What's happening in and around Oman this May

Best foot forward
Oman will have its largest ever presence at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) this year when the Middle East’s premier travel and tourism event runs at the Dubai World Trade Centre from May 2-5. Omani exhibitors, spearheaded by the country’s Ministry of Tourism, have booked a total of 320 square metres – an increase of 17.4 per cent over last year.

The Ministry of Tourism intends to use ATM to highlight the country’s appeal, encompassing ecotourism projects, adventure tourism and its historical and cultural sites. “Oman has a stunning range of attractions for all types of tourists including nature lovers and those interested in heritage and culture,” said Salim al Mamari, the ministry’s director general for promotion. “We have added a number of new visitor attractions to include outdoor activities such as trekking, diving, cave exploration, mountain climbing and new desert camps and golf courses.”

ATM 2006 has already attracted exhibitors from 47 countries, including 46 national and regional pavilions with the number expected to grow in the weeks leading up to the event. In 2005, Oman registered an eight per cent increase in the number of licensed accommodation establishments and a 15 per cent rise in the number of hotel rooms, taking the total number of rooms available for tourists in the country to 8,082.

The event will also feature 12 seminars covering topics impacting the regional and international travel and tourism industry.

Oman Awards for Excellence 2005
The eighth edition of the Oman Awards for Excellence, one of the most prestigious accolades in business for outstanding performance in the private sector, announced this year’s finalists for each category. Although the five finalists for the Flame of Excellence were announced earlier, the finalists in all the remaining award categories were announced on April 16.

The final judging process for the awards will begin in earnest in the early weeks of May, with a distinguished panel of judges given the task of selecting the winner in each category. The Oman Awards for Excellence 2005 will take place at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel on May 13. It is organised by the Omani Centre for investment Promotion and Export Development (OCIPED), Ernst and Young, Trowers and Hamlins and BusinessToday.

The finalists who have been announced are Al Jazeera Tube Mills Company SAOG, Ali and Abdul Kareem Group and Oman Cables Industry SAOG for the category Exporter of the Year, sponsored by Export Credit Guarantee Agency. Muscat Diving and Adventure Centre, Safeer Group of Hotels and Zahara Tours have been nominated for the Tourism Award sponsored by Oman Air, while Bank Muscat, Safeer Group of Hotels and Taageer Finance Company SAOG have been nominated for the category People Development Award sponsored by TheWeek. The three nominees for the Public Service Initiative Award category sponsored by OCIPED are Muscat Securities Market, Ministry of Manpower and the Ministry of Sports Affairs. The nominees for the Entrepreneur of the Year category sponsored by Omantel are Oman International Trade and Exhibitions, while Occidental of Oman LLC, Oman Refinery Company LLC and Petroleum Development Oman have been nominated for the Environmental Award sponsored by Sohar Aluminium.

Spreading IT
The Bairaha Global Institute in Qurum recently opened its doors to the students in the sultanate who wish to hone their skills with at information technology (IT). The institute offers both basic and advanced levels courses in English, Arabic and computers.
H H Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq al Said, adviser to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, inaugurated the institute.

“This institute is aiming to spread IT education among young Omani students. Such courses are very much in demand these days,” said His Excellency. Congratulating the institute’s authorities, he added that promoting IT education was in line with the strategy of His Majesty to raise the level of education and qualification of students in the sultanate. The institute provides state-of-the-art equipment and qualified instructors to its students. Giving an outline of the courses on offer, marketing manager Raddad Samir Ibrahim said, “We has four departments: IT, multimedia, English and Arabic. The IT department mainly focuses on certifications by Microsoft and Cisco. Our multimedia programme will also focus on designing and photography.”

The institute offers English and Arabic as second languages in its curriculum. The English course has been divided into six levels. The institute also provides TOEFL and IELTS preparation courses to strengthen learners’ performance according to such standards as accepted abroad.

Save water
‘Be Water Wise,’ a campaign that aims to create awareness about water conservation, has been launched by the The Body Shop. The campaign was flagged off on World Water Day, March 22. The global campaign aims to promote the sustainable use of water. It is all about changing attitudes towards water and educating people not to take this vital resource for granted. To achieve this goal, it is distributing leaflets with tips on conserving water. Inexpensive but effective, these ideas are easy to put into practice.

All outlets will also distribute a series of reminder stickers which can be placed on various accessories in the house.

Changing the status quo
British rock band Status Quo is set to perform live in Muscat. They will be at the InterContinental Muscat at 9pm on the 18th of this month. You can pick up your tickets from the hotel or the OUA outlet at Madinat as Sultan Qaboos. The group was founded by bassist Alan Lancaster and guitarist Francis Rossi in 1962. They began as a rock and roll freakbeat band called the Spectres.

