WEDNESDAY | OCTOBER 11, 2023 | RABEE AL AWWAL 25, 1445 AH
331 | PAGES 20 | BAISAS 200
Established 1981. Editor-in-chief: Abdullah bin Salim al Shueili
P13
FITCH UPGRADES
FIVE OMANI
BANKS’ IDRS
MUSCAT
OMAN, IRAN DISCUSS
MIDEAST SITUATION
Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al
Busaidy, Foreign Minister, on
Tuesday received a phone call
from Dr Hossein Amir Abdol-
lahian, Minister of Foreign Affairs
of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
During the telephonic conversa-
tion, the two sides reviewed the
bilateral relations, as well as re-
gional and international develop-
ments of mutual concern. The two
ministers expressed their concern
over the current escalation
between Israelis and Palestinians.
They underscored the importance
of reaching a just solution based
on the international laws, the
United Nations’ conventions and
the right of the Palestinians for
self-determination, independence
and freedom. — ONA
CRUDE PRICE HITS
$88.50 A BARREL
Oman oil price for December
delivery on Tuesday reached
$88.50, comprising a rise by $1.40
from the price of Monday, which
stood at $87.10. The average price
of Oman oil for October delivery
as stabilised at $86.57 per barrel,
thus $6.03 per barrel higher than
September delivery. World oil
prices eased after climbing more
than 4 per cent on Monday. Brent
crude fell 0.4 per cent to $87.81,
while US futures fell 0.4 per cent
to $86.03. Spot gold fell 0.2 per
cent to $1,860 an ounce, hav-
ing traded at one-week highs on
Monday.
OPINION
P8
Rasha al Raisi
A plausible series that’s
exciting, intriguing
P9
Samuel Kutty
Still nothing like a
letter in a post box!
753,690 to vote in Majlis polls
KABEER YOUSUF
@kabeeryousef
The Ministry of Interior on
Tuesday announced the final
lists of voters to elect members
of the Majlis Ash’shura for
the Tenth Term, through the
‘Intikhab’ application and the
elections website elections.om,
where their number reached
753,690, including 362,844
women voters.
“There was an astounding
response from the voters to
WEATHER MUSCAT: Max 350 C
Participants in the 27th Joint GCC-EU Ministerial Council pose for a group photo in Muscat on Tuesday.
OMAN
CALLS FOR
IMMEDIATE
CEASEFIRE
GCC-EU MINISTERIAL COUNCIL
DISCUSSES PARTNERSHIP,
ISRAEL-GAZA WAR
Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister
register for the election unlike
in the past,” said Sumaya
al Balushi, member of the
media team of the Election
Department at the Ministry of
Interior.
The registration rate of new
voters through the ‘Intikhab’
application was 91 per cent,
compared to 9 per cent on
the election website. North Al
Sharqiyah Governorate had the
highest registration transfer
requests, as their number
reached 3,512 requests.
Min 270 C SALALAH: Max 320 C
P18
TRIBUTE TO AN
ARTIST AND A
STAMP DESIGNER
Budget surplus at RO 773 million by August
MUSCAT: The state’s general
budget recorded a surplus of
RO 773 million as of the end of
August of this year compared
to a surplus of RO 1.9 billion
recorded in the corresponding
period of 2022.
The public revenues of the
state’s general budget amounted
to RO 7.923 billion by the end of
August this year, a 15-per cent
decrease from the figure of RO
9.325 billion recorded in the
corresponding period of last year.
Min 250 C NIZWA: Max 390 C Min 240 C
SHURA COUNCIL’S
10TH TERM
MEMBERSHIP
P12
RIZWAN, SHAFIQUE
POWER PAKISTAN TO
RECORD WIN
MUSCAT: The deliberations
of the 27th meeting of the Joint
GCC-EU Ministerial Council
began at Al Bustan Palace Hotel
in Muscat on Tuesday.
Sayyid Badr bin Hamad
al Busaidy, Foreign Minister,
Head of the current session,
said: “We look forward to
fruitful conversations and
taking some significant
steps towards the further
development of the relationship
between the European Union
and the Gulf Cooperation
Council.”
He added that the meeting
is a key milestone in the
development of strategic
partnership. This meeting,
IMPORTANCE OF
Sayyid Badr said, is a prime
opportunity to engage in a
substantive dialogue aimed
at combatting the spread of
Islamophobia and xenophobia.
He affirmed his belief
in the capacity of regional
organisations to strengthen
security and stability, to
promote economic activity and
to enhance prosperity and the
well-being of peoples.
Sayyid Badr pointed out
that the economic activity and
the deepening of economic
relations can be a powerful
means for political relations,
strengthening peace, and
avoiding conflict. In this regard,
the European Union (EU)
itself is of course an exemplary
historical achievement, he said.
He added that concrete
State public revenues fell by 15 per cent by the end of August.
PRAYER TIMINGS SUNRISE: 06:02 FAJR: 04:47
VOL. 42 NO.
editor@omanobserver.om
measures have been taken to
DIALOGUE increase the effectiveness of
AIMED AT investment in the green energy
COMBATING sector, promote cooperation
in the field of cybersecurity,
ISLAMOPHOBIA,
XENOPHOBIA
and facilitate the exchange of
expertise between the two sides
by involving GCC students in
the EU “Erasmus” programme.
Regarding the Palestinian-
MEASURES Israeli issue, Sayyid Badr called
NEEDED TO for an immediate ceasefire,
INCREASE the release of prisoners from
all parties, adherence to
INVESTMENT IN
GREEN ENERGY
international and humanitarian
laws, and resolving the
suffering of the Palestinians.
Josep Borrell, High
Representative of the European
Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs
PARTNERSHIP and Security Policy, Vice-
BETWEEN President of the European
Commission, underscored
THE GCC AND in his speech the importance
THE EU of discussing the partnership
between the GCC and the
EU for the prosperity and
stability of the two regions due
EU, ARAB
to the profound impact this
LEAGUE JOINT partnership can have on the
INITIATIVE FOR international arena.
He stated that this meeting
TWO-STATE comes at a time when the world
SOLUTION is witnessing tragic moments in
the history of the Middle East
with the escalation of violence
NECESSITY between the Palestinians and
Israelis and the implications
OF SECURITY resulting from this escalation
DIALOGUE on the possibility of the two
BETWEEN THE peoples living side by side in
peace and security. — ONA
EU AND GCC SEE ALSO P3&4
The financial performance
bulletin issued by the Ministry
of Finance showed a decrease of
10 per cent in net oil revenues
by the end of August recording
RO 4.145 billion compared to
an amount of RO 4.594 billion
in revenues collected by the end
of August last year while the
average oil price by the end of
August 2023 recorded $82 per
barrel and the average oil output
amounted to 1.56 million barrels
per day. — ONA
DHUHR: 11:59 ASR: 15:20 MAGHRIB: 17:50 ISHA: 19:01
oman
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Oman committed to becoming

key player in SAF production
VINOD NAIR Airbus and Boeing and Embraer
@vinot_nair and others are bringing on board
The meeting, held at Al Bustan Palace Hotel, discussed a number of topics, as they progress. While there will
including the 10-year GCC Cultural Strategy (2020-2030). — ONA be no immediate replacement of
With Sustainable Aviation Fuels aircraft, it is going to be a gradual
(SAF) expected to make a con- introduction of new aircraft with
OMAN CHAIRS GCC CULTURE tribution of over 60 per cent to new technologies offering better
achieving net-zero by 2050 and fuel efficiency.”
UNDER-SECRETARIES MEETING with the supply for the same lag-
ging, the Civil Aviation Authority
Jane Hupe, Deputy Director
responsible for the Environment
MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman on Tuesday chaired a meeting of GCC under- (CAA) affirmed its commitment programme at the International
Secretaries of culture under the chairmanship of Sayyid Said bin Sultan bin to the State Action Plan (SAP) at a Civil Aviation Organization
Yaarub al Busaidy, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth
for Culture. forum held in Muscat. (ICAO) confirmed that innovation
Sayyid Said pointed out that the meeting caps up a long march of diligent The aim of the Forum is to particularly on sustainable and
cultural action culminating in the GCC Cultural Strategy that serves as a enhance the public’s understand- low-carbon aviation fuel and
guideline for cultural projects, events, plans and programmes. The overall
outcome of the strategy kept pace with developments in the regional, Arab and ing of sustainable and low car- other clean energy resources is a
international arenas. bon aviation. Eng Nayef bin Ali The opening ceremony was held under the auspices of Eng Salim bin Nasser al key enabler in the sector’s pursuit
The meeting builds on the achievements made so far and explores vistas for bin Hamad al Abri, Chairman of Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals. — ONA of the long-term global goal.
shaping a solid intellectual system that preserves the GCC cultural identity and
protects its Arab and Islamic principles in a world that is witnessing the
CAA said the aviation sector has The International Air Transport
emergence of ideas that are not in harmony with customs and traditions and witnessed a significant growth in and research and innovation. production.” Association (IATA) announced its
values of tolerance, Sayyid Said affirmed. air traffic, which is an economic On SAF production in He added that all international expectation for overall renewable
For his part, Khalid bin Ali al Sunaidi, GCC Assistant-Secretary for Economic
and Development Affairs, valued the support of GCC leaders and their
necessity. Environmental conse- Oman, he said, “We are at the aviation bodies such as IATA and fuel production to reach an
keenness in joint action in the field of culture. quences associated with air traffic beginning of our journey and Airports Council International estimated capacity of at least 69
He said that culture constitutes one of the basic pillars of national identity will require a few measures and have put regulation, capabilities, (ACI) have the same objective of billion litres (55 million tonnes) by
and cultural heritage in GCC states. He added that culture contributes to actions to mitigate them. and manpower in place with achieving net-zero for the aviation 2028. Sustainable Aviation Fuels
achieving sustainable development and that it is worth moving forward through
the conservation of cultural values. Speaking to the Observer, Al various committees focusing on sector by 2025. (SAF) will comprise a portion of
The meeting, held at Al Bustan Palace Hotel, discussed a number of topics, Abri, said, “This forum sets the this governance side. We expect On encouraging airlines to have this growing output which is being
including the 10-year GCC Cultural Strategy (2020-2030), the coordination of platform for collaboration between Oman to be a leader amongst new types of aircraft, he said, “There achieved through new renewable
positions among GCC states during international cultural forums and the
implementation of annual plans for cultural events and activities, besides the aviation sector and other the neighbouring countries and is a technological development fuel refineries and the expansion
international cooperation in the field of culture. — ONA sectors such as transport, energy, the rest of the world in SAF that the manufacturers such as of existing facilities.

OJA FORUM HIGHLIGHTS ROLE OF WOMEN IN JOURNALISM AND THEIR ADAPTATION TO TECHNOLOGY
AFRAH AL BALUSHI
@afrahalbalushia
The Omani Journalists Association
organised Omani Women’s
Journalism Forum on Tuesday under
the auspices of Her Highness Dr
Taghreed bint Turki bin Mahmoud al
Said. This forum is in line with the
association’s deep-rooted belief in
the vital role of Omani women across
various sectors, with a particular
emphasis on the journalism and
media domain.
Recognising the importance of
providing Omani women with a
prominent platform, the association is
dedicated to showcasing their role in
community service as journalists and
media professionals. In pursuit of this
objective, a dedicated committee,
named ‘Women Journalists’ Affairs
Committee’ has been established.
This committee is responsible for
developing specialised training and
development programmes to
enhance the skills and capabilities of
women in journalism and media,
enabling them to actively contribute
to the nation’s continued progress.
In addition to its ongoing efforts,
the association is actively participating
in Omani Women’s Day, celebrated
on October 17 every year. The Omani
Women’s Forum for Journalism is
being organised as part of this
celebration. This forum aims to shed
light on the significant contributions
of Omani women to the journalism
sector and the broader media
landscape. It also seeks to highlight
the experiences of women who
played pivotal roles in establishing
journalism in the Sultanate of Oman,
showcasing the country’s historical
and legacy aspects of journalism.
Furthermore, the forum will delve
into how Omani women in the
media sector adapt to and keep
pace with the evolving
communication techniques and
The Omani Women’s Journalism Forum is a testament to the Omani Journalists content creation methods in
Association’s commitment to recognising and promoting the invaluable journalism. It will also facilitate
contributions of women in journalism and media discussions on various aspects of
women’s work within this sector.
The opening of the forum will be
marked by an accompanying
exhibition, followed by speeches from
the Omani Journalists Association
and Rima Integrated Projects
Company. This will include the
presentation of a film detailing the
history and mission of the Omani
Journalists Association, a visual
presentation showcasing Omani
female journalists and media
professionals, and the presentation of
inspiring stories from accomplished
Omani female journalists and media
practitioners.

Nearly one million tourists visited Dhofar

The newly revamped Al Mughassil Beach, Wadi Darbat, Ittin Gardens, and Ain Jarziz added to the tourism experience

VINOID NAIR of visitors by ensuring the readiness of of winter tourism.

@vinot_nair
Integrated promotional strategy with
all stakeholders helped the Dhofar
Governorate to attract nearly a
million tourists this khareef season. In
cooperation with Dhofar Municipality,
the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism
managed to record a 16 per cent increase
in tourism from the previous year.
Azzan bin Qasim al Busaidy, Under-
Secretary of the Ministry of Heritage and
Tourism for Tourism, said the ministry
managed to meet the needs of all types
licensed hotel establishments, in addition
to promotional strategies such as paid
advertisements through social media
and, partnerships with airlines and
hotel establishments to design attractive
promotional packages.
The month of August received the
maximum number of visitors (57 per cent)
and most tourists arrived by land ports
(77 per cent) while 23 per cent arrived
through Salalah International Airport.
The governorate will start soon
receiving a number of charter flights from
some international markets with the start
The newly revamped Al Mughsail
Beach, Wadi Darbat, Ittin Gardens, and
Ain Jarziz also added to the tourism
experience.
One of the factors for the success of
the Khareef season was the availability
of all information about tourist sites and
events on Absher mobile, a digital guide
for all seasons of Dhofar Governorate that
allows identifying tourist events and sites
and booking tickets for recreational and
tourism activities.
Around 400 charter flights will make
trips to Dhofar during this winter season.
 oman
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Calls for release

of all prisoners
Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, on Tuesday met with Péter Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, held a meeting with Shaikh
Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary. Salem Al Abdullah Al Jaber al Sabah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait.

L to R: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

Josep Borrell; Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister; and
Jassem bin Mohammed al Budaiwi, GCC Secretary-General, attend a Sayyid Badr also met with Jan Lipavský, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, met with Alexander
press conference in Muscat on Monday. — AFP Republic, on the sidelines of the 27th Joint GCC-EU Ministerial Council in Muscat. Schallenberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria. — ONA

HIBBA AL KINDI
MUSCAT, OCT 10

The 27th EU-GCC Joint Ministerial Council session kicked off in Muscat
on Tuesday, which was presided over by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al
Busaidy, the Foreign Minister who addressed the disturbing
Regional, international issues
developments in Palestine and Israel over the past few days. He called
for restraint, an immediate ceasefire, the release of prisoners from all
sides, and adherence to international humanitarian laws regarding the
Palestinian-Israeli issue.
“Before turning to our agenda, I wish to comment on the deeply
disturbing developments in Palestine and Israel in the last few days.
under discussion
Even before these latest events, more than 200 Palestinians and nearly S AY Y I D B A D R M E E T S A U S T R I A N , C Z E C H , K U WA I T I , H U N G A R Y C O U N T E R PA R T S
30 Israelis have lost their lives in violence in the West Bank this year. The
worst year for violence since 2005.” Sayyid Badr said.
“I am sure I speak for all of us in calling for restraint, in calling for an
immediate ceasefire, and a release of prisoners on all sides, and in MUSCAT: Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, issues of common concern. Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
adhering to international humanitarian laws. But it is the causes of this Foreign Minister on Tuesday met with The meetings were attended by Munthir of Hungary, on the sidelines of the 27th Joint
violence that needs to be addressed,” he added. Alexander Schallenberg, Minister of Foreign bin Mahfoudh al Mantheri, Head of Europe GCC-EU Ministerial Council in Muscat.
“Until the plight and suffering of the Palestinians is properly resolved
in line with international law, we will see no lasting peace. We must
Affairs of the Republic of Austria, on the Department and officials from both sides in The meeting reviewed the bilateral
emphasise that everyone understands and acknowledges that the only sidelines of the 27th Joint GCC-EU Ministerial each meeting. relations between the two countries. It also
and best way to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East is through the Council in Muscat. Sayyid Badr also held a meeting with Shaikh discussed aspects of cooperation and means of
two-state solution, which is the basis for all relevant United Nations
The two sides explored opportunities of Salem Al Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah, Minister promoting them particularly in fields of trade
Security Council resolutions and international law,” Sayyid Badr said.
Joseph Borrel, Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European trade, cultural and investment cooperation of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, who is currently cooperation and economic diversification,
Union for Foreign and Security Policy and Vice-President of the between the two countries. They also discussed visiting the Sultanate of Oman to participate renewable energy and production of green
European Commission, in his statement, said, “Though we have met a range of regional and international issues. in the 27th session of the GCC-EU Joint hydrogen. The two sides also discussed a range
many times already, now we meet in the middle of a terrible crisis.
These have been tragic moments in the history of the Middle East. The Austrian minister valued the Sultanate Ministerial Council in Muscat. of regional and international issues.
What has been unfolding since Saturday morning is shocking, for the of Oman’s role in releasing two citizens of his A memorandum of understanding (MoU)
suffering that this attack is causing to innocent civilians, and the tragic country. BILATERAL RELATIONS was signed between the two sides on low-
impact it will have on the possibility for two peoples to live side by side
in peace and security.” Sayyid Badr also met with Jan Lipavský, The two ministers discussed various aspects carbon hydrogen and renewable hydrogen.
He added, “I spoke to the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech of bilateral relations and reviewed ways to The MoU underlines the keenness of the two
Shtayyeh to ask the Palestinian Authority to contribute to immediate Republic, on the sidelines of the 27th Joint enhance them in all political, economic and countries to continue promoting the bilateral
cessation of hostilities and promote the interest of the Palestinian
people and the aspiration of the whole region to security and stability.” GCC-EU Ministerial Council in Muscat. cultural fields. They also stressed the need cooperation.
The priority now is to stop the aggression, cease violence The two sides discussed the bilateral to regulate maritime navigation in Khor The meeting was attended by Munthir
immediately, and de-escalate, which is of utmost importance to ensure relations and means of promoting them in Abdullah and respect international agreements bin Mahfoudh al Mantheri, Head of Europe
the protection of civilians, as well as the release of all hostages. The EU
still believes that the way forward remains the two-state solution and we
various fields in a manner that serves the joint and United Nations resolutions, notably Department, Shaikh Ahmed bin Hashil
are keen to work with our key partners to that end and build on what interests of the two countries. Security Council Resolution No. 833 on the al Maskari, Head of GCC and Regional
we started in New York last month. The two sides also exchanged viewpoints on demarcation of the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border. Neighbourhood Department and officials from
an array of current regional and international Meanwhile, Sayyid Badr met with Péter both sides. — ONA

