Oman vs Iran at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex on the 22 May – kick off 500 pm
Oman vs Lebanon in Doha, Qatar on the 29 May
Oman vs Bosnia at the Sultan Qaboos Sport Complex on the 10 June – Kick off 700 pm

The full team shall be available for all the games which have been organized for their preparation for the last 2 games of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers versus Iraq on June 4 at Home and 18 June versus Jordan away.

Oman is on the verge of making history and going to the next round of 2014 FIFA World Cup. Let’s support the national team and OFA.

Source & Picture Credits : OFA

OFA Chairman Sayyid Khalid Al Busaidi said the local football body has plans to host Al Habsi in Muscat. “We will have a special reception for him, for sure, when he comes down to Muscat

However, the exact date of the reception has not been confirmed, due to Habsi’s busy engagements in London. The reception is expected to take place soon after Habsi returns to Muscat.

Wigan now has to make sure they don’t become the first team to win the FA Cup and be relegated in the same season. Currently, in the third relegation spot and three points away from safety, they will play against Arsenal on Tuesday and Aston Villa on May 19.

Even though Al Habsi was not featured in the FA Cup final, despite his brilliant performance during the semifinal, he became the first Arab to claim the prestigious title.
“I am very proud of Al Habsi’s achievement. For him to reach these heights was not easy. The journey was tough, but he worked hard, and he has made all of us proud today,” remarked Sayyid Khalid.

After three years of being Wigan’s first choice for goalkeeper and playing more than 100 Premier League games, Al Habsi was eased out this season by young Spaniard Joel Robles.
However, Sayyid Khalid branded Al Habsi as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League. “Al Habsi was left out because he was suffering from a shoulder injury, so the Wigan team management didn’t want to take a chance.

“He played in the crucial semi-final game and put on a brilliant show. So, he is still the best. That day (for the Saturday final) was not his day. It was quite unfortunate, but that’s what football is all about. You need to take it in stride as it comes. Al Habsi still has a long way to go, and I am sure he will continue to bring us glory,” Sayyid Khalid added.

We @oneoman.com would like to add that, this has been a tremendous achievement by Habsi. We know the player and his capabilities, we strongly believe the best is yet to come and the entire Oman’s support is with Habsi.

A great player, a great champion we give you Ali Al Habsi – International Player, Oman’s National Team Captain and Oman News Maker of the Year 2012.

Source: OFA

Statistics released by the Air Transport Department at the Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) show an increase in the arrival passengers by (10%) to (1,392,607) passengers as at the end of April 2013, comparing to (1,271,471) passengers for the same period of the year 2012.

The number of departing passengers also increased by (13%) to (1,321,619) passengers as at the end of April 2013, compared to (1,172,540) passengers for the same period of the year 2012.

The increase in arrival and departure traffic into Muscat International Airport is attributed to the increase of the number of flights operated by the existing airlines, such as Oman Air, Ethiopian Airlines and United Airways of Bangladesh.

In terms of air freight traffic at Muscat International Airport, aviation statistics indicate an increase in the total loaded and unloaded freight by (3%) as at the end of April 2013 with total shipment (40,329) ton, compared to (39,025) ton of the same period in 2012.

Salalah Airport has witnessed an increase by (11%) in the total number of arriving and departing passengers to (216,537) passengers as at the end of April 2013, compared to (195,183) passengers for the same period of 2012.

As for the movement of air cargo at Salalah Airport, freight traffic has recorded an increase in total loaded and unloaded freight, bringing the shipment to (482) ton as at the end of April 2013, compared to (468) ton in the same period in 2012.

Mahdi bin Mohammed al-Abdwani, CEO of the NFC said in a statement to Oman News Agency that the success of the existing partnership with Muscat Municipality in many projects during the past period will contribute to promoting the services rendered in the Sultanate in general and Muscat Governorate in particular.

He affirmed that NFC plans for the future projects include providing marine transportation through boats (very similar to marine taxis).

The service aims at connecting the wilayats of the Muscat Governorate and alleviating the traffic congestion in Muscat streets.

The proposed project will provide citizens and residents with more transportation options inside Muscat Governorate in a very easy and convenient manner. The project will encourage the use of mass transportation means and provide passengers with the opportunity to see the tourist sides all over Muscat Governorate coasts.

He added that all the proposed marine boats will be provided with features and technical specifications that suit the Omani marine environment. Moreover, these kinds of boats don’t need costly facilities during the embarking and disembarking processes, as the terminal will be only a point for transferring employees, students and tourists to and from the marine boats.

He pointed out that the service will too be hopefully implemented in Musandam Governorate to cover the residential areas in the wilayats of Musandam which could not be accessed by express ferry boats.

