Al khoud street, muscat oman

Al khoud street in Muscat Oman is one the busiest street in the Sultanate... You will find variety of items walking along on it...

Accident in Muscat highway

Another accident happened on the muscat highway between Al khoud round about and Muwaleh round about.

Nawras SMS donations for Palestinian People

As a gesture of solidarity with the people of Gaza, Nawras is pleased to announce an 80% discount on all international calls made to Palestine, so that people can stay in touch with their loved ones in this difficult time. Customers can extend their help and support by simply sending an SMS with "DONATE" to "90909". To donate more customers can send as many text messages as you like. Each SMS with "DONATE" will be charged at 200 bz. This full amount will be donated to the people of Gaza through Oman Charitable Organization. The 80% discount is available until January 31st 2009, and applicable to all calling rates for Palestine.

Oman, Muscat Festival Started

GULF football champion Oman has reasons to celebrate and the Muscat Festival has opened the floodgates of celebrations for its residents and visitors from abroad. The festival, which will continue for nearly a month (25 days), gives its residents an opportunity to celebrate with the organisers allowing free entry into the festival’s main venue, Naseem Garden, as an incentive.

The entry fee at Qurum Natural Park, however, is fixed at 200 baisas per visitor. The third venue, which is dedicated mainly to sport events, is located at the Seeb beach. The Qurum Natural Park is showcasing an array of cultural, heritage, amusement and general entertainment shows. The big attraction here is the Heritage Village, which provides a gamut of insights into Oman’s diverse cultural and traditional heritage. In addition, there will be daily competitions involving the 23 chapters of the Oman Women’s Association from around the Sultanate.

To mark its beginning many visitors turned up at the main venue of the 2009 edition of the Muscat Festival. “Being the first day of the festival we were not expecting much crowd but the response is good as many parents chose to come to the festival with their kids on the very first day,” said Ali Hussain al Aidarus of Child Village.

Managed by Sahara Exhibition Organisers, the Child Village caught the imagination of the children and their parents due to its children-specific ideas. The village has more than seven counters dedicated to sports, painting or art section, technology, archaeology, beach sand playground, agriculture and music.

“The idea behind the Child Village is to give complete freedom both to children and their parents in enjoying the festival. Parents can leave their children in the Village, where they are creatively engaged in various activities, leaving the parents free to enjoy themselves,” said Ali. Will the change in venue affect turnout at the festival?

“Not at all. Because we are expecting more visitors from Barka and adjoining areas this time. The festival has left special impact on the residents of Oman and people from every corner of the Sultanate love to visit the festival,” said Ali. Given the huge popularity of the Muscat Festival, the sprawling Naseem Garden on the outskirts of the city is seen as an ideal alternative to the usual venues within the capital that inevitably tend to generate huge traffic jams.

On the opening day Muscat Municipality officials, organisers and shop owners were busy ensuring that everything is in place to welcome the visitors. “The coming days are going to be very hectic for us. From this weekend we are expecting huge rush and our business will also pick up,” said Mohammed Fahmi of Umda Fashion. Mohammed is participating in the Muscat Festival for the last four years with his readymade ladies garments stall.

Hilal al Hamim of Barka is participating in the Muscat Festival with Omani halwa stall for the last four years. “Though I have many other businesses, I prefer to serve hot halwa to the visitors as this is our speciality and of course, I make good money out of it,” he said. In the coming days the visitors at the garden will witness road shows and carnivals in addition to concerts by Indian, Russian, American and African artistes.

The vast majority of this year’s festival offerings will be held at the Garden. Daily events include international folk dances, skills displays, magic shows, circus acts, fashion shows, games and other entertainment. For sports enthusiasts, there’s a dedicated Sports Station offering opportunities for a game of billiards, ping-pong, football, rodeo and fencing. In all, 32 countries are taking part in the festival with daily performances of traditional dances.

Spread over an area of 750,000 square metres, Naseem Garden, is an ideal location for the main events. The people can enjoy the greenery while engaging themselves in festival activities. The place is also secured for kids and the overall atmosphere is relaxing for all. Naseem Garden happens to be a special venue for the festival as it carries the status of being the first park to be established in Oman, inaugurated during the celebrations of the 15th National Day in 1985.