Oman’s foreign policy wins European accolades

MUSCAT: Foreign ministers taking
part in the 27th meeting of the Joint
GCC-EU Ministerial Council hailed
the Sultanate of Oman’s foreign
policy and the country’s regional
and international efforts to establish
dialogue for peace and build pillars
of prosperity and stability.
The ministers pointed out that
dialogue constitutes a permanent
principle and a strong approach in
Oman’s foreign policy based on deep
conviction in the role of dialogue in
achieving reconciliation and peace
among all the conflicting parties.
They stressed that Oman’s foreign
policy should be taken as a model
for consolidating regional and global
security and stability.
Josep Borrell, High Representative
of the European Union (EU)
for Foreign and Security Policy,
Vice-President of the European
Commission, said, “The Sultanate
of Oman plays a positive role as a
reliable mediator at regional and
international levels.” In this context,
Borrell referred to Oman’s stance on
Yemen crisis, noting that this role
receives the full appreciation and
respect from the European side.
For his part, Gabrielius
Landsbergis, Minister of Foreign
Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania,
said that Muscat’s hosting of the
EU-GCC meeting affirmed the
position of Oman as a centre
for regional and global dialogue
through which all parties meet at
one table to exchange visions and
regional and international arenas.
Meanwhile, Tobias Billstrom,
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Kingdom of Sweden, described
the Sultanate of Oman’s foreign
policy of dialogue as a “model”
that deserves commendation. In
his comments, he quoted many
examples of Oman’s fruitful
contribution towards resolving
global issues.
Billstrom expressed the
The ministers pointed out that dialogue constitutes a permanent principle and a confidence that Oman would
strong approach in Oman’s foreign policy. — ONA keep up its standards and that
the country’s role would continue
views on measures that serve the for the international law and the to grow at a time the world is
public cause. sovereignty of states, without witnessing conflicts among many
Landsbergis pointed out that interfering in the internal affairs of parties.
his country shares Oman’s vision others. He appreciated Oman’s role In another interview, Ian Borg,
to promote dialogue and respect in resolving many thorny issues in Minister of Foreign and European
Affairs and Trade of the Republic of
Malta, also lauded Oman’s foreign
policy, which, he said, is based on
respect for international law. He
appreciated the fact that Oman
endorses the option of dialogue
as an approach to resolve disputes
among conflicting parties.
Borg stressed that Oman
encourages all countries to espouse
this approach as a measure to
enhance regional and international
security and stability.
This position is also reiterated
by Peter Szijjarto, Minister of
Foreign Affairs and Trade of the
Republic of Hungary, who stressed
his country’s support for the policy
dialogue pursued by Oman in its
foreign policy. — ONA
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Participants in the 27th Joint GCC-EU Ministerial Council pose for a group photo in Muscat on Monday. — AFP
‘HALT ALL ACTS OF VIOLENCE’
COMMUNIQUE OF 27TH MEETING OF GCC-EU MINISTERIAL COUNCIL
MUSCAT: The Ministers of
Foreign Affairs of the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) and
the European Union (EU) met
in Muscat on Tuesday for the
27th GCC-EU Joint Council’s
meeting. The meeting aimed to
further consolidate the strategic
partnership between the two
organisations. A communique
was issued following the
conclusion of the meeting.
The Joint Council welcomed
the significant progress achieved
in the implementation of the
GCC-EU Strategic Partnership,
which was announced at its
26th meeting in Brussels in
February 2022. The partnership
aims to enhance and upgrade
their longstanding engagement
established by the Cooperation
Agreement of 1988.
The EU and the GCC
Ministers stressed the special
importance of this partnership
in the light of growing serious
threats to regional and
international peace, security and
stability and to challenges to the
global economy.
APPOINTMENT OF EU
SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE
The Joint Council welcomed
the adoption in May 2022 of
the EU Joint Communication
on a Strategic Partnership with
the Gulf and the appointment
of Luigi Di Maio as EU Special
Representative for the Gulf
region in June 2023. The EU and
the GCC Ministers expressed
their support for the successful
implementation of his mandate,
including the deepening of the
GCC-EU Strategic Partnership
and enhancing diplomatic
efforts to safeguard regional
and international security and
stability.
The Joint Council reviewed
the implementation of the Joint
Action Programme (2022-2027),
mapping out a new era of closer
GCC-EU cooperation in a wide
range of areas, including political
dialogue, regional security,
counterterrorism, cybersecurity,
trade and investment, energy,
climate change, education,
research and innovation,
health and development and
humanitarian cooperation, and
people-to-people exchanges.
GCC-EU REGIONAL
SECURITY DIALOGUE
The Joint Council agreed to
hold a regular and structured
GCC-EU regional security
dialogue at the level of senior
officials, and establish joint
working groups when needed,
within the framework of the
security dialogue. The move aims
to coordinate efforts on regional
and global issues, including
nuclear, missile and drone
proliferation, maritime security,
cybersecurity, counterterrorism,
terrorism financing, recruitment
and ideology, human trafficking,
drug trafficking, irregular
migration, organised crime,
in addition to energy security,
security of global food supplies,
disaster preparedness and
emergency response.
The EU and the GCC
Ministers directed their senior
officials to explore the potential
for GCC-EU coordination on the
EU initiative for a Coordinated
Maritime Presence (CMP) in the
North West Indian Ocean.
The Joint Council welcomed
the EU’s invitation to organise
a high-level forum on regional
security and cooperation, in
Brussels in the near future,
together with the GCC
Secretariat and GCC Member
States, to complement the work
undertaken at GCC-EU official
meetings.
The Joint Council
commended the conclusions of
the first GCC-EU Conference
on Extremist Ideology and
Radicalisation, held at the
GCC in Riyadh in June 2023
and encouraged continued
cooperation in this area.
TOLERANCE AND
PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE
The Joint Council stressed
the importance of tolerance and
peaceful coexistence between
nations and cultures and
recognised that hate speech,
racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia, related forms
of intolerance, gender
discrimination and acts of
extremism can contribute to
driving the outbreak, escalation
and recurrence of conflict.
The Joint Council endorsed
the recommendations of the
12th GCC-EU Macroeconomic
Dialogue, held in November
2022 in Brussels and directed
future dialogues to focus on
modalities for more efficient
integration and sustainable
business and investment
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with other donors, to address renewables and development of
the unprecedented level of electricity interconnections, with
humanitarian needs worldwide. the ultimate goal of achieving
climate neutrality.
HUMANITARIAN CRISES The EU and the GCC
The Joint Council Ministers reiterated continued
discussed the world’s most support for upholding the UN
severe humanitarian crises, Charter and the fundamental
the importance of ensuring principles of international law,
humanitarian access and and in particular the respect for
promoting respect for the independence, sovereignty
International Humanitarian and territorial integrity of all UN
Law, as well as the humanitarian Member States.
impacts of climate change. The Joint Council expressed
The Joint Council stressed deep concern on the war against
the importance and urgency Ukraine, which continues to
L to R: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep
Borrell; Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister; and Jassem bin of promoting joint action in cause immense human suffering.
Mohamed al Budaiwi, GCC Secretary-General, attend a press conference in mitigating climate change The Joint Council reaffirmed its
Muscat on Monday. — AFP and adapting to its impacts, respect for the sovereignty and
protecting the environment and territorial integrity of States, and
developing renewable energies their commitment to the relevant
The Joint Council agreed to hold a regular and and energy efficiency. principles of International
structured GCC-EU regional security dialogue at the The EU and the GCC Law, including International
level of senior officials, and establish joint working Ministers particularly welcomed Humanitarian Law, and the UN
groups when needed, within the framework of the climate investments, noting Charter.
security dialogue that climate action contributes The Joint Council expressed
to economic growth and job deep concern about the grave
creation. They commended the developments in Israel and
environments. The Joint Council the business sectors in both sides. commitments expressed by the Gaza and condemned all attacks
welcomed the conclusions of The Joint Council called GCC and EU at COP27 and against civilians. It called for the
the 5th Trade and Investment for coordinated global efforts, called for an active participation protection of civilians, reminding
Dialogue, held at the GCC in including through the GCC-EU at COP28, aimed at the the parties of their obligations
Riyadh in March 2023. It also Strategic Partnership, to achieve implementation of commitments under the universal principles
reaffirmed interest in a privileged the Sustainable Development made. of international humanitarian
EU-GCC trade and investment Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The Joint Council also law. It further called for restraint,
relationship to further stimulate The EU and the GCC affirmed the importance of the the release of hostages and
business cooperation, enhance Ministers noted the EU’s Global underlying principles of the allowing access to food, water
market access conditions and Gateway strategy to boost major, climate agreements, including and medicines according to
support investment-inducing high-quality, and sustainable the principle of equity and International Humanitarian Law,
policies. investments in both hard and common but differentiated stressing the urgent need for a
The EU and the GCC soft infrastructures worldwide responsibilities and respecting political solution to the crisis to
Ministers stressed the to deliver on the SDGs and the capabilities in light of different avoid repeating this vicious cycle
importance of further Paris Agreement, including national circumstances of violence. The EU and the GCC
strengthening the existing investments in the Middle in implementing the UN Ministers are resolved to deplore
trade and investment dialogue East and Sustainable Transport Framework Convention on violence and urge restraint and
in areas contributing to the Connections between Europe Climate Change and the Paris calm on all sides and agreed to
goal of economic integration, and Central Asia. They agreed Agreement. continue consultations and to
modernisation, support for to explore potential avenues for The Joint Council remain engaged.
renewable energy, energy cooperation in this regard. commended Saudi Arabia’s
efficiency, resource efficiency, The Joint Council agreed Green Middle East Initiative and MIDDLE EAST PEACE
digital trade, and the promotion that GCC-EU cooperation its announcement to establish PROCESS
of sustainable and global value on scientific research and and host a secretariat for this The Joint Council called for
chains, including supply chains. innovation presents an initiative and to allocate $2.5 a halt to all acts of violence and
important opportunity for billion to support its governance any unilateral measures and
GCC-EU BUSINESS FORUM bringing innovative solutions, and projects. supported the efforts of Saudi
The Joint Council lauded the creating new jobs and Arabia, the European Union
valuable contributions made addressing green and digital DE-CARBONISATION and the League of Arab States
by the 6th GCC-EU Business transition challenges and AGENDA to revive the Middle East peace
Forum, held in Brussels in can be enhanced through a The Joint Council agreed process in cooperation with
November 2022. It encouraged strengthened participation of the to further engage on a joint Egypt and Jordan, to help put an
effective participation in GCC countries to the EU R&I de-carbonisation agenda to end to the violence and start the
the upcoming 7th Business Framework Programme Horizon decarbonise the energy systems path towards peace and security.
Forum, to be held in Bahrain in Europe. by deepening the technical The Joint Council stressed
November 2023. The EU and The Joint Council welcomed cooperation to further engage the urgent need to improve the
the GCC Ministers recognised the discussion of GCC-EU on a joint green transition in humanitarian situation and
the importance of diversifying coordination of humanitarian their economies; by deepening reiterated their commitment
sources of funding and credit and aid, held during this ministerial technical cooperation efforts, to the unity, sovereignty,
financial services, and building a meeting and recognised the need including on hydrogen, energy independence and territorial
more hospitable environment for to coordinate efforts, together efficiency, integration of integrity of Yemen. — ONA
 oman
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OMANDAILYOBSERVER
W E D N E S DAY l O C TO B E R 1 1 l 2 0 2 3 5
ISO for Public Prosecution
LAKSHMI KOTHANETH
@lakshmioman

The Public Prosecution secured (ISO

9001) for the quality management system
& (ISO 37001) for the anti-bribery
management system in a record time of
one month.
The Public Prosecution obtained two
ISO certificates — (ISO 9001) for the
quality management system and (ISO
37001) for the anti-bribery management
system. The award ceremony was held
under the auspices of Sayyid Mohammed
bin Sultan al Busaidy, Deputy Chairman of
the Supreme Judicial Council, in Muscat
on Tuesday.
The officials said the Public Prosecution’s
efforts to obtain the two ISO certifications
stemmed from the belief of its role to
promote the rule of law, represent the
society in public action with integrity and
transparency, and facilitate quality-level
services based on international standards
that focus on the principles of ethics,
honesty and impartiality, in line with Oman
Vision 2040 to establish a functioning
and specialised judicial system and have
an effective and transparent control, to
achieve a fair and effective justice.
Basheer al Salem, Managing Director,
URS Services and Certification, set the
quality management certification that will
help the Public Prosecution to organise all
the human resource documentation, risk
assessment and sustainability.
“The accreditation Oman Prosecution
has received is the highest and most
reputed. Oman Prosecution is the first to
receive this accreditation,” noted Al Salem.
He explained further that one can
Sayyid Mohammed bin Sultan al Busaidy, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, and
other dignitaries at the ceremony in Muscat on Tuesday. — ONA
consider ISO 9001 the master of all
ISO certifications. Any institution,
organisation or company should have ISO
9001 as part of their certifications. ISO
37,001 is a newly launched certification in
2016.
“Worldwide, there are less than 1,000
companies/organisations that have
received this certificate and on top of the
list of the companies are Apple, Microsoft,
Siemens and so on. The international
companies go for the certificate,” Al Salem
said.
He explained that his certificate aims to
set up the framework for the organisations
(government, private sector, even the
charity organisations) to have the proper
process to work against bribery, money
laundering and corruption.
The staff at the Public prosecution went
through training and implementation as
well as the preparation of internal auditing
so they could continue the auditing
process internally. He explained that it is
a long process and usually takes time but
depends on how ready each organisation
is and the effort they can put in. The
duration can take between one month
to six months. The public Prosecution
met the requirements and received the
certificate within one month.
“It is a challenge, and they were up to
it,” he noted.
The certification would have to be
renewed every three years. It will continue
to see surveillance frequent audits on a
yearly basis. After three years, there will
be re-certification.
Workshop as part of the hackathon at the Nizwa Cultural Centre in Nizwa on Tuesday.
Digital entrepreneurship
hackathon held
AMAL AL RIYAMI
NIZWA, OCT. 10
The Department of Culture, Sports, and
Youth in cooperation with the Directorate
of Education in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate
celebrated Omani Youth Day 2023 by
hosting a two-day hackathon at the Nizwa
Cultural Centre. Over 100 youths are
taking part in the event on Tuesday and
Wednesday.
The hackathon aims to foster
innovation in digital entrepreneurship in
the governorate. The event featured a
series of specialised workshops
conducted by experts.
The primary objective of this event is
to raise technological awareness, aligning
with the goals of Oman Vision 2040. It
encourages members of the local
community to embrace innovation to
enhance the quality of life Hilal bin
Hamad al Maadi of the General
Directorate of Education in Al Dakhiliyah,
said, “We conducted three workshops on
3D printing, artificial intelligence and
digital content creation using mobile
phones in collaboration with the Science
and Technology Centre of the Directorate
of Education in the Al Dakhiliyah
Governorate, Younis bin Ayoub al Harrasi,
expressed his enthusiasm for the
workshops, saying, “These workshops
have attracted participants who have a
deep passion for technology
entrepreneurship.” Al Harrasi said,” We
have a presentation by Abdullah al
Bahraini, who will delve into 5G
applications and its social impact.
Participants will have the opportunity to
present their projects to the public, which
will subsequently undergo rigorous
evaluation by a panel of esteemed
judges.” The outcomes of this hackathon
will be meticulously documented and
submitted to the General Directorate of
Youth at the Ministry of Culture, Sports,
and Youth headquarters, as well as the
Office of the Governor of Al Dakhiliyah
Governorate.
“Our aspiration is that this event serves
as a launch pad for these young talents,
propelling them towards successful
entrepreneurship. We anticipate that they
will accrue valuable experience and
engage with the established
entrepreneurs,” Al Harrasi said.

