Latest news with #Ramadhan
Observer
5 days ago
- Sport
- Observer
Basketball team begin camp ahead of Asia Qualifiers
MUSCAT, JUNE 27 The Oman national U-16 basketball team has officially kicked off its training programme at an external camp in Bahrain, held at Al Manama Club, as part of its final preparations for the upcoming Gulf regional qualifiers for the FIBA Asia Cup. The qualifiers, scheduled to take place in Bahrain from July 7 to 12, will see only two teams from the Gulf advance to the continental finals. The training sessions are being led by Tunisian head coach Zouhair al Ayachi, with support from Omani assistant coach Ali al Balushi. All 15 players on the squad reported for duty with full commitment. Oman squad includes: Saddam al Sheezawi, Khuzaima al Shibli, Rashid al Eisai, Mohammed al Sheezawi, Abdulrahim al Roushdi, Elias al Obaidani, Al Mulhim al Obaidani, Abdusamad al Subaihi, Muhannad al Battashi, Nawar al Bahlouli, Adam al Hinai, Jaid al Kindi, Saif al Yahyai, Sami al Busaidy, and Sultan al Sinani. Accompanying the team are Ghasan al Busaidy, Director of National Teams and physiotherapist Amer al Zaidi, who is overseeing the players' physical condition and readiness. The first training session focused on technical drills and player cohesion, alongside fitness exercises aimed at boosting the team's physical readiness before the official matches begin. The coaching staff is working to enhance the team's tactical performance, assigning players to specific offensive and defensive roles and implementing strategies tailored to the group stage opponents. This training camp marks the final phase of a long term preparation programme that began before the holy month of Ramadhan. It included intensive weekly gatherings, adapted to the players' school commitments and culminated in a domestic training camp held in Al Buraimi from June 13 to 24. That camp featured practical implementation of tactical plays, with players split into two groups to practice offensive and defensive schemes. The technical staff has placed strong emphasis on improving both the physical and technical aspects of the team, aiming to elevate the overall performance. During earlier stages of the preparation, the team played several friendly matches against local clubs and basketball academies in the UAE, allowing the coaching staff to assess strengths and weaknesses and make necessary adjustments. Oman will compete in Group B of the qualifiers, alongside host Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Group A includes Qatar, UAE and Kuwait. According to the tournament format, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals, with the winners of those matches earning direct qualification to the FIBA Asia Cup finals. The U-16 national team hopes to deliver a strong performance that reflects the progress of Omani basketball at the youth level, with aspirations to achieve a new milestone in the Gulf region and strengthen the country's record of international participation.
The Star
24-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Focus Point's Komugi collaboration expected to drive B2B growth
Three new outlets are planned in Karamunsing, Bintulu and Miri for its optical business. PETALING JAYA: Focus Point Holdings Bhd 's optical and food and beverage (F&B) segments will continue their growth trajectories with the group's brand equity and popularity of Komugi products. It is targeting expansion into underserved areas in Sabah and Sarawak, with three new outlets planned in Karamunsing, Bintulu and Miri for its optical business. Its F&B division continues to build momentum, driven by Komugi's retail growth and resilient corporate sales, with further upside potential from new corporate partnerships, said Hong Leong Investment Bank Research (HLIB Research). While sales momentum persisted, the F&B segment slipped back into the red due to elevated operating costs led by soft corporate sales in February 2025 due to the month of Ramadhan. It wants to improve cost efficiencies and enhance scalability through greater business-to-business or B2B contribution. HLIB Research said given the group's strong brand presence, expanding footprint and operational agility, it is seen as a compelling proxy for rising consumer spending. Furthermore, it reiterated its 'buy' call with an unchanged target price of RM1.10 a share, based on 14 times the price-earnings ratio multiple to financial year 2025 earnings per share. It will continue to reinforce its leadership in the optical space through strategic marketing. Its 360° Advanced Primary Eye Care campaign, a free advanced eye screening led by licensed optometrists, further enhances brand trust and customer 2024, the group screened over 15,245 individuals through its eight roadshows.
