Ex-Expatriate who was living in Muscat, Oman, Middle East for too long, but still blogs about the place.
Biased and usually irreverent opinions on life and business goings on in The Sultanate of Oman, a quiet and beautiful country bordering the Indian Ocean.
Busy week. But thankfully the Dragon is off to an undisclosed European location this weekend for a well deserved holiday. And as Mr Muscato noted, no response from the Blue City people on the recent further downgrading of Blue City bonds on the expected default - perhaps 'John' (a previous commenter and Blue City supporter and probable employee) wasn't too happy to learn they had difficulty paying his salary last month!
Meanwhile, as we all know, it is the holiday season, and there is unfortunately a huge sex tourism trade between Oman and Thailand. Lots of Omani males go to Thailand, many of them married, and not for the temples and beaches. How much AIDS is being imported back to Oman from these people having unprotected sex? Plus, of course, the direct support being provided for the horrible trade in flesh. As far as I know, Oman have not made it illegal for Omani's to go overseas and have sex with minors either.
One 'vacationing' Omani gentleman, alledgedly a Mr. Sulaiman Saifthani, was reported in the Thai press yesterday as being drugged and robbed by an underage prostitute in his hotel room. Shame.
Perhaps the bigger shame was travelling halfway around the world to have sex with 15 yr old girls...
Omani tourist drugged and robbed.
Pattaya police station received a visit from Mr. Sulaiman Saifthani to report that he had just been drugged and robbed of his possessions by a beach prostitute.
Photo Pattaya People News: Thai Police taking a complaint.
The incident happened on the evening of the 21st July when the 41 year old tourist from Oman took a woman to his room for fun and games. In all the excitement, she somehow managed to drug him with some substance causing him to fall unconscious, only to wake up to find that his wallet containing 9,020 US dollars, 8,000 baht and an expensive wrist watch valued at 30,000 baht were all missing. After searching through the criminal record file, he identified his perpetrator as Miss Thanya Kongpira, aged 15 from Khon Kaen in North East Thailand. A report was made and a search is now on for the young lady from Esarn.
I'm hoping that as well as taking his complaint of robbery, that they also busted him for having "fun and games" with an underage minor...
Yes, the fantastic Blue City Project has again been down-graded by Fitch Rating agency because of poor sales and the impending default on their loan covenants.
In fact, I'm reliably informed things are so bad that BCC1 couldn't even make the June salary payment for their own staff on time as the bank account was so empty. LOL.
Expect a pseudo-Government rescue soon, probably in the form of some Government controlled entity (such as one of the pension funds) buying a big bunch of their properties.
Even then its difficult to imagine them avoiding technical default. Given the outstanding payments due contractors, and the current market, even the Government won't give them the $400+ mln they need. Re-negotiations with bond holders are essential. In fact, rather than buying the properties it would probably be cheaper for the State Investment fund to buy the bonds directly for a big discount.
What a fantastic job the Chairman of the board is doing. At least he found the time to entertain Michael Jackson...
Any comment 'John'?
Oman's Blue City downgraded on default fears Jul 15, 2009
Fitch Ratings downgraded Tuesday Oman's Blue City Investments 1 Ltd on fears of default of a loan payment.
The Blue City Company 1 had raised in 2006 $925 million real estate bond financing to fund the development of a $20 billion the Blue City project, or Al Madina Al Zarqa, in the Sultanate of Oman.
Fitch Ratings downgraded Blue City Investments' $262.5 million class A3/A4 due October 2016 to 'CCC' from 'B+', the rating agency said in an emailed statement.
Blue City's $143 million class B1/B2 due October 2016 was also downgraded to 'CCC' from 'B and the $50.5 million class C due October 2016 was downgraded to 'C' from 'B-'.
A $70 million class D due October 2016 was lowered to 'C' from 'B', it added.
"Blue City Company 1, or BCC1, has already breached each of sales tests 1 to 4 and on the 7 November 2009 interest payment date will be tested against sales test 5 for the first time," said Fitch.
"Should BCC1 fail to meet sales test 5, which measures whether some $455 million of aggregate collections will be made by that date, an immediate mandatory prepayment of the loan will be triggered.
"In this event the loan will be considered in default," it said, adding that current aggregate collections stand at approximately $77 million."
The Ministry of Tourism and OMRAN continue to push the CAYC to release their little bay for more mega-development, and move to the marina next door. Here's the recent letter they sent to their members. The on-going court case is rescheduled for early October.
Dear CAYC Members,
We would like to update you on the progress since the election of the new CAYC Committee.
The Committee has met a few times and discussed various relevant issues such as our case in the court and our temporary move to Marina Bandar Roudha. Subsequently, a couple of meetings were also held with our lawyers. The various meetings and discussions led to the committee sending a letter to the lawyers explaining our stand (copy attached for your reference). The lawyer will now send a letter to the Ministry of Tourism based on our letter. We will await their reply to further plan our strategy.
Finally, we regret to you inform you that the elected commodore Mr. Abdulrauf Al Mashari has resigned from his position due to unforeseen personal reasons and the committee has elected Mr. Abdul Nasir N. Al Raisi (current committee member) as Commodore and added Mr. Hani Habib Macki as an additional member to the committee. Most of you have met Mr. Hani Macki at the last elections day.
Sometimes I'm thought of as being too 'negative' here at Muscat Confidential.
It's sometimes said(*) that we discuss things that are better not talked about in public, especially in the context of so-called Omani 'Society' and 'culture'.
That the Undercover Dragon is all criticism and 'bad news', rather than being uplifting, supportive, and celebratory of all the many multitudes of great and good things evident here in our Sultanate by the gulf and the Indian Ocean.
True.
Why is that?
Well, for one, the mainstream press in Oman already seem to cover pretty comprehensively the "sunshine, rainbows and pretty white unicorns that crap butterflies" slant on our life and times.
Artists rendition: The average Oman media story.
I'm trying for more of a niche outside that. One thyat is less paternalistic in what Omanis can handle being talked about.
Second, there are a few stories that 'broke' here, and I like to think that there are some opinions, stories and facts available at Muscat Confidential that you won't read anywhere else, and yet are either public domain or should be. (eg Blue City, the Government's performance).
Yes, I'm often guilty of giving some relatively innocuous stories the 'tabloid treatment' in the name of entertainment. Mea Culpa. (I do wish Rupert Murdock would by 'The Tribune' and get us better served in that department too.). And no, I don't mind being occasionally offensive/one-eyed/agent provocateur, which is sometimes a disadvantage.
