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The ten biggest
policy initiatives in Oman
Batinah Railway
 The
Batinah Railway project is amongst the prestigious
infrastructure projects that is being planned in Oman and aims
to alleviate traffic flows along the existing Batinah highway.
The project envisages an arterial railway that will run within
the same corridor through which the proposed Batinah Expressway
is planned. The roughly 260-km long corridor, running parallel
to the existing Batinah highway, starts from Halban Road near
Naseem roundabout and travels north all the way to Khatmat
Malaha on the border with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
ePayment Gateway
In a move that is aimed
at making Oman a full-fledged digital society, The e-eayment
Gateway was launched. The Gateway will provide vital service, in
allowing government departments and other parties to charge for,
and receive payment for online services.
The Information Technology Authority (ITA) of Oman, is leading
the ePayment Gateway initiative. The Gateway has also been
developed to be a payment card industry standard (PCI)
compliant, as also to meet international security and process
requirements.
Human Rights Commission
In what is said to be a
landmark decision, Oman established a Human Rights Commission.
To be headquartered in Muscat, the commission will have its own
constitution and “be independent in practicing its duties.” The
newly-established ‘National Commission for Human Rights’ will be
an autonomous body attached to the State Council, regarded as
the upper chamber of Oman’s parliament.
 Opening
Up of The Telecom Sector
Liberalisation of the Telecom sector, has taken a huge leap
forward, in the last few months. The Nawras Consortium was
awarded the Integrated Fixed Public Telecommunications License,
by The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). The entry
of a second fixed services operator is expected to contribute to
rationality in tariffs, generate greater volumes, encourage many
types of services, and enhance customer services.
Resellers of basic mobile services
In an effort to further liberalise the telecom sector, The
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) granted class II
licences to five companies as resellers of basic mobile services
in the Sultanate.
The licences would be for a period of five years, but
extendable. The licensees can resell basic mobile services after
buying airtime from operators at bulk rates in accordance with
commercial agreements concluded with the operators. These
services can then be re-branded and offered to subscribers at
retail rates
Rent Cap
To provide respite against escalating rents, a new Royal decree
was issued, to put a cap on rentals. The amendment to the law
included a new clause that prohibits the landlord from
increasing rent of residences, shops and industrial units or
others for a period of three years from the date of beginning of
the contract or from the last date of an increase stated in the
contract. The percentage of
 increase after this period shall not
exceed seven per cent, annually, over the value of the annual
rent stated in the contract.
Sohar Aluminium
Sohar Aluminium is the first Greenfield aluminum smelter project
in the region for over 25 years. The company began production in
mid-June and expects to reach full production shortly. Sohar
Aluminium has achieved several milestones, including the
delivery of crucible of hot metal to a local downstream
manufacturer of aluminium products and the export of 21 tonnes
of standard ingots to Hong Kong.
 Renewable Energy Resources Report
The Authority for Electricity Regulation (AER)
released its final report on the feasibility of alternative
energies: ‘Study on Renewable Energy Resources, Oman’. The
research carried out by consultants COWI/SCO identifies sources
of renewable energy in the Sultanate and the potential of these
sources for electricity production. The report looks at the
application of solar, wind, wave, biogas and geothermal energies
concluding that there is significant scope for developing both
solar and wind energies in Oman, and recommends a number of
pilot projects to demonstrate the technical and economical
performance of renewable energy plants in the country.
Dolphin Gas
Dolphin Energy began the supply of Dolphin Gas to
Oman, which is expected to meet the ever increasing requirement
of natural gas, especially needed for industrial consumption.
Dolphin Energy signed a Gas Sales Agreement with Oman Oil
Company
 in September
2005, agreeing
to supply the Sultanate with
up to 200 million standard cubic feet a day
of Dolphin Gas.
E-Tendering Gateway
As part of the eOman initiative, the Information Technology
Authority (ITA) and Government Tender Board (GTB) are working
closely to automate all tendering and procurement process in
government that will be integrated with Ubar portal as one of
the Quick win projects. E-Tendering will make it possible for
government entities to prepare, float, evaluate and award
tenders online. It will also provide contractors, suppliers and
consultants the mechanism to purchase tenders, submit offers,
register and renew registration with the Tender Board online.