OMAN
TAKES PART
IN INTOSAI
MEETING
BANGKOK: The
Sultanate of Oman,
represented by the
State Audit Institution
(SAI) took part in the
16th meeting of the
International
Organization of
Supreme Audit
Institutions (INTOSAI)
working group on
combating corruption
and money
laundering.
The three-day
meeting, held in
Bangkok, looks into
endorsing the group’s
work plan for the years
(2023-2025) in line
with the INTOSAI
strategy. The meeting
also discusses the
progress report of the
working group tasked
with combating
corruption and money
laundering, with focus
on enhancing capacity
building among SAI
experts in related
areas. It looks into
exchanging the best
practices and
experiences in the
field of combating
corruption and money
laundering.
The meeting will
discuss five main
guiding principles:
The principle of
“examining systems of
reporting violations”;
the principle of
“partnership projects
between the public
sector and private
sector”; the principle
of “assessing the
commitment of the
supreme audit and
accounting
institutions” that are
members of INTOSAI;
the principle of
“surveillance of
national systems for
preventing and
combating corruption”
and the principle of
“disclosing corruption”
(including investigation
and audit techniques,
tools, resources, and
evidence collection).
— ONA
world
6 OMANDAILYOBSERVER
W E D N E S DAY l O C TO B E R 1 1 l 2 0 2 3
Gaza siege ‘prohibited’ under international law: UN
GENEVA: Israel’s total siege of
the Gaza Strip, depriving civilians
of goods essential for survival, is
banned under international law,
the United Nations human rights
chief said on Tuesday.
Volker Turk called for all sides
instead to defuse the “explosive
powder-keg situation”, as Israel
warned of a sustained war to
destroy the Palestinian group
Hamas.
“We know from bitter
experience that vengeance is
not the answer, and ultimately
innocent civilians pay the price,”
Turk said.
Hamas, which abducted about
150 people in its surprise weekend
attack on Israel, threatened to
execute the hostages if Israeli
air strikes continue “targeting”
Gaza residents without warning.
The threat came after Israel on
Monday imposed a total siege on
the Gaza Strip, cutting off food,
water and electricity supplies.
“The imposition of sieges
that endanger the lives of
civilians by depriving them of
goods essential for their survival
is prohibited under international
humanitarian law,” Turk said
in a statement.The siege risks
A woman reacts as Palestinians attend the funeral of Zakaria Abu Maamar, a member of Hamas’ political office, who was
killed in an air strike, in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. — Reuters
Smoke rises after Israeli strikes on the seaport of Gaza City, in Gaza. — Reuters
Gaza-Egypt crossing hit for third time
RAFAH: Gaza’s Rafah border
crossing with Egypt, its only one
not controlled by Israel, was hit
by an Israeli air strike on Tuesday
for the third time in 24 hours.
The third strike consisted of
“four missiles” which targeted the
Palestinian side of the crossing,
local Egyptian group Sinai for
Human Rights reported.
Witnesses had said the
second strike hit the no-man’s
land between the Egyptian and
Palestinian gates, damaging the
hall on the Palestinian side.
The Israel military said it could
“neither confirm or deny” any
strike on the crossing “at this
point”.
Sinai for Human Rights said on
Tuesday’s strikes had prompted
the closure of the crossing,
but there was no immediate
confirmation from either side.
Witnesses said Egyptian
employees at the border post had
been evacuated while “dozens of
The imposition of
sieges that endanger
the lives of civilians
by depriving them
of goods essential
for their survival is
prohibited under
international
humanitarian law
Volker Turk
UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights
seriously compounding the
already dire human rights and
humanitarian situation in Gaza,
the statement said.
Any restrictions on the
movement of people and goods
to implement a siege must be
justified by military necessity
or may otherwise amount to
collective punishment, it added.
Turk called on influential
countries to try to de-escalate the
situation.He urged Palestinian
armed groups to release all
Smoke billows from the Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt during an
Israeli airstrike. — AFP
Palestinian families” who had
tried to enter Gaza were turned
back towards the Egyptian town
of El Arish.
It was the second day the
crossing had been hit since
Israel launched a ferocious
bombardment of Gaza in
response to a shock attack by
the territory’s Hamas rulers on
Saturday that left more than
captured civilians immediately
and unconditionally, with
hostage-taking being prohibited
by international law.
In response, Israel’s mission
in Geneva said Turk “does not
mention who lit” the powder
keg he described, and criticised
him for not condemning Hamas
attacks.Meanwhile the ongoing
UN investigation into alleged
human rights violations in the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict said
there was “already clear evidence
that war crimes may have been
committed” since Saturday’s
surprise Hamas attack.
“All those who have
violated international law and
targeted civilians must be held
accountable for their crimes,”
said the Commission of Inquiry.
The COI, the highest-level
investigation that can be ordered
by the UN Human Rights
Council, was set up in May 2021 to
investigate all alleged violations
of international humanitarian
and human rights law.The
independent commission said
it had been “collecting and
preserving evidence of war
crimes committed by all sides”
in the current conflict. — AFP
900 people dead in Israel. Gaza
officials have reported 765 people
killed so far.
The first strike on Monday had
briefly halted passage through the
crossing, a security source and
witnesses said.
There has been no comment
from the Egyptian authorities.
Israel has announced “a
complete siege” of Gaza, cutting
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Smoke billows during Israeli strikes on Gaza City. — AFP
Lebanon on edge after border clashes
DHAYRA: Many residents of
south Lebanon who just days
ago were preparing to harvest
their olives have instead fled
for fear of another ruinous
conflict with Israel after the
deadliest day of cross-border
violence since the 2006 war.
On the Israeli side of the
frontier, villages appeared
deserted on Tuesday - a
possible result of residents
sheltering indoors rather than
evacuating. The Israeli military
said it had not issued them A convoy Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) makes their way to Israel’s
with any orders to leave. Some border with Lebanon. — Reuters
people, however, said they Monday - three Hezbollah Violence at the Lebanese-
were relocating southward as members, an Israeli officer, Israeli frontier began when
a temporary precaution. and two Palestinians who militants from the Palestinian
Israeli tanks were deployed touched off the violence. Islamic Jihad group, which
in the far northern border Tensions have spiked since is fighting alongside Hamas
town of Metulla as rain came Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, slipped across the
down near the heavily fortified launched a surprise attack on frontier from Lebanon into
border. Israel from the Gaza Strip on Israel.
Six people were killed on Saturday. — Reuters
Red Cross offers help over missing ones
GENEVA: The Red Cross said on
Tuesday it stood ready in its role
as a neutral intermediary to help
southern towns recaptured by the
army in battles near the Palestinian
enclave.
clarify the fate of those missing Hamas has held around
off food, water and electricity after the surprise Hamas assault 150 hostages since its surprise
supplies to the territory’s 2.3 on Israel. incursion on Saturday.
million people. The International Committee The ICRC said it was working
Travel through the Rafah of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it to support the authorities in
crossing is restricted to was ready to help reunite families identifying missing people, and
humanitarian cases and and called for all hostages to be was “ready to help reunite families
requires often time-consuming freed immediately. and loved ones, clarify the fate of
authorisations. Israel pounded Hamas targets those missing, and evacuate the
Egypt, the first Arab country in Gaza on Tuesday and said the wounded”.
to make peace with Israel in bodies of 1,500 were found in — AFP
1979, has long played the role of
intermediary between Hamas
and Israel.
On Monday, high-level
Egyptian security sources
claimed there were attempts
to “settle the people of Gaza in
the (Egypt’s) Sinai Peninsula,”
state-linked private television Al
Qahera News reported.
“Egypt has rejected and will
reject this matter, which was
also rejected by the Palestinian
people,” the sources said.
Israel has denied pushing
Palestinians towards Egypt.
— AFP A view shows buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes in Gaza City. — Reuters

omanobserver.om/podcast
In brief
TOKYO
TOP US SENATOR
SCHUMER CANCELS
TRIP TO JAPAN
A group of US senators led by
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
have cancelled their trip to
Japan after visiting Beijing,
Washington’s embassy in Tokyo
said on Tuesday.
“Due to external events, the
delegation’s trip to Japan has
been cancelled,” the embassy
said in a notice.
Schumer announced last
week the group was visiting
China, Japan and South Korea.
The delegation’s visit to South
Korea was earlier said to be
cancelled but it later emerged
that whether Schumer would fly
to Seoul was unclear.
The US Embassy in Seoul
and Schumer’s press team did
not respond to requests for
comment. — AFP
SYDNEY
AUSTRALIA PM
FIGHTS FOR
INDIGENOUS REFORM
Prime Minister Anthony
Albanese called on voters to
show “the best of Australia” by
backing a landmark Indigenous
rights referendum on Tuesday,
with just four days left to defy
polls pointing to defeat.
The constitutional
amendment would give
Indigenous peoples a “Voice”
— the right to be consulted
about issues that affect their
communities, many battling
poorer health, lower quality
education and higher rates
of incarceration than other
Australians.
“What I want to see is the
best of Australia. We are a great
multicultural success story,”
Albanese said. — AFP
WARSAW
TWO SENIOR
POLAND MILITARY
LEADERS RESIGN
Poland’s chief of staff and army
head of operations resigned on
Tuesday, sparking the biggest
crisis the country’s military has
seen in years, just days before
crunch parliamentary elections.
The two generals did not give a
reason for their departure.
But Polish media said they
had decided to step down after
a long-running conflict with
Defence Minister Mariusz
Blaszczak, and were opposed to
attempts by Blaszczak to involve
the army in the campaign
for Sunday’s closely fought
legislative vote.
Poland’s National Security
Bureau (BBN) said President
Andrzej Duda would accept the
departure of Andrzejczak and
Piotrowski. — AFP
Scholz, Macron hail Franco-German
friendship despite tensions
HAMBURG: France and Germany
are an “important couple for
Europe” and must work out their
differences, Chancellor Olaf Scholz
and French President Emmanuel
Macron said on Tuesday after talks
to repair strained ties.
“France and Germany are
a very important couple for
Europe,” Scholz said during a
press conference with Macron in
the northern German port city of
Hamburg after two days of Franco-
German meetings.
“As is common for many
couples, there are sometimes
different perspectives on one issue
or another but it is possible to
develop a common point of view,”
the chancellor added.
Macron echoed the sentiment,
saying the two European Union
heavyweights “have a historic,
moral, political duty... to build
common paths to move forward
for our two countries and for our
Europe”.
“A stronger and more united
Europe is essential, and a necessary
condition for this is for Germany
and France to be closer,” he told
reporters.
The closely watched Hamburg
gathering, also attended by
government ministers from both
countries, was billed as a chance
to revive the Franco-German
friendship after a series of spats,
including over energy policy and
defence projects.
Plans by the European
Commission to reform the
Labour leader Starmer to
pledge to repair UK
LIVERPOOL: Britain’s opposition
leader promises on Tuesday that a
future Labour government would
“heal” the UK after 13 years of
Conservative rule, tackling a cost-
of-living crisis sparked by Brexit,
pandemic lockdowns and the war
in Ukraine.
Keir Starmer is set to pledge
to “get Britain’s future back” if
Labour wins a general election
tipped for next year.
Starmer warns that the path
will be difficult to recover from a
cost-of-living crisis sparked by the
UK’s departure from the European
Union, Covid restrictions and the
conflict in Ukraine. “People are
looking to us because they want
our wounds to heal and we are the
healers,” Starmer said, promising
a “decade of national renewal”.
“People are looking to us
because they want us to build
a new Britain and we are the
builders,” he added.
The speech comes with the
opposition party enjoying double-
digit leads in most opinion polls
ahead of a general election that
Tory Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
must call by January 2025.
Starmer has shepherded
Labour back to the centre ground
since becoming leader in April
2020, after succeeding left-
winger Jeremy Corbyn following
a landslide defeat to the Tories at
the last general election in 2019.
“There is a vision here that I
have not seen sort of presented by
the party in a while,” said Labour
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R) and French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd R) talk while walking along the Elbe River in Hamburg, northern Germany. — AFP
electricity market have been held
up in recent months as Berlin
and Paris disagree over how
best to decarbonise the sector
and deal with the energy price
shock sparked by Russia’s war in
Ukraine.
But Macron signalled a
willingness to come up with a
compromise soon.
“We agreed to work together...
in the coming weeks to seek to
conclude a necessary agreement
by the end of the month,”
Macron said, while noting that
Britain’s main opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria
Starmer arrive on the third day of the annual Labour Party conference in
Liverpool, northwest England. — AFP
The speech comes with
the opposition party
enjoying double-digit
leads in most opinion
polls ahead of a general
election that Tory
Prime Minister Rishi
Sunak must call by
January 2025
Party member Henry Pearl.
“I feel that we’re a government
in waiting, as opposed to an
opposition party,” the 27-year-
old said. Despite being well ahead
in the polls, Starmer has faced
criticism for being too cautious
and for not clearly spelling out a
vision for the United Kingdom.
Observers are keen to see
W E D N E S DAY l O C TO B E R 1 1 l 2 0 2 3
A stronger and
more united Europe
is essential, and a
necessary condition for
this is for Germany and
France to be closer
EMMANUEL
MACRON
French President
whether he puts some flesh on
the bones of his party’s policies
during the speech or whether he
decides not to reveal his hand too
early, with the date of the election
uncertain.
“He’s not as bombastic as
previous leaders are but I think
he’s sort of sensible and strong and
has that sort of gumption to get us
over the line,” added Pearl.
Labour rolled out a few policies
at the conference, which kicked
off on Sunday and is possibly the
last before the election.
Starmer announced
£1.5-billion plan to tackle
waiting lists in the state-run
National Health Service that have
ballooned due to the impact of
industrial action and a huge Covid
pandemic backlog. — AFP
world
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
7
both countries were advocating electricity producers. France
“extremely different” models. wants its existing nuclear fleet
Scholz said the two neighbours be allowed to benefit from those
were working “intensively and contracts. But Germany, which has
very constructively to develop phased out nuclear power, wants
common solutions” on how to to incentivise investment in new
bring together “the energy systems renewable energy projects.
in Europe to generate impulses Meanwhile in Germany,
for growth and lower electricity German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
prices”. expressed concern on Tuesday
A key point of difference about the growing popularity
between Paris and Berlin is of the far-right Alternative for
the topic of long-term energy Germany (AfD) after the party
contracts at guaranteed prices made strong gains in state elections
between government and at the weekend. — AFP
Court rejects complaint by US
reporter Gershkovich in Russia
MOSCOW: A Russian court on Tuesday dismissed a complaint by US
reporter Evan Gershkovich against the extension of his pre-trial detention,
more than six months after his arrest on spying charges which he denies.
Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was detained by the
Federal Security Service (FSB) on March 29 in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg
on charges of espionage that carry up to 20 years in prison.
Gershkovich smiled quizzically from a glass box in court at journalists
who were allowed to photograph him before the closed hearing.
Judge Yuri Pasyunin said the Moscow city court had decided to leave
intact an earlier court decision to extend his pre-trial detention.
“The appeal complaint is left without satisfaction,” Pasyunin said.
Reporters were allowed to listen to the court’s decision via a video link in a
different part of the court house.
The decision essentially means that Gershkovich, 31, will remain in
detention. No date has been set for his trial.
Gershkovich is the first American journalist to be detained on spy
charges in Russia since the Cold War over three decades ago. American
diplomats attended the Moscow courthouse.
Russia has said Gershkovich was caught “red-handed” while the FSB, the
main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said he was trying to obtain military
secrets.
The White House has called the charges “ridiculous” and President Joe
Biden has said Gershkovich’s detention is “totally illegal”. The Wall Street
Journal denies the charges and has called for his immediate release, as has
his family.
Russia has yet to make any evidence in the case public. Tuesday’s
hearing was closed due to the case containing materials classified as secret.
“As expected, the court yet again denied his appeal,” the Journal said in
a statement.
“It has now been more than six months since Evan’s unjust arrest,
and we are outraged that he continues to be wrongfully detained. The
accusation against him is categorically false, and we call for his immediate
release.”
A fluent Russian-speaker born to Soviet emigres and raised in New
Jersey, Gershkovich moved to Moscow in late 2017 to join the English-
language Moscow Times, and subsequently worked for the French news
agency Agence France-Presse.
Russia announced the start of its “special military operation” in Ukraine
in February 2022, just as Gershkovich was in London. — Reuters
a
US journalist Evan Gershkovich stands inside a defendants’ cage before a
hearing to consider an appeal on his extended pre-trial detention at the
Moscow City Court in Moscow. — AFP
 8 Opinion WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11, 2023
OMAN DAILY OBSERVER

A plausible series that’s exciting, intriguing

Rasha al Raisi
rashabooks@yahoo.com
The writer is a certified
skills trainer and
author of The World
According to Bahja
W
hen it comes to TV series
productions here in the Gulf,
Kuwaitis are considered
pioneers as their television
broadcasting started in 1961
for four hours a day. Older generation of Gulf
citizens remember fondly songs and television series
all in black and white.
As a child of the 80s, I still remember glimpses
of the old productions that made my family happy,
especially Awad Al Dokhi’s song Soat Al-Sahara
— roughly translates to the sound of the sleepless —
that was produced in 1961 where he’s hugging his
oud tightly and singing with jerky movements.
The 80s was a rich production period for
Kuwaitis, especially during Ramadhan where there
were 2 major series made for the holy month that
were broadcasted at different times on Oman TV:
the children’s series round the afternoon — when
concentration levels were the lowest due to fasting
— and the family series that came right after Iftar
time (these were the ones we enjoyed most as we
watched them on full bellies!).
When satellite channels arrived in the 90s,
television production increased and viewers were
given many choices of movies and television series
from different Arab countries, especially Egypt and
Syria. Yet many of the people I know still preferred
Kuwaiti productions. As for me nowadays, I find
them distracting as Kuwaiti actresses’ facial features
are barely recognizable from one Ramadhan to
the next due to endless plastic surgeries that my
brain insists on analysing instead of focusing on the
showcased plot.
Lately, Netflix recommended me to watch a
short Kuwaiti series of seven episodes called: Devil’s
Advocate starring Haya Abdul-Salam and Ali
Kakoli. Kakoli plays the role of a famous footballer
called Bader Khalid who finds himself accused of
murdering his wife, Dalal. The knife used to kill
her is missing and the only thing that links him to
the murder is his sport’s towel-tainted with Dalal’s
blood-found in an outside bin. Badr insists on being
innocent and Yusif the public prosecutor handling
the case (Mohammed al Dousari) seems at loss
trying to find the motive behind the murder with
no tangible evidence and witnesses that agree on
one thing: Badr and Dalal were school sweethearts
with a fairy tale-like love story and average marital
problems.
That’s when a lawyer called Lulwa (Haya Abdul-
Salam) decides to defend Badr as a comeback after
a long leave. She believes Badr’s innocence claims
and decides to help him, though she holds a personal
grudge against Yusif. The case proves to be difficult
but Lulwa manages to prove Badr’s innocence
though everyone around her doubts it and the
question remains: who’s the real killer? (And that’s a
SHORT SERIES surprise that made the series worth watching).
IS THE WAY Having seven episodes meant that the writer
avoided the trap that most of Ramadhan series falls
FORWARD AS
PROLONGED into: a dragging plot. The link between the characters
was smart and unexpected at times. The actors did
ONES END UP
a brilliant job delivering their respective roles, even
BEING A COMICAL those who appeared in a few scenes only. However,
DISASTER there were few faults and scenes that didn’t fit their
WITH NO PLOT culture such as Lulwa immersing herself in the tub
TO FOLLOW while being fully clothed and using a relatively cheap
AND POOR perfume, when coming from a brand obsessed society.
Also, the choice of the actor who plays the teenage
IMPROVISATION.
Badr was unsuccessful as there was no resemblance
between the two. Yet all in all, I felt proud to see that
Kuwaitis had succeeded in producing a plausible
series that’s exciting and intriguing. It demonstrated
that short series is the way forward as prolonged
ones end up being a comical disaster with no plot to
follow and poor improvisation. Devil’s Advocate is
worth watching.

