NatION
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2009
New projects with Oman to focus on
renewable energy: Japanese envoy
The amount of strong sunlight Oman receives should allow for a large scale integration of solar power
Our Correspondent
Muscat
Emerging projects between
Japan and Oman will focus on re-
newable energy, the Japanese
ambassador, H E Seiji Morimoto,
announced at the University of
Nizwa on Monday.
Physiotherapy meet to provide learning opportunity
Specialists in the field of phys-
iotherapy and rehabilitation will
be attending a conference in
Muscat to further develop
these services in the country.
The Department of Physio-
therapy and Rehabilitation at
Khoula Hospital will hold an
international symposium along
with a series of workshops on
October 28 and 29 at the
Crowne Plaza Hotel, which will
include presentations from
professionals ranging from
podiatrists, orthopaedics and
dieticians to prosthetics and or-
thotics specialists,
practising both in and outside
Oman.
Khoula Hospital is planning
to build on established relation-
ships with some institutions
Women traders seek investment
Pakistani women affected by 2005 quake hope to find stockists in Oman
Alex Adams
Muscat
Businesswomen from Pakistan’s
beleaguered North West Fron-
tier Province (NWFP) are urging
Omanis to invest in their busi-
nesses and help those whose
lives have been devastated by
earthquakes and conflict.
The stricken region came into
the public eye after an earth-
quake measuring 7.8 on the
Richter Scale hit the province on
October 8, 2005, leaving
80,000 people dead and 3.5mn
homeless. Recent infighting be-
tween militants has also seen
the region plunge further into
crisis.
Following the earthquake,
many women in the region have
struggled after losing their
homes, husbands and families,
but businesses such as Annum
Collections have been lending a
helping hand by helping them
earn a living by selling their
goods.
However, the women who
were widowed in the earthquake
need more money to send their
children to school as well as
clothe and feed their families.
Now they form a part of a
Pakistani businesswomen’s del-
egation exhibiting their products
at this year’s Women Expo, cur-
rently being held at the Oman
International Exhibition Centre.
Tehmina Faheem, a designer
with Annum Collections in
NWFP, explained that many of
the women are seeking invest-
musCat daIlY
During the speech, made in
celebration of Japan's national
day, H E Morimoto explained
that emerging projects with
Oman will focus more on renew-
able energy and the environ-
ment. In particular, the amount
of strong sunlight Oman receives
should allow for a large scale in-
within, and across, Oman’s bor-
ders with the aim of improving
ment in their businesses as their
living costs have risen.
“The people who make these
clothes were greatly affected by
the earthquake. Many of the
women lost their homes and
their families. It is very impor-
tant for us to be here to make
people aware of their plight. We
need big orders to get them
the help they need for a more
stable life.”
Adil Qayyum, vice chairman,
Federation of Pakistan Cham-
bers of Commerce and Indus-
try’s standing committee on
small and medium enterprises,
explained that the exhibitors’
presence at the Women Expo
05
tegration of solar power, enough
to provide a viable alternative
source of energy for the country.
“Oman will eventually face chal-
lenges with its limited energy
resources. For the long-term
economic development of
Oman, it is crucial to develop al-
ternative and new energy re-
the sustainability of physiother-
apy and rehabilitation services.
was an important step forward
in changing people’s negative
perception of the region.
“This is giving them the aid
and help they need, and they are
looking forward to doing busi-
ness in Oman as well as doing
something to promote bilateral
economic activity and portray a
positive image of the region.”
The NWFP businesswomen
are part of a much larger dele-
gation put together with the
help of the Trade Development
Authority of Pakistan.
Ghazala Saifi, the manager of
Khaamta, a small Karachi-based
fashion house, said that this
delegation is also in Oman to
sources, as well as energy saving
technologies. Such development
increases energy efficiency and
thus preserves precious re-
sources. It also leads to the es-
tablishment of
{ {
new industrial
foundations in
Oman,” he said. “It is crucial
Oman exports for Oman to
ten per cent of its
oil to Japan and
develop
trade between alternative and
the countries new energy
reached approxi- resources”
mately US$10bn,
according to
2008 figures.
There are cur-
rently around
130 Japanese nationals living and
11 Japanese companies in the
sultanate. Current developments
are helping to cement economic
relationships and providing the
building blocks for future coop-
eration, according to Morimoto.
“The presence of Japanese com-
There will be a scientific meet-
ing on the first day, where ex-
prove that Pakistani business-
women are serious about suc-
cess in the GCC countries.
She added, “We are opti-
mistic and we feel that coming
here would definitely be helpful
for us. We are looking for
investors who can stock our
products in Oman.”
Saifi also said that traditional
crafts from the NWFP could die
out if they don’t receive funding.
“These women produce goods
that are known across the
world. But it is almost a dying
art and it will fade out if they
don’t make enough money.
Skills are dependent on people
being paid well.”
panies has contributed to the na-
tion building of Oman. Recognis-
ing the potential of oil and gas
sectors in Oman, Japanese com-
panies made a special contribu-
tion to the
development of
the gas sector by
c onstructing
LNG processing
plants in Sur.”
The ambassa-
dor also said that
the efficiency
with which
Oman uses its CINema
fossil fuels is a City Cinema, Al Shatti Tel: 24692656 (after 2pm)
key factor in in- Main Aur Mrs Khanna (Hindi/Drama) 4.30, 7, 9.15pm
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a muScaT daily cOlumniST
Results IN lIfe -
ChOICe OR luCk?
Kevin Abdulrahman
kevin abdulrahman is an in-demand leadership development and performance acceleration
speaker and trainer
We see the results of some of these individuals’ are working hard at doing the right things.
lives and automatically conclude that they have you see it’s like saying, you want to put on
had a lucky break. i know that as a young boy weight and you are not taking in enough calo-
growing up, i would feel rather unlucky. i would ries, or a problem people are more familiar
see my parents work their guts off and we only with, want to lose weight and are still on take-
made it week in week out. aways and doughnut diets. you have to do the
i would see others living a great life and not right things in line with what you want in your
knowing any better, i attributed it to luck. life.
fortunately, as i grew up i started to pay close Here is another example i often mention in
attention to these so called lucky individuals. my workshops. imagine you live in an area
for every instance where the majority would close to a major arterial highway intersection.
perceive a success story as luck, i would realise from this arterial intersection, you have a
the amount of hard work, sweat and tears that choice of highways that can take you north,
actually went into it behind the scenes. These south, east or west. now here is what most
individuals often found their people do when they are sim-
luck at the junction of ‘oppor- SucceSSful ply working hard.
tunity’ and ‘preparation’.
individualS are OfTen They want to head north,
The harder you work doing and yet they choose to go on
the right things, the luckier you
deemed aS lucky the western highway. it doesn’t
get. you have to ask yourself, matter how long you drive for
“Based on what i want, am i doing the right and how fast you drive, you simply won’t make
things that will get me so called lucky?” it to your northern destination.
a wise person once told me that luck was an if you want to go north, then you need to
interesting word. He said that he saw luck to ensure that you are on the northern highway.
stand for labouring under correct knowledge. Only then will your efforts be handsomely
my question to you is, are you labouring rewarded.
under correct knowledge? So next time you start to say that some indi-
There is no question that people are working viduals seem to have all the luck; i hope that
hard. in fact today, hard work is the minimum you will rethink that. i would like to suggest that
requirement. However not all hard work is re- in most instances, it is your choices that deter-
warded equally. you need to ensure that you mine your luck.
You can mail him on kevin.abdulrahman@apexstuff.com