It took about 11 months to be built and it is about 30 kilometres from Muscat International Airport. It is located on the highway that leads to Batinah area. The park is equipped with all the facilities of a children’s park as there are different games like the small train that tours the whole area, playgrounds for football, volleyball and tennis as well as a library.

In the year 2000, a small Japanese Garden was added to the garden. Built by the Japanese embassy in Muscat, the park was constructed to commemorate the good relationship that the two countries shared. Amongst many other features the park has an Arabic garden, Japanese garden, mini falaj system and a small train capable of holding 70 passengers, which circumnavigates the park.

Festival Plaza at Naseem Garden is the biggest attraction. Another entertainment counter named as FunCity is a vast amusement zone that has all the trappings of a fantasyland complete with neon-lit carousels, thrill rides and games of skills. The FunCity has 20 different amusements and thrill rides. It has 10 games of skill that cater to fun-lovers of all ages.

The FunCity has usual offerings of carousels, merry-go-rounds, whirligigs, flying horses, roller coasters and roundabouts. The new items at the amusement counter include a number of new rides such as the Free Fall Tower, Top Spin, Crazy Breakdance and Space Jam. There are rides for all age groups from toddlers to adults with an appetite for thrill and excitement. Visitors can also try their luck winning some prizes in a wide selection of skill games offered in FunCity.

Oman Mobile launches 3.5G network

After mobilizing an extensive team, ranging from telecome engineers to marketing specialists, Oman Mobile yesterday announced the launch of its state-of-the-art 3.5G network. Dr Amer al Rawas, Managing Director of Oman Mobile, expressed his joy at the launch, saying: "Today is a remarkable day in Oman Mobile history as we are proud to announce the launch of our brand-new 3.5G network. This state-of-the-art network will complement the various other wireless and broadband technologies with which Omantel and Oman Mobile are serving the country."

Providing the highest service quality and speed is clearly a main objective of the company, as Dr Al Rawas explains: "Our teams have already finished extensive testing of the network, and I am extremely pleased with the results. Still, this is not enough. We are now submitting our services to the toughest test panel imaginable: the Sultanate's major Corporations. Selected clients will be enjoying super-fast mobile broadband, and we will use their feedback to fine-tune our network and services. Only after these most demanding clients confirm the excellence of our network then we will be prepared to go live."

Oman Mobile 3.5G network will enable the provision of new and exciting services to its clients. "Based on extensive market research, we have prepared a host of new services adapted to the mobile lifestyle of our customers. We will reveal information about our services at a later stage; However, we can assure our customers that our tariffs will be competitive. simple and transparent, and everyone will be able to enjoy our services," he added.

Dr Al Rawas pointed out that coverage is another main priority of the company. "Ubiquitous coverage was always there and will always be the distinguishing factor of Oman Mobile. As of today, we have extensive 3.5G coverage in Muscat Governorate, and our implementation teams are already working in each area of Oman. By combining our 3.5G network with our existing EDGE network, we offer our customers seamless coverage, virtually everywhere across the Sultanate."

Commenting on the timing of the 3.5G launch: "We decided to invest now as the technology has become mature and stable, as is the case with 3.5G and, specifically, HSDPA, offering mobile broadband speeds up to 7.2 Mbps. We did not want to build a network that provided only marginal consumer benefits compared to existing technologies."

"When European and GCC operators deployed the first 3G networks, customer uptake was limited, as the technology was not yet mature. For the customers that opted for rather expensive 3G services, the benefits in terms of speed, services and mobility fell short of expectations," he added.

Dr Al Rawas thanked the team involved in the project. "I recognise the remarkable work done by the joint Oman Mobile and Huawei team responsible for implementing the network in record time. I also would like to extend my sincere thanks to Telecommunication Regulatory Authority and all government entities that were part of the success of this project."

Sultanate of Oman won the GCC Cup 2009 Cup Championship

MUSCAT — The third time proved lucky for the Sultanate as they lifted the coveted 19th Arabian Gulf Cup by defeating Saudi Arabia in a penalty shootout yesterday. For nearly two weeks, the whole of Oman was gripped by soccer fever, and when it mattered, the national team delivered, lifting the glittering cup. Times Sports spoke to a cross-section of people for their reaction on this historic win.