Lastly I am philosophically wedded to the idea that transparency, debate, and criticism is good for us. It's not about blame. It's about being better. Learning. Finding out who is right through discussion and (preferably) facts and data. Making decisions based on agreed aims, and measuring the effectiveness of what we achieve compared to those aims.
I refuse to think anyone wants an Oman filled with North Korean proles just doing what someone tells them.
BUT, for the record.
Oman is an awesome place to live. That's why I live here.
Oman has proved to be 'the exception that proves the rule' with respect to Government.
Benign Dictatorship is widely acknowledged to be the best system of Government yet devised. But the instability and side effects generally mean it's unattainable. No one has yet figured out how to end up like Oman (with a brilliant and dedicated leader in His Majesty), or perhaps Singapore, and avoid ending up instead with leaders like North Korea or Zimbabwe (or the many other examples I'm sure you can come up with). The Omani people are the most polite, friendly, optimistic, honest, nicest people in the entire GCC and wider region. The population is blessed with a significant % of hard working, talented people (especially the women). The country is awash with potential: sea, beaches, mountains, oil and gas, minerals, fisheries, farm land, islands, trade routes, a culture of tolerance, and low levels of corruption. You have been fantastically blessed with HM and his able assistants such as HE Mr. Macki. We just need everyone else to strive to reach those benchmarks.
I love Oman.
Cheers, Dragon
* I attend the odd dinner party. I confess it's always interesting when the topic of 'Who IS Muscat Confidential?' comes up, as it occasionally does... I usually suggest someone else, obviously.
Why is it that the Omani Government is so committed to relentless big infrastructure and industrial development? The cheap gas used to fire the new mid-stream industrial complexes in Sohar and Salalah; the insatiable ambition of Omran to plaster every beach with 5 star hotel tourism developments? Why even crazy sounding schemes like importing bauxite to make aluminum are executed.
The answer: Population. There is a flood of young people coming to Oman’s employment market. The combination of 1st world health care and 3rd world rates of reproduction are upon us.
This is the population age pyramid for Oman next year. [ref: NationMaster.com]. Ignore the middle age bump in the male population – those are the temporary foreign workers. But look what’s coming. Young people. By the 10s of thousands. Every year.
The economy cannot take these people. Not right now. The Government can hire a few thousand. Private firms similar numbers. A few thousand too can go to University (but that just delays the problem a few years). With ~80,000 high school graduates a year, that still leaves at least 50,000 a year unemployed. With no significant social welfare programme, this is starting to create a huge underclass of bored, badly educated, and poor, young adults. Without a job, or at least 3,000 rials, they can’t marry either, so add sexual frustration to the mix too.
The devil does find work for idle hands. Crime is growing. Parts of Al Ghubra are now best known for joy riding car thieves and vandalism. Petty theft and burglary in Al Kuwair. Prostitution in Ruwi. Rising religious extremism.
Unfortunately, the young are also unwilling to really work (I generalize of course*). There is a paternalistic entitlement culture. Everyone looks to the Government to provide the mana from heaven. The young want the cars, the clothes, the fast food, the phones, but don’t seem able to connect these desires with the need to work to pay for them. Many just want a soft job as a PRO. Or sitting at a computer surfing the net part-time in one of the Ministries. Meanwhile they sponge off their increasingly hard pressed parents to fund their lifestyle and provide accommodation and food.
So, what to do?
In some areas I think we’re doing really well: Banking, the Military and the Oil and Gas industries (upstream and downstream), are all highly Omanised.
However, large swathes of the Omani domestic economy remain almost fully 'expatized'. This MUST change. Some big areas that offer opportunity IMHO are:
1/ Construction. The construction industry has to up-skill and to employ Omani silled and semi-skilled labour. The trades – electricians, plumbers, carpenters, tilers – remain stubbornly filled by poorly skilled Indians, and our crap electrics, kitchens and toilets the result. Ditches are dug by hand by large groups of blue, green or orange suited Pakistanis, rather than with a machine operated by an Omani. The civil engineers are Turks, Indians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Brits. Even the crane operators – a nice skilled job – are imported.
2/ Health Care Nurses and medical technicians are predominantly Filipino and Indian. With the more skilled Doctors Oman is probably doing as well as it can, although the need for better quality training and truly independent certification remain issues. Hospital orderlies and cleaners should be 100% Omani, but again the ranks are filled with expats and older Omani who still know that a jobs a job (and have families needing support).
3/ Tourism Progress is evident, but no-where near enough. The problem here is that while tourism is a labour intensive business, it’s low margin, and the quality and low cost of Filipino staff underpin the profitability in what is a highly competitive international industry. Omani staff are also generally unwilling to work the same hours either.
4/ Transportation Cars are seen as an essential part of life in Oman. Fuel is cheap (around US$0.30 a litre), import taxes and car registration charges low, and so the number of cars per capita pretty high. Yet take a car for a service or for repair and it seems the entire car and truck business is fully expat. There are no Omani mechanics, or even service centre managers and administrators. Truck drivers were subject to an abortive move to require 100% Omanisation, but hit problems when deliveries slowed by orders of magnitude, and no Omanis could be found to operate the sewage trucks. Those driving jobs that have been Omanised (school buses, light commercial) are plagued with unprofessional driving standards and high accident and fatality rates.
5/ Education Still unfortunately a growth industry, the Primary and secondary sector suffers from poor standards, basic curricula, plagiarism and cheating. Sultan Qaboos University, the no. 1 institution, has low rates of Intellectual property creation or industrially useful R&D. Omani staff are often over-promoted and inexperienced. Expat staff are dominated by time serving second raters. The newer private universities have huge problems with low quality students who they can’t really be failed. This means that a lot of money and talent is being totally wasted right now, with too few Omani getting a strong education based on high standards, knowledge and research. Instead we’re getting too many lazy idiots who can copy and paste, and seek to obtain by any means a worthless piece of paper they think will entitle them to a monthly payment for life.
6/ Media & Communications The mobile phone business has been very successful in finding good Omanis. Nawras has done a fantastic job here, (and even Omantel too in this regard): staff are mainly Omani. But the newspapers and radios again seem locked into a pervasive layer of middle management NRIs. What’s the % Omani writing the Times of Oman? Or The Week? Oman TV is a complete and utter joke. More deregulation of the industry could create lots of jobs for Omanis: in production, writing, acting, reporting, filming, and the huge areas of post-production and advertising.