The success of the service is linked to availing land transportation system to and from the marine terminals for the boats.

He commended the constant growth of the number of passengers using ferry boats, which provide passengers with safe, quick and easy means of transportation for citizens and expatriates travelling among the coastal governorates. The number of passengers rose by 83% as of the end of last April to hit 12,000 compared to 6596 during the same period in 2012. The shipping activities also grew by more than 100% compared to the corresponding period last year.

The number of shipped vehicles amounted to 1941 compared to 963 during the same period last year.

Courtesy : Youtube

Just enjoy!!! :I )

Coming in at 5th is Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull – LIVE IT UP

Coming in at 4th is Ellie Goulding – Lights

Coming in at 3rd is dUSTIN tAVELLA – We Got The Summer (Official Video)

Coming in at 2nd is The Black Eyed Peas – Let’s Get It Started

Coming in at No. 1 is Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Can’t Hold Us (Live on KEXP)

If you are still pumped up, check out US Billboard Top 10 Songs – Week Of May 25, 2013

If you want to see some crazy stuff, watch PSY – GENTLEMAN –

The 38-year-old former England captain, who this month helped Paris St Germain to the French league title to add to titles won in England, Spain and the United States, will hang up his boots at the end of this season.

“I’m thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level,” the midfielder said in a statement.

“I want to thank all my team mates, the great managers that I had the pleasure of learning from. I also want to thank the fans who have all supported me and given me the strength to succeed.”

Beckham earned 115 caps for England, a record for an outfield player, and won the Champions League, six Premier League titles and two FA Cups with Manchester United.

He also won league titles with Real Madrid in Spain, LA Galaxy in the United States and PSG in France.

The London-born Beckham started his career at Manchester United, the club he supported as a boy, making his first team appearance at the age of 17 in 1992.

His trade-mark free kicks and pin-point crosses established him as a key player, while his good looks made him a pin-up for teenage girls and later his marriage to former Spice Girls band member Victoria Adams established him as an off-field celebrity.

While his commercial appeal kept growing and his friendships with Hollywood A listers grew, his main passion of soccer – and in particular England – held firm.

“To this day, one of my proudest achievements is captaining my country,” Beckham said.

“I knew every time I wore the Three Lions shirt, I was not only following in a long line of great players, I was also representing every fan that cared passionately about their country. I’m honoured to represent England both on and off the pitch.

DREAMS REALISED

“If you had told me as a young boy I would have played for and won trophies with my boyhood club Manchester United, proudly captained and played for my country over 100 times and lined up for some of the biggest clubs in the world, I would have told you it was a fantasy. I’m fortunate to have realised those dreams,” said Beckham.

After a decade at Old Trafford, where he won six Premier League titles, he left for a four-year spell at Real Madrid where he won La Liga in his final season.

He then crossed the Atlantic in 2007 to become the biggest name soccer import in the United States, joining LA Galaxy with a mission to raise the profile of the sport in the country.

He won the MLS championship twice with the Galaxy before moving to Paris in January for what turned out to be his last hurrah.

There he demonstrated one of his other sides as his salary was paid to a children’s charity in the French capital.

Away from soccer, underwear modelling and ambassadorial roles, Beckham is known as a family man and thanked those closest to him for what they had done for him.

“I wouldn’t have achieved what I have done today without my family,” he said.

“I’m grateful for my parents’ sacrifice, which made me realise my dreams. I owe everything to Victoria and the kids, who have given me the inspiration and support to play at the highest level for such a long period.”

Oman’s market cap-to-GDP ratio is the lowest among the GCC nations. What actions or initiatives need to be taken to further increase Oman’s market cap-to-GDP ratio?

AL MARHOON: Oman’s current market cap-to-GDP ratio indicates that there is room for expansion on the MSM. For the last few years, we have been focusing on raising the ratio to that of the other international markets. We are not there at the moment, but our market cap is far exceeding Bahrain. Looking at the market capitalization in the GCC countries, the Muscat Securities Market has improved a lot over the last few years. This past year we had two IPOs. For the first time, Islamic financial services were allowed to operate in this country. Conventional banks were also allowed to open Islamic financial service windows. This helped existing commercial banks acquire additional capital. There has been a substantial IPO increase here. With the help of the government, we are on the right track and moving in the right direction. The Ministry of Finance is trying to convince more companies to join the MSM. This will increase our market cap-to-GDP ratio. There were some companies about to go public but, because of the financial crisis and weak market activity, they decided to hold back. We are trying to contact them to convince them to go public this year. Furthermore, the Capital Market Authority, along with the MSM, has identified certain government companies which are candidates for going public. 2013 will be a far better year for IPOs.
What programs or incentives are currently being implemented in order to convince more Omani companies to become publicly listed? Furthermore, what actions are being taken to ensure that these companies participate in the MSM rather than other well known global exchanges?