Ross Cormack, CEO, Nawras. I am so thrilled for all the people of Oman. I am so proud of our national team which showed how to play an extremely hard game with fantastic control and truly creative flair even while maintaining a really cordial atmosphere on the playground. A great victory for the Sultanate. Oh! And what a fantastic role by Ali Al Habsi! Simply brilliant!

Hritik Khimji, director, Khimji Ramdas, It was a fantastic game. The excitement and tension made it worthwhile. It is a proud moment for us. I hope it is the stepping-stone to greater achievements in the Asian and world arena.

Syed Fayyaz Ali Shah, Chairman of Abu Reem Group of Companies, This is a very special day in my life. Oman has finally won the Gulf Cup after being in the third successive final. The victory is even more spectacular because of the fact that our team clearly emerged as the best side in the tournament. I congratulate the government of Oman, the whole nation, our team and all those wonderful fans without whom the Gulf Cup would have been colourless, and the victory tasteless. And as aptly analysed by Times’ Editor we are a nation on the rise.

Abdullah Al Abdul Salaam, author, This win is the sweetest. Not just because we had been waiting for it for a long time, but because of the rewarding national bonding demonstrated through the backing the team got this time.

Maurizo Monte, MD, MpiRe, I am happy for the team. I stayed and watched the entire match and it was really, really special. It’s a huge success for Oman and it’s very, very good news for the Sultanate. It was a magnificent achievement, which will be remembered for many years to come.

Raviraj Hegde, businessman, It was fantastic, and a most deserved victory. They worked hard for it. They are not merely champions but the unrelenting creators of a victory that will be talked about for a long time. Oman are the champions of the GCC. They have won for the first time and in the most extraordinary way.

Najeem Hassan Al Balushi, staff nurse, Khoula Hospital. It is a precious victory and we achieved it in our land and that makes me feel great. I can’t describe my feeling. Guts, determination, self-belief and hunger for victory saw them through to the end. An unforgettable night in football history. Hats off to Habsi for that superb save. I seem to be the only person in Muscat with a voice left. Oman supporters have sung themselves hoarse. If there is one word to sum it all up it’s this. It’s wow!

Mohamed Nayaz, executive manager, advisory services, Ernst and Young
Oman is my second home. I am delighted and proud of our team’s achievement in its first ever Gulf Cup victory. I hope the Oman team will one day be the World Cup champions, Insha Allah.

Dr Satish Nambiar, president, Indian Social Club, This is a tremendous achievement. Oman football team’s dedication and doggedness have paid rich dividends and now borne fruit. I want to state that the entire Indian community is rejoicing Oman’s victory and relished every bit of the match. This is just the beginning for Oman, great things are in store.

Jameel Ahmed Rana, general secretary, Pakistan Social Club. Well done Oman. We have been praying for Oman’s victory since day one of the tournament and our prayers have been answered. I feel proud to be part of the country-wide celebrations. They played excellent football and deserved to win. Oman was clearly the best team in the tournament and they are now undoubtedly the best in the whole region. Mabrook my dear brothers, and well done again.

Arshad Ali Khan, legal consultant, What a sweet victory. Oman played like true champions all through the tournament and deserved to be on top. Congratulations to every Omani brother on this special occasion.

Mian Mohammed Riaz, businessman, My heartiest congratulations to Oman team on becoming the Gulf Cup champions. Their hard work finally paid and here we are celebrating a much-deserved victory. Well done, Oman.

Shaddad Al Musalmy, associate account manager, Asda’a It was a fabulous victory, a well-deserved victory. I join the nation in congratulating our national team. It was a superb match and it was a great unifying moment. I was happy with the way it turned out

Saleh Al Shukairi, calligrapher and artist It is a great feeling. It is the teams’ gift to His Majesty. This shows that Oman football is moving in the right direction. As a member of the artists’ community it makes me very happy too. Their touch was great and they look an extremely fit side.