7/ Conscription Many 1st world counties still have compulsory military service in between high school and Uni/work. We should have something similar here for men and women. Give them solid (and tough) basic training that includes some life skills. Make them get their hands dirty and sweat. Make sure they assist the community. Get them doing civil works (repairing falaj, drilling water wells, clearing land, building and repairing walls), helping in schools and hospitals, in civil defense, coastal and border patrol. Pay them next to nothing. And don’t let the wastafarians escape their duty either. When I say compulsory I mean it for everyone, not just the poor.
While the Government knows this wave of youth is upon us, more effectual regulation and policy is needed urgently. Many of the rules that are in theory designed to improve Omanisation instead act to discourage local SMEs with pointless red tape and arbitrary inflexible regulations. For example, by requiring all delivery vans to be driven by Omani, yet also insisting that they do not have to do anything else (like help carry the dishwasher into the house, etc) the Ministry simply doubled the costs of delivery for businesses and pissed off a lot of hard working Indians (who get to do the hard work while the driver sits in his AC’d cab with engine running, and they do the lifting).
Employment law makes it very hard (if not almost impossible) to fire an Omani, which means no-one wants to hire one if they could get an equivalent expat. The large monopolies and oligopolies (construction & car dealers being prime examples) seem to dominate industrial regulation. Omanis, already hobbled by a substandard education, find themselves trapped between a pool of unlimited low cost imported unskilled/semi-skilled labour and an entrenched layer of expat middle/upper Management and Omani businessmen. Growth is being held back, and we need that as well as more Omanisation.
The problem is not going to go away by itself. With future income from the big extractive industries flat or falling (esp. on a per capita basis) our window of opportunity is limited.
Massive unemployment is the No. 1 threat to this country and our current way of life. We must act more coherently and decisively in our defense.
This is 2050...
*Disclaimer: In this article I will be making sweeping generalizations, and the exceptions make the rule. I’m not talking necessarily about individuals. I swear that the smartest, most talented, hardest working people I work with are Omanis, and they are as good or better than the best international competition. I also see many outstanding new Omani graduates and entrepreneurs – bright, keen to work, and intellectually curious. Many expats are also working very hard in difficult conditions, some for almost no salary, and a lot would probably say that if there was an Omani who could actually do their job they would willingly go do something else.
Rock Bottom is a nightclub in Muscat, part of the rather downmarket Ramee Guestline Hotel in Qurm (apparently 4 stars tho').
Although in theory it's an 'American themed' restaurant/bar, they usually have a good band and a dance floor, and its been a popular drinking place, for youngsters especially. The ages of the girls (usually 'expat brats' - kids of expat workers here) has always been well under the legal age of 21, with all of the teenagers having fake IDs. (And lets face it, having scantily clad 17-19 yr old white girls in a bar is something the management probably don't want to try too hard to stop, as they bring in the guys, especially the local lads.)
But the place has always had a reputation for super-aggressive bouncers, and for fights occurring pretty much every weekend between the bouncers/Expat guys/Omani guys in some combo, often 3 way. There are always a lot fewer ladies than men (typical for all night spots here - not a lot of local girls...), and when the guys get a few drinks under their belts, testosterone starts to kick in as they try to get the girls.
It does seem that many of the younger local boys have difficulty holding their drink and can't resist the occasional harrassment of the girls, who then get 'protected' by the other guys, and.. well.. this sort of thing seems inevitable.
Photo: A typical Thursday night in Rock Bottom, Muscat
So it was interesting to see the message sent out this morning that the US Embassy have banned their personnel from Rock Bottom, after one of their staff got into some action with the bouncers.
Warden Message - Rock Bottom Café Off-limits to Official American personnel
The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Muscat would like to inform American citizens residing in or traveling in Oman that the Rock Bottom Café in Muscat is temporarily off-limits for official U.S. Embassy personnel due to safety concerns.
The U.S. Embassy Regional Security Office (RSO) has designated this establishment in Muscat off-limits to all official American personnel. Early the morning of Thursday, July 2, 2009, a U.S. Embassy employee was assaulted by an employee of this establishment. The Royal Oman Police (ROP) is currently investigating the incident. Upon conclusion of the investigation, the RSO will reevaluate the situation.
The U.S. Embassy in Muscat advises Americans to always exercise caution when visiting bars or nightclubs, particularly late at night or in the early morning hours.
... Tracey Thornton Consular Section Chief U.S. Embassy Muscat
US Expat blogger Mean Reds in Muscat mentioned the bouncers here last year. Jet Driver commented that the bouncer came off a little worse for wear when trying to manhandle a US Special Forces guy. LOL. Maybe they were trying to get their own back last weekend...
Here are some words of advice for you youngsters at University, or just about to start employment. Take it or leave it. I encourage other readers to add their 2 cents worth.
Before you think about returning to Oman, try to get a job in the real world and earn your bones against international competition. Try to work for someone better than you and learn all you can.
Try to do something you love and can also get paid for. Passion for what you do should always come before money.
Demand a fair wage, but make sure you create way more value to the business than you earn.
Take your leave/vacation time. But don’t take a sick day unless you are dead or have a broken limb.
Hire people who are keen, talented and sharp. Don’t hire just based on what pieces of paper they have.
Be very clear about what your expectations are from your staff: what needs to be delivered, by when, and to what standard. Most people just want to be told what to do. So tell them early and explicitly.
Only trust your employees when they have shown willingness for selfless sacrifice.
Forgive 1st errors, concentrate on not making the same mistake twice. Call people on their mistakes, but only do it one to one. Then be merciless.
Admit when you were wrong.
Praise people. Be kind.
Watch your back and don’t take any shit.
Never lie. Ever. (But you can be economical with the truth.)
Have a firm handshake and look people in the eye.
Be punctual. Never be late.
The best off the cuff presentations are well prepared.
Judge your staff (and yourself) by quantified results, not by the hours they do, the efforts they make, or the strength of their good intentions. Who gives a shit about how hard you try if it ends in failure. Not your customers. And not me either.
You can always do something better, faster or cheaper: but only pick two.
Don’t tell people to do a job you couldn’t do. No task should be below you. Lead by example.
Try to make your boss look good to their boss.
Pay your taxes: it’s the price you pay for civilization.
Pay your suppliers on time.
Apply the highest standards to your personal and business dealings. Act like you could always be audited. One day, you will be. Don’t steal. Be sensible with gifts you accept.
Treat all email correspondence as potentially public domain.
Treat all microphones as if they are live.
You don’t have to answer a question just because its been asked by a reporter. You can always say: The real question is this: then state whatever question you’d rather answer, and answer that.