The
ten people who
made a difference
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HE Ahmed bin Abdulnabi Macki, Minister
of National Economy and Deputy Chairman of the Financial Affairs
& Energy Resources Council
Not a single major step is taken in this country
without the approval of HE Ahmed bin Abdulnabi Macki, Minister
of National Economy and who is well known for integrating Oman
into the global arena.
In November, HE Macki led Omani delegation to the second
International Conference on Development Financing in Doha. The
meeting focused on promoting joint interests in developing a
sustainable economy in the region. Earlier on, Macki has urged
on raising GCC citizens’ awareness about the benefits of the
Gulf common market and supported the proposal for a contingency
plan for greater food security in GCC countries.
Another major step was taken towards attracting foreign capital
when Macki signed an agreement with Vale of Brazil. The $1bn
Brazilian venture will be set up in Sohar before the year-end
which will produce 10mn tonnes of steel ore. |
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Dr Salem Sultan Al Ruzaiki, CEO, ITA
Dr Salem Sultan Al Ruzaiki, CEO, ITA is the pioneer
of digital culture in Oman. ITA is currently developing the
Government e-Services Portal to create a single window for
obtaining public services electronically. It has launched the
e-Payment Gateway of Oman to facilitate e-government and
e-commerce. The objective is to implement an effective
Internet-based payment infrastructure to support ITA’s
e-Government initiatives. Apart from this, eOman activities
create an effective link between the public and private sector
for digital initiative, thereby helping build ICT capacity
within segments of corporate sector and the people.
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Dr Mohammed Al Wahaibi, CEO, Omantel
Under the able leadership of Dr Mohammed Al Wahaibi,
Omantel has played the role of a catalyst in placing the
Sultanate on the global map on par with advanced countries as
far as the technological infrastructure is concerned. In 2008 he
ably led the ongoing integration process between Omantel and
Oman Mobile. Dr Wahaibi took great interest to enhance e-culture
in Sultanate by introducing ‘Easy Learning,” the ADSL Internet
service in all regions of the Sultanate, thereby contributing to
the cause of Digital Oman. Omantel has also been awarded with a
special contract from Ministry of Information to provide
customised solution to support TV transmission requirements
across the Sultanate. |
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Maqbool Hameed Al Saleh, Chairman, OHI
Group
Maqbool Al Saleh, Chairman, OHI Group and a regional
business leader in his own right, was selected amongst the 18
finalists for Ernst & Young’s Middle East Entrepreneur Of The
Year award in 2008. The award encourages exceptional businesses
in the Gulf region, recognising the contribution of people who
inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement.
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HE Darwish Ismail Al Balushi, Secretary
General of the Ministry of Finance
The credit for the fast-paced process of Omantel’s
strategic partnership initiative goes to HE Darwish Ismail Al
Balushi, Secretary General of the Ministry of Finance and
Chairman of the Steering Committee, overseeing Omantel’s
divestment. Eight telecom operators from Europe, Asia and the
region have been short listed to participate in the next phase
of the sale process of Omantel for acquiring a 25 per cent stake
in Omantel.
Invitations for expressions of interest were announced in
February this year and the ministry plans to complete the sale
by the end of 2008.
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HE Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, Minister of
Commerce and Industry
HE Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, Minister of Commerce and
Industry was hailed by stock brokers and market analysts for
setting up a ‘market maker’ fund that has the potential to turn
around a prolonged slump in the capital market and stabilise the
market. This investment fund will be set up with a capital of RO
150mn with the government contributing 60 per cent of the
capital and the pension funds and the private sector providing
the rest. HE Maqbool also heads the Oman Branding Committee to
promote Oman as a regional and international hub for investment,
tourism, telecom, technology, trade and education.
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HE Yahya bin Said Al Jabri, Executive
President, CMA
The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has
entered into an MoU with Oman’s Capital Market Authority (CMA).
The move was initiated by HE Yahya bin Said Al Jabri, executive
president, CMA. The CMA and the DFSA are active members of the
African and Middle Eastern Regional Committee of the
International Organisation of Securities Commissions and both
authorities acknowledge the importance of developing common
international standards to address current global problems.
HE Al Jabri was also instrumental in formulating the new unified
insurance policy as well as the Orange Insurance Card for motor
vehicles.