Oman move to semi final of GCC Cup 2009 on 2-0 win against Bahrain

The 2-0 victory of Oman yesterday moved the Team Oman to the semi finals of the GCC Cup 2009. Omani people were so happy and celebrates on the street.

Oman Celebrate on the Street for the first win for GCC CUp 2009

Oman Vs. Iraq, Oman Celebration for the first win for GCC Cup 2009

Oman Celebration on the street video for winning at GCC Cup 2009 against iraq

Celebration for Oman first Victory against Iraq on GCC Cup 2009

The cars had started honking, breaking the silent nights. Thousands of people, decked out in red, were out there on the streets dancing. Oman…Oman…they chanted together, to be heard from heavens above. With the first big win, the coveted Gulf Cup has already been won, it seemed. People of the Sultanate cannot think otherwise.

Indeed, the celebrations that broke loose from the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex stadium literally took the country’s capital by storm. “How was Oman today? Don’t you think the Cup is ours this time?” yelled youths who stuck out their heads out from passing cars. This is no celebration but just a tip of the iceberg; it’s written clearly on their faces.

Claude Le Roy and his boys were determined to win the match against Iraq in a big way. And the thousands of ardent soccer fans who thronged the stadium knew they would, and they knew their role, as clearly stated by a fuming Ali Al Habsi at the end of the first match against Kuwait that ended in a goalless draw. They came prepared this time to cheer the team to victory, not giving their vocal chords a single minute’s rest. Jam-packed was the stadium even hours before the start of the match. And it didn’t take even a fraction of a second for Ali who stepped into the ground for the warm-up session to understand that his appeal had found the target. The stadium rose to greet him and the entire team, and it never sat back.

The stadium, that housed about 26,000 people, shook at the 24th minute. It went crazy at the 50th, and what happened after the 65th and 79th minutes could only have been felt. Celebrations had begun and the night was still young.

In jubilant mood were the players after their teams’ big victory. They removed their shirts to fling them on to the waiting fans in the stands. Displaying true sportsmanship, Ahmed Mubarak Kanu didn’t ignore the Iraqi support, whose cheering was sunk by the great roar. His shirt was for them.

The celebrations found the streets in no time. Cars honked and moved slowly with youngsters, and even kids atop, waving flags and ignoring police warnings. Traffic on the main roads slowed down as people headed to the Qurum beach area. They moved from one round-about to another, circling the city. This night was theirs.

It’s just the beginning. If the fireworks at Hotel Atlantis that lit up the Dubai sky could be visible from space, Oman would be heard and seen from the moon once they win the final battle.

Accident in Al Khoud, Muscat Oman

Early morning, along a street in Al khoud, a bus hit a 4WD on one of the intersection causing the 4WD to screech and move the away way around. This happen a few meters away from my house. There were some Omani lady in the 4WD drive car but they all seems to be fine.

Oman is a good start for Bahrain as they beat Iraq on their first match on the GCC Cup 2009

MUSCAT — Two red cards, two penalty goals…After so many on-field dramas, Milan Macala’s orange brigade, Bahrain, beat a beleaguered Iraqi side 3-1 in the second match of Group A held at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex yesterday.

In a tension-packed game, Iraq’s Haitham Kazi Tahir got the first red card in the 25th minute of the first half of play for knocking down Mohammed Hubail, reducing the Iraqi side to ten players. The Bahrain side took full advantage of the situation when Abdulla Omar scored the first goal in the 27th minute. Iraq’s goalkeeper, Ali Hussein Arahima, was the second player to receive the red card after he caught Bahrain’s Abdulla Omar by hand. Although Iraq sacrificed by replacing Ali Hussein with Mahdi Ageel as goalkeeper, the team was reduced to nine players. And to add to their woes, the team also conceded a penalty, scored by Said Adnan.

Bahrain also received two yellow cards (red) from match referee Mohammed Junaibi. Iraq’s only goal came in the form of a penalty from their star striker Yunis Kalaf. But as the match was extended to injury time, Bahrain’s Fawzi Aish struck the third goal.

A delighted Macala praised his team for the convincing victory, but pointed out a lot of mistakes that his side had committed. “I saw a lot of mistakes in both the defense and the offence. We shall rectify those mistakes in the next match,” said Macala at the post-match press conference yesterday.

