Latest news with #AlSiyabi
Observer
2 days ago
- Sport
- Observer
Al Siyabi leads FIBA U-18 final in China
MUSCAT: Omani international basketball referee Issam bin Nasser al Siyabi officiated the final match of the FIBA U-18 Women's Asia Cup held in China, which brought together the national teams of Australia and Japan. The match ended with an 88–79 victory for Australia, crowning them continental champions. The tournament took place from July 13 to 20 and featured top national teams from across Asia. Al Siyabi was selected to referee the final as a recognition of his outstanding performance throughout the tournament. He had previously officiated the semifinal between Australia and South Korea, as well as the quarterfinal match between Japan and New Zealand. During the group stage, he also officiated high-profile matches, including Lebanon vs. the Philippines, Korea vs. China, New Zealand vs. Korea, and Australia vs. the Philippines. With an extensive refereeing career at both regional and international levels, Al Siyabi has previously participated in the second round of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers held in Bahrain in 2020. He has also refereed in the finals of the Bahraini and Qatari leagues, Gulf championships for men, youth, and juniors, in addition to prominent tournaments such as the Dubai International Basketball Championship and the Shaikh Khalifa Cup in Bahrain. His experience underscores the competence and growing reputation of Omani officiating on the global stage. Commenting on the achievement, Al Siyabi expressed his pride, saying "officiating the final of a major tournament like the FIBA U-18 Women's Asia Cup is a very significant milestone in my refereeing career. I'm extremely proud to represent Oman at such a prestigious continental event. This achievement is the result of years of hard work and dedication across local, regional, and international competitions." "Refereeing in such tournaments demands a high level of focus and both physical and mental effort. The diverse experiences I've gained from Gulf, Arab, and international tournaments have helped me manage games with confidence and consistency." He added Al Siyabi concluded by thanking the Oman Basketball Association for its continuous support, as well as his fellow referees, noting that this participation will serve as a strong motivation to further develop his performance and continue representing Oman in more international championships.
Observer
23-06-2025
- Business
- Observer
61 initiatives unveiled under Youth Support Programme
MUSCAT: The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth (MoCSY) has announced the launch of the 2025 edition of the 'Youth Initiatives Support Programme'. The programme comprises 61 initiatives covering a broad range of activities spanning the fields of culture, health, sports, economy, media, religion, the environment and entrepreneurship. It serves all segments of society in the Sultanate of Oman's governorates. Hilal bin Saif al Siyabi, Director General of Youth at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, said that the Ministry accords special attention to youth initiatives that address the needs of society and align with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040, notably in the areas of innovation, sustainability and social development.' Al Siyabi added that youth initiatives include community projects or activities that address social and developmental issues through a voluntary, non-profit approach. The initiatives, he explained, reflect the spirit of innovation and active citizenship and accommodate the Omani cultural values. An integrated electronic system has been prepared for evaluating and developing the initiatives Statistics show that the 'Youth Initiatives Support Programme' has seen steady growth and that, since its inception in 2016, it has provided support for more than 600 initiatives benefited more than 150,000 young men and women. The programme organisers also held exhibitions and local activities that consolidated the media presence and institutional outreach of the initiatives. The Ministry has prepared a guide and an integrated electronic system for evaluating and developing the initiatives, within the framework of supporting youth initiatives, regulating their objectives and improving their quality in cooperation with government and private establishments. This reflects a strategic approach to upgrade these initiatives from mere voluntary experiences into active community institutions. — ONA
Observer
16-06-2025
- Business
- Observer
Rise in complaints amidst growth in e-commerce
