Aster Hospital opens in Sohar

Aster Hospital, Sohar of DM (Dr Moopen’s) Healthcare opened its doors to the people of North Batinah region. This is the first private hospital in the area and will form part of the largest network of medical facilities in the GCC.

The 60-bed Aster Hospital (Al Raffah hospital), like all other DM healthcare hospitals and medical centres, shall strive hard to help the people who require health care with a personal touch. With a dedicated team of healthcare professionals of global standards, delivering quality health care at an affordable cost, Aster Hospitals shall provide personalised care at the doorsteps of the people.

Jet Airways on-time performance soars

Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, and Jet Lite, a wholly owned subsidiary, have achieved the best on time performance in May, as per the figures released by the Director General of Civil Aviation. The month of May, which is the peak summer season, has seen a sharp turnaround following the unwavering dedication and commitment displayed by the staff of Jet Airways and Jet Lite on the network which has played a decisive role in enhancing Jet Airways and Jet Lite OTP.

During May, Jet Airways has recorded an on-time performance to 88.9 per cent. The month of May has also seen the airline carrying 8.69 lakh revenue passengers registering a sharp 41.2 per cent growth as compared to the same period last year with a seat load factor of 82.5 per cent.

Nawras sponsors Kilimanjaro expedition

Nawras, a Qtel Group company, is the exclusive sponsor of two Muscat residents, including the first Omani woman, in their expedition to climb Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Muna Al Shanfari, a successful Omani bank executive and mother of three, will be making the trek together with her friend Catherine Lonie, a long time resident of Muscat as well as a lecturer at Sultan Qaboos University, to raise awareness for road safety and in particular, to encourage parents and drivers to use car seats to keep children safer when travelling.

Both Al Shanfari and Lonie are keen mountain walkers, taking regular treks up and down local hills to exercise and clear their minds.

Kids painting contest launched

BankMuscat and Omantel, banking and telecom majors respectively of the Sultanate, joined hands to launch a national initiative in commemoration of the 40th Renaissance anniversary of the reign of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said. Bringing together the nation as one family and targeting children who are the building blocks of the Sultanate, the ‘Celebrate Together’ campaign primarily revolves around an art contest aimed at instilling time-tested Omani values in the younger generation. The theme of the contest will focus on the Sultanate’s achievements in the economic, social, health and educational fields and the role of the Omani citizen as the main objective of all such achievements. Parents will be encouraged to motivate children from all regions of Oman to participate in the contest, which is expected to generate more than 40,000 paintings embodying the 40th year of His Majesty’s rule in Oman.

New, revamped Intilaaqah launched

Intilaaqah has launched its new and revamped programme, wherein the Intilaaqah and Intilaaqah Enterprise Fund are merged as a single programme under the brand name Intilaaqah.

On the occasion of Oman’s 40th anniversary, and to make Intilaaqah Fund sustainable, Shell also announced its gift to the nation, this year, by adding another $7mn to the fund.

Going forward, Intilaaqah will be a one stop shop for entrepreneurs, which will provide financial support and business development services. The main focus of the Intilaaqah programme will be on creating sustainable businesses and job creation. In addition the programme will offer funding ranging from $50,000 to $1mn to qualified SMEs, along with comprehensive online training capabilities and tools.

Oman Oasis presents new label

Oasis Water Company unveiled a new label for its bottles to mark the occasion of Oman’s 40th anniversary celebration. This new label can be found upon 0.5 and 1.5 litre bottles of “Oman Oasis” balanced drinking water. The newly outfitted bottles can be found all around the capital area, as well as at all distribution points around the Sultanate. The new label will remain on the Oasis bottles until the end of this year. The Omani national flag resides colourfully within the ‘O’, the phrase “40 Glorious Years” is displayed prominently underneath. The wrap-around portion of the new label is cleverly brushed with the red, green and white of the Omani flag in swooping, graceful and intersecting lines; as if to symbolise national flags swaying majestically in the wind.