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Buthaina Hamoud Al-Yaqoobi, Athlete
Buthaina Hamoud Al-Yaqoobi became the first woman
athlete to represent Oman in any Olympics, when she participated
in the Beijing Olympics, earlier this year. Buthaina has
participated in Arab Games, Islamic Games and the AGCC meet,
where she has recorded her personal bests. Her best in 100m is
12.39 seconds, while her best in triple jump is 10.34 meters and
4.70m in long jump. Hailing from Al Hail, near Muscat, Buthaina
took to the tracks only 18 months ago. |
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Ali Al Habsi, Football player
Al Habsi played was voted Arab Goalkeeper of the Year
and Norwegian Goalkeeper of the Year in 2004. He had three
seasons for Norwegian club Lyn Oslo and He finished his Lyn
career with a third-place finish in the league – his goalkeeping
abilities being one of the main reasons behind this good finish.
He later moved to English Football Club, Bolton Wanderers. The
2007/08 season gave Al Habsi the first of his 16 league
appearances. |
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HE Khalil Al Khonji, OCCI Chairman
As OCCI Chairman, HE Khalil bin Abdullah Al Khonji
set in motion a number of projects, taking the Chamber to new
heights, including modernisation of the chamber and providing
the youths and qualified professionals with opportunities. To
support the government efforts to nationalise jobs, he advocated
a five-day week for the private sector.
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The ten
best
automobile launches
Most impressive sports cars of 2008
This year saw some of the most groundbreaking
releases in the world of automobiles. Couple these with some of
the best releases from last year and we end up with one of the
best selection of cars on sale ever. Of these, sports cars are
easily the most coveted.
They are a symbol of power, performance, style and also, to a
certain degree, the owners taste. So, this being a list of only
the top ten sports cars, we were forced to follow a strict set
of parameters. The first of these parameters was that only
sports cars (coupes or cabrio’s), GT cars and supercars were to
be included in the list (No! sports saloons don’t count, so no
Jaguar XF SV8 and Audi RS6, although they are amazing cars in
their own right). The next was that the cars had to be released
or officially put on sale in 2008, unfortunately this saw a lot
of great cars, such as the Audi R8 and the 911 GT3 RS, being
dropped from this list. Lastly they had to either be an entirely
new model or a significant improvement over the older version,
whereby making the previous model all but redundant in
comparison.
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Lamborghini Reventon
Only 20 of these one million euro beauties
will ever see the light of day and all have
been spoken for. With its exterior and
interior design based on a US fighter plane,
specifically the F22 Raptor, it is easily
the best looking and definitely the wildest
Lambo ever made and that in itself earns it
a place on this list.
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Porsche 911 GT2
Take the already fast 911 Turbo, up the power to
523hp and torque to 680Nm, then remove the
safety of a four wheel drive system and you
end up with oodles of rear wheel theatrics
and utter madness in the form of the Porsche
911 GT2. It is the maddest and most powerful
of all 911s and is easily capable of hitting
100kmph in 3.7sec and onto a top speed of
329kmph! Fans lovingly call it ‘the widow
maker’ for a reason.
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Nissan GTR
It is absolutely pointless to explain the sheer awesomeness of
the Nissan GTR so we will let the specs speak for themselves –
3.8L V6 twin turbo, 480hp@6400rpm, 430lb-ft, 0-96kmph in 3.2sec,
standing quarter mile of 11.5sec@200kmph and a time of 7min
29sec at the Nurburgring circuit which is actually faster than a
Porsche 911 Turbo’s and the Corvette ZO6’s time! |
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Koenigsegg CCXR Edition
The CCXR Edition was launched at the 2008 Geneva
Motor Show. It is much more track oriented than the standard car
and thus featured stiffer springs, anti-roll bars, reset dampers
and a lowered chassis. It also features a fully visible carbon
body, large adjustable rear wing and unique forged wheels.
Inside it features all the regular luxuries and a few Edition
only extras. But the star of the show is the engine. It is a
4.8-litre twin-supercharged V8 that produces a mind-numbing
1,018hp and to top it all it runs on eco-friendly E85 Biofuel! |
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Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport
Forget the standard Veyron or for that matter any of
the special editions we have seen so far. This is the ultimate
Veyron – the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport. It may feature the same
engine and the same interior and features but it now has a targa
top which, with a top speed of 360kmph with it off, makes it,
along with the Koenigsegg CCXR, one of the fastest convertible
in the world. With the roof in place the Veyron can still hit
its original top speed of 407kmph.
