stun three continentshttp://bit.ly/1fMHc3E4 What do your fingers say

about you? http://bit.ly/1LBJ7835 Plastic waste needs to be recycled, say experts in

Omanhttp://bit.ly/1fMZEsR

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A2 S U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

OMANMuscat Municipality has decided to eliminate any commercial deals between the municipality and its employeesCivic staff banned from business deals >A3

Young entrepreneurs in Oman face formi-dable hurdles with their new ventures as many of them see

their business collapse within the first year dashing their dreams of making it big.

The government had big dreams when it unveiled special funding for young entrepreneurs in the early 1990s aimed at al-leviating employment crisis.

The Sanad programme was unveiled and many applied for soft loans of up to OMR50,000. Two decades later, about 80 percent of these businesses stopped existing. A good num-ber of them lasted only a year before they downed their shutters.

Two years ago, the Al Raffd Fund was created to rejuve-nate the self-employment prospects of the youths with a OMR70 million capital. It has removed many of the obstacles of the Sanad programme and improved the overall funding schemes to make it more attrac-tive and user friendly.

Business training, compre-hensive marketing, a viable financial plan were all made compulsory besides having a good understanding of the product. However, although it could be too early to make a judgement, there is still no stark improvement of the survival rate of business start-ups. Like the Sanad, it lacks follow-up and commitment. Most of the soft loan recipients are people in their twenties who have never done business before.

The common element is that they have a problem creating a customer based network, which is essential for survival of any business. Quality assur-ance and product management are two other factors that let them down. But that is not all. About 70 percent of the small government funded companies struggle to win contracts with

big corporate houses. For example, a new recruit-

ment company would have trouble getting business from a well established organisation or a stationary shop winning contracts for office supplies. Big companies do not take young entrepreneurs seriously. The same goes for most of the gov-ernment-owned organisations. New entrepreneurs are left to their own devices the moment the soft loans are transferred to their accounts.

Tender quotasIf the various government-con-trolled Tender Boards protect big businesses by giving them special contractual consid-

erations, why budding entre-preneurs do not get the same privileges to boost them up? In 2014, the government awarded over OMR2.2 billion worth of contracts for various projects and services, eight percent more than the previous year. None of the contracts were awarded to young entrepreneurs operating under the special funds. It is very simple.

Unless the government spreads these important an-nual projects equally across all sectors of business classes, not just the so-called top grade companies, self-employment initiatives for the young busi-ness people will never take off. It is important that a certain percentage of all tendered gov-

ernment contracts are reserved for small businesses to avoid economical discrepancies. Many would agree to a special tender quota for trades under the Al Raffd Fund to ensure their long-term survival.

Moreover, small entrepre-neurs should have a priority of getting sub-contracts for ten-ders won by big companies. It would ensure equal opportuni-ties for all trading houses in the Sultanate to have a fair share of the business. After all, the suc-cess of small business people will lead to the expansion of the economy and generate more jobs. At the moment, a majority of young people feel intimidated when it comes to running their own businesses once they see the appalling survival record. The way it goes now, self-em-ployment in Oman, the integral part of many economies of the world, would soon start to lose steam and evaporate.

Creating a good and friendly environment for new entrepre-neurs will help unearth new potential among youths. As it has been proved in the last two decades, making funds available is not the only incentive needed to encourage people to do busi-ness. More is needed to be done to ensure success so their trades do not go under just after twelve months of business.

[email protected]

Why the dreams of young Omani entrepreneurs are so short-lived?

C O M M E N T A R Y

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

BUSINESS MODELS: Small entrepreneurs should get priority in sub-contracts for tenders won by big companies. It would ensure equal opportunity for all trading houses in the Sultanate to have a fair share of business. -File photo

The Sanad programme

had many applicants

for soft loans of upto

OMR50,000. Two

decades later, about

80 percent of these

businesses had failed

Nadia Al Balushi takes charge as goodwill envoy

AHMAD AL FARSI

MUSCAT: Nadia Ahmed Al Bal-ushi, was appointed the Goodwill Ambassador of Oman for the first half of this year at a ceremony organised by the International Goodwill Club at the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, at Dubai.

The ceremony began with the presentation of a film about the role and responsibilities of Am-bassadors of Goodwill around the world, after which the chair-man of the board of trustees of the International Goodwill Club, elaborated on the role of Good-will Ambassadors in serving the civil society and the humanitar-ian initiatives they run to deal with disasters and distress.

The chairman explained that for the selection of Goodwill Ambassadors a specific criteri-on is followed and inspections are conducted; especially the future prospects of the nomi-nees towards humanitarian in-itiatives for serving the people is reviewed.

Goodwill Ambassadors’ inau-

guration ceremony began with the performance of the national anthem for each country, includ-ing the Sultanate of Oman, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan and South Africa.

Joining Nadia were Sheikha Ohood Rashid Al Mualla and me-dia personnel Hessah Al Riyasi from the UAE, Sheikha Noura Khalifa Al Khalifa from Bahrain as well as actor Mohammed Sobhi , media personnel Amro Al Laithi and musician Saleem Sa-hab. Businessman John Jameel from Egypt, Abdul Rahman Ataishan from Saudi Arabia, and Dr Akram Sabri from South Africa were also appointed Goodwill Ambassadors for their respective countries.

Nadia Al Balushi said, “I am honoured to stand before you with a message of peace to the world to serve all humanity.”

She also thanked the Goodwill Club for nominating them and for the trust reposed in the Omani youth for carrying the message of peace, led by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, to the world.

S O C I A L S E R V I C E

GLOBAL MESSAGE: Goodwill Ambassadors are entrusted to serve the civil society and the humanitarian initiatives they run to deal with disasters and distress.–Supplied photo

SALEH AL SHAIBANY

SUNDAYBEAT

A3

OMANS U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

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Municipality bans staff from business relations

FAHAD AL [email protected]

MUSCAT: In an initiative to avoid conflict of interests be-tween the Muscat Municipality employees and the organisation they work for, the municipal-ity has issued a circular banning any commercial transaction be-tween Muscat Municipality and its employees.

“In accordance with the Royal Decree no. 112/2011, issued on October 24, 2011, about public property protection law to avoid

conflict of interest, Muscat Mu-nicipality has decided to eliminate any commercial deals between the municipality and its employees,” the circular issued by the Muscat Municipality reiterated.

Implementing Royal Decree“This has been done to implement the Royal Decree as the Muscat Municipality is keen to imple-ment all Royal decrees,” said an official at the municipality. He

added that the circular has been sent to all officials in Muscat and Sohar Municipalities.

The Royal Decree bans all transactions between the munici-pality and any company involving any employee at the municipality as an official or broker from the company’s side.

The Muscat Municipality’s move was welcomed by public and people think all government institutions should follow the

same norms. However, some say the importance of this Royal Decree should have been recog-nised much earlier while four years have already passed since its issuance.

Avoid interference“It is the time for all public em-ployees to avoid interfering in any transaction unless they are acting in the capacity of an official,” said Saeed Khalfan, an employee at the government sector.

He added that such transac-tions lead to misuse of position at the public institutions.

Nasir Khamis, working in the government sector, also wel-comed the move but ques-tioned the Muscat Municipal-ity the delay of four years since the Decree’s issuance.

“Four years is too long a period for activating the Royal Decree, especially as the Muscat Munici-pality is party to many transac-tions involving companies and individuals,” said Nasir.

He, however, appreciated that at least the Muscat Municipal-ity has finally announced its move debarring its employees from en-tering such transactions. “It is the time for other government units to do the same,” he added.

The Royal Decree

bans all transactions

between the

municipality and

employees at the

municipality as an

official or broker

Ladies gear up for Ramadan Bazar

MUSCAT: The Ramadan Bazar will kick off on Monday under the auspices of Sayyidah Huji-jah bint Jaifar Al Said. The Bazar will have the participation of female owners of Small and Me-dium Enterprises (SMEs) and home projects.

The two-day event is being organised by a group of female owners of SMEs from Rawafid Oman Team, in cooperation

with Al Warraq Public Relations & Marketing.

Dr. Kaltham bint Mohammed Al Zidjaliyah, Honorary Presi-dent of Rawafid Oman Team, said that organising of Ramdhan Bazar highlights the importance of activating voluntary plans and programmes of the team during this month as commercial activi-ties witnesses growth in prepara-tion for the Eid Al Fitr.

She added that as many as 10 small, medium and home projects will take part in the bazar to dis-play the latest designs and mod-els of fashion; abayas, traditional clothing, dresses, accessories, scarfs, handbags and many other female products.

Rawafid Oman Team aims to contribute to national and vol-untary works that serve various categories of the society.–ONA

S M E S ’ P R O D U C T S

It is the time for all public employees to avoid interfering in any transaction unless they are acting in the capacity of an official

Nasir KhamisGovernment official

A4 S U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

TODAY’S DU’A‘You, the Creator of the heavens and the earth! You are my Protector

in this world and in the Hereafter. Take You my soul (at death) as one

submitting to Your will (as a (Muslim), and unite me with the righteous.’

Hadith of the dayABU SAID AL-KHUDRI (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, Anyone who fasts for one day for Allah’s sake, Allah will keep his face away from the Hellfire for (a distance covered by a journey of ) seventy years. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Since the gentle rocking of the cradle till one’s death, every person is surrounded by prob-lems throughout his life. The nature of life itself is such that

problems are an inevitable part of it. Dif-ficulties are so deeply entwined with life that even their absence may turn into a considerable problem because it will rob off the people from learning and strengthening themselves.

As we all very well know, there is no human on this globe who doesn’t have his own set of predicaments. What dis-tinguishes successful people from others is the way they deal with difficulties and how they face it.

We are very fortunate that we are part of an Ummah, whose Prophet (peace be upon him) left no stone unturned to edu-cate his people about every aspect of life. Such a farsighted man he was, that not only did he foresee the difficulties which his people might face, but also taught us how to face them and solve them. One of his teachings to face problems was : turn-ing towards Allah with Du’a.

Du’a is an Arabic word which means “to call”. It means to turn to Allah and ask his help. Whenever a person runs into a problem, which he is unable to solve, his first impulse is to seek help. Du’a means seeking the help of the one who created us and the whole universe.

Before we delve deeper into what is meant by Du’a and how it is supposed to be done, it is essential we all understand its importance and significance.

Our Lord wants us to seek his help.Allah himself has stated in the Holy

Quran: “Pray to Me, I will accept; indeed those who stay conceited towards worshipping Me, will enter hell in dis-grace.” [Surah al-Ghafir, Verse 60]. There are several narrations from the Prophet (peace be upon him) which clearly explain that our Lord is delighted when we seek his help.

It instils hope and confidence among us. Praying to Allah instils a new confi-dence among us as we realise that there is someone with whom we can share our fears, without any fear of being mocked at. When we pray to Allah, our minds are automatically reassured that help will come soon.

It makes us humbleNo matter how efficient a person is in

solving problems, sooner or later he will stumble upon a situation which he will find beyond his capability to overcome and out of his power to solve it. At such occasions, praying to Allah and asking for his help is what makes him humble and aware of a power much greater than his and a capability which is unmatched. In other words, praying to Allah removes pride from the heart and makes us more rational and humble.

Apart from these, there are several points which will explain why praying to Allah and seeking his help is important to carry out a peaceful and successful

life. However, there are certain things which should be kept under considera-tion when seeking Allah’s help.

Du’a is the start, not the end of your efforts A lot of people have this miscon-ception that praying to Allah is enough and their efforts will not be required to produce the result they are aspiring for or to solve the problem which they are facing. A wise scholar has correctly lik-ened this to the plight of a hungry man, who has a platter of food kept in front of him and still he prays: “O my Lord, feed me with your hands.”

Praying to Allah does not mean one

stops his efforts, on the contrary, it means one bases his hopes not just on his efforts but also on Allah’s will and his power.

Respect the laws of the LordIf a person happens to visit a king to request for his help but breaks the laws of the kingdom or annoys the king in any way, would his request be accepted?

Similarly, when we kneel in front of the King of all kings and the Lord of the universe but we break the laws he had ascribed for us, if we commit things from which he had prohibited us, how can we expect our prayers to be answered and our cries of help to be taken seriously?

The Prophet (peace be upon him) ex-plained this in detail as to why a person’s prayers will not be answered. “It will be because the food he has eaten will be the one prohibited, the cloth he wears will be those which Haram. How can his Du’as be heard?” he said.

Never lose hopeWhen you have finally shared your fears with your Lord and have knelt before Him, seeking his help and asking for his guidance; just stay calm. Don’t be impa-tient. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has stated that no prayer to Allah ever goes wasted. Either he will grant you what you have asked for (sooner or later, whichever is best for you) or he will remove an impending calamity from your life. If not the above two things, then the fact that you had prayed will be recorded and you will get its “Ajr” (rewards) on the day of judgement. (Sahih Muslim) In another Hadith, it is stated that when a person will see the Ajr he received because of the seem-ingly unanswered prayers, he will be so delighted and surprised that he will wish that all his prayers should have gone unanswered.

Du’a and praying to Allah has been called the “weapon” of a believer by the Prophet (peace be upon him). A person who believes in Allah and seeks his help can brave any problem and survive any difficulty he faces.

Praying to Allah and sharing with him is the best way to tackle depression and make headway into solving problems. So, the next time you face a difficulty, remem-ber this master key to unlock the solution. ([email protected])

The last third part of the night Late at night Between Adhan and Iqamah A specific hour on Friday (There

is a specific time on every Friday during which any Du’a will be accepted.) While drinking Zamzam water While prostrating When waking up at night At the end of the obligatory Salat During the night of ‘Qadr’ (Decree) During the rain After the Adhan While travelling Du’a after praising Allah and

giving Salat on the Prophet (PBUH) in the Tashahhud at the end of Salat The Du’a of a Muslim for his

absent brother or sister, stemming from the heart Du’a on the Day of Arafat Du’a during the month of Ramadan Du’a when the armies meet First ten days of Dhul-Hijjah When the heart reaches out to

Allah and is ready to be totally sincere At Midnight

Best Times/Situations to make Du’a (Supplication)

‘Call unto me, I shall answer you’

A Hadith says that Du’a is the core of Ibaadah. And in Ramadan Allah has given us a great opportunity to ask for whatever we feel like and all our needs and prayers will be answered if prayed for with good intention. A. Z. Damudi outlines the significance of the key masterstroke, i.e, the Du’a

Situations and people whose Du’as are more likely to be accepted: Du’a of the one fasting

until he breaks his fast Du’a of the one fasting

at the time of breaking fast Du’a of a just ruler Du’a of a son or daughter obedient

to his or her parents Du’a immediately after Wudu Du’a after stoning the Jamarat

at Hajj At the crowing of a rooster Du’a made inside the Ka’bah Du’a on the mount of Safa or

Marwah during Umrah or Hajj Du’a at any of the holy sites The Du’a of the one who is

suffering injustice and oppression is also immediately accepted as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said : There is no screen between his Du’a and Allah. While reciting Surah al-Fatihah Saying ‘Ameen’ during prayer While visiting the sick Du’a made by the sick

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OMANS U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

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India extends date for exchanging old notes

REJIMON K [email protected]

MUSCAT: Non-resident Indi-ans who were running form pil-lar to post to exchange pre-2005 Indian currencies in Muscat can now heave a sigh of relief, as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended its deadline for ex-changing the bills by six months to December 31.

As per the earlier RBI instruc-tion, only three more days were left to exchange pre-2005 In-dian currency notes of various

denominations, including the Rs500 and Rs1,000.

“I had a few pre-2005 Indian currency notes and was worried about how to exchange them. Most of the money exchange houses in Muscat were also reluctant in ac-cepting them. Now, there is time. I can exchange it when I go to In-dia,” Manojkumar A, an Indian resident in Muscat, said.

The currency notes issued be-fore 2005 do not have the year of printing on the reverse side. In notes issued after 2005, the year of printing is visible at the

bottom on the reverse. Soliciting cooperation from the public to withdraw these banknotes from circulation, RBI urged the public to deposit the old design notes in their bank accounts or exchange them at a bank branch.

However, a top official from a money exchange house in Muscat said that they cannot replace or accept currencies demonetised by any country.

“Trading of those curren-cies are not possible. Customers who are holding such currencies should approach the respective countries’ central banks or banks authorised by the central bank to replace or exchange those curren-cies in full value,” the official said.

“In the case of Indian currency, it can be exchanged only in banks authorised by the central bank in India,” the official added.

The central bank has said that the notes can be exchanged for their full value, clarifying that all

pre-2005 notes continue to re-main legal tender.

The rationale behind the move to withdraw banknotes printed prior to 2005 is to remove them from the market because they have fewer security features, compared with banknotes printed after 2005.

Gandhi seriesExplaining the move, RBI said the banknotes in the Mahatma Gan-dhi series have been in circula-tion for a decade. A majority of old banknotes have been withdrawn through bank branches.

It is estimated that over 1,640 million pre-2005 currency notes of various denominations, in-cluding Rs1,000, were shredded in regional offices of the Reserve Bank during the 13-month period ending January.

The face value of the shred-ded currency notes was some Rs 217.5 billion.

The Reserve Bank of India has extended its

deadline for exchanging the bills by another

six months to December 31

Oman Shipping Company shows the way to 100 studentsTARIQ AL [email protected] MUSCAT: One hundred Omani students from the Interna-tional Maritime College Oman (IMCO) are to train with the Oman Shipping Company.

On the occasion of the Day of the Seafarer, Dr Hilal Al Hadhrami, Dean of IMCO, and Tareq Al Ju-naidi, Acting CEO, Oman Shipping Company, signed an MoU which would enable 100 students to train with the company.

The function, held under the auspices of Dr. Ahmed Moham-mad Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications (MOTC), marked the efforts of

sailors towards maintaining their ships, and also their performance.

Rashid Al Kiyumi, Director General of Maritime Affairs in MOTC, said, “The ministry cel-ebrates World Seafarers’ Day in recognition of the efforts of the seafarers in maintaining the safety of their ships and also to hail their performance, which requires a lot of patience and sacrifice.”

“No doubt that appreciating and valuing them is vital, especially since about 90 per cent of world trade moves by sea,” he added.

The MOTC revealed some new regulations on maritime opera-tions and qualifications amid the ministry’s development plans such as sea and port regulations,

casualty investigation regulations, regulation for the qualification and certification of seafarers and man-ning of Omani ships regulation among others.

“Some of these regulations have already been issued, and some are at the legal review stage. Also, the development includes converting many services being provided to the public to be completed elec-tronically through the electron-ic portal of maritime affairs,” explained Al Kiyumi.

Photography ContestTo mark the Day of the Seafarer, the MOTC organised a photog-raphy competition for the Omani seafarers in which the work en-

vironment aboard ships was the subject. The competition was limited to employees working on Omani trade ships, including those of Oman Shipping Com-pany, National Ferries Company and IMCO.

A total of 76 photos were sub-mitted, of which only three were chosen to receive a cash prize from the ministry. Ismail Al Bal-ushi, Omar Al Maamari and Yahya Al Hinai were announced as the winners, ranking first, second and third, respectively.

The winners’ photographs will be displayed in a maritime exhibi-tion which is to take place on Sun-day, June 28, along with ancient and modern marine instruments.

O M A N I S A T I O N

SHIPPING BROTHERHOOD: The function, held under the auspices

of Dr. Ahmed Mohammad Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and

Communications, marked the efforts of sailors towards maintaining

their ships, and also their performance.–Jun Estrada/TIMES OF OMAN

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OMANS U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

We are raising funds from the participation and entrance

fees to buy clothes for the under-privileged people and

families during Eid

May Al Bayat, marketing director at Dar Al Atta’a

Entrepreneurs showcase their products for charity

TARIQ AL [email protected]

MUSCAT: Dar Al Atta’a recently held a charity bazaar featuring local entrepreneurs who dis-played their products to be sold for charity at Al Noor Hall in Madinat Qaboos.

The 16th Ramadan exhibition was held to support entrepre-neurs to showcase their products and services under one roof and provide options to customers for Eid clothing purchase.

“We are raising funds from the participation and entrance fees to buy clothes for the under-priv-ileged people and families during Eid,” said May Al Bayat, market-ing director at Dar Al Atta’a.

The bazaar features women’s products, such as abayas, scarfs, jewellery and perfumes.

Some participants have dis-

played their goods each year since the start of the charitable event 12 years ago.

“What we have noticed over the years is that we have partici-pants that participated right from the start, and we can see how ad-vanced they move from year to year and become better by either the quality of things they are pre-senting or even in the design of their booths,” said Al Bayat.

Maitha Al Harthy, who has par-ticipated in the charity event for four years noted, “The event is very well organised and in an ap-propriate venue. Customers wait

for this event every year, but this year it is a three day event and the site is packed.”

Opportunity to learn “Since my shop is in Al Khoud, it gives those who live far from there a chance to browse through my products and buy something for themselves which leaves us both satisfied in the end,” she said, add-ing because of the bazaar, people will have the opportunity to learn about shops that they might have not known about.

She urged Dar Al Atta’a to hold more than one charity bazaar per

year, since it gives business own-ers an opportunity to expand their network and gain new customers.

Dar Al Atta’a plans for Rama-dan do not stop with the charity bazaar. They will celebrate Qaran Qasho at Avenues Mall, which is a day where children walk from house to house picking up candy and money on the way, similar to Halloween in the West.

“We will celebrate Qaran Qasho at Avenues Mall on the July 3. We also have a tie-in with Av-enues Mall where they will pay Dar Al Atta’a one Omani rial for every child who celebrates Qaran

Qasho. The funds will be used for the student care programme to purchase uniforms, station-ary and more for the underprivi-leged,” said Al Bayat.

Dar Al Atta’a will also celebrate their own Qaran Qasho by visit-ing children’s wards at Royal Hospital, SQU Hospital, Khoula Hospital and Dar Al Hanan to distribute toys and goods to the hospitalized children.

Next week the charity organi-zation is planning to distribute coupons to 1,000 children so they might purchase clothing for Eid Al Fitr.

Dar Al Atta’a has been

requested to hold

more than one charity

bazaar every year as

it gives entrepreneurs

an opportunity

to expand their

business and get in

touch with customers

FOR CHARITY: The bazaar features women’s products, such as abayas, scarves, jewellery and perfumes. – Jun Estrada

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

Omantel’s new offer for Hayyak subscribersTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Omantel, in its lat-est promotional offer, has invited Hayyak subscribers to bring their friends or family members to join Omantel and get free credit for themselves as well as others, through the ‘Referral Programme’.

The the leading telecommuni-cations provider in the Sultanate of Oman launched the scheme last Wednesday to enrich the cus-tomers’ experience.

Shadli Al Abdulsalam, Senior Manager for Product Develop-ment at Omantel Consumer Busi-ness Unit, said, “The offer is aimed at encouraging family and friends to join Omantel network and ben-efit from the discounted rates within the network and to explore an interesting world of benefits for the services provided by Omantel.”

He said, “The offer is valid for all Hayyak subscribers who have been with Omantel for at least six months, which allows them to invite their friends or family members to join Omantel family. To enjoy this service, the new sub-scriber will have to send his re-ferrer number via SMS to 80578 within 14 days of joining Omantel.”

SubscriberHe also added, “Both, the referrer and the new subscriber, will re-ceive 50 per cent free credit from what the new subscriber spends today on the next day.

“For example, if the new sub-scriber who joined Omantel used 400bz on the first day, the referrer will get 200bz free credit and also the new subscriber will receive 200 bz and so on for 30 days to the referrer and 90 days for the new subscriber.”

In addition, the free credit may be used for local and international calls, SMS and paid internet and is only valid for one day. Also, the subscriber may check their free credit balance by calling *130#.

F R E E C R E D I T

New plan to address safety

concerns of Ghala area

It is not easy to navigate through the industrial area. Most of the time, there is water shortage in the area. It is high time to under-take modernisation of the area,” said Sunil Kumar KK.

“I am happy to hear that the government is reviewing the area plan,” Kumar added.

Final layoutLast Wednesday, aimed at re-planning of the Ghala Industrial Area project, allocation of land uses, development of infrastruc-ture and to review the final layout for roads and infrastructure, the Supreme Council for Planning re-viewed the proposals submitted by the Muscat Municipality.

The report was part of the na-tional team for the development

goals for 2015 which include the millennium development goals approved for the first stage (2000 to 2015).

Meanwhile, a few other com-pany managers and workers hoped that the new plan will ad-dress the safety concerns of the industrial area.

Safety standards“We hope that the safety stand-ards in the industrial area will be upgraded. Many a times, lack of safety measures have resulted in fire accidents which has resulted in loss of property and life. We hope that the new plan addresses the safety concerns,” workers and company managers said.

The significance of develop-ing the industrial estate in Ghala

arises due to the expansion of Muscat International Airport and the associated new roads which will run close to Ghala.

Modernisation“Modernisation of Ghala Industri-al area is vital as the city is grow-ing due to the expansion of Mus-cat airport and considering how close it is. If the modernisation doesn’t happen now, it will have an adverse impact in many ways,” the company mangers added.

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

‘Country needs regulator to check high airfares’

“The unbelievably high airfares show that a country like the Sul-tanate of Oman needs a regula-tory authority. Developing coun-tries need such regulators, as one cannot leave everything to mar-ket forces,” a resident said.

But travellers can get a good deal, if they are willing to travel during the Holy Month of Rama-dan or after Eid holidays.

Taking the lead, national car-rier Oman Air is offering 40 per cent off on business and economy class fares to selected interna-tional destinations.

“The catch is that it is valid for outbound travel period from June 17 to July 10, 2015 and travel must be completed by July 14, 2015,” said a travel agent.

Meanwhile, Doha-based Qatar Airways is also offering special promotions this season so cus-tomers can celebrate with family and friends.

“You have to book your tickets from now until June 30, 2015 for

travel from June 17 until Decem-ber 15, 2015 and enjoy special fares for economy class tickets which begin from OMR124,” said a Qatar Airways spokesperson.One of the fastest growing air-lines, Qatar Airways, has seen rapid growth in just 18 years of operations, currently flying a modern fleet of 160 aircraft to 146 key business and leisure des-tinations across Europe, the Mid-dle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas.

“Over the next few months, the network will grow further with Zanzibar on July 1, 2015, Dur-ban on December 16, 2015, and Los Angeles on January 1 , 2015, in addition to Boston on March 16, 2015 and Atlanta on July 16, 2016,” said the spokesperson.

Further, Ethiopian Airlines has also launched special offers for passengers travelling from Muscat to Dar Es Salaam, Zanzi-bar, Nairobi, Johannesburg and Khartoum where, following the

purchase of three adult tickets, only taxes need to be paid for the fourth ticket. “The fourth pas-senger can be an adult or child and all must travel together,” said Sami Muctar, Country Manager - Oman, Ethiopian Airlines.

Winding-down“With Ramadan coinciding with the extreme summer in the Mid-dle East, a large number of air-lines have come up with offers so that people can have the option of spending the Holy Month in cooler climes,” said a travel agent in Muscat. Travel agents believe that the onset of Ramadan also coincides with the winding-down of the busy summer travel period.

“This is simply because busi-ness travel in the region drops because of shortened working hours and the overall decline in commercial activity. But with the price of the euro down, peo-ple are travelling like anything,” a travel agent said.

N E W O F F E R S

< FROM

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A7

REGIONS U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

In just five minutes, armed with the black

Kalashnikov he had hidden in his beach umbrella,

Saif Rezgui unleashed horror across the Imperial

Marhaba resort, leaving 39 victims dead among

the deck chairs and pool loungers.

Tourists scramble to leave Tunis after horror on sand at resort

SOUSSE (TUNISIA): Casually dressed in dark shorts, a necklace and T-shirt, he would have looked like any other young Tunisian among the German, British and Irish sunbathers soaking up the Mediterranean heat on one of Tu-nisia’s long, yellow beaches.

Also on Saturday, in London, British Prime Minister David Cameron warned Britain to pre-pare for further casualties from the attack on the beach resort — al-ready the worst loss of British life in a terror incident since the 2005 London bombings

In just five minutes, armed with the black Kalashnikov he had hid-den in his beach umbrella, Saif Rezgui unleashed horror across the Imperial Marhaba resort, leav-ing 39 victims dead among the deck chairs and pool loungers.

It was the worst attack of its kind in Tunisia’s modern history. IS militant group claimed respon-sibility though authorities say Rezgui, a 24-year-old student, was not on any terrorism watch list or a known militant. Witnesses say the gunman, dressed like a tourist, drew little attention. He opened fire suddenly, making his way from the beach to the pool and hotel, selecting foreigners, pursuing his victims even as they fled indoors.

Aware of hotel layoutRezgui was apparently well aware of the hotel’s layout, a security source said. He had time to reload his rifle at least twice before he was finally confronted and shot dead by police outside the hotel.

Panicked tourists fled from the beach, running among the umbrel-

las, some falling among the white plastic sun loungers, their bodies later to be covered with towels and sheets. Blood was smeared over the steps leading into the hotel.

“It was horror what we saw, he was killing in an incredible way. It was clear he knew the hotel, he was everywhere,” said Neil, an Eng-lish tourist leaving Sousse with his wife. “He took seven minutes killing. They was no sign he was an extremist, he just looked like a normal young man.”

By official accounts, Rezgui was a dedicated student from a sta-ble family who enjoyed partying and practiced break-dancing. In a pattern similar to other Tuni-sia militants, he appeared to have come into contact with extremist preachers about six months ago, a senior security source said.

“He was a good student and always attending class,” Prime Minister Habib Essid said. “Our investigations show he didn’t re-veal any signs of extremism, or ties

to terrorists. He wasn’t even on a watch list.” Tunisian authorities said they had identified at least 15 Britons among the 39 killed by the gunman, but Prime Minister Habib Essid said most of the dead were believed to be British.

Meanwhile in London, British Prime Minister David Cameron added: “I’m afraid that the Brit-ish public need to be prepared for the fact that many of those killed were British.” As the grim process of identifying the bodies

continued, travel firms repatri-ated thousands of British tour-ists from beach resorts around the attack site near Sousse. About 20,000 British tourists are on package holidays in Tuni-sia, according to ABTA, the country’s largest travel association.

In a televised address from Downing Street, Cameron said the government would “do everything necessary to get people home” and was providing consular assis-tance, while experts from the Red

Cross had also been sent to the north African country.

Among those caught up in the massacre at the five-star Riu Im-perial Marhaba Hotel, in the popu-lar resort of Port el Kantaoui, were tourists travelling with TUI UK group operators Thomson and First Choice. TUI sent 10 planes on Saturday to repatriate about 2,500 customers, and said it was cancelling all its holidays to Tuni-sia for the next week.

British police are interviewing many of the returning tourists, in particular looking for any footage taken on mobile phones of the in-cident, and have also sent forensic experts and detectives to Tunisia to help gather evidence. Cameron on Saturday chaired a meeting of the government’s Cobra emer-gency committee and has spoken to the Tunisian president as well as to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as many of the other tour-ists involved were from Germany.

Thousands of scared foreign holidaymakers were being flown from Tunisia on Saturday.

Witnesses described scenes of panic after the shooting at the ho-tel on the outskirts of Sousse. “All I saw was a gun and an umbrella be-

ing dropped,” British tourist Ellie Makin told ITV television. “Then he started firing to the right-hand side of us. If he had fired to the left I don’t know what would have hap-pened, but we were very lucky.”

Briton Olivia Leathley, 24, heard “loud bangs” and when she went to the lobby to find out what was hap-pening, she saw a woman whose husband had “been shot in the stomach in front of her.”

“All she said was that he’d been shot and that he was there bleeding on the beach and he was just saying, ‘I love you, I love you’, and then his eyes rolled back into his head.”

Another woman described how her fiance was shot three times while trying to protect her and was in intensive care in hospital.

“I owe him my life because he threw himself in front of me when the shooting started,” 26-year-old holidaymaker Saera Wilson told the BBC. Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel pastry cook Slim Brahim said that after mowing down tourists on the beach the gunman had then turned his weapon on guests by the hotel pool. “I saw someone fire on elderly tourists. They were killed,” Brahim told AFP. “Then he threw a grenade by the pool.” — Agencies

Eight Britons among

the 39 killed by the

gunman. British

Prime Minister David

Cameron warns of

further casualties

from the attack

WORST ATTACK: (Left) People lay flowers at the site of a shooting attack on the beach in front of the Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel in Port el Kantaoui, on the outskirts of

Sousse south of the capital Tunis. (Right) Tourists wait to check in for their flight to Manchester, Britain, at the Enfidha international airport, Tunisia on Saturday. – Reuters/AFP


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

DESERTED: A picture taken on Saturday shows the cordoned-off

beach of the Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel at Port el Kantaoui. – AFP

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INDIAS U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

What they are talking is vague. They are saying Rs20.6 billion

I am spending is all scam. I am not here to do scam, I am here

to help those kids. I am here to prove myself

Pankaja Munde, Women and Child Development Minister

Prime Minister is shielding, Raje, Lalit, alleges Congress

NEW DELHI: Taking a dig at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Lalitgate, Congress on Saturday accused him of follow-ing “Raje dharma” and “not rajya dharma” by shielding Rajasthan’s Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Indian External Affairs Min-ister Sushma Swaraj.

“The Prime Minister should fol-low ‘rajya dharma’ and not ‘Raje dharma’ or ‘Lalit dharma’,” party spokesman Ajoy Kumar told re-porters here even as he reiterated

the party’s demand for the sacking of Raje and Swaraj.

‘Very disappointing’Targeting the prime minister, Ku-mar said that his response on the issues of corruption and black money was “very disappointing” after his “tall promises” made dur-ing the Lok Sabha polls.

“Instead of taking action on these issues, Modi has become the protector of those having huge black money,” he charged.

Kumar’s remarks follow in the wake of the Bharatiya Janata Party central leadership coming out to

back Raje after initially not voicing its support for days.

However, the Congress spokes-man argued that Raje has com-mitted an “anti-national” act by secretly supporting the immigra-tion application of Lalit Modi.

This has exposed BJP’s “pseu-do-nationalism”, he claimed.