Asked if Oman is his favourite hunting ground, Macala gave a diplomatic answer, admitting that his side was under some pressure before heading to Muscat. “It’s good to be back again, but this championship is difficult and like I mentioned earlier, we were under a lot of pressure due to various reasons,” said the former coach of Oman.

“We played to our potential. Ask the referee why he gave red cards to Iraq and not me. You can’t call it lucky, but of course we took full advantage of it and that’s how football has to be played,” the shrewd coach said on being asked if his side had been fortunate enough to win after the Iraqi side had been reduced to nine players.

Asked if the win had boosted the morale of his side to win the Gulf Cup for the first time, Macala said his side had some more troubles ahead and that it was still only the first round of the tournament. “Let us enter the second round, then we will talk of reaching the finals and winning the Gulf Cup,” Macala said.

Meanwhile, the Iraq team blamed the loss on its bad luck and injury to few of their key players.

“Firstly it was bad luck. Secondly, a few of our players were injured while playing due to which we lost the match. They have all played in big tournaments so we can’t blame it on their inability to win matches,” Raheem Hamid, assistant coach of Iraq, said.

“We never expected to get red cards. It should not have happened. We will have a serious team meeting and will analyse our mistakes before our match against Oman,”

Many of the Iraqi players in the current line up are playing in Qatar-based clubs, but they put up a lacklustre performance against the Bahrainis. “They are all professionals and know how to play well. It was not our day, but we will come back strongly,” Raheem said.

Asked whether the referee Junaibi had been too harsh against Iraq and whether his side would be talking to the referee committee, Raheem said all options were open. “We have not thought about that yet. But certainly that option is on the card, and we may talk to the referee committee. It should not have come from him in such a harsh manner,” added a visibly upset Raheem.

Gcc cup 2009 Opening game Oman Vs. Kuwait ended with a draw

MUSCAT — Opening matches are always tricky and things weren’t different on the inaugural day of the 19th Arabian Gulf Cup, when both Oman and Kuwait battled hard to overcome the nervy jitters to share the spoils with a goalless draw at the packed Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher yesterday.

The pressure of playing in front of the home fans showed large on the Oman players as they struggled to get into a rhythm and were often seen fumbling at the finish.

On the contrary, the Kuwaitis were steady on the pitch, especially their star strikers Ahmed Lazmi and Badr Al Matwa testing Ali Al Habsi time and again.

However, the Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper stood like a rock making crucial saves, though at times he appeared to be having butter fingers.

Nevertheless, Ali Al Habsi emerged the hero of the day, and rightly earned the player of the match award.

Many doubted Kuwait’s credentials in this tournament, but they lived up to the reputation of being the nine-time Gulf Cup champions.

Off the arena due to Fifa suspension, Kuwait hardly showed that they are out of touch as a team and they definitely deserve applause for the gritty show.

No wonder Oman coach Claude Le Roy admitted that if any team deserved to win yesterday it was indeed Kuwait.

“My congratulation go to Mohammed Ibrahim (Kuwait coach) for inspiring his players to put up such a great show,” said Claude Le Roy.

“I agree that our players were nervous, but we had done a lot of homework to overcome these early jitters,” said the shrewd Frenchman, who was obviously not happy with his team’s performance yesterday.

“But for Ali Al Habsi’s brilliance, we could have lost the match badly,” said the coach. “But we too had a number of chances, which we could not convert into goals.”

Mohammed Ibrahim sounded pleased with the result. “Both the teams played well but many chances were missed by both sides. My players too lacked the fitness and that showed in their game. We need to improve for the next two matches against Bahrain and Iraq,” he said.

Claude Le Roy agreed that the solitary point earned from the match was just a lucky one. “We can’t depend solely on such luck and we need to improve and go for full points in the next two matches,” he said.

“I want the players to forget this match and start concentrating on the next one. We will try to plug all holes which were so evident today (yesterday),” said Claude Le Roy.

“This result is for me and I hope our team will do better in the matches to follow,” he added.

The Oman coach was indeed perfect in his predictions as his warning of the two Kuwaiti strikers, Ahmed Lazmi and Badr Al Matwa, turned true yesterday. The duo were really dangerous and the Omani defence had no answer to their brilliant aggression.