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Ferrari F430 Scuderia
The F430 Scuderia was launched as a successor of the
Challenge Stradale and aims squarely at the Porsche RS-models
and the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera. It is lighter than
the regular F430 by nearly 100kgs and is more powerful. Its
engine is now rated at 508hp at a dizzying 8500rpm and generates
470Nm of torque, enough to propel the lightweight Ferrari to
96kmph in a breathtaking 3.1sec and onto a top speed of 320kmph!
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Lamborghini LP560-4
This is the successor and the latest version of the Gallardo.
But apart from the basic outline the car has been completely
been redesigned from ground up. It features an all new 5.2 litre
engine based heavily on Audi’s RS6 V10 and produces 560hp and
540Nm of torque. The transmission and the permanent
four-wheel-drive, the reason for the 4 at the end of the name,
has also been completely revised making it the fastest Gallardo
yet.
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BMW M3
This is the fourth generation of BMW’s M3 series. The
vehicle features an all new high revving 4-litre V8 that is
derived from the 5-litre V10 unit used in the M5. Despite the
larger size the new engine is 15kg less than the previous
inline-six and is capable of revving up to a dizzying 8300rpm.
With an output of 414hp (SAE nett) and 400Nm of torque the M3 is
capable of hitting 60mph (96kmph)in a mere 4.5sec and onto a
limited top speed of 249kmph. But in delimited form it is easily
capable of hitting a stunning 308kmph!
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Ford Shelby GT500KR
In 1968, Ford offered a special edition of the Shelby
Mustang, called the GT500KR, which stood for King of the Road,
and had the 428c.i. Cobra Jet engine introduced the same year.
The King is now back and he is better than ever. Now equipped
with a 5.4-litre supercharged V8, producing 540hp and 510lb-ft
of torque, the KR is capable of hitting the 96kmph barrier in
just 4.3sec. Better yet it looks like a million dollars but
costs only $80,000 and it goes like stink.
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Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe
When it comes to sheer road presence very few
manufacturers can match Rolls Royce. The Phantom Coupe is the
latest handmade coupe to come from the Rolls Royce stable and
debut at this year’s Geneva International Motor Show and has a
styling that heavily derived from last year’s Drophead coupe.
Powered by a massive 6.75-litre V12, producing 453hp and
531lb-ft, the two-and-a-half ton behemoth can hit a 100kmph in a
mere 5.6 seconds!
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Disclaimer: All stats and specifications mentioned are
international figures and may not pertain to the Omani market.
For more detailed specifications and local prices please contact
the respective dealers.
The ten
best gadgets
of 2008
 The most technologically impressive
gadgets of 2008
This year we have seen a fine share of impressive tech and some
have caught on where as others have not. The release of
Microsoft PhotoSynth and the new Atom processor from intel
showed us just how far we have advanced in the world of
computers. The same can be said in the audio and visual world
with Sony’s OLED displays setting the stage for all future
televisions. This year also saw the demise of the HD DVD format
and its rival, Sony’s Blu-ray disk, taking its place as the
dominant format for high definition video. As far as gadgets go
we also had our fine share to play around with but everyone
cannot be a winner, so we have gathered ten of the most
technologically impressive gadgets we have seen this year.
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Casio
Exilim EX-F1
Just the sheer amount of tech crammed into this
camera earns it a place on this list. To give you an idea of
what we mean, here are some of the features – Slow-mo video
shooting at 300, 600 and 1200 frames per second, Fast-slow-fast
shooting from 30fps to 300 and back to 30, High-speed
6-megapixel shots at 60fps, Strobe shooting of stills at 7
frames per second with standard flash; 60fps with LED flash,
Full-resolution still shooting while capturing HD video, Fly-in
and fly-out auto modes, which capture still shots at 60fps when
the subject enter or exit the frame. What more could you ask
for! |
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Bug Labs Hardware
If you have the urge to build your very own gadgets,
Bug Labs and their open source hardware might make this as easy
as stacking lego bricks. There are multiple modules each with
its own purpose which can be joined together to create your own
custom creations. |
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Zink Pocket Printer
This is the future of printers and a heck of a
convenient one at that. Feast your eyes on the world’s first
pocket printer. It is a stand-alone printer that’s about the
size of a deck of cards and is a one-button printer designed to
easily connect to a camera phone and should cost less than a
hundred US Dollars! |
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Livescribe Pulse Digital Pen/Recorder
Livescribe Pulse Digital Smartpen records your notes two ways:
it creates digital copies of everything you write by hand while
recording audio at the same time. It also goes one step further
and links the two together, so you can quickly access audio by
tapping parts of your notes. All of this is uploaded to your
computer where the Livescribe software archives and makes your
notes fully searchable. In addition, it offers features like a
calculator, translator, and a paper piano that plays a mini
piano you draw on paper.