Always take full responsibility for things when they go wrong – never blame a subordinate or a colleague.
Listen to well intentioned advice, and take what you want.
Response to my Help Wanted ad has been great. There are still openings, so don't be shy! One position that was filled is that of 'Omani' for the new segment here at Muscat Confidential: 'Ask an Omani'. So, please email me your 'Ask an Omani' questions to undercover(dot)dragon(at)gmail(dot)com
Meanwhile, the Iranian Theocracy tightens their grip, after the Tehran intelligensia got their local version of the Tiananmen square treatment. Reports are coming out of thousands of arrests, including senior opposition leaders, students, journalists, University profs, etc. A protest of a few thousand yesterday were again met with riot police.
...After several days of apparent calm – following the harsh repression of opposition protests - at least 3 thousand people gathered in front of the mosque in Ghoba yesterday. The police charged the crowd with truncheons and tear gas. An elderly woman was beaten and there were clashes between police and young people. ... Asian News
Some theo-fascist is even calling for many of the opposition supporters to be executed. Nice. It's now pretty easy to see the iron fist that was previously somewhat cloaked in the pseudo-democracy espoused in the Republic. Nice to see the blame being put on foreign elements too, as per usual. Even the shooting of the young woman is being suggested as 'suspicious' by Ahmadinejad and the Iranian media. There is a partial recount of 10%, but apart from a few cosmetic errors the result will be confirmed, nats. Demonisation of the opposition is in full swing.
Iran: Photo of the millions of US, British and Israeli agents all pretending to be Iranian during the protests illegal riots
Lebanon meanwhile got started on the road back to civilisation as they voted for moderate Saad Al Hariri. Great news for the region. Fingers crossed.
Oh, and Michael Jackson, a troubled singer often accused of being a paedophile, died.
Local Supermarket News Word is - thanks Sythe - we will be getting a Waitrose and Debenhams in Muscat next year, located in the new mall being completed in Al Khuwair. Maybe we'll then be able to buy the rather tasty specialist foods available from Waitrose at reasonable prices, compared to being totally ripped off by Al Fair for these products as we are now.
Oman Tribune: Getting Better? Is it just me, or has the Oman Tribune been getting a little bolder of late? I think they have also, in just a few years, been able to surpass the bland and occasionally crazy Times of Oman, and the Government controlled Oman Observer ,to the number 1 spot too (they say).
A few days ago the Tribune published the sentencing in court of someone in Nizwa for murder (he deliberately shot someone), and also the tale of the conviction for man slaughter of an electrical engineering supervisor. OK, still no names and no real digging for the sub-story, etc, but the reporting is definitely getting a little better, even if its not yet what I'd call journalism. And today a story on how Shanty Towns are developing around Ruwi. I wish they'd be more explicit on the illegal activity...
Shanty towns on rise MUSCAT Illegal residential areas are mushrooming around Muscat at an alarming pace.
The shanty towns in Al Hamriya region are now serving as a haven to illegal workers and criminal groups. The localities inhabited by low-income workers are turning into breeding grounds for illegal activities. It is high time that the authorities reviewed the situation and took action.
This menace is not limited to Al Hamriya. Similar shanty residential areas are also found in Ruwi, Matrah, Seeb and Bausher along with the other regions in the Sultanate.
Excellent. Keep it up, The Tribune. Well done Abdul Hamied Al Taie, Editor in Chief.
In this case, the story would be improved by interviews with the shanty town residents, local cops, Municipality comment too would be nice, plus some examination of why it's becoming a problem recently (increased rents for example?), and more photos. But even this is noticeably better IMHO.
Later it was reported in the incisive and hard-hitting local rag The Times of Oman that the person had been caught and had also confessed.
Reliable sources now tell me the person was actually a female Omani national, who was… wait for it… one of the cabin crew on the flight.
Wow.
File Photo: The usual suspects
Actually, perhaps not as surprising as you’d think.
A similar incident occured in March this year on an Emirates Flight to London, and in May the culprit – again a member of the crew – was jailed for 18 months in the UK. The case is eerily almost identical to the Oman Air incident, with a threatening note left in the bathroom. (see story below)
Omani detectives are not stupid, and it would seem that in cases like this, the first suspects are the crew themselves (similar I guess to when someone is murdered, and the spouse is always suspect no. 1).
No word on sentencing in the Oman Air case yet.
Flight attendant jailed in UK for Emirates bomb hoax Tuesday, 26 May 2009
BOMB HOAX: Am Emirates flight from Dubai to London was at the centre of a bomb hoax in March at London's Gatwick Airport. (Getty Images)A flight attendant was jailed for 18 months last Thursday for leaving a bomb hoax note on board an Emirates aircraft he was working on and sparking a scare that led to London's Gatwick Airport briefly closing.
Australian national Matthew Carney, 24, left a message in the toilet of a flight from Dubai to London in March which read: "Explosive material can be found in the FWD (forward cargo department). We have the Taliban to thank for this."
A passenger on board the Boeing 777 found the note 10 minutes before the plane was due to land and raised the alarm.
When the flight arrived at Gatwick it was taken to a secure holding area and surrounded by armed police.
The 164 passengers and 16 crew were taken off the plane and interviewed and Carney was arrested shortly afterwards.
He pleaded guilty to communicating false information, namely a bomb hoax, at Lewes Crown Court, police said.
The court was told that earlier in the flight Carney told his co-workers he had "found" wires hanging down from behind a mirror in a toilet in the economy section, the Press Association reported.
But senior cabin crew members who inspected the area found the wires were not attached to anything and the plane carried on to Britain.
Prosecutor Dale Sullivan said that because of the earlier incident, Carney was arrested and his luggage searched.
Inside a pair of his shorts was found a piece of paper with the words "Cargo contains explosives," which handwriting experts linked to the note left in the toilet.
His lawyer Andel Singh said Carney had been under a great deal of stress and was "extremely tired" at the time having worked on flights on different time schedules throughout the world.
"He apologizes wholeheartedly and sincerely to all those individuals who were even the slightest bit inconvenienced," Singh said.
Sullivan said the hoax had left Emirates with a bill for 42,000 pounds ($66,340) for arranging ongoing flights and other measures, while some passengers were left with a fear of flying and said they would never set foot on an aircraft again. (Reuters)
And to lighten up your weekend, a correspondent forwarded me this link to the website Despots Anonymous. A familiar looking Persian is the latest to join the list. Funny piece.
Hello, I am Ali and I really want to be a despot. June 24, 2009 at 7:01 am
I’m trying hard, so help me, I really am, but it’s hard to get good help these days.