Admissions open at Emirates Aviation College
Admissions for the next academic session, which starts in September, at the Emirates Aviation College – Aerospace and Academic Studies is now open to those who wish to pursue a career in the aviation industry. The degree courses in aeronautical engineering, air transport management and tourism management, each of which last for four years, are accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Vocational training programmes are also available where students can earn their diplomas in aerospace engineering, business management, travel and tourism management and electronic and computer engineering. The college was also present at the recent Gulf Education and Training Exhibition, Dubai, and attracted large numbers of young students to its stand. A team comprising members of the college’s
faculty handled the steady stream of queries on the various degree and diploma courses. 

Changing the environment
The Environment Society of Oman (ESO) held its first annual general assembly (AGA) recently. It was preceded by an extraordinary general meeting (EGM), during which a few motions to bring about changes to the ESO were passed.

The EGM reduced the number of board members from 12 to eight. The individual non-student membership fees will also be brought down by RO5 to RO10, starting January 2007. The prerequisite for board membership was also reduced to a six-month ESO membership period from the previous two years, as was the number of backing members for board nominees - to ten from the initial 25. Members approved both the administrative and financial reports for the period ended December 31, 2005. Additionally, elections were held for the executive board for the coming two years. The newly elected members are H H Sayyida Tania bint Shabib al Said, Dr Mehdi Jaafer, Osamah Abdullatif, Lamya al Kiyumi, Lamees Daar, Nasser al Maskari, Yasser Macki and Ahmed al Sabahi.

ESO is a non-governmental society founded in 2004, which aims to help conserve Oman’s natural heritage and raise awareness about issues affecting the environment. The society conducts various awareness and hands-on projects on terrestrial and marine conservation. Students, adults and corporate bodies can register to become members. For more information and membership details, visit www.environment.org.om

Going Dutch
Tonny Holsbergen is not new to Oman. The Dutch artist has had a fruitful relationship with the sultanate ever since her first trip five years ago. Tonny’s has been a journey of an artist discovering her subject over time. From the Dutch Ambassador’s residence to the Bait Muzna Gallery and the Al Bustan Palace Hotel, the collection of Tonny’s works on desert life has been doing the rounds of Muscat’s art circuit.

The first time Tonny got here was on invitation from the Omani Society for Fine Arts, for the Khareef Festival at Salalah in 2001. “For the artist, the desert affords excellent contrasts of light, and all the contours can be captured, if you just wait enough. I am interested in the desert, because that form of life will fade soon,” says the artist. “I hope some day Omani people remember me for trying to capture a way of life unique in the world.”

Although her favourite medium is pastels, she has experimented with watercolours, linocuts and even handicrafts. Tonny wonders how arts and crafts will survive the digital age. “Somehow, these things made out of human hands tend to connect at a deeper level. One can paint on a computer, but that’s too mechanical.”

Mystic doctor in Muscat
Ask Dr Deepak Chopra, popular author on health and spirituality, what terms like non-local correlation, discontinuity, pure potentiality and synchronicity mean – these were just some of the words that were part of his lecture at the World Summit on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, held recently in Muscat.

The neuroendocrinologist believes that you have got to understand complexities so you can better exercise your creativity. Chopra puts it simply. “There is no problem that human creativity cannot solve.” His move to the realm of alternative integrative therapy happened in the 1970s, when he felt that there was something missing in conventional medicine. Since then, he has studied and served up his interpretations of teachings from Ayurveda to quantum mechanics. All to make for better living. Chopra is part of the Alliance For The New Humanity, an organisation that aims to connect people who are committed to creating a peaceful world.

“What we are looking for is a move from a knowledge-based society to a wisdom-based society. If you understand the mechanics of creativity, things improve.” Of course, he adds, the improvements take time when a problem like world peace is involved.

The hound of the Bedouin
A new book promises to take you across the sands with the legends of the Bedu. Saluki, the Hound of the Bedouin, is the latest piece by Julia Johnson, a storyteller who's been living in Dubai since 1975. Johnson's latest book tells the story of a boy (Hamad) and his Saluki, Sougha (the gifted one). Salukis, first found in Iran, are the oldest known breed of dogs – at least 5,000 years old. "They are good hunters because of their strong shoulders and long, powerful limbs and that's why they are
popular among people in the desert region," says the author, giving a bit of background information on the book.

"This is the story of a Bedouin boy Hamad, his grandfather and their Salukis. Hamad is a young boy who is waiting for a puppy and he is very excited. Its been decided that the puppy that would be given to him would be the one that the mother dog chooses. Saluki hounds generally pick a favourite and they know instinctively which one is going to be the strongest and the best. He is told that he would have the female hound's choice and that he would have to wait for a week. Then it's about his life in the desert, training his Saluki, his adventures with it as he grows up. He calls his hound Sougha and the hound turns out to be very special. It's about a boy and his devotion to his hound and growing up in the desert and normal relationships, which I like to explore in all my stories. It also talks about the relationship of Hamad and his grandfather and also between one of his cousins with whom he has an adventure."