The Kuwaiti midfielders too were excellent as they deceived Oman’s motives with short passes and in flashes fed their strikers with perfection.

Though the first half can be termed even stevens for both the teams, it was Oman who pushed for an early goal. Hassan Rabe’ea and Ismail Al Ajmi came close in the initial ten minutes only to find Ahmed Lazmi missing a golden opportunity in the eleventh minute with only Al Habsi to beat.

Later in the first half, Hassan Mudhafar gave Oman fans a big scare, when he almost scored an own goal in the 35th minute while trying to clear a goal-bound ball.

Hassan Rabe’ea once again looked threatening when he missed the target by a whisker in the 36th minute.

Claude Le Roy made two changes in the second half, bringing in Ahmed Maena and trump card Hashim Saleh for Ahmed Hadid and Ismail Al Ajmi. Ahmed Maena did cause a flutter and so did Hashim Saleh, but both failed to beat Kuwait goalkeeper Nawaf Khalid. On the other hand, Kuwaiti defenders succeeded in nullifying the threat of Imad Al Hosni, which too negated Oman’s thrust upfront.

On the other side, Ali Al Habsi made two brilliant saves — both threatening attempts by Ahmed Lazmi. Saleh Al Hindi also found Ali Al Habsi coming in his way, when it looked a sure goal.

With just seven minutes left, Hashim Saleh flattered to deceive when he pushed to the Kuwait goalkeeper. The diminutive striker, who was left unmarked, could have very well lobbed the ball into the net.

All said and done, Oman with just one point in their kitty, need to look for win over Iraq on Wednesday and enhance their chance to qualify for the semifinals.

Celebrate our 3G anniversary with FREE Broadband Internet!

Celebrate our 3G anniversary with FREE Broadband Internet!

Get online without a landline and save up to RO 58 with Nawras Broadband Internet

Nawras, the only 3G+ service provider in Oman, offers you 2 months of free Broadband Internet subscription as part of our 1st anniversary celebrations.

Enjoy up to 20GB of Broadband Internet, giving you the possibility of downloading up to 3500 songs, surfing the internet for over 120 hours or receiving thousands of emails for two full months

Join the fastest growing family in Oman and get more value with our Broadband Internet offer.

Offer conditions:
Offer valid from 30 November 2008 until 30 January 2009 and applies only for new Silver or Gold customers who purchase a new modem or router. International Roaming usage excluded. Charges apply for usage above the Silver and Gold bundled data volumes.

This offer is really a big savings and good jump start to try the 3G service of nawras. So if you are planning to get an internet connection, this is one of your best option.

GCC Cup Welcome Pack Offer from nawras

Nawras brings for you an amazing Welcome Pack offer for this GCC Cup season (15th December 2008 to 15th January 2009). All new Nawras customers get 1 GB free data that can be used to access match scores, updates, schedules and other important news. You do not have to pay anything as long as your usage is below 1 GB.

Nawras Ajel Offer: Buy a welcome pack for RO 3 and receive 1 GB FREE data.

Nawras Mousbak Offer: Buy a welcome pack for RO 3 and receive RO 2 open talk time and 1 GB of FREE data.

Limitations: 1 GB FREE data is not applicable to Silver, Gold or Platinum Plan for Broadband Internet, Blackberry subscriptions and data roaming.

Exceptions: Shababiah customers will receive RO 1 FREE data in addition to 1 GB data from GCC Offer.

Hurry and grab this amazing offer fro nawras. This is a very good deal from a very provider.

HM Sultan Qaboos Bin Said condoles death of Umm Al Quwain ruler

MUSCAT — His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has sent a cable of condolences to His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, on the death of Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmed Al Mualla, member of the UAE Supreme Council and ruler of Umm Al Quwain. His Majesty the Sultan expressed his condolences to the president, his government and the people of the UAE.

Sheikh Rashid, who was in his seventies, died yesterday in a London hospital. The sheikh had headed Umm Al Quwain, one of seven members of the UAE, since 1981.

The UAE began a week of official mourning, during which flags will fly at half-mast. Government departments will remain closed for three days.