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Oman Equestrian and Camel Federation (OECF) has
issued age regulation for racing jockeys and camels. The age
of each jockey should not be less than 18 years + they
should wear helmets and sports wear as permitted by the
OECF. The decision should be gradually implemented within
four years with effect from the season 2005-2006. Under-age
camels, the ‘Fatyim’ group is prohibited in races &
training.
(OA/GEN/7-08)
A mandatory Electronic Smart Card
is required by Non-Resident Indians who plan to
take up jobs across the world from August 1, 2005. The
following details will be included in the smart card: It
will carry all essential details of the person, contact
address back home, details of the sponsor, job contract, an
insurance coverage attached with valid documents and other
privileges from the company. This card can also be used as a
master card and will be the ultimate document for all legal
requirements. It will have a two-year validity. The card
will include insurance cover with additional fees to take
care of rehabilitation of returnees. A verification
statement based on attested education documents of the
applicant will also be added.
(OA/GEN/26-07)
Omantel Salalah Khareef Festival Offers!
*Get Free installation of fixed line connection
without the installation fee of RO 10 + Free Siemens Gigaset
worth RO 12. Existing fixed line subscribers can also avail
value added services like Caller ID, Call Waiting,
Auto-hunting and Call Conferencing without RO 5 fee.
*Get new OmanNet dial-up Internet subscription connection
worth RO 10 on New Internet connections as part of Omantel’s
PC bundled offer with 60 hours of Internet surfing time at
the rate of 6 hours per month for 10 months.
*Get PowerNet service for new subscribers with high-speed
broadband without the connection fee of RO 10 + an ADSL
modem and splitter worth RO 25 Free. This facility is
available with or without the PC bundle offer.
*Get Al Ufuq Internet prepaid card for RO 10 per card, the
service comes with 20 hours of Free surfing.
For more information visit
www.omantel.net.om
(OA/GEN/20-07)
Oman will
construct a reservoir with a capacity of 100 million
cubic metres of water in Wadi Dayiqah to provide an annual
supply of 35 million cubic metres of water to support the
water connection network of Quriyat and Muscat. The height
of the dam will be 73.6 metres and it will be 390 metres
long. The construction will be carried out in two stages, in
the first stage, the construction of a main dam and its
secondary structures will be completed in approximately 36
months. The second stage will include laying of the water
pipeline connection to Quriyat and Muscat in around 24
months.
(OA/GEN/20-07)
The Kuwait-based Arab Open
University to open a regional branch in Oman for independent
study in higher education by 2006. The Open
University will provide flexible timings to pursue higher
education for adults of all ages. AOU offers programmes in
higher (graduate) diploma in education, BA in English
language and literature, business administration, BA in
education/teacher training and BSc in computer
science/information. the students will be provided with the
textbooks and supporting notes, audio and video cassettes,
CD’s and online facilities. The regional branch will also
have library and computer based resources, including
multimedia work stations and personal computers for
independent study and scheduled tutor-assisted sessions with
regular assignments, periodical tests, term exams, projects
and a final exam at the learning centres. Presently, the
University has branches in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon,
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
(OA/GEN/20-07)
Official figures have shown that subscribers of the fixed
phone in Oman’s various regions amounted to
240,054 persons as at the end of April 2005, compared to
239,262 during the corresponding period in 2004,
constituting a 0.3% rise. 113,665 persons subscribed to the
fixed phone service in Muscat Governorate as at the end of
April 2005. Subscribers of the same service at the end of
April 2005 were 439,077 persons in the Batinah region,
245,25 in the Dakhiliyah region, 198,009 in Dhofar
Governorate, 198,011 in the Sharqiyah region, 151,082 in the
Dahirah region, 2,880 in Musandam Governorate and 205
persons in the Wusta region. The number of Internet service
subscribers rose by 3.1% at the end of April 2005 to reach
50,150 persons, compared to 48,657 at the end of April 2004.
(OA/GEN/18-07)
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(OA/GEN/6-07)
Port Services Corporation which operates and manages Port
Sultan Qaboos in Muscat plans to establish a shipyard in
capital city Muscat with the assistance of Dutch-based Breko
Nieuwbouw BV. The yard is proposed to initially
provide specialist maintenance and dry-docking services for
a variety of small and medium sized vessels, including
harbour tugs, fishing trawlers, private yachts and other
coastal vessels of up to a maximum of 10,000-12,000 DWT. The
modernisation plan envisions 1,050 metres of additional quay
wall and 2,000 metres of breakwater among other things. The
draft is proposed to be deepened to 18.9 metres, while 33
hectares of the new storage area is envisaged. Breko
Nieuwbouw BV is among the top three Dutch companies
specialising in the repair and construction of medium sized
ships.
(OA/GEN/14-07)
Oman to allow private radio and television
companies under the Royal Decree No. 95/2004. The firms are
closed-shares Companies owned by Omanis only and transfer of
shares to non-Omanis is not allowed. The Committee for
Private Radio and TV Companies will outline the general
media policy and follow up. A renewable licence will be
granted for 10 years and the firm has to start transmission
within a year of obtaining the licence. Programmes should
highlight Omani heritage, history and development. The fees
for the licence range from RO 30,000 to RO 120,000 depending
on the zone it covers. Firms that do not comply with the
conditions in the statute are bound to face disciplinary
action. The medium of transmission could be Arabic or
English. For any other language, approval of the Council of
Ministers is needed.
(OA/GEN/5-07)
ROP has installed mobile and fixed
radar-monitored surveillance equipment at major junctions
for monitoring traffic speed and to cut down fatalities. The
equipment will working 24 hours a day and is sophisticated
enough to detect all types of offending vehicles on all busy
highways. The equipment is being installed in all the
regions of Muscat, Al Batinah, Al Dakhiliyah, Dhofar and Al
Dahirah in accordance with a timetable. The whole process
will be completed by the year-end.
(OA/GEN/4-07)
US Embassy has launched a new website
www.oman.usembassy.gov for information about the
embassy’s latest events and activities, US visa application
procedures, embassy employment opportunities, commercial
services, academic and cultural exchange programmes
available for the Omani citizens. The website also features
latest highlights from USA updated on a daily basis,
official US government reports and speeches on variety of
topics are also available in a well-organised format.
(OA/GEN/22-06)
Juma bin Ali bin Juma, Minister of
Manpower has issued a ministerial decision
specifying professions when women could be employed for
night work. The decision asks employers to provide women
employed for night work protection, care and transport and
ensure their security.
It is allowed to employ women between 7pm and 7am in the
following situations, works and occasions:
Tourism and airline offices, airports and communications.
Hospitals, pharmacies, clinics and other medical
institutions.
Senior jobs that require high degree of trust.
Media and information.
Hotels, cinema halls and restaurants that meet required
conditions.
Security and guard services.
In celebrations, occasions and seasonal works as per
specified decisions.
Annual stock assessment, budget preparation and preparation
for sales as per specified conditions.
Nurseries and special needs homes.
If work is needed to avoid accident or loss or to meet
extraordinary work pressure as per conditions specified in
law.
Commercial centres and shops during Ramadan and three days
before Eid Al Adha.