The other, sporting, half
The Bausher Club has been leading the way for women in sports, being the first Omani club to start a women’s football team a couple of months back. It recently organised a women’s volleyball tournament where, for the first time, Omani schools actively participated. Suleiman al Hassani, the vice-president of the club, says, “I’ve seen enough to make me think that forming a volleyball team is a good idea.” His club organised the event jointly with the Oman Women Sports Development Committee. The tournament, with three disciplines – football, volleyball and basketball – is open to girls between 12 and 19 years.

Encouraged by the response to the tournament – 125 girls for volleyball, 110 for football and 200 plus for basketball (scheduled for later) – Suleiman has now set his sights higher. “Next year, even the technical committees of each sport will also be all-women,” he promises. “This year, we had around 15 women on technical teams.” Also on the anvil is an inter-collegiate women’s tournament that Suleiman hopes to organise later this year.

Wired no more
Second Cup has announced the launch of new WiFi services at its Qurum café that will allow customers to log on to the Internet using wireless technology. This will enable customers to open their laptops or palmtops and connect to the available wireless network to send or receive emails or just surf. The broadband capabilities of this Omantel service results in fast speed and connectivity. The coverage available at Second Cup also extends to Nando’s, the well-established eatery. Second Cup will also be selling Omantel top-up cards exclusively in the Qurum area.

From the centre out
Muscat City Centre has announced a huge expansion plan, which will see the current centre extend by a massive 31,000 square metres. That will be almost double its current size, with more than 60 new stores. The mall will extend into the parking area with two-storied wings to the east and west. A three-level parking structure will accommodate 2,250 stalls. New flyovers will bring customers directly to the parking deck from the highway.

“An expansion of this scale is a defining moment in Oman’s retail history,” said Ibrahim al Qasmi, general manager of Muscat City Centre. “In addition, it will will stimulate the economy by providing both temporary and permanent jobs. the construction phase will employ thousands of workers, and once complete, the new centre will provide over 300 permanent jobs, 60 per cent of which will be Omani.”

Muscat City Centre opened in 2001, and is currently the largest shopping mall in the sultanate. It includes the Carrefour hypermarket, Magic Planet family entertainment centre and an international cuisine food court with 14 outlets.

Backed by the Majid al Futtaim Group of Companies, it is part of a network of shopping malls across the Middle East. Current plans focus on Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon and Egypt.

Going digital
eOman, Oman’s e-Government initiative from the Information Technology Technical Secretariat of Ministry of National Economy (MONE), was launched under the auspices of H E Maqbool Ali Sultan, Minister of Commerce and Industry, in a ceremony attended by members of the Royal Family, ministers, under secretaries, diplomats, IT professionals and other leading dignitaries from the public and private sector. The launch event marked the unveiling of the eOman logo and the launch of Arif, the official mascot of eOman, along with the launch of the official eOman website: www.itec.gov.om.

eOman aims to create an effective government-community-citizen infrastructure that provides better public services to people, resulting in a meaningful information flow between the government and citizens. The implementation of the strategy carefully addresses the bridging the digital divide.

Learning to fly on the ground
Gulf Air recently inaugurated a simulator training centre in Bahrain. H H Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Bahrain inaugurated this BD3.5mn facility at the airline’s headquarters. The facility is capable of providing real-time simulated on-board training experience to the airline’s pilot who fly Boeing B767s, Airbus A320s, A330s and A340s. The training will be imparted at three simulators, each of which is replete with modern visual systems, computer graphics and screen projections. James Hogan, Gulf Air president and chief executive said, “Investing in facilities like these saves us money in the long run.”

The world at your green
Golfers take heed. The dream of putting on Muscat’s green golf courses is now closer to reality than ever before. If all goes well, the future years will not only see the sport being played in the city but could even see the Muscat Golf Course Project hosting a PGA Tour event.

“The PGA is definitely interested. They asked me if the course here would be ready by early next year,” said Paul Thomas, managing director of the UK-based Dave Thomas Limited, the firm responsible for designing the golf course. The project is “on course for completion by April next year.” Meanwhile the European Tour of the PGA already has three events in the Arabian Gulf – Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha – on consecutive weekends. “So, they were interested in Oman as a fourth venue to complete a month in the Gulf region,” says Thomas.

Muscat Golf Course Project is the first development in Oman to offer properties for sale to non-nationals. It is being developed at a total cost of over RO30mn. All properties (80 per cent of them have already been sold) and the project will be ready for occupation by mid-2007. The construction of Oman’s first 18-hole green golf course has, over the last 15 years, been a long cherished dream of Sayyid Kais bin Tariq al Said, a passionate golfer who has been at the helm of this project. Overlooking the course will be a range of private residences, having received tourist designation status from the Ministry of Tourism.

Talking about the course he is designing, Thomas admitted that he’s never dealt with such landscape settings like small jebels before. “It is a big course with two loops of nine holes. There are three principal wadis (and some minor ones) that will run along the course defining the landscape.”