I thought we had that election all sewn up, but oy vey, that Mahmoud couldn’t steal candy from a baby, he’s so clueless. What a shemozzle. Now I have to come out from behind the veil and tell everybody straight out “That’s it, you know me, I wouldn’t cheat you, all over red rover.”
But those people in the streets, they’re so rude. That’s what I can’t forgive, they’re so rude, saying they don’t believe me no more. Okay, so we have to say that yes there was maybe a little bit of fraud, but not so much to change the result.
I like that bit. That bit I’m thinking was very clever, neh? “Eleven millions,” I say, “how could we steal eleven millions? Maybe you think we could steal a million or two, but eleven is way too many.”
That’s such a clever argument, they’ll never see through that one.
So now we’ve won the election, I have some problems I’d like some help on. Not so much problems maybe, just issues, you know. We despots don’t have problems, of course, just brilliant solutions that we haven’t shown yet.
So here’s the real issue. My economy is going down the toilet. Bad, bad, bad I’m thinking. Poor old Mahmoud, sweet guy, great schtick on blaming everybody else, but really not so smart when it comes to the money. We’re spending so much paying other people to fight our battles, but where’s the cost-benefit analysis? And building peaceful nuclear power is not cheap, you know what I mean?
Also, I hate that I need educated people so much, and they’re a real lippy bunch. But if you want to build nukes you need a few people who know how things go together. So how do I get people who know what’s what, when I don’t want people who know what’s what. Know what I mean?
You've got to be increasingly careful what you do and wear in the UAE, as some poor guy found out after getting a month in prison and deportation for... wearing a T shirt.
Photo: The offending garment: Not for use in the UAE
OK, so its a pretty eye catching T shirt, part of a New York designer's skin cancer awareness campaign. But increasingly the UAE is becoming more draconian in the punishments meted out to expats accused of offending Emirati sensitivities. This sort of thing is going to hurt the tourist trade. Not so much the need to be sensible in dress terms, but the seemingly random severity of the punishments. I mean, a month in an Emirati prison and deportation for .... a T Shirt. And there aren't even any visible nipples.
Also strange that his lawyer wasn't even present at the appeal.
In other news, Bahrain indefinitely suspended, and 12 hrs later reinstated , a newspaper that printed an OpEd piece highly critical of the Iranian leadership and the recent elections. Criticism of a foreign leader (as long as Bahrain has diplomatic relations with the country) is illegal. And Shia sensitivities are very high, especially right now.
The BBC has a nice article looking at the election numbers statistically. In some provinces the results - while possible - seem pretty suspicious and unlikely without some degree of fraud.
...The study examines the results from this year and compares them with the first round from 2005, concluding that there would have to have been a huge swing from previously reform-minded voters into the Ahmadinejad camp.
The study says: "In a third of all provinces, the official results would require that Ahmadinejad took not only all former conservative voters, and all former centrist voters, and all new voters, but also up to 44% of former reformist voters, despite a decade of conflict between these two groups." ...
Commentaries on the Iranian elections, the alleged fraud, and the riots and deaths as the Iranian junta try to re-establish control of the streets with brute force, are problematic for the GCC. They don't want to annoy the Iranians, as things are tense enough over disputed islands, gas access, and Iran's increased support for Shia groups in the Sunni-dominated GCC. But they also can't support what's happening either without looking silly. So... no comment will be the order of the day please media. Oman is different and has both allowed official media to report on the situation from the wire services, and let Essa express support for the result too. Here's the disturbing story of the murder of a young woman by Iranian paramilitaries, when she was deliberately shot and killed for just standing in the road a few blocks away from the riots.
And here's the T shirt story. Take care with your wardrobe choices in the UAE folks!
Man in lewd T-shirt loses court appeal Marten Youssef and Loveday Morris
Last Updated: June 18. 2009 11:16PM UAE
A Lebanese man is facing one month in jail and deportation for wearing a cancer awareness T-shirt depicting a near-naked woman, after losing an appeal yesterday.
In a brief hearing at Dubai Court of Appeals the judge upheld RN’s sentence of 30 days in jail followed by deportation on a charge of offending public decency. The defendant was not present. Neither was his lawyer.
According to court records RN, 28, was stopped at a bakery in Dubai on Nov 29 by an Arab man who confronted him over his T-shirt, which showed a nearly nude Victoria Beckham partially covered by the slogan “Protect the Skin You’re In”. ... An argument ensued between the two, after which RN left to change his shirt, according to court documents. Police were called and three charges were initially pressed against the defendant: drunkenness, fleeing the scene of a conflict and offending public decency. The first two charges have since been dropped.
The defendant was detained for 48 hours, then released on bail. He submitted his passport to the police pending a judgment and was found guilty on April 19. He has been in prison since his first appeal hearing on June 11.
... The defendant’s friend said there should be more clarity about the rules of dress in Dubai.
“You can go to the beach and see people wearing very little,” he said. “You can go to a mall or nightclub and see people dressed like that.”
The British government recently issued new travel advice for visitors to the UAE following a spate of high-profile cases of expatriates’ falling foul of the UAE’s rules on public behaviour.
The defendant is entitled to lodge a final appeal within 30 days.
AT least Essa had a clear view on the Iranian election.
As one of the few homo sapien on the planet it seems who did find it easy to perceive such a crystal clear view of underlying events, any Oman should be - and I'm sure it is - Proud. Proud to have that sort of talent. Here. Today. Now.
Essa expounds a view that the Israelis wanted the opposition to win in Iran, and the...transparent victory, ... choice of the Iranian people... Ahmadinejad ... victory.. no cheating... (I must quote him in his own words, its so profound. My emphasis)
Essa Al Zedjali: Times Of Oman Editor in Chief:
SEVERAL months before Iran’s presidential elections, Israel went into overdrive spreading rumours and false propaganda against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was seeking a second term as president. In the end however, Ahmadinejad waltzed through the June 12 polls with about 63 per cent of votes, torpedoing the wily designs of Israel.
The results of the elections have proved beyond doubt that the Iranian people made their own choice without any external interference and showed their continued faith in Ahmadinejad.
... The Iranian elections were a successful democratic experiment ... The fact is that Israel still fools the West by plying it with false information to the effect that Iran is still producing uranium in huge quantities which makes it within a few steps of nuclear bombs.
...
But the plain truth is that the Iranian voters, who turned up in huge numbers to cast their votes, have no doubt that Ahmadinejad pulled off a well-deserved victory by trumping his rivals decisively.