According to Article 2 of the ministerial decision, women
may be asked to work till 10pm in the following works:
Women's beauty saloons and tailoring shops.
Civil society associations.
Education and training institutes.
Lawyers and accountants offices and similar professions.
Commercial centres.
(OA/GEN/22-06)
Log on to
www.omanmobile.om
for information about new services, offers and latest
information related to the company, activities, products and
downloads. On the home page, the website displays consumer
and business services, new offers, distinguished services,
company information, latest news, and areas of distribution.
Subscribers can send their suggestions vie the newly created
online forum
(OA/GEN/22-06)
ONA and Oman Mobile introduce the SMS
news service SABQ to provide Omantel subscribers with local
and international news snippets sent as SMS text messages.
The news will be sent to subscribers as SMS on mobile phones
during daily broadcasting hours and within
telecommunications network range. Visit
www.omanmobile.om
(OA/GEN/09-06)
Galfar Engineering & Contracting LLC
to build Southern Expressway, the 53.16km expressway will
link Qurum Roundabout and Al Naseem Roundabout in
approximately 51 months. The state-of-the-art Southern
Expressway will have 39 structures comprising bridges and
bypasses. The longest bridge will come up at Al Khoud.
(OA/GEN/08-06)
Oman to build $15 billion Al-Madina
al-Zarqa (The Blue City), the largest of its kind
in the Middle East. The project is entirely financed by the
Swiss-based Oppenheimer of North America along with other
consortia partners Bahrain based AAJ Holdings and the local
partner Cyclone LLC. Located on the seafront site of
approximately 35 square kilometres, Al-Madina al-Zarqa will
be built over a 15-year period. the first phase of the
project will begin at the end of 2005; it will include the
construction of hotels and apartments to be completed in
four to five years. Al-Madina al-Zaraqa will feature a port,
several five-star hotels, an aquarium city, two
international standard golf courses, swimming pools, tennis
courts, apartments, schools, hospitals and a theatre. The
residential quarters will be home to more than 200,000
permanent residents. Foreigners will be allowed to own
apartments in the new city with five-year visas for
apartment owners.
(OA/GEN/07-06)
The Geological Society of Oman will
set up Al Hota Cave Geological Museum as part of
the Tourism Development project in Al Hamra. The museum will
house geological specimens acquired from all around Oman.
Oman has rare geological wealth and is often referred to as
one of the geological wonders of the world. The Al Hota
Cave, one of the most spectacular cave systems, access
facilities will be being developed in the first phase with
reception facilities for tourists, a visitor centre with
mini-auditorium for video presentations, access road and
bridge leading up to the mouth of the cave. In the second
phase, a series of tunnels, walkways and a mini train
leading deep in the cave will be added. The cave is part of
the Al Hota-Al Falahi cave system which is 2.7 km tunnel
that runs north – south through the flanks of a mountain the
Central Hajar range. Branches and offshoots create a maze of
subterranean passageways, many of which are still off bounds
even to the most intrepid of cavers. A unique feature of the
cave system is a huge cavern called the Grand Chamber filled
with stalagmites and stalactites in every shape and hue. Two
huge underground lakes hold rare species of pink blind fish.
(OA/GEN/07-06)
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos has
issued Royal Decree establishing Oman Posts Company SAOC.
The Omani joint stock company’s assets, liabilities,
corporeal, personal and incorporeal rights, accounting
registers and books of the Directorate General of Posts are
owned by the government. The Directorate General of Posts in
Dhofar Governorate shall be transferred to this new company.
All post service buildings are also to be transferred to the
company at a nominal value of RO 1 with the exception of the
places designated for the Directorate General of Posts at
the Diwan of the Transport and Communications Ministry. The
company’s headquarters will be located in Muscat Governorate
and it can establish branches or offices inside Oman or
abroad. The company’s licensed capital at RO 6 million and
the issued capital at RO 3.5 million.
(OA/GEN/5-6)
The Dhofar Museum to be set up by the Ministry of Heritage
and Culture in Salalah. This new museum will
display regional collection, conservation, documentation,
interpretation and presentation of the rich and varied
natural and cultural heritage of Dhofar as the Oman’s
southern region. It will present a comprehensive view of
this region and its development from prehistory into the
present. It will build bridges between past and present as
well as between the cultural and linguistic traditions that
contribute to the Oman’s ethnic and cultural diversity.
(OA/GEN/5-6)
58,000 square metres of new mangrove sites have
been created throughout Oman since 2001 when the National
Mangrove Afforestation Programme was launched in
collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA). The project has been carried out in the
Governorate of Muscat (125 square metres), Batinah (30,710
square metres), Sharqiya (19,437 square metres), Al Wusta
(450 square metres) and in Dhofar (6,825 square metres) by
the Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and
Water Resources. The Ministry has established four mangrove
nurseries including two at Muscat's Qurum Nature Reserve,
one in Sur and one in Salalah. The Ministry is also
finalising plans to launch an Environmental Information
Centre at Qurum in collaboration with JICA this year.
Mangroves are instrumental in maintaining and building the
soil (protecting embankment along khawrs from erosion). Some
of the most dense and beautiful mangrove forests of Oman can
be seen in Qurum Nature Reserve and Mahout Island.
(OA/GEN/23-5)
Sultan Qaboos University College of Medicine and
Health Sciences has installed a state-of-the-art
telemedicine system with latest audiovisual and
videoconferencing facilities to connect the Hospital
operation theatres to the college with asynchronous transfer
mode (ATM) technology. The system can be connected via LAN
from anywhere in the hospital, such as radiology, clinical
physiology and hospital wards using portable units. The new
system has the potential application for exposing a large
number of students to surgical and radiological skills,
clinical physiology procedures and diagnosis procedures;
teaching microscopy to a large cohort; conducting
professional development training courses; remote diagnosis;
real time interactive broadcasting of conferences and
workshops; transmission of images to international
consultants for diagnostic verification of rare and complex
cases. Using LAN, the system can be connected to anywhere
within SQU and through four ISDN connections interaction
with institutions outside SQU (national and international)
is also possible.
(OA/GEN/23-5)
The Muscat Wastewater Project, a sewage project executed by
Oman Waste Water Services Company is expected to
serve 90% of the Muscat population by 2017. The project is
divided into three phases. The Bowshar project covers Helat
A'Saad, Madinat Al Ilam, Al Qurum, Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos,
Shati Al Qurum, Al Khuwair, Al Ghubra (North and South) and
Al Athaiba. The second phase will cover Wilayats of Al Seeb,
Al Amerat, Quriyat and part two of Darsait and part two of
Al Seeb, Al Bustan area and Al Hajir area will be covered.
Seven sewage treatment plants (STPs) will also be
established in Darsait, Al Ansab, Al Bustan, Al Seeb, Al
Amerat, Quriyat and Al Hajir. In the first phase, the
Bowshar project will connect to the Al Ansab STP. The Al
Ansab STP covering Bowshar is expected to be the largest
sewage treatment facility in Oman with a capacity of 52,500
cum/day. This STP will be adopting a unique 'membrane
bioreactor' technology, which will make it the largest
sewage treatment plant in the world.