Incidentally, when he was the Gujarat chief minister 13 years back at the time when the state was rocked by riots, Narendra Modi was asked by the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to “follow Raj Dharma”.

Meanwhile, embattled Vasund-

hara Raje on Saturday attended a NITI Aayog deliberation here but left the capital without meeting either Prime Minister Narendra Modi or BJP chief Amit Shah.

Raje, who has been facing mounting opposition pressure to quit in connection with the ‘Lalit-gate’, arrived at around 9:30am and left the city after spending close to four hours.

Party sources were tight-lipped on whether the Rajasthan Chief Minister had sought any appoint-ment to meet either the Prime Minister or the party President.

On Friday night, after a meet-

ing between Modi and Shah, party sources indicated that the top lead-ership of the party had accepted Raje’s defence in the controversy.

Allegations refutedEarlier on Friday, Rajasthan BJP refuted all the allegations being levelled at her, saying that the document which she signed in support of Modi’s immigra-tion application to the UK gov-ernment was never produced in court as she had backed out of it later.

The state unit of the party also claimed that Modi’s investment in the chain of hotels owned by her son was legal and had been dis-closed to authorities.

Congress has been piling up pressure on BJP to sack Raje, ac-cusing her of quid pro quo in help-ing the former IPL boss.

Raje has maintained silence over the raging row even though her office has termed the allega-tions “untrue”, claiming that they were aimed at harming her po-litically. BJP for its part has said it “fully supports” her.

The party has called her its tall-est and most popular leader in the state, where she has led the party to its biggest Assembly and Lok Sabha wins. Raje was scheduled to visit London from June 27 to July 2 but cancelled the trip early this week in view of the NITI (Nation-al Institution for Transforming India) Aayog meet. - PTI

Congress spokesman

Ajoy Kumar argued

that Vasundhara Raje

has committed an

‘anti-national’ act by

secretly supporting

the immigration

application of

Lalit Modi. This

has exposed BJP’s

pseudo-nationalism’

Instead of taking action on these issues, Modi has become the protector of those having huge black moneyAjoy KumarCongress spokesperson

IN EYE OF STORM: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan participating

in the fourth meeting of Chief Minister’s sub-group of Niti Aayog at

Niti Aayog in New Delhi on Saturday. - PTI

Diplomat ‘posted back’ to Delhi after wife accused of assaultMELBOURNE/NEW DELHI: Indian High Commissioner in New Zealand Ravi Thapar has been “posted back” to New Delhi follow-ing allegations that his wife had assaulted a staff member and a de-tailed investigation is being carried out into the matter, the External Affairs Ministry said on Saturday.

The action has been taken based on report of a team sent to New Zealand last month by the Minis-try to conduct an independent in-quiry following the allegations.

The victim, believed to be a chef, had walked 20km one night from the diplomat’s residence to Wel-

lington where he was found by member of a public in a distressed state. He was then taken to police station and later spent several nights at Wellington Night Shelter.

He alleged that he was kept in slavery and was assaulted by Sharmila, the High Commis-sioner’s wife, New Zealand media reports said.

To be investigatedIndian External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the issue was first brought to the Ministry’s notice on May 10 when one of the Service Staff Mem-

bers of the High Commission was found missing.

“Though no charges were pressed by the Service Staff mem-ber, the Ministry will investigate the matter further. The High Com-missioner has been posted back to Headquarters,” he said.

Swarup said the High Commis-sion had immediately informed both New Zealand Police and For-eign Office and authorities revert-ed with the information that the staff member presented himself to the police on May 11 and made cer-tain allegations.

He said the Ministry takes all

such cases “very seriously” and a team was deputed from Headquar-ters to New Zealand to ascertain the facts and conduct an inde-pendent inquiry.

“The team liaised with the New Zealand authorities to resolve the matter. The team also facilitated the return of the Service Staff member who wanted to return to India. He returned on May 28,” Swarup said.

Meanwhile, New Zealand me-dia said Thapar is set to leave the country on Saturday and a vehi-cle was seen this morning at his Wellington address.

Also, New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it is aware Thapar is preparing to leave the country.

Treatment concern“MFAT was aware a staff member raised with New Zealand police concerns about his treatment in the high commission,” a spokes-man said.

“MFAT has been advised the in-dividual concerned elected not to take the matter further. That staff member had independent legal representation and decided to re-turn to India.” - PTI

A L L E G A T I O N

CLARIFICATION: External Affairs

Ministry Spokesperson Vikas

Swarup said the issue was

brought to the Ministry’s notice

on May 10 when a staff member

of the High Commission was

found missing. - PTI file photo

Government kills check-in baggage charge moveNEW DELHI: Putting its weight firmly behind passengers, government on Saturday said it has, as of now, rejected budget carriers’ plea to allow them to charge for check-in baggage.

Confirming that airlines had approached the aviation regu-lator Director General of Civil Aviation for its nod, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said the government has not accepted the request at this stage as it would put addi-tional burden on the passengers.

Proposal rejected“We have got the proposal from low-cost flights to charge for check-in baggage. We have re-jected it and there will be no consideration at the Aviation Ministry level. We will not want to put this burden on passen-gers,” Sharma told a private TV news channel. Sharma, how-ever, said that his ministry has asked the airlines to send a de-tailed proposal on the issue and if it is found in the interest of the passengers, it may consider it.

When contacted, a Spice-Jet official said, “We have not made the plea since the March 2015 circular of the DGCA,allowing the airlines to unbundle services. Have not heard about it (government re-jecting airlines plea),” an AirAsia India official said. - PTI

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

Accusations fallout of efforts to break contractors’ lobby

NEW DELHI: Accused of in-volvement in a ‘scam’ for clearing purchases worth Rs20.6 billion without inviting tenders, Maha-rashtra Minister Pankaja Munda on Saturday shot back, claiming her efforts to break the hold of contractors’ lobby on the Women and Child Development (WCD Department had provoked such accusations.

She also demanded that those who have made the allegations come up with proof to substan-tiate the charges. “Where is the proof ?” she asked, and claimed no procedures were overlooked by the department.

“There is a big, huge lobby of contractors in this department.I think, for years they have been running this department. And somewhere I am breaking that.

“I am doing strict inspection, I am doing strict categorisation of these activities and that is why somewhere this is happening and that is what I am very, very clear about,” the Women and Child De-velopment Minister claimed.

“What they are talking is vague.They are saying all Rs20.6 billion I am spending is all scam. I am not here to do scam, I am here to help those kids. I am here to prove my-self,” Munde told a TV channel from London. The minister said she respected the questions raised by the opposition and written re-plies have already been given.

“I am not here to contaminate or favour someone or give some-one some contract, I am here to deliver for those kids,” Munde said, emphasising that she worked and cared for children even before becoming a minister.

Congress spokesmanMaharashtra Congress spokes-man Sachin Sawant had earlier this week submitted a complaint to the Anti-Corruption Bureau alleging violations in purchases made by WCD department.

Munde was alleged to have cleared purchases worth Rs 20.6 billion on a single day in February through government resolutions instead of inviting tenders.- PTI

T E N D E R

DEMANDING RESIGNATION: Aam Aadmi Party workers hold

placards and shout slogans during their protest against Maha-

rashtra Rural Development Minister Pankaja Munde demanding

her immediate resignation in Nagpur on Friday. - PTI

A9

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By-elections in 5 states register huge turnout

NEW DELHI: A record turnout of voters marked the by-poll to R K Nagar Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu, from where Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa is seeking re-election after her acquittal in a graft case, while high voting was recorded in five other assembly by-polls spread across as many states.

R K Nagar and Aruvikkara in Kerala, where ruling Congress- led UDF and Opposition CPI(M)-headed LDF are locked in a close

contest, registered an identical turnout of 74.4 per cent.

The voter turn out was over 80 per cent in Pratapgarh and Sur-ma seats in Tripura and Chokpot (Meghalaya) while Garoth in Mad-hya Pradesh saw a turnout of 71.24 per cent.

Counting of votes will be held on June 30. One of the smallest constituencies in Tamil Nadu, R K Nagar in Chennai city had wit-nessed 72.72 per cent voting in the 2011 Assembly elections. CPI, AI-ADMK’s main rival in this bypoll, alleged booth-capturing.

The party’s candidate C, Ma-hendran said a complaint had been filed with election authorities al-leging that some of the booths were captured by AIADMK men.

Besides Jayalalithaa and Ma-hendran, 26 others, including mav-erick social activist ‘Traffic’ Ra-maswamy alias K R Ramaswamy.

Main opposition parties DMK, DMDK, Congress, BJP and PMK have boycotted the bypoll.

The by-election was neces-sitated by AIADMK’s P. Vetrivel vacating the seat in May to enable Jayalalithaa seek re-election post

her acquittal by the Karnataka High Court.

Voters brave heavy rainIn Kerala, voters braved heavy rain to turn out in large numbers for the bypoll in Aruvikkara. Dur-ing the 2011 assembly elections, the polling percentage in the seat was 70.61. The bypoll was necessi-tated following the death of former Speaker G Karthikeyan who rep-resented the segment (previously known as Aryanad) in the state as-sembly from 1991-2015.

In a three-cornered contest, UDF candidate K. S. Sabarinath, younger son of Karthikeyan, is taking on former Speaker and ex-minister M. Vijaykumar (LDF) and former union minister, O. Ra-jagopal fielded by BJP.

The bypoll is a litmus test for both the Fronts as panchayat polls are to be held later this year and assembly elections are just a year away.

Chief Minister Oommen Chan-dy has said the poll outcome would be a referendum on the govern-ment’s performance during the past four years while the Opposi-tion was confident that the elec-torate would deal a heavy blow to the ruling Front which was facing various allegations. - PTI

R K Nagar in Tamil

Nadu from where

Chief Minister J.

Jayalalithaa is

seeking re-election

and Aruvikkara in

Kerala registered an

identical turnout of

74.4 per cent

Floods kill 55 in Gujarat; relief work continues

AHMEDABAD: Relief workers were on Saturday trying to reach residents stranded by floods in Gujarat triggered by torrential rains that have so far claimed 55 lives, officials said.

Officials were providing food and water to the people affected by flash floods in the Saurashtra region, as thousands fled to safer areas following the rains that started on Wednesday.

Trail of destructionThe rain has since subsided but left a trail of destruction, with scores of houses damaged as well as roads, railway tracks, bridges and electricity pylons destroyed.

An official from the state’s emergency department said two more bodies were recovered on

Saturday in the coastal district of Amreli.

“The death toll has touched 55 since June 24,” the duty officer at the state flood control centre said.

Ministry of Defence spokesman Sitanshu Kar said on his twitter account that the Indian Air Force had “carried out 23 sorties by 6 MI-17 V5 Helicopter and dropped 5.87 tonnes of food packets”.

Officials said improved weath-er is now allowing workers to re-store power supply to some 200 villages in Amreli and Junagadh districts which were hardest hit by the flash floods brought on by the annual monsoon rains.

Bipin Bhatt, Gujarat’s deputy re-lief commissioner said there have been no rains in the region since last two days, helping the authori-

ties to reach residents with food, medicines and cash assistance.

An official statement on Friday said the floods have damaged a portion of the rail line that con-nects Pipavav Port to the state capital Ahmedabad near Amreli, and severely affected operations at the port.

More than 5,000 animals car-cass have also been recovered and disposed off, it said. Forest offi-cials said four endangered Asiatic lions were found dead in Amreli and Bhavnagar districts.

“Two adult lion carcass were found floating in flood water,” G. S. Singh, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bhavnagar said. His counterpart in Amerli said a five-year-old lion and lioness were found dead in the district. - AFP

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

NATURE’S FURY: A road damaged due to the floods after heavy rainfall in Amreli on Saturday. - PTI

Infant dies after receiving anti-polio vaccine in BiharHAJIPUR/NEW DELHI: A seven-month-old girl died while six other children are undergoing treatment at a government hospi-tal after being administered anti-polio vaccine in Bihar’s Vaishali district, doctors said on Saturday.

Civil Surgeon (CS) of Vaishali Ramashish Kumar said that Sonali Kumari, a seven-month-old girl, died at her home late last night after she was administered the anti-polio injection during the day at Shahpur village.

Report soughtThe Centre termed as “sudden infant death syndrome” the fatal-ity and sought a report from the state government.

Six other children of the village

under Ganga bridge police station have been admitted to Sadar hos-pital for treatment, Kumar said.

Sadar Hospital doctor B. N. Jha, who is treating the children at the hospital, said they reported com-plaints of vomiting and shivering among other problems.

The CS said a team under Exec-utive Director of state Health de-partment Rahul Kumar has gone to the village to probe the matter.

“It seems to be a case of sudden infant death syndrome. Post mor-tem is being conducted,” a senior Union Health Ministry official said in Delhi.

According to the investigation by the Ministry’s team, the child was unwell before being given the vaccine.

“All children were fine except for the one who was found dead in the morning. She already had mild fever and parents also do not know the reason,” the official said.

Panic reactionHe said that the six other chil-dren who reportedly fell sick were brought to the hospital as a “panic reaction”.

“As a panic reaction, all the children who were vaccinated in that locality were brought to the hospital and were finally dis-charged after two hours of obser-vation,” the official said.

India was declared polio-free by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2014 after no case was detected since 2011.- PTI

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

EXERCISING FRANCHISE: Women wait in queue to cast their vote

during the assembly bypolls in Agartala on Saturday. -PTI

Confrontationist attitude no good, Centre tells DelhiNEW DELHI: Locked in a bitter turf war, the Centre on Saturday asked the Delhi government to leave its “confrontationist” atti-tude and not to create confusion in the administrative appoint-ments, a mandate of which lies with the Union Home Ministry.

Taking note of the tussle over the functioning of Anti Corrup-tion Branch (ACB), highly-placed sources in the Ministry said the Delhi Legislature had been formed under 239AA of the Con-stitution where the state govern-ment has no say on the issues of Police, Public Order and Land.

They said, several measures have been taken by the Centre to make the Chief Minister to have a say in the functioning of the bureaucracy, but what has been witnessed in the recent past was a total confrontation between the Delhi Government and the Lt Governor Najeeb Jung. For better functioning, the confron-tational attitude has to be de-serted, the sources said.

On functioning of the ACB, they said, ACB was given the powers of a police station by a notification by the then Lt Governor. The Centre can revoke that notification any-time and the ACB will never have the powers to even register an

FIR, they warned, and also made it clear that the Delhi Government has no say in the appointment of Delhi’s Chief Secretary, Home and Finance Secretaries and Delhi Po-lice Commissioner. Delhi Govern-ment appointed Rajendra Kumar in place of Dharam Pal as Home Secretary, which has not been rec-ognised by Centre and continues to route its files through him only.

The Centre also warned that Delhi was not a full-fledged state and, therefore, it could not seek deputation suo moto from other states, the sources said. Delhi Government had appointed six police officials of Bihar Police in the ACB.

In a related development, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with his deputy Manish Sisodia and senior AAP party leader Kumar Vishwas called on Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday.

While the Delhi Government sources claimed that they ap-prised Singh about the alleged corruption charges against M K Meena, the Centre’s appointee as Delhi ACB Chief, the Home Ministry sources said that the meeting dealt with local issues only and no contentious matters were discussed. -PTI

A D M I N I S T R A T I V E A P P O I N T M E N T S

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PAKISTANS U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

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HEATWAVE SURVIVOR A man, who collapsed due

to an intense heatwave,

has water-soaked towels

placed on his head and

arms at an army camp,

set up outside an emer-

gency department at Jin-

nah Postgraduate Medical

Centre in Karachi, Paki-

stan, on Saturday. Sea

breezes brought lower

temperatures on Friday

to ease a heatwave that

has killed more than 1,150

people around Pakistan’s

teeming port city of Kara-

chi during the Holy Month

of Ramadan. — Reuters

Books with incorrect maps ordered to be taken off shelves

LAHORE: Punjab government directed on Saturday all eighth grade geography books contain-ing incorrect maps of Pakistan to be taken off shelves, Express News reported.

Further, students have been asked to return the books con-taining incorrect maps and the

Punjab government has directed action against members of the ed-ucation department. It has been revealed that the Punjab Text-book Board (PTB) was aware that wrong maps had been printed but

had failed to take any action. Of the 150,000 eighth grade ge-

ography books printed by the PTB, 50,000 of them contained incor-rect maps of the Punjab and Paki-stan. The maps mentioned Hazara

and Seraikistan as provinces.The Punjab government has

also ordered an inquiry commit-tee to be formed and the Punjab Textbook Board’s chairperson, Nawazish Ali, has been appointed

as head of the committee. How-ever, it has been revealed that the books were printed under his su-pervision in the first place.

Seeking actionEarlier on Friday, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told the provin-cial assembly that an investiga-tion had been ordered and a report sought on inclusion of incorrect maps in PTB’s geography text-books. Sanaullah requested the House to wait for the completion of the inquiry before proceed-ing with an adjournment motion seeking action against officials re-sponsible for the mistake.

The adjournment motion was moved by Leader of the Opposi-tion in the provincial assembly Mehmoodur Rasheed.

Responsible officialsIt demanded action against offi-cials responsible for the incorrect maps. Rasheed said the House had already passed resolutions in sup-port of a division of the province if needed and the matter could be taken forward through political consensus. — Express Tribune

Students have been

asked to return the

books containing

incorrect maps and

the local government

has directed action

against members

of the education

department

DECEIVED: Pakistani girls attend class at a school in Mingora, the main town of Swat valley. The Punjab

government directed on Saturday all eighth grade geography books containing incorrect maps of

Pakistan to be taken off shelves. — AFP file photo

Amnesty plan unveiled for insurgents

QUETTA: Authorities in Balo-chistan announced a general am-nesty plan on Friday for all home-based Baloch militants who are willing to renounce violence and lay down their arms.

The amnesty plan — drawn up in the hope of stubbing out the low-key insurgency that has plagued the province since 2006 — was unveiled at the end of a meeting of the provincial apex committee, headed by Balochistan Chief Min-ister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch. The meeting was convened to review progress on the implementation of the National Action Plan.

According to an official hand-out, the apex committee meet-ing analysed in detail the need for maintaining law and order in the province.

The meeting agreed that a “peaceful, conciliatory Balo-chistan policy will be implement-ed so that the youngsters who want to lay down arms and join the mainstream can be granted amnesty and be encouraged to re-habilitate themselves”.

A senior government official said the amnesty scheme only ap-plies to those Baloch insurgents who are fighting locally. “Those who are hiding abroad will be dealt with legally,” he said.

Under the scheme, he said, small-time fighters will be paid Rs500,000. “Mid-level com-manders will get Rs1 million while top commanders will be paid Rs1.5 million,” he said, add-ing that rich cash prizes were of-fered to ensure the fighters do not rejoin insurgent groups.

During the governor’s rule in 2012, the then provincial governor, Nawab Zulfiqar Magsi, had also announced Rs10,000 in general for all fighters surrendering their weapons in Balochistan.

The apex committee also re-viewed the overall security situ-ation in the province after poring over different reports and rec-ommendations of the concerned authorities.

Members of the committee not-ed that the measures taken with the coordination of all the con-cerned departments were satisfac-tory and had developed a sense of security amongst the masses.

The committee also voiced sat-isfaction that sustained action against miscreants, criminals and other anti-social elements had been largely fruitful.

They agreed that such elements would not be granted any conces-sion and action would continue against them.

They also agreed that outlawed religious outfits and extremists would find no space in the prov-ince and strict action would be taken against them. — Express Tribune

B A L O C H I S T A N

US likely to implement zero duty on Pakistani mangoesISLAMABAD: The United States is likely to implement zero duty on import of Pakistani man-goes in the upcoming Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), a senior Ministry of Commerce official said.

The officer said that a high-lev-el meeting between the ministry and US officials was held recently to discuss GSP-related issues with focus on Pakistani mango exports. It was understood that the GSP pertaining to Pakistani mangoes will be effective for the next two months.

At present, there is a 10 per cent duty on import of Pakistani man-goes to the US that, after the sta-tus, will be brought down to zero.

The official said that around 200 tonnes of Pakistani mangoes are exported to the US and are available at $3.5 per kilogramme in different cities. This cut in import duty will ultimately help increase the quantity of exports to the US market. Major cities where Pakistani mangoes are be-ing marketed are Houston, Austin and Dallas.

“This will be a good move for the horticulture sector of Pa-kistan and will help facilitate mango exports to US,” said Fed-eration of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Chairman Standing Committee on Horticulture Ahmad Jawad.

Jawad said mango exports to

the US received approval in 2010, but the volumes remain meagre till date due to procedural issues.

He suggested that United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) should also consider the process of Hot Water Treatment (HWT) for Pakistani mangoes to increase the volumes. The HWT process was approved by the Australian Department of Ag-

riculture, Forestry and Fishery (DAFF) for Pakistani mangoes to Australia.

The GSP status of 127 coun-tries including Pakistan had been suspended for the past 20 months by the US Congress. However, the amount of duty paid on the prod-ucts will be refunded to Pakistani exporters after its re-authorisa-tion. — Express Tribune

G O O D M O V E

I think the upcoming Generalised System of Preferences would prove a window of opportunity for our mangoes in the US,

which is an attractive market for Pakistani fruit. It is one of the largest importers of mangoes and Pakistan would like to capitalise it with full potential, said Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry Chairman Standing Committee on Horticulture Ahmad Jawad

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By N. Gurumurthy

It has been more than two decades since the Omani government launched its Omanisation plan, which is one of the national priorities to

provide employment for nationals who enter the job market every year.

This is in line with other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council that have adopted similar poli-cies where expats constitute 40 to 70 per cent of the population.

A number of measures have been undertaken. These include gradual reduction in the percent-age of expatriates in various grades; two- year ban on transfer of employment. The goal of these is to fulfil the ultimate aim of reaching 100 per cent Omanisation.

It is important to ensure creation of jobs for nationals - about 50,000 of whom require jobs yearly. Obviously the authorities need to find ways to meet the increasing demand for jobs for the citizens. To meet the challenge, in recent years, the government has become aggressive in this front. However, the moot question is how far Omanisation will succeed in generating more jobs for nationals?

A look at the recent data of National Centre for Statistics and Information reported by Salim Al Hashmi, “Omanis won’t go for 88 per cent of expat jobs, says official”, Times of Oman, June 21, 2015) reveals interesting insights. Since December 2013, the number of working expats has increased by 6 per cent from 1.52 million to 1.61 million contrary to what one would have expected in the backdrop of the tightened government policy.

As of April 2015, the private sector employed about 81 per cent of the total working expats.

Private organisations work for profit and not to provide employment to expatriates.

Possible reasons could be that nationals are not keen to take up those jobs or they find the sal-ary unattractive. Three countries, namely, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan account for 1.40 million out of 1.61 million comprising 90 per cent of the to-tal foreign workforce. The educational level of 90 per cent of this workforce is secondary or less.

Most jobs held by expats are low paying and un-attractive. This is confirmed by the survey - that Omanis won’t go for 88 per cent of expat jobs.

What about the remaining 12 per cent? Expats with higher qualification and experience in-deed add value for Oman. Their experience

helps organisations to increase innovative ideas thereby provide employment opportunity, which in the long run would benefit nationals. Is Oman chasing an elusive target?

This is not say that Omanisation should be discarded but to show that Oman might benefit more from exploring ways to increase long term employment. Looking the other way might create more opportunities.

Source: IUCN | Ministry of Tourism

THE GREEN SEA TURTLE

Minimum78cm

SIZE RANGEMature individuals’

Maximum153cm

The peak time for turtle watching in Oman is from July to October, when

approximately 20,000 turtles visit Oman beaches to lay their eggs each year.

Major nesting sitesDistribution

MuscatRas Al Hadd

Ad Daymaniyat

Ras Al Jinz

Masirah

Carapacelength

Why are terrorists killing innocent people? This refers to the news story, Terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Kuwait and France stun three continents (June 26). It was very sad news. Many innocent people die without any reason. Many children, who are the future of the world, perished. There is nothing to be gained through terrorism. Why are they killing innocent people? How will they profit from this? If they want to kill people why they not kill criminals. — Muhammed Riyas Kakkaattil, Muscat

No probes into weapon entryThis refers to the news story, Terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Kuwait and France stun three continents (June 26). One question I have in my mind is how do the terror-ists get weapons inside the country. In my opinion, it means there are no proper investigations. — Justin Sanctus, Muscat

Killers have lost their mindThis refers to the news story, Oman condemns suicide blast at Kuwait mosque (June 26). This incident is indeed very tragic. The killers have lost their mind. It needs to be asked why the biggest crime of killing innocent people is committed. May God protect our Oman always. — Shailender Singh Panwar , Muscat

Terrorist attacks repugnantly hateful This refers to the news story, Oman condemns suicide blast at Kuwait mosque (June 26.) In my opinion, this attack is abominable by all standards. Only the most heartless people are capable of committing such a repugnantly hateful crimes. — Masoud Al Habsi , Muscat

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Is Omanisation best way to generate jobs?

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Seminar on petroleum and energy heldRashid bin Khalid Al Barwani, marketing adviser to the oil and gas minister, yesterday presided over the fourth Oman-Japan joint seminar on petroleum and energy on the ministry premises. A total of seven working papers will be presented during the one-day symposium, of which four by the Omani side and the rest by the Japanese. The seminar aims at building and strengthening joint ties among exporting and importing countries and enhancing cooperation between the Sultanate and Japan.

1743: English King George defeats the French at Dettingen, Bavaria. 1871 : The yen becomes the new form of currency in Japan.

1918: Two German pilots are saved by parachutes for the first time. 1920: Scientists at Bell Laboratories in New York reveal a system for transmit-ting television pictures.

1973: President Richard Nixon vetoes a Senate ban on the Cambodia bombing..

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Former Russian prime minister Yevgeny Primakov, who died on Friday, was once Vladimir Putin’s most credible rival for

the Russian presidency. Had he won, Russia probably would have

embarked on its anti-Western course even earlier

http://bit.ly/1QVAgln

LEONID BERSHIDSKY

To be sure, my generation has never heard of such staggering stats resulting from a heatwave

in Pakistan: More than 1,100 killed — over a thousand in

Karachi alone — and another 40,000 affected by the scorching

weather, who struggled for timely treatment

http://bit.ly/1JcyNQD

KAMRAN REHMAT

Amy Winehouse died at 27, like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim

Morrison and Kurt Cobain before her. For an industry so grievously

familiar with premature death, the music business has yet to pay any serious attention to

preventing it, to recognising the fragility of its talents

http://bit.ly/1KhpOzc

ALICE JONES

F R O M O U R A R C H I V E S

T O D A Y I N H I S T O R Y

An Omani businessman infected with the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus visited a hospital in Oman more than 10 days before he boarded a flight to Thailand,

JUNE 1999

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1 More imported vehicles entering across land borders: Royal Oman Police http://bit.ly/1TUtlrJ

2 Oman condemns suicide blast at Kuwait mosquehttp://bit.ly/1BVsgKx

3 Oman accident: Three killed in Saham road crash http://bit.ly/1NmYYFI

4 27 killed 222 injured in Kuwait mosque attack claimed by IS militant group http://bit.ly/1JpzgSz

5 Attack on Tunisian beachside hotel: Britons, Germans and Belgians among 37 killedhttp://bit.ly/1FGV0S2

1 Indian worker’s body to be repatriated from Omanhttp://bitly.com/1LBGnYz

2 Omani environmentalist hoists national flag on North Pole http://bit.ly/1BJJhqL

3 Terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Kuwait and France stun three continentshttp://bit.ly/1fMHc3E

4 What do your fingers say about you? http://bit.ly/1LBJ783

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WORLDS U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

2,467 people were meanwhile

in isolation, down from

2,931 on Friday

GraphicsGraphic News /

Russia’s Verba anti-aircraft system

Source: IHS Jane’s, KB Mashinostroyeniya

Russia’s next generation manportable air defence system (MANPADS) can engage aircraft, drones and cruise missiles head-on in a frontal attack. Most western MANPADS operate only in pursuit of a target

Solid-fuel flight motor

Launchbooster

Guidance section

Verba 9M333 rocket

Tri-band heat seeker

1.5kg high-explosive.Blast generator usesany remaining rocketfuel as additionalexplosive

Link to digitalfire control

network

IFF radar antenna

Operates in ultraviolet,near- and mid-infraredwavelengths to increasetarget range by 250%

Detects transponderson friendly aircraft

Verba 9K333 launcherNight-firing capabilityDigital system believed to be highlyimmune to electronic jamming

Range

Kill altitude

Velocity

Weight

Length

6km

up to 6,500m

500m/s

11-12kg

1,635mm

Thermalbattery

Trigger

Reuseable assembly contains battery cooling unit and “identification friend or foe” (IFF) interrogator switch

Gripstock

Disposable launch tube

Warhead

S. Korea fears MERS may have spread to new hospital in Seoul

SEOUL: South Korea on Saturday said it was closely monitoring a hospital in eastern Seoul over fears that hundreds of people there may have been exposed to the deadly

MERS virus.A 70-year-old woman who

caught Middle East Respiratory Syndrome while visiting an infect-ed relative in a different hospital

was feared to have spread the virus to the new site.

“We are focusing our efforts in tracing contacts and isolating peo-ple who came close to this patient”,

a senior health ministry official told journalists on Saturday.

The woman died on June 25, two days after she was diagnosed, but due to the virus’s 14-day incu-bation period, anyone she infected may only start showing symptoms in the coming days.

The official said it was too early to say whether the outbreak may be on the wane, given that new cases are expected at the new site.

“We would be able to talk about any trend of the outbreak only af-ter watching the development at the hospital”, he said.

The comments came as the country reported one additional MERS case, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 182 in the largest outbreak of the dead-ly virus outside Saudi Arabia.

However, no additional fatali-ties were reported over the past 24

hours, with the death toll standing at 31, the health ministry said.

The latest case involved a 27-year-old nurse at a hospital in eastern Seoul who was believed to have been infected while treat-ing a patient. She is the fifth con-firmed case at the hospital, where more than 100 patients who were exposed to the virus while under-going dialysis have been isolated since June 18.

Of the 182 confirmed cases, 90 people have recovered, 31 have died and 61 others are still being treated — 13 of whom are listed in a critical condition.

Most of the deceased had pre-existing medical conditions, ac-cording to the health ministry.

Some 2,467 people were mean-while in isolation, down from 2,931 on Friday.

Meanwhile in Hong Kong, im-

ages on local media showed people wearing hazmat suits at a major subway station cleaning the esca-lators and mopping the floors after a 17-year-old Korean man with a fever sought medical care at a clin-ic in the station. The city’s health minister said the man was being tested for MERS.

“Today there is a patient, he is a young Korean male and came to Hong Kong from the US pass-ing through South Korea. He’s been in Hong Kong for around 10 days but today he had a fever,” the city’s health minister Ko Wing-man told reporters.

The city has not reported any cases of MERS, though multiple people have been tested for the vi-rus. The area outside the clinic in the station was cordoned off and the man has since been isolated in hospital. - AFP

The latest case

involved a 27-year-

old nurse at a hospital

in eastern Seoul who

was believed to have

been infected while

treating a patientCLEAN SWIPE: A member of staff cleans a ticket turnstile near a

train platform as she wears a face mask at Kowloon station in Hong

Kong on Saturday. - AFP

Sri Lanka civil servants to face jail if election laws are violatedCOLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s election chief on Saturday warned civil servants they will face fines and three years in prison for failing to ensure a free and fair parliamenta-ry election announced for August.

The head of the independent election commission, Mahinda Deshapriya, said he has been giv-en wide powers under a recent statute to deal with civil servants who violated elections laws and favoured candidates.

New power“I have powers now to jail pub-lic servants for a period of three years and also fine them up to Rs100,000,” Deshapriya told reporters a day after President Maithripala Sirisena sacked par-liament and cleared the way for an election 10 months ahead of schedule. Almost all previous elections have been marred by allegations that state officials col-luded with the party in power to give them an undue advantage.

Independent poll monitors have also reported large scale abuse of state vehicles and other

resources to boost the campaign of the party in power. At the pre-vious national vote, the presiden-tial poll in January, Deshapriya had ordered police to” shoot in the head” and kill anyone trying to disrupt elections.

The January 8 election was relatively peaceful with only one

drive-by shooting which killed a supporter of Sirisena. Deshapriya said the formal election period will begin from July 6 and warned that the government cannot make any politically-motivated trans-fers of civil servants until after the vote on August 17.

Sirisena dissolved the legisla-ture at midnight on Friday and said he would summon the new parliament on September 1 in line with pledges he had given to Sri Lanka’s international backers.

During the May visit of US Sec-retary of State John Kerry, Presi-dent Sirisena had assured that there would be a new government in Colombo by September.

Pro-Western Prime Minis-ter Ranil Wickremesinghe had pressed for early elections to in-crease the majority of his United National Party (UNP), which sat in opposition until Sirisena’s vic-tory in January’s polls.