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Amazon Kindle
The Amazon Kindle is an e-book reader that relies on
an easy-to-read E-ink display that requires no backlight. It can
handle thousands of pages between charges mainly because it
really uses any power only when loading a new page. But even
this is not its key innovation. That privilege goes to the
inclusion of the high-speed EVDO antenna that will allow users
to download books quickly from practically anywhere. |
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Nikon D90
Nikon’s D90 is the first-ever DSLR with HD video recording, but
maybe more importantly for actual photographers, Nikon is
promising much of the same low-noise performance of their higher
end DSLRs. In addition they have introduced the addition of the
D-Movie mode, allowing consumers to create their own HD movie
clips (1280 x 720) with sound from their D-SLR camera.
Photographers will appreciate the cinematic qualities that come
from the 24fps frame rate. D-Movie clips also benefit from Nikon
VR image stabilisation, which is automatically activated during
recording to aid the low-light capability that trumps many other
hybrid devices. Users can record movie clips onto an inserted SD
/ SDHC card, created as Motion JPEG AVI files that are easily
edited with widely available video editing software. The D90
also features an HDMI terminal, allowing viewing of both
pictures and movies on High Definition televisions.
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Pacemaker’s Pocket-Sized DJ kit
This is for all you DJ’s out there – it’s your very
own pocket DJ kit! The Pacemaker has a 120GB hard drive, USB 2.0
support, a touchpad and various other DJ essentials including
loop-in, loop-out, re-loop, cue point search and many more. As
for support, you can play back MP3, WAV, AAC, WMA, and FLAC. |
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Around View Monitor
Where most parking systems show only the rear view,
this system, with the use of four strategically placed
ultra-wide-angle cameras, synthesises images into a bird’s-eye
view of the car on the navigation screen. While not truly your
everyday gadget, it is still an impressive piece of tech and
deserves a mention in this list, especially since it is a first
implication of its kind in the world of automobiles.
Unfortunately it is, at present, a privilege that can be enjoyed
only on some Infiniti models such as the new EX35. |
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Eye-Fi
The Eye-Fi is a SD memory card that adds Wi-Fi to any
camera. Plus the free Eye-Fi service supports automatic uploads
to 20 different web photo sites (like Flickr) as well as a
computer on your home network. All you have to do is to
programme it through your computer using the bundled card reader
then inset it into your camera and you are ready to go. |
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Ugobe’s Pleo
Ugobe’s Pleo is the latest ‘electronic pet’ to hit
the consumer market. At $350, Pleo is more expensive than a
Furby but cheaper than an AIBO. Its endo skeleton has embedded
motors in its legs, tail and neck that give it realistic
movements. The bottoms of its feet have pressure sensors to
detect when it’s on the ground or in the air. It also has two
mics that serve as ears, two speakers, light sensors in its nose
and mouth, and touch sensors placed all over its body. It also
has an SD card slot and a mini-USB port for future functionality
upgrades. These motors, sensors and ports combine to make Pleo
pleasantly interactive. |
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The ten best sellers in Oman
Basking in past glory
A house without books is like a room without windows, said
Heinrich Mann, a German novelist. That residents of Oman have a
love for reading is obvious from the books that make the rounds
in social circles. In this land of stunning mountains, sparkling
seas and tranquility, books are the best antidote for monotony.
And availability of books is no issue with so many book shops
around. Virtually every subject under the sun was covered by
books that were on display in Muscat International Book Fair
held recently. The only thing wanted is opening our minds
towards a more contemporary world through contemporary books.
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