(OA/GEN/13-5)
4 new strategic research projects for the year 2005-2006
granted by His Majesty’s Research Trust Fund have
been announced for postgraduate studies and research.
Biology and Molecular Mechanisms in the Pathogenesis of
Sickle Cell Disease in Oman led by Dr Salam Al Kindi,
College of Medicine and Health Sciences.
An integrated research programme in value-added
seafood/marine raw materials for health to be led by Prof.
Bassam Soussi, Unesco Chair in Seafood Biotechnology, SQU
College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences.
Reducing Losses and Improving Quality and Supply of Omani
Local Fresh Food Produce through Post-harvest Technology to
be undertaken by Prof. Linus Opara, College of Agricultural
and Marine Sciences.
Development of Distance Learning model for the Omani higher
education system (DLM-Oman) led by Dr Moosa Al Kindi,
assistant vice-president for Humanities Colleges.
(OA/GEN/8-5)
At the end of January-February 2005, the subscribers
of the fixed phone in Oman’s are 239,998 persons compared to
239,262 during the corresponding period in 2004,
constituting a 0.3% rise. 113,385 persons subscribed to the
fixed phone service in Muscat Governorate during January and
February 2005. Subscribers of the same service during
January and February 2005 were 44,301 persons in the Batinah
region, 24,473 in the Dakhiliyah region, 19,780 in Dhofar
Governorate, 19,757 in the Sharqiyah region, 15,204 in the
Dahirah region, 2,895 in Musandam Governorate and 203
persons in the Wusta region. The number of Internet service
subscribers rose by 0.9% during January and February 2005 to
reach 49,114 persons, compared to 48,657 during the same
period in 2004. The subscribers for GSM service fell by 0.7%
to 255,005 during the same period, against 257,003 persons
in 2004. Hayyak service subscribers were 596,489 during the
same period, compared to 548,993 subscribers in 2004
constituting a 8.7% rise, the number of subscribers of the
Sahl fixed phone service was 12,139 during the same period,
subscribers of the pager service were 10,332 and the telex
service subscribers were 218 persons during the same period.
The number of public phones in the Sultanate’s various
regions and governorates was 6,541.
(OA/GEN/1-5)
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, in
association with Lighthouse R&D Enterprises, a Houston-Texas
based research organisation aims to study deepwater current
phenomena off Oman’s coast to develop and manage its fishery
resources, as well understand deepwater ocean environment
like water currents, salinity and pH, and so on. Lighthouse
specialises in providing the latest advances in technology
to the petroleum industry related to deepwater field
development projects. The project will initially focus on
northern part of Oman at Shinas and Ras al Hadd on the
Sharqiyah coast. As part of the study, scientists will be
collecting data on current speed and direction, turbidity,
oxygen conductivity, temperature, pressure, etc. Four
perimeter arrays will be installed off Shinas, at depths
ranging from 50-1,000 metres, the farthermost located some
32 nautical miles from the coast. Three similar arrays will
be installed off Ras al Hadd in 3,000 metres of water,
approximately 50 nautical miles from the coast.
(OA/GEN/27-4)
Omantel will link 200 villages via WLL system
across the length and breadth of Oman at an estimated cost
RO 3.36 million. The telecom project will connect 200
villages of Oman by providing fixed telephone services via
Wireless Local Loop (WLL) system. In first phase, 83
villages will be linked and in the second stage 25,000 lines
will be laid out. The WLL system will provide fixed telecom
services to the public at large in the remote areas of Oman
that have not been connected to telecommunications systems.
The system is equipped with voice, low speed data, fax and
Internet services and leased lines covering villages within
the range of more than 30kms. WLL system will link several
villages in the Muscat, Dhofar, Sharqiyah, Batina and
Dakhliyah.
(OA/GEN/27-4)
Post offices in Muscat to handle the transactions
of the Directorate-General of Passports and Residency (ROP)
regarding the issue and renewal of passports, employment
visas, family visas, road permits and renewing residence
visas for foreigners against a nominal fee not exceeding RO
1. This will save time and effort particularly in places
which have no passports and residence centres and the post
offices remain open during the morning and evening
throughout the week.
(OA/GEN/27-4)
College for the maritime, port and port-related
industries will formally start accepting Omani and foreign
student applications for the foundation year which starts in
September 2005. Ships officers and port managers, operators
for the petrochemical, plastics and metal industry will be
trained in 2 and 3-year courses. The institute will also
offer short-term courses for industrial operators who have
already have basic technical education and other relevant
courses. The main building of the institute will be in Sohar
with branches in Salalah and Muscat. The shareholders of the
college are Government of Oman and the Shipping and
Transport College based in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The
Shipping and Transport College is one of Europe’s largest
specialised education and training institutes with over
4,500 students in the Netherlands and branches in over 20
countries worldwide.
(OA/GEN/27-4)
Omanis can now marry citizens of GCC
countries without obtaining special permission from the
Interior Ministry but the decision does not apply to Omanis
marrying non-GCC citizens even if they are residents of a
GCC country. The 1993 ministerial decision which governs
marriages with foreigners remains effective for all Omani
citizens wishing to marry non-GCC nationals. In 1980, Oman
adopted a law banning the marriage of Omani citizens to
foreigners in a bid to encourage marriages among Omanis.
(OA/GEN/17-4)
About 409 silver coins dating back to the Abbasid era
between (136-158 hijri and 252 – 320 hijri) have
been found in Bahil Maosoud Mountain, Yanqul in Dhahira
Region by a shepherd while grazing her cattle atop the
mountain in an old jar buried under the earth. The coins
were stored inside a jar made of saboni rock have survived
the tough humid weather conditions.
(OA/GEN/17-4)
Omantel has launched ‘Falcon Submarine Cable’
to link Oman with AGCC countries, India, Egypt and other
countries around the world. Falcon comprises two landing
stations in Muscat and Musandam. It will also minimise the
use of existing microwave links and enable Omantel to
acquire huge capacity under a 15-year contractual
arrangement. The western link of Falcon will land at Telecom
Egypt’s landing station at Suez, where the cable will
interconnect with other international networks. Falcon will
then follow a route through the Red Sea along the
east-African coast and across the top of the Arabian Sea
before landing in Oman. The Falcon system is funded by Flag
Telecom (a member of India’s Reliance Group) and Reliance
Infocomm. Falcon will interconnect seamlessly to India’s
domestic infrastructure including Reliance’s pan-India
80,000km high-speed backbone network linking nearly 700
cities across the country. For more information visit
www.omantel.net
(OA/GEN/13-4)
Site preparation work on The Wave,
Oman’s tourism and seafront residential development project
to begin in May. The start of construction of phase-1 of
involves reclamation of land, infrastructure development, an
18-hole PGA golf course and marina. The Wave, which will be
established along a beachfront of 7.3km just west of the
capital Muscat, is a joint venture comprising Oman’s
Waterfront Investments, representing the government of the
Sultanate of Oman, the National Investment Funds Company
that represents the Omani pension funds and state general
reserve funds, and the UAE’s Majid Al Futtaim Investments.