Wickremesinghe’s party has welcomed the election as an opportunity to increase their strength in the legislature and en-sure stability. - AFP

W A R N I N G

I have powers now to jail public servants for a period of three years and also fine them up to Rs100,000

Mahinda DeshapriyaElection Commission head

14 killed in Bangladesh due to landslides, floods

DHAKA: At least 14 people were killed and over 35 others injured in a series of landslides and flash-floods triggered by torrential rains in southeastern Bangladesh,

officials said on Saturday.The incessant rains, caused by

a virtually persistent low in the Bay of Bengal, in the past two days and resulting in the swelling of riv-

ers have also marooned millions of people in several villages in the region. The inflated wasters sub-merged dozens of villages in west-ern and northwestern districts. - PTI

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

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GLOBAL EYES U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

UNITED KINGDOM: The Royal Air Force Falcons perform a synchronised parachute display at an Armed Forces Day event in Guildford, United Kingdom on Saturday. — AFP

SPACE: This NASA image obtained on Saturday shows the sun as it emits a mid-level solar flare, an M7.9-class, peaking at 4:16am EDT on

Thursday. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured an image of the event. — AFP/NASA/SOD

CHINA: A new artwork titled ‘Jumping Orange’ by artist Kong Ning, which consists of 443 life jackets,

is seen in the yard of an art gallery in Beijing, China, on Saturday. Kong Ning said she was motivated to

create this piece after a cruise ship capsized in the Yangtze River earlier this month, and covered the

life jackets with yellow ribbons to commemorate the victims of the accident. She plans to display this

work near the scene of the incident in the Yangtze river in the future. — Reuters

KENYA: Maasai Morans wait for the start of the ordination of the Maasai age-group leader of the Iltuati

Morans in the village of Mbirukani in Kajiado, Kenya, on Saturday. Nixon Kupera Ole Metoi, 25, was

ordained leader in a symbolic gesture that carries with it great influence, respect and power not only

among his age-mates but also the wider community. The Maasai are a Nilotic ethnic group of semi-

nomadic people inhabiting southern Kenya and northern Tanzania. They are among the best known

local populations due to their residence near the many game parks of the African Great Lakes and their

distinctive customs and dresses. — AFP

RUSSIA: Russian swamp football players fight for the ball during

the Cup of Russia match outside Saint Petersburg on Saturday. — AFP

SWITZERLAND: Swiss construction workers carry a banner to

demand reduction of the retirement age to 60 years during a

demonstration in Zurich on Saturday. — Reuters

RUSSIA: Sailing boats compete at the Mayor’s Cup amateur race

on the Yenisei River in the Taiga district outside Siberian city of

Krasnoyarsk in Russia on Saturday. — Reuters

A15


What we want is a robust deal that recognises Iran’s right to civil nuclear power, but guarantees that Iran gives up definitively the nuclear weapon

Laurent Fabius, France Foreign Minister

Suspects in Kuwait mosque attack held

KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait de-tained the owner of a car that took a bomber to a mosque to carry out the country’s worst ever militant attack, officials said on Saturday, as thousands calling for national unity turned out to bury some of the 27 killed.

The cabinet announced after an emergency meeting on Friday that all security agencies and po-lice had been placed on alert to confront what it called “black ter-ror”. Militant group IS claimed re-sponsibility for the suicide bomb-ing against 2,000 people praying at the Imam Al Sadeq mosque on Friday, one of three attacks on three continents that day appar-ently linked to hardline radicals.

In a statement, the information ministry said Kuwait would faced the situation with “unity and soli-darity”. It reiterated what it called the government’s strong stance on the freedom of religion and opin-ion, noting these were rights pro-tected by the constitution.

The interior ministry, which re-ported the vehicle owner’s arrest, said it was now looking for the driver who vanished shortly after Friday’s blast in Kuwait, which has been spared the rampant vio-lence of neighbouring Iraq and the recent spate of IS bombings of mosques in Saudi Arabia, another neighbour. A security source said “numerous arrests” had been made in connection with Friday’s bombing. At the burial site in the Sulaibikhat district, some waved

Kuwaiti flags while others bore the large mourning banners, in red, black or green. Crowd chant-ed slogans. One group of mourn-ers said they had travelled from Qatif in Saudi Arabia where 21 people were killed by an IS group suicide bombing in May.

Two Iranian nationals were among those killed, foreign min-istry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham was quoted as saying by Iranian state media on Saturday.

Relatives of seven of those killed wept and prayed over their

shrouded corpses at a mosque on Saturday, where they were wait-ing to be taken to cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq for burial.

“We will cut the evil hand that interferes with our homeland’s security,” Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al Khaled Al Sabah was quoted as saying by state news agency KUNA.

Kuwait has stepped up security

to the highest level at state-run oil conglomerate Kuwait Petro-leum Corp (KPC) and its affiliates, KUNA also reported. IS group named the bomber as Abu Sulei-man Al Muwahed and said on social media that he had targeted the mosque. It did provide details of his nationality. The health min-istry said only 40 of the wounded are still in hospitals. — Agencies

IS group claimed

responsibility for the

suicide bombing at

mosque on Friday

Differences persist in Iran talks

France questions beheading suspect

VEINNA: An accord to curb Iran’s nuclear programme remains elu-sive due to disagreements on fun-damental issues, France’s foreign minister said on Saturday just days before the June 30 deadline .

Laurent Fabius spoke to re-porters upon arrival in the Aus-trian capital after top US and Iranian diplomats said hard work was still needed for what could be their final negotiations to bridge

significant differences. “What we want is a robust deal that recog-nises Iran’s right to civil nuclear power, but guarantees that Iran gives up definitively the nuclear weapon,” Fabius said.

For this there were three “in-dispensable” conditions, he said: A lasting limitation of Iran’s re-search and development capac-ity, rigorous inspections of sites, including military if needed, and

the automatic return of sanctions if Iran violates its commitments. “These three conditions respect Iran’s sovereignty. They have still not been accepted by everybody, yet they form the key base of the triangle that forms the robust agreement that we want,” he said.

“We have a lot of hard work to do. We have some very tough is-sues,” US Secretary of State John Kerry said. — Reuters

PARIS: French police were grill-ing a suspected hardliner on Sat-urday about an attack in which the man displayed his boss’s severed head, in what appeared to be the second militant attack in France this year.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who cut short an official trip to South America to rush home, warned France faced more at-tacks and that Friday’s assault on a gas factory near the second city of Lyon would increase tensions in the country, putting citizens’ resilience “to the test”. No militant group has claimed Friday’s attack.

Suspect Yassin Salhi, a 35-year-

old married father-of-three, was arrested after causing an explo-sion by driving a delivery van into a warehouse containing bottles of dangerous gas and chemicals at the US-owned Air Products fac-tory in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, some 40 kilometres from Lyon.

The prosecutor in the case said firefighters overpowered Salhi as he was trying to open acetone bot-tles in what is believed to have been an attempt to cause a larger explo-sion. The firefighters then discov-ered the decapitated body of his 54-year-old boss Herve Cornara -- who ran a delivery firm -- near the car, along with a knife. — AFP

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

A T T A C K O N G A S F A C T O R Y

MOURNING: A mourner carries a sign during the funeral for the victims of Friday’s bombing at the Al Jafariya cemetery in Suleibikhat, Kuwait on Saturday. – Reuters


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

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Escaped New York convict killed

NEW YORK: A convicted killer who broke out of a maximum-security New York prison three weeks ago was shot dead by au-thorities on Friday, police said, as they continued to hunt for his fellow escapee.

Richard Matt, 49, was killed in the upstate town of Malone, less than 10 miles (16 kilometres) from the Canadian border, officials said.

New York State Police Superin-tendent Joseph D’Amico said au-thorities found Matt near a cabin after he apparently had fired at a passing camper van.

D’Amico did not say why Matt shot at the vehicle, but The New York Times cited a source as say-ing he was attempting to carry out a carjacking. “We were able to get into the cabin, where we discov-ered the smell of gunpowder and realized a weapon had been fired,” D’Amico told reporters.

“As we were doing the ground search in the area, there was move-ment detected by officers on the ground... A tactical team from Cus-

toms and Border Protection met up with Matt in the woods, chal-lenged him, and he was shot dead by Border Patrol at that time.”

Officers recovered a 20-gauge shotgun from Matt’s body.

D’Amico said Matt’s fellow es-caped killer, 35-year-old David Sweat, was still at large. The men broke out of Clinton Correction-al Facility, about 40 miles from Malone, on June 6 in a spectacu-lar, Hollywood-style prison break.

CNN reported that law enforce-ment authorities have set up a pe-rimeter in which they are search-ing for Sweat. “There are several leads that are being tracked down as we speak about Mr Sweat and his possible whereabouts,” New York state Governor Andrew Cuo-mo told reporters. “But we don’t have anything to confirm where Mr Sweat is at this time.”

Power toolsThe inmates used power tools to cut their way out of their prison cells before dawn on June 6, trig-gering an intense weeks-long manhunt across the heavily wooded surrounding area. “You never want to see anyone lose

their life,” Cuomo said. “But I would remind people that Mr Matt was an escaped murderer from a state prison. Mr Matt killed two people who we know about. Mr Matt killed his boss in a dispute and dismembered him.”

The audacious escape sparked a huge search involving more than 1,100 personnel backed by sniffer dogs and helicopters to find the men, who had been spotted in sev-eral locations in recent days in up-state New York.

Officers found candy wrappers and other items believed to have been linked to the men and reports emerged that a shotgun was miss-ing from a remote cabin.

Two prison workers have been

charged over the brazen breakout, and are accused of smuggling tools and contraband items to the pair in hamburger meat.

Matt and Sweat used the pow-er tools to cut through cell walls and crawled through pipes to emerge from a manhole in the village of Dannemora, home to the sprawling prison.

Matt, six feet (1.83 meters) tall with multiple tattoos, was serving a sentence of 25 years to life for the 1997 kidnapping and dismem-bering of his former boss in a 27-hour ordeal.

He fled to Mexico after the mur-der and killed another American there, before being sentenced to 20 years and extradited back to New York. Sweat was serving a life sen-tence without parole for murdering a sheriff’s deputy in New York state in 2002 when he was 22. — AFP

Richard Matt, 49, was

killed in the upstate

town of Malone, less

than 10 miles from

the Canadian border

Blaze engulfs Aden refinery after Houthis fire missiles

ADEN: Yemen’s Houthi fight-ers fired missiles at storage tanks at an Aden refinery on Saturday, starting a large fire, and 14 people were killed in clashes between the Houthis and Saudi-led forces near the southern port city, witnesses and residents said.

The attack on the refinery in the Buraiqah area sent black smoke billowing into the sky. After months of conflict, Yemen is suffering from severe fuel shortages and its oil and gas industry has all but ground to a halt. Industry sources said in April that the 150,000 barrels per day refinery had shut its op-erations and declared force ma-jeure on its imports and exports due to the war.

Eight civilians killedIn northern Aden, medical sources reported eight civilians were killed, including a woman and her three children, in ran-dom shelling by Houthi fighters on residential areas in the Al Mansoura and Sheikh Othman districts. An Arab military coa-lition led by Saudi Arabia has been bombing the Houthis for three months to restore Yemen’s exiled government. — Reuters

S T O R A G E T A N K H I T

STRICT VIGIL: A law enforcement officer stands along County Route 41 during a search for escaped prisoners south of Malone, New York, on Friday. – Reuters

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Meezan Bank to acquire HSBC Bank Oman’s Pakistan operationsTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Meezan Bank has signed an agreement with HSBC Bank Oman to acquire the latter’s branch operation in Pakistan.

HSBC Bank Oman’s operations in Pakistan consist of one branch and gross assets of Pakistan rupees

4.1 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2015, Meezan Bank said in a stock market filing. The acqui-sition is expected to materialise in the second half of 2015, subject to regulatory approvals.

HSBC Bank Oman decided in 2012 to sell off its India and Pa-kistan operations. Accordingly,

it signed an agreement to sell its banking business in India to Doha Bank QSC in April last year.

Separately, HSBC Oman an-nounced in November that it was in discussion with Meezan Bank for a possible sale of its entire operations in Pakistan, said the Express Tribune.

A C Q U I S I T I O NLogistics sector to put Oman on world trade map

MUSCAT: Substantial invest-ments in the logistics sector in recent years will help Oman to emerge as a major logistics hub in the world. Given the importance of the sector in the promotion of the national economy, several investments have been made in ports, airports and roads sectors.

This is in line with a strategic plan for the logistics sector which was created in light of the direc-tions of the Ninth Five-Year De-velopment Plan (2016-2020).

The plan was developed after the logistics sector completed its requests for trade and tourism communication requirements, as well as all economic activi-ties linking the Sultanate with Gulf, Arab, Asian and the world through an extensive land trans-port network of single and dual

paved roads, linking the governo-rates, the wilayats and villages of the Sultanate.

The Logistics Area in South Al Batinah is one of the areas that will contribute to the develop-ment of this sector. Ahmed bin Said Al Azkawi, director of the Logistics Area in South Al Bati-nah, said the logistics sector is the artery that feeds the other sectors and, in this sense, the importance of the sector is highlighted in di-versifying sources of income, di-rectly and indirectly.

Recent years have seen more attention paid to the logistics sector in the Sultanate, given the importance of logistics in the pro-motion of the national economy, in addition to utilising the geo-graphical location of the Sultan-ate and infrastructure in ports, airports and road sectors, as well as the secure and stable political climate, which is one of the basic elements needed to make a signif-icant development in the logistics service industry in the Sultanate to become a key centre for logis-tics in the world.

Indirect approachAl Azkawi pointed out in a state-ment to Omani News Agency (ONA) that the indirect approach is represented in carrying out the activities of those elements by connecting and supporting ship-ping, storage and cargo handling operations at the local and inter-national level, which resulted in

the creation of new markets for local products and supports the promotion of the Sultanate as a promising investment destina-tion in different sectors.

He stressed that the impor-tance of the sector is not only limited to the same sector, but extends to the role it plays in supporting other sectors, and on this basis the government is focusing on developing the effi-ciency of transport and logistics systems, as they have a significant economic dimension.

Logistics AreaAl Azkawi praised the Logistics Area in the Governorate of South Al Batinah, which is being devel-oped by Oman Logistics Com-pany, and said this project will complement the projects of the government in strengthening the infrastructure of the logistics sec-tor to meet the trade movement and the increasing volume of in-vestment demand in commercial and industrial areas.

The area is 95 square kilome-tres in size and will include four main activities dedicated for lo-gistics services, commercial ac-tivities, light industries and pub-lic services, such as management offices, accommodations and shopping, noting that the area is linked with the highway network being implemented in the Gov-ernorates of North and South Al Batinah and will also be linked in the future with train lines. > B4

Recent years have

seen significant

developments in the

logistics sector to

make Oman a key

centre for logistics

in the world

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Topaz eyes expansion into South America

DUBAI: Topaz Energy and Ma-rine is eyeing expansion into South America in the next two years as the Dubai-based oil ser-vices firm looks beyond the cur-rent difficulties in the sector caused by the lower oil price, its chief executive said.

Servicing companies are suffer-ing as producers and explorers cut back on costs and capital expendi-ture to cope with oil prices trading around 45 per cent below their June 2014 peak.

Topaz reported an 88 per cent slump in first-quarter net profit, and Chief Executive Rene Kofod-

Olsen expected earnings to con-tinue to be disappointing through the rest of 2015. “First half has been very tough for all of us and the second half will be moderately better but, I think, everyone in the industry should expect that 2015 will be a bad outlier for the past many years,” he said.

Despite this, Topaz, a unit of Oman’s Renaissance Services be-lieves it is in a position to weather the storm and take advantage of opportunities to expand both its fleet and geographical presence beyond the Caspian Sea, the Mid-dle East and West Africa.

South America is the main tar-get, according to Kofod-Olsen, with the biggest draw being Mex-ico, which is opening up its oil industry to more international involvement, and Brazil, where the firm had previously oper-ated but had pulled out because it didn’t have the scale and rela-tionships with Petrobras to make the business work.

“We would go in if the working environment normalises and I be-lieve there is a good chance that it will,” he said of Brazil.

State-run Petrobras is em-broiled in Brazil’s largest ever

corruption probe which has seen dozens of high-ranking company officials and politicians ques-tioned over charges including bribery and inflating the value of contracts for personal gain.

Topaz is also aiming to expand its subsea division over the next two years in the Atlantic basin, targeting areas of medium depth, Kofod-Olsen said.

Having said in November it was in talks to acquire two ships to augment its subsea division for delivery in late 2016, Ko-fod-Olsen said the firm subse-quently renegotiated its deals and would pay significantly less than envisaged as lower oil prices and cut-backs by firms in new orders had given it a better negotiating position.

The company has finance to back its plans, having signed a $550 million seven-year loan in April to refinance existing debt at a cheaper rate and to back expan-sion. As for merger and acquisi-tion plans, Kofod-Olsen said To-paz was open to opportunities to build its presence in each region.

He saw further consolidation happening across the industry as firms looked to cut costs in the current strained operating envi-ronment, especially as oil majors squeezed their suppliers and servicing firms. - Reuters

A unit of Oman’s

Renaissance

Services, the firm is

looking beyond the

current difficulties

in the sector caused

by the lower oil price,

chief executive said

Unique Group set to double subsea, offshore businessTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Unique Group, the leading integrated subsea and off-shore solution provider, has set in place measures to double its size and global infrastructure by 2019 through capital investment, acquisitions and expansion into key markets.

Unique Group has been operat-ing in Oman since 2010. With a current turnover in excess of $100 millon, the company has restruc-tured its worldwide organisation into five new business units, to capitalise on Unique Group’s cur-rent and future market sectors that will further support its busi-ness in the Sultanate

The first expansion into new sectors is the launch of Unique Group’s range of technically ad-vanced products for Dive Sup-port Vessels (DSVs), the result of three years of research and de-velopment and significant invest-ment by the group. As offshore operations move increasingly into deeper and more challenging environments, the DSV market will become significant in Unique Group’s growth.

The business has made three senior appointments to oversee the expansion in key growth ar-eas. Within Unique Group, Mike Jessop has been promoted to

global head of diving. The group has also recruited leading figures from within the industry: Andy Doggett, former manager of Tel-edyne CDL has been brought in to head up the new survey equip-ment division; and Steve McMil-lan, former head of diving at Mc-Dermott, has been appointed as global HSE and projects director.

Future demandHarry Gandhi, founder and chief excutive officer said: “In the field of oil and gas survey, exploration and oil recovery, the forecast of future demand outweighs cur-rent supply levels. It is crucial that the industry does not stand still and that we all prepare for

projected upturns.“Current market conditions

have led some companies, espe-cially smaller ones, to be over-cautious and almost come to a standstill, instead of finding new ways to remain competitive and sustainable.

“We have over 200 engineer-ing specialists across six global regions and a streamlined, mul-tidisciplinary offering. We work with the best vendors and ulti-mately we offer our customers in the offshore and subsea sectors the most cost-effective solutions for their businesses, whether be-spoke or off the shelf.

“We are excited to be entering this latest chapter in our history and I am more than confident that we’ll reach our 2019 growth target.

Unique Group is known for its offshore, onshore and subsea en-gineering expertise, as well as its brands, Hydra and Seaflex, which are world-leading in diving equip-ment and buoyancy and ballast respectively. The full range of spe-cialist services has been stream-lined into five complementary multi-site divisions and rebrand-ed under the Unique Group name.

The company is still led by its founder Harry Gandhi alongside a long-standing management team that includes his son, Sahil Gandhi, as group executive director.

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

NEW AVENUES: Topaz Energy and Marine reported an 88 per cent

slump in first-quarter net profit, and Chief Executive Rene Kofod-

Olsen expected earnings to continue to be disappointing through

the rest of 2015. – Supplied photo

Rio Tinto to invest in Mongolia gold, copper mineULAN BATOR: Mining firm Rio Tinto has pledged to invest at least $250 million to $300 mil-lion in the construction of the un-derground section of the massive Oyu Tolgoi copper and gold mine in Mongolia this year, Mongolia’s prime minister has said.

The second phase of construc-tion at the mine is expected to begin this year, Prime Minister

Chimed Saikhanbileg said in an interview, marking progress for the long-stalled $5 billion mine that is expected to boost Mongo-lia’s economy by a third when it reaches full capacity in 2021.

Saikhanbileg’s comments came during a trip to meet United States political and business lead-ers in a bid to revive foreign in-vestment in Mongolia after it fell

74 per cent in 2014 as a dispute with Rio Tinto over taxes and cost overruns deterred investors.

US visitIn visits to New York and Wash-ington this week, Saikhanbileg, who took office in November, is touting the success of a deal reached with Rio Tinto last month to resume work on the mine.

“Mongolia is back for business,” he said. “This should be one of the hottest destinations for investors.”

During the trip, Saikhanbileg said he met with Vice President Joe Biden, held an event at the US Chamber of Commerce that at-tracted more than 160 attendees, visited the New York Stock Ex-change and held individual meet-ings with investment firms. - Reuters

E C O N O M Y

Harry Gandhi. – Supplied photo

Maintenance work at one of

Oman Cement kilns delayed

MUSCAT: Oman Cement Com-pany (OCC) said that its mainte-nance work at one of the kilns with 4,000 tonnes per day production capacity was delayed due to opera-tional difficulties.

“Oman Cements has reported that one of the kiln with 4000 TPD Clinker production capacity has been taken up for a planned maintenance activity, which was to be completed early this month. However, due to operational dif-ficulties, OCC had to prolong the shutdown,” according to a com-pany disclosure statement.

This is resulting in lower pro-duction and sales during the cur-

rent month having an impact on performance of the company dur-ing current quarter. Technical teams assisted by external experts are working to resolve the defects.

Oman Cement Company man-agement is taking all possible measures to complete the repairs and maintenance work and re-store the normal production at the earliest. - Times News Service

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Oman Broadband unveils connectivity strategy to enhance bandsMUSCAT: Oman’s government has shown great interest in broad-band sector to enhance the bands and open the door for wider com-munication services at the differ-ent governorates.

Eng. Said bin Abdullah Al Man-thri, CEO of Oman Broadband Company (OBC) said that over the past years, the government has approved the national broadband strategy and released many fre-

quencies to enhance the bands.“Last April, OBC signed an

agreement with optic fibre opera-tors to use the optic fibres in the Governorate of Muscat. An agree-ment was also signed on Tuesday with Salalah Sanitary Drainage Service and OBC will also sign a number of agreements in the in-dustrial and commercial areas outside the Governorate of Muscat for the use of optic fibres soon,”

Eng. Al Manthri said.He added that OBC currently

focuses on the main governorates in the Sultanate. While some pro-jects have been completed, other projects are underway. He af-firmed that deployment of optic fibre cables has already started in the wilayat of Madha in the Gover-norate of Musandam.

He said that the company will start implementing some projects

for optic fibre deployment in the wilayats of Sohar, Al Suwaiq and Al Musannah in the Governorate of North Al Batinah and other ar-eas as well concurrently with the projects implemented by the Min-istry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources and the Pub-lic Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW).

The CEO of OBC also point-ed out that the government has

pumped huge investments in this sector. At the national broadband strategy, which was unveiled by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the government has allocated OMR450 million that will be pumped over the up-coming 10 years.

OBC will implement the broad-band projects through other fi-nancing alternatives and other companies as well and not through

direct finance of these projects by the Government.

Eng. Al Manthri further said that the Ministry of Transport and Communications and Telecom-munications Regulatory Authority (TRA) seek to provide broadband services not only in the cities, but also in rural areas as the remote ar-eas will be covered by other means, such as satellites and wire com-munications. - ONA

F I B R E O P T I C S

Credit to private sector rises 9.6%

MUSCAT: Credit to the private sector increased by 9.6 per cent to reach OMR15.1 billion at the end of April 2015. Of the total credit to the private sector through the end of April 2015, the share of the non-financial corporate sec-tor stood at 47.2 per cent, closely followed by the household sec-tor, mainly as a result of personal loans, at 45.3 per cent, financial corporations at 5.2 per cent and other sectors made up the re-maining 2.3 per cent.

Also, total assets of convention-al commercial banks increased by 9.5 per cent to OMR26.5 billion in April 2015 from OMR24.2 billion

one year ago. Of the total assets, credit disbursements accounted for 66.1 per cent and increased by 10.6 per cent at the end of April 2015 to OMR17.5 billion.

Meanwhile, commercial banks’ overall investments in securi-ties declined by 23.2 per cent to OMR2.5 billion at the end of April 2015, from OMR3.3 billion one year ago.

The decline was mainly due to the reduced level of bank invest-ments in CBO CDS, which fell from OMR1.86 billion in April 2014 to OMR0.65 billion in April 2015. Further, investment in gov-ernment development bonds in-creased by 17.8 per cent over the year to OMR0.67 billion at the end of April 2015.

Aggregate depositsBeginning in March 2015, the CBO began issuing 91 day government treasury bills, following a long in-terval. Banks invested OMR385 million in treasury bills (TBs) at the end of April 2015, as commer-cial bank investments in foreign securities declined 6.9 per cent to OMR528.9 million in April 2015.

Additionally, aggregate depos-its held with commercial banks registered an increase of 5.7 per cent to OMR17.8 billion in April 2015, from OMR16.8 billion one

year ago. Government deposits with commercial banks increased by 2.1 per cent to OMR5.2 billion and deposits by public enterpris-es declined by 24.4 per cent to OMR0.82 billion during the same period. Private sector deposits, which constituted 64.9 per cent of the total deposits with com-mercial banks, increased by 10.6 per cent to OMR11.5 billion in April 2015 from OMR10.4 billion one year ago.

Sector-wise, the share of house-holds was 49.5 per cent of the total private sector deposits base, fol-lowed by non-financial corpora-tions at 27.5 per cent, financial corporations at 20.7 per cent and other sectors at 2.3 per cent.

Of note, Islamic banking en-tities provided financing of OMR1,265.8 million at the end of April 2015, when compared to OMR611.1 million one year ago.

Total deposits held with Is-lamic banks and windows also registered a significant rise to OMR847.3 million in April from OMR287.7 million. - ONA

Of the total credit to

the private sector

through the end of

April 2015, the share

of the non-financial

corporate sector

stood at 47.2 per cent


B4

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Bank Muscat wins 'Best Bank in Oman' awardTimes News Service

MUSCAT: Bank Muscat, the flag-ship financial services provider in the Sultanate, has won the Best Bank in Oman award given by Banker Middle East.

Omar Musafir, Chief Officer, UAE Representative Office, re-ceived the award at a ceremony held in Dubai.

AbdulRazak Ali Issa, Chief Ex-ecutive, said: “Bank Muscat is delighted to be chosen once again for the Banker Middle East award which attests the unrivalled po-sition of the bank in Oman. Year on year, the bank adopts new ini-tiatives to stretch its operational excellence. A keen perception of customer requirements enables the bank to remain focused on de-

veloping products and services in line with the current and emerging needs. Stemming from its flagship position, Bank Muscat aims to de-liver reliable, dynamic and innova-tive banking services.”

Driven by robust policies to achieve global best practices, Bank Muscat is focused on strategic ini-tiatives to confront challenges and further increase its market share.

The bank prides itself in its deep understanding of customer needs, offering financial expertise and guidance at all levels.

A multi-award winning organi-sation, Bank Muscat holds the rare distinction of being consistently voted the ‘Best Bank in Oman’ by all leading local, regional and glob-al institutions.

The Banker Middle East awards

recognise top performers in the banking industry and continue to set a benchmark for successful banking and financial institutions in the Middle East and North Af-rica (MENA) region. The award honours the very best of the re-gion’s banks and financial institu-tions – key players in laying the foundations for a prosperous fu-ture for the MENA economies.

B A N K E R M I D D L E E A S T H O N O U R

AbdulRazak Ali Issa, chief ex-ecutive. — Supplied picture

Fixed phone-line user base in Sultanate rises

MUSCAT: Total number of fixed phone lines users reached 397,179 compared to the figures recorded at the end of last May, which stood at 391,783 lines, showing an in-crease of 5.9 per cent, the latest statistics issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Informa-tion (NCSI) indicate.

The data further showed that more than 6,339,000 mobile phone lines were recorded last month. Also, the number of active users of the fixed broadband In-ternet service increased to more than 3.6 million subscribers.

The pre-paid fixed phone lines

(fixed phone cards) recorded an increase of 24.1 per cent to reach 41,023 lines compared to 38,779 lines recorded at the end of last April. The number of the post-paid phone lines also increased to 301,671 lines compared to 298,316 lines recorded at the end of last April.

Public phonesThe total number of the public phones stabilised at 6,801 while the lines of integrated service dig-ital network channels witnessed a slight decrease.

The total subscribers of mobile

phone lines reached 6,339,186 at the end of last May with an in-crease of 2.3 per cent compared to the figures recorded last April that reached 6,282,196 subscribers.

The largest number of users was recorded in the category of the subscribers of the prepaid mo-bile phones who reached 5,789,171 compared to the number of sub-scribers recorded at the end of last April that stood at 5,735,420 with an increase rate of 2.2 per cent.

The total number of the inter-net service subscribers increased to 195,549 at the end of last May compared to the figures recorded

last April, which reached 194,321 subscribers despite the decrease of the total number of Internet us-ers on the mobile phones.

On the other hand, subscrib-ers of the broadband fixed in-ternet service that includes the ADSL service and the leased line (WiMAX) recorded an increase of 8.8 per cent to reach 192,626 users last May; compared to the figures recorded last April, which reached 191,377 subscribers.

The active users of the mobile phone broadband internet ser-vice reached 2,998,835 with an increase rate of 3.6 per cent. — ONA

NCSI data shows

that more than

6,339,000 mobile

phone lines were

recorded last month.

Also, the number of

active users of the

fixed broadband

Internet service

increased to more

than 3.6 million

subscribers ROBUST DEMAND: Number of the post-paid phone lines increased to 301,671 lines compared to 298,316 lines recorded at the end of last April. — Times file picture

'Project studies completed'He also said that all studies relat-ed to the project were completed earlier, and that the execution stage has started and consists of five phases.

He noted that the first phase includes a land port, which is the nucleus of the project and will play a central role in facilitating the movement of goods in local markets and export and import activities, adding that the box also

contains stores, a distribution yard, a centre for truck services, restaurants, offices and manage-ment buildings.

The initial indications to the requests of investment that have been received from both inside and outside the Sultanate show that the area has already begun in gaining its targeted economic position, in addition to conduct-ing a number of meetings with

investors from the Sultanate and abroad, explaining to them the importance of the area and the added-value logistics services that will be provided, noting that details of investments will be posted on the company’s website.

He said that there are many job opportunities, including special-ised areas such as operation man-agement, logistics services, and information systems. — ONA

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

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A1

Greece's Tsipras calls for bailout referendumATHENS/BRUSSELS: Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called a referendum on austerity demands from foreign creditors on Saturday, rejecting an “ultima-tum” from lenders and putting a deal that could determine Greece’s future in Europe to a risky popu-lar vote. The surprise call marked the most dramatic twist yet in five-month negotiations between Greece and its lenders, plunging the cash-strapped nation into un-charted waters and risking a de-fault and capital controls as hopes for an aid agreement faded.

After a week of acrimonious talks in Brussels, Tsipras dis-missed lenders’ proposals as “blackmail” before flying to Ath-ens to huddle with ministers.

After midnight, he appeared on television to announce plans for a referendum on July 5.

“Our responsibility is for the future of our country. This respon-sibility obliges us to respond to the ultimatum through the sovereign will of the Greek people,” Tsipras said in a televised address to the nation. The 40-year-old prime minister said he would respect the outcome of the vote.

But he further argued that the lenders demands “clearly violate European social rules and fun-damental rights”, would asphyxi-ate Greece’s flailing economy and aimed at the “humiliation of the entire Greek people”.

Government ministers emerg-ing from the cabinet meeting said they were confident Greeks would vote no and reject the bailout de-mands, leaving open the question as to whether the country had oth-er options beside leaving the euro in such an event.

The referendum call also throws the country’s tottering banking system into focus, though a dep-uty minister said there were no plans to impose capital controls and banks would open as normal on Monday. “The risk of Grexit has increased considerably, from previously 20 percent to at least 50 percent,” Wolfgango Piccoli of Teneo Intelligence said in a research note.” Avoiding capital controls next week will be very difficult, if not impossible.” Soon after the address in the early hours of the morning, lines of up to 10 people were seen forming to with-draw cash from automated teller machines in some parts of Athens.

Anti-establishment protestersSmall groups of anti-establish-ment protesters threw petrol bombs and stones at police in an Athens neighbourhood where pro-tests are common.

The euro zone had offered to release billions in frozen aid if Greece accepted and implement-ed pension and tax reforms that are anathema to its leftist gov-ernment, elected in January on a promise to end austerity.

Without the bailout funds, Ath-ens is due to default on 1.6 billion euros in repayments to the Inter-national Monetary Fund on Tues-day, pushing Greece closer to be-ing forced out of the euro, causing chaos for its economy and finan-cial markets. A default would not necessarily lead to Athens leaving the 19-nation single currency area, but is expected to pave the way for it, worrying European leaders and policy makers who fear it would undermine the principle that membership is irrevocable. - Reuters

E C O N O M Y

B5S U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

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‘Extra Large’ benefits add to Corolla appeal

MUSCAT: To many enthusiasts in the automotive industry, the 11th Generation of the world famous Toyota Corolla is no less than an icon. Officially crowned as the ‘Middle East Car of the Year 2014’, the Corolla has a legendary repu-tation for providing low operating costs, high comfort levels, unyield-ing reliability along with outstand-ing safety. All of this is topped up by the delightful resale value that a Corolla commands, even after years of use, says a press release.

Now the Corolla is being offered with ‘Extra Large’ benefits. “What that means for you as a customer is that the biggest excitement has returned with Toyota Corolla now being available with a host of excit-ing model-specific benefits," said a company spokesperson.

These include a service package for up to three years/30,000km service (whichever is earlier) cov-ering three services at 10,000km service interval (for petrol models based on normal operating con-ditions), insurance for one year (Oman only), 1st year of registra-tion and 1,000 litres of fuel. In lieu of the above, customers can choose to avail of the cash gift of OMR500. These benefits are model specific and may vary accordingly.

To top it all, every Toyota cus-tomer gets a gift voucher and a

chance to take part in an amazing raffle which has nine units of 16YM Camry GL Executive to be won.

This exciting campaign will run until August 5. Benefits are ap-plicable for all purchases except those made by government organi-sations and ministries. Weekly raf-fle will be held until August 9, on all Sundays, except July 19. Custom-ers will be eligible for raffle only upon taking delivery of the vehicle during the campaign period after completing necessary formalities and not against booking.

“The earlier one buys and en-ters the raffle, the higher are the chances of winning,” the spokes-person adds.

Indeed, it is a good time to own a global best-seller about which it is said that, “The name ‘Corolla’ represents the peak of Toyota’s renowned quality engineering, de-sign evolution and value-for-mon-ey focus. This is unmatched in its class. That said, customers are to be thanked for their faith in Toyota and for making it a best-seller in the region.”

