Monthly Archives: September 2008

Oman maintains 57th position in Doing Business Index

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Oman maintained its 57th ranking, while Saudi Arabia and Bahrain made it to the top 25 list in the ‘Doing Business Report 2009′ prepared jointly by the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank.

Singapore retained the first place in ranking, which covered 181 countries of the world that provides quantitative measure of regulation for starting a business, getting credit, paying taxes, enforcing contracts and closing a business.

While Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are ranked among the top 25, UAE has climbed eight notches to be in 46th place this year. Qatar and Kuwait have slipped marginally.

Use ID card to record entry/departure at Muscat airport

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Oman News Agency reports:
MUSCAT: Royal Oman Police (ROP) will start, with effect from tomorrow (September 10, 2008), using a new system with incoming and outgoing travellers at Muscat International Airport.

Travellers, either Omanis or expatriates who possess ID, can proceed directly to the new device and insert their ID, according to the instructions shown at the system. The entry or departure will be recorded without any need to stamp the passport.

In case no response is made by the new device, the traveller may attend the passport officers who will be available beside the machine. The new system is a bid by ROP to make traveling by citizens and expatriates through Muscat International Airport easy.

Ban on export of non-basmati rice: Bane for NRIs, boon for hoarders

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Thanks to Indian government’s decision to ban export of non-basmati rice, Indians, especially those from southern India, are facing a lot of hardship these days in Oman. The ban, which came into force in March this year, has been extended till November 2008. Though the ban didn’t pinch the customers in the initial months, from June onwards the real misery began.

Supermarkets started charging a bomb for the last stocks available, and smaller shops sourced rice stocks from nearby places like Nizwa and made a killing by upping the prices mercilessly. A 5kg bag which used to cost RO2 six months back, now costs over RO5. Less said the better about the quality of rice which is infested with dust and worms. Result: rice fanatics like me switched over to basmati variety, which is difficult to consume daily due to its strong flavour. Basmati suits fine for occasional biriyanis, and is not cut to have it on a day-to-day basis. Moreover, Indian basmati is very expensive — RO5 and upwards for a 5kg bag.

The more adventurous Indians have switched over to Thai rice which is less expensive (the picture below says a 20kg bag costs RO 8.450 in LuLu). I have not tasted Thai rice, so I am not sure about the flavour and quality. I am in no mood to try out Thai rice too. So until November, more agony for me on the rice front. Next time, if I chance upon a “what do you want from India?” offer, my reply will be, “10kg of non-basmati rice, if you don’t mind”.

Yahoo! Oman Air is going places…

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…at least in terms of ad spending. After ‘mesmerising’ local market with their bombastic print ads, they have now embraced online advertising for a change with Yahoo! I got a shocker when I opened my Yahoo mail today morning. The Oman Air banner was right on top of the page. By all counts, Oman Air could be the first company from Oman to advertise on Yahoo! That’s quite a feat. Don’t be surprised if the corporate communications department of Oman Air comes up with a press release tom-toming their latest achievement.

Blogging lessons

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Life has come a full circle. Last weekend, a senior executive of a well known business group in Oman approached me to know more about the intricacies of corporate blogging. Actually, the group is keen to take their online initiatives to the next level by way of a blog. We exchanged thoughts for nearly an hour, and it was education both ways. In the days to come, I hope more corporates will join the blogging bandwagon in Oman. More the merrier.

Ramadan nights at Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa

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Upon invitation, yesterday we visited Shangri-la’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa to check out the Sablah area during Ramadan nights. Live counters have been set up, and the ala carte menu features an array of hot and cold refreshments.

Some of the Arabic dishes on offer include hummus, moutabel, tabouleh, vine leaves, fatouch and babaganoush. The hot mezzeh includes kabbeh, fatayer (cheese, spinach and meat).

The grill section features shish taouk, kubidha and beef kebab along with a wide selection of desserts like umm ali, baklava, kunafa and sliced fruits.


The colourful Sablah area.


Omani musicians in action.


I loved falefel the most; they were crispy and crunchy.


My favourite shish taouk. I just loved it, and tucked in quite a few. The dip was superb too.


Chicken shawarma was very tasty though I would have preferred the shawarma rolled. Old habits die hard you see!


Thanks to generous helpings of shish taouk and shawarma, I had no space left for yummy-looking sweets. Settled for some dates instead.

Ramadan marketing blitzkrieg

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I got this SMS today. Salsabeel, a brand of water which I cannot do away with, has entered the world of insane marketing which normally occurs during the holy month of Ramadan. Dear Salsabeel folks, please stick to water, your core business. For DVDs and microwaves, we have Emax, LuLu, and Carrefour guys thrusting down our throats with a gazillion offers.

The day is not far when we have offers like…

Opt for CT Scan and get 60% off on ECG

Get three speeding tickets, pay for only two