The second phase of the project will feature the development
of hotels, villas, condominium towers and upscale apartment
complexes, as well as retail and restaurant outlets.
(OA/GEN/28-3)
Badr Al Samaa Polyclinic has opened
Heart care facility in its new premises at Al
Khuwair. The new unit has full facilities for cardiac
monitoring with advanced multiparameter monitors, ECG,
non-invasive blood pressure, central venous pressure, PCWP,
advance cardiac life support, Transvenous pacemaker system,
state-of-the-art ventilator & Echo Colour Doppler system. Dr
Benny Panakkal, the medical director and cardiologist will
attend to the patients. For more information visit
www.badralsamaa.com
(OA/GEN/27-3)
To facilitate
travel of Omani and other Gulf nationals to the
Schengen states - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg,
Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Germany and
France have agreed to reduce processing time of Schengen-visas
to 2 working days with effect from March 21, 2005. The new
procedure will be followed and applied by all Schengen-visa
issuing European Embassies in Oman.
(OA/GEN/27-3)
Keep in touch with Roaming facility
to receive calls, send and receive SMS via Hayyak prepaid
cards in 77 countries and 167 networks. Roaming
charges will vary for different countries. For more
information call 196 or visit
www.omanmobile.om
(OA/GEN/24-3)
Oman Mobile, Oman’s pioneer mobile
telecom operator has unveiled 13 new offers!
25% cut in the GSM monthly subscription from RO4 to RO 3
Call anywhere in Oman at 49 baizas per minute at peak hour
and 39 baizas per minute at off-peak hour
RO 5 subscription fee waived off and roaming facilities
introduced where subscribers can receive calls and SMS in
167 roaming operators in 76 countries
Call tariff for pre-paid Hayyak subscriber’s remains the
same at 55 baizas for the peak period but off-peak hours has
been reduced to 45 baizas
The rate of the Hayyak starter kit has been reduced from
RO20 to RO14
Hayyak SMS for 10bzs per day, during both peak and off peak
hours
Extending the validity of Hayyak to 365 days instead of 150
days for all card denominations
Taif services, MMS facilitating picture message @ 50bzs per
picture and GPRS @ 3bzs per one kilobyte for Hayyak
subscribers. There is no activation fee or monthly fees for
these services, with only payment for the usage.
A new Hayyak RO 1.5 top-up voucher suitable for students and
low budget subscribers, which will soon be available in
Oman.
Oman Mobile has also introduced value-added services:
Miss call alert via SMS when the subscriber is off the
coverage area or off-service handset
Call forwarding, call identification, multiparty, auto fax &
data. Visit www.omanmobile.om for more information
(OA/GEN/20-3)
Nawras, Oman’s new mobile
communications operator introduces Nawras Ajel, Nawras
Mousbak and Nawras MousbakPlus services in Oman.
Nawras Ajel is the postpaid service charged at 39 baisa per
minute for the first five minutes and 19 baisa per minute
subsequently with activation charge of RO 19 and monthly fee
is RO 3.9. Nawras Mousbak prepaid service starts at 45 baisa
per minute (off-peak) and 55 baisa per minute (peak hours)
with activation charge at RO 14. Nawras MousbakPlus prepaid
plus service starts at 39 baisa per minute, the activation
charge is RO 14, inclusive of RO 5 free talk time, a monthly
fee of RO 1.9 and the same benefits as Mousbak. For the
postpaid service, uniform rates will be charged irrespective
of where the call is directed to. The Free services for both
postpaid and prepaid customers include caller
identification, picture messaging, voicemail and roaming
facility. The SMS charge for Ajel and MousbakPlus is 10
baisa per message while the charge ranges from 10 to 20
baisa for Mousbak. A special promotion until 15th June 2005
offers only 10 baisa per minute for calls made between
Nawras numbers on Fridays. Nawras services will be available
in Oman with it distribution partners such as Carrefour,
Spinneys Al Fajr, Lulu Shopping Centre, the Sultan Center,
Al Safeer, Al Burj, Select, Omanoil, Souk, Fono, Khimji
Ramdas and MHD. Nawras customers can pay their bills at 9
Nawras stores, BankMuscat or Oman Arab Bank 130 payment
outlets, 155 ATMs and 10 cash machines or via internet and
phone banking. Nawras stores located in Muscat are at Al
Araimi Complex, Al Azaiba, near Safeer Hypermarket, City
Centre, Sultan Qaboos University, Seeb International Airport
Terminal, arrivals, Al Mawali Shopping Complex, Seeb Souq
Street, Makha Business Centre, Ruwi High Street, in Salalah
at Al Zaki Building, next to Shell and in Sohar at Hambar
Street, Souq Area. For more information call the Nawras
Customer Champions on 1500 (free call from a Nawras phone),
visit us www.nawras.com.om
(OA/GEN/17-3)
The Ministry of Health to step up
its drive to combat
gastroenteritis among children under five years of age. A
two-year-long surveillance programme has been launched
across Oman to assess the prevalence of rotaviruses
responsible for causing gastroenteritis among children. A
global study commissioned by the World Health Organisation
has linked rotaviruses to 20-70% of all hospitalisations and
20% of all deaths from diarrhoea. The Health Ministry had
started a hospital-based sentinel surveillance programme
covering children under five. The data will help the
Ministry evaluate the local epidemiological and virological
features of these infections in young children and to
determine the need for vaccination in future.
(OA/GEN/14-3)
Private clinics will be included in
a panel for providing medical certificates
for expatriates seeking resident status or jobs in Oman.
These certificates are now given only by the MoH hospitals.
This will decrease the load at MoH hospitals. This will be
similar to the panel found in the seven Asian countries from
where the nationals obtain medical certificate to come to
any of the AGCC states including Oman.
(OA/GEN/14-3)
Omantel & Oman Mobile have launched automated bills
payment for fixed line, GSM and Internet bills round the
clock at convenient locations. As of now 20 collection
centres have been established across the country while more
collection centres will be established by the end of March
2005. These sophisticated machines are simple to operate and
accept Rials Omani, US Dollars and UAE Dirhams. The bar code
scanner attached to the machine allows customers to pay with
their original bills or alternatively customer can key in
their GSM or fixed line number. Omantel bills can also be
paid through Oman Arab Bank tellers, through OAB Fast Bank
machines, direct debit (for OAB customers), by OAB smart
cards, 39 branches of OIFC across Oman and 59 branches of
Oman National Electric Company in interior regions. Omantel
will also introduce SMS bill payment and phone banking soon.
(OA/GEN/14-3)
Al Hayat Polyclinic LLC offers
coronary angiogram facility
first time in Oman at its Heart and Lung Centre in Al
Khuwair for treatment of acute heart attack, unstable
angina, acute heart failure and acute respiratory
emergencies. The specialist team includes Dr Raman, Dr K. G.
Rajan, consultant pulmonologist, Al Hayat Polyclinic, Dr
Abdulla Amer Al Riyami, consultant from Royal Hospital, Dr
R. Subramaniam, consultant paediatric cardiologist from
Royal Hospital and Dr Gagan Manohar, former consultant at
Escorts Heart Institute. A state-of-the-art ICU equipped
with monitors, ventilators and pacemaker has also been set
up. Lifesaving emergency medicines, including clot busters
and other medicines required in the management of heart
attacks and other cardiac and pulmonary emergencies are also
available. An ambulance is also available for patients’
transfer. The clinic is open for 24 hours, seven days a week
for any emergencies.