His victory was recognised and blessed by none other than Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, Iran’s supreme leader.
...
Personally, I think this opinion above from Essa is a silly, preposterous idea*.
The people who wanted Ahmadinejad to win more than anybody included the extreme right wing in Israel USA, GCC,, nutters almost everywhere. They can all deal with him.
We all can (well, except a significant percentage of the Iranian people it seems). To them, he's far easier to bomb/demonise. He's perhaps the LAST person I would vote for if I was Iranian and hoping for the best for my children (and such mundane stuff), but if I were a nut-case Zionist idiot, or an Adventist Christian nutcase, I'd be in there stacking the ballot boxes with his precompleted ballot papers faster than a senior cleric in Oum...
A new "moderate" - who would not anyhow as president control the military or the nuclear programme - would have been a disaster for the extremists. He could have talked to Obama for years whist the bomb was finished, in their view.
Normal people I think, would prefer to see a ... cooled off and more sensible chat about everything. We're all - in the end - just children, parents, or grandparents, or Uncles, or...
So.
Wow. Middle East Politics. Pretty innocent young women seem to be being shot on the streets of Iran right now. That is not a good thing. And if Essa wants to tell me the guy pulling the trigger is a Jew....
On the official diplomat curriculum that must be like... "Really Hard Diplomacy Course number 407-c... or something.
My question: Will HM really go to Tehran on the 28th of June, as reported in the Iranian Press a few days a go????
So instead I'm bringing you this insightful extract below from an apparently pretty independent observer, based in an area famed for not really giving a shit about anyone else too much: or what you think [unless you're China] or believe.
Why?
Well, they are reasonably rich, generally very nice people, free to talk and discuss pretty much what they want; big drinkers, and a loooooooong way away from here. They care about beaches, booze, and ... well,...
not us. Or the Iranians really. So this is what they say:
Picture: A few typical Aussies in their natural habitat
Hedonism 101 in general. (And to be honest seem to doing OK so far IMHO).
And they don't really give a hoot about the subtle sensitivities of the GCC. Shall we say. 'Cultural zeitgeist' it as you might, I found it refreshing, and thought I'd share.... : [serving suggestion]: Funniest when read in the bath, with someone else, naked, with champagne obviously, but read out in an Australian accent.
Trust me on that.
Disclaimer: the following article does not necessarily represent the views of Muscat Confidential and readers are advised that even reading this extract from the foreign press may be illegal in the country you are in, especially if its in the GCC.
Elections still a display of democracy other countries dream of June 20, 2009
Unlike many of their neighbours, at least the people of Iran were able to vote, reports Middle East Correspondent Jason Koutsoukis.
THE electoral fiasco in Iran has reinforced Western fears about the state of democracy in the Middle East. But at least people in Iran were given the opportunity to vote.
Despite the questions about the result, Iran still proved itself capable of staging a genuine election campaign that had all the trappings of a US-style presidential race. Televised candidate debates, mass rallies and inspiring campaign rhetoric were all part of the show.
It was a display of freedom supporters of democracy in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates can only dream about. And a display that will have the rulers of those countries watching nervously.
The mere fact that opposition candidates were allowed to stand against the incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had seemed worthy of commendation.
In Syria, President Bashar al-Assad will only allow votes of confidence from the electorate when he is the only candidate standing. In many other Middle East regimes, political opposition of any sort - even the cosmetic kind - is banned.
Elections, if they are permitted, are mostly for legislative bodies that have no control over executive power and face having their decisions overturned at a moment's notice by the ruling monarch or dictator.
As Amnesty International noted in a recent report on challenging repression in the Middle East, the right to vote is not the only human right denied.
"Activists and journalists who seek to publicise human rights abuses face an array of repressive measures intended to silence them for exercising their right to freedom of expression," the report noted.
"Lawyers who try to uphold the rights of their clients not to be tortured or arbitrarily detained, to have access to legal counsel and to receive fair trials, often themselves face similar abuses. People who demonstrate peacefully in support of demands for improved rights for women, workers and minority communities risk arrest, imprisonment, beatings or even assassination by government security forces simply for exercising their right to freedom of assembly." ...
,
* Advanced Conspiracy 786
Ah hah! But what if Essa is just soooo dryly and darkly humourously ironic [see Monty Python] that with that opinion I simply show that I actually don't get it? He's actually saying the opposite? Right?... Obviously. Oh.... ha ha ha. Oscar Wild, look out honey!
In a piece of good news for Oman and the Foreign Minister, the US State Dept.'s latest 2009 report on Human Trafficking has increased Oman from Tier 3 (bad) straight up to Tier 2 (not bad). Result!
The report summarises:
...The Government of Oman does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. The government’s enactment of anti-trafficking legislation and completion of its first prosecution under these provisions demonstrated increased commitment to combating trafficking during the reporting period....
The prosecution was the key, along with the distribution of leaflets to the manual labourers. The new American Ambassador will I'm sure be happy not to be being berated by Oman's Foreign Undersec this year!
Meanwhile, its now the UAE's turn to whine. The UAE Government officials responsible for their countries performance are now the ones sulking about how unfair their downgrade from Tier 2 to to Tier 2 Watch List is and that (naturally) its not their fault. LOL.
Gulf News:
....Rashid Musabah Al Kindi, member of the Federal National Council who sits on a committee for labour issues, said the report was not fair and the UAE was made to pay for other people's mistakes, referring to fraudsters in other countries who lure young women to the UAE for job opportunities and force them into prostitution.
On the issue of passports, he said: "Keeping workers' passports is the employer's right and not a violation for human rights as stated in the report".
"In case workers commit a crime then it is the employer's responsibility and keeping his passport will prevent him from leaving the country."
Abdul Rahim Al Shahin, also a member of the FNC, questioned why the UAE was being "attacked" when other countries' violations were not being talked about.
These countries would no way be working as hard as they are to improve the way they are dealing with Human Trafficking if it wasn't for this US report and the threat of trade sanctions it carries. The oft noted 'we don't read it/believe it, its all what we want to do anyway' crap is so laughable.
Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Chief of Dubai Police, said: "I stopped reading these reports several years ago. It's full of contradictions". He questioned the credibility of a report coming from a state "that violates human rights in front of the whole world".
"Our conscience dictates our efforts, and not the US government," he said.
Yeah, which is why you're back in T2WL...
The recently released video-nasty of a member of the UAE Royal Familty torturing an Afgan grain dealer, and the initial acceptance of it by the UAE Government, probably didn't help either. Nor too the fact that during the year a member of a UAE ruling family and six of her traveling party were charged by a Belgian court for subjecting at least 17 Asian and Middle Eastern girls into forced labor as domestic servants.