Mayor seeks to
raze flood-hit Nobel for advancing understanding of
Slovenia village women’s progress in the workforce
C
BOJAN KAVCIC laudia Goldin, a Harvard
professor, is the third

A
fter calamitous floods hit two
thirds of Slovenia in August, one
mayor took a radical decision —
to raze most of the houses in one
village rather than rebuild them.
“My role is to ensure people have a safe
life,” Tomaz Zohar said, and living in Letus “is
definitely not safe”.
Knowing worse was to come with climate
change, he said he had no choice.
August’s flooding was the worst the country of
two million has ever seen, with many roads and
100 bridges washed away in 180 out of its 212
municipalities.
While it will cost Slovenia 10 billion euros
($10.6 billion) to rebuild, the knock-on effects
of the disaster were felt across Europe, forcing
Volkswagen to slow production at several plants
after a key supplier was hit.
As the world warms, the risk of such intense
downpours is rising, with building on flood plains,
bad planning and the runoff from urban areas
often multiplying the damage done.
Some 100 homes in Letus were flooded when
the Savinja river burst its banks in August, a
nightmare mayor Zohar doesn’t want to relive.
Showing his plans for Letus, Zohar said he
wants to build new homes in a safe area by 2025,
with the land containing the existing houses
becoming a buffer zone in case of fresh flooding.
In Letus, where the river cuts the village in two,
opinion is divided. “We have been flooded four
times so far,” said resident Darja Primozic, who
wants to leave as fast as she can.
“Fear enters your bones,” she told the Delo
daily. “Every time there is heavy rain you panic.”
But not everyone is ready to leave their homes.
Businessman Bojan Arcan claimed that if the
river bank had been maintained better, “we would
be safe, there would be no reason for us to leave”.
In the courtyard of his home, wooden furniture
is still out to dry from the deluge.
Insisting that “maybe we won’t have new floods
for another hundred years”, the 43-year-old has
collected more than 100 signatures against the
move, saying the new site for the homes is worse.
But Zohar, the mayor of Braslovce municipality
of which the village is a part, is pressing on. He
needs the green light and financial backing from
the government for his plans, hoping it will “show
the wisdom and courage to carry the project out”.
— AFP
woman to have won the
economics Nobel, which
was first awarded in
1969, and the first one to be honoured
with it solo rather than sharing in the
Jeanna Smialek prize. She got the award for advancing
the world’s understanding of women’s
progress in the workforce.
Goldin, 77, has long been a
trailblazer in the field — she was the
first woman to be offered tenure in
Harvard’s economics department,
in 1989. Her wide-ranging work has
delved into the causes of the gender
wage gap, the evolution of women’s
participation in the job market over the
past 200 years, and the implications for
the future of the labour force.
GOLDIN IS THE FIRST
Why did the committee say
ONE TO BE HONORED she received the prize? The Nobel
WITH NOBEL PRIZE committee announced the award in
SOLO RATHER THAN Stockholm, praising Goldin for her
SHARING IN THE research on female employment, which
PRIZE. SHE IS ALSO THE showed that employment among
FIRST WOMAN TO BE married women decreased in the
1800s, as the economy moved away
OFFERED TENURE IN
from agriculture and toward industry.
HARVARD’S ECONOMICS Women’s participation then increased
DEPARTMENT, IN 1989. in the 1900s, as the service sector began
to expand as a part of the economy.
Goldin has described the 1970s in
particular as a “revolutionary” period
in which women in the United States
began to marry later, take strides in
higher education, and make major
progress in the labour market. Birth
control pills became more easily
available in those years, taking away
what Goldin has called a “potent”
reason for early marriage — and giving
women more time to form identities
outside the home.
Goldin has also illustrated how the
process of closing the gender wage gap
has been uneven over the course of
history. Recently, progress in closing it
has been halting: Today, women in the
United States make a little over 80 cents
for every dollar a man makes.
In the past, gender wage gaps
could be explained by education and
occupation. But Goldin has shown
Harvard professor Claudia Goldin after winning the Nobel Prize for Economics in Cambridge on
Monday. — Reuters
that most of the earnings difference is
now between men and women in the
same jobs, the Nobel committee said.
Notably, it kicks in after the birth of a
woman’s first child.
In a 15-year study of business school
students at the University of Chicago,
for instance, Goldin and her colleagues
found in one paper that the gap in pay
started to widen a year or two after a
woman had her first baby.
“Claudia Goldin’s discoveries
have vast societal implications,” said
Randi Hjalmarsson, a member of the
committee and professor of economics
at the University of Gothenburg.
What did she say about winning the
prize? Goldin said in an interview that
she hoped people would take away from
her work how important long-term
changes are to understanding the labour
market.
“We see a residue of history around
us,” she said, explaining that societal
and family structures that women and
men grow up in shape their behaviour
and economic outcomes.
“We’re never going to have gender
equality until we also have couple
equity,” she said. While there has been
“monumental progressive change, at
the same time there are important
differences,” which often tie back to
women doing more work in the home.
Goldin has a doctorate in economics
from the University of Chicago. She
often co-authors papers with her
husband, Lawrence Katz, a fellow
Harvard University economist.
She was asleep when the call
informing her of the prize came in
— she had gotten up earlier to let the
dog out but had gone back to bed. She
said she was “delighted.” Asked about
what it meant for a woman to win the
economics award on her own, Goldin
said it marked a sort of “culmination”
after years of “important changes”
toward more gender diversity in the
field.
What do her colleagues say about
her? Claudia Olivetti of Dartmouth,
a co-author of Goldin’s, said Goldin’s
work has “shaped much of the current
research on women and labour
markets.” She pointed out that it
continues to today: Goldin has just
released a new working paper on why
women made such great advances in
the 1970s, and why that progress has hit
roadblocks in the years since.
Goldin has also been an important
mentor to many women entering the
field of economics, she said.
Leah Boustan, a professor at
Princeton and once a student of
Goldin’s, said that her work has had
a “profound” influence on labour
economics.
— The New York Times

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OMAN DAILY OBSERVER
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11, 2023
Opinion 9

IN SUPPORT!
Still nothing like a letter in a post box!

R
eceiving a personal letter
was, for the alumni
of my age, an event
rather than a feature of
ordinary life. It was a
wonderful experience that would incite
excitement!
Till a few decades ago, the post-box
used to be a treasure trove of letters
from relatives and friends, cards of
different festivities, or other official or
personal correspondence embellishing
the serendipity of our lives. Adding to
the personal touch was a handwritten
note or a signature.
And sometimes, letters help us
express our feelings in a way that we
can’t over the phone, through e-mail, or
even in person.
Many of those letters contained the
tears of those loved ones who would
stay far away. Remembering or reading
those lines in the letters once again after
years makes me feel that I am entering
another birth of my life.
However, the grand age of the
personal written letter is very rapidly
passing. Today, handwritten letters have
gone out of fashion, and letter boxes are
not conspicuous anymore. So is the art
form of handwritten letters!
Similarly, a postman played a very
important role in delivering not only
handwritten letters describing joyful
or sorrowful emotions but also current
news and hope.
In many countries in the Third
World, the most welcoming guest to
homes, especially in remote villages,
is supposed to be the postman. But
unfortunately, it is now a profession
that is gradually ebbing away from our
memory!
Those ubiquitous red letter boxes
on the streets have also gone the
way of land phones. Today, letters in
general pertain to advertisements,
annual meetings, government-related
communication, bulk posting of
journals, and specific copies of some
local newspapers and magazines.
The same is the case with philately
or stamp collections. It has seen a great
deal of decline in recent years, as it is
not as popular among young people as
it once was. It doesn’t enjoy the cachet
that it did in the past, reflecting the
fragmentation of our overall culture
and the proliferation of other niche
interests.
World Post Day on October 9 is a
day dedicated to celebrating the postal
sector and its contributions to global
Samuel Kutty communication and commerce. It
@samkuttyvp acknowledges the postal services’ role
in connecting individuals, businesses,
The writer is a senior and governments and facilitating
journalist, author and the exchange of letters, parcels, and
columnist documents.
Significantly, with more than one
billion post offices throughout the
world, the postal network is the biggest
physical network in the world. Post
offices are everywhere, from the capitals
of bigger industrialised countries to
small rural towns in the least developed
countries.
However, the postal departments all
over are sprucing up their services in
accordance with the changes for their
survival. New products and services are
adding a contemporary resonance to it.
During the Covid-19 pandemic,
the postal services in many countries
provided vital services, including
the delivery of critical items such
IN MANY as medications and other essential
COUNTRIES commodities. Further, the postal
IN THE THIRD service is the leading delivery service
WORLD, provider for online purchases.
The future generation may ponder
THE MOST
the inconvenience rather than the
WELCOMING emotions contained in letters from
GUEST TO yesteryear, where their ancestors had
HOMES, to buy an envelope or cover, write it on
ESPECIALLY paper, go to the post office, fix stamps,
IN REMOTE and post it. Again, it would take a few
days to reach the other person’s hand.
VILLAGES, IS
Letters have always been a nice
SUPPOSED TO BE way to show someone when they are
THE POSTMAN. gone that you’re thinking about them.
UNFOR- Reading them now, after so many
TUNATELY, IT IS years, shows why we are as close as we
A PROFESSION are today. Now, postal letters are only
THAT IS nostalgic memories.
Of course, in a world of online
GRADUALLY
shopping, there are still plenty of parcel
EBBING AWAY deliveries. The thrill of the letter may be
A Palestinian supporter during a protest near the Consulate General of Israel in New York on Tuesday. Israel
FROM OUR gone, but as long as those boxes keep imposed a total siege on the Gaza Strip on Monday and cut off the water supply as it kept bombing targets
MEMORY! arriving, in the crowded Palestinian enclave in response to the Hamas surprise assault. — AFP

Why money matters when taking

climate change to court
JOANNA GILL AND
courts “when other systems fail”. doing enough to prevent global well as crowdfunding and lawyers de Borchgrave, an investment
JACK GRAHAM
“Rolling the dice on a judge’s warming. working pro bono. specialist and co-plaintiff in the

W
hen Serge de
Gheldere decided —
along with a dozen
other Belgian citizens
— to take the government to court
in 2014 alleging climate inaction,
he didn’t imagine he would still be
fighting the case in 2023 and with
more than 70,000 co-plaintiffs.
“I thought we had a good chance of
nailing this (quickly),” he said. “In the
past, it has worked to use the law to
bring about societal advances.”
The long-running “Klimaatzaak”
or Climate Affair case, in which de
Gheldere wants an appeals court to
order Belgium to make deeper cuts
in greenhouse gas emissions, is part
of a rising tide of climate change
litigation around the world. The
cumulative number of cases globally
has more than doubled since 2015 to
nearly 2,200, according to a database
collected by the Sabin Center for
Climate Change Law at New York’s
Columbia University.
Many such cases are brought by
non-profits or individuals frustrated
with a lack of progress from
governments in tackling the climate
crisis, as the world suffers more severe
heatwaves, floods, storms, droughts
and wildfires.
Michael Burger, the Sabin Center’s
director, said people resort to the
decision — taking the time and
resources that it takes to litigate
— is not the most efficient way
to get to solutions to this global
crisis,” he said.
But more and more climate
battles are reaching the court-
room, pulling in activists young
and old, farmers, scientists, fossil
fuel firms and even litigation
investors looking to make a profit
from a cut of climate damages
awarded to their clients.
Money matters when it comes
to climate lawsuits — from
the funding to cover costs in
often lengthy legal processes, to
potential payouts that could reach
into the billions of dollars.
Environmental groups are
leading the drive for climate
justice, with nearly 90 per cent
of non-US cases filed since
June 2022 coming from NGOs
AS THE or individuals, according to a
POTENTIAL report by the Grantham Research
FINANCIAL Institute at the London School of
PAYOUTS Economics.
FROM CLIMATE Many arguments are based on
LAWSUITS GROW, human rights, and four such cases
have been opened in Europe this
LITIGATION
year alone — with citizens from
FUNDERS ARE Belgium, France, Switzerland
EYEING AN and Portugal arguing that states
OPPORTUNITY have violated their rights by not
And the NGOs sometimes
succeed. The Dutch Supreme
Court ruled in 2019 that the
government was violating human
rights by failing to do enough to
fight climate change and should
cut emissions by at least 25 per
cent below 1990 levels by 2020.
A shift from coal to generate
electricity meant the goal
was met, with a 25.5 per cent
reduction, Statistics Netherlands
said. But testing legal arguments
takes time and money. NGO-
led human rights cases often
have to rely on a combination of
donations from philanthropic
organisations and individuals, as
Residents carry their groceries as they walk through a flooded street after heavy
rains in Bago township in Myanmar’s Bago region on Tuesday. — AFP
“We had some rich supporters
giving us money every month,
we did fundraisers, concerts. It
was a huge undertaking,” said
de Gheldere of the Belgian case
which had cost almost 2 million
euros ($2.11 million) by 2022.
One drawback is that such
litigation demands a lot of unpaid
work and citizen support, which
can lead to some people or cases
being excluded.
“Funding is a barrier in the
sense that it limits the ability of
any group of citizens to do it.
You have to be well-connected
and you have to be a great
communicator,” said Francois
Belgian climate case.
Climate lawyers said that what
makes these human-rights based
cases stand out is they are seeking
to force governments to do more
to combat climate change, rather
than win damages.
“You’re trying to change policy,
so if you get that type of impact
it doesn’t matter that you’re not
getting financial compensation,”
said Joana Setzer, assistant
professorial research fellow at
the LSE’s Grantham Research
Institute.
But if those cases fail to drive
greater action to rein in global
warming, losses linked to climate
change are predicted to surge —
and could stimulate litigation for
climate reparations.
Under this relatively new and
evolving area of law, individuals
or groups seek compensation for
climate-change related losses such
as from wildfires and floods.
One case to watch, according
to legal experts, is that of Saúl
Luciano Lliuya, a Peruvian
farmer who filed a lawsuit against
German utility RWE, which
ranks as one of Europe’s biggest
polluters due to its coal-fired
power stations.
— Thomson Reuters Foundation
WEDNESDAY | OCTOBER 11, 2023 | RABEE AL AWWAL 25, 1445 AH
sport
Oman’s Luqman, Badar enter main draw
T O P R A N K I N G
ADIL AL BALUSHI
MUSCAT, OCT 10
Omani duo of Luqman al Farsi
and Badar al Jassasi moved to the
main draw of the men’s doubles
event after they beat their
team-mates Ahmed al Riyami
and Mohammed al Mutawa on
Tuesday at the qualifications of
men’s doubles event at WTT
Contender Muscat 2023. The
triumph meant Oman’s pair will
meet Ho Kwan Kit and Wong
Chun Ting from Hong Kong on
Wednesday and the match will
start at 19:45.
On the other hand, Oman’s
doubles team of Muhanad
al Balushi and Asad al Raisi
confirmed their presence in the
main draw and they will take
on Hungarian pair of Bence
Majros and Nandor Eceski on
Wednesday. The match will
begin at 15:45.
Post the match, Badar al
Jassasi said that taking part in
the WTT Contender Muscat
2023 is a good step for him to
gain the desired experience.
“I am very pleased in my
attendance at this mega table
tennis event. It means a lot for
me to play against top ranking
players and learn from their
technical experience. Moreover,
it is technically recommended to
play matches with paddlers from
different schools. Despite our
results in the event, the technical
learning outcomes are a lot and
will work on how to utilise these
outcomes on our performance,”
he said.
The real action will begin at
WTT Contender Muscat 2023
on Wednesday as the main draw
competitions will commence
by having last 32 matches in
the men’s singles event. World
No 4 Tomokazu Harimoto
will meet Martin Allegro from
88 camel races in Al Bashayer, RCC fields
WALEED AL JAHWARI
MUSCAT, OCT 10
The third race of the 21st national
camel race kicked off on Tuesday
in two race tracks, Al Bashayer
Camel Racing Square in Adam
and in Royal Camel Corps (RCC)
track in Barka.
The event is supported by
Royal Court Affairs represented
by Royal Camel Corps and
Ministry of Culture, Sports and
Youth, represented by Oman
Camel Racing Federation. The
three-day race will be held from
October 10 to 12 on the two race
tracks located in Al Bashayer and
Barka with 44 races in each field.
The first day includes 18 races
allocated for Hagayeg category
‘three years old’ for a distance of
3 km, the second day includes 12
races for Lagaya category ‘four
years old’ for a distance of 4 km,
in addition to two 2 km races
for human riders. The third day
includes 12 races, 6 races for Al
Yethaa category for 5 km, 3 races
P A D D L E R S
Oman’s Bader al Jassasi and Luqman al Farsi during the WTT Contender Muscat 2023 qualification match.
Italy’s Giorgia Piccolin during her match in Muscat.
Belgium while Lee Sang from
South Korea will face Hairoto
Shinozouka from Japan. Nigeria’s
Qudari Aruna will face Japan’s
Sora Matsushima in the same
round while German’s Dimitrij
Ovtcharov will take on OH
Junsung from South Korea in a
for Thanayaa category for 6 km
and 3 races for Al Hool category
for a distance of 6 km.
On Tuesday, at Barka track,
‘Methyar’, owned by Naseer bin
Abdullah al Saadi, snatched the
T O
tight clash.
Women’s top seed Hina
Hayata of Japan will begin
her campaign against Tatiana
Kukulova from Slovakia. Italy’s
Giorgia Piccolin secured her
ticket to the main draw after she
overcame Katerina from Czech
golden race title. The second race
was won by ‘Al Tharyat’, owned
by Saad bin Hamed al Jenaibi,
the third winner was won by
‘Al Mared’, owned by Saad bin
Hamed al Jenaibi and the fourth
C O M M E N C E
India’s Ayhika Mikherjee plays a return.
Republic and Barbora Balazova
in the first and second rounds of
the qualifications.
“I played against Barbora
in WTT Star Contender in
Bangkok and won the match.
I expected the match will be
tough against her and this
Camels race during the
national race at Al Bashayer
Racing Track. — ONA
race was won by ‘Hajamah’, owned
by Said bin Abdullah al Saadi.
‘Shwahean’ claimed the fifth race,
owned by Waleed bin Sulaiman al
Rushaidi, ‘Al Mohandes’ finished
first in sixth race, owned by
Follow us on
omanobserver.om/sports
A C T I O N
India’s Archana Girish Kamath plays a shot.
happened. I took the advantage
of the opponent’s mistakes and
converted to the points and
found proper solutions to end
the match on a winning note. I
am happy to win two matches
in the qualifications and looking
for more triumphs in the main
Mohammed bin Ali al Maharbi,
the seventh race was won by ‘Al
Shaheanyah’, owned by Humaid
bin Said al Saifi. ‘Al Degoor’,
owned by Saad bin Hamed al
Jenaibi, snatched the ninth round,
T O D A Y
draw,” Piccolin said.
Turkish paddler Sibel
Altinkaya moved to the main
draw after she stunned Won
Xin Ru from Singapore 3-0 and
Ayhika Mukhrajee from India
by 3-0. Sibel will meet Jia Nan
Yuan from France in a tough
encounter.
India’s Yashaswini Ghorpade
sealed her berth to the main
draw after she defeated French
paddlers Oceane Guisnel and
Camille Lutz in the qualifications.
Ghorpade will meet Natalia Bajor
of Poland on Wednesday in the
last 32 round.
Speaking post the qualification
match, she said that the
qualifying round matches were
very tough. “I worked very hard
to move from the qualifications
round. Now my full focus is on
the main draw despite the tough
expected matches as the chances
will be very high to meet against
top ranking paddlers,” she added.
‘Mahabah’, owned by Hamed
bin Salim al Wahaibi, claimed
the 10th round, 11th race was
won by ‘Shwahean’, owned by
Masood bin Nasser al Yahmedi,
the 12th race was claimed by
‘Al Nasser’, owned by Hilal bin
Jameel al Saadi, ‘Al dhabi’, owned
by Al Sagyer bin Fayel al Zaree,
came first in the 13th round,
‘Wed’, owned by Ahmed bin
Mohammed al Habsi, topped the
14th round, ‘Hamlolah’, owned by
Waleed bin Sulaiman al Rushaidi,
bagged the 15th round title, ‘Al
Dhafrah’, owned by Abdullah
bin Hashil al Saadi, came first in
the 16th round, ‘Srabah’, owned
by Mohammed bin Said al
Hajri, won the 17th round and
‘Galmood’, owned by Saleh al
Wahibi, finished first in the 18th
and the last round on the opening
day.
The top 10 winners in all
races will have cash prizes. On
Wednesday, the race continues
with 12 races in Lagaya category
and two races with human riders.