(OA/GEN/5-3)
Digital Oman, a Quarterly bilingual magazine
to be published by Oman Establishment for Press, News,
Publication and Advertising, KOM and the Information
Technology Technical Secretariat. It intends to connect
Oman’s technopreneurs, ICT and government leaders. Digital
Oman’s 48 pages will cover latest ICT developments for all
sections of the community including investors, businessmen
and citizens. The features will provide up-to-date stories
and opinions from Oman and around the world to give readers
an inside look at Oman’s ICT landscape and the people
driving its development. The first issue will hit shelves in
the middle of April 2005.
(OA/GEN/3-3)
Omantel to reduce international
telecom tariff with effect from March 1, 2005.
*The new reductions are applicable to all Omantel services
including Hayyak, Jibreen, Sahl and Al Multaqa Prepaid
cards.
*The peak and off-peak timing remains unchanged (off-peak
rate starts from 7 pm - 8 am, Fridays and private sector
holidays).
*The pulse rate is been revised to 30 seconds pulse, after
the first full minute meaning the charges will be levied on
the first full minute and thereafter on every 30 seconds
irrespective of the duration for regular telephone, GSM and
Hayyak services. (At present, the fixed telephone and mobile
services are billed for one full minute even for call
duration of one second).
*The new off-peak rate for GCC countries like Bahrain,
Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia is 130 baisas, while peak
time rate is 190 baisas compared to 150 baisas and 225
baisas. *For UAE, it remains unchanged at 105 baisas in the
off-peak and 190 baisas in the peak time.
*The call rates for Arab countries (Algeria, Djibouti,
Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco,
Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen) USA,
Alaska, India has been reduced from 275 baisas to 200 baisas
in off-peak time and for the peak time from 350 baisas to
240 baisas.
*Tariff to Austria, Belgium, Bangladesh, Iran, Italy,
Pakistan, Spain, Sri Lanka and UK will be lowered to 215
baisas during off-peak time and 275 baisas during peak time.
*Tariff to Australia, New Zealand, Europe (selected), South
Africa, Japan, South Korea, Tanzania, South America
(selected), Philippines, Singapore & Turkey have been
reduced from 350 to 300 baisa during peak hours and 275 to
235 baisa in off-peak hours.
* Tariff for Albania, Anguilla, Antigua, Armenia, Barbados,
Belarus, Belize, Bermuda, Bhutan, Brunei, Burundi, Cayman
Island, Dominica Island, Grenada Guam, Guinea, Honduras,
Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan,
Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger,
Nigeria, Paraguay, Poland, Russia, San Marino, Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, St Kitts & Calicos Island, Uganda and Zimbabwe
start from 350 baisa during peak hours and 275 baisa in
off-peak hours. For more information visit
www.omantel.net.om
(OA/GEN/3-3)
The Muscat Private Hospital has started a
state-of-the-art CT scan services at its Diagnostic Centre.
CT (Computerised Tomography) scanners use sophisticated
X-ray equipment to obtain high quality internal images of
the body. The detailed cross-sectional information of
various body tissues and organs are reconstructed by the
advanced computer processing facilities. The new generation
CT/e machine provides the best online customer support and
it is possible to e-mail images and text to an online
support centre.
(OA/GEN/10-2)
An archaeological survey conducted recently in the Saluth
area under the supervision of the office of the
adviser to His Majesty the Sultan for cultural affairs. 15
archaeological experts participated in the survey at the
sites located in the area measuring 40x60 metre. The
archaeological findings discovered from the Saluth area date
back to 2000BC and beginning of 1000BC, which is
contemporary to the Majan civilisation. The survey indicated
that the Saluth area was one of the most inhabited seaside
areas in Oman since 3000 BC. One of the best buildings found
in the survey was a tower in the grave area. The survey
revealed that the inhabited areas were surrounded by strong
walls.
(OA/GEN/7-2)
Omantel to reduce international
telecom tariff with effect from March 1, 2005.
*The new reductions are applicable to all Omantel services
including Hayyak, Jibreen, Sahl and Al Multaqa Prepaid
cards.
*The peak and off-peak timing remains unchanged (off-peak
rate starts from 7 pm - 8 am, Fridays and private sector
holidays).
*The pulse rate is been revised to 30 seconds pulse, after
the first full minute meaning the charges will be levied on
the first full minute and thereafter on every 30 seconds
irrespective of the duration for regular telephone, GSM and
Hayyak services. (At present, the fixed telephone and mobile
services are billed for one full minute even for call
duration of one second).
*The new off-peak rate for GCC countries like Bahrain,
Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia is 130 baisas, while peak
time rate is 190 baisas compared to 150 baisas and 225
baisas. *For UAE, it remains unchanged at 105 baisas in the
off-peak and 190 baisas in the peak time.
*The call rates for Arab countries (Algeria, Djibouti,
Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco,
Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen) USA,
Alaska, India has been reduced from 275 baisas to 200 baisas
in off-peak time and for the peak time from 350 baisas to
240 baisas.
*Tariff to Austria, Belgium, Bangladesh, Iran, Italy,
Pakistan, Spain, Sri Lanka and UK will be lowered to 215
baisas during off-peak time and 275 baisas during peak time.
*Tariff to Australia, New Zealand, Europe (selected), South
Africa, Japan, South Korea, Tanzania, South America
(selected), Philippines, Singapore & Turkey have been
reduced from 350 to 300 baisa during peak hours and 275 to
235 baisa in off-peak hours.
* Tariff for Albania, Anguilla, Antigua, Armenia, Barbados,
Belarus, Belize, Bermuda, Bhutan, Brunei, Burundi, Cayman
Island, Dominica Island, Grenada Guam, Guinea, Honduras,
Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan,
Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger,
Nigeria, Paraguay, Poland, Russia, San Marino, Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, St Kitts & Calicos Island, Uganda and Zimbabwe
start from 350 baisa during peak hours and 275 baisa in
off-peak hours. For more information visit
www.omantel.net.om
(OA/REC/3-3)
National Oncology Centre at Royal Hospital built
at a cost of RO 7 million will serve as an extension of the
Royal Hospital for treatment of paediatric and adult cancer
patients. The centre features equipment for chemotherapy and
radiotherapy treatments, CT Scan, outpatient pharmacy and
cytotoxic drugs reconstitution laboratory and a department
for nuclear medication. patients from distant regions will
be housed at the Oncology Annex, which can accommodate 39
outstation patients accompanied by attendants. in the past
five years, there were as many as 4,246 cases of cancer,
occurring at the rate of 850 cases per annum. Cancer-related
deaths amounted to 9.4 per cent of the total number of
hospital deaths, making it the second killer in Oman after
heart and cardiac diseases.