AL MARHOON: Family owned companies need to be aware of the benefits of going public. These companies initially think that their ownership is moved away from them. This is not the issue. They get more money because they will sell their portion of the company at a premium. They will get extra money, which can then be used elsewhere. They are creators and innovators that can do many things with the new money. This in turn will help the economy. The other thing is that you are able to know the value of your company. Most of the family businesses do not know how much their company is worth. However, when they go public and list they will be able to understand how much their company is worth. They can then go to the bank when they want to issue bonds. Evaluators or rating agencies will be more aware of these companies if they go public. Another benefit of going public is the governance. When you are listed you are required to follow certain governance. This is good for companies. They are resisting the governance and the disclosure. They do not understand how important transparency is for their representation. Also, many companies disappear after a few generations. If they become publicly listed, they will be able to see continuity in their business. These family owned businesses are major contributors to the economy. We want them to continue to help grow and develop the country’s economy.
Islamic financial products, authorized by the government in 2011, are set to take off this year. What impact will the introduction of Islamic financial products and services have on the capital markets here in Oman? What changes has this necessitated in the MSM?

AL MARHOON: Islamic financial services will not only add great value to the MSM but also to the economy as a whole. We have only had conventional banking in the past but there are certain segments in our society that like to deal with Islamic concepts banking. As a result, we will find many of the resources being diverted elsewhere. We hope that some of these funds and activities will help our economy. This is going to create competition between conventional banking and Islamic banking. This will help finance projects and small businesses. It will also expand our economy. These indexes are hoping that it will create an attraction to some people who want to only invest in Islamic based companies. We hope that Islamic financial activities will not only be focused on consumption but also on adding value to the economy.
How have rising political tensions in the Middle East and the global economic downturn impacted investor sentiment throughout the GCC? What initiatives is Oman currently undertaking in order to help regain investor confidence and increase trading volumes in the MSM?

AL MARHOON: If you look at the GCC economies, you can see that they are performing better than many of the countries where the crisis hit. However, I could not understand that the index is higher in these countries than in some of the stronger economies in the GCC. Our economies are expanding and our budgets are climbing. However, this has not affected our market activities, indexes, or the performance of our companies. This is something that I sometimes cannot understand. For example, Greece’s indexes are performing better than ours. This year will be a historical budget for Oman. We have big projects underway that are focused on the further development of our infrastructure. The projects in Oman are progressing and you can see improvements being made to the country’s infrastructure. The government is also encouraging tourism. Oman is moving and we hope that the MSM will move along with the expansion of the country’s economy.
To what extent do foreign investors participate in the MSM? How vital is their role and what actions are being taken in order to further increase foreign investment in the bourse?

AL MARHOON: The MSM is 23 years old. We are probably the only market from inception that allowed foreign investment in the MSM in Oman. Also, from the beginning all listed companies accounts had to be based on international accounting standards. This is a prerequisite to listing on the MSM. We do not have any restrictions on the MSM. On the contrary, the ratio for foreign investments was raised from sometimes 25%, 50%, and to 70% in the international trade. That is what is happening here. Foreign investment in Oman stands at roughly 22%-23%. We appreciate the foreign investment and we would like to see more of their influence. We have a lot of funds from Europe, but their magnitude is not that large because of our market size. We hope that as our market capitalization continues to grow so will foreign investments in the bourse.

How have regulations implemented by the CMA (Capital Market Authority) affected market activity? What initiatives are being implemented in order to help boost liquidity in the MSM?

AL MARHOON: We believe that proper governance and transparency will send a message to investors that their interests are being managed. We do not compromise on our governance. We were the first in the region to introduce proper governance and disclosure. We require all companies to be transparent. We have operated like this for the past 6 years. We have a link between listed companies and our website. As a result, every listed company can disclose anything. This does not mean that governance cannot be enhanced. It should be revisited from time to time because there are so many developments that need to be taken care of and addressed. We pay a lot of attention to governance and transparency. The CMA can go into areas and facilitate more trade in those segments. Proper governance is our main focus.
In 2012, anchor IPOs from Bank Nizwa and Alizz Islamic Bank strengthened the market. What is your general outlook for new IPOs in 2013?

AL MARHOON: I am very optimistic about 2013. I am hoping that market activities will improve because I know that there are some companies waiting to IPO. Also, the MSM and the CMA (Capital Market Authority) have identified several government projects that can release part ownership to the public and become listed on the MSM. These companies will create depth in the market and attract more investors. This in turn, will add to the activities in the MSM and help expand our economy.