Alcaraz in, Tsitsipas out of last 16
Marozsan stuns Ruud to reach Shanghai Masters last 8
SHANGHAI, China: Shanghai
Masters top seed Carlos Alcaraz
fought through what he called “one
of the toughest matches this year”
to make the tournament’s final
16 on Monday, beating Britain’s
Daniel Evans 7-6 (7/1), 6-4.
The Spaniard is the only one of
the tournament’s top four seeds left
after Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece
crashed out in a late-night match
to France’s Ugo Humbert 6-4, 3-6,
7-5.
Alcaraz’ nearly two-and-a-
half-hour match was ferociously
physical, with 33rd-ranked Evans
giving as good as he got, leading
at one point by three games in the
first set.
But over the course of
prolonged and sometimes scrappy
rallies that left spectators gasping
and groaning, the world number
two gradually assumed control,
comprehensively winning the first-
set tie-breaker.
“That was probably one of the
toughest matches I’ve played this
year,” said the 20-year-old Alcaraz
after the match.
“I tried to stay all the time there,
waiting for my opportunities. I had
to stay strong mentally, stay strong
physically... I’m really happy with
the level that I played.”
Alcaraz will next play Bulgarian
Grigor Dimitrov, who earlier
overcame a torrential downpour
and a well-matched opponent in
Russian Karen Khachanov to win
7-6 (8/6), 6-4.
SHOCKS CONTINUE
On Tuesday, the shocks kept
coming at the Shanghai Masters as
the 91st-ranked Fabian Marozsan
gave himself a belated birthday
present by beating eighth-
seeded Casper Ruud to reach the
quarterfinals.
The unseeded Marozsan won
Beginner course for
tennis coaches at OTA
SPORTS REPORTER
MUSCAT, OCT 10
A beginner course for tennis
coaches organised by the Oman
Tennis Association (OTA)
in cooperation International
Tennis Federation (ITF)
began on Tuesday. The course
will continue till October 14
with the participation of nine
coaches from clubs affiliated
with the OTA.
The course, which is the
second organised by the
OTA, will be held under the
supervision of international
lecturer Siddiq al Hashimi,
assisted by Angela Malekiwa
from Serbia. The course will
witness the presentation
theoretical and practical
lectures during the course days.
The course includes
theoretical and practical aspects
in a number of important topics,
including an introduction to
the sport of tennis, its laws,
the size of the courts and tools,
in addition to how to work
with novice players under 10
years of age, knowledge of the
basic techniques of the game
of tennis, the mechanism
for organising simplified
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz reacts during his round of 32 match against Britain’s Dan
Evans at Shanghai Masters. — Reuters
7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-4 and will face
Poland’s 16th-seeded Hubert
Hurkacz or home player Zhang
Zhizhen in the last eight.
Marozsan was joined in the
quarterfinals by the 26th seed
Sebastian Korda, who fended off
a late fightback from the 20th seed
Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina
to go through 7-5, 7-6 (8/6).
Siddiq al Hashemi
competitions, and how to
use the correct equipment
according to size and age.
The list of participants
includes Abdullah al Kathiri
and Haitham al Maashani from
Al Nasr Club, Salim al Badi
from Majees Club, Mohammed
al Balushi from Al Musannah
Club, Eid al Mashali from Al
Ittihad Club, Abdullah Salim
from Salalah Club, Jarrar Antar
and Abdulrahim al Balushi
from Al Ahli Sidab Club.
Participants and those who
pass this course will receive
a certificate accredited by the
IIF as the world tennis body
has given the OTA through
lecturer Siddiq al Hashimi,
direct powers to approve such
training certificates.
Marozsan sealed the deal
against the more fancied Ruud in
two hours and 38 minutes with a
stinging forehand down the line on
his second match point.
He called his maiden Masters
quarterfinal the perfect present,
having turned 24 on Sunday.
“This is just only my second
Masters tournament, so it’s kind
OOC hails best ever Asian Games outing
SPORTS REPORTER
MUSCAT, OCT 10
The Board of Directors of Oman
Olympic Committee (OOC) on
Tuesday hailed the performance
of Omani athletes in the 19th
Asian Games in Hangzhou,
China, from September 23 to
October 8. Oman won a silver
and a bronze in the Asian
showpiece event.
The OCC board members
convened the third meeting
for 2023 at the Committee’s
headquarters, headed by Khalid
bin Mohammed al Zubair, OOC
Chairman.
Oman took part in seven
disciplines including athletics,
sailing, hockey, beach volleyball,
sailing, maritime sports,
shooting and weightlifting.
The Board praised the results
obtained by the sailing team,
consisting Walid al Kindi and
Musaab al Hadi, and their
crowning of the silver medal
for the first time in the history
of Oman’s participation in
the Asian Games in the 49
boat competitions. Hussein al
Farsi was commended for his
bronze medal in the 800 metres
running. It was also the first time
that national teams have won
two medals in the same Asian
Games. The Board thanked and
W E D N E S DAY l O C TO B E R 1 1 l 2 0 2 3
of a new tournament series for
me,” said the Hungarian, who beat
Carlos Alcaraz at the Italian Open
in May. “I’m really enjoying this,
I’m very proud for this one,” added
Marozsan, who is playing in Asia
for the first time.
SCATTERED SEEDS
Second seed and defending
champion Daniil Medvedev was
upset by 26th-ranked Sebastian
Korda on Sunday and third seed
Holger Rune was taken out a
round earlier.
Greece’s Tsitsipas joined them
in the early hours of Tuesday, after
a match in which the 25-year-
old never really seemed to find
consistent form.
The world number six looked
rattled after losing the first set, but
regained his composure to answer
back with the second.
But as 34th-ranked Humbert
drew ahead again in the third,
Tsitsipas seemed to lose his cool,
talking angrily to himself and
hitting a ball high into the air in
exasperation.
Humbert held on through a
late third-set Greek fightback until
Tsitsipas sent the ball into the net
at the end of the matchpoint rally.
He will next face American JJ
Wolf, a challenge he called “not
easy”.
Also through to the final 16
is fifth seed and world number
seven Andrey Rublev, who took
out Humbert’s compatriot Adrian
Mannarino 6-3, 6-0 in just an hour.
There was more Gallic
heartbreak for 19-year-old Arthur
Fils, who came from a set down
against world number 12 Tommy
Paul to win a tie-breaker in the
second set. The players were level
at the eighth game in the third, but
the American snatched the last two
to win 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 6-4. — AFP
The OOC board of directors held a meeting on Tuesday.
appreciated all the technical,
administrative and medical
bodies for their great efforts and
guidance they provided to the
medal-winning champions.
“This is the result of great
effort and an output of intense
and continuous preparation to
achieve positive results in the
most important Asian forum.
We hope these medals will be the
best incentive for the members
of the national teams and the
Omani athletes to exert more
effort to raise the flag of Oman
high in such major continental
and international sporting
forums.”
The Board recommended
honouring the athletes who won
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
Exciting basketball season
set to begin on Friday
AHMED AL KAABI
MUSCAT, OCT 10
The Sultan Qaboos Sports
Complex in Bausher will come
alive with basketball action as
the 2023-24 Oman General
League and Youth Basketball
Championship kick off on Friday.
The schedule, approved by the
Oman Basketball Association
through its Competition
Committee, sets the stage for
a thrilling season of basketball
starting on October 13.
The General League, a
premier basketball event,
features seven prominent clubs:
Al Seeb, Ahli Sidab, Oman Club,
Nizwa, Al Bashayer, Salalah,
and Dhofar. Simultaneously,
the Youth League showcases
six promising teams: Al Seeb,
Nizwa, Ahli Sidab, Qurayat and
Salalah.
Action-packed matches mark
the beginning of the General
League’s first round October
13. The inaugural match at 6
pm sees Dhofar face off against
Oman Club, followed by an
exciting match at 8 pm between
The Oman League and Youth Basketball Championship kick off on Friday.
the silver and bronze medals,
and also directed that the
competent committee of OOC
settle down with the technical
and administrative bodies of the
national teams participating in
the Games to conduct accurate
technical assessments of the
athletes’ performance. It asked
for performance reports of all
athletes who didn’t achieve
expected results. The board
sought a comprehensive and
clear technical report to be
submitted within a period of
one month from its date to
be presented to the Board of
Directors.
The OOC plan and budget
for 2024 was also reviewed and
sport
11
Al Bashayer and Nizwa, igniting
the Derby of the Al Dakhiliyah
Governorate. The General
League matches are played in a
two-round league system, and
teams from the first to the third
place proceed to a single-round
league to determine the first,
second, and third positions.
The Youth Championship’s
first round kicks off on Friday at
4 pm, featuring a riveting match
between Ahli Sidab and Salalah.
The championships continue
with matches on Saturday,
October 14, between Salalah
and Al Seeb, and on October
20, a match will be held between
Nizwa and Qurayat, showcasing
promising talent and fierce
competition.
The Youth League matches
are played in a two-round
league system, and the top four
teams qualify for the finals. The
first-place team plays against
the fourth-place team, and
the second-place team plays
against the third-place team.
The winners of these matches
advance to compete for the
championship title.
approved, which also included
the budget for international
participations, and
then the committee’s financial
position was reviewed until mid-
September 2023.
The attendees reviewed the
minutes of the meetings of the
sub-committees, represented
by Oman Olympic Solidarity
Committee and Oman Athletes
Committee, and they were
approved.
In light of the ongoing
preparations to host the
meetings of GGC NOCs Heads,
which will be held during the
period from October 14 to 17
, the Secretary-General and
the head of the work team
forming the event reviewed the
latest developments regarding
the hosting, and explained
that the OOC has completed
all logistical, administrative,
security and media preparations
in cooperation with the relevant
authorities. He also touched
on the timetable for the
meetings, their venues and the
accompanying programme.
He directed the Board of
Directors to the importance of
unifying efforts and providing all
support and facilities to ensure
the success of this important
sporting event and achieve its
desired goals.
 OMANDAILYOBSERVER

W E D N E S DAY l O C TO B E R 1 1 l 2 0 2 3

Rizwan, Shafique power Pakistan

past 345-run target set by Lanka
HYDERABAD: Mohammad
Rizwan and Abdullah Shafique
clubbed centuries as Pakistan
chased down the highest target
in World Cup history to beat Sri
Lanka by six wickets in Hyderabad
on Tuesday.
The diminutive Rizwan
overcame leg cramps to score a
121-ball 131 not out while Shafique
hit a 103-ball 113 as Pakistan
overhauled their 345-run target in
England’s Reece Topley appeals unsuccessfully for the wicket of Bangladesh’s 48.2 overs.
Liton Das. — Reuters The victory gives Pakistan two
wins in as many games and a huge
boost in confidence ahead of their

Malan, Topley star high-profile clash against India in

Ahmedabad on Saturday.
Sri Lanka’s imposing total of

as England hammer 344-9 was built around brilliant

hundreds from Kusal Mendis and
Sadeera Samarawickrama.

Bangladesh Rizwan cracked eight boundaries

DHARAMSALA: Dawid Malan
bludgeoned 140 before Reece
Topley destroyed the Bangladesh
top order on Tuesday as England
bounced back from their mauling
by New Zealand in their World
Cup opener.
In-form Malan belted five
sixes in his career-best one-day
international score and Topley took
4-43 as the defending champions
won by 137 runs after piling up
364-9 in Dharamsala.
England failed to make the
most of an ominous position
of 296-2 in the 40th over due
to some disciplined bowling by
paceman Shoriful Islam and off-
spinner Mahedi Hasan, who took
seven wickets between them, but
ultimately had enough on the
board.
England captain Jos Buttler was
delighted his team had bounced
back strongly after their nine-
wicket defeat by the Black Caps.
“We stuck to our guns, played in
the fashion we want to play and still
feel like there’s always areas we can
improve as well,” he said.
“At the back end of the innings
we would have liked to maybe have
got a few more... but the opening
partnership from (Jonny) Bairstow
and Malan was brilliant and then
Malan and (Joe) Root, fantastic.”
Bangladesh were reduced to
14-2 in the second over of their
reply, with Tanzid Hasan and
Najmul Hossain Shanto unable to
cope with the pace and movement
of the towering Topley, who
replaced Moeen Ali in the side.
That became 26-3 when captain
Shakib Al Hasan was bowled by
the paceman and the expensive
Woakes then got in on the act,
enticing an edge from Mehidy
Hasan Miraz, with Buttler taking
the catch behind the stumps.
Liton Das looked untroubled at
the other end, reaching his fifty off
38 balls but his fine innings came
to an end in the 21st over when he
edged a slower ball from Woakes
behind to Buttler and departed for
76. Topley celebrated his fourth
wicket when Mushfiqur Rahim
(51) slashed him to deep third
man, into the safe hands of Adil
Rashid.
As the run rate climbed the result
looked increasingly inevitable and
the game ceased to be a meaningful
contest.
Earlier Malan, who has
displaced Jason Roy at the top
of the order, hit his fourth ODI
century in 2023 in an impressive
show of timing and power at the
picturesque Himalayan ground.
His opening partner, Bairstow,
reached a half-century in his 100th
ODI but was bowled by Shakib for
52 to leave England 115-1 in the
18th over. —AFP
and three sixes while Shafique’s
knock had ten boundaries and
three sixes as Pakistan improved
on the previous highest World
Cup chase of 328 by Ireland against
England in Bangalore in 2011.
Rizwan added a match-turning
176 run stand for the third wicket
with Shafique and another 95 for
the fourth with Saud Shakeel who
made a 30-ball 31.
Rizwan and Shafique lifted
Pakistan from a disastrous start in
which they lost Imam-ul-Haq (12)
and skipper Babar Azam (ten) to
pacer Dilshan Madushanka.
Haq, who completed 3,000 runs
in 67 innings to become the second
joint fastest to the milestone,
hooked into the hands of the fielder
while Azam edged a flick behind
the wicket.
Shafique, who replaced out-of-
form Fakhar Zaman, justified his
selection by reaching his maiden
hundred off 97 balls.
Shafique fell in the 34th over to
Matheesha Pathirana but Rizwan Mohammad Rizwan added a match-turning 176 run stand for the third wicket with Abdullah Shafique and another 95 for the
continued the chase, reaching his fourth with Saud Shakeel.
third ODI hundred off 97 balls.
He hit the winning single and while Samarawickrama hit an 89- balls with his seventh boundary, pacers and spinners alike, adding
raised his hands in delight. ball 108 for his maiden hundred. lifting Sri Lanka from the early 111 for the third wicket.
When Sri Lanka batted, after Samarawickrama hit 11 loss of Kusal Perera (nought) in the They were savage on fast bowler
winning the toss, Mendis smashed boundaries and two sixes. second over to Hasan Ali. Haris Rauf, hitting him for two
the fastest century for Sri Lanka in Mendis twice escaped dropped Mendis put on a 102 with sixes and a boundary in the 21st
a World Cup match with a 77-ball catches — Shaheen Shah Afridi Pathum Nissanka whose 51 came over. When Shaheen came back
122, his highest score in ODIs and dropped him off his own bowling off 61 balls with seven boundaries for a second spell, Mendis cracked
third century. in the fifth over and then Imam- and a six. Once Nissanka fell three fours in the 25th over.
It was an innings spiced with 14 ul-Haq blundered in the next over to Shadab Khan, Mendis and Hasan was hoisted by Mendis
boundaries and half a dozen sixes, again off Shaheen on 18. Samarawickrama unleashed some for a six to allow the batsman his
leading the charge for Sri Lanka Mendis completed his 50 off 40 superb hitting against Pakistan’s third hundred off 65 balls. — AFP