Making a strong design state-ment with its unique visual signa-ture, the Corolla signifies Toyota’s brand evolution, “The Corolla’s

design theme combines clean lines and balanced proportions to give it an immediate visual impact.

"The design lends itself to an even more spacious cabin that offers refined comfort and class-leading legroom with abundant storage space. It tapers at the front and rear of the vehicle to help emphasise the wheel arches and wheels-to-the-corner stance,” adds the spokesperson.

The Corolla offers choices be-tween compact, lightweight en-gines that deliver exhilarating performance and outstanding fuel economy. As explained by the spokesperson, “Customers can choose a never-before, power-ful 2.0 L Engine with maximum power of 143 HP (Net). The second option is a potent 1.6 L engine de-livering 121 HP (Net).”

Engineered to provide high ac-tive and passive safety standards, the Corolla also offers enhanced pedestrian impact protection. The adoption of numerous en-ergy absorbing components offer significantly improved pedes-trian protection in the event of a frontal impact.

For occupant protection, im-pact-absorbing structures have

been adopted for the interior part of the pillar areas to ensure cabin safety.

To help reduce the impact of a collision on occupants, the Corolla is equipped with SRS airbags for the driver and front passenger.

In addition to the above, the Co-rolla also features other class-lead-ing features such as LED projector headlamps with integrated-type daylight running lights, smart en-try system + start/stop button, new audio system with USB+AUX, 3.5’’ TFT multi-information display, retractable outer mirrors with turn signals, audio + mid controls on steering wheel, cruise control and moonroof, amongst others.

All specifications listed above are standard Toyota equipment. Safety kit (fire extinguisher, warn-ing triangle, tyre pressure gauge and first aid kit) is a dealer in-stalled non Toyota item provided on Toyota models as standard equipment.

In Oman, Toyota outstanding product quality is supported by the nationwide parts and service net-work of Saud Bahwan Automotive. No wonder then that today, Toyota is one of the most trusted and well-known brands.

This exciting

campaign will run

until August 5.

Weekly raffle draw

will be held until

August 9, on all

Sundays

KR to donate 2,000

Ramadan hampers

MUSCAT: As Oman ushers in the holy month of Ramadan, the Khimji Ramdas Group once again steps forward to spread the season’s message of sharing through generous contributions to society. The conglomerate is offering 2,000 Ramadan hamper boxes to assist NGOs in their mission to aid and nurture com-munities across the Sultanate, says a press release.

Commenting on KR’s Ramadan contributions, Anil Khimji said: “At the Khimji Ramdas Group we have a very strong corporate so-cial ethic that emphasises giving back to society and giving gener-ously especially during Ramadan. For this is a time of sharing and caring, a time to come together in the spirit of brotherhood and family. We are happy to say that the company’s philanthropic out-reach programmes such as the Ramadan gift boxes have been touching the lives of thousands across Oman.”

This year Khimji Ramdas will be working with a number of char-ities to distribute hamper boxes containing daily staples to needy families across the Sultanate. The first batch of packages will be shared with Al Noor Association for the Blind – Sohar, Oman Asso-ciation for the Disabled – Muscat, Oman Association for the Disa-bled – Ibri. KR’s Ramadan boxes will reach thousands across Oman

from Muscat to Sohar and Ibri.Fuelled by a strong sense of

social consciousness and a pas-sion for the local community, KR has spearheaded numerous charity outreach programmes to help enrich the lives of local com-munities, particularly deserving members of Omani society. The company’s altruistic spirit gains renewed impetus during the sea-son of Ramadan when numer-ous charity drives — such as the Ramadan gift boxes and similar initiatives — are organised.

G E N E R O U S C O N T R I B U T I O N

Khimji Ramdas Group's altruistic spirit gains renewed impetus during the season of Ramadan when numerous charity drives — such as the Ramadan gift boxes and similar initiatives — are organised

Ford F-150 earns top spot in AAA Green Car Guide

MUSCAT: Ford’s powerfully built tough Ford F-150 is per-forming exceptionally well the world over to make an impressive mark. And that performance is adding to its growing tally of stars.

Recently the Ford F-150 led its segment as the greenest truck in the 2015 AAA Green Car Guide. F-150 is part of Ford F-Series, America’s best-selling full-size truck for 38 straight years and America’s best-sell-ing vehicle for 33 straight years, says a press release.

In Oman the F-150 5.0-litre V8 with twin independent variable camshaft timing has improved power and efficiency, delivering 385 horsepower and 387 lb.-ft. of torque. Smart engineering en-hancements such as a new long-runner intake manifold, revised intake cam duration and new pulse-separated exhaust mani-folds help raise towing capability to a maximum 11,100 pounds.

The F-150 features several inno-vative and smart technologies, in-cluding smart trailer tow module with dynamic hitch assist, class-exclusive 360-degree camera with split-view display, high-wattage outlets, LED spotlights, blind spot information System with cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping system, twin panel moonroof, stowable bed extender and more.

The smart trailer tow module shows the driver which lights on a trailer connected to the truck aren’t working, so the driver or a passenger doesn’t have to exit the vehicle and walk around the trailer to discover lights are blown. Dynamic Hitch Assist is a new rearview camera feature that adds a dynamic line based on steering wheel angle in the display to help customers line up truck and trailer without re-quiring a spotter or having to exit the vehicle.

The available 360-degree cam-era with split-view display uses four exterior cameras to give the driver a bird’s-eye view of up to seven feet surrounding the F-150 to assist in parking, manoeuvring in tight spots and navigating nar-row roads and trails at low speeds.

The high-wattage outlets — 400-watt, 110-volt outlets in the cab allow drivers to easily charge corded tools, battery chargers or mobile devices on-site or while in transit. The LED spotlights on sideview mirrors provide power-ful, durable and bright lighting around the truck exterior.

The Blind Spot Information System with cross-traffic alert: Available BLIS uses radar sensors in the taillamps to monitor areas that may not be visible to the driv-er. The sensors trigger a warning

light in the sideview mirrors to in-dicate another vehicle is in a blind spot if the driver is attempting to change lanes. These same sensors can detect a vehicle coming down an aisle when the driver is slowly backing out of a parking space.

The available lane-keeping is designed to help prevent a driver from drifting outside of the in-tended driving lane. The system automatically detects the left- or right-hand road lane markings us-ing a camera mounted between the windshield and interior rearview mirror. A vibration in the steering wheel is used to alert the driver. The system can also provide steer-ing torque to help guide the vehicle back into the lane if needed.

The Ford F-150 is completely redesigned, with a high-strength, military-grade, aluminium-alloy body coupled with a high-strength steel frame, making it nearly 700 pounds lighter and more efficient.

Ford vehicles are known the world over for their exceptional safety, luxury and unsurpassed technological superiority.

Ford ploughs in millions of dol-lars into R&D each year to ensure that every Ford offers maximum safety and motoring pleasure for its customers.

In Oman, Ford vehicles are brought to you by Arabian Car Marketing Co.

I M P R E S S I V E P E R F O R M A N C E

B6 S U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

ROUND-UPNissan Patrol: The complete package

MUSCAT: Meticulously engi-neered for over 60 years, the Patrol is Nissan’s flagship SUV model with a rich heritage and passionate following in the Middle East that dates back to the 1950s. Housed under Suhail Bahwan Automo-biles in Oman, the Nissan Patrol comes with refreshed styling en-hancements that adds more style to its already impressive ‘go any-where’ versatility, technology and comfort, says a press release.

Nissan Patrol enhancementsThe Nissan Patrol comes with

a new front bumper and new vig-orous and muscular front grille pattern with chrome. New 20” machining cut alloy wheels, LED headlamps with day time run-

ning light and pop-up headlamp washer with new LED rear com-bination lamp and roof rails add to the range of new features. The Ni-ssan Patrol also possess a 3rd gen-eration around view monitor with parking assist display and back-up collision intervention (BCI) which alerts the driver when a moving object is detected behind the vehi-cle when in reverse mode.

Owner’s pride “The mighty Patrol offers a mag-nificent drive on and off the road. There is a lot of ground clearance and solid protection for vitals un-derneath. Low-range gearing is great for slower four-wheel-driv-ing, while the huge ground clear-ance makes it a formidable tool,” said Salim Hamad Al Ghufaili, a proud Nissan Patrol owner.

“Just getting inside reinforces how big the Patrol is. The side steps don’t only come in handy, for many, they will be necessary to make the ascent to the driver’s seat. Needless to say, you get a de-cent view. The broad collection of controls and buttons are well laid-out and storage areas are plentiful. The cabin is wide, too, something that helps with three people across the back. And those in the middle row will be blessed with generous legroom,” he added.

“Nissan introduces schemes and offers on their vehicles making it convenient for customers to buy vehicles at any time of the year. The Nissan Patrol too comes with attractive insurance, registration

and service options this Ramadan. Nissan service is equally good; I have had no complaints so far. They are on-time and professional with delivery of vehicles,” Al Ghu-faili concluded.

Exclusive Ramadan offerScratch and Win (two assured gifts): Customers buying the Nis-san Patrol will receive a ‘Scratch & Win’ card which will entitle them to two assured gifts comprising of Free service up to Lifetime of the car (minimum assured 1 year/ 10,000 km PMS) and Free fuel up to OMR1000 (minimum assured of OMR50)

Cash Gifts: Customers will also walk away with assured cash gifts up to OMR1,000 (minimum as-sured of OMR500)

Unlimited benefits: Nissan as-sures customers free insurance, free registration, 6 years’ extended warranty, easy financing options, a loan term up to eight years and at-tractive interest rates.

Additional Ramadan highlight of 2015: This year Nissan has in-troduced another exciting line up of Ramadan benefit for their val-ued customers.

Customers who already own a Nissan model and are making a second purchase will receive ad-ditional incentives from SBA where customers enjoy 10,000km additional service, they will re-ceive special interest privilege card and also be eligible for any trade-in benefits.

Special EMI rate: Customers can avail special EMI rate starting from OMR269 on the Nissan Patrol

Grand raffle draw prize The grand raffle draw from Nissan is being held in association with Al Wisal and Merge FM where par-ticipants can enter the draw to win a sleek Nissan Altima (2 vehicles to be won); just SMS <Nissan Al-tima> to 90448. The lucky winner can walk away with a brand new Nissan Altima.

Easy financing options SBA designed the Ramadan scheme to add to the pleasure and convenience of owning a Nis-san model and ensure hassle and worry-free driving at all times. Ni-ssan customers can also avail easy financing option of a loan term up to 8 years with attractive interest rates from Bank Muscat. Flexible EMI’s can also be tailor made for any individual requirement from in-house Auto Finance team.

Mighty Patrol Patrol derives power-train effi-ciency equipped with 5-speed au-tomatic transmission with manual mode introduced on the XE grade with a combination of leather/wood steering wheel. The Nissan Patrol is now available with new exterior colours - Grey Metallic and Pure White Pearl – as well as a new Tan interior colour.

There is no shortage of comforts on board the new Nissan Patrol with all grades featuring an ar-

ray of standard features including 8-way power driver’s seat, cruise control, 7-inch LCD screen, dual-zone climate control, 18-inch alloy wheels with full-size spare, side steps, front and rear parking sen-sors with rear view camera and keyless entry and start.

Expression of luxury The vehicle is an expression of richly crafted luxury truly wor-thy of a flagship. If the unmistak-ably bold exterior design invites you with its powerful and modern lines, the super cockpit design of the well-appointed interior pro-vides drivers with a reinvigorat-ing driving atmosphere. Fine-tex-tured, soft leather seats are fitted with power and memory functions. Other luxurious features include Climate-controlled front seats, Power lift gate, Leather-wrapped, power tilt and telescoping steer-ing wheel with cruise, Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System, audio system and Navigation controls.

Impeccable safety features The Patrol includes Nissan’s world-renowned Safety Shield concept that ‘vehicles help protect people’. The revised brake sys-tem, along with state-of-the-art Safety Technologies make it the safest-ever SUV in its class. It has employed state-of-the-art safety technologies that help the driver maintain comfortable driving, to recover from dangerous condi-tions and minimise the damage when a collision is unavoidable.

Nissan Patrol comes

with refreshed styling

enhancements

that add more

style to its already

impressive ‘go

anywhere’ versatility,

technology and

great comfort

ahlibank organises Iftar for customersSOHAR: In celebration of the holy month of Ramadan, ahlibank recently hosted an Iftar event for their customers at Crowne Plaza Sohar. The event aimed to bring together the bank’s management team, staff and customers; and re-affirm the bank’s commitment to understand customer needs and exceed their expectations, says a press release.

Speaking of the event, Said Al Hatmi, GM and head of Finance at ahlibank said: “We are delighted to have everyone here to share in our this Iftar gathering, as it reminds us of how strong the ahlibank fam-ily is, and how important it is for us to continue to work together in order so as to achieve more in the years to come.”

Lloyd Maddock, CEO of ahli-bank, said: “As we mark the blessed days of this holy month, we hosted this dinner to reiterate our appre-ciation to our customers and recog-nise their continuous support. We would not be able to arrive at where we are today without the trust and support of our valued customers.”

“The event also gave the man-agement an opportunity to meet the bank’s customers first hand. We look forward to organising many more events like this in the near future as we build our cus-tomer base and introduce more products and services,” he added.

ahlibank has lined up a series of social, cultural and religious activities to mark the holy month of Ramadan.

G E T - T O G E T H E R

OHI Leo Burnett delivers historical success

MUSCAT: OHI Leo Burnett, Oman’s leading marketing and advertising communications agency, has delivered historical success in working partnership with the stakeholders involved in the Phoenix Power IPO.

Collaborating closely with a number of entities involved in the transaction, OHI Leo Burnett created a compelling 360 degree marketing campaign and execut-ed it to pitch perfection to pro-duce remarkable success in the long annals of IPO transactions in Oman, says a press release.

“There were significant amount of challenges in the IPO commu-nication that we tackled. From the scepticism surrounding the marketing conditions, to timing the issue to close before the ad-vent of Ramadan, along with the lead manager and the client we planned the entire communica-tions rollout like clockwork, put-ting together a robust marketing communication strategy that involved multiple communica-tion vehicles including print, PR, radio, digital and events. We are proud of the success, and thank all stakeholders, specifically Bank Muscat Investment Banking team, Phoenix Power and the reg-ulators,” said Narayan Iyer, gen-eral manager, OHI Leo Burnett.

The total offer size of OMR56.3 million was the biggest in Oman this year.

Speaking of what ensures suc-cess of such IPO transactions,

Srikanth Viswanathan, director of Planning & Strategy and associate general manager, OHI Leo Burnett said, “IPO marketing is one of the most challenging tasks for a com-munications agency, as there is very little leeway in terms of de-livery timelines or lack of consist-ency in the tone of messaging. The agency needs to delve into acute planning of the budget and have the creative firepower to develop a compelling idea around the in-vestment case. Following that, you need to have a strong and compel-ling story that you can hold con-fidently through the IPO period and one that can be translated into multiple channels while still en-gaging the audience. What’s more, the issue marketing is divided be-tween sophisticated institutional investors, and the common inves-tors who look at the investment highlights very differently.”

Narayan added, “IPO marketing has evolved into a specialisation, and rightly so. We have a unique advantage of having worked on

the largest number of capital mar-keting transactions by far, but that only makes it even more challeng-ing, as we are constantly working to better our delivery. It’s often the unassuming elements such as the prospectus or application forms, or the website that test the skill sets in a campaign like this. One needs to be committed through the IPO period with resources and time, and ensure that we are on top of the game, advising and directing the client in doing the right thing at the right time.”

“It helps to be part of the Leo Burnett network as we are able to reach out to regional media with ease either for advertis-ing, or specialised PR. What’s more, the strength of our Arabic team comes to the fore as they understand technical details of such complex financial matters, which become critical during the times. It is indeed a privilege for us to have a strong team that puts the client and the project before themselves during these

projects,” Narayan added.The success of this transaction

adds another feather in the cap of OHI Leo Burnett. Earlier last year, the agency delivered success on the twin IPOs of Al Batinah and Al Suwadi Power, another first in the history of IPO transactions in Oman, delivering combined success for the two companies si-multaneously. Subsequently, the agency worked with the Ministry of Finance.

P H O E N I X P O W E R I P O

Collaborating closely with a number of entities involved in the transaction, OHI Leo Burnett created a compelling 360 degree marketing campaign and executed it to pitch perfection to produce remarkable success in the long annals of IPO transactions in Oman

ISD organises excellence award ceremony

MUSCAT: Indian School Darsait (ISD) organised academic ex-cellence award ceremony in the school auditorium recently. Abdul Rahim Kasim, president, school management committee, was the chief guest on the occasion.

The programme started with a prayer song followed by the tra-ditional lighting of the lamp. Dr Sridevi P. Thashnath, principal welcomed the chief guest and oth-er dignitaries to the function.

She lauded the achievements of the students and the support of their parents and the untiring ef-forts of the teachers for making the school reach the pinnacle of success. She thanked the school management committee for the support and encouragement be-ing rendered to all activities of the school, says a press release.

The chief guest gave away gold medals and certificates to the top-pers of Class XII Board Exami-nation (Science and Commerce stream) held in March and April 2015, second and third toppers, subject toppers and A1 achievers in all subjects (Classes X and XII). Dr Amsa Parambil, vice president,

school management committee did the honours for the meritorious students in Classes XI and IX while Biju Samuel, Convener, SMC, fe-licitated the A1 achievers in all sub-jects in Class VIII whereas Chris-topher Joe, Member, SMC did the honours for the toppers in Class VII and Jaikish Pavithran, Mem-ber, SMC gave away the mementos to the A1 winners in Class VI.

Apart from it, the head of the institution presented principal’s honours award and merit awards to those who secured 90 per cent

and above in the annual exami-nations (Classes XI and XII) and those who topped in monthly contests in General Knowledge and Spelling Bee. Nikhila Anilku-mar, member, SMC felicitated the staff who played an active role for making ‘ISD Resonance’- a musi-cal night with violin maestro, Bal-abhaskar, a great success. Leena Francis, vice principal, proposed the vote of thanks and expressed her appreciation for the parents and teachers who helped the chil-dren achieve greater heights.

A C A D E M I C S

Towell holds NLP personality development workshop

MUSCAT: Towell Construction & Co. conducted a NLP person-ality development workshop for its managers and senior staff at the Towell Farm House in Seeb, recently. The workshop was con-ducted by internationally accred-ited NLP Trainer, Hemant Joshi who visited from Bahrain on in-vitation, says a press release.

NLP or Neuro-linguistic has been one of the most breathtak-ing innovations in the field of transforming human beliefs, hab-its and behaviour. The workshop covered various aspects such as using sensory representations for accessing positive mental re-sources, changing belief systems, regulating thought patterns and

effective goal setting. The inter-active workshop involved learn-ing various mental processes and turned out to be a rejuvenating event for the participants.

Joshi, director of Corporate Services at A. A. Nass & Sons Co. W.L.L. Bahrain and direc-tor of Nass Corporation BSC; is a member of the Society of Neuro Linguistic Programming, USA. He has conducted numerous workshops over the past 10 years for institutions and profession-als from diverse backgrounds as community service projects, on topics such as productivity en-hancement, negotiation skills, time management, stress man-agement, teenage transformation.

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

OIFC appoints senior officials

MUSCAT: Oman Investment & Finance Co (OIFC) has ap-pointed recently two new mem-bers in the senior management team, Deputy CEO, Tahir Salim Al Amri, and GM-Business De-velopment, Ahmed Said Tabouk.

Tahir is an experienced treas-ury and finance professional. He brings in a rich working experi-ence of more than 15 years in the Ministry of Finance in senior positions and is also on the board of several public and private enti-ties. Ahmed has wide experience in marketing & technology man-agement with number of busi-ness modules, with more than 13 years of local and regional experi-ence, says a press release.

“These appointments are con-sidered crucial for the effective implementation of the recent strategies, which were set aim-ing to reinforce the ground for pursuing future phases as far the company’s development is con-cerned. Today, OIFC is looking forward to materialise some of its development plans,” said Eng. Ahmed Al Subhi, chairman.

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Bank Sohar picks credit card promotion winners

MUSCAT: As a part of its recently held Al Mumayaz Saving Scheme monthly draw celebration in Al Khaboura, Bank Sohar also con-ducted the first of three draws of its recently launched ‘Cash in on your spends’ credit card promotion. The draw, which was conducted recently, saw 20 Bank Sohar Cred-it Card customers win cash prizes worth up to OMR300 each, says a press release.

The VIP client gathering for the fourth Al Mumayaz Saving Scheme Monthly Draw event,

which played host to the credit card promotion draw, was held at the Al Rafahya Hall in Al Khaboura under the patronage of Sheikh Saif bin Muhanna bin Said Al Hinai, Wali of Al Khaboura.

Representing Bank Sohar at the event were R. Narasimhan, DGM and head of Retail Bank-ing, Khamis Masoud Al Rahbi, AGM of Branches, and Abdul Jal-il Baqer Al Ajmi, senior branch manager of Al Khaboura branch, together with other senior mem-bers of the bank and branch man-agers, who welcomed the chief guest and the bank’s VIP custom-ers from the area.

Highlighting on the recently introduced promotion, Narasim-han commented, “Our ‘Cash in on your spends promotion’ was intro-

duced as part of our ongoing com-mitment to provide value-added services to our customers and continually improve their overall banking experience.

“Introducing promotions such as these not only help highlight the advantages of using Bank Sohar Excel Credit Cards when making purchases, but also ensures that it remains a rewarding experience for our customers.”

With this promotion, Bank So-har introduced a rewarding way to shop using any of its Excel Clas-sic, Gold, Platinum, Internet or Infinite Credit Cards. For every minimum purchase of OMR50, either through Point of Sale (POS) or over the Internet, customers get a chance to enter into a monthly draw. Each draw will see 20 cus-

tomers win cash prizes worth up to OMR300 each, and with three draws in total, the promotion will see 60 winners receive cash prizes totalling up to OMR18,000 once the promotion comes to a close end of July 2015. This draw was the first of these three draws, with the following two to follow in the coming two months.

“On behalf of the Bank, I would like to congratulate each of the winners and wish all our custom-ers the best of luck in our upcom-ing draws,” added Narasimhan.

Alongside the ‘Cash in on your spends’ special promotion, Bank Sohar Excel Credit Cards also pro-vide an array of other benefits to customers including travel insur-ance, purchase protection, zero lost card liability, free priority pass and online shopping security via verified by visa and more.

Bank Sohar credit cards are also accepted worldwide for making payments and can also be used for cash withdrawals at more than 800,000 ATMs worldwide. As such, customers can use their credit cards while making pur-chases, whether they are in Oman or abroad. Together with the bank’s best-in-class services, this latest service will add to the appeal of Bank Sohar credit cards.

With this promotion,

Bank Sohar has

introduced a

rewarding way to

shop using any of its

Excel Classic, Gold,

Platinum, Internet or

Infinite Credit Cards

Daleel Petroleum signs pact with MoEMUSCAT: Daleel Petroleum re-cently signed an agreement with the Ministry of Education (MoE) for being the representative of International Programme Office (Globe Programme). The agree-ment supports two main pro-grammes; Earth Day and Globe Africa Project ‘Roof of Africa’, Mount Kilimanjaro.

The agreement was signed at the Ministry of Education by Mustafa bin Ali bin Abdullatif, undersecretary at the Ministry of Education for Administrative and Financial Affairs and Eng. Fahmy bin Hamed Al Musharfy, chief planning officer at Daleel Petroleum. The occasion was also attended by senior manag-

ers along with officials from both sides, says a press release.

The cooperation between Daleel Petroleum and the Min-istry of Education supports and nurtures the community in dif-ferent aspects of education. The partnership between the Minis-try of Education and Daleel Pe-troleum aims to support Globe events which provide scientific knowledge-sharing platforms and activities for students and teachers across the Sultanate.

Daleel Petroleum has built a very good foundation of ever more efficient production, use of latest technology, ethical business standards and social responsibility.

C O R P O R A T E S U P P O R T

TAC gives away Mazda6 to winner of ‘Change to Bridgestone’ campaignMUSCAT: Tyre major Bridge-stone and Towell Auto Centre successfully concluded the sum-mer campaign ‘Change to Bridge-stone’. Amongst the prizes were free tyres and free oil change and a chance to win a grand prize in Mazda6 2.0L.

The offer was open from April 1 up to May 31 at Tyre Care Plus outlets and First Stop stores as well as at authorised dealers. The lucky winner to drive away the splendid car was Abdul Rahimn Said Khamis Said Al Aamri, says a press release.

The announcement was made recently at the Towell Auto Group Head office, Azaiba. The draw was conducted in Bridgestone Truck Tyre centre, Ghala in the presence of an official from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Dream come true“I am thrilled beyond imagina-tion. Winning a grand prize is like a dream come true, and a Mazda6 makes it even better,” said Abdul Rahimn. “TAC has always offered good service and has been of great support when it came to our au-tomotive needs. The Change to Bridgestone campaign has been running successfully for quite some years. Every year I would have my fingers crossed. I have turned lucky this time around.”

Encouraging customers to change to one of the most reli-

able, durable and quality tyre brand, TAC offered various deals on purchase of Bridgestone tyres through their Change to Bridge-stone campaign. Cash purchase of 04 Tyres of PSR, 4WD and LVR tyres entitled every customer to be a winner through scratch and win offer with exciting prizes like free tyres and free oil change.

Keeping in mind the time be-tween oil changes, the free oil change coupons are redeemable until September 30. The grand prize that came in the form of a

Mazda6 2.0 further added to the excitement of the campaign.

“Our customers have shown continuous patronage and have placed utmost faith in our ser-vices,” said Oommen John, AGM Bridgestone Tyre division at Towell Auto Centre.

“It is during summers that we see customers spending on tyres as well as paying close attention to the service aspect of their ve-hicles too. We decided this was definitely the best time to extend some hearty rewards as our way of

showing appreciation. “Bridgestone is one the top-

selling tyres. We have been cho-sen as the Top brand in Oman re-cently. Hence we coupled the very best in tyres with generous gifts, introducing a variety of prizes as well as a truly splendid grand raffle draw for this summer. The thrill and happiness that we wit-ness amongst our customers when we announce the names of the winners is what motivates us to keep going and serve them better,” he added.

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

Lincoln Navigator built for enhanced performanceMUSCAT: Lincoln Motor Com-pany has redesigned its approach to offer customers numerous mo-ments of luxury and memorable driving experiences.

Across its range a rich and high-quality fitment in areas like inte-riors, technologies and features promote exclusiveness that is soon becoming a hallmark of the brand. In the case of the 2015 Lincoln Navigator — it is a fresh interpre-tation of the classic vehicle that created the full-size luxury SUV segment, says a press release.

In Oman, Lincoln vehicles are brought to you by Arabian Car Marketing Co.

With a new EcoBoost engine, refreshed exterior design and en-hanced interior appointments, the new Lincoln Navigator offers a compelling combination of power and refinement along with out-standing passenger room, towing capability, ride and handling and fuel economy.

Exterior design changes are ac-centuated by the execution of Lin-coln’s split-wing grille. The more refined appearance complements

enhanced power and hauling ca-pabilities that Navigator custom-ers demand. Enhancements to the interior include luxurious leather and additional customer-focused technologies such as SYNC with MyLincoln Touch.

The sleek front end includes a newly designed hood, and the back end features a power lift-gate. Navigator wears jewel-like daytime running lights, as well as high-intensity discharge adaptive headlamps with LED accents. A total of 222 LEDs illuminate the exterior and give Navigator a dis-tinct personality.

Under the hood of the new Lincoln Navigator is a 3.5-litre EcoBoost engine that delivers outstanding power on demand while also providing best-in-class fuel economy. The EcoBoost for-mula of turbocharging and direct fuel injection creates a smoother torque curve than larger-displace-ment V8 engines.

Interior quietnessThe new Navigator achieves im-proved interior quietness and

scores a higher articulation index rating — a measure of how easy it is to hear a conversation — cour-tesy of nearly two dozen vehicle upgrades. Bumper to bumper, roof to floor, the 2015 Navigator was built with a comfortable passenger experience in mind. Acoustic lam-inated glass called SoundScreen, enhanced carpet, headliner and in-sulated door and floor panels com-

bine to create a quieter interior. Designed to seat up to eight,

Navigator offers second-row op-tions that include two captain’s chairs with or without a centre console, or a fold-flat bench. Due in part to Navigator’s patented in-dependent rear suspension, true fold-flat, PowerFold third-row seats enable standard-wheelbase and extended-wheelbase versions

to deliver segment-leading cargo volume behind the third row.

An available Control Trac four-wheel-drive system enhances traction on slippery surfaces, helps improve handling on dry roads and enables off-road capability. Navi-gator’s six-speed automatic trans-mission includes Lincoln Select-Shift, which allows the driver to manually control gears if desired.

Helping make the 2015 model the best-handling Navigator ever is the addition of standard electric power-assisted steering.

The system allows for more con-sistent and precise control of the vehicle through a range of speeds, while simultaneously making it easier to manoeuvre at low speeds and to park.

The Lincoln Drive Control option offers continuously con-trolled damping, a technology ap-plied to the suspension that moni-tors multiple vehicle sensors and road conditions every two milli-seconds and adjusts suspension needs accordingly.

Navigators equipped with four-wheel drive offer driver-friendly

hill descent control, along with standard hill start assist. With hill start assist, a vehicle parked on a slope with a grade of five degrees or more remains stationary for up to two seconds after the driver releases the brake pedal, elimi-nating forward or backward roll before acceleration.

Also standard on Select package models is Nivomat, a load-level-ling system that raises the rear end of a loaded Navigator to optimum ride height for improved handling.

The mechanical levelling sys-tem helps reduce uneven wear on the tyres and helps maintain bet-ter vehicle aerodynamics for im-proved fuel efficiency.

SYNC with MyLincoln Touch is standard equipment. The driver connect system allows drivers to use voice-activated or touch screen controls to make phone calls, play music, manage the navi-gation system or set cabin temper-ature. The system includes a 4.2-inch LCD screen in the instrument cluster, an 8-inch touch screen in the centre stack and traditional knob controls for easy operation.

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Sohar Islamic makes buying new car easier

MUSCAT: Sohar Islamic, Bank Sohar’s dedicated Islamic Bank-ing window, offers attractive auto finance solutions for a tenure of up to seven years for new cars without the need for a salary transfer.

With quick approvals, special competitive rates for the holy month of Ramadan starting from 3.5%,and no requirement for a joint registration or mortgage on salary transfer, Sohar Islamic Auto Finance is the perfect solution for purchasing your dream car this Ramadan, says a press release.

Highlighting Sohar Islamic’s Shari’ah compliant auto finance, Mohammad Haris, AGM and Head of Sohar Islamic, said: “With each of our products and services we are committed towards helping meet our customers’ financial

needs. This is especially true with our auto financing, which offers a greater variety of options and min-imal documentation.

“For the duration of the holy month of Ramadan and consider-ing the many auto dealership of-fers, we have taken a step further by extending our working hours from 8pm to 11pm over and above the normal branch hours.

“With the flexibility and the fast approval process of our auto financing facility, our clients can make the most of these Ramadan offers when purchasing exactly the vehicle they desire.”

Sohar Islamic offers its clients Shari’ah compliant auto financing solutions for new and used cars for up to 80% of the value and does so without the need for salary trans-

fers. Furthermore, if the salary is transferred to the bank, joint reg-istration or mortgage is no longer required. Finance is available for a period of up to seven years for new vehicles and up to five years for used cars.

The programme also prides itself on offering quick process-ing with initial approvals avail-able within one hour. It also offers higher financing limits and very competitive profit rates for both Omanis and Non Omanis starting with 3.5% for financing for a ten-ure of 12 months and 4% for 13 to 24 months.

For financing amounting to over OMR15,000, customers can also opt for financing tenures of up to 60 or 84 months with profit rates of 4.75% and 4.99% respectively.

Sohar Islamic offers

its clients Shari’ah

compliant auto

financing solutions

for new and used

cars for up to 80%

of the value and

does so without

the need for salary

transfers

Mercedes-Benz pioneers innovations in auto safetyMUSCAT: Mercedes-Benz is a true pioneer of automotive safety. Ever since the invention of the motor car in 1886, Mercedes-Benz, together with its precursor brands, has been instrumental in the development of active and passive safety, setting one new benchmark after another in the process. Thanks to its continu-ous and comprehensive research in this field, Mercedes-Benz has introduced many crucial innova-tions that have saved countless lives over the years.

The very first vehicle with ex-emplary road safety was devel-oped back in the 1900’s by Wil-helm Maybach, and was known as the Mercedes 35 HP, says a press release.

Factors which contributed to making this model such an in-genious introduction in the au-tomotive world include the long wheelbase, low centre of gravity, the engine bolted to the frame and the wide track. Between 1921 and 1931, Mercedes-Benz pas-senger car models were equipped with front wheel brakes, hydrau-lic braking systems and inde-

pendent front and rear suspen-sion with swing axles. By 1958, Mercedes-Benz had created sev-eral patents on safety features, such as conical-pin safety door lock, wedge-pin door lock and safety body with rigid passenger cell and crumple zones.

One year later, Mercedes-Benz strengthened its commitment to safety measures with the start of systematic crash testing and the use of dummies. Since then, a number of safety features have been introduced in all Mercedes-Benz passenger cars.

“Our declared aim at Mercedes-Benz is to retain and extend our role as trendsetters in the field of vehicle safety and, by doing so, to continue to improve road safety”, said Professor Rodolfo Schöneb-urg, head of Vehicle Safety at Mer-cedes-Benz Cars. “We are current-ly, for example, concentrating on reducing the strain on the upper torso in a side-on collision. We are also developing a substantial num-ber of other concepts, features and products that we believe will pio-neer new elements of safety for the automotive industry.”

S A F E T Y F I R S T

Air Arabia named ‘Best low-cost airline in ME’SHARJAH: Air Arabia has been named the Best low-cost airline in the Middle East at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards, which took place at the Paris Air Show recently. This is the second time in three years that Air Ara-bia has won the coveted award, following its previous victory in 2013, says a press release.