MUSCAT, JUNE 16 As e-commerce gains traction in Oman, the Consumer Protection Authority (CPA) has reported a rise in complaints from consumers in the Sultanate of Oman. Speaking to the Observer during a recent e-commerce conference, the Director of Market Regulation and Monitoring Department at the CPA, Khalid bin Salem al Siyabi, shared the following, 'Over the past few years, we've seen a significant increase in consumer complaints. In 2022, we received 29 complaints. In 2023, that jumped to 493 complaints, and RO 5,272 was recovered for consumers. In 2024, complaints quadrupled to 1,845. In just the first quarter of 2025, we received 2,208 complaints, and recovered RO 31,249 for consumers. This is a major increase compared to 2024 — and it's only the first quarter. The annual increase is significant, reflecting a strong shift toward e-commerce in Oman.' According to Al Siyabi, the surge is due to shifts in consumer behaviour as more consumers resort to online shopping. 'This reflects broader global trends. Consumer habits have shifted — people no longer drive to stores as often; instead, they rely on online platforms. While this has made shopping more convenient, it has also opened the door to new challenges, such as fraud, unverified sellers, and misleading advertising,' he said. The official added that unclear and inaccurate production descriptions are amongst the frequent issues reported. 'Many consumers receive products that don't match what was promised. That's a major issue — consumers often complain about differences in color, size, or features. In many cases, the product descriptions on e-commerce sites are vague or unclear, which causes confusion and leads to disputes or complaints,' he said. Moreover, the Director shared that the Authority has detected various cases of electronic fraud, in which case the Authority directs consumers to file reports to the Public Prosecution or the ROP directly. Urging consumers to take several precautions before making purchases, he stressed: 'Our main advice is to stay informed and cautious before making any online purchases. Consumers should ensure that the platform they're using is properly licensed. For websites, they should look for secure connections — that means URLs beginning with 'https' and a visible padlock symbol. These are signs that the website is legitimate and less likely to be involved in fraud.' he said. The Consumer Protection Authority is a key stakeholder in the country's E-Commerce programme, which was launched in 2023, and falls under the Digital Economy Programme umbrella. Last year, the Under-Secretary for Commerce & Industry at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, Dr Saleh bin Said Masan, unveiled that the value of the Omani e-commerce market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.8 per cent from 2023 to 2027 to reach a market size of $3.27 billion.
Observer
06-04-2025
- Sport
- Observer
Oman sailors clinch silver in ‘Optimist' team category
AHMED AL KAABI MUSCAT, APRIL 6 The actions of the GCC Beach Games "Muscat 2025" competitions are underway for the third consecutive day in Muscat beaches. Oman sailing team delivered an outstanding show in the Optimist category for teams beside UAE team sailors who managed to end as the topper in the group order to clinch the gold medal in the opening day. Oman's sailors came in second position and won the silver medal while Kuwait sailors were in third place and claimed bronze medal. The competition for the other categories will run until Thursday as the medals ceremony will take place in the concluding day of all the events. Sailing Competitions began at Al Mouj Marina on Sunday morning. The opening day of the event saw intense competition among the participating countries in Optimist category for teams. Oman's sailor Hadeel al Mushaifri from the national sailing team said that this is a significant milestone in her sports journey to compete at the beach games. ' This is my debut participation in an external event and it is my first experience competing at the Gulf level in the girls' small boats (Optimist) category,' she said 'Our hopes are very high in this event as a young women's team will compete with high ambitions. This tournament presents a new challenge for us and a unique opportunity to reflect the hard work we have put in during training and intensive camps in preparation for the competition.' She ended Handball beach Oman Beach Handball Team Secures Second Consecutive Victory with Deserved Win Over Bahrain Oman Beats Bahrain to Secure Second Straight Win as UAE Edges Saudi Arabia in Thrilling Shootout. The Omani national beach handball team continued its impressive form in the tournament, securing a second consecutive victory by defeating Bahrain in straight sets. The match took place on the sand court at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bausher. The first set was filled with excitement and a rapid exchange of points between both sides. Bahrain opened the scoring through their dynamic player Adam, taking advantage of Oman's shaky start. Oman missed an early equalising opportunity through Abdulhakim al Siyabi. Bahraini player Ali Mahdi extended their lead, but Saeed al Hosani narrowed the gap before Al Siyabi levelled the score at 4-4. The first set continued to swing back and forth, with Ali Abdulhassan scoring again for Bahrain. However, Oman's Mohannad al Zarafi quickly responded. Al Siyabi then gave Oman the lead, followed by another goal from Ali al Jabri, increasing the lead to 10-6 in Oman's favour. Oman maintained control, with Al Zarafi adding another goal. Despite attempts by Bahrain's Mahdi Ali to close the gap, Oman secured the first set with a score of 15-12. In the second set, Oman sustained its dominance, opening the scoring again through Al Zarafi. Both teams then exchanged points, but goals from Al Zarafi and Al Hosani extended Oman's lead to six points. Despite Bahrain's late pressure, Oman held firm to finish the match with a well-earned 20-14 victory. UAE Triumphs Over Saudi Arabia in Thrilling Penalty Shootout In