Spotlight on Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer

I
ndia were bailed out by the
experience of Virat Kohli
and KL Rahul in their first
match of the World Cup
against Australia at Chennai
after being 2 for 3. Ishan Kishan, Rohit
Sharma and Shreyas Iyer, all scored
ducks and had Mitchell Marsh held on
to Virat Kohli’s catch, who knows what
would have happened?
Their second game is at Delhi at
the Feroz Shah Kotla ground against
Afghanistan, who had a poor outing
against Bangladesh in their first game.
With Shubman Gill still out because
of fever caused by viral fever Dengue,
Ishan gets another chance to prove to
the selectors that he is good enough
to take Gills place. There is a high
possibility that Gill might not even be
part of the big game on 14th October
against Pakistan, so Ishan has to grab
ANIS SAJAN this opportunity by the scruff of the
neck and make it count. He was out for
a golden duck going for a wild slash to
Mitchel Starc and
against Afghanistan he will be tested
again by Fazal Farooqui who is also
quite quick.
Similarly, Shreyas was more guilty
of playing a loose shot when India were
two down on a slow pitch and not taking
time to settle in. He is rated highly in the
Indian ranks and ideal number 4 player
who has the temperament to bat long
innings and need to build an innings
and take it the way Virat Kohli does in
an ODI. Tomorrow he will be up against
the spin trio of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb
ur Rehman and Mohammed Nabi and
Shreyas Iyer is known to be a good
player of spin because he uses his feet
and can also play the spinners well on
the back foot. It’s time he comes good
before the India-Pakistan game to give
him confidence going into the game.
The last match played at Delhi saw
South Africa rank up 428 and Sri Lanka
scoring 326 and it means we are in
for another high scoring game as the
boundaries are small in Delhi and India
top order should fancy their chances to
score big if they get in and bat first. But
mind you the last two ODIs between
the two sides have been very close, India
beat Afghanistan by just 11 runs in the
World Cup in England and the Asia cup
match in Dubai between the two sides
was a tie, so India will be vary of this
dangerous Afghanistan side.
WEDNESDAY | OCTOBER 11, 2023 | RABEE AL AWWAL 25, 1445 AH
business
CMA: Virtual assets regulatory
framework under finalisation
KEY THEME: Capital Market
Authority highlights tech
impacts on post-trade activities
NASRULAH AL AJMI
MUSCAT, OCT 10
The impact of transformative
technologies on post-trade
activities was highlighted by
Ahmed al Maamari (pictured),
Executive Vice-President of
the Capital Market Authority
(CMA), at the Network Forum
Middle East Meeting 2023 held
in Muscat on Tuesday.
The global financial industry
is experiencing a seismic shift in
post-trade activities, driven by
transformative technologies such
as distributed ledger technology
(DLT) and artificial intelligence
(AI).
These innovations are
reshaping the way financial
processes are conducted,
enhancing efficiency,
transparency and security. The
CMA’s Ahmed al Maamari
provided valuable insights into
these developments during his
keynote address.
Al Maamari highlighted how
DLT and AI are driving rapid
evolution in post-trade activities
worldwide. These technologies
offer significant advantages,
streamlining processes,
reducing costs and increasing
transparency. However, their
adoption also brings challenges,
Platform to link Gulf and Iraqi electricity markets inaugurated
JOMAR MENDOZA
MUSCAT, OCT 10
In a momentous stride towards
regional energy cooperation,
Prince Saud bin Nayef bin
Abdulaziz, Governor of the Eastern
Province in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, inaugurated on Tuesday
the platform for the project aimed
at linking the Gulf Electricity
Market with the Republic of Iraq
at the Gulf Cooperation Council
Interconnection Authority
(GCCIA) headquarters in
Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
An ambitious scheme
endorsed by GCC leaders, the
Gulf Electricity Interconnection
Project stretches over 1,000
kilometres from Kuwait to Oman.
Its launch marked a significant
milestone, and since its inception,
it has supported over 2,700
emergency cases, ensuring
continuous power supply during
peak demand periods and
emergencies.
including cybersecurity risks,
data privacy concerns, and
the need for adapting to new
operational models.
CMA is committed to
addressing these challenges and
embracing the opportunities
presented by technological
advancements, said Al Maamari.
He outlined several key
initiatives to stay at the
forefront of these changes,
including the establishment
of a dedicated digital
transformation team and
framework. These efforts aim to
foster collaboration with market
participants and technology
providers, ensuring the
adoption of relevant and secure
post-trade solutions, he said.
Moreover, Oman is in
Eng Ahmed al Ebrahim, Chief
Executive Officer of GCCIA,
said the new platform opens up
opportunities for the Gulf market
to trade and exchange electricity
between the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) countries and the
Republic of Iraq.
He emphasised that the
platform enables GCC countries to
enter into bilateral or multilateral
agreements, as well as reserve the
necessary transmission lines for
electricity transfer among GCC
countries.
Al Ebrahim affirmed that
the new electricity market
system contributes to enhancing
efficiency to maximise the use of
the electrical link for the GCC
countries.
Furthermore, it offers flexibility
in usage for market participants,
traders and associated parties. He
pointed out that the new system
is characterised by its scalability
to new market areas without
critically affecting auction systems
the process of developing a
comprehensive regulatory
framework for virtual assets,
covering a range of activities
related to cryptocurrencies and
tokens.
This framework aligns
with Oman’s broader vision of
developing the digital assets
and fintech industry within its
borders, the official said.
The public consultation paper for
the new Virtual Assets regulatory
framework has received
positive feedback and is nearing
finalisation.
Simultaneously, Oman is
strengthening its measures to
combat money laundering and
terrorism financing in the virtual
assets sector, Al Maamari noted.
To encourage innovation,
and business processes.
Meanwhile, the newly
inaugurated platform will further
foster this initiative by facilitating
bilateral and multilateral
agreements between the Gulf
countries and Iraq.
Eng Yaqoob bin Saif al Kiyumi,
EXCHANGE
4,768.276
DLT and AI
technologies
offer significant
advantages,
streamlining
processes, reducing
costs and increasing
transparency
AHMED AL
MAAMARI
Executive Vice-President
Capital Market Authority
Oman is also working on
implementing a regulatory
sandbox that will allow fintech
firms to test their solutions in a
controlled environment.
This approach enables
regulators to understand the
potential impact of these
innovations and develop
appropriate regulations.
Ahmed al Maamari’s address
shed light on the transformative
impact of technology on post-
trade activities in the financial
industry.
Oman, through the CMA,
is proactively embracing
innovation while addressing
associated challenges,
positioning itself as a dynamic
player in the global financial
landscape, he added.
the Vice-Chairman of GCCIA,
underlined the transformative
potential of the platform, noting
that it will “foster electricity
trade between GCC countries
and Iraq, and act as a catalyst for
regional energy cooperation and
integration.
MUSCAT CRUDE
STOCK OIL PRICE
Oman Crude $ 88.50
Brent Crude
Light Crude
$ 87.81
$ 86.06
Fitch upgrades five
Omani banks’ IDRs
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT, OCT 10
International ratings agency
Fitch Ratings has upgraded
the Long-Term Issuer Default
Ratings (IDRs) of Bank Muscat
SAOG (BM) to ‘BB+’ from ‘BB’,
and the Long-Term IDR of Bank
Dhofar SAOG (BD), National
Bank of Oman SAOG (NBO),
Ahli Bank SAOG (ABO) and
Sohar International Bank SAOG
(SIB) to ‘BB’ from ‘BB-’.
Fitch has also upgraded the
Viability Ratings (VRs) of BM
to ‘bb+’ from ‘bb’, the VR of BD
and NBO to ‘bb’ from ‘bb-’, and
that of SIB to ‘bb-’ from ‘b+’, and
affirmed the VR of ABO. Fitch
has maintained SIB’s VR on
Rating Watch Positive (RWP).
At the same time, the agency
upgraded SIB’s Long-Term IDR
(xgs) in line with the upgrade
of its VR, and affirmed ABO’s
Long-Term IDR (xgs) in line
with the affirmation of its VR.
The rating actions follow the
upgrade of Oman’s sovereign
rating on September 25, 2023
and reflect the agency’s view
of an improving probability
of support for the banks from
the Omani authorities as well
improved business conditions
that will benefit banks’ intrinsic
credit profiles.
The IDRs of BM, BD, and NBO
are driven by their respective
VRs and are also underpinned
by potential support from the
Omani authorities, as captured
by these banks’ Government
Support Ratings (GSR), which
The project stretches over 1,000
kilometres from Kuwait to Oman.
Al Kiyumi expressed his
gratitude to the GCC leaders
for their unwavering support,
attributing the success of the
project to their vision and
commitment to regional
integration and sustainability.
“We continue to fulfil our
Follow us on
omanobserver.om/business
have been upgraded to ‘bb+’
from ‘bb’ (BM) and ‘bb’ from
‘bb-’ (BD and NBO). The IDRs
of ABO and SIB are also driven
by potential sovereign support
as reflected in their GSRs, which
have been upgraded to ‘bb’ from
‘bb-’.
The Stable Outlooks on the
Long-Term IDRs of BM, BD, and
NBO reflect Fitch’s view on the
trends in these banks’ standalone
profiles, but also mirror the
Stable Outlook on the sovereign,
and, in the case of ABO and SIB,
it reflects the Stable Outlook on
the sovereign, the ratings agency
said.
“Fitch believes the Omani
authorities have a high propensity
to support the banking sector
given the high contagion risk and
the importance of the banking
system in supporting the local
economy.
“However, the authorities’
financial flexibility and ability
to provide extraordinary
support is limited, despite recent
improvements in the sovereign
balance sheet.
“This leads to a GSR of ‘bb’ for
domestic systemically important
banks (D-SIB) in Oman,
which is at the lower end of the
typical range for D-SIB GSRs in
jurisdictions where the sovereign
is rated ‘BB+’,” it added.
strategic role in ensuring energy
continuity for GCC countries by
swiftly addressing any emergency
energy needs,” he stated.
The Gulf Electricity
Interconnection Project has been
a resounding success, contributing
economic and technical benefits
to the GCC countries and
saving approximately $3 billion
compared to initial investment
and operational costs.
“Energy security and
sustainability are paramount. This
project supports both and ensures
the reliability of energy supply in
GCC countries,” Al Kiyumi added.
The newly inaugurated platform
is set to take this initiative a step
further by facilitating bilateral and
multilateral agreements between
the Gulf countries and Iraq.
This development is expected
to promote a more efficient
utilisation of power resources,
reduce the cost of electricity and
enhance the security of power
supply in the region.
advertorials
Business
14 OMANDAILYOBSERVER
W E D N E S DAY l O C TO B E R 1 1 l 2 0 2 3
Eng Salim bin Nasser al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals, (7th from right), is seen with the awardees during the OSW
Awards 2023.
Nominations for OSW 2024
Awards to begin on Nov 29
MUSCAT: The Oman
Environmental Services Holding
Company ‘be’ah’ and CONNECT,
have announced the opening
of expression of interest for the
Oman Sustainability Week (OSW)
Awards 2024. Organisations can
provide ‘expression of interest’ up
to November 9, 2023.
The evaluation criteria for
the awards will be based on
the Oman Sustainability Index,
that categorises organisations
according to their sustainable
practices in the areas of
environment, society and
governance.
This index aims to establish
consistent standards for assessing
companies and gauging their
sustainability performance, whilst
also integrating best practices
into their corporate strategies
and evaluating their dedication
to economic, social and
environmental responsibilities.
“The Oman Sustainability
Week Awards is one of the
important recognitions in
encouraging small and medium-
sized companies, universities and
large companies to present their
best in terms of sustainability
in the work environment and
its application of the highest
international standards.
The evaluation is done through
a recognised international
institution that uses the best
OUIC wins excellence in
insurance services award
MUSCAT: Building on its impressive
track record as a consistently
top-performing entity among
public listed companies within the
Sultanate of Oman in the Mid Cap
Category, leading insurance services
provider Oman United Insurance
Company SAOG (OUIC) has once
again proven its excellence by
securing a prestigious award at the
latest edition of the Alam-Al-Iktisaad
Awards (AIWA), held recently at the
Sheraton Oman Muscat.
Headquartered in Muscat, OUIC
claimed the coveted accolade for
‘Excellence in Insurance Services’ for
the year 2022, further validating its
exceptional prowess encompassing
astute underwriting practices,
proficient claim settlement
processes and innovative product
development.
These specialised competencies
have firmly established OUIC as a
leading force in Oman’s insurance
industry.
Notably, the latest award marks
the eighth such honour received
by OUIC at the Alam-Al-Iktisaad
Awards—an annual showcase
that lauds top corporate leaders,
outstanding business performers
and achievers of the year. As has
been the case in previous editions
of AIWA, the most recent event
drew the elite of Oman’s business
community.
AIWA 2023 was hosted by Shaikh
Salim bin Mustahail al Maashani,
with the honourable presence
of HH Sayyid Malik bin Shihab
global approaches in evaluations,”
said Eng Salim bin Nasser al Aufi,
Minister of Energy and Minerals.
This year sees the introduction
of a new category, ‘Eco-Mobility,’
alongside the existing ESG
award submission categories,
which encompass Government,
Academia, Small Businesses and
Medium to Large Businesses.
Notably, the ‘Eco-Mobility’
category will undergo assessment
using a specialised framework
established by the Ministry of
Transport, Communications and
Information Technology.
These categories provide
organisations with a platform
to showcase their sustainability
efforts, achievements and
contributions to national
objectives.
Eng Said bin Hamoud
al Maawali, Minister of
Transport, Communications
and Information Technology,
commented, “We call upon
all governmental and private
institutions to embrace initiatives
and projects that align with the
national commitment to reducing
emissions. This alignment is in
harmony with Oman’s Vision 2040
and its dedication to achieving the
Sustainable Development Goals
set by the United Nations, as well
as its ambitious goal of achieving
carbon neutrality by the year 2050
This call-to-action
al Said, who served as the Chief
Guest and presented the awards
to the deserving winners. OUIC
was represented at this prestigious
gathering by a cadre of senior
management executives. This
latest award underscores OUIC’s
unmatched standing as a premier
player in Oman’s insurance sector,
with a robust market presence
across the pivotal product segments
of the industry.
In response to this recurring
recognition, Sayyid Nasser bin Salim
al Busaidy, Chief Management
Executive of OUIC, commented, “We
are thrilled to be acknowledged for
the eighth time as an outstanding
publicly listed player in the Omani
insurance sector.”
spans various sectors and
domains, including but not
limited to electricity, energy,
environmental conservation,
waste management and water
resources. Equally important
are the sectors of transportation,
communications and
information technology, where
we are actively promoting and
supporting a range of digital
projects and technologies.”
“One notable initiative we are
championing is the widespread
adoption of electric vehicles. To
facilitate this, we have strategically
deployed approximately 100
electric charging stations across
numerous provinces in the
Sultanate of Oman. We extend an
invitation to all those who share
our commitment to environmental
sustainability to participate in
the ‘Eco-Mobility’ initiative. This
initiative will be a prominent
feature of Oman Sustainability
Week, designed to bolster eco-
friendly transportation objectives
within Oman. ‘Eco-Mobility’
will serve as a dynamic platform
for industry leaders to showcase
cutting-edge technologies
and innovations in the field
of environmentally conscious
transportation. This collective
effort will further solidify Oman’s
strides toward establishing a
carbon-neutral economy,” he
added.
Abraj implements innovative cementing
solutions for ARA Petroleum
MUSCAT: Abraj Energy Services,
a leading provider of oil and gas
services, recently announced the
successful implementation of
innovative cementing solutions for
its client ARA Petroleum, adding
yet another accomplishment to its
impressive portfolio.
With superior sealing properties
and resistance to fluid migration,
Abraj’s trailblazing cementing
technologies demonstrated
outstanding efficiency in
mitigating loss issues and saving
ARA Petroleum considerable days
of rig time.
Abraj had also deployed a
robust project-tailored design to
execute the deep liner cementing
process, ensuring superior
wellbore stability throughout
drilling operations, as verified
by the cement bond log testing.
The results were exceptional even
in the slim liner designs where
clearance did not exceed 1.7 cm.
Furthermore, Abraj utilised
their premium high-pressure,
high-temperature (HPHT)
MCBS receives Minister of Transport,
Communications and Information Technology
MUSCAT: As part of its efforts
to strengthen the partnership
between higher education
institutions and the public and
private sectors to link educational
programmes to the needs of the
economy and enhance future
opportunities for graduates, the
Modern College of Business
and Science (MCBS) received
on Monday, Eng Said bin
Hamoud al Maawali, Minister of
Transport, Communications and
Information Technology.
The Minister visited the college
to meet with students and lecturers
to learn about the academic
programmes and activities, and
to engage in dialogue with college
students who are studying majors
related to the aforementioned
sectors about future prospects and
the roles that students can play as
future cadres.
Upon his arrival to the college,
the Minister was received by
Dr Munir bin Mohammed al
Maskari, Executive Chairman,
Chery to hold international user co-created
conference with focus on new ecology
MUSCAT: How to establish
an ecosystem with users is an
important issue that global car
companies have been researching,
exploring and overcoming.
Chinese automobile manufacturer
Chery will hold the 2023 Chery
International User Co-created
Conference in October.
The conference will invite
overseas users, celebrity bloggers
and global mainstream media
to gather in Wuhu, China. With
the three major themes of new
ecology, new technology, and new
future, all participants will jointly
explore a new model of user
ecology.
Based on Chery’s brand
concept of ‘green, technology,
family, and companionship’,
many smart life ‘partners’
will attend the 2023 Chery
International User Co-created
concrete cementing solution to
ensure stability during drilling
operations and reduce risks
associated with pressure surges
that may occur when using
traditional cementing methods
under HPHT conditions, thereby
strengthening the wellbore and
ensuring its integrity throughout
the well’s lifetime.
This remarkable success stems
from the collaboration between
Abraj and ARA Petroleum to
A gift was presented to Eng Said bin Hamoud al Maawali.
Dr Moosa bin Abdullah al Kindi,
Dean of the College, and Dr Saeed
bin Salim al Kitani, Assistant
Dean for Community Outreach.
After welcoming the guest,
the visit programme included
a tour of some of the college’s
facilities and a briefing on the
achievements of relevant student
clubs, and a general review of the
college’s programmes and general
academic indicators by the Dean
of the College.
Conference. This will create an
ecological product exhibition that
integrates ‘people’, ‘cars’ and ‘life’.
Chery will communicate with
users around the world, listen to
their voices, explore new lifestyles
under smart technology, and
promote user energy possibilities
in line with brand value and
vision.
Only by meeting user needs
can Chery better highlight the
value of the user ecosystem. The
2023 Chery International User
Co-created Conference will focus
on pioneering technology.
Based on products with
excellent performance, Chery
will build a new user ecological
integration system and lead a
new pattern of user ecological
development in the automotive
industry.
Chery keeps in touch with
innovate strategies tackling
different challenges, including but
not limited to total loss scenarios.
Eng Saif al Hamhami, CEO
of Abraj Energy Services,
commented on the latest
cementing innovations, saying:
“Clients capitalising on our state-
of-the-art cementing solutions
will benefit from improved
accuracy and faster loss curing
times compared to conventional
solutions, significantly reducing
For his part, Al Maawali shared
the policies and achievements
of the sectors supervised by his
ministry and their prospects. In
his presentation, he touched on
the geographical importance of
the Sultanate of Oman’s location
and pointed to a number of
development projects in the
transport and logistics sectors,
and the opportunities they
provide for the Omani economy
and new generations of graduates.
users and keeps pace with the
times. As a leading car auto in
China and even the world, Chery
has an international brand image
that is warm and responsible.
Chery focuses on the 2023
Chery International User Co-
created Conference, innovates
user development, links future
public welfare, and realizes a two-
way journey of brand and users to
create beauty, mutual benefit and
win-win results.
Chery has always been
committed to creating user value
and constantly pursuing user
satisfaction. Chery hopes to use
the 2023 Chery International User
Co-created Conference to deeply
convey the new ecology of Chery
and global users to achieve value
resonance.
In Oman, Chery will soon be
launched by Saud Bahwan Group.
their operational time.
Better yet, with our cementing
solutions requiring fewer
resources than other technologies
on the market today, Abraj’s
customers will be better equipped
to optimise long-term operational
expenditure.”
ARA Petroleum acknowledged
the success of the newly developed
cementing technologies,
highlighting Abraj Energy
Services’ proven operational
excellence in powering critical
operations for ARA Petroleum.
“Receiving such positive
feedback is invaluable to us.
We constantly strive to provide
our partners with cutting-edge
solutions that cater to their
specific needs while maintaining
the highest safety standards.
Our newly developed cementing
technologies accomplish precisely
that, offering an efficient way
to complete projects swiftly
without compromising quality
or performance,” Eng Saif al
Hamhami added.