“We are delighted to be once again named the region’s top low-cost carrier,” said Adel A. Ali, group chief executive officer of Air Arabia. “Winning the Skytrax award is particularly pleasing as it is based on levels of customer satisfaction, which is the crite-ria Air Arabia values above all others. We thank survey partici-pants for their positive feedback and hope to make their next ex-perience of flying with Air Ara-bia even more enjoyable.”

The world’s largest airline passenger satisfaction survey is conducted every year to decide the winners of the Skytrax World Airline Awards.

The award for the best low-cost airline is based upon an assessment of customer satis-faction of the product and staff service standards provided by the airline in both the cabin and airport environments.

The Skytrack award contin-ues a string of accolades won by Air Arabia over the past year, in-cluding “Low Cost Carrier of the Year” from Aviation Business, “Middle East’s Leading Low-Cost Airline 2014” at the 21st World Travel Awards, the “Airline Busi-ness Award” at the Airline Strat-egy Awards 2014, and “Best Low-Cost Carrier” at the 2015 World Tourism Forum Awards.

S K Y T R A X W O R L D A I R L I N E A W A R D S

AHLIBANK DONATION TO DAR AL ATA’AAbdullah Al Jabri, general manager of Al Hilal Islamic Banking Services presents a cheque to Maryam Al Zedjali, chairperson, Dar Al Atta’a, as part of the bank’s annual Ramadan cam-paign. — Supplied photo

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SECTIONC S U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

NO RIFT BETWEEN DHONI AND KOHLI, SAYS SHAMIInsisting that all was well in the Indian cricket dressing room, pacer Mohammed Shami on Saturday said that reports of rift between Test captain Virat Kohli and ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni are simply wrong. >C2

Pakistan fight back in Colombo Test

COLOMBO: Pakistan’s batsmen bounced back after the first in-nings debacle to throw open the second Test against Sri Lanka at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo on Thursday. The tourists, who con-ceded a lead of 177 runs after being dismissed for 138 in the first in-nings, closed the third day’s play at 171 for two in their second knock.

When bad light halted play an hour early, Pakistan trailed by just six runs with eight wickets in hand, promising a keen tussle between bat and ball over the next two days.

Sri Lanka, looking for a se-ries-levelling win after losing the first Test in Galle, removed Mohammad Hafeez cheaply for eight before lunch, caught in the slips by Kumar Sangakkara off Angelo Mathews.

Opener Ahmed Shehzad hit 69 during a second-wicket stand of 120 with Azhar Ali, the pair batting through the post-lunch session to defy the Sri Lankan bowlers.

Shehzad was dismissed off the first ball after tea, top-edging a hook off Dhammika Prasad, but Younis Khan joined Azhar to put on 42 for the unbroken third wicket.

Azhar was unbeaten on 64 and Younis, determined to make his 100th match special after falling for six in the first innings, closed the day on a watchful 23.

Sri Lanka, who began at their overnight score of 304-9 after a de-layed start due to bad weather, were dismissed for 315 in their first in-nings in reply to Pakistan’s 138. — AFP

The tourists, who

conceded a lead of

177 runs after being

dismissed for 138

in the first innings,

closed the third day’s

play at 171 for two in

their second knock

GOOD PARTNERSHIP: Pakistan’s Ahmed Shehzad, right,

is congratulated by Azhar Ali after scoring a half century

during the third day of the second Test in Colombo. – AP/PTI

Pakistan 1st innings: 138 (Mohammad Hafeez 42, Tharindu Kaushal 5-42, Dham-mika Prasad 3-43)Sri Lanka 1st innings (overnight (304-9):D. Karunaratne c Sarfraz b Junaid 28K. Silva run out 80K. Sangakkara c Shafiq b Babar 34L. Thirimanne c Azhar b Yasir 7A. Mathews lbw b Yasir 77D. Chandimal b Yasir 1K. Vithanage b Yasir 3D. Prasad lbw b Hafeez 35R. Herath not out 18T. Kaushal c Misbah b Yasir 18D. Chameera c Younis b Yasir 2Extras: (b-6, lb-4, nb-1, w-1) 12Total (all out, 121.3 overs) 315Fall of wickets: 1-47 (Karunaratne), 2-98 (Sangakkara), 3-119 (Thirimanne), 4-191 (Silva), 5-194 (Chandimal), 6-202 (Vithan-age), 7-275 (Prasad), 8-275 (Mathews), 9-303 (Kaushal), 10-315 (Chameera).Bowling: Wahab 9-2-19-0 (nb1), Junaid

29-5-89-1 (w1), Babar 32-8-82-1, Yasir 41.3-5-96-6, Hafeez 10-2-19-1.Pakistan 2nd innings:Mohd Hafeez c Sangakkara b Mathews 8A. Shehzad c Chandimal b Prasad 69A. Ali not out 64Y. Khan not out 23Extras: (b-2, lb-1, w-2, nb-2) 7Total (for two wickets, 59 overs) 171Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Hafeez), 2-129 (Shehzad)Bowling: Prasad 13.3-0-46-1 (w1), Mathews 5-3-5-1, Herath 14-3-33-0, Chameera 8.3-1-28-0 (w1), Kaushal 18-2-56-0 (nb2).Note: Chameera went off the field after bowling three balls of his second over. Prasad completed the over.Position: Pakistan trail by six runs with eight wickets in hand.Toss: PakistanUmpires: Richard Illingworth (ENG) and Sundaram Ravi (IND)TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS)Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)

S C O R E B O A R D

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s bat-ting great Kumar Sangakkara on Saturday ended speculation about his future, saying he will retire during the home series against India in August.

“This is my time to call it a day,” Sangakkara, 37, told re-porters on the sidelines of the second Test against Pakistan at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo.

The left-hander said he will play two of the three Tests against India that will take place in Sri Lanka in August. The exact dates and venues have not yet been announced.

Sangakkara, the current world leading Test run-getter, said he will also skip the third and final Test of the ongoing series against Pakistan starting in Pallekele on July 3.

“I wanted to retire after the World Cup, but was requested by the selectors to stay on,” he said. “I agreed to play four more Tests. I will honour that agreement. I gave my word, so will stand by that.”

Sangakkara’s 12,305 runs and 38 centuries are the most by any batsman still playing Tests, way above second-placed Alastair Cook of Eng-land, who has 9,000 runs and 27 hundreds.

The 132-Test veteran may be below record-holder Sachin Tendulkar’s Test tally of 15,921 runs and 51 hundreds, but his 11 scores of 200-plus are just one short of Australian legend Don Bradman’s record of 12.

“I don’t want to prolong my career for records,” said Sangakkara. “I don’t want to extend my career for individual records. This is the time to go.”

In the first Test against Pakistan in Galle, Sangakkara hit a 50 in the first innings —his 52nd half-century — and 18 in the second when Sri Lanka were shot out for 206 to lose by 10 wickets. He fell for 34 in

the first innings of the ongoing second Test. Sangakkara had hammered 203 against New Zealand in Wellington in Janu-ary to continue a prolific streak that saw him make 221 against Pakistan and 319 against Bang-ladesh last year.

‘Culture of fearless cricket’Sangakkara retired from Twenty20 cricket after help-ing Sri Lanka win the World Twenty20 title in Bangladesh last year and quit one-day internationals after the recent World Cup Down Under where he smashed four consecutive centuries. “I am going to miss playing for Sri Lanka a lot,” he said. “I had the time of my life playing for Sri Lanka. I enjoyed playing every format but don-ning whites for Sri Lanka has been special.

“I can walk away happy that good days outweigh the disap-pointments.”

Asked when he first thought of retiring, Sangakkara said,

“My father asked me a couple of years ago ‘don’t you think it’s time to think of retirement?’ I was shocked. But it struck home that it was time to think of the future.”

Sangakkara added his two-year contract with English county Surrey did not hasten his decision to retire from Tests, as he dismissed the idea of becoming a coach after re-tirement with a laugh saying he would “make a bad coach”.

“I don’t know if I will have the patience for that,” he added. He predicted a bright future for the young Sri Lankan team under Angelo Mathews and urged fans to have patience with them.

“There is a lot of talent and ability in the dressing room,” Sangakkara said. “Angelo is a fantastic cricketer and captain. He is the ideal man to lead Sri Lanka. “I wish there will be real culture of fear-less cricket. Give this team a period of a year and they will come a long way.” - AFP

Sangakkara to retire during India series

I don’t want

to extend my

career for

individual

records. This is

the time to go

K. SangakkaraSri Lanka

NII

n a

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Mirpur, June 21. Taskin Ahmed runs in to de-liver the last ball of his

second over and bangs it short. A sharp bouncer, but Taskin over-steps in the process. A freehit. A bouncer again, short of a length, wide outside off stump, and Virat Kohli, having already faced nine balls and having watched Shikhar Dhawan deals with 16 deliveries in his company, just blocks it.

That was the fourth over of the second ODI against Bangladesh. A match India should win to avoid a series loss. What clarity of mind Kohli needed to make an effort to hit the ball as hard as he could, knowing well in advance that he was not going to be given out caught or bowled off a freehit?

Mirpur, June 18. Kohli strides in after the fall of Dhawan, pokes at the fourth ball he faces, short of a length, outside off stump, from Taskin, and wicket-keeper Mushfiqur Rahman happily gathers the edge.

That was the first ODI, which India lost by 79 runs chasing an imposing target of 308. At 95 for one in 16 overs for the loss of one wicket, it’s an ideal platform for Kohli to walk in, play himself in and take the team to the target or as close to it. Instead, he chose to express himself in the way a bloke of his experience and responsibility shouldn’t have.

Mirpur, June 24. Kohli goes for a big slog at Shakib Al Hasan in the 20th over, misses it com-pletely, and looks back to find the woodwork rattled as Bang-ladeshi fans in the stands and players on the field celebrate shutting up the big mouth for the third time in the series.

That was the third ODI. The one which India desperately wanted to win to keep some pride intact, where, in a pre-match in-teraction with Star Sports, Kohli chose to express himself against the decision maker/makers, explaining to the world of experts and lesser mortals the hows and whys of their poor showings on the field: It’s not my fault or our boys’, you stupid; it’s all thanks to doubtful decision making.

No prize for guessing who had made the doubtful decisions, viewed in the backdrop of what looked like a war of the coaches. A day earlier, Dhoni’s personal coach Chanchal Bhattacharya spoke about how the dressing

room atmosphere was worry-ing Dhoni, and Kohli’s per-sonal coach Rajkumar Sharma described the series loss as the “Black Sunday”.

Now, let’s turn the clock a lit-tle more back. Sydney, March 26. Mitchell Johnson hits the deck hard and the ball rises menac-ingly across, an arrogant Kohli tries to pull it out of the stadium, and the edge is merrily taken y wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.

That was the semifinal of the 2015 World Cup. It was a case of indiscriminate shot selec-tion when the team score was a reasonable 78 for one in at the end of 16 overs by the guy who walked out into the middle at No. 3 on the mother of all occa-sions. At stake was the place in the final and the chance to win the World Cup, back to back.

And how Dhoni expressed himself at that time with an absolute clarity of mind is some-thing Kohli should learn from: “Pehli baat yeh hai ki til ka taad nahin banate hain.” (Let’s not make a mountain out of a mole-hill.) Let’s accept the fact that he played a shot that didn’t pay off. It happens.” Call it diplomacy or cunningness at its best, it takes clarity of mind, professionalism and respect for the boys under your command to rise in defence of the guy who was being painted as the villain of the piece. Sadly, that’s something Kohli totally lacked during his pre-match blah-blah at Mirpur.

No one doubts Kohli’s potential. He may eventually achieve for himself and India more than what Dhoni did, but that doesn’t mean he has a licence to whip out a gun and fire at whoever he thinks isn’t allowing him to express himself. Dhoni is no saint but, at the mo-ment, it seems he is more sinned against than sinning. Can’t we give him the respect he richly deserves and the time be badly needs to decide when he really wants to walk into the sunset?.

The writer is a freelance contributor based in India. All the views and opin-ions expressed in the article are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of Times of Oman

C O M M E N T A R Y

Dhoni is no saint, but he’s more sinned against than sinning

No rift between Dhoni and Virat, says Shami

BANGALORE: Insisting that all was well in the Indian cricket dressing room, pacer Moham-med Shami on Saturday said that reports of rift between Test captain Virat Kohli and ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni are simply wrong.

“That the team is divided and the team is not performing - there is no truth in these things. I have shared the dressing room with all of them including Virat and Mahi Bhai. I never felt anything like that (there is a rift between them).If media is making an issue then it is wrong,” he told PTI here.

The injured pacer is in the city undergoing fitness training at the National Cricket Academy.

Shami has been out of action since the World Cup due to dis-comforting pain and injury in his left knee. Shami also requested media not to highlight “baseless” stories of disunity and rift be-tween Kohli and Dhoni, and in-stead write about the team’s and players’ performance.

“I request media not to high-light these baseless stories. This only divides the team, and affects team’s and players’ performance,” he said. Asked whether Dhoni should give up captaincy after a poor show by India against Bang-ladesh, Shami said it is not fair to draw conclusions on the basis of one bad series. “I like his captain-cy, I mean look at his record. Mahi Bhai has won us World Cups in all

formats of the game. One should not draw conclusions based on just two series where we haven’t performed. According to me, he should continue,” he said.

Asked when is he likely to begin bowling in the nets, Shami hoped that he would be able to do that next month onwards. “I cannot

write and give, but I hope to start bowling in the nets next month,” he said. Shami has been out of ac-tion since the World Cup after he complained of pain in his knees.

After he was ruled out of last IPL, Shami, who was the fourth high-est wicket-taker of the World Cup with 17 wickets in seven matches,

underwent knee surgery in New Delhi. Asked how is he feeling after five to six days of his rehabilitation at the NCA, Shami said his body is in a better shape now. “From past five to six days, I have been under-going fitness training. There is no problem and I am slowly increas-ing the weight,” he said. — PTI

Mohammed Shami

requested media

not to highlight

‘baseless’ stories

of disunity and rift

between Kohli and

Dhoni, and instead

write about the

team’s and players’

performance

I like his captaincy, I mean look at his record. Mahi has won us World Cups in all formats of the game

Mohammed ShamiIndian fast bowler

KOLKATA: Mahendra Singh Dhoni may have faced lot of flak for his team’s embarrass-ing ODI series defeat against Bangladesh but Pakistan T20 captain Shahid Afridi is “not happy” in the manner the Indian ODI skipper was being targeted. Afridi termed this as “sub-continental trend” where the cricketing heroes are pillo-ried after one odd series defeat.

“I really felt bad in the way MS (Dhoni) has been treated after Bangladesh series defeat. I completely think it’s a sub-continental trend where our heroes are not spared after one bad defeat. The media is also responsible for not paint-ing the true picture at times,” Afridi told PTI during an interaction. Afridi could em-pathise more with Dhoni as he has also faced criticism over

the years in his own country.“I am not saying that one

should not analyse the present performance of a leader or a player. Criticise him but when you do that please don’t forget to also inform the world about the past. When you look at Dhoni, just look at his record before jumping to any conclusions. He has been such a tremendous player for India.

His record speaks for itself,” said Afridi. The swashbuck-ling batsman also credited Dhoni for building a good Indian team for future. “Dhoni has built such a good team for the future. There is so much quality and talent in that bat-ting line-up,” he said.

Afridi, who now only plays T20 format for Pakistan, also sounded positive about Paki-stan’s bench strength.

“Pakistan cricket’s domestic structure has improved a lot in recent years. That is why we are now having a good supply line of youngsters in the national team. This team will only grow from strength to strength in coming days,” observed the 35-year-old.

Afridi quit playing ODIs after World Cup with a record 398 ODIs. — PTI

Dhoni’s achievements ‘should not be forgotten’

NOT HAPPY: Shahid Afridi,

left, is not happy the way MS

Dhoni, right, is being targeted.

Batting powerplays gone from ODIsMELBOURNE: Batting power-plays have been scrapped from one-day international cricket and field restrictions relaxed to pro-vide some relief to bowlers who were set upon mercilessly at the World Cup.

At its annual conference in Bar-bados, the International Cricket Council (ICC) ratified a number of proposed changes to the 50-over format, which come into ef-fect from July 5.

Among them, the requirement to post catching fielders within the 30-yard circle in the first 10 overs has been dropped and five fielders will be allowed outside of it in the last 10 overs, rather than the previous maximum of four.

“We have thoroughly reviewed the ODI format after a very suc-cessful ICC Cricket World Cup,” ICC Chief Executive David Rich-ardson said in a statement.

“There was no need to make any radical changes to what has proved to be a vibrant and popular format but we wanted to take this opportunity to make the format simpler and easier to follow for

the public as well as maintaining a balance between bat and ball.”

In another notable change, all no-balls by bowlers will hand a free hit to batters, as opposed to just foot-faults.

Though Australia paceman Mitchell Starc was named the best player of the World Cup, batsmen reigned supreme in most matches where innings scores regularly breached 350 runs and occasionally surpassed 400.

The ICC are looking at the size and build of bats which have sometimes compounded bowlers’ misery by sending mis-hits sailing

over boundary ropes for six.Richardson also said the ICC

might “tamper” with the seam on balls to see if bowlers could garner any additional aid.

“There is a view if we sanction or look at some change to the thick-ness or the depth of seam it might actually be what we are looking forward to give the seam bowlers a little bit more help, also aid swing and to enable the spinners to get more grip and to spin the ball more if we tamper with the seam,” Rich-ardson said in comments posted on espncricinfo.com.

SuspendedThe USA Cricket Association’s (USACA) membership of the In-ternational Cricket Council (ICC) has been suspended with imme-diate effect, the sport’s governing body said on Friday.

The decision to suspend US-ACA was made after findings set out in an ICC review group re-port expressed “significant con-cerns about the governance, fi-nance, reputation and cricketing activities of USACA.

“The ICC Board has made this difficult decision in the best in-terest of the game and all crick-eters in the USA,” ICC chairman Narayanaswami Srinivasan said in a statement.

“The country has tremendous potential but because of gov-ernance, financial and cricket-ing challenges, the opportunity to grow the game is not being properly nurtured.”

The suspension means USACA will not get ICC funding but the sport’s governing body said the U.S. will be able to play in next month’s ICC World Twenty20 qualifiers in Ireland and Scotland.

The ICC board put USACA on notice in January hoping it would urgently address and improve ar-eas identified as weaknesses but the ICC believes the response has been inadequate.

To have its suspension lifted and membership reinstated, the ICC said USACA must demon-strate that conditions relating to governance, finance and its crick-et activities have been addressed and remedied in full. - Reuters

C R I C K E T

In another notable change, all no-balls by bowlers will hand a free hit to batters, as opposed to just foot-faults. ICC are looking to size and build of bats too ...

C3


FOUR TEAMS ENTER SECOND ROUND OF OMANTEL RAMADAN CRICKETFour teams booked berths

after wins in the first round

of the Pakistan Social club

organised Omantel Rama-

dan Cricket Tournament

2015. United Enterprises

beat Marala by nine wickets

thanks to man of the match

Jameel’s (26) and Qamar’s

(25) efforts. In the other

matches, Nafeesa Jewel-

lery defeated Barka XI by 13

runs, Saud Travel trounced

Charwa XI by 43 runs. Man

of the match was Nafeesa

was Usman (43 runs), while

Faisal (46) was Saud Trav-

el’s hero. In another match

Asad XI hammered PWC

Panthers by nine wickets.

— Supplied photo

‘Sultanate of Oman’ maintains overall lead of GC32 Racing Tour

MUSCAT: Oman Sail’s ‘Sultanate of Oman’ GC32 team maintained their position as overall leaders of the 2015 Bullitt GC32 Racing Tour despite a last minute change to the crew and gear failure on the boat which forced it out of the final race in the Cowes Cup.

The injury to skipper Leigh Mc-Millan during Thursday’s last race turned out to be more serious than first thought and he was ruled out of the remaining races in Cowes with a broken hand.

Paul Campbell-James, who skippered Oman Sail’s The Wave, Muscat to victory in the 2010 Ex-treme Sailing Series, stepped in to

replace McMillan as Sultanate of Oman helmsman both on Friday and for the JP Morgan Round the Island Race on Saturday. Camp-bell-James is no stranger to foil-ing on a GC32 and over the past few weeks has been training in the Solent on an AC45 as a mem-ber of Sir Ben Ainslie’s America’s Cup team.

The crew had an ‘up and down’ day with a superb win in the sec-

ond race and a further podium place in the mix. A broken winch ruled them out of the last race, but they were happy to have secured second overall, runners up to Cow-es Cup winners Armin Strom.

“It was a really fun day,” said Campbell-James, who was ac-companied by regular crewmem-bers Pete Greenhalgh, Nasser Al Mashari, Ed Smyth and Alister Richardson.

“This was my first time racing GC32s in a decent breeze and ob-viously my first time racing the boat with these guys. We got a penalty in the first race, won the second and made a mistake in the third but we were always in there fighting and finished second so were pretty pleased with that. Smiles all round.”

“We are getting there and hope-fully we can get a jump on every-

one tomorrow when we go round the Isle of Wight.”

Sultanate of Oman’s perfor-mances over the first two days safeguarded their position as 2015 Bullitt GC32 Racing Tour leaders with a three point lead over Armin Strom and accord-ing to trimmer Pete Greenhalgh, their steady improvement was the most exciting aspect of their Cowes Cup participation.

“These boats are serious bits of kit and we are still beginners, find-ing our way around the boat in the different conditions,” he said.

“We had around 15 knots of breeze on Friday and saw 36 knots of speed but most of the day, we were doing more than 30 which was a lot of fun. As a crew, we feel there is a lot more to come.”

Between them, Oman Sail’s professional Sultanate of Oman crew have dozens of Round the Island Races under their belt and for Omani Nasser Al Mashari, the 2015 edition will be his second, having previously competed on an Extreme 40.

“We will be looking closely at the forecast tonight but could find anything from 10 to 20 knots to contend with but it will be fun go-ing round on foils and I am really looking forward to it,” he said.

Leigh McMillan who was born on the Isle of Wight and has com-peted in a succession of Round the Island Races since he was a child will be watching from the sidelines but is confident the Sultanate of Oman will finish fairly early.

“I am very disappointed not to be taking part but am concentrat-ing on my recovery and getting back into action as soon as possi-ble,” he said. “The boat is in good hands and I shall look forward to seeing them fly across the finish line well ahead of everyone else.”

The injury to Sultanate

of Oman skipper

Leigh McMillan

during Thursday’s

last race turned out to

be more serious than

first thought and he

was ruled out of the

remaining races in

Cowes with a broken

hand

OVERALL LEADER: Sultanate of Oman finished runners-up in Cowes Cup but maintained their lead in the 2015 Bullitt GC32 Racing Tour

despite last minute change to crew and gear failure. – Supplied photo

SCAN THIS TO VISIT

PHOTO GALLERYARTICLE, VIDEO,


Oman Golf reschedules practice timings for RamadanMUSCAT: With the Holy month of Ramadan underway, the OGC (Oman Golf Committee) has al-tered the timings of practice ses-sion for its senior, junior and la-dies squads.

The players are now training in the evening, instead of their cus-tomary morning and late-after-noon sessions. The OGC’s senior players are undergoing hour-long training sessions at Almouj Golf in The Wave, Muscat starting at 5pm, and the junior and ladies teams are going through the paces at Ghala Golf Club starting at 8pm on a routine basis.

PGA Pro Marcus Casey is coaching the senior players. The juniors and ladies are taking even-ing lessons from PGA Pro Milo Breitenwischer. Azaan Al Rumhy,

Oman’s national champion who is currently recuperating from a knee surgery, welcomed the OGC’s change in practice timings and wished everyone Ramadan Ka-reem. He said: “It’s the Holy month of Ramadan and we are all fasting. Unfortunately, I cannot practice for a few weeks now because I had a surgery last week. But the sen-ior guys are continuing with their training drills on a new schedule. The practice timings for Ramadan have been managed in such a way so as to accommodate the players’ prayer sessions and Iftar break. I wish everyone Ramadan Kareem.”

Breitenwischer, the junior and ladies’ team coach, said: “The coaching drills have remained the same for the youngsters and the ladies golfers. Only the timings

have been moved. The players now come over for practice after Iftar. It’s important to keep them engaged with the game at all times of the year. In that regard, the OGC has done a great job in managing their practice sessions.”

Asma Al Rashdi, a member of Oman’s ladies team, observed: “This change in timings is only for Ramadan. We proposed to our coach that since we all are fast-ing, we can reschedule our tim-ings to suit that. Hence, we are having evening coaching sessions this month.”

Fahad Al Kitani, a member of the junior team, said: “It’s an ideal move to change the practice tim-ings as firstly, we are fasting, and secondly, the challenging heat is back again.”

G O L F

TRAINING SESSION: Junior golfers practice at Ghala Golf Club. – Supplied photo

C4


It’s back to the future as moribund tactic is revived

LONDON: The yellowing obitu-aries are looking premature as serve-and-volley tennis creeps, with a few tweaks, towards a re-naissance of sorts.

A number of top men are leading the charge and, in a curious twist, the same blend of technology and lung-busting fitness blamed for all-but killing off this style of play is behind its resurgence.

As players hit harder shots, miss fewer balls and run for hour upon hour, competitors need a ploy to shorten points.

Introducing... the serve-and-volley. It is an old-school move which, used selectively, might just become the newest potent weapon in the armoury of modern players.

“At the moment you see the guys winning the slams from the base-line,” former tour pro and leading coach and tennis analyst Darren Cahill told Reuters.

“But then you see the great play-ers of today working on their net games because they know it saves them physically because they have to work so hard to win points.

“Over the course of a grand slam, seven matches, best of five, they are looking at ways to shorten points to save as much energy as they can.

“I think Novak, Rafa and Roger are coming in way more than they were four or five years ago,” Cahill said of Djokovic, Nadal and Feder-er. Time was that unless you knew the dark arts of serve-and-volley, you could forget about winning Wimbledon.

Even baseliner Bjorn Borg would roll his rounded shoulders into the ball and race to the net at the All England Club, punching his wooden racket through the white ball. Not as frequently as John McEnroe, of course, who elevated serve-volley to a higher art form — nor the likes of Pat Cash, Boris Becker and Pete Sampras who followed him.

But, all the same, Borg knew his way around the net — a fact mostly overlooked because his baseline

play was so preternatural.

Everything changedOver the years it became received wisdom that grass, plus serve, plus

volley, equals silverware. It was a simple equation which had served dozens and dozens of champions down the years.

Then everything changed.

Racquets got bigger, lighter, more powerful.

Players got fitter, balls got light-er and grass courts — in a bid to recreate the longer rallies killed off

by the super-powerful equipment — got slower.

Different grass of different lengths was experimented with. The balance of baseline tennis and serve-and-volley tennis tipped.

In 2002 Lleyton Hewitt squared up to David Nalbandian in the first Wimbledon men’s final contested by two baseliners.

Hewitt won a forgettable affair during which neither player at-tempted to serve-volley. Not one point. Now that Wimbledon could be won with a big forehand and even bigger lungs, the motivation to learn and hone the art of net play, and serve-volley in particular, receded further.

The new racquets and strings al-lowed players to strike a ball down by their ankles with a full-blooded swing and send it flying low and dipping over the net — a volleyer’s worst nightmare.

A few cavalier souls perse-vered but, generally, the baseline pattern was set. Federer eased into all-court excellence, while Nadal and Djokovic mopped up grand slam crowns with baseline crunching shots.

Some sceptics said it was a cy-cle. Serve-volleying titans, includ-ing McEnroe and Tony Roche, im-agined a time when a super-athlete emerged and breathed new life into the old tactic.

That has not happened yet. But slowly, the skill of hustling into the net immediately behind a serve is growing in popularity — often on second serve where more spin and kick allows more time for the vol-leyer to get in place.

Decades in wildernessThe tactic is becoming common on clay courts as a way to finish a point quickly, and it possesses the element of surprise after decades in the wilderness.

Andy Murray’s coach Jonas Bjorkman, in his day a serve-vol-leyer, says he wants the Briton to use the tactic more. Three-times Wimbledon champion Boris Beck-er, perhaps the most aggressive serve-volleyer of them all, wants his charge, world number one Djokovic, to give it a whirl.

Federer, now coached by anoth-er exponent of the art Stefan Ed-berg, best illustrates the trend. In 2002 he serve-volleyed more than 80 percent of the time at Wim-bledon. By 2003 that figure had dropped to 3.5 percent according to the tournament’s official statis-ticians IBM.

A gradual increase then kicks in, with the Swiss upping his serve-volleying year-on-year to more than 20 percent in 2014.

Djokovic used the tactic to good effect in Paris at the French Open last month where he lost in the fi-nal. Although nobody predicts a return to the tennis of 30 years ago, this year’s Wimbledon statistics will make for interesting reading.

“I think anyone who does serve and volley well is going to have some success... it’s different to what players are used to,” Cahill said. - Reuters

A number of top

men are leading

the charge and,

in a curious twist,

the same blend of

technology and

lung-busting fitness

blamed for all-but

killing off this style

of play is behind its

resurgenceTHE TROPHIES: The Men’s Singles trophy, right, and Women’s’ Singles trophy are seen on Centre Court

at Wimbledon in London. The Wimbledon tennis championships begins on Monday. – Reuters

LONDON: Roger Federer says he is in the pefect condi-tion to win Wimbledon for a record eighth time as the Swiss great bids to avenge last year’s “heart-breaking” final defeat.

Federer’s last appearance at the All England Club 12 months ago ended in the de-spair of a five-set loss against Novak Djokovic that left him shedding tears during the post-match presentations.

The distraught seven-time champion was so overcome by emotion that Prince William and his wife Kate, who were the All England Club’s guests of honour, stopped to console Federer when he passed them on his way back to the Centre Court locker room.

But Federer is adamant he has moved on from that painful day and he returns to his favourite Grand Slam determined to finally surpass Pete Sampras and William Renshaw as Wimbledon’s most successful male singles champion. “If I look at last year, I see more the positives than actually the heart-breaking loss in the final,” Federer told reporters at the All England Club on Saturday.

“I didn’t expect myself to right away make the final. To be honest, I was still somewhat on the way back (from injury). But things went faster than I thought they would.

“It goes to show that last year, I wasn’t playing great and I made the finals.

“Whereas now I feel my game is better. I can really aim for Wimbledon this year. I feel like I see a big picture more now.”

Federer, who starts his 17th All England Club campaign with a first-round tie against Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur, arrives in south-west London back up to second in the world rankings and in confident mood after winning the Wim-bledon warm-up event at Halle for the eighth time last week.

Third favouriteEven so, he has only won one Grand Slam in his last 18 attempts — at Wimbledon in 2012 — and the bookmakers have him as third favourite for the title behind world number one Djokovic and 2013 cham-pion Andy Murray.

The 17-time Grand Slam winner suffered an embar-rassing Australian Open third-round defeat against

Andreas Seppi in January and was routed in straight sets by compatriot Stan Wawrinka at the French Open recently.

Despite those setbacks, Federer will always fancy his chances on the lush lawns of Wimbledon and he believes the extra week of preparation time -- due to the start of the tournament moving back by a week for the first time this year -- could prove invaluable.

“It’s probably been the best preparation I’ve ever had for Wimbledon, for obvious rea-sons, because we have a week more on the grass,” Federer added.

“It’s changed everything, to be honest. You might think that a week is not a lot, but a week is so much for us players.

“The good thing is you can heal problems you might have carried over from the French rather than taking chances right away on grass.” — AFP

Federer revved up for Wimbledon record bid

AT PRACTICE: Switzerland’s Roger Federer during a practice

session ahead of the 2015 Wimbledon Championships. – AFP

Serena unfazed by calender Slam pressure

LONDON: Serena Williams is adamant she can cope with the pressure of going for a calender Grand Slam as she eyes the third leg of the historic achievement at Wimbledon.

Williams has swept to Aus-tralian and French Open tri-umphs over the last six months and the world number one re-turns to the All England Club within two major titles of be-coming the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1988 to claim the four top titles in one year.

The 33-year-old American also won the US Open to end 2014 on a high and is heavy fa-vourite to continue that domi-nant run by taking the Wimble-don title for the sixth time in her illustrious career.

Her march to a momentous milestone has captured the pub-lic’s attention and Serena knows the eyes of the sporting world will be on her over the next fortnight.

But she insists she will have no problems with the extra at-tention and expectation be-cause her mental toughness is a bigger strength than even her booming serve and over-power-ing ground-strokes.

“Personally it doesn’t make it feel any different, which I think is a good thing because I don’t feel any pressure to win all four,” Williams told reporters at Wim-bledon on Saturday. “I really don’t feel that pressure. Maybe if I would happen to win here, then maybe I might start feeling it after that.”

With 20 Grand Slam titles to her name, Williams also sits third on the all-time list and is closing fast on Margaret Court’s record of 24, with the possibil-ity of equalling second-placed Graf’s tally of 22 by the end of the year.

Yet, while Williams comes to the All England Club as the woman to beat, she knows her early exits from the tournament over the last two years prove nothing can be taken for grant-ed, especially given her discom-fort on the fast grasscourts. — AFP

W I M B L E D O N

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2015 Ashes triumph would be pinnacle for Captain Cook

LONDON: England captain Alastair Cook believes winning this summer’s Ashes series would be his “best achievement”.

Cook has endured some torrid days since leading England to a 3-0 series win at home to Australia in his first Ashes as captain in 2013.

In the return contest that fol-lowed soon afterwards in Austral-ia, England were whitewashed 5-0.

Andy Flower stepped down as England coach following the team’s return and star batsman Kevin Pietersen was sent into an ongoing international exile.

England then lost a two-Test series at home to Sri Lanka, with opening batsman Cook contem-plating resigning as captain after the tourists clinched victory at Headingley.

As if all that were not enough, Cook was stripped of England’s one-day captaincy in December, just months before this year’s World Cup where the team suf-fered an embarrassing first-round exit in his absence.