another exciting match in the tournament, the UAE national team edged past Saudi Arabia in a dramatic penalty shootout, winning 6-4 after the two teams split the regular sets. The UAE took the first set with a 13-8 score, but Saudi Arabia came back strongly in the second set, winning it 14-8, forcing the match into a shootout. In the end, it was the Emiratis who emerged victorious. Soccer Beach The Asian Cup runners up will commence their campaign on Monday as they will take on Bahrain on Monday. The match will kick off at 8:30 at sands court at Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex. In another match, UAE will face Saudi Arabia in another clash. Coach Talib Hilal will target for a strong start and will aim to secure the three essential points in their opening match. The team will head into the competition on a high note after finishing as runners-up in the AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup which concluded recently in Thailand and after the team delivered an impressive performance during the event. Oman head coach will rely on the same squad who represented the team including: Younis al Owaisi, Amjad al Hamdani, Noah al Zadjali, Sami al Balushi and other players in the squad. National Paragliding Team Wins Silver and Bronze Medals The national paragliding team secured the silver and bronze medals during the paragliding competitions at the 3rd GCC Beach Games, which is underway in Muscat until Friday. United Arab Emirates claimed first place and the gold medal in the senior singles category. The competition featured 14 participants representing three countries including Oman, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. The competitions took place at Al Hail Beaches in Al Seeb. UAE athlete Abdullah al Hammadi took first place and the gold medal after he received 2350 points while Oman's athlete Khalil al Toubi won the silver medal with 2175 points while fellow Omani Abdulaziz al Thuhli secured the bronze with 2000 points. The championship featured strong competition among the participants. The winners were honoured by Eng Khalfan bin Saleh al Naabi, member of the Oman Olympic Committee and Chairman of Oman Basketball Association.
Muscat Daily
09-03-2025
- Business
- Muscat Daily
Construction of Al Wafa District is progressing rapidly
Muscat – Construction of the first phase of Al Wafa District in Sultan Haitham City is advancing at a rapid pace, with the first model villa set for completion within the next two weeks. Salem bin Ali al Siyabi, Chairman of Al Abrar Real Estate, the main developer of Al Wafa District, stated that the delivery of the first-phase units is expected to commence in mid-2026. This will coincide with the completion of key infrastructure services, including roads, telecommunications, water, sewage, electricity, and street lighting. The Al Wafa neighbourhood project comprises five phases, to be executed over five years at an estimated cost of RO 280 million. Construction of the first phase, which began in September 2024, includes 470 housing units, ranging from independent villas and townhouses to residential apartments of various sizes. Al Siyabi highlighted the strong demand for properties in the second phase, which was launched last November, with buyers from both Oman and abroad. He noted that sales in the first phase had already surpassed 96 per cent, and sales for residential apartments in the second phase would soon commence. To facilitate homeownership, the company has introduced flexible financing options, extending the repayment period to five years instead of three. Additionally, buyers can benefit from discounts of up to 15 per cent, depending on the repayment plan, alongside exclusive Ramadan offers that include furnishing selected facilities within the residential units. He further emphasised that Sultan Haitham City—alongside other planned urban developments in Oman—represents a significant addition to the real estate market, catering to growing housing needs and enhancing the Sultanate's appeal as a safe and attractive destination for investment and residence. Jamal bin Nasser Al Hadi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, praised the project as a successful model of public-private sector collaboration. He noted that the construction work is progressing ahead of schedule, with continued coordination to ensure that infrastructure development aligns with the completion of Al Wafa District. One of the key government initiatives within Al Wafa District is the construction of a government schools complex, developed in partnership with the Ministry of Education. This project is expected to make a significant contribution to the public education sector and aligns with the city's vision of providing a comprehensive and integrated urban environment. Sultan Haitham City spans approximately 14.8 million square metres and is designed to accommodate 100,000 residents across 19 integrated neighbourhoods. The city's development is divided into four phases, beginning in late 2024, with the aim of creating a modern and well-planned urban hub. With construction progressing swiftly and demand for residential units remaining high, Sultan Haitham City is poised to become a landmark urban development in Oman, offering residents a high-quality living environment and attracting both local and international investors.