But we need to keep our efforts going in Oman or we'll be back on the Watch List too next year. More needs to be done for the housemaids especially, and the manual laborers, and for the poor prostitutes being hidden away in Ruwi and Adam. We need shelters for Domestic maids to flee to, and support from the Government to take their abusive employers to court. The practice of passport confiscation remains widespread. The practice of Omani men going on sex tours to Thailand is never mentioned in the media, nor the fact that they are indirectly supporting the enslavement of innocent girls and women.
The Unions should be supported more too - afterall, they are what forced the West's industry to improve safety and working conditions (before later going a bit power crazy and bankrupting companies like GM). It's quite bizaar, for example, that apparently the head of Galfar's Workers Union is... their senior HR Director. No conflict of interest there then...
Another busy week at the office. We’re in the final burn towards the 2 month slow down that is July and August here. It’s still hot folks, at about 38deg, but not as hot as a couple of weeks ago… And of course we now have H1N1 cases here from students returning from the US: Times of Oman story yesterday.
As Abdulla pointed out in the previous comments section, it seems Muscat Confidential was being talked about on the Oman Forum.
Just in time for the ‘Help Wanted’ ad too. There’s nothing like free press; or a free press (irony/double entendre). [sic]
My colleague Abu Kana'ad is a believer in soliciting public opinion on variety of issues. Shura is of course part of our culture therefore he does exercise it in seeking others view.
His latest concern is a certain bloger. http://muscatconfidential.blogspot.com He feels the bloger pokes his nose where he shouldn’t and in the process steps on too many toes around.
So he is seeking your view once more, is this blog informative and beneficial to the public? Or a tabloid type scandal-mongering blog out to upset the norm?
What are your thoughts?
A few observations on my little mini-trial by Oman Forum people.
I guess my first point is: why would it up to one Mr. Abu Kana'ad – whoever he is - to somehow decide if Muscat Confidential is 'allowed' to be available, at least to persons within Oman ? (the last part is an assumption). How patronizing and self aggrandizing.
Or is he making a legal argument? If so, what exactly? Note: He eventually ordained begrudgedly that this blog was OK to be tolerated, on the balance of a mere handful or two of positive submissions on the forum [much like an Iranian election it seems]. Hmmm. Oh and to answer Mti's question: "...is this blog informative and beneficial to the public? Or a tabloid type scandal-mongering blog out to upset the norm?" - BOTH. Obviously...
Second, I concur with a lot of the points made in the comments on the forum thread. Thanks and big kisses to the lovers. Keep coming back and clicking on the ads to my haters.
And gals and guys, it’s just a blog. By me, The Dragon. Semi-anonymous. Not the New York Times, or an official, funded, accredited, news media source. It ‘does what it says on the can’. IMHO.
Set against the local Omani and GCC context of media control, censorship, and Governmental non-communication strategies, the blog Muscat Confidential perhaps stands out somewhat, because I mention all sorts of stuff that is generally not reported here or anywhere, and is hopefully both informative, entertaining, and dare I say it, occasionally thought provoking. Gossip, facts, opinions, news, inside tips – while never breaking the law.
I'd like to think that there are fewer excuses for what the official media choose to print and ignore thanks to the internet, and to the fact I still haven't been blocked or arrested. Look around Abu Kana'ad. Citizen journalism is catching on everywhere. (So powerful, that in the recent elections the Government in Iran blocked blogger, all cell phones, SMS, facebook, twitter, etc etc. They were scared.)
For many countries a key concern is: how can they control activities like freedom of association and freedom of expression on the net, as heavily controlling these very things in real life is something these Governments have always done?
As for the original ‘trigger post’ - about how I would never ever break my pledge of confidentiality to my sources and employees, unless put under severe duress by the authorities (and indirectly referred to being waterboarded in the under construction mega- building I call The dark Castle that - rumour has it - is the new headquarters of Oman’s Internal Security central command). The implication of the complaint was, I think, that what I was supposedly implying about torture happening in Oman, or being darkly humourous, or too direct or offensive, or just straight damn funny, or all of the above, etc. Yawn.
*Disclaimer I’ll admit it. If I find myself detained without charge by Internal Security and hooked up to electrodes and/or being water boarded up in the basement cells of the Dark Castle, I must admit… I’ll crack. In real life – unlike the movies – everybody turns out to be eager to cooperate when under that sort of pressure, trust me. I know I’ll be no exception. So apologies in advance.
The Dragon is very vain, and likes to think he does not suffer fools. But this time, I’ll make an exception. Look, its complicated, Abu Kana'ad and Mti. For your edification I’ll try to explain what’s going on ‘behind the scenes’ as it were, with just this one little snippet of Muscat Confidential. The zeitgeist. The background. The foreground.
- Waterboarding has been in the news for years. There is masses of stuff on it I can’t go into here. Is it really legal in the US? Is it ethical? Where is it happening, by who to whom? Should it be used?
- It certainly seems to work, with a typical civilian time of about 15 seconds between commencement of the waterboarding proper to the ‘STOP!! I’ll tell you everything’ phase. One of OBL’s top guys apparently was widely admired by the US interrogators for ballsy determination by holding out for a tremendous …. 2 and a half minutes. Ouch. Read the personal accounts. I found them fascinating.
- Does waterboarding happen in Oman? I don’t know personally or definitively. Do you? At least in the US they discuss these things… And as in the US, there are a few reports of so-called ‘special renditions’ from Oman, to places one might be more concerned of civil rights wise.
- And the image of myself, down in the basement, being questioned by internal security, for blogging on what is near public knowledge and gossip at worst, was so ridiculous I found the mental image preposterous and thus hilariously funny. I sincerely hope they have better things to do.
- And related to that image, the base point being that my troths of confidentiality I put in the job ads would, of course, be instantly voided, because I would talk, and probably very quickly and cooperatively (and sorry in advance – call it the small print), if placed under duress by the authorities here.
- And then too, just recently, the Omani Government DID arrest, remand, and imprison for 2 weeks an internet forum administrator for … stuff (read it yourself). It’s not like I’d fancy that experience either. So I’m commenting on that too. Do we think that’s a good idea? IS Article 61 a law we all support? Could it be improved? What are the legal precedents? Etc etc.
- And apparently (according to the Indian press) a big time financier of terrorism, a naturalized Omani citizen, was tried and found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment - here in Oman - and it was unreported in our media as far as I could see.