(OA/GEN/9-12)
Expatriates or foreigners
will be able to own real estate property on a freehold basis
in integrated tourism-designated areas like The Wave, The
Muscat Golf course project, Al Sawadi tourism project in
Oman. A new law will be introduced to allow individuals —
expatriates and foreigners and corporate entities — to own
one or more real estate in designated tourism-related areas,
for residential or investment purposes. The real estate
bought should be developed within a maximum period of four
years from the date of purchase. Failing this, the ministry
will re-posses the property at the price of purchase or the
price of the property determined in a public auction,
whichever is lower. Owners will have the right to sell their
real estate, be it a developed property or land ready for
development. Based on this, the buyer and his/her family
will be granted residential visas in Oman and will not need
a local sponsor. Separate visas will also be introduced on
flexible terms for foreign visitors or freeholders. When the
property is passed on to the children or grandchildren,
visas will be granted to them.
(OA/GEN/9-11)
Online purchase of drugs and
medical formulations from cyber pharmacies are
strictly banned in Oman and are liable to fines and legal
action, according to Sawsan Ahmed Jaffer, Director-General
of Pharmaceutical Affairs and Drug Control. Purchase from
online pharmacies and even personal drugs brought by
patients into the country are subject to Omani rules and
regulations enforced by ROP, Customs and other government
departments. Ministry of Health is undertaking
post-marketing surveillance measures through inspection of
pharmaceutical establishments and random samples for
analysis. The Pharmacy Practice Law issued under Royal
Decree 41/96 stipulates various penalties for violations
related to online prescriptions and counterfeit drug
imports. A Pharmaceutical Violation Committee also
investigates offences and prescribes fines or other legal
actions against errant pharmacies or pharmacists.
(OA/GEN/9-11)
Omantel has launched a Fixed Prepaid Service ‘Sahl’
with rental of RO 1.600 per month + Caller ID Phone, Jibreen
Card worth RO 3 & Installation as an Introductory offer.
Unlike the Fixed Postpaid Service which requires most
applicants to provide an initial deposit or a guarantee
letter from the employer and other formalities, the Fixed
Prepaid Service will be offered against a Labour or ID Card.
The rental for this service can be paid yearly or
half-yearly. Caller Line Identification (CLI) and
call-waiting features are offered Free. The incoming calls
will also be offered Free of charge round the clock.
Outgoing calls can be made with the use of a Jibreen Prepaid
Calling Card which can also be used from any fixed telephone
or payphone anywhere in Oman. Internet can be accessed by Al
Ufuq Internet prepaid card or a permanent OmanNet dial-up
account. For more information visit Customer Service Centre
or call 198 or log on to
www.omantel.net.om
(OA/GEN/4-10)
Oman Mobile has launched the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) for mobile users in
Oman based on the next-generation GPRS technology. ‘Abu Taif’
or spectrum of colours is Oman Mobile’s new mascot for WAP &
MMS service. The service enables postpaid GSM subscribers to
avail WAP and MMS services for 3 baizas per Kb on sending
and receiving pictures, mobile gaming, chatting, downloading
music, ringtones, screensavers, wallpapers, logos and
participating in contests. Taif is available for GSM
subscribers without a subscription fee. To activate a mobile
phone for WAP and MMS, send an SMS to 90013, Oman Mobile’s
Contact Centre with details of the handset model. A typical
SMS is ‘WAP 6600 E’, where 6600 stands for the model number.
Most handsets above the RO 40 price range are already GPRS
compatible and thus ready for WAP and MMS. The GPRS is known
as the 2.5G mobile technology, which enables high-speed
wireless Internet and data communications over GSM mobile
networks. For more information visit Taif at
www.wap.omanmobile.com or call 196 or visit Abu Taif at
your nearest Oman Mobile counter.
(OA/GEN/22-09)
A MoU was signed to develop the first phase of
WAVE seafront resort on coastline between Al Azaiba and Al
Hail north covering RO35 million ($90 million) with Majid Al
Futtaim Investments, Dubai. Work will start to reclaim land,
build the infrastructure and construct select landmarks of
the Wave such as an 18-hole PGA golf course and a marina
with yacht club. The luxury hotels and exclusive villas and
condominiums of the resort will be constructed in the second
phase. Realisation of the Wave will occur in two major
phases, covering four zones. Zone1A and 1B constitute
corresponding core elements of the project. Muscat
Municipality will create the public beach at the eastern end
of the project during the first phase. Zone 2 will be
developed in the second phase. Investors will join Oman
Tourism Development Company to develop the grounds and
create a five-star spa and beachfront resort hotel as well
as golf and conference resort hotel, an exclusive
condominium tower providing a visual landmark, as well as
505 premium golf and luxurious beach villas. In Zone 1B, the
OTDC will invest in building a marina and yacht club at the
marina village. This phase will also see an exclusive marina
boutique hotel, luxury condominium towers and low-rise
upscale marina apartment buildings, home to 850 individual
flats, as well as 15,000 square metres of premium shops and
fine restaurants and a world bazaar with traditional souk.
Zone 2 will be situated between the landscaped golf course
and the marina village. Here, a medium-density beach
residential community with 230 spacious villas and a beach
sports resort hotel will be built to complete the Wave. For
more information visit us at
www.thewaveoman.com
(OA/GEN/20-09)
Dr Ali bin Mohammed bin Moosa, health minister
has unveiled 14 major goals of the Ministry of Health aimed
at strengthening health service infrastructure and health
programmes in Oman as part of the Sixth Five-Year Plan. a
genetic health service centre will be built in a phased
manner opening the doors to a range of genetic services.
Plans are already underway to improve laboratory diagnostic
facility by developing molecular diagnostic tests for sickle
cell and beta thallassaemia.
the current five-year plan prime goals of the MoH are:
· Reduction of the prevalence of malnutrition among
under-five year children from 18 percent to 14 percent
· Reduction of the yearly occurrence of pulmonary
tuberculosis that have positive sputum to three (3) cases
per 100,000 population
· Reduction in the prevalence of diabetes from 10 percent to
9 percent of the population above 20 years
· Reduction of loss of vision from 1.1 percent to 0.8
percent and to be less than 1.2 percent in every region
· Prevention of infection by the Aids virus and STD
(sexually transmitted diseases)
· Reduction in the number of injuries from accidents by 25
percent
· Development of a comprehensive health education plan
focused on child health, maternal health and safe lifestyle
· Provision of Omani human resources required for the health
activities through training of medical staff, integration of
health education in the curricula of medical college and
nursing institutes
· Complete coverage of the Sultanate by health centers,
health compounds and mobile unite to reach 100 percent by
2005
· Reduction of the reproductive rate from 4.6 children to 4
per woman
· Agreement on a unified organogram for the referral
hospital in the Sultanate
· Reaching an average of two (2) drugs per prescription in
the facilities of primary healthcare
· Activating the policies of health research
· Effecting the comprehension and commitment of the policies
of the development of human resources of health staff at the
different administrative levels.
(OA/GEN/7-09)
The government has formulated a
master plan
for sustainable development for the turtle reserve area in
eastern Sharqiyah region at Ras al Jinz and Masirah Island.