Locally-sourced building materials key to construction sustainability
QASIM AL MAASHANI
SALALAH, OCT 10
A key forum on urban planning,
held in Salalah recently, has
underscored the importance
of utilising locally sourced
natural building materials in
the construction of residential,
commercial and public sector
buildings.
Various presenters at the
forum, organised by the Ministry
of Housing and Urban Planning,
stressed the benefits of opting
for building materials that can
withstand the region’s unique
climate and contribute to
sustainability.
National Gas
divests UAE
subsidiary
National Gas headquarters
QASIM AL MAASHANI
MUSCAT, OCT 10
National Gas, a publicly traded
company listed on the Muscat
Stock Exchange (MSX),
announced yesterday, October
10, 2023, the completion of
the sale of its UAE subsidiary,
Arabian Oil LLC.
The transaction was
completed on October 9,
2023, following the initial
declaration on August 15, 2022.
National Gas stated that the sale
will not have any impact on its
financials for the current year,
as all financial implications
were duly recorded in the fiscal
year 2022.
The company also said that
the divestiture is in line with
its strategy to focus on its core
business and strengthen its
position in the market.
Dr Rachid Majjad, CEO of
National Gas, commented on
the transaction, saying, “We
are pleased to announce the
successful completion of the
sale of our UAE subsidiary.
This divestiture is part of our
ongoing efforts to streamline
our operations and focus on our
core business. We appreciate
the support of our stakeholders
and look forward to continuing
to grow our business.”
Oman Plast 2023 showcases innovations in rubber and plastics
NASRULAH AL AJMI
MUSCAT, OCT 10
Oman is making strides in
strengthening its economic
prospects as it hosts the 7th
International Plastics, Rubber,
Petrochemicals, Chemicals,
Printing and Packaging Industry
Exhibition 2023 (Oman Plast
2023).
The inauguration of the event,
taking place from October 10 to
12, 2023, at the Oman Convention
and Exhibition Centre in
Muscat, was presided over by
Dr Saleh bin Said bin Salim
The presentations were made in
the context of the Ministry’s plans
for the development of a new
sustainable east of Al Dahariz as
part of the Greater Salalah master-
plan in Dhofar Governorate.
The new city will have a length
of 5 km and will be home to about
30,000 to 40,000 inhabitants. It will
have six hotel facilities with a total
of 1,100 rooms, all of which will be
located in the commercial heart of
the city and in front of the marina.
The city will be designed to
be sustainable in a number of
ways. It will use renewable energy
sources, such as solar and wind
power. It will also have a rainwater
harvesting system and a waste
Oman’s industrial decarbonisation to yield
8 BCM of gas for repurposing by 2050
CONRAD PRABHU
MUSCAT, OCT 10
Decarbonisation of Oman’s
industrial sector – a significant
contributor to the country’s
annual carbon emissions – has
the potential to make available
as much as 8 billion cubic metres
(BCM) per annum of natural gas
for repurposing by 2050, according
to Oman’s Net-Zero strategists.
The figure was shared during
a recent workshop on the
theme, ‘Net-Zero Neutrality –
Industry Sector’, organised by
the Environment Authority for
stakeholders mandated to reduce
their carbon footprints in line
with Oman’s pledge to become
Net-Zero by 2050. Held as part
of the Environment Authority’s
‘National Net-Zero Programme,
the three-week-long workshop
Strategic investment, expat influx buoy Oman’s property market
BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT, OCT 10
Oman’s real estate market has
seen steady growth over the
past two years, driven by the
notable increase in the expatriate
population over the last 18 months
and strategic investment in the
economy, as per the Oman Property
Report 2023 by global real estate
services provider Savills.
The report also highlights
the country’s public debt
decreasing from 65% of GDP
in 2020 to approximately 40%
in 2022, the positive shift in
macroeconomic fundamentals, and
the government’s focus on pro-
growth initiatives, infrastructure,
diversifying the economy, investing
Masan, Under-Secretary of the
Ministry of Commerce, Industry
and Investment Promotion for
Commerce and Industry.
The 7th Oman Plast 2023 has
attracted exhibitors from several
countries, including Bahrain,
Bangladesh, India, Iran, Italy,
Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
Sultanate of Oman, Taiwan and
the United Arab Emirates.
At its core, the event serves as a
platform to showcase cutting-edge
innovations and technologies in
plastics, rubber, packaging, and
petrochemical manufacturing.
This exhibition not only
Illustrative image underscoring the
durability and appeal of natural
building materials.
View of Liwa Plastics at Sohar Port.
was one of many sector-wise
forums targeting key sectors with
sizable carbon footprints.
According to energy experts, an
annual saving of 8 BCM of natural
gas is a substantive amount that,
with suitable ‘greening’, could
be repurposed for value-added
downstream processing or
in green energy, and creating long-
term economic opportunities.
The expatriate population in
Oman, which had been steadily
growing until 2016, faced a
downward trend starting in 2017.
This decline was further
exacerbated by the Covid-19
pandemic, leading to a sharp
drop of nearly 12% in the total
population of 2020.
Although there was a modest
decrease in expatriate numbers
in 2021, 2022 marked a turning
point, with the expat population
increasing by an impressive 20%
due to the improved economic
conditions.
The trend has continued in 2023,
with a 5% rise so far compared to
the previous year. As a result, the
expatriate population in Oman has
Dr Saleh bin Said bin Salim Masan, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of
Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion for Commerce and Industry, with
dignitaries at the inauguration of Oman Plast 2023.
business
W E D N E S DAY l O C TO B E R 1 1 l 2 0 2 3
water treatment plant.
The buildings in the city will
be designed to be energy efficient
and to use recycled materials.
To help add a high degree of
sustainability to the Smart City
project, among other construction
initiatives envisioned across
Dhofar, the use of locally available
building materials that is being
strongly championed by urban
planning experts.
Notable examples of such
sustainable resources include:
Terracotta panels: An eco-
friendly choice due to their
outstanding thermal insulation
properties, they help regulate
indoor temperatures, reducing the
exports.
In comparison, Oman
produced around 40 BCM of
gas in 2022 to support, among
other uses, LNG exports, refining
and petrochemicals, power
and water production, industry
and manufacturing and oilfield
purposes.
An overview of a residential area in Muscat.
surged by 33% from a low point of
1.63 million in September 2022 to a
record-breaking 2.17 million in May
2023.
business
OMANDAILYOBSERVER
need for energy-intensive heating
or cooling.
Additionally, terracotta panels
require minimal maintenance
because they resist fading,
staining, and corrosion.
Limestone/Sandstone:
Locally sourced limestone and
sandstone are sturdy materials
well-suited for Salalah’s coastal
environment. They stand up to
the region’s humidity and salt-
laden air, making them ideal for
construction.
Moreover, their thermal mass
properties contribute to stable
indoor temperatures, reducing
reliance on air conditioning.
Fibre cement: Moisture and
In a post, the Environmental
Authority said the workshop
yielded a set of initiatives and
recommendations for reducing
carbon emissions in the sector,
as well as solutions to potential
decarbonisation challenges.
Significantly, the industrial
sector accounted for 32 per
cent of Oman’s total CO2
emissions of 28.4 million
tonnes (Mt) in 2021. The sector
encompasses petroleum refining,
petrochemicals, methanol, urea,
ammonia, cement, iron and steel,
and aluminium-based industrial
activities.
However, a number of
decarbonisation levers is proposed
to be rolled out over the coming
years to help cap and reduce CO2
emissions from these constituent
segments of the industrial sector.
These levers will take the form
In June, the Omani government
awarded multibillion dollar
contracts to build mega-scale green
hydrogen projects in Duqm. It is
presents a unique opportunity for
Oman but also extends its reach to
neighbouring countries, fostering
economic growth through
knowledge sharing.
Oman’s petrochemical
industry plays a pivotal role in
its economic landscape, and
this event is expected to further
diversify and boost this sector.
Projections indicate that the
Middle East and African markets
will continue their remarkable
growth, with an annual growth
rate of approximately 30 per cent,
cementing the region’s status as a
global hub for plastic production
15
salt-resistant, fibre cement boasts
a production process with a lower
carbon footprint compared to
some other materials. Plus, it
incorporates recycled materials
and uses less water than traditional
cement.
Aluminium panels: For
cladding and exterior elements,
aluminium naturally forms a
protective oxide layer, making
it highly resistant to corrosion
in coastal areas. This durability
reduces the need for frequent
maintenance and repainting,
saving costs in the long run.
Additionally, aluminium is
highly recyclable without losing
its quality.
of, among others, green hydrogen,
Carbon Capture, Utilisation and
Storage (CCUS) activities, process
electrification, grid connectivity,
and enhanced process efficiencies
– initiatives that are expected to
slash CO2 emissions by as much
as 89 per cent by 2050.
CCUS projects with a
combined capacity to capture and
sequester 6 – 7 million tonnes per
annum of CO2 will be required
by 2050 to support this broad
decarbonisation goal, according
to details shared during the
workshop.
Also by this timeframe,
renewable electricity amounting
to an estimated 70 terawatt-
hours (TWh) per annum will
also be needed to support the
electrification of industries
currently dependent on fossil-
based energy resources.
also working towards growing the
country’s rail and metro capacity, as
well as pushing ahead with a crucial
passenger and freight rail link
connecting the country’s industrial
hub in Suhar to the UAE, the report
explained.
Residential rental market
The Muscat residential rental
market has begun to reap the
benefits of this notable growth in
the expatriate population. Rental
values have been stabilising, and in
some areas, there are even signs of
growth.
Key localities such as Al Mouj, Al
Qurum, Shatti Al Qurum, Madinat
Al Sultan Qaboos, and others have
experienced increased demand due
to their central locations, amenities,
and the quality of properties they
offer.
resin.
While economic growth is a
primary focus, Oman remains
committed to sustainability. The
Middle East is a significant source
of plastic raw materials, with
up to 16 per cent of the region’s
abundant petroleum supply being
converted into products such as
plastic.
In line with growing
environmental concerns, Oman
is actively promoting eco-friendly
solutions, including degradable
plastics. The exhibition is open
from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on all
three days.
 16 Opinion WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11, 2023
OMAN DAILY OBSERVER

Banks and finance firms face Paris talent crunch

A
fter Brexit,
hundreds of
traders moved
from London to
Paris, attracted in
part by generous tax breaks that
allow them to take home more
of their pay. Now banks and
lobby groups are calling for an
overhaul of this regime as firms
face a talent crunch in the French
capital.
correspondent based in the
France’s ‘expatriate tax law’ (as
it’s commonly known) has been
vital in luring highly paid traders
to Paris in the aftermath of Brexit.
That in turn has helped the
French capital become a major
European hub for many of the
biggest American banks.
The scheme offers various
incentives to those relocating
to work in France, including a
more favourable rate of tax on
income and bonuses. Expats can
expect up to 30 per cent of their
earnings to remain tax-free under
the scheme. However, they lose
this benefit when they switch to
a new employer. This is causing
headaches for banks looking to
expand their Paris trading hubs,
as executives have said.
ANDY JALIL
“We are trying to change this.
andyjalil@aol.com It’s one of our fights”, said Jean-
Charles Simon, chief executive of
The writer is our foreign Paris Europlace, which develops
UK and promotes the French
financial sector internationally.
“We have asked the
government to change the regime
because it limits the attractiveness
of France.”
The expatriate tax regime
was one of many structural
reforms put in place in 2017 by
President Emmanuel Macron, as
part of a charm offensive to lure
international financial services
firms to Paris.
The French capital has since
become the location of choice
for banks’ markets businesses,
beating cities including Frankfurt
and Dublin.
It is now the go-to city for
hundreds of traders from Wall
Street banks that have chosen the
French capital as their main EU
hub after Brexit. These include
Bank of America, Citi, Goldman
Sachs, JPMorgan and Morgan
Stanley.
Initial Brexit moves included
relocating staff from the UK
to Paris. But now banks have
switched to hiring on the ground
to bolster their teams. This
frequently means poaching from
Wall Street rivals, according to
executives in the country.
“A lot of these traders have
moved through the expatriate
regime, which offers them a more
favourable rate of income tax.
But they lose that if they switch
employers,” said Fabio Lisanti,
head of markets for Europe at
Citigroup, which is building its
Paris trading hub.
Another head of France at a
large US investment bank said
that the tax regime was becoming
“very problematic” as it continues
to hire traders.
“We’re not too worried about
losing people – we see ourselves
as a net attractor of talent. But not
being able to transfer the tax rate
to new jobs is very problematic
for us as we look to hire,” they
said. “It’s been a big boost for the
attractiveness of the country to
banks, but it needs to evolve.”
An executive at another Wall
Street bank that set up in Paris
before many of its peers said they
had lost staff to expansionary
rivals recently.
They also said finding
replacements was becoming
more expensive, as new recruits
demanded bigger salaries to make
up for the loss of tax benefits.
“We’ve lost a lot of good people
and while Paris has become much
bigger as a financial centre, the
hiring market is nowhere near
liquid enough still,” they said.
Paris Europlace’s Simon said
that foreign banks are in favour
of adjusting the tax regime to
allow for job changes, even if that
increases the chance that rivals
will poach their staff.
“We wanted to be sure that
all of these new foreign banks
in Paris would be OK with this
change of law,” he said.
“And they said yes, even if it
will increase competition in Paris
for people and reduce barriers to
protect the staff they have because
it will make it easier to hire
people.”