New insurance brokerage company launched

Gargash and Trade Links Insurance Services, a newly set-up company in Oman, offering professional insurance intermediary services launched their corporate identity and logo at a function in Muscat recently. The company is set up jointly by Dubai based Gargash, with its presence in different sectors like financial services, real estate and automobiles and Trade Links, a leading business group based in Oman. Dr J Retnakumar CEO of the company said the aim is to provide proper advice to those who want to take insurance policies and tailor a product to fit their needs. Mustafa O Vazayil, vice chairman of the company said the company also plans to offer online services to customers in the future. Insurance market in Oman is growing and we hope to emerge as a top player, he added. Tariq Ali Mirza, director of Gargash and Trade Links was also present at the press conference.

MSE, Voltas form joint venture

Mustafa Sultan Enterprises (MSE) has entered into a joint venture with Indian air-conditioning and engineering services company Voltas to execute electro-mechanical projects in the Sultanate. The Voltas Group will hold 65 per cent stake, while MSE will keep the balance 35 per cent in the company named as Voltas Oman.

The formation of Voltas Oman represents the union of two leading corporate entities who are leaders in their respective markets, said Akber Mustafa Sultan, managing director of MSE.

According to Shukat Ali Mir, EVP and COO of Voltas International Operations Business Group, Voltas wants to be a long-term player in providing turkey solutions and world-class products and services. These will cater to the growing opportunities arising in Oman.

MOT prepares for Salalah tourism

The Ministry of Tourism is preparing for the large number of visitors expected to travel to Salalah, the capital of Dhofar Province and the country’s second largest city, during the Khareef season, which began in June and extends to early September. Last year, Salalah welcomed almost 300,000 local and international guests during the said period. The World Travel and Tourism Council predicts a 7.8 per cent compound annual growth rate for Oman’s tourism sector over the next 10 years. The Council expects Oman to emerge as the Middle East’s top tourism growth market and third globally in 2010. The Omani government plans to generate 3 per cent of the national GDP from tourism and match 80 per cent of tourism jobs with citizens by 2020.

Samsung introduces Smart Phone

Samsung Electronics, a leading mobile phone and telecommunications provider introduced its vision of ‘Smart Phone for Smarter Life’ with the launch of two flagship products Samsung Wave and Samsung Galaxy S.

Sandeep Saihgal, general manager, mobile phones, Samsung Gulf Electronics commented: “Samsung is committed to the smartphone market; delivering a smartphone to suit any user or lifestyle. This strategy points to delivering devices, applications and services relevant for every lifestyle to empower users with access to the information and connections that produce valuable user experience.”

While the Samsung Wave features Bada, a proprietary operating platform; the Samsung Galaxy works on the Android platform. Both the phones are loaded with various applications and software including social media and also the world’s first Super Amoled display. The ‘Smart Phone for Smarter Life’ concept “delivers a smartphone experience that is simple, organised and integrated. Smart Life is flexible and versatile, allowing consumers to customise their experiences based on their needs. Such a philosophy embodies Samsung’s drive to build a new class of smartphones that will maximise user experience.

The Samsung Wave features the world’s first Super AMOLED display; delivering an unrivalled screen experience on a smartphone while the Bada platform offers a genuine smartphone experience rich with mobile applications, new technology and possibilities to Samsung mobile phone users.

Barka 3, Sohar 2 IPP contracts awarded

The Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) has awarded built, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) contracts for the country’s next two independent power projects (IPPs), Barka 3 and Sohar 2.

The contracts to construct and operate the plants have been awarded to a consortium consisting of the Kahrabel GDF Suez Group, the Bahwan Engineering Group, the Public Authority for Social Insurance, and the Shikoku Electric Company and the Sojitz Corporation. EPC contractors for the project are Germany’s Siemens AG and South Korea’s GS Engineering. The combined investment for both projects will be around $1.7mn. Barka 3 and Sohar 2 are greenfield natural gas-fired power projects with a capacity of 744MW each. The electricity produced by each project will be sold under a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement to the Oman Power and Water Procurement Company.

BAE Systems unveils Armadillo

BAE Systems has unveiled a new build standard of its highly-regarded CV90 tracked armoured vehicle – named Armadillo. The armoured personnel carrier variant was on display at Eurosatory exhibition in Paris. The CV90 Armadillo family of vehicles combines extremely high levels of protection with excellent mobility. The flexible modular design involves a rear roof section, which can be unbolted to allow simple changeover between different mission fits. This ensures up to 80 per cent commonality between variants and easy re-roleing of the base chassis. CV90 Armadillo has horizontal ballistic protection well above the NATO STANAG 4569 Level 5 standard.

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