Meanwhile the normally reli-able Cook, 30, endured a prolonged slump with the bat before scoring his first Test hundred in nearly two years against the West Indies in May.

“It was an incredibly tough time,” Cook said at a sponsor’s event at Lord’s on Friday.

“Losing that Test series against Sri Lanka and that fourth day at Headingley is as tough as it can get, so from where we have been if we did win the Ashes at The Oval (the venue for the fifth and final Test starting August 20) that would be remarkable, and something I would be very proud of -- it would be my best achievement.

“We have a good chance of win-ning. It is going to be a highly com-petitive series and we will go in as underdogs because they are the best side in the world.

“But in our home conditions and with what has happened over the last five or six weeks, and the sup-port we are getting, we have a re-ally good chance,” Cook said, with England having recently drawn a two-Test series with New Zealand before defeating the Black Caps 3-2 in the ensuing one-dayers and a one-off Twenty20.

England’s 14-man Ashes squad leave for Spain on Saturday for a

four-day clinic-cum-bonding ses-sion designed so their new Aus-tralian coach Trevor Bayliss can get to know the players ahead of the first Test in Cardiff starting on July 8. “We can’t pretend it’s ideal meeting the coach for the first time a week before the Ashes,” Cook said.

“It’s the first time I’ve had a coach I do not know at all. Obvi-ously, with Peter Moores, Andrew Flower and Ashley Giles, I knew them, so I think it’s really exciting to have a guy totally from the out-side and with a totally different set of eyes looking at us.”

England’s squad contains sev-eral previous Ashes-winners but Cook said they were as “hungry as ever” in their quest to deny Aus-tralia a first Test series win in Brit-ain since 2001.

“I saw Jimmy Anderson last night (Thursday), and as soon as we started talking about cricket he told me what he wanted to do to certain players,” Cook said.

“This is a guy who has taken 400 wickets so that excited me.” - AFP

Alastair Cook has

endured some torrid

days since leading

England to a 3-0

series win at home to

Australia in his first

Ashes as captain in

2013

In home conditions and with what has happened over the last five or six weeks, and the support we are getting, we have a really good chanceAlastair CookEngland captain

LONDON: Australia bats-man Steven Smith revealed English county side Surrey once tried to push him into the country’s national set-up by virtue of his mother’s British heritage. Though born in Sydney, Smith played club cricket in Kent, his mother’s home county, and also for the county side’s second XI before being offered his first professional contract as a teenager with Surrey.

Throwing his lot in with England would have been a formality due to his blood-line, but the 26-year-old said he had no regrets about opting for Australia where he

is now the world’s top-ranked batsman in Tests. “I played a little bit of club cricket at Sev-enoaks Vine (in Kent). It was really enjoyable and I think it helped my game in the long run as well,” Smith told reporters. “I ended up playing a little bit of cricket at Surrey and I think they may have been trying to get me along (to the England camp) but I think I made a wise decision to play back home.”

Smith made the comments after scoring 111 against Kent in tour warm-up on Friday, an ominous warning for England’s bowlers ahead of the first Ashes Test in Cardiff on July 8. - Reuters

English grab at rising Aussie talent Steve Smith rebuffed

40 years on, Cowdrey’s masterclass still vividCANTERBURY: Kent are set to concede a huge first-innings lead in their tour match against Australia, but 40 years ago this week on the same Canterbury ground, Colin Cowdrey produced a remarkable innings as they re-covered to beat the feared 1975 Australians.

For generations of cricket lov-ers, Cowdrey was the epitome of classical elegance at the crease.

But in 1975, at the age of 42, the batting great was coming to the end of his career, having been summoned as a late replacement for a record-equalling sixth tour of Australia in 1974/75 as England were overwhelmed by the feroc-ity and guile of fast-bowling pair Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson.

A few months later, Cowdrey found himself up against the Aus-tralians again but this time at his beloved St Lawrence ground in Canterbury. Desperate for one more big innings against the old foe, his unbeaten 151 out of a second innings score of 354 saw Kent, more than 200 runs behind on first innings, win by four wick-ets as they beat Australia for the first time since 1899.

For Graham Johnson, who opened for Kent in that match, the memory of the game and Cowdrey’s innings in particular remains bright four decades on.

“The end result was amazing because the last day, you couldn’t have written a script better than that, especially with Colin play-ing an innings like that,” Johnson told AFP in an interview.

“He’d come back from that win-ter when he had got all that stick for being flown out to Australia and getting bombarded,” added the 68-year-old Johnson, now Kent’s chairman of cricket, who spent several seasons in the same county side as Cowdrey.

“Leading us to that win was fantastic,” said Johnson.

“The position we got ourselves into in the match was quite funny. We got rolled over and Australia didn’t enforce the follow-on.

“They wanted a bit of batting practice and I do remember one thing that set us up a little bit. Ian Chappell, their captain, decided ‘we’ll get some batting practice’ and had ordered the team bus to be their early because they want-ed to get on to the next game.”

But Johnson added the Kent side had an inkling Cowdrey, out for 22 in the first innings when going well, might do something special.

“Just seeing the level he was playing at...You sort of sensed in the dressing room that he saw it as a bit special.”

But with Lillee leading an attack

that, although missing the rested Thomson, still featured lively left-arm swing bowler Gary Gilmour and off-spinner Ashley Mallett, runs were not easy to come by. Johnson, however, said Cowdrey, who died aged 67 in 2000, could bat at a level most players could only aspire to when in top form.

“Master at work is a simple way of describing it,” said Johnson.

“I opened in that match and I got out to Gilmour twice. Lillee and Gilmour opened the bowling, Thommo didn’t play that game. But with a new ‘nut’ (ball) in those days, without helmets and things, which people forget, it was test-ing. In our second innings, they got a couple of breakthroughs, myself, Brian Luckhurst.

“We rebuilt a bit, Colin was there, and Bob Woolmer (71 not out) got injured before coming back and seeing it through at the end.

“Out of 354, if one guy is there and gets 151, it says it pretty much. When you are playing against the likes of Lillee and people at that level, some people are surviving and others are getting on top of it.

“Colin was in a great form, it was a special innings, and, as I say, it felt like watching the mas-ter at work, which is what he was when he was on form. Some of the Aussies might even have admired some of it,” Johnson said. - AFP

A S H E S B U I L D - U P

Victory lap caps special day for Gay

EUGENE: Tyson Gay almost did not take a victory lap after perhaps his most important win ever at 100 metres on Friday.

Good thing he changed his mind. Adoring fans at the U.S. world championships trials showered the American record holder with a teddy bear, a book and some high fives, Gay said, as he won his first national title since 2008.

“(It) turned out to be one of the most exciting things I’ve done,” the 32-year-old said of his victo-ry lap. “A lot of people said ‘wel-come back’, ‘I’m so glad to have you back.’ It meant a lot to me.”

The victory, in 9.87 seconds, put Gay back in the world cham-pionships for the first time since 2009. Injuries and a 2013 positive doping test had kept him away.

“This win right here may be the most important win (ever),” said the 2007 double sprint world champion. “I feel like it was the toughest.”

“Back in 2000 and some of the other times (when) I ran the tri-als my competitors weren’t run-ning as fast. The competition wasn’t as stiff during the rounds.

“People are just getting faster and I have to adapt to. My 10 years, 11 years of experience has really helped me run the rounds.”

He has also had to adjust to a new coach and a new environ-ment. After years in the South, he moved to Los Angeles after his one-year doping suspension.

John Smith, who coached the now-retired Maurice Greene to a world record, now directs his workouts. “Two totally differ-ent systems that I’m trying to adapt to,” said Gay. “John Smith prefers I work on my movement and my technique in practice rather than my time. I’m used to running in a lot hotter weather.”

He got the heat back on a steamy day, and needed all his experience to beat teenager Bro-mell, who clocked 9.96 seconds after leading Gay early. - Reuters

A T H L E T I C S

C6


Bencic hails Hingis after breakthrough Eastbourne titleEASTBOURNE: Belinda Bencic defeated Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 at Eastbourne on Sat-urday to win the first title of her career and hailed the influence of superstar compatriot Martina Hingis. The trophy breakthrough for the 18-year-old Swiss denied the ninth-seeded Pole, and 2012 Wimbledon finalist, a second title at Devonshire Park on the English south coast.

Bencic, coached part-time by Hingis and by Hingis’s mother Melanie Molitor, was playing in the third final of her career.

She was beaten this month in the grass-court final at ‘s-Her-togenbosch in the Netherlands by Italian Camila Giorgi.

The youngster credited the Hin-gis team with “teaching me every-thing I know”.

“Martina gives me a lot of good advice, not just this week but all the time. Also I practice with her mom, so she’s my coach when I’m back at home. Of course they have been big influence on my game.”

Bencic got away to a treble break in the third set for 5-0 as she fin-ished the job against the 2008 Eastbourne champion with a fore-hand winner to the corner.

“This is the biggest day of my career,” said the world number 31 who will rise 10 places after her maiden trophy. This is a dream come true. I’m so happy to win my first title. I woke up very nervous

this morning and even in practise I was nervous. But once on the court I tried to fight for every point, I tried my best.”

Bencic, who finished with 41 winners and 22 unforced errors, won the opening set in just under an hour. Radwanska denied the teenager a straight sets victory by taking the second to level after Ben-cic came back from an early break but lost the set with a backhand long. In the third, the Swiss quickly recovered her poise to run away to the win in just over two hours.

“I was very focused and really I played very free. I was disappoint-ed I didn’t close out the second set. I was also starting to get tired,” said Bencic. “It was a lot of running

and, yeah, long rallies. After the 3-0 (third set) I relaxed a little bit and could close it out very good.”

Radwanska, close to tears in the trophy ceremony, committed nearly 50 unforced errors.

“I’m happy to have played the fi-nal, I tried my best but Belinda was better today. After I won the sec-ond set I knew things could change quickly,” said the Pole. “But it was a very tight match and I was just not there in the third set.”

Bencic, still on a high after her first title, must now turn her thoughts to Wimbledon.

“I play Monday first round, Ts-vetana Pironkova (a Wimbledon semi-finalist in 2010) is not an easy draw.” — AFP

T E N N I S

VICTOR & VANQUISHED: Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic celebrates

with the trophy after winning the final as Poland’s Agnieszka

Radwanska looks on with the runners-up trophy. – Reuters

Argentina seek lift-off after Tevez holds nerve

SANTIAGO: Carlos Tevez’s mo-ment, shaking the elephant off his back to score the decisive penalty in Argentina’s shootout win over Colombia, could signal a lift-off for Gerardo Martino’s team at the Copa America.

Argentina dominated posses-sion and did most of the running but could not score in open play in a 0-0 quarterfinal draw with Co-lombia, thanks largely to a string of saves by David Ospina.

Tevez then stepped forward to beat Ospina from the spot in the 5-4 shootout win and redeem himself for the miss that put Ar-gentina out of the 2011 tourna-ment at the same stage.

“I can’t imagine what it would be like talking to you now if we’d have lost. It would have been very unfair,” Martino told reporters.

“I hope we can play in the same way (in the later matches) but score more goals,” he said.

Like Alejandro Sabella’s side at last year’s World Cup, Argen-tina are making hard work of their progress due to a dearth of finish-ing despite boasting Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero in their attack.

The first objective in 2014 was to breach the last-eight barrier at a World Cup for the first time since 1990 and then make it into the semis which is what they have also done in Chile.

Martino must be hoping for a liberating effect after making the semi-finals where they will play either Paraguay, whom they drew 2-2 with in their opening group match, or Brazil, their arch-rivals who beat them in the 2004 and 2007 finals.

“We controlled the entire 90 minutes. They had one header that was their most dangerous chance and their goalkeeper Ospi-

na was probably their key player. It was unfair that we had to go to penalties but that’s how it was,” Martino said.

Colombia also came to the tour-nament among the favourites but go home having scored one goal in four matches — and that from a central defender.

Combative Argentine midfield-er Javier Mascherano, who won his 115th cap, had no doubts they had faced a quality side, suggest-ing Colombia were a yardstick for how good Argentina are.

“The quality of the rivals is there (for all to see) this same Colombia team 12 months ago

played a World Cup quarter-fi-nal,” he said.

“And yet we controlled our game and influenced the rivals’ game Today we feel fortified by our game.”

But Argentina must sharpen their aim and back up their crea-tive play with goals. - Reuters

Like Alejandro

Sabella’s side at

last year’s World

Cup, Argentina are

making hard work of

their progress due to

a dearth of finishing

despite boasting

Lionel Messi and

Sergio Aguero in

their attack

THE WINNER: Argentina’s Carlos Tevez, left, scores the winning goal past Colombia goalkeeper Da-

vid Ospina during a penalty shoot out at the end of a Copa America quarterfinal against Colombia at

the Sausalito Stadium in Vina del Mar, Chile. – AP/PTI

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina forward Carlos Tevez is to leave Juventus after two sea-sons in which he has revived his career and will rejoin Boca Juniors, the club where he started out and remains a cult figure.

The 31-year-old will cut short his three-year contract with Juventus despite an out-standing last season in which he helped them win Serie A and the Coppa Italia and reach the Champions League final, scoring 29 goals in all competitions. Boca Juniors announced the move on their website while Tevez was play-ing for Argentina in their Copa America quarter-final against Colombia on Friday night.

Tevez converted the win-ning penalty as Argentina won 5-4 in a shootout following a 0-0 draw. Although South American players commonly return home to play out their

careers, Tevez’s move is unusual in that he is returning at the peak of his form rather than waiting until his mid-30s.

Boca Juniors president Daniel Angelici said Juventus and Boca had agreed terms and would finalise the transfer “in the next few hours.”

“It’s a happy and very satisfying day,” Angelici said in a statement. “The return of Carlos Tevez, at an extraor-dinary moment in his career, is fantastic news for all the members and fans of Boca, and also for Argentine football.”

“Carlos’s presence will give the squad added quality. Be-tween us, the directors, coach-ing staff, players and fans, we will build the sporting success that Boca deserves.”

Tevez spent three years at Boca from 2001 and 2004, and went on to play for Corinthi-ans, West Ham United, Man-chester United, Manchester

City and Juventus, where he has spent the last two seasons.

Tevez arrived at Juventus with a reputation as a trou-blemaker who had fallen out of favour both at his former club Manchester City and with Argentina. But two years in Turin turned Tevez back into what he was earlier in his career, a forward whose speed, quick thinking and instinct for goal made him a nightmare for opposing defenders.

When Tevez joined Juven-tus, he was worn out after four eventful seasons at City where he infamously refused to warm up during a Champions League match at Bayern Munich.

He was also shunned by then Argentina coach Alejan-dro Sabella, who never once selected him during three years in charge amid specula-tion that he was considered too much of a disruptive influ-ence. - Reuters

Tevez to join Boca Juniors from Juventus

WWW.TIMESOFOMAN.COM

HealthSECTIONC L I F E S T Y L E S U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

eat, pray, balance

With 15 hour days and the scorching heat of summer, those fasting this Ramadan

need to take special precautions to ensure they remain healthy throughout the holy month.

By Mohammed Shafeeq

he daily fasting period – up to 15 hours – is the longest in 32 years in the Mid-dle East. This makes Ramadan a real test of strength and determination this year, but with a healthy, balanced approach including diet, sleep, and ex-

ercise – our bodies needn’t suffer. During this time of celebrations with family and friends, we all have an opportunity to turn our diets and bad eating habits around, and maybe even lose a few kilograms in the process. The key is to approach Ramadan in a healthy, balanced way.

T

Manage DiabetesDiabetes management becomes more difficult when Ramadan falls during the northern-hemisphere summer, as it does now, because the period of fasting is longer, and thus the two meals of the day are eaten closer together. Add to that the heat, and diabetics are faced with an increased risk of dehydra-tion, according to experts.

Islamic law does not require fasting when it would create a physical danger, but many diabet-ics choose to try to maintain their fasts. But such patients should first get the detailed guidelines from their physician or endocri-nologist on managing their dia-betes while fasting.

“A person having good control of diabetes and blood pressure can fast by taking medicine at proper time and monitoring frequently,” adds Jishy. And remember it’s the best time of the year to stop smoking.

LIFESTYLEC8 S U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

WHAT TO CHOOSE AND WHAT TO AVOID THIS RAMADANTo help you choose the right foods during the holy month, here is a simple guide, loaded with many healthy food choices to keep you energetic and well-fed.

According to Jishy Seby, diet consultant at KIMS Oman Hos-pital, to maintain long hours of fasting it is essential to drink lots of fluids during night and avoid caffeinated beverages that can lead to dehydration. So fluid replenishment should be your first priority. Your number one choice for hydration should be water since it is free of calories and quenches the body. It is vi-tal to consume at least two litres during the non-fasting hours to maintain balanced hydration.

“Water plays a significant role in weight loss and maintenance because it helps to get rid of tox-ins and reduces the feeling of hunger. Try not to drink large quantities of water all at once, or a lot during a meal. Instead, drink water between your meals and drink small quantities of water throughout the Ramadan nights. In addition to water, try fresh fruits or vegetable juices rather than sweetened ones,” Jisha Ciril, a practising physician says.

Take it Easy at Iftar “The body’s immediate need at the time of Iftar is to get an eas-ily available energy source in the form of glucose, particularly for brain and nerve function. An If-tar meal should include plenty of water, sugar-free fresh juices, and water-rich fruits. So it is advisable to break the fast in traditional way with dates and fruit juice or water. Dates provide energy in the form of sugar and are also high in vita-mins A and B6, folic acid, potassi-um, natural sodium, iron and mag-nesium, as well as large amounts of dietary fibre, which can prevent constipation. Juice and water help

to maintain water and mineral bal-ance in the body. Iftar can then be followed by soups and cereals,” says Jishy Seby.

“Iftar should always start with a source of simple sugar to com-pensate for energy lost during the long fasting hours and nothing beats dates for that,” agrees Dr Prasant, a consulting physician in Ibri. “Along with dates, a cup of laban could be consumed as a good source of minerals and protein for the body. A cup of warm, non-creamy soup helps the stomach to receive food with better digestion and less discomfort.”

He recommends leaving ten minutes between breaking the fast and starting the main meal for the stomach to start warming up and working.

With a wide spread to choose from, eating healthy at an elabo-rate Iftar can sometimes feel like a remote dream. But with a bit of self-discipline and smart choices, it’s possible to eat well and keep the scale happy.

Prepare foods made from fresh ingredients, rather than processed snacks, and choose healthy dishes when dining out that are made with minimal fat and salt.

The main meal should include lean proteins, such as grilled fish or chicken; low-glycemic carbohy-drates, such as brown rice or boiled sweet potatoes; and vegetables, ei-ther raw or cooked with a little oil.

“Oily, spicy and deep fried foods should be avoided to prevent acid-ity and bloating, which are the most common complaints during fasting. And including fibre rich foods, like fruits and vegetables, will help to prevent constipation,” adds Jishy.

Feast After Fast?Doctors say that there is usually a rise in the number of hospital patients with stomach problems after the start of Ramadan. Emergency depart-ments use to have an influx of people with stomach problems, linked to over-eating during the Iftar meal and kidney problems because of dehydra-tion during fasting hours.

Dr Prasant says, “Ramadan has fallen in weather that was signifi-cantly warmer than in previous years, and right now the fasting days are much longer.

That means extra preparation and knowledge of what to eat dur-ing non-fasting hours is essential to good health and endurance during the entire month.”

“Feasting is not advised during breaking of fast. Always break the fast with fluids and fruits and veg-etables. Try to avoid oily food for opening the fast,” said Jishy.

“A basic tip is to follow balanced diet during Ramadan and to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. It is also important not to miss morning meal (Suhoor).”

Meat and Other Proteins

Choose Fish Grilled or boiled skinless chicken or turkey

Lean veal or lamb Moderate amounts of prawns Legumes such as beans, lentils, and peas

Eggs (egg yolk) 3 times per week (including eggs in cooked foods)

Avoid Fried chicken and duck Fatty meats Liver and organ meats Hotdog and sausages Large amounts of prawn, shrimp, and shellfish

Milk and Dairy

Choose Skimmed or low-fat milk Skimmed or low-fat yoghurt and labneh

Low-fat cheese

Avoid Whole milk Ice cream and whipped cream Full cream yoghurt and labneh Full cream cheeses, especially highly processed yellow cheeses

Fruits and Vegetables

Choose Vegetables that are fresh, boiled, baked, steamed, or cooked with a little oil

Vegetables simply seasoned or dressed with lemon juice or a little oil

Fresh fruits and natural fruit juice (in moderation)

Avoid Fried vegetables Boiled vegetables with butter Juices with added sugar

Bread and Grains

Choose Arabic or brown bread Plain spaghetti or rice (without ghee or high fat sauce) Grains with no added fat Baked or boiled potatoes

Avoid Pastries that contain large amounts of fat (doughnuts, croissants, Danish pastries)

Fried potato chips/ French fries Sweetened Kaak and desserts Fried rice

Feasting is not advised during breaking of fast.Always break the fast with fluids, fruits, and vegetables.

THE INCIDENCE of heart disease among younger populations has been increasing the world over, as well as in Oman, and the key cause worldwide has been faulty lifestyles. According to Dr Mohammad Tarek Al Dairi, Cardiologist, Al Hayat In-ternational Hospital, coronary artery disease is the number one killer the world over. In a brief chat, Dr Dairi answers some key queries:

What are the main causes of heart disease in Oman?You can suffer from heart disease if you have either a stressful or a lazy lifestyle. The main causes include

high blood pressure, high blood glu-cose levels, obesity, faulty food habits and a sedentary lifestyle with little activity. In Oman, in particular, peo-ple indulge in less activity and are always seen using their cars instead of walking, even short distances. Sec-ondly, they consume a lot of fast food, which is not good for health.

Has the incidence of heart disease in Oman increased over the past few years?There has been an increase in heart patients seen by us every year, but a large number of these actually come in for precautionary check-

ups. The people in cities are more educated about the consequences of heart disease but those from the interiors tend to come in at ad-vanced stages when little can be done to treat them.

Does juvenile obesity contribute towards heart disease later in life?Juvenile obesity does contribute towards heart disease at a later stage. Many youngsters have bad habits like consuming fast food in large quantities regularly, which leads to obesity. They tend to de-velop high blood sugar as well as

other complications which later lead to heart disease. Also, such children do not indulge in sports and it is the parents’ duty to see that they have adequate physical activity every day.

What precautions should youngsters take to stay away from heart disease?Avoid addictions like smoking, al-cohol consumption. Take up daily exercise like walking, take up a competitive sport, like football, at least once a week, consume a healthy diet, sleep early at night and visit the doctor.

How often and when must one take up regular checkups?It is good to take up regular check-

ups after the age of 30, especially if you have a family history of hyper-tension, diabetes. Usually the prob-ability of developing heart disease is somewhat the same for men and women till the age of 40. Af-ter the age of 40 the risk for men increases over that of women but after the age of 45-50 (following menopause), women again have the same risk as men.

If one has a family history of heart disease, will the risk be higher?Everything depends on the type of heart disease in the family. Some disorders are genetically linked, some are not. But, if one takes all the necessary precautions, one can substantially reduce the chances of developing heart disease.

LIFESTYLEC9S U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

High BP linkedto reduced Alzheimer’s riskPeople with a genetic tendency to high blood pressure (BP) have a lower risk for Alzheimer’s dis-ease, a new study has found. But the connection may have more to do with anti-hypertension medi-cation than high blood pressure itself. “It’s likely that this protec-tive effect is coming from anti-hypertensive drugs,” said co-author John Kauwe, associate professor of biology at Brigham Young University, US.

The study analysed genetic data from 17,008 individuals with Alzheimer’s and 37,154 people without the disease. The team looked for links between Alzhei-mer’s disease and a number of health conditions — including dia-betes, obesity and high cholesterol.

But the team only found a sig-nificant association between higher systolic blood pressure and reduced Alzheimer’s risk. The study appeared in the journal Plos Medicine.

Frequent snacking may give a pot bellyRepeated snacking even in the absence of hunger may put you at risk of unhealthy weight gain, says a new study. “Eating too frequently, especially when we are not hungry, is a major potential cause of weight gain,” said study author Stephanie Fay who conducted the study at Queensland University of Technology in Australia. “Excessive portion size and energy-dense foods are often blamed for weight gain but the frequency of eating is a significant contributor too,” said Fay, now based in London with the World Cancer Research Fund. The study was published in the international journal Eating Behaviours.

New drug combination slows deadly leukemiaA new combination therapy for a rare, deadly leukemia can send the disease into remission even in patients whose standard therapy has failed, researchers have found in a pilot study.The new approach to battling T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia combines immunotherapy — boosting the body's immune system — with epigenetics, the manipulation of gene activity.The study was published online in the journal Science Translational Medicine. -IANS

BR I E FS

Care for your heart

Ginger for coldsGinger is a tonic root, grown by the Indians and Chinese for over 5000 years for its curative properties, especially for treating colds and flu as it boosts the immune system with its antiviral properties. Consume a small slice of ginger soaked in a spoonful of honey or immerse grated ginger in a cup of boiling water and inhale the steam to relieve nasal congestion.

MeditationMeditation is a way of quietening and training the mind. There are many techniques of meditation but the easiest one to begin with is the concen-trative meditation technique. Sit in a comfortable position and focus on a single object, repeating a single word or listening to a repetitive song for a full minute. This is a sure way of improving concentration. You can begin with one minute, go up to a few minutes, and slowly increase your meditation span.

Honey for good sleepRaw honey contains bee pollen as well as a high content of antimicrobial agents and antioxidants, which make it much better for you than com-mercial honey that is heated and processed. Raw honey is known to pro-mote good sleep at night. Add a tablespoon of raw honey to warm milk to help increase melatonin, a natural compound that will help you sleep soundly. It also counteracts indigestion.

Here are a few simple, time-tested foods, techniques,

and remedies to try, and a bit about why. Have you tried any of these

tricks? How did you like them? Do you have a favourite remedy of

your own? Tell us about it at [email protected]

DECODINGDOCTOR

Try

Why

By Hubert Vaz

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QURIYAT - SUR - JAALAN (ROUTE 36)

15:00 Quriyat 16:30 Daily

15:00 Sur 18:00 Daily

15:00 Jaalan 19:30 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)

06:30 Sohar 08:50 Daily

06:30 Buraimi 11:00 Daily

08:00 Buraimi 14:30 Daily via Ibri


13:00 Buraimi 17:40 Daily

16.00 Sohar 18.35 Daily

16.00 Buraimi 20:20 Daily

TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)

17:30 Sinaw 20:50 Daily

TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)

14:30 Nizwa 16:50 Daily

14:30 Yanqul 19:30 Daily

TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)


08:00 Al Araqi 12:30 Daily

TO SUR (ROUTE 55)

07:30 Sur 12:00 Daily

14:30 Sur 18:45 Daily

TO FAHUD - YIBAL (ROUTE 62)

06:30 Fahud 10:30 Daily

06:30 Yibal 11:15 Daily

TO MARMUL-SALALAH (ROUTE 100)

07:00 Salalah 20:00 Daily

10:00 Marmul 20:30 Daily



TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)


SALALAH TO DUBAI (ROUTE 102)

15:00 Dubai 07:00 Daily

TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)



13:00 Sohar 15:30 Wed,Thur

13:00 Dubai 18:30 Wed,Thur



TO DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH & SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

07:00 Fujairah 11.45 Daily

07:00 Sharjah 13.30 Daily

07:00 Dubai 14.00 Daily

CITY CINEMAContact (10 am to 6pm) 24567664 | 68 . www.citycinemaoman.net facebook.com/citycinemaoman

SHATTI

Love & Mercy (Biography, Drama) (12+)Cast: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks9:30 pm Jurassic World (Action, Adventure) (3D) (PG12)Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins 9:15, 11:30 pm Guardian (Action, Thriller) (15+)Cast: Sarah Carter, Tio Pakusodewo, Nino Fernandez11:45 pm ABCD 2 (Dance, Musical) (PG)Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, 9:45 pm

MUSCAT GRAND MALL

GOLD CLASSJurassic World (3D) (Action/Adventure) (PG12)Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins9:15, 11:45 pmGold Class: 9:00 pm ABCD 2 (2D) (Dance/Romance) Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhudheva, Raghav, Dharmesh9:00 pm

Guardian (2D) (Action / Thriller) (15+)Cast: Sarah Carter, Tio Pakusodewo, Nino FernandezGold Class: 11:15 pm

Just The Way You Are (2D) (Dance/Romance) (12+) (Language - Tagalog)Cast: Enrique Gil, Liza Soberano, Yves Flores11:45 pm

RUWI

SCREEN 1

ABCD 2 (Dance/Musical ) – PGCast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhudeva, Raghav and Dharmesh9.45 pm

SCREEN 2

Hamari Adhori Kahani (Romance/Drama) – PGCast: Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan and Rajkummar Rao9.45 pm

SCREEN 3

Dil Dhadakne Do (Romance/Drama/Comedy ) – PG12Cast: Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Shefali Shetty, Anushka Sharma, Priyanka Chopra 9.45 pm

SOHAR

Jurassic World - 3D (PG12) (Action |Adventure | Sci-Fi) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins9:15, 11:45 pm Premam - 2D (M) (PG) (Comedy | Romance)Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran, Jude Anthany Joseph9:00 pm Guardian (15+ ) (Action, Thriller)Cast: Sarah Carter, Tio Pakusodewo, Nino Fernandez 11:45 pm

ABCD 2 - 2D (TBC) Dance | MusicalCast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhudheva,Raghav, Dharmesh 9:00 pm Love & Mercy (12+) DramaCast: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks 9:15 pm

Forbidden Empire (12+) Adventure Cast: Jason Flemyng, Andrey Smolyakov, Aleksey Chadov 11:30 pm

BURAIMIJurassic World - 3D (Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi) (PG12)Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins9:15 pmPremam – 2D (Comedy, Romance) (PG)Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran, Jude Anthany Joseph9:00 pmGuardian 2D (Action/Thriller) (15+)Cast: Sarah Carter, Tio Pakusodewo, Nino Fernandez11:30pmForbidden Empire 2D (Action/Fantasy/Mystery) (12+)Cast: Jason Flemyng, Andrey Smolyakov, Aleksey Chadov 11:55pm

SUR

Jurassic World (3D) (Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi) (PG12) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins09:00, 11:15pm

Guardian ( Action ) (15+) Cast: Sarah Carter, Tio Pakusodewo, Nino Fernandez.9:15pm

Premam (Mal) (Comedy | Romance) (TBC) Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran, Jude Anthany Joseph11:00 pm

SALALAH

Jurassic World (3D) (PG12) (Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi ) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins9:15, 11:30 pm

Premam (2D) (PG) (Romance, Comedy) Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran,

Jude Anthany Joseph

9:00 pm

ABCD 2 (2D) (PG)

(Dance, Musical)

Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor,

Prabhudheva,Raghav, Dharmesh

9:00 pm

Guardian (2D) (15+)

(Action, Thriller)

Cast: Sarah Carter, Tio Pakusodewo, Nino

Fernandez

11:55 pm

Out of the Dark (2D) (15+) (Horror)

Cast: Frank Cuervo, Pixie Davies, Alejandro

Furth

11:45 pm

BAHJA CINEMAJurassic World (Action / Adventure)

Cast: Chris Pratt, Judy Greer, Ty Simkins

9.30 pm

CP No: 1495 (PG12)

Guardian (Action, Thriller) (15+)

Cast: Sarah Carter, Tio Pakusodewo, Nino

Fernandez

9.30, 11:45 pm

CP No: 1613 ( 15+)

Forbidden Empire 2D (Action/Fantasy/

Mystery) (12+)

Cast: Jason Flemyng, Andrey Smolyakov,

Aleksey Chadov

11:45pm

CP No: 1614 (12+)

STAR CINEMAFilm information 24791641 / 24786776

Premam (Mal) (Comedy)

Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran

and Sai Pallavi

10:00 pm at Cinema Main

Eli (Tamil) (Action/Comedy)

Cast: Vadivelu and Sadha

9:30 pm at Cinema -2

Kakka Muttai (Tamil) (Drama/Comedy)

Cast: Ramesh and Silam Barasan

9:45 pm at Cinema-3

Chandrettan Evideeya (Mal ) (Romance/

Comedy)

Cast: Dileep, Namitha and Annu Sree

9:45 pm at Cinema -4

(Programmes are subject to change)

TO MUSCAT (RUWI)

Dept Destination Arrival Operatingtime time days

FROM JAALAN-SUR-QURIYAT (ROUTE 36)

05:30 Sur 06:45 Daily

05:30 Quriyat 08:30 Daily

05:30 Ruwi 10:00 Daily

TO AL BURAIMI (ROUTE 41)



13:30 Ruwi 20:20 Daily via Ibri





TO SINAW (ROUTE 52)


TO YANQUL (ROUTE 54)



TO IBRI (ARAQI) (ROUTE 54)



TO SUR (ROUTE 55)



TO YIBAL - FAHUD (ROUTE 62)

12:30 Fahud 13:15 Daily


TO SALALAH -MARMUL (ROUTE 100)





TO MARMUL (ROUTE 101)


DUBAI TO SALALAH (ROUTE 102)


TO DUBAI (ROUTE 201)



13:00 Sohar 16:15 Thur-Fri

13:00 Ruwi 19:10 Thur-Fri



FROM DUBAI VIA FUJIRAH/SHARJAH (ROUTE 204)

16:00 Sharjah 16:30 Daily

16.00 Fujairah 18.15 Daily

16.00 Ruwi 23.00 Daily

Gold Class: 11:15 pm 9:15, 11:30 pm 9:45 pm 11:00 pm 11:45 pm

@MGM @SHATTI @RUWI @SUR @SOHAR

GUARDIAN (2D) (Act, Adv) (3D) PG, Cast: Sarah Carter, Tio Pakusodewo, Nino Fernandez

JURASSIC WORLD (Act, Adv) (3D) (PG12), Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard

ABCD 2 (Hindi, Musical) Cast: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhudeva

PREMAM (Mal) (Com) Cast: Nivin Pauly, Anupama Parameshwaran

OUT OF THE DARK (2D) (Horror) Cast: Frank Cuervo, Pixie Davies, Alejandro Furth

WEATHER

450

Maximum

340

Minimum

C10 S U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

TEMPERATURE

20-65%RELATIVE HUMIDITY

LIFESTYLE

Get a Ramadan Glow

ACUPUNCTUREAn alternate therapy, for relieving pain, acupunc-ture involves the painless insertion of very thin needles through the skin at strategic points. Hubert Vaz reports

A vital part of traditional Chinese medicine, acupunc-ture has been found to be very effective for many cases where conventional medicine has failed.