- I’m pointing out too that the Internal Security in Oman IS excellent, and I’m very glad of it. (A personal theory – in the draft for picking Oman’s brightest every year, the best ones get recruited by first Diwan, then IS, then Military Intelligence, the Armed Forces, The Diplomatic squad, and so on down the line. And thus unfortunately the crop of energetic, dedicated, razor sharp Omani graduates there of course are, seems to never stretch as far as some of the more obvious Ministries… Just a theory.)
- While I like to be newsy, most important is the desire to be entertaining and a pleasurable experience to read and comment upon. Deep Intellectual comment in general (albeit not so much in Omani public fora) there is enough of; and I’d be no good at it anyhow compared to the pros.
On it goes.
And in regard to the issue of humour, and dark and offensive entertainment, I recommend below some ‘pre-reading’ for Muscat Confidential … to guide you in general, but especially with respect to the funnier bits.
Blackadder (especially Blackadder Goes Forth) This extract below seems especially relevant, as Blackadder interrogates Capt. Darling ...
My original inspiration for Muscat Confidential was always the UK Political and satirical magazine Private Eye.
The Dragon is looking for a few special people to provide assistance with improving the service here at Muscat Confidential.
Applications should be sent to undercover.dragon (at) gmail (dot) com
Kudos: – Huge Anonymity: 100% Guaranteed* Salary: – er… well.. nil, to be honest
Positions Available
Oman Court Reporter Omani newspapers don’t really report anything about what goes on in the courts, either civil or criminal, even though in theory it's public information. I’m looking for Omanis, preferably with some legal training, who already visit the courts regularly, are relatively fluent in English and Arabic, and can provide highlights of cases being heard before the courts on a bi-weekly basis.
Guest Columnists: ‘Ask an Omani’ Muscat Confidential would like to start a weekly “Ask an Omani” column. You should be fluent in English, and preferably be witty, articulate and intelligent. You will be able to concisely answer occasional questions from our readers on mysteries of Omani daily life, traditions, wasta, religion, culture, politics, history, tribes, etc.
Blog Post translators Muscat Confidential is published in English. I’m looking for at least 2 volunteers to simply translate the posts into Arabic, so we can have an Arabic mirror version of Muscat Confidential.
Construction Contractors - Informants Times are hard, and a lot of Expats are waiting to be laid off from the domestic construction industry. I’m looking for people who are currently working in the various construction contractors and who would like to send me info on how schedules and payments are going, who’s paying you – and who isn’t. I’ll also make sure the information we publish can’t be used to identify you.
Chamber of Commerce Researcher Limited liability companies in Oman have to document who owns them in the official company register. Unfortunately, the register is only available in hard copy at the Omani Chamber of Commerce, and its in Arabic. I’m looking for someone who regularly visits the OCC and can get background information on who is behind various companies.
General Information Providers Just been laid off? Shafted by the Omani Indian Mafia? Finally in a position to tell someone what you know is really going on? Have access to lots of good stories but your insane and small minded Editor won’t let you run with that great story? Tired of being a reporter when what you want is to be a real journalist? Why not join the ranks of Muscat Confidential’s extensive network of ‘little helpers’! The Dragon can’t be everywhere, but you can. Send me an email to the address above. Confidentiality assured*
*Disclaimer I’ll admit it. If I find myself detained without charge by Internal Security and hooked up to electrodes and/or being water boarded up in the basement cells of the Dark Castle, I must admit… I’ll crack. In real life – unlike the movies – everybody turns out to be eager to cooperate when under that sort of pressure, trust me. I know I’ll be no exception. So apologies in advance.
The Capital Area Yacht Club - now partially rebranding itself as Capital Area Yacht Centre - has been an Omani Institution for ages.
Its located in the beautiful little bay in front of Cat Island, in between the newish (and also very nice) Marina Bandar Rowdha and the British Ambassadors house on the coastal road to the Al Bustan.
For some time that little bay has been targeted by the Ministry of Real Estate Tourism as a great site for yet another integrated hotel development. CAYC are currently battling the MoT in the courts, as luckily (and apparently at the last minute) they found the original Deed of Title given to the club by no less a personage than His Majesty Sultan Qaboos.
But even this apparently isn't stopping the greedy people at the MoT and their apparatchiks in the OMRAN real estate development arm. They seem determined to forceably requisition every last scrap of nice coastal property that isn't already owned by someone important.
The zealots at the MoT are now I'm told just recently gave the CAYC 1 months notice of 'eviction' - despite the on-going court case over that very issue. That's not nice. And I'd be surpised if such intimidation is legal. The big meeting is tomorrow.
Now, I think the CAYC is a great little club. It has a restaurant & bar, a nice beach, a place to store your boat, all reasonably priced. In fact, and perhaps contrary to popular belief, most members are middle class Omani families who want a place from which to go fishing that is family friendly. Expats too like it, especially those who can't join restricted clubs such as PDO, or the various Military clubs, and want something more than the bland 5 star hotel pool and gym clubs. They often host weddings and celebrations too at much better prices than the big hotels too.
Why are MoT doing this? And who is the developer that this prime spot has been promised to? I don't believe the various rumours of corruption within Omran with people being given payments for signing off on contracts sigle sourced at significantly over the market rates. This very rumour was subject to a recent investigation by State Audit, apparently triggered by tendering 'irregularities' in the Yeti development.
And I'm reliably informed the Minister of Tourism, HE Rajiha bint Abd al-Amir bin ALI, has restarted construction of her massive house extension (built on the free piece of prime oil company concession land in Qurm that was given to her 11 years ago, while she was on their board of Directors), so presumably she was given a clean bill of health.
It looks to me like someone in the MoT has already made some commitments to someone who wants to develop that bay and make a shit-load of money in the process... But the plan then went a bit sour when CAYC found the magic piece of paper from HM. Damn.
Will Oman have any public beach property at all in 5 years?
I used to be an Expatriate working for the Government in Oman as a consultant. Other than that I can't be too specific! But even though I've left, I love the country, its people and many aspects of its culture. I have the deepest respect and admiration for the Sultan of Oman and his clear vision for his country. Email contact: undercover(dot)dragon(at)gmail(dot)com There is also a Muscat Confidential Facebook Fan page - Join now!!
It is the absolute intent and undeflectable aim of this blog to at all times be in total compliance with the laws of the Sultanate of Oman. Any perception that this is not the case is due to an incorrect and inaccurate interpretation of the contents of this blog. It is intended for Adults with a sense of humour and intelligence - if you do not meet this criteria, go and read something else.