The plan will be implemented in different phases by the
Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water
Resources, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of
Heritage and Culture. The first phase includes the
establishment of a modern visiting centre for the scientific
community specialising in turtle conservation and a 4-star
hotel to cater to the increasing number of visitors arriving
to watch nesting green turtles Ras al Hadd and Ras al Jinz
areas. The 65-km tarmac road from Sur to Ras al Jinz has
been recently completed. Another road linking Ras al Hadd
with Sur is also progressing to be ready next year. The
construction of the visiting centre will begin this year.
The visiting centre will have an exhibition hall displaying
the diversity of the area and the life cycle of turtles,
another hall will display the archaeological discoveries
dating back to 4,000 BC, made in the area, a library
accessible to professionals engaged in turtle research,
besides a laboratory to facilitate turtle research. Small
pools for hatchlings and adult turtles will also be built as
part of the centre facilities. Accommodation facilities will
also be available for scientists doing research activities
at the centre, besides an administrative office building.
The new centre will be ready in 2005. The new 4-star hotel
will come up close to Ras al Jinz turtle conservation area.
a special package for watching nesting turtles will also be
offered to tourist after the completion of a hotel project
in Masirah Island next year. Masirah Island turtle reserve
area hosts four species of turtles which nest in different
seasons and is the only place in Oman where Olive Ridleys
nest. The world's largest population of loggerhead turtles
is also seen here, besides nearly 1,000 green turtles nest
every year.
(OA/GEN/5-09)
The new chip-based multipurpose ID
card
for Omanis and residency card for expatriates can be
obtained in Muscat, Salalah, Sur, Samayil, Ibri, Sohar,
Haima, Ibra, Nizwa, Al Buraimi, Al Rustaq and Khasab. In
Muscat Governorate, two offices issuing residency cards are
located in the Civil Status Centre near Al Athaiba Police
Station in front of Seeb International Airport roundabout.
The application forms can be obtained from Civil Status
centres, Sanad offices, (document clearance offices) and the
Civil Status website. The multipurpose card has an inbuilt
electronic chip which contains data of the holder including
a photograph, signature, civil number, civil register data,
passport number, address and details of the driving license.
This card will speed up the administrative procedures and
electronic validation at immigration check points.
The new smart card will be issued to all Omanis from the age
of 15 years and above. The card is mandatory for males but
optional for females. To obtain a card, the documents
required are birth certificate, copy of the passport, along
with the original passport or the parents’ identity cards in
case the applicant does not have a passport. An
authenticated certificate from the Shaikh or Wali, where the
parents do not have passports or identity cards in addition
to a medical certificate (including the blood group) and one
photograph.
All resident expatriates and their families both male and
female aged 15 years and above have to apply for residency
cards. The required documents are one photograph, letter
from the employer (for those working in the public sector),
and a notification from the Ministry of Manpower for those
working in private sector establishments.
For the expatriates born in Oman and aged 15 years and
above, the following are required: personal passport or the
passport in which his/her name is registered, photograph and
a birth certificate if the applicant does not have a
passport.
The Directorate-General of Passports and Residency will
renew the residency cards. The grace period for renewing
expatriate residency cards is 30 days, after which a fine
will be imposed in case of delays. Expatriates already
residing in Oman need to have their existing labour cards
replaced with the new residency card after January 1, 2005,
whenever their labour cards come up for renewal. Expatriates
carrying a one-year residency visa would be charged RO 5
annually, while RO 10 should be paid as processing fee for
every two years card, renewal and duplicate card in case the
original is lost or damaged.
(OA/GEN/31-08)
Beginning October 26, 2004,
all travellers who are visiting USA from the 27 countries
participating in the Visa Waiver Programme must present
either a machine-readable passport or a valid US visa upon
entry in the United States. All VWP travellers will also be
required, beginning September 30, 2004, to enroll in
US-Visit, a programme involving a digital photograph and
finger scans. These countries are Andorra, Austria,
Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,
Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland and the United Kingdom (For citizens with the
unrestricted right of permanent abode in England, Scotland,
Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of
Man). For more information visit
http://travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_novisa_waiver.html,
for complete information on US visa requirements, including
studying, doing business or just visiting at website
http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/
(OA/GEN/22-08)
MSEC has launched Maestro X-change
Prepaid Card in Oman
in association with Arab Financial Services. This reloadable
prepaid Card is accepted worldwide for cash withdrawal at
ATM machines with the MasterCard or Cirrus logo. It can also
be used to make over-the-counter purchases at outlets
accepting Maestro Card. To purchase the Card, customers can
deposit a specific amount of money (maximum $10,000) at any
of the MSEC branches in Oman. It is available in US dollars
and Euros. A supplementary card can also be issued to access
the account abroad and immediate transfer of funds. Services
offered are currency remittance abroad and currency exchange
including traveller?s cheques. Available at all the Mustafa
Sultan Exchange Company at Ruwi, Muttrah, Ghala, Seeb, Barka,
Ibri, Sohar, Sur & Salalah.
(OA/GEN/15-08)
All individuals including children
who apply for UK Visas need to hold their own
travel documents. Dependants travelling on a parent’s travel
document will each require a separate vignette. For example,
one adult and two children will need three double-sided
pages in a passport. Photo vignettes will come into use for
all applicants for UK visas from September 1, 2004. It is
also required that an application form is completed for each
applicant, including each child. For more information call
Consular Section at the British Embassy at 609000
(OA/GEN/3-08)
New rules relating to domestic
employees have been announced by the Ministry of
Manpower issued by Royal Decree No. 35/2003. According to
new rules, the employee has the right to end a contract if
he/she proves that the employer or one of his family members
assaults him/her. The employer should pay the employee a
monthly salary in national currency within seven days of the
end of each month plus free food, accommodation and medical
treatment. The employment contract which should be written
in the Arabic language should be signed by both parties. The
employee is entitled to a ticket to his/her country if the
employer wishes to end the contract during the three-month
probation period, during the contract period or at its
expiry. The employee is also entitled to a return ticket to
his/her home country for the leave agreed in the contract.
Any dispute between the two parties will be undertaken by
the labour department within two weeks. If it fails to set
the matter, the department would transfer the dispute to the
court concerned.
(OA/GEN/25-07)
ROP has opened 4 Rescue & Ambulance Posts
at Adam-Thumrait road leading to Dhofar for providing
assistance to road users during Khareef Festival. The posts
can be contacted on the following numbers Al Zamain —
9248101, Al Ghafatain — 9248092, Gatabait — 9248105 & Seeh
Al Khairat — 9248106
(OA/GEN/17-07)
Oman Mobile has launched a
multi-functional text service ‘Hala’ that means ‘hello’, for
its customers.
Hala is a mobile-based infotainment service which will
provide specific information in text message format to
mobile phone users. Information alerts will be provided for
Breaking News, Business headlines, Industry headlines, IT
headlines, Entertainment headlines, Sports headlines and the
Weather Channel. Other channels available are Joke of the
Day, Quote of the Day, Horoscopes, Banat, Women’s Channel,
Shabab (Youth) Channel, Heart2Heart, Charts — Top 5 English
Movies and Charts — Top 5 English Songs and downloading
ringtones and screensavers. Customers can also request
single content information to be sent on demand. For
subscribing to the service, send a text message to 90011,
subscribers will be charged for each message delivered
according to the tariff applicable. Mustafa Sultan
Telecommunication Co. LLC along with its Dubai-based
technology partner Info2cell will provide specialised
information in text message format for Oman Mobile
customers. OMTC will charge subscribers a monthly tariff
ranging from RO1 to RO1.500 depending on the channel
subscribed. As a Special Offer, Oman Mobile is offering a
Free Trial Period on any two channels from June 8 to 22,
2004, available in both English and Arabic.