Next EU chief will need cash more than trade wars

U
rsula von der
Leyen’s unofficial
bid to keep
the European
Commission’s top
job started off with the flash of
an anti-subsidy probe and a bang
of exhortations to bring Ukraine,
Moldova and Western Balkan
countries into the fold.
What she sidestepped was
how to find more cash and
convince member states to pay
up. Without credible plans to
raise more money, the European
Union won’t be able to build a
strong future.
The war on the bloc’s eastern
border has raised the stakes.
Midway into the second year
of war after Russia’s attack,
Ukraine needs $411 billion in
reconstruction funds, according
to World Bank estimates, while
the Commission sees a 110
billion euro funding gap between
now and 2027. It’s unclear where
the money will come from.
The EU’s 1.8 trillion euro
seven-year budget, drawn mainly
from national contributions
and customs taxes, is already
stretched thin.
While the bloc was able to
agree on 900 billion euros in
historic joint borrowing during
the pandemic, Brussels has so
far failed to make its public debt
capacity permanent, let alone
lining up new sources of revenue.
Proposals to raise even a modest
amount of new “own resources”
– dedicated funds that go straight
to the EU coffers — have fallen
flat.
A trio of measures proposed
in December 2021 has gone
nowhere and in any case would
add only 17 billion euros of
revenue a year, even at full
strength. A similarly sized
proposal put forward in June
appears equally stuck.
Whoever leads the
Commission once von der
Leyen’s current term ends in
mid-2024 will thus face budget
woes that, if not addressed, risk
putting the entire EU project in
jeopardy. Yet budget concerns
will be hard to discuss honestly
during the byzantine process to
pick a head for the powerful EU
executive.
The head of the European
Commission is not directly
elected. Candidates generally
need to win the support of their
own political party group — be it
the Liberals, von der Leyen’s own
Conservatives, the Socialists or
the Greens – then engage with
the European Parliament, which
holds elections in mid-2024
across the EU, and wade through
member states’ machinations on
how the plum jobs get handed
out.
REBECCA CHRISTIE
Unusually, the 64-year-old von
der Leyen owes her first term not
so much to her home country of
The author is a Reuters Germany, or even her political
Breakingviews columnist.
party, as to support from French
President Emmanuel Macron,
who aligns with the EU Liberals.
It remains to be seen if he will
back her for a second term or
push for a national wild card like
industrial policy commissioner
Thierry Breton, whose brash
support for corporate handouts
has proven both charismatic
and divisive. Further muddying
the waters, von der Leyen
herself could be in the running
to succeed Norway’s Jens
Stoltenberg at Nato, whose term
has been extended to October
2024 because member countries
have not agreed on who should
replace him.
Von der Leyen, or her
successor, will have to figure
out how to pay for enlargement.
Ukraine became an official EU
candidate alongside Moldova
and Bosnia and Herzegovina,
joining Montenegro, Serbia,
Albania and North Macedonia in European Commission President Von der Leyen delivers state of the European Union address, in Strasbourg, France. — Reuters
the EU’s accession purgatory.
Kosovo is waiting in the
wings. Turkey and Georgia are China. Von der Leyen tapped Of the existing dormant would still bring in substantial
also in the accession queue, albeit into trade frustrations with her proposals, the most practical one new funds. Enlargement is
with lesser prospects. Joining will pledge to investigate and possibly is a revamp of corporate taxation the biggest carrot in the EU’s
require new entrants to pledge punish Chinese subsidies for car that could raise 4 billion euros neighbourhood policy pantry,
improvements on core issues like and battery makers. annually and would bring the even if timelines are vague and
the rule of law, human rights and But tariffs can’t close the EU’s EU into better compliance with prone to decades of delay. In
democratic accountability. It will investment gap with other major the Organisation for Economic addition to considering financial
also cost money. economic blocs, especially given Co-operation and Development’s implications, the EU will want
And if the union gets bigger, its struggle to match fresh US global tax deal. to take a tough stand with
countries accustomed to being handouts in last year’s Inflation The EU hopes its Sept. 12 prospective new entrants on the
net recipients of EU funds Reduction Act. relaunch will find a path forward rule of law, both domestically
WHOEVER LEADS THE might suffer. A report by the During her first term, if budget needs can convince and with regard to rules set out
COMMISSION ONCE Brookings Institution’s Carlo von der Leyen succeeded in sceptics like Ireland and the from Brussels to avoid more
VON DER LEYEN’S Bastasin predicted that some EU connecting the EU with bond Netherlands to reconsider standoffs like current battles
CURRENT TERM ENDS IN members would face huge cuts investors via the 800 billion euro their long-standing opposition, with right-wing governments in
MID-2024 WILL THUS if the newcomers join and the NextGenerationEU borrowing given that tax matters require Hungary and Poland.
FACE BUDGET WOES overall budget does not expand. programme. unanimous approval from For any of these accession
THAT, IF NOT Spain, for example, would see A former physician and member states. bids to succeed, existing EU
ADDRESSED, RISK its share of EU financial aid go German defence minister, her For more impact, the EU members will need new deals
PUTTING THE ENTIRE EU from nearly 10 per cent to zero. strategy is generally to stake out could remove exemptions on on how decisions are made, how
PROJECT IN JEOPARDY. Poland, which receives nearly a a broad policy position while aviation and maritime fuel countries stack up to their peers
YET BUDGET CONCERNS third of those funds, would see leaving plenty of wiggle room levies, which could have raised and how on earth Europe will
WILL BE HARD TO that portion plummet to 13 per to make concessions to member 34.2 billion euros in 2022 pay for it all.
DISCUSS HONESTLY cent. states. alone, according to the clean Whether von der Leyen stays
DURING THE BYZANTINE The EU also needs to finance A second term will require energy lobby group Transport or a new leader takes over, they
PROCESS TO PICK A the transition to a “greener” even more finesse to convince & Environment. Even if the EU won’t be able to just exhort
HEAD FOR THE economy, and to keep up in what EU member states to raise split proceeds with member European values and hope for
POWERFUL EU could become a global subsidies money not just from markets, states, who collect most taxes at the best. They will need a plan
EXECUTIVE. race with the United States and but from themselves. the national level, such changes that brings in money. — Reuters

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this page are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the opinion of the Observer.
 WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 11, 2023 | RABEE AL AWWAL 25, 1445 AH
94501166
Classified Section Mohammed al Rashdi: 99841230
m.alrahdi86@yahoo.com
Ali al Maashari: 99639264
ali.almashari@omandaily.om
Saada al Rashdi
95919344
24649593
24649595

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 MUSIC
Uruguayan rock
band Buitres lead
singer Gabriel Peluffo LIFESTYLE
performs at the
Teatro de Verano, in A woman ties her
Montevideo. — AFP head ban at the
Mansa Floating
Hub during a full
moon celebration
in Mindeko, Sao
FILM Vicente. — AFP
German-South
Korean actor Teo
Yoo speaks during
an audience question
and answer session,
following a screening TRAVEL
of his film Past BOLLYWOOD
Lives, at the 28th People visit the
Busan International Temple of Heaven in
Bollywood actor Salman Beijing. — AFP
Film Festival (BIFF) Khan attends the premiere
in Busan. — AFP of the Indian Hindi-language
comedy drama film ‘Dono’ in
Mumbai. — AFP

&
WEDNESDAY | OCTOBER 11, 2023 | RABEE AL AWWAL 25, 1445 AH

Tribute to an
artist and a
stamp designer

BY BALQEES ALORAIMI ensure the enduring lega-

cy of his work, the Bait Al

T
he Sarah Gallery at Zubair Foundation has
Bait Al Zubair made a significant
kicked off its new announcement. A dedi-
exhibition season cated space within the
with a touching tribute to stamp hall in the main
the late artist, building, known as Bait
Mohammed Nidham, in Al Bagh, will be perma-
collaboration with Oman nently allocated to display
Post. This remarkable a portrait of Mohammed
exhibition coincided with Nidham alongside models
World Postal Day, cele- of the postage stamps he
brated annually on designed. This move is a
October 9. The event heartfelt tribute to the
serves as a remem- artist and a testament to
brance of Mohammed the timeless nature of his
Nidham, an exceptional artistic contributions.
Omani artist who not The exhibition will also
only had a profound pas- contributions continue Oman’s modern history, and its pivotal milestones. addressing various facets feature a seminar in fine
sion for art but also to resonate in the hearts marked by the remarka- In addition to the post- of life, thoughts, and emo- arts, providing an oppor-
made significant contri- and minds of art enthu- ble achievements of the age stamps, the exhibition tions. His artistic vision tunity to delve deeper into
butions as a postage siasts and philatelists Omani Renaissance also features a selection offers a nuanced lan- Mohammed Nidham’s
stamp designer. alike. under the leadership of of artworks created by guage that invites viewers artistic journey. A dia-
This exhibition will be Mohammed Nidham’s the late Sultan Qaboos. Mohammed Nidham. The to interpret and connect logue session focused on
open to the public journey as a stamp The exhibition showcases earliest of these pieces with his creations in a the postage stamps he
throughout the month, designer spanned nearly a diverse collection of date back to 1994. What deeply personal and indi- designed during his ten-
allowing visitors to con- three decades, from 1985 postage stamps that makes Mohammed vidualised manner. ure as a postage stamp
nect with the artistry to 2014. Throughout this Mohammed Nidham Nidham’s art particularly In acknowledgement of designer will further
and legacy of Mohammed time, he played a pivotal designed himself or special is his ability to Mohammed Nidham’s enhance the understand-
Nidham, a truly remark- role in documenting a supervised, each telling a infuse deep intellectual pioneering contributions ing of his remarkable
able Omani artist whose transformative period in unique story of this era content into his works, to the world of art and to body of work.
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Sunny Albania turns

to solar power to fuel
development
ALONG SOUTHWESTERN
Albania’s coastline, the sun
shines bright — warming the
234,828 new solar panels at the
Karavasta power station that
will be connected to the coun-
try’s energy grid in the coming
weeks.
In less than two years, the
French-owned Voltalia company
has built the largest solar-pow-
ered plant in the Western
Balkans, where much of the
region remains reliant on fossil
fuels including coal.
Located on 200 hectares of
land provided by the Albanian
government on the edge of the
Karavasta lagoon national park,
the plant will be able to generate
140 megawatts, powering hun-
dreds of thousands of homes in
the country of just 2.8 million
people.
The surge in energy will be a
welcome shot in the arm for the
Balkan country — where power
outages were long a scourge
following the collapse of its com-
munist governments in the early
1990s.
And while the grid has stabi-
lised in recent years, power cuts
are still common.
Albania currently receives
approximately 99 per cent of its
electricity from hydroelectric
power stations.
But with regular droughts and
ramshackle energy infrastruc-
ture dating back to its commu-
nist era, Albanian has struggled
to keep pace with the country’s
break-neck development fuelled
by the millions of tourists it wel-
comes annually.
A groundswell of activism in
recent years against a string of
new hydropower projects
pushed the Albanian govern-
ment to create a national park
last year to protect the Vjosa
River, one of Europe’s largest
undammed waterways.
With the construction of dams
on hold, Karavasta’s backers
hope that 300 average days of
sunshine a year will ensure the
stable production of power.
“From this winter, 100 per cent
of the energy produced by the
Karavasta solar power plant will
be sold to the Albanian national
company,” Constantin von
Alvensleben, Voltalia’s country
manager for Albania, tells AFP.
“If Albania generates surplus
electricity, it will be able to export
it to users in neighbouring coun-
tries such as Greece, Italy,
Kosovo, Montenegro and
Northern Macedonia.”
Although the country pro-
motes its green energy sector,
Albania produces around
650,000 tonnes of crude oil
annually from dilapidated infra-
structure that environmental-
ists have long criticised for the
harm it wreaks on local commu-
nities.
- Frogs and pelicans — But
along its sun-drenched coast-
line, engineers say the terrain is
ideal for solar parks.
Luca Anthouard, an engineer
working on the project, says the
salty, unfarmable tracts of land
around Karavasta have enabled
developers to build a project “on
a grand scale by European
standards”.
But before the panels were
erected, the cracked earth was
home to small green frogs —
known as Pelophylax
Shqipericus, or Albanian frogs.
“[They are] a protected spe-
cies,” said Vilma Terpollari,
Voltalia’s environmental adviser
who is also responsible for
ensuring that the amphibians
return to the site in large num-
bers.
“We have drawn up specific
projects to protect this species
by creating new habitats so that
it can return and reproduce
here,” she added.
Throughout the sprawling
development, photos of this
small frog with a fluorescent
green line across its back all the more important due to surrounding villages, 53 families
remind workers to take care. southwestern Albania’s location were relocated to make way for
The project also features thick across migratory flyways and the construction of the power
power lines carrying electricity nesting areas that are home to station and the power line.
from the solar park to a redistri- pelicans and pink flamingos. “They will be reimbursed by
bution station that could disturb Millions of birds pass through the state, in accordance with the
the flightpath of birds. the nearby Narta lagoon and law,” said Ramatlen Bollobani, an
“Voltalia has installed bird Karavasta estuary every year, advisor to the project, adding
diverters,” said Terpollari, “a providing critical grounds for that Voltalia would also contrib-
first in Albania”. migratory species travelling ute to compensation for the
The feature — which is essen- between northern Europe and families.
tially a large tower that makes the African continent. Only one family is contesting
the power lines more visible — is As for the inhabitants of the the eviction order. — AFP

FASHION FILM

Chloe names Final series

new designer
Chemena
Kamali
FRENCH LUXURY BRAND Chloe
announced Monday it had
appointed a new creative direc-
tor, Chemena Kamali, in the lat-
est reshuffle among the big
houses.
Born in Germany in 1981,
Kamali was previously women’s
design director at Saint Laurent
and worked for Chloe early in
her career.
She replaces Gabriela Hearst,
who held her last show for the
brand at Paris Fashion Week last
month, having been in charge
only three years.
“I have always had a deep con-
nection with Chloe since the day
I walked through its doors more
than 20 years ago. This return is
both natural and very personal,”
Kamali said in a statement from
Chloe’s Swiss parent group
Richemont group.
The fashion world has seen a
lot of reshuffling in recent
months.
While Louis Vuitton went with
a mega-celebrity approach by
appointing musician Pharrell
Williams to its top post, most
brands are preferring low-pro-
file but technically accomplished
artisans.
Alexander McQueen last week
named a little-known newcomer,
Sean McGirr, as only the third
creative director in the brand’s
30-year history.
Gucci replaced its star design-
er Alessandro Michele with the
quieter presence of Sabato de
Sarno over the summer.
Kamali will present her first
pre-collection for Chloe in Paris
in January 2024, followed by her
autumn-winter 2024 collection
at Paris Fashion Week the
following month.
Chloe CEO Riccardo Bellini
said in the statement: “Chemena’s
vision, inspired by her unwaver-
ing bond with Chloe, will highlight
the unique DNA of the house.”
—AFP
of ‘The
Crown’ set
to air later
this year
THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED final sea-
son of the global hit series “The
Crown” will be released in two parts
later this year, streaming giant
Netflix announced on Monday.
The first instalment of the wildly
successful historical drama’s sixth
season will be available to stream on
November 16, while the second and
final part will be released four weeks
later on December 14.
“The Crown”, which first aired on
Netflix in late 2016, is a fictionalised
version of the British royal family
but broadly based around real his-
torical events.
It has amassed a loyal audience
around the world, won dozens of top
awards — including 21 Emmys — and
stoked controversy in Britain over
claims of untrue depictions of the
royals.
The US streaming behemoth
announced news of the series
release dates with a montage of clips
showing the actresses who have
played the late Queen Elizabeth II
paired with their scripted lines on
her views of the role.
“It is not a choice. It is a duty,” her
character says, with Netflix reiterat-
ing that line on X, formerly Twitter,
alongside the release dates and the
video.
The coming season is expected to
look at the 1997 Paris car accident
which led to the deaths of Princess
Diana, Dodi Fayed — the son of late
business tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed
— and their driver Henri Paul.
The couple were seen getting to
know each other in season five.
It is also expected to show the
premiership of Tony Blair, and the
early relationship between Prince
William and the then-Kate Middleton.
The previous season of “The
Crown” covered the early and mid-
1990s, a turbulent period for the
royal family that included the
divorce of now-King Charles III and
Princess Diana.
It prompted a backlash among
some in Britain, with one scene
depicting the heir-to-the-throne
attempting to draw former prime
minister John Major into a conspira-
cy to force the abdication of his
mother.
Critics have said the series are
“full of lies”.
Its makers have rejected the crit-
icism, insisting that it has always
been presented as a drama based
on historical events. —AFP
 W E D N E S DAY l O C TO B E R 1 1 l 2 0 2 3
The Beauty of a Silent Walk
IN A TIKTOK VIDEO that has now amassed
nearly 500,000 views, influencer Mady
Maio describes taking a walk. But not just
any walk: a silent one.
For her, the 30-minute stroll was revela-
tory. No podcasts, no music. Just “me,
myself and I.”
She was resistant at first. (It was her
boyfriend’s idea.) “My anxiety could never,”
she said in the video.
Maio described the first two minutes as
mental “mayhem” that eventually gave way
to a “flow state.” Her brain fog lifted. Ideas
started popping into her head because she
was “giving them space to enter.”
The silent walk is TikTok’s latest well-
ness obsession, a blend of meditation and
exercise that aims to improve mental
health. Unlike the similarly trendy “hot girl
walk,” a 4-mile odyssey that requires goal-
setting and giving thanks, the silent walk
does not involve multitasking. There is no
agenda other than to set one foot in front
of the other and take note of the world
around you.
Walking in silence is an ancient tradi-
tion rooted in mindfulness, a form of med-
itation that helps people focus on the phys-
ical sensations, thoughts and emotions of
the present moment, without any judg-
ment.
The fact that the silent walk is nothing
new has attracted a chorus of critics; “Gen
Z thinks it just invented walking,” they say.
To that, Arielle Lorre, 38, a content crea-
tor in Los Angeles, had to laugh.
“Fifteen or 20 years ago, this would not
have even been a conversation,” said
Lorre, who has often discussed the bene-
fits of silent walks, most recently on her
podcast and on TikTok. But silent walking
feels relevant right now because many of
LIFESTYLE
us have become tethered to our devices, of a silent walk might seem torturous. One Walking “isn’t so demanding that it’s
she added. 2014 study found that, if left with no other actually taking up a lot of your mental
The question then becomes: “How do we option, people would shock themselves bandwidth,” Westgate said, which “gives us
counteract that?” Lorre said. rather than sit alone with their thoughts. permission and license to daydream.”
Walking is a well-established balm for “Most people seem to prefer to be doing If the idea of daydreaming seems luxu-
the mind and body. Research has shown something rather than nothing, even if rious, it may be because our attention
that walking for as little as 10 extra min- that something is negative,” the study spans have shrivelled over the past two
utes a day may lead to a longer life. And a authors wrote. decades.
2020 study in The Journal of Walking, however, can make it more We now spend an average of about 47
Environmental Psychology pleasant to spend time with ourselves, seconds on a piece of screen content
found that a 30-minute experts say. before switching to another piece of con-
walk in an urban park Erin C. Westgate, an assistant profes- tent, according to research led by Gloria
reduced the amount of sor of psychology at the University of Mark, a professor of informatics at the
time that people Florida in Gainesville who studies bore- University of California, Irvine, and
dwelled on negative dom, found in her research that being
thoughts. Walking has in transit, which included walking or
also been shown to riding public transportation,
improve creativity and was one of the times when
help fend off depression. people most often
Lorre, who walks in reported having
silence for at least 45 e n j o y a b l e
minutes roughly thoughts.
four times a week,
said that since she
started this prac-
tice about a year
ago, she now sleeps
better, feels calmer
and has more con-
sistent energy
throughout the day.
But for some
people, the
idea
the author of “Attention Span.” Back in
2004, however, Mark found that people
could spend an average of 2 1/2 minutes
on email before turning to another work
task.
Continually flipping our attention from
one task to another is draining, Mark said.
But a silent walk can help replenish our
“tank” so that we have a greater reserve of
mental energy, she added. In other words,
disconnecting for a while can actually help
us perform better.
Mark suggested taking digital breaks at
other times, not just when we’re walking,
and that we think about an emotional goal
for the day, not just a list of tasks.
For example, if your goal is to feel calm,
you can write that on a Post-it note and
refer back to it when thinking about how
you’ll spend your fleeting free time that
day.
“So many of us feel like we’re always
behind and running to catch up,” said
David M. Levy, a professor at the
Information School at the University of
Washington in Seattle, and the author of
“Mindful Tech.” This can lead to a state of
being “so distracted that we aren’t present
at all.”
But in a future-oriented society we need
opportunities to be satisfied with the here
and now, Levy said, and drop the pressure
to be productive.
“There is great beauty and aliveness in
the world outside of whatever it is we’re
doing on our devices,” Levy said. — NYT