In order to balance the flow of energy or life force, known as ‘qi’ or ‘chi’, which flows across spe-cific pathways (meridians) along the body, tiny needles are inserted at points along these meridians to restore balance in energy flows that might be disturbed due to an illness or disorder.

According to Dr Zheng Xuan, a Chinese doctor at Qurum Medi-cal Centre, who has been practis-ing acupuncture in Muscat for the past 15 years, “acupuncture has been in use for over a thousand years in China and it is mainly helpful for alleviating pain related to specific ailments, especially arthritis, stiff neck, neck pain, spondylitis, and disc problems.”

She explained that energy flows along different pathways along each one’s body and it can be controlled from different points on these pathways. Hence, a headache is not controlled by inserting needles in the region of the head, rather along the pathway on the hands and limbs and other areas of the body that are effecting the head.

The acupuncture technique is not painful, and few cases even experience bleeding. Each ses-sion lasts for about an hour and generally each patient needs to at-tend around 8-10 sessions, fifteen sessions for very severe illnesses.

Dr Xuan treats a host of pain-related disorders, as well as hormonal imbalances in women, stress, depression, insomnia, and infertility, with great success, however, she does not recom-mend this treatment for severe disorders like heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. Patients can continue other forms of treat-ment, if they wish to, as acupunc-ture will not negatively interact with other care.

Beta-caroteneSome of the most potent time-de-fying nutrients that prevent skin drying and dehydration, encour-aging smooth texture, are antioxi-dants like beta-carotene.

Good sources include:

Vitamin EThis potent vitamin prevents wrinkles and helps in skin regen-eration to reduce the appearance of existing fine lines.

Foods rich in E include:

Vitamin C This vitamin plays a crucial role in keeping the skin vibrant and wrinkle-free so include plenty of vitamin C rich foods in your eve-ryday diet.

Try:

B VitaminsThis group of vitamins will not only nourish your skin, it will also help to keep your mind sharp and your energy reserves high.

foods like:

Omega-3 fatty acidsThese healthy, essential fats play a significant role in keeping your skin supple and moist.

Get your dose with:

The Stuff of Life

healthful foods listed, be sure to remember to replenish yourself with the most powerful anti-age-ing elixir of all: water.

fasting try to stay out of the sun and avoid drinking too much tea, coffee, sodas, and other bever-ages with high levels of caffeine and sugar.

water during non-fasting hours. Additionally, replace your lost nutrients by drinking fresh, sug-

glasses at Iftar, 3-4 glasses in

glasses at Suhoor. The writer is nutritionist and diet consultant

specialising in weight loss at Al Raffah Hospital

FOODS TO AVOIDHeavily processed foods and sugar like cakes, doughnuts,

biscuits, pastries, Indian sweets, deep fried foods

like samosa, pakoras, fried dumplings, paranthas, caf-feine based drinks like tea,

coffee, aerated drinks.

HEALTHY FOODS Complex carbohydrates like wheat, oats, whole grains,

whole grain bread/chapati/khobz, beans, lentils.

Fibre rich foods like fruits and vegetables, oats, grains,

whole wheat products Plenty of fluids mainly water.

If you have been longing for vibrant, glowing skin, this Ramadan could be your chance

to change a few key eating habits to improve your overall skin health. Here is a rundown

of some of the most important nutrients for maintaining healthy, beautiful skin.

ALTERNATIVEMEDICINE

stair climbing a day cuts the risk of heart attack in half over 10 years

Unlike walking, which humans have evolved to do while burning minimal amounts of energy, stair climbing is classed as a ‘vigorous’ physical activity and burns more calories per minute than jogging. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, and you’ll start seeing and feeling results in no time flat.

walking up and down stairs for 10 minutes (for those weighing abound 72 kg)

Blast through

102 calories

7 minutes

TAKE THE STAIRS

for 10 minutes of stair climbing20 minutes jogging

Swap Burn a calorie for every 20 steps down and one for every

10 steps up

F I T N E S S M O V E O F T H E W E E K

C11

By Monika Seth

Acupuncture in OmanApproved by the Ministry of HealthEach session lasts one hourDuration of treatment - 10 sessionsCost of each session – OMR 20Qurum Medical Centre, Madinat Al Ilam Tel:24692898 (Acupuncture therapy is also available at Khoula Hospital)

LIFESTYLEC12 S U N DAY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

Members of the Art of Living Foundation,

Oman Chapter, held a yoga demonstration

at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex to mark

International Yoga Day, on June 21.

The Long Stretch

Photos by Jun Estrada

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

CONNECT H E D A I LY G U I D E

D

D4 VACANCY CARGO D7

S U N D AY, J U N E 2 8 , 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

Email: [email protected] [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

FOR RENT

Basement Store, 146 SQM,

Wadikhabeer, Opposit Al-Hassan.

99441193, 93004802

Furnished room for rent at

Al Khuwair R.O 225/- for family only.

Contact: 99251975

Villa AL Ghobrah, 6 bedroom 1200/-

R.O. Contact: 99340055/97557555

New building in Wadi Kabir, 2 bed-

room flats. Contact: 99313274

Workshop for rent Ground floor 126

SQM. Workshop first floor 108 SQM

furnished office with storage

accommodation for 50 Labors.

Contact: 92410691

1.2.3 BHK flats. Contact: 92144045

1BHK with A/C Mumtaz. R.O 250/-.

Contact 9779175

2BHK for commercial M.B.D R.O

300/-. Contact: 92144045

2BHK with A.C Darsait R.O 300/-.

Contact: 92144045

2BHK Wadi Kabeer R.O 300/-.

Contact: 92144045

2BHK without A.C Ghobrah R.O

325/- Contact: 92144045

Shop /Comn /Resi building 1 & 2

bed flat available in Wadi Kabir (near

Lulu). Contact: 99451168

One bed rooms flat RO 200/-

Wadi Al Kabir. Contact: 99451168

Misfa land for rent 1000 SQM.

Contact: 99451168

1 BHK flat in Al Khuwair, 2 months

only. Contact 99792181

3 BHK Flat in Azaiba.

Contact 99792181

Labour Camp for Rent in Wadi Kabir.

Contact 99792181

Shops at Muttrah opposite Port

Service Building on Main Road.

Contact 93387962

2 BHK Flat in Al Khuwair. Contact

99792181

4 BHK single villa in Al Khuwair.

Contact: 97616158

4 & 5 BHK villa in Al Khuwair.

Contact 99792181

5BHK villa available for rent, near

Hamriya roundabout.

Contact-99366191

For rent brand new villa 4BD.

Contact: 91963034

Flat for rent in Mabellah 8th.

Contact: 97147240

Two bed room flat with attached

bathroom near Omani Boys School

Ruwi . Contact: 91214537

Spacious room with bathroom

(separate) available for small family

or couples near Oman Boys School

Ruwi. Contact : 91214537

Ruwi near Police Station: Flats with

4 Rooms, 1 Kitchen & 2 Bathrooms.

Contact 93387962

Seeb Souq opposite HSBC: Flat with

3 Rooms, 1 Kitchen & 2 Bathrooms

and Studio at Terrace.

Contact 93387962

506sqm 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

AL Khuwair 2 rooms, toilet & Kitch-

en sharing prefer Indian couples or

execute lades rent 200/- R.O include

Elect & water. Contact: 99546410

Villa for rent in Al Khuwair 33,

8 bedrooms & 5 bathrooms with

parking area near Taimur Mosque.

Contact: 99366624

Luxurious villa in Mumtaz area,

Ruwi with 3BR, 2 Lounges, Dining,

car park, kitchen. Contact: 99430943

D2 S U N D AY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

Deluxe 3&4 bedroom, hall, kitchen

spacious living area with split AC,

at Ghobrah. Contact: 95282986

1BHK flat one room, kitchen,

bath room near Wadi Adai R/A.

Contact : 96464598

3 Bedroom flat with 3 attached

toilets, split A/C, brand new

available, behind Kims Hospital.

Contact 95225662

Apartments near Al Nahdha Tow-

ers/ Vachas Hypermarket Azaiba –

Ghala (1 & 2 BHK with split AC units).

Contact 94652485 / 99273774 /

99202278

1,000 sq mtrs industrial land in Mis-

fah Industrial area near to Khanco.

OMR 1,500 Monthly. It has Electricity

and boundary wall. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

500 sq mtrs office space on mezza-

nine floor near Royal Hospital. OMR

6.500 per sq mtr. Tel: 99333479 or

95215360

Villa for rent (family residence) :

New 4 bedroom villa with majlis,

family hall and outside kitchen. With

split AC in Al Khoudh phase 7 close

to Seeb polyclinic. Call 99332525

(owner).

Apartments near Indian School

Ghubra (2 BHK with 5 split AC units).

Contact 94652485 / 99273774 /

99202278

3 rooms with attached bath room,

hall Brand new in Mabelah near

Sharahe Noor. Contact 99663905/

99415119

Three bedroom flats for rent near

NIT Institute Darsait.

Contact: 93494098

Room with bath AC

furnished AL Khuwair.

Contact: 97004265/99643569

2 BHK Flats for rent Muttrah

near Oman house.

Contact: 97009734/92629232

Shop/Office 68 SQM, Wadi kabeer,

Opposite Al-Hassan. Contact

99441193, 93004802

3BHK flat for rent in Al Khuwair.

Villa type building with only 2 flats,

separate entrance, fully renovated.

Way No. 3922, building No 1839,

behind Al Aktham Restaurant.

Contact: 99462980

Flat for rent in CBD Ruwi.

Contact : 92820734

New flats for rent in Wadi Kabir.

Contact : 92130703 / 96045478

Brand new 6 BHK villa in Al Azaiba

with split A/C & lift. RO.1200/-

Contact – 93191111

2 bedroom flat at Hamriya, main

road with A/C. Contact 99331448

Flat in South Al Hail, 2 bedrooms,

Majlis, 2 bathrooms, kitchen RO

250/-. Contact 93221474

Flat in Ruwi Mumtaz 2 BHK RO 300

or 1 BHK 250 RO. Contact 98588240

Flats for rent behind Indian School.

Contact 99777122

2 BHK, 2 baths, Split A/C, Wadi ka-

beer, Near Indian Elementary School.

Contact 99441193, 93004802

Shop/Office, 56 SQM, Wadikabeer,

Opposite Al-Hassan.

Contact 99441193, 93004802

For rent in Darsait new flats.

Contact: 99777351

Luxury 3 BHK flat in Al Wattaya

with split A/C & private parking.

RO.500/- Contact – 93191111

Villa of 5 BHK in Al Ansab with split

A/C. RO.650/- Contact – 93191111

2 BHK flat in Al Ansab with split

A/C. RO.250/- Contact – 93191111

Villa for rent - Al Seeb/Al Mawelah

- Block 5 - 4 bedrooms with attached

bathrooms, Majlis, 2 halls, kitchen

and storeroom. split Ac and carpark.

Contact 99564616

Bath attached room for rent

Al Khuwair. Contact 99743569

Commercial 3 BHK flat in Al Ghobra

18 Nov Street. RO 700/-

Contact 93191111

2 BHK flat in Al Azaiba near sea,

with split A/C. RO.340/- # 93191111

For rent 3 industrial land.

Contact 92702891/ 95490842

Flats shops and store for rent in

Ruwi, MBD Honda road.

Contact 97293708 / 92433127

For rent in Darsait, new flats.

Contact: 99311525

Flats/villas owned by ROP pen-

sion fund available for rent in

Muscat. Contact 99349526

Apartment in Al Khuwair 33/1,

4 bedroom 550/-R.O. Contact :

99340055 / 97557555

Flats, shops and basement for rent

in Khuwair, behind RAWASCO.

Contact: 99441122 , 95893518

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.

FOR SALE

Clinic for sale in al amerat.

Contact:93753655

Telecom and net work accessories

shop for sale Ruwi.

Contact: 99481931

6 bedroom, 6 bath rooms, sitting &

dining villa at Qurum.

Contact: 99342733

Darsait near Labor Card medical

Business office furniture for sale /

rent 260/- Contact: 93893878 pm

Grade IT company with 5 clearanc-

es & oil Gas activity for sale serious

buyers. Contact: 99329216

Car polishing shop for sale or lease.

Contact: 98903073

Fully decorated & Equipped kitchen

cabinet and marble showroom for

sale at Mabela industrial area road

no – 10 only serious buyers can.

Contact: 99337670/97763560

Household furniture for sale.

Contact: 97094797

60,000 Sq Mtrs Agriculture Land in

Misfah, can be changed to Industrial

Land. OMR 29 Per Square Meter.

Tel: 99333479 or 95215360

Well furnished meat shop in

Amerat. Contact: services custom-

ers. Contact 92454250/96374850

Villa for sale in Al Khoudh close to

Dan super market, 3room , 3 bath-

room , 1 hall ,1 setting room, 1 store

, kitchen & maid room with garden

plot 600sq with car parking selling

price 135.000/-. Contact: 91010668

Commercial land for sale 3000 m

in quriyat road main high way can

use as a petrol station license

available asking price 350,000

For more information please call on

99070701 with out name

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

Training center with license.

Contact: 91121277

2BHK 230/- south Hail near Cale-

donian collage. Contact: 97717962

PL 24538790

1BHK, 2BHK, 3BHK new flat avail-

able at Mabela in front of Modern

English School Contact: 96239126

3BHK & 2BHK in Darsait.

Contact 94268564

New two B/R flat diretly from

owner in bank Dhofar bldg Bausher.

Contact: 92158031

One & two bedroom apartment

available for rent, near Grand Mall,

close to Atlas hospital next to Diwan

building. Contact: 99833747

Small old house for rent Al Ghobrah.

Contact 95112461

2 BHK commercial /

residential flat at Honda Road.

Contact: 99342733/99795241

Room for rent in CBD (near Costa

coffee). Contact: 96568110

Showroom available 250sqm – near

bank Sohar, CBD area ideal for phar-

macy, clinic, Travel agency, money

exchange, fast foods, departmental

store etc. Contact: Tel: 24707088

fax: 24706099 GSM: 98283633

Email: [email protected]

DAILY GUIDE

For rent if require flats for rent in

Wadi Kabir please send me mes-

sages through Whatsapp. Contact:

99376454

Flat for rent in Mabela 7, 2BHK

+ 3 bathroom 220/-R.O. Contact:

92712996

Double bedroom near

Lulu Wadi Kabeer. Contact:

92022816/99468133/99719471

FOR RENTBuilding In Rusail Industrial

comprising a store divisible area 266 sq. meters.

The building includes Studios

residence.Preferably to be leased to

one company.

Mob + 968 96177505

Furnished flats for rent in

Al Buraimi, daily, weekly, monthly.

Contact 97819981 / 93593336

2BHK flat + store room in CBD,

Ruwi with Split A/c’s, secured

access, car parking. Rent 400/.

Contact 99603696

Deluxe 1, 2 BHK flats in Darsait,

AL Khuwair 1deal for office &

residence. Contact 99369081

/99142314

Flat at Darsait. Contact 99326879

Flat for rent Ruwi near Badr al

Sama, 2 bed rooms, attach toilet in

rooms big hall big kitchen.

Contact: 99345137

12 Ton Volvo Truck Monthly lease or

rent with driver. Contact: 98713900

Flat for rent in AL Wadi AL Kabir

next to Kuwaiti Mosque 2 bedrooms,

2 bathrooms, kitchen, balcony & 1

living room 220/-R.O

Contact: 99425958

Brand new warehouse 3500SQM

(2800SQM built up area) at

Rusayl industrial area adjacent

to Amiantit Oman with ceil-

ing fans, light fittings, extract

fans &provision for ACs. Contact:

94652485/99273774/99202278

Apartments for rent near

Indian school Ghobrah & AL

Maha international hotel (2BHK

with 5 split AC units) Contact:

94652485/99273774/99202278

Apartments for rent near Al Nahdha

Towers/ Vachas hypermarket Azaiba

Ghala (1& 2 BHK with split AC units)

Contact: 94652485/ 99273774/

99202278

2BHK with split AC near PDO Gate

no -2 at Qurum. Contact: 94057023

2BHK with split AC at Al Khuwair

33. Contact: 94057023

Office / shop near Oman house

Muttrah. Contact: 99233116

DAILY GUIDES U N D AY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5 D3

AVAILABLE

FOR SALE

Party & Wedding equipment rentals.

Full line, from Tables, Linen & Skirting,

Chairs & Chair covers, Cutlery, Crock-

ery, Glassware, Chafing Dishes, Ice

Sculptures, to Large Sound Systems

and spectacular lighting. Call Andrea

9606 2222 for Catering and Croyden

9623 5555 for Sound & Light.

www.tunesoman.com,

E-mail: [email protected]

MOTOR VEHICLE FOR SALE

Suzuki Vitara 2007, 95000km,

single owner, for sale. Contact:

92183619

Nissan Altima 2.55, 2008 Model,

Metallic Gold Colour, 60, 000 K.M,

Excellent condition, all routine main-

tenance updated & all four tyres new,

owned by diplomat & driven by own-

er. Contact 24684534/91382680

Dodge Challenger SRT Gulf spec.

Expat owned Warranty and insur-

ance by the end of 2015 Perfect

exterior and interior. All service done

at the original Dodge service Price

slightly negotiable 65750 km 2010

Automatic, price: 9500/- OMR.

Contact - 95909465

Land Cruiser 2012. #99336093

Echo 2002 for sale 300.000 km

only last price R.O 1000/-.Contact

95119655

For Sale Toyota Echo 2004 Model,

Registration up to Dec. 2015 Please

Contact: 99038311

Peugeot 206-2007 Model, expat

driven. Contact 99209285

Expatriate driven Yaris 2008 model

100,000 kms & land rover 2005

model 93000 Kms, excellent condi-

tions. Contact : 97094797

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

Rooms available with separate

bathroom for executive bachelors in

azaiba near al meera hyper market.

Gsm 99053844

ACC. AVAILABLE

ACC. AVAILABLE

ACC. AVAILABLE

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation. Contact 99508282

Pick & drop any time. Contact:

98522914 / 99512270

Transportation. Contact: 98178135




Pick & Drop anytime Contact:

91653903

Pick & Drop any time. Contact:

97014786

Pick & drop with car & driver

available any time. Contact:

9615828/ 96502406/92218001

NRI

BUSINESS

General Investors. Contact

99674870

ACC. WANTED

LOST

Required a room or studio flat in

Darsait / WadiKabir /Ruwi area.

Contact : 95405033

2,560 sq mtrs industrial land in

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

Bed space available for ex-

bachelors at Al Khuwair.

Contact: 94143636

Furnished bedroom with Sep –

bathroom, sharing, and kitchen for

ex- bachelors at AL Khuwair.

Contact: 99636550

A/C attached furnished single room

with separate bathroom available

for executive bachelor near Grand

Hypermarket Ruwi.

Contact: 95149047/96567139

Fully furnished 1BHK with all house-

hold items in Darsait near Lulu on

monthly Basis. Contact : 99378397

One room for rent (A/C +bed +bath)

at Al Khuwair. Contact: 99382008

Large room Sep/ Entrance furnished

Wadi Kabir. Contact 99336206

Furnished single /sharing room for

ex bachelor at Rex Road with WIFI

available. Contact 92873832

Excellent room, with A/C kitchen

available for bachelor / family near

ONTC bus station (Ruwi).

Contact: 95885736

Furnished room with attached bath-

room in W/K. Contact: 97167857

Single furnished room.

Contact: 24833609

Furnished bath, attached sharing

accommodation available behind

Al Nahdha hospital.

Contact: 99030037

Sharing for non cooking executive

bachelor in CBD area WIFI free, Ad-

vance deposit. Contact: 95094504

Excellent room, with A/C kitchen

available near ONTC bus station for

family / bachelor (Ruwi).

Contact 95569740

Single room attached toilet & bath

for Executive bachelor rent includ-

ing electricity & water.

Contact: 99327158

Independent rooms in Qurum /

Al Hail. Contact 95529970

Acc. opp. OK Center for non cook-

ing bachelor. Contact 95126452

between 2 pm & 4 pm only.

Contact 95126452

Sharing flat in Wadi Kabir.

Contact: 99335057

One room separate bathroom for

Indian Executive bachelor near

Al Khuwair R/A. Contact: 99659513

Furnished attached bathroom at

Mumtaz area. Contact: 93103337 /

95212017

Furnished single rooms available

for Executive bachelors at Ruwi.

Contact: 98049288

Furnished room attached bath for

lady in Wadikabir (Mars Hypermar-

ket) – 95941515

Single room with sharing kitchen

available for executive bachelor near

Saud Bahwan Residency Complex,

Wadi Kabir. Contact: 99024362,

93166353.

*Classified Advertisement space

booking with text, should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to space

availability

Guramma Obulam has lost Indian

Passport No. K 4776925. Finder

please handover to ROP

2.5 BHK Flat for sale having 1260

sq ft and Vehicle Parking space of

144 Sq ft. At Bhrama Avenue, NIBM

Road, Pune. Contact 93068804 /

99263581

DAILY GUIDED4 S U N D AY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION VACANT

Email: [email protected] [email protected].: 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 /431 / 456 / 461

CATERING

BEAUTICION

DOMESTIC HELPER

DOMESTIC HELPERADMIN

ENGINEER

EDUCATION

SALES / MARKETING

Cook required for an Omani family

having experience in preparing

all kinds of Omani & Arabic food.

Minimum 5 years experience. Send

CV to [email protected] or fax to

24706990, Tel. 24786072

Housemaid wanted for an Indian

family in Al Hail. Must be able to

cook and take care of baby. Full-time

position. 96532872

Small Omani family wanted

educated female House maid visa is

available. Contact - 98500222

Keralite family in MBD area (near

pizza hut) want a Keralite housemaid

on fulltime basis. Contact 94736916.

Required looking for full time Housemaid for Omani family at

Mabela, visa available.

Contact 92454170

SECRETARIAL & OFFICE

Required Office Assistant

160+25+Acc, Contact 99454425

ACCOUNTANT Teachers required: Teachers for KG,

Grade I to IV class in English, Maths,

Science, Computer & Art. Qualifica-

tion: Degree in relevant subjects & B

Ed; IELTS or TOFEL plus two years

experience preferred. Please apply

to: [email protected]

Required professional Teachers

for teaching Science, Mathematics,

Accountancy, Business Studies &

English IELTS/ TOFEL in schools &

Universities. Contact 99674870

Male 24, B.Com /PGD having 2

years experience in accounts and

inventory field looking for suitable

job on visit visa. Contact: 94129550

Accounts part time, up to finaliza-

tion of monthly accounts. Handled

by a CA. contact 96293120

Young lady MBA finances 10 yr exp

in Finance exp management.

Contact: 93201929

Chartered Accountant with ICWA

Inter having 5 years experience in

Finance, Accounts, Costing, Budget-

ing, Insurance, Treasury & Banking

operations - NOC Available + Oman

Driving License Contact : 97881548

[email protected]

Accountant 8 yrs experience looking

part time job. Contact 99867456

Looking for accounting and Admin-

istration job have two and half years

experience in United Arab Emirates

in a trading company and I have

bachelor degree in Administration

nationality Indian. Contact: 93016252

Indian male, well experienced in

accounts and Admin looking for a

suitable vacancy Noc available.

Contact: 98717938

Senior accountant Indian male

35 years, MBA (finance) 8 years

experience in a multinational FMCG

company with valid Oman D/L NOC

available can join immediately,

looking for suitable position finance.

Contact: 95645945

Young, energetic 24, ACCA finalist,

Advanced diploma in Accounting and

business, seeking suitable placement

in accounts, finance or audit.

Contact: 92430152


13 years exp (7.5 years gulf exp)

B.Com Graduate, looking for Account-

ant job, GSM No:-92957064 with NOC.

Indian male, 30 years, CMA (Inter),

M.com.4 out of 7 years experience in

Oman in Auditing/Accounts/Finance.

Having NOC and valid Oman D/L.

Contact: 96746420


Sudanese female MBA experience 5

years in Banking sectors, 1 years exp.

as Accountant in Oman seeking for a

suitable job. Contact : 92962621


Indian male, 32 years, M. Com.

7 out of 9 years experience in Oman

in Accounts/finance. Having NOC and

valid Oman D/L. Contact 98277143,


Indian male, with B.Com 1 year expe-

rience in Accounts or Sales, on visit

visa, Cont... 98295101

Senior Document Controller MCA

Indian male 9+ year’s total experience

5+ years experience in Gulf in oil &

gas sector and construction field on

visit visa in Oman. Contact: 95388197


Indian male, B.Com, well experienced

in Accounts & Admin, knowledge

of Tally ERP 9 experience in Oman

with valid Oman driving license. NOC

available, looking for suitable job in

Oman, join immediately.

Contact 94245039

Sudanese Accountant seeking job

in Nizwa state experience 10 years 3

years in Saudi Arabia, 7 yrs in Sudan.

Contact : 97796394 / 94003247

Chinese/ Arab/ continental cook & helper wanted. Contact 95529970

Requires experience Cook for an Om-

ani family 1Nos. Contact: 99228046


Chinese / Arab / Continental cook & helper wanted. Contact 95529970

Family in Muscat seeking to hire an experienced butler. Hotel experi-

ence is preferred. Candidate must

hold a valid driver’s license.

Please send CV’s on

[email protected]

Urgently required female accountant with an experience

minimum 3years Email CV on

[email protected]

Reputed Construction Company required Accountant experience in

Construction Company with

accountancy degree. Email:

[email protected]

Required Accountant with 3 yrs. exp.

in construction company.

Email : [email protected]

Urgently required Junior Accountant. Please send CV: [email protected]

MEDICAL SKILLED

Specialist physiotherapy is

required from the Philippines prefer-

ably has a license to practice.

Contact :91257624


Urgently required G.P doctor with or

without MOH license for one month

from 01/07/2015. Contact 93824902

Required Gynecology, General Phy-sician, Dentist, Staff Nurses, Lab technicians, Pharmacists, X Ray technicians. Contact : 95133572 / 96064925


Required Heavy Duty Truck Driver holding Omani driving license w/

5 years experience please

contact 92001111

Indian driver required for light ve-

hicle with construction experience.

Contact: 92888337

DRIVER

Urgently required a silk Screen printer with good knowledge and

release letter or NOC. Contact:

93280288 or send CV to

[email protected]

Urgent requirement Civil Engineers Nos for Supervi-sion 8 yrs experience. Contact:

99244481/24551029 Email:

[email protected]

Leading Construction Company requires Project Engineer, Degree

holder with minimum 5 to 6 years

experience in building construction

line. (NOC require) Send your CV to –

[email protected]

Required Site Supervisor with 5

yrs. exp. in construction company,

electronic technician with 3 yrs

experience in gate motors systems.


Leading Construction company requires HSE Officer with minimum

4 to 5 years experience in building

construction line. Send your CV :

[email protected]

(NOC require).

Construction Company in Oman

urgently requires following candi-

dates: BE Civil Engineer, minimum

3-5 years gulf experience & Civil site foreman, minimum 5 years gulf

experience, diploma not required.


Construction Company in Oman

urgently requires the following:

B.Sc Civil Engineer, minimum 3-5

yrs Gulf experience. Civil Site Fore-man, minimum 5 yrs experience with

operating knowledge of Tally. Please

Email CV ; [email protected]

ADMIN

ACCOUNT. & FINANCE

SITUATION WANTEDSIT. WANTED

Required Large format printer operator – for HP. Graphic Designer. Send CV to [email protected]

DESIGNER

Vacancy for Omani PRO Email:

[email protected] Mob 94192526

Urgently Required: Administra-tion with an experience minimum

in 3 years in building construc-

tion, required immediately join

and MUST have NOC. Apply, fax

00968–24605955, emails

[email protected],

[email protected].

Urgently Required: Administra-tion with an experience minimum

in 3 years in building construc-

tion, required immediately join

and MUST have NOC.Apply, fax

00968–24605955,

emails [email protected],

[email protected].

Vacancy for Omani PRO for Customs duties in Sohar. Email:

[email protected],

Mob: 97990844

MBA Indian male looking for suita-

ble position having 2 years working

experience as an accountant now in

Oman a visiting visa.

Contact 99424803

Indian male 22 yrs B. Com Graduate

1 year exp in Accounts, currently on

visit visa. Looking for suitable job.

Contact 94341848 /

Email – [email protected]

Accounts & finance Indian male

B.com M.B.A (F) Tally ERP9, 35 years,

8 years experience 1.5 years Oman

family visa N.O.C available.

Contact: 93257426


Accounts part time works up to

finalization on monthly basis. Profit

& loss A/C and financial statements,

MS Reports Etc. Contact: 96247295

MBA Graduate with 6 yrs exp in

finance/accounts/ auditing. Special-

ized in accounts payable dept, Ora-

cle app user, proficient in Sap (fico)

end user & tally 9.0. lean &six sigma

certified trainer on visit visa.

Contact – 91967213 / 99064780

Finance Manager, CPA, with more

than 15 yrs. of experience in GCC.

Fully knowledgeable in Finance,

General & Management Accounting

. NOC available. Contact 96209331

ACCA affiliate , BSc Honors in ap-

plied Accountancy advance diploma

in Accounting and Business, CAT

Affiliate 1 year hand on working ex-

perience of Oman, with Oman driving

license looking for a suitable place-

ment in Audit firm. Having NOC can

join immediately. Contact : 98989970

Motivated and energetic male 25

having 4 years of experience in

finance with Master’s degree in Eco-

nomics and CAT Certified seeking

opportunity in Accounts/finance/

audit in a reputable organization.

Cell no: 00968-94626209 E-Mail:

[email protected]

Indian male with total 5 year experi-

ence (2 years experience in Account-

ant cum sales co ordinator in a FMCG

Company in Oman) in accounts field

and NOC available. Looking for suit-

able job Contact 92130188

Indian Accountant: Male, M com,

7 Yrs experience in Accounts up to

finalization, having knowledge

of ERP, Tally, seeks suitable plac-

ment.Contact 93950138 Email:

[email protected]

Indian male, B.Com, 1 year Exp in

Accounts/ Sales, on Visit Visa,..

Contact – 98295101

Senior Accountant 13 years experi-

ence FMCG & retail Noc available.

Contact: 93473942

MANAGER

Urgently required for a first grade construction company Graduate Civil Engineer (5 years experienced)

shuttering carpenter mason (Block,

Plaster, Tile Fixing) Civil Foreman

building work. Contact: 24700373/

99427674 Fax: 24701368


A leading marketing company is

looking for outdoor Sales Executives on part time or full

time basis in Salalah.

Contact – 92760281 / 96436719

Marketing Executive for printing

press. Contact 93201718 Email:

[email protected]

A reputed media company required female Marketing Executives with

minimum 3 years experiences in

Public relations, punishing & adver-

tising (with driving license).

Contact: 93946622 or FW: CV

[email protected]

A leading trading company is look-

ing for Sales Executives & outdoor sales coordinators with driving

license & release /NOC. Email CV:

[email protected] or

fax: 24701683

Urgently required outdoor Sales Executive for furnishing company

with valid Oman D/L and minimum 3

years experience. Contact 93231403 /

[email protected]

Required male or female candidate with 5 years experience in renting

of properties. Interested candidates

may please mail to

[email protected]

Minimum 2 years of experience

with valid gulf light driving license

interested candidates please

Contact: 99222086 /98585851

Need crane operator having two

years experience & need salesman

for mobile shop having two years

experience. Contact: 92891888

Marketing Executive for digi-

tal printing company. Contact:

94356769 / 96936564

Required sales man for spare parts

shop preferably with driving license.

Contact : 96378289

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 Na-

shabat - Mobile No: 97414307 and

-92807399 [email protected]

Required Salesman, Tailor and Barber. Contact: 96964767

Looking for Outdoor Salesman for

heavy equipment spare parts.

Contact - 93292015,


Wanted Sales man with Oman driv-

ing license in advertising company

visa ready. Contact: 96440587 /

94055643

Urgently required Sales and Market-ing Executive for Graphic designing

company. Contact: 96727631

mail: [email protected]

Required Beautician for Beauty

Saloon at Ghubra. Clearance / visa

available. Contact no. 95924910

Well established company in

selling chocolate, Arabian sweets

and fresh flowers, opening ITS first

branch in Muscat seeking:

1- sweets and chocolates Sales man 2- flower arranger (Asian/ Filipino Nationality)

Contact: 94490011


JCB operator -2 JCB operator with

GCC valid license expect Saudi Ara-

bia & Egypt, min.3 yrs exp. Required

& L/D driver-1 min, 5 yrs exp with

valid GCC driving license & site

Engineer civil -1 diploma with

5 to 8 years experience & foreman

civil-1- 5 years experience of

multistory building.

Contact: Fax: 24501448

Email: [email protected] or

[email protected]

A company from UAE require 2 merchandisers in retail food

supply, store keeper with English

and invoicing experience. Email:

[email protected]

Urgently required: (1) female dermatologist with minimum 3 years

experience (2) female Omani recep-tion coordinator for a medical center

in Qurum. Contact: 96062933

MISCELLANEOUS

Urgently Required: Male – handles overall store operations of the Su-

permarket, Prior Experience a MUST,

knowledgeable in MSOffice. Send CV

to [email protected] or

fax to 244-92718.

Mason, C.C.T.V, Technician, Electrician cum Plumber. Contact - 99383044

Urgently needed full time, live-in house maid for cooking Indian non-

veg. food. Visa will be given. Maids

with release will be preferred.