(OA/GEN/12-06)
All births &
deaths occurring in Oman should be reported
within 2 weeks from the date of birth & death for Resident
Expatriates at the Civil Status Centres. The documents
required for Birth Registration are: Birth notification from
the Ministry of Health, the resident card or the passport
for both parents & marriage certificate. The document
required for death Registration are: Death notification from
the Ministry of Health if the death occurred in hospital,
the resident card or the passport & a letter from the
embassy notifying the burial should be completed in Oman or
the deceased body should be sent out of the country.
Marriage & divorce certificated are issued from the Ministry
of Justice within 30 days from the date of marriage or
divorce according to the Civil Status System. Tel: 714466,
Fax 711200, visit us at
www.civilstatus.gov.om
(OA/GEN/5-05)
A new Service
for receiving drug and crime information has been
started by the Royal Oman Police. Nationals & expatriates
can inform ROP of these crimes on Toll Free no 1444. The
identity of informants will be kept secret.
(OA/GEN/5-05)
Travelex Money Exchange at Seeb International Airport will
accept visa payments on behalf of the ROP Immigration
Services in most currencies or by credit card to issue visas
from April 1, 2004. The passengers can make their visa
payment at Travelex in immigration hall before moving on to
the ROP Immigration Desk. Computer system will generate an
automatic receipt for the customer to be presented to the
immigration officer at the immigration desk. This method
will reduce immigration queues and speed up the processing
time at the immigration points for the visitors.
(OA/GEN/19-04)
Royal Oman Police to introduce ambulance services
for
medical care for patients or injured during accidents. The
medical service can reach the patient within ten minutes to
offer first aid and transport them to hospitals. Five
doctors and 11 nurses have been trained at George Washington
University to specialize in medical emergency will be
available especially for this service. The ROP ambulance
service will cover all parts of Muscat governorate. Several
ambulance vehicle stations have been selected for a rapid
response. The ROP Ambulance vehicle can be requested by
calling emergency number 999.
(OA/GEN/3-04)
Oman will start first toll-free hotline service for HIV/Aids
patients. Located at the Muscat governorate health services
centre in Ruwi near Al Falaj Hotel, is one of the two
centres established within the comprehensive HIV prevention
services pilot project in Oman. This pilot project sponsored
by Unicef in partnership with UNAids, WHO & the Dutch
Embassy will target adolescents between 15 and 25 in
secondary schools, youth and sports clubs and scouts camps,
and in remote areas in Muscat and Sur regions. The services
will function during afternoon/evening hours, and partly on
the weekends. The centre will be equipped with four jumping
lines and two operators/counselors, two confidential phone
booths. The counsellors will be trained by a specialist
counsellor for the first two months. There will be direct
access to a regional HIV website in Arabic with a bulletin
board chatting facility and linkages to other useful HIV
sites. Confidential counselling and testing services will be
provided through the centre. The testing service will be
attached to MoH facilities or referrals made through the
hotline and center to specialised clinics/labs/blood bank or
hospitals for testing. Counselling services on the other
hand will be provided onsite in the centre and/or cases get
referred to counsellors outside the centre within the health
system at large.
(OA/GEN/8-12)
Historical Association of Oman organizes field trips giving
close insight into Oman’s historic past and its beauty. For
more information about the expeditions contact Membership
Secretary Rosemary Hector on 563074 or Patricia Groves at patricia@cfbtoman.com
(OA/GEN/10-10)
According to Royal Decree no 91/2001 (Amendments to Traffic
Law no 28/93, Reckless Drivers will be punished in the event
of accidents causing major injuries to third parties,
serious property damage or third-party death. These
circumstances are (a) Driving in a rash manner without due
care or diligence, (b) driving in inebriated condition under
the influence of drugs or alcohol, (c) overtaking in
dangerous places where it is banned and (e) driving in a
manner that constitutes danger or that puts the lives of
persons or property at risk.
Severe punishments will be applicable if accidents lead to
(a) death of a person(s), (b) bodily injuries to third
parties that make them unable to attend to their work for a
period exceeding more than 10 days.
The Royal decree has also amended the renewal norms for
vehicle registration with effect from November 1. The
application for renewal of vehicle registration has to be
submitted to the ROP one month prior to the expiry of the
vehicle. ROP can impound the vehicles in the event of
failures to renew registration within three months from the
date of expiry. The delay can cause 20% fine of the
registration fee for the first 6 months, 40% for the second
6 months and 50% for period exceeding 1 year. The use of
opaque windows, reflective lights and devices creating alarm
on vehicles have also been banned.
(OA/GEN/05-10)
Non-Muslims permitted to visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand
Mosque on specified hours and proper dress code that
preserves the sanctity of the mosque. Visiting hours are
from 8am - 11am from Saturday through Wednesday. No visit
ors will be allowed on Thursday and Friday. Men should wear
suitable clothes that are not short while women should wear
clothes that cover their bodies from head to toe. Children
under 10 not allowed to the prayer halls. GSMs should be
switched off before entering the prayer halls.
The Grand Mosque was inaugurated this year is the largest
mosque in Oman. The mosque has an affiliate Quranic School,
an institute for Islamic science and a library with 20,000
reference volumes covering a range of Islamic and human
sciences and culture and rare manuscripts. The Mosque covers
an area of 416,000 square metres and the complex is built
over an area of around 40,000 square metres. The three
entrances consist of three pedestrian passageways leading
into the grounds of the complex, each ending in its own
separate open area. Architectural interior combines various
features of traditional Islamic arts and crafts. All the
decorative architecture used in the designs of the walls,
ceiling and screens are based on Omani styles.
(OA/GEN/13/08)
Five historical sites in Oman's southern Dhofar region have
been granted heritage status by Unesco's World Heritage
Committee. These sites formed vital links in the ancient
frankincense trade route. These sites are Khor Rori, Shisr,
Ubar, Bilad and Wadi Daika. Four other historical sites in
Oman that enjoy world heritage status are Bahla fort, Bat
tombs, Wadi Al Ain and the Al Maha natural sanctuary.
Khor Rori or Sumharam finds mention as Moshca port in some
Greek texts originating in the 2nd century. Shisr and Ubar
were trading towns on the frankincense trail, which extended
from the southern Arabian Peninsula to the desert expanse of
Rub al Khali. Ubar, according to archaeologists lies to the
north of the governorate of Dhofar. The first century
Batlimos map referred to as an important Omani market. Al
Bilad according to researchers was inhabited during the late
5th millennium BC. Wadi Daika has a unique natural habitat
that nurtured frankincense trees. Don't miss them when you
visit Salalah next!
(OA/GEN/22-02)
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