Contact 99349924.

HOSPITALITY

Chef for Yacht. International cuisine.

Minimum 15 years chef experience.

[email protected]

Over 14 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

[email protected]

Indian female 29 MBA (HR) BSc,

4 yrs exp in HR& Admin looking

suitable placement.

Contact : 95619537


SITUATION WANTEDSITUATION WANTED

DESIGNER

AUTO CAD/DRAUGHTS-

MISCELLANEOUSENGG. / TECHNICAL

Quantity Surveyor with 5 Years ex-

perience (one year in Oman) looking

for job. Contact 91090036

Mechanical Engineer, Indian, 24

years with Piping Engineering,

Autocad, Ansys NX- Cad, pro-e,

Catia & PDMS now on visiting visa

seek suitable placement. Contact:

99168054 / 96684345

Email: : [email protected]

BE ,Electrical Engineer with 5 Years

Gulf Experience in Underground

cable & Overhead line in HT and LT,

Distribution Substation, MEP. Oman

D/L available. NOC available.

Contact: 95054644,

00918807888109,

[email protected]

Diploma in Electrical Engineer exp

5 years any type of industrial main-

tenance and installation, building

wiring system. Contact: 94544663

Email: motiurrahaman1989@gmail.

com

B.Tech mechanical Engineer, Indian

1 years experience HVAC (MEP)

available in Muscat on visit visa

seeking suitable job.

Contact 93670280


Indian male , diploma in electrical

Engineering with 10 years of suc-

cessful experience , presently avail-

able on visit visa seeking suitable

positions in projects and mainte-

nance electrical fields.

Contact: 91270686


Iraqi male B.ch civil Engineering, 17

yrs experience in Oman experience

in project management with valid

Oman D/L NOC available and can

join immediately looking suitable

position in Muscat area.

Contact: 93809093


Controls & automation Engineer with 7 years experience in ( RO BOT

/PLC/CNC programming , LV panel

building , Installation & commission-

ing service & support of machines)

mostly overseas experience for com-

plete execution of Machine projects

in China, USA, Thailand ETC.

Contact : +97430847848,


Indian male Mechanical Techni-cian with 22 year experience (6.5

year in Oman)-as mill Wright fitter &

maintenance fabrication work seeks

suitable placement NOC available.

Contact: 95922696

Chemical Engineer with 04 years

experience in petrochemical refinery

sector seeking for & suitable position

in petrochemical oil & gas, refinery

EPC Companies.

Contact : 00968-91748400

A male Civil Engineer is avail-

able holding 10 years experience

2.5years in Oman in Building pro-

jects, quantity canton, project bill-

ing, extension of time, variation and

in execution of project interested

person can. Contact: 968 91320917

Indian male Electrical Engineer

seeking for a job good core technical

knowledge as well as fluent commu-

nication skill. Contact: 95980857

Electrical Engineer Indian male

having valid driving license and NOC,

BE 1 yrs experience sealing suitable

placement. Contact: 96347995


MEDICAL

Indian female Dentist MOH Oman

passed seeking a suitable placement

in capital region. Contact– 91377681

[email protected]

Male BSC Nurse parametric passed

ACLS BLS holder now in visit visa

seeking for suitable post.

Contact: 96516406

Indian male Nurse, 31 years

Oman prometric passed 6 yrs ICU

experience. Contact : 94195150 /

92758895

Lab Technician, Civil (8yrs Gulf ex-

perience) looking for a suitable job

(NOC available) Contact-93344378

Indian female looking for suitable

position 2nd rank in MSC microbiol-

ogy, fresher now on visiting visa.

Contact : 91633089


ENGG. / TECHNICAL

IT

MANAGER/ SUPERVISOR

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: [email protected]

Well experienced MOH Licensed

Indian GP Doctor looking for locum /

permanent position in the

Capital area. Contact 98140024

email:[email protected]

Warehouse in charge with 14 years

gulf experience 1.5 years in Oman

NOC available looking for suitable

placement contact 97440902

MCA Indian male 6 month experi-

ence India seeking suitable place-

ment. Contact 00918547068891


Filipino Male looking for a job &

have experience in sales, waiter,

barista, technical support / customer

service with good communication

skills. # 91789465

Indian material controller/ store

keeper seeking job in Oman NOC /

Release available. Contact: 91946174

Indian Female with over 9 yrs ex-

perience with good communication

skills seeks jobs in customer service

or sales field. Contact : 96108289,

[email protected]

Part- Time Accountant, well experi-

ence senior accountant ,doing all type

of accounting works, Finalization,

Budgeting available.

Contact :98803439

Interior Designer: Indian male 31,

8 years exp. in GCC, NOC available.

95217586

Architect designer experience in

Architecture design in 2D, 3D visit-

ing to site : 2 years experience (in

Oman), fluent Hindi & English. Email:

[email protected]

Contact: 94253074

20 Years exp Auto Cad 3DS Max

available for teaching part time.

Contact - 94412557

Electrical draftsman AutoCAD

switch gear & MEP control panel

7 years experience Qatar. Contact:

92546203/96228100

B.com, diploma in material manage-

ment having 12 years experience in

overseas / local puritans, logistics

ware house seeks suitable place-

ment NOC available.

Contact: 96477638

Indian male, with 8 yrs exp. in

Oman (BA- Graduate) working as

a project Sales Coordinator, with

Oman D/L, looking for suitable job,

ready to join immediately with NOC.

Contact 95245057

SALES / MARKETING

SALES / MARKETING

Indian female (MTECH) having Gulf

experience in family visa seeking

suitable placement in Oman.

Contact : 94306164 / 91001194

Indian male MBA 7 years experience

in Hospitality industry, operation,

sales & marketing looking for suitable

vacancy. Contact 92115860

Email [email protected]

Indian MBA 18 yr exp in sales /

Markt, looking for manager position.

Contact Oman / UAE 93893878

Indian male Science Graduate 11 yrs

of sales exp in India & Oman, having

valid D/L seeking job in sales with

family benefits. Contact – 94255249

Indian female B.com Graduate hav-

ing 8 years experience in Indian & 2

years experience in Oman as sales

coordinator, secretary, customer

service seeks suitable placement.

Contact: 95433987

Pakistani male 34 yrs Intermedi-

ate 2 yrs exp in sales & marketing

in Oman. Looking for suitable job.

Contact - 92146864

Indian male with 5 years experi-

ence in building material sales and

marketing education qualification

BA electronics. Contact: 92228538

B.E IT Eng, 6 yrs exp TCS with oil &

Gas Industry (Java /Oracle).

Contact : 97835922

Omani Citizen searching a job in

the field of computer especially in

data base professional in operating

Oracle SQL, PL/ SQL, form6i, Report

6i. Contact 96977368


Business development manager IT & Non – IT, 7 years experience

Oman driving license seeks position

good prospects. Contact: 99329216

Indian male 25 yrs exp in Admin-

istration, Telecom, Optical Fiber

Communication, Networking, MS

Office. Seeks any job. On visit visa.

Contact – 91385373 /

[email protected]

CERTIFIED (CCNA) NETWORK AD-

MINISTRATOR 4 years experienced

looking for Suitable placement.

Contact: 99002390

Indian male 26 years B.Tech (IT)

M.Tech CCNA certified MCSE certi-

fied 3 yrs experience currently a

visit visa looking for suitable job.

Contact: 91006851

B.E Computer Science, Indian lady,

with 2 years experience in Oman

looking for suitable job in Muscat

having valid GCC driving license.

Contact: 97738624

Computer Networking/Facility

Mgmt 5 Yrs of Exp Holds B.E(ECE),

CCNA Looking for Good Opportunity,

Indian - Visit Visa. Contact 91911792/

[email protected]

IT Desktop Support Engineer 2 years Oman 3 years in Indian Exp.

Contact 91937060

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


Indian male, completed diploma in

Computer technology fresher, seek-

ing suitable position, currently on

visit visa. Contact : 93596096

Indian male. 27, Post Graduate, 5+

yrs exp in Oman in Sales & Credit

Control, with valid Oman driving

License, NOC available, looking for

suitable placements. Ph: 9199 3376

Indian Female having more than 8

years of experience in oil and gas

industry in sales and marketing & as

commercial manager, now in family

visa looking for a suitable placement

No. 94187012,

Email [email protected]

Indian Lady 24 yrs with five years

experience as cabin crew in National

& International airlines seeking suit-

able job vacancy in good position.

Contact: 97623267

A Graduate degree holder 4 years

experience in Marketing (mobiles) in

Oman & U.A.E and as well has driving

license with car. Interested person

can. Contact: +968 94164657

MBA graduate having 6 years exp in

sales & marketing, presently work-

ing in PepsiCo India seeks suitable

placement in Oman.

Contact: + 91 9895388937


Procurement Manager with 17

years experience looking suitable

position. (Electrical Diploma Holder

with Oman D/L) Contact: 95979029.

[email protected]

Indian worked MNC 15 years Oman

experience as Marketing FMCG /

TRAD Purchasing with visa license.

Contact: 98796982

MBA Graduate with D/L looking for

sales or marketing jobs.

Contact 94143154


Male BA with D/L having 6 years

exp Oman wanted suitable job in

sales, inventory, procure.

Contact : 92191026

Indian female MSc, MPHIL (Chem-

istry) 3 years Teaching experience

currently on visit visa seeking suit-

able position. Contact : 96916534 /

91969756

Sales /marketing experience 24

years old Indian male having valid

Omani license seeking suitable

position in FMCG company, pres-

ently working as a Supervisor of

the leading hypermarket in Oman.

NOC available. Contact: 91993785 /

93089757

Looking for good job 2 years

experience Oman sales marketing

valid driving license Indian Kerala.

Contact : 98626682

Omani female exp in PRO with Oman

D/L. Contact: 91161736

Outdoor salesman with car looking

for job. Contact 91615715

Indian male, 39 yrs having 15 yrs

Gulf experience (UAE, Qatar, Oman)

in sales & marketing looking for a

suitable position with NOC.

Contact 94054730

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, B.Sc (Mathematics)

PGDBM (Marketing). 9 yrs of Oman

experience in sales in midlevel

management, NOC available.

Valid Oman D/L. Contact: 95278838


Indian Male, B.Com Graduate,

23, with experience in Sales looking

for suitable placements. .

Contact 98371144

Pakistani Female Bachelor of

Information Technology with 8

years’ experience in Banking, Sales,

business development, retail & cus-

tomer service seeking for a suitable

placement. Having valid D/L& NOC

available. Contact 94699970

[email protected]

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

EDUCATION

Driver with15 years experience in

Oman; speak Arabic & English &

Hindi, visa available.

Contact: 99191270

Looking for driving job. Contact: 98219182

Male driver is available 7 years in

Oman 3 years experience as a driver

7 month is Muscat driving license

holder. Contact: 92046159

Pakistani male light vehicle driver,

looking for job. Contact - 94435912

Light driver looking for job.

Contact: 99704122/ 97762303


Contact: 96435795

Pakistani light duty driver

2 yrs experience seeks placement.

Contact: 96342684


Contact: 98219599

Light driver. Contact: 99035942

Light driver looking for job, 4 yrs

exp in Oman. Contact: 94241385

Driver looking for job. Contact

94195818

Driver looking for job. Contact:

99507039

Paksitani Driver with 6 yrs experi-

ence looking for job. # 93985087

Driver with car 3 years experience

looking for job. Contact: 92041902

Light driver. Contact: 96313100

Pakistani male light vehicle driver

with 2 yrs exp looking for job.

Contact : 96342684

DRIVER

DRIVER

Civil Engineer B.E, 5 years experi-

ence with GCC D/L Consultancy job

preference. Contact: 91693008

B.Tech mechanical Engineer 16 yrs

experience 3 yrs exp in Oman now

production manager in Galvanizing

and steel fabrication area looking for

suitable placement NOC available.

Contact: 93714500/91395765

Indian seeking oilfield HSE fire &

safety rigs studied 10SH risk

assessment fire safety on visit.

Contact: 98723292

Civil Engineer, Female, 3 years ex-

perience on visit visa seeking suit-

able openings. Contact: 99195433

Indian male 24 yrs B. Tech (Mech.

Eng) on visit 1 yr experience in

production field looking for suitable

placement. Contact: 98925685

BSc Civil Engineer, 6 months

working experience in UAE as a Site

Engineer currently in Oman on visit

visa and looking for a job.

Contact : 98157833


Egyptian Civil Engineer, to-

tal experience 7 years - 2 years

experience in Oman. I am looking

for Project Engineer, I have good

experience in site & office works.

Contact :91148708

Mech Eng 10 yrs Oman exp P&M /

logistics in oil & gas industry.

Contact : 95774585

Project Coordinator (B.E Civil)

6.5 yrs in Oman having 9+ years

relevant experience working in

MOD & ROP project need suitable

placement. Contact : +986 91129192


Indian male B.Tech (ECE), MBA (HR)

2 years of experience in CCNA, CCNP

and hands on practice in Linux and

MCSE, looking for suitable job.

Contact: 93487225

Quantity Surveyor or Site Engineer

in civil, 5 years experience in Oman

have valid Oman driving license

looking for suitable posts, NOC avail-

able. Contact: 96394948/ 98294919.


Electrical Eng. Degree (MEP) need

suitable job of construction 12 yrs exp.


Civil Engineer, Expatriate Female, 3

yrs experience, on visit visa seeking

suitable placement. #99195433

Iraqi Engineer specialized in

telecommunication net working &

PC experience in nuking network

and security systems. Contact:

92898329 / 99249124

Electronics & communications

Indian male, 2 years experience

seeking suitable placement.

Contact: 99456725 / 94678625

Indian male, 28 yrs, Electronics &

Instrumentation Engineer with 4 yrs

experience in Industrial Automa-

tion (SCADA) seeking suitable job.

Contact 93154156 / 98416190

Electrical Engineer Pakistani male

4 years B. Tech & 3 years’ diploma

seeking a suitable placement.

Contact: 96752080


Indian Male, IT Support Engineer,

2 yrs in Oman & 5 yrs Indian experi-

ence. Contact 97311847

Indian male, B.Tech Mechanical

having 4 years experience with QA/

QC / CSWIP looking for a suitable

position. Contact: 99447106


Btech computer science graduate

2015 passout.. Android application

marketing.. Having good communi-

cation skills and mindset to work in

a team. Contact 91024385

D.A.E Civil 4 years exp in land sur-

veyor and building work worked on

AutoCAD, T.S and G.P.S 1 year exp in

Oman looking for placement.

Contact: 92140890 / 98780156


Indian Female MBA 3 Year Experi-

ence in Admin MIS, Family Visa.

Contact - 98234427,

[email protected]

Indian Female: B.Com & MBA-HR.

looking for full or part time job im-

mediately. Prior recruitment experi-

ence in Muscat and India.98460262.

System administrator with 3 years

experience hold a degree, MCITP,

CCNA , CCTV biometric , seeking job

in a company.

Contact: 99630084/98129845

Indian male 2+yrs oman exp in HR.

joing immediatly. release available.

Contact :93671437

MBA (international business) from

London, 4 years of UK experience in

operations with D/L, looking for suit-

able position. Contact 91710075

Male admin/ HR office 6 years exp

with NOC. Contact: 93275467

Buyer / Purchases / Administration

/ Stores with 7+ years local experi-

ence seeking suitable placement.

NOC available. Contact – 94045405

Indian Male 27Yrs, Having 6+ yrs

(3 India + 3 Oman) experience in

HR/ Admin looking for suitable posi-

tion Contact 91507099.

Indian Female 25 MBA in HR look-

ing for a suitable opening in Admin/

Hr. Contact 97013375

ADMIN

MBA, B.Com Indian female having

two yrs exp as lecturer seeks place-

ment in teaching filed. Presently on

family visit visa. Contact – 96259171/


Indian female MCA, Three years

experience in teaching field, seeks

placement currently on visit visa.

Contact: 93431567


English Teacher female (M. A. B.

Ed) Having 14 years experience with

11 years experience in Oman with

reputed institute and school.

Contact: 92289080 / 99318276


Indian male present in Oman can

join immediately. Diploma civil

with CAD & 3d. Contact: 92875345

/92887561


Driver available with car and with-

out car. Contact 96771598

Pakistani, male light vehicle driver

looking for job. Contact 97943750

Driver with car. Contact:

97705694/98988208

Looking for job driving Bangla-

deshi. Contact: 97418036

Light driver for job. Contact 95779594

Pakistani driving available.

Contact : 96913836

Engineer with 3 yrs experience in

Indian in MEP, HVAC& mechanical

maintained field on visit visa looking

for suitable job.

Contact 99191535


Indian female, B.Tech biotechnology with strong computer

skills and 2 years experience as

associate research analyst (Media

Monitoring) in Nasdaq Oman seek-

ing growth oriented jobs. Contact

92044603 /918056169148 or

[email protected].

MCA, BCA with 2 yrs relevant expe-

rience seeking suitable opportunity.

Contact: 96377039

13 Years UAE experienced in MNC &

reputed firms logistics distribution

looking for a suitable placement, on

visit visa contact 99838743,

[email protected]

MISCELLANEOUS

DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624


D6 S U N D AY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5



TOURS & TRAVELS

SKILLED/UNSKILLED

Experience skilled candidate with driver license seeks position in

sales in Salalah. Contact: 98579382

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.


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

Tanzanian male, 25 yrs Accountant

successful experience in Tanzania

looking for suitable placement in any

field. Contact : 96710154

Tunisian lady has Professorship in

social and economical sciences and

accounting, diploma in Experimen-

tal Sciences degree in English for

media. Contact 95391050,

[email protected]

Indian male Diploma, Civil engineer

4.3 year experience at building

construction and consulting

company with Oman driving licence

and N.O.C available seeking

suitable placement

Contact 95989500

email [email protected]

Content Executive, freshers with

good communication skills and will-

ingness to learn may apply on

[email protected]

Innovative Indian Male 29, B.E &

M.Tech Web designer / developer

with over 5.5 years of work experi-

ence in HTML 5, CSS 3, SEO, Digital

marketing (DFP & DCM), Magento,

CMS, Photoshop and Dreamweaver.

Can join ASAP.

Mobile: 00968 9630 3055 / email:

[email protected]

10 YEAR Experienced PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER.

Currently working at Kerala, India.

Seeks placement.

Contact: - +968 95872030 ,

email: - [email protected]

Indian male 48yrs with driving

license looking for a job to work as

driver / salesman. Residing at Al

Khoudh. Contact: 99551310

Tunisian women looking for a job,

khnows english,frensh, italian and

arabic. Contact: 91171838

Young Indian Chartered Accountant,

female, Having 6 years experience

in Oman and India. Accounts and

Finance Manager, Auditor. Urgently

seeking suitable positions.

Contact-92530131,

[email protected]

Indian female Nurse with 5 yrs of

experience, presently working in

Oman, seeking for suitable place-

ment. NOC available can join imme-

diately. Contact: 98329941


Looking for part time jobs in Mus-

cat, Auto cad Draughtsman (Civil).

contact:-+968-99070584


Indian female MA. B.Ed. with one

year three months teaching experi-

ence. Subject: English Seeking for

a Better placement. Now working

in Oman # 93961142, 92184408

Email:[email protected]

B.Sc. Mechanical Engineer Suda-

nese 3 yrs of exp. In industrial field

available in Muscat on visit visa

seeking suitable job .

Contact: 95868922, Email:

[email protected]

Indian Male MBA with two year

experience in H.R as a H.R As-

sistant, Now in India, Seeking

for an urgent suitable position.

Contact:-98620260 / 93895992 ,

Email:[email protected]

Indian male auto cad draughts-

man (civil) 8 years experience,

seeking for part time job mobile no:

0096899070584


8 years successful experience.

Senior Accountant, Indian male,

29 years, presently working in oman

as a senior accountant with oman

driving license. NOC available. seek

suitable opportunity.

gsm: 97705854

MISCELLANEOUS

MISCELLANEOUS

Business development Manager/Executive. Preferably minimum of

2 years experience. Valid driving

licence can apply on

[email protected]

Filipino Male looking for a job &

have experience in sales, waiter,

barista, technical support / customer

service with good communication

skills. # 91789465

PART TIME ACCOUNTANT, Indian

male, M. Com, 35 years, 12 Years exp.

in Accounts, 8 years in Oman. Knowl-

edge upto finalization. Having valid

D/L, seeks suitable Placement.GSM:

96249124

Egyptian Civil Engineer, total expe-

rience 7 years - 2 years experience

in Oman. I am looking for Project

Engineer, I have good experience in

site & office works.

Contact number:91148708

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: [email protected].

ACCOUNTING – Indian male seeking

accounting job with 2 years

experience in accounting.

Contact: 94263445, E mail –

contactantonyxavieranand@gmail.

com

Sudanese male: 27 yrs, 2 years ex-

perience in accounting, other experi-

ence (purchasing – HR - Coordinat-

ing and Office Management), looking

for a job Omani Driving License,

NOC. Contact: 94174403

24 year Indian Chartered Account-

ant male with 3yrs of experience is

seeking suitable placement in Mus-

cat, currently on visit visa & ready

to join immediately. Contact him on

98201476 or email at

[email protected]

Sudanese male (B.Sc, computer sci-

ence) (diploma computer engineer-

ing), 6 yrs. experience DBA oracle

PL-SQL, MS SQL - Server, MS visual

studio vba, network.

Contact 91415886

Syrian male 3yrs. exp in IT support,

Networking, Security systems, Serv-

er support, IT sales and marketing.

Valid Omani D/L seeking suitable

placement. Contact 91055584

PRODUCTION OPERATOR – Indian

male seeking production operator or

related jobs with 4 years of experi-

ence in oil & gas field. #94263445.


Indian Keralite Male 35 looking for

Scaffolding supervisor post having 5

years of Supervisor and HSE experi-

ence in GCC Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Fluent in English Arabic and Hindi .

Contact 96155921, or mail

[email protected]

Indian Male 28 yrs, having 7 years

Gulf + Indian experience in

HR and Admin field, looking for

suitable placement.

Contact: 97914340,


Indian Male 28 years MSM, B. Com

having 6years experience in Gulf

and India as a HR and Admin looking

for suitable placement.# :97914340.


B.Sc. Mechanical Engineer Suda-

nese 3 yrs of exp. In industrial field

available in muscat on vist visa

seeking suitable job .

Contact: 95868922, Email:

[email protected]

IT system and Printer engineer ME,

5Years bank IT Management exp in

India looking for full time job visit

visa contact 94462150

24 year Indian Chartered Account-

ant male with 3yrs of experience is

seeking suitable placement in Mus-

cat, currently on visit visa & ready

to join immediately. Contact him on

98201476 or email at

[email protected]

MCA IT Professional Indian Female

seek placement in Teaching/ Non

Teaching field. Presently on visit

visa. 9588 7051,

[email protected]

ACCA Affiliate, Indian, 2.5Years

experience in Audit/ Finance in Big

6 Audit Firm and Oil Accounting in

PDO, For Permanent Placement for

Finance or Accounts or Audit. Re-

lease NOC Available on hand.

Contact #95140445,

[email protected]

Finance ACCA Affiliate, Worked as

an Auditor with 2.5 Years Experience

in reputed firm, Handled independ-

ent audit/finance assignments,

Looking for permanent placement,

NOC available. #95140445.

[email protected]

Piping Design Engineer, Indian

male 27, looking for suitable place-

ment in Piping Design & Engineer-

ing. Having 7 years of experience in

AutoCAD. Also familiar with PDMS

(11.6 Version),CAESAR ll. Contact :

97351786 / 96143708, E-mail :

[email protected]

Sudanese male (B.Sc Computer sci-

ence) (diploma computer engineer-

ing) 6 yrs. experience DBA Oracle pl-

sql, MS sql-server ,ms visual studio

vba, network. Contact :91415886

Indian male with 8 yrs experience

in FMCG in Oman as Sales Supervi-

sor looking for suitable placement.

NOC available. Gsm: 96495206

Indian Male, Graduate, 11 years

Sales experience in Lighting /

Industrial products, ready to join

immediately. GSM: 9710 5356

Indian heavy duty driver with 8

years experience in oman available

with NOC. GSM : 93601943

GSM : 94496457

Over 15 years experience in Gulf.

Interior Architect, Lebanese Nation-

ality, on visit visa seeking a suitable

Placement. 96268005.

Indian male, 28 yrs MBA (HR/M) 2

years experience in Indian Oman in

HR & admin seeks suitable place-

ments. NOC available. # 97484159


M.Sc 3+ years exp from France &

India in IT Support Engineer / Hard-

ware & Networking / Server support

/ scientific system support looking

for suitable positions. Indian, male

on visit visa, contact 98898781/

[email protected]

Looking for managerial post (full

time ), More than Ten years of

experience in Team Development

,Training, planning, Administration,

Sales & Marketing, Advertisement

and Credit Control and Logistics.

#91076608 / 99322748. Release &

noc available

Indian male, 34years having 10

years of experience in Sales, Sales

Coordination and Administration.

Experienced in SAP and

MS Office. NOC available.

Contact # 94686594

Indian Male MBA Marketing/HRM

3 year experience with Omani D/L,

seeking suitable jobs.

Contact: 97424188


Indian, Male, 23 years, BE Electri-

cal, having 2 years experience in

Electrical Works-H.T. cabling etc,

& Construction, looking for a suit-

able placement. # +968 96927880

(Oman), +91 9765376109 (India),


Indian Female M.Com with Com-

puter Skills and Four Month Experi-

ence as Accountant ,Currently On

Family Visa Looking for a Suitable

Placement, Available Immediately.

Contact : 95846642,


ACCA Affiliate, Experience in audit/

finance of 2.5 years in Big 6 Firm

and Oil industry, looking for suitable

permanent placement, Release NOC

available. Contact: #95140445

[email protected]

B.Tech Computer Engineer Wanted

job to work on(IT/Banking/Admin-

istrator/Technical/Office works)

having NOC with the limited time

from (04/06/2015 to 13/06/2015).

Mobile:98402389

email:[email protected]

British Beauty Therapist looking

for suitable position. please contact

:97175240

Highly Qualified & Experienced

Finance Manager Pakistani with

USA , UK & Canadian Degrees , CPA

,ACCA-UK . MBA-USA ,IFA- Finan-

cial Consultants Canada , Corporate

Analyst USA Professional of Bank-

ing , Audits ,ERPs & Profit Maximi-

zations ( NOC available ) call 94

504505 – 94403270

27 year Indian female who has 4

years of experience with logistics

function in distribution of spares

for both heavy machinery & wind

turbine parts. Kindly contact me on

+91 9790769104

E-mail: [email protected]

Indian male Executive Secretary

having vast experience in admin,

logistics & procurement well versed

with computer .seek suitable place-

ment. Contact : 99514286

Indian male MBA (U.K), 10 Years

of experience in Admin, Sales, HR,

stores and logistics seeks suitable

placement. Contact 99271903.

Indian Female MCA, 4 plus Years

of experience in Web designing, Ad-

min, P.A, seeks suitable placement.

Contact 99486374

8 Years successful experience,

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT, Indian

male,29 years. Presently working in

Oman as a Senior Accountant

with oman Driving license seeks suit-

able opportunity. GSM: 97705854

7 and half years experience working

accounts / inventory manager look-

ing suitable job. Contact: 96991782


Indian female , MCA BCA, certifica-

tion PL SQL , 6months training PHP,

date warehouse looking for suitable

placement. #95694330 Email:

[email protected]

B.Com with more than 5 yrs exp.

looking for an accounts part tome

job work. know with tally.

[email protected]

Part- time accountant, well experi-

ence senior accountant , doing all

type of accounting works, finaliza-

tion, budgeting available.

Contact : 98803439

Indian male, looking for a part time

accounting job. Having additional

knowledge & experience in

HR admin & purchase.

Contact 99196621

HSE Advisor, NEBOSH IGC, Indian

male, 4 years experience in con-

struction and oil fields, seeking suit-

able jobs. Gsm: 97458900,

Mail: [email protected]

Highly Experienced Finance

Manager, CPA ,ACCA-UK . MBA-USA

, Professional of Banking, Audits ,

ERPs Sap , Management as Team

Leader and Problem Solver call 94

504505 / 94403270

Indian male MBA Finance presently

OMAN IN visit visa, 26 years, look-

ing for an accountant job.

Contact 95240641, email Id

mohammadabdulazharuddin@

gmail.com

Admin Executive, 31, Indian Male,

having 9+ years exp. in reputed

companies. Seeking suitable place-

ment in any gulf region. Contact

+968 99276601 & 97693456. email :

[email protected]

Indian Female, 24yrs, M.COM (Ac-

counts) having 3yrs experience

in Accounts, HR, Administration,

Customer Service. Good Computer

Proficiency. Seeking Suitable Posi-

tion. Visa Transfer/NOC Available.

Contact: 99654913

MEP Quantity Surveyor-Estima-

tion-Project, 10 Years Experience

(3 years in Oman). Having NOC &

Oman D/L, looking for suitable job,

Contact - 98291626

Indian house maid looking full time

job. Contact : 98254909

B.E. Civil Engineer age 27, total 3

years of experience in Mumbai look-

ing for placement asap in oman now

on visit visa of 1 month ph 9571 3441

Email. [email protected]

Indian Male, 29 years, CCNP, MCITP

having Bachelor degree and 6 years

of experience in Networking looking

for job. 96760618 /

[email protected]

Sudanese male, 31 year old, have 3

year Diploma in electrical engineer,

5 years experience in different activ-

ities . Mobile No ; +96894549609


SITUATION WANTEDCARGO

Dolphin Watch, Dhow Cruise

with Buffet, & Land Tours Al- Ainain

Marine Tours Contact- 98029602,

92808636

RENT A CAR

RENT A CAR

TOURS

GOOD NEWS

GOOD NEWS

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

Ayurvedic treatment for backache,

paralysis, arthritis etc & massage,

All Season (Vaidyaratnam).

Contact 24475280 / 95371554 /

92504980 www.siddhayur.com

Genuine Ayurvedic treatments &

massage, Ayurvedic clinic at

Al Khuwair. Contact 24478618 /

97263637 /93309131

Butter cup rent a car presents fantastic offers all vehicles are model 2016.

Contact : 97249449

Available car with driver daily,

weekly and monthly basis.

Contact : 95518612

Ayurvedic massage backache, joint

pain & neck pain etc.

Contact: 98254909

DRIVING

Learn driving with professional

only automatic. Contact

94022250

DAILY GUIDE Tel. 24726666 Ext: 413 / 430 431 / 456 / 461 Fax: 24812624


D8 S U N D AY, J U N E 2 8 , 2 0 1 5

SITUATION WANTEDSERVICES

SITUATION WANT-SERVICES

House shifting & transporting.

Contact 92490422

Carpet, curtain, sofa, floor,

cleaning, shampooing, marble &

mosaic tiles grinding, polishing

and painting. Contact : 93630133 /

95821193

House shifting packing.

99657644 / 98518013

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

WEBSITE

WEB, ERP and Business Intelli-

gence (BI) creation and man-

agement at rock bottom price.

Contact: http//webviewoman

CLASSES COMPUTER

ACCOUNTANTS AND CONSULTANTSWE ARE PROVIDING

ACCOUNTING/ AUDITINGTAX/ CONSULTING

CONTACT: 24 567 251 / 95 498 033

GUARANTEED CLEANING: Carpet

& sofa shampooing, Contact

99314807/24792998

MARBLE CRYSTALLIZATION restore the original shine of

your marble. Contact 24793614/

99314807

House shifting. Contact 99708138

Admission Open: CAMBRIDGE /

BILINGUAL CURRICULUM

admission started in Al Burj Private

School, Azaiba for KG and Grade I to

IV. Please register soonest.

Contact: 93211417 / 92887809.

Learn Cup cakes, exotic cakes, Icing

decorations, handicrafts.

Contact 95941515

SITUATION WANT-MANPOWER

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

Pest control Treatments, termites,

cockroaches, bedbugs Ocean Center

LLC. Contact: 99344723

Carpet, Sofa Shampooing. Ocean

Center LLC. Contact: 99884591

AC servicing maintenance fixing.

Contact: 99540621

MATRIMONIAL

MATRIMONIAL

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

Alliance invited for a Nair girl 24 yrs, 5ft, 1”, fair, slim, B.Tech gradu-

ate reputed family of Ernakulam

dist. (Star Thiruvonam Sudha-

jathakam) financially sound, from

parents of B.Tech nair boys from

Trissur, Palakkad and

Eranakulam dist. . Contact

00919495924302


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: [email protected] proofing ABUQABAS-

Contact 99320217/24788722

Marble Restoration, Mosaic tiles

polishing, carpet shampooing,

maintenance.Contact ABU QABAS-

99320217 /24788722

*Classified Advertisement space booking with text,

should be done till 12.00 noon for next day’s publication. * Subject to

space availability

CHANGE OF NAME

We, Kerala Ramakrishna Iyer Duraisamy Sankarasubramanian

(name of father as per the passport

holder of Indian passport No. F

8007576 and Neela Sankarasubra-

manian (name of the mother, holder

of Indian passport No. G 8659528)

having permanent address in 1/184

–A, Krishna Kumar Apartments,

Flat F2, Vembuli Amman Koil St.,

Madipakkam, Chennai 600091, Ta-

mil Nadu presently residing at the

following address in Muscat , P.B No.

3168, P.C No. 112, Sultanate of Oman,

hereby solemnly affirm and declare

to change the name of our child

Master Mohit Shankar (name as per

present passport), holder of Indian

passport No. J 3401979 date of is-

sue 07.12.2010 issued at Pune. The

name of our child will be henceforth

known as Sai Charan (given name)

Sankarasubramanian (Sur Name)

(new name for all purposes). Any

objection towards change of name

of our minor child may please be

communicated to Embassy of India,

Muscat, Diplomatic Quarters, Al

Khuwair, PB No. 1727, PC 112, Ruwi,

Sultanate of Oman.

Times Of Oman - June 28, 2015

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Transcript of Times Of Oman - June 28, 2015