BusinessToday
19-06-2025
- Business
- BusinessToday
Malaysia's Tourism Remains A Bright Spot With 1Q Receipt Up 22% To RM29.4 Billion
Malaysia's domestic tourism sector demonstrated robust growth in 2024, with total expenditure by domestic visitors reaching an impressive RM106.7 billion, marking a 25.6% increase from RM84.9 billion in 2023. This strong momentum has carried into the first quarter of 2025, which recorded domestic tourism expenditure of RM29.4 billion, a 22.1% year-on-year (YoY) increase. The number of domestic visitors in Malaysia surged to 69.7 million in Q1 2025, up 18.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, domestic visitors increased by 4.3% from Q4 2024. The number of domestic tourists specifically rose by 37.6% to 25.2 million in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024. Chief Statistician of Malaysia, Dato' Sri Dr. Mohd Uzir Mahidin, highlighted that the overall number of domestic visitors in 2024 increased by 21.7% to 260.1 million, up from 213.7 million in 2023. He attributed this notable increase to seasonal factors in the first quarter, including Chinese New Year celebrations, the month of Ramadhan, preparations for Hari Raya Aidilfitri, and school holidays, all contributing to heightened tourism activity and expenditure. The growth in 2024's expenditure was underpinned by increased spending from both tourists and excursionists, who registered growth rates of 20.6% and 33.8% respectively. Tourists continued to contribute the largest share of total expenditure at 59.0%, a slight decline from 61.5% in the previous year. The average length of stay for domestic trips moderately increased to 2.49 nights in 2024 from 2.45 nights in 2023. In terms of transportation, 97.6% of domestic visitors utilized land transport, while air travel accounted for only 2.1%. When it came to accommodation, 60.4% of tourists opted to stay with relatives or friends. However, there was a noticeable increase in paid accommodations, with hotel stays making up 21.7% of overnight stays and homestay usage rising from 6.7% in 2023 to 8.6% in 2024. Visiting relatives and friends remained the primary purpose of domestic travel, accounting for 34.6% of all trips in 2024, a slight increase from 33.6% in 2023. Conversely, travel for shopping saw a decline to 27.6% from 32.6% the previous year. Despite this, shopping remained the largest expenditure category, constituting 37.4% of total domestic tourism spending, followed by food and beverages at 16.2% and the purchase of automotive fuel at 12.7%. At the regional level, Selangor emerged as the most visited state, attracting 34.5 million domestic visitors. This was followed by the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur with 27.0 million visitors and Perak with 21.8 million visitors. Notably, Perak experienced a substantial surge in arrivals, rising by 36.1% to 10.2 million in 2024 from 7.5 million in 2023. The DOSM highlighted that Malaysia's domestic tourism sector in 2024 demonstrated robust and broad-based growth, driven by increased visitor numbers, higher expenditure, and evolving travel patterns. While traditional travel purposes like visiting relatives remain dominant, a growing interest in leisure, events, and experiential tourism reflects an increasingly dynamic and diversified market. Related
Observer
07-06-2025
- Observer
Saudis use AI, drones and thousands of cameras to keep Haj pilgrims safe
MECCA: Working day and night in front of maps, screens and seemingly endless data, Saudi officials have harnessed artificial intelligence to help manage the million-strong sea of pilgrims during the Haj. The technology has proven pivotal to track the overwhelming amount of footage from more than 15,000 cameras in and around the holy city of Mecca. The systems are tuned to spot abnormal crowd movements or predict bottlenecks in foot traffic — a potential life-saver at a packed event with a history of deadly stampedes. Software is also used to help guide more than 20,000 buses deployed to transport pilgrims between holy sites during one of the world's biggest annual religious gatherings. Muslims participate in a prayer around the Kaaba. — AFP It is all part of the tech arsenal that Saudi Arabia is deploying as 1.4 million faithful from across the globe descend on Mecca and its surrounds. "In our traffic control room, we use specialised cameras that have AI layers to analyse movements, crowded areas" and predict behaviours, said Mohamed Nazier, chief executive officer for the General Transport Centre at the Royal Commission for Mecca. The centre has a main control room in Mecca filled with screens and maps, where staff use high-tech tools including AI for round-the-clock monitoring. About a dozen staff members sit in rows before desktop computers with a large display at the front, zooming in on crowd movements around the holy sites. On hillsides nearby, cameras that resemble little white robots film buildings, roads and pathways along the Haj route, which winds more than 20 kilometres between Mecca and Mount Arafat. Nazier said the constant monitoring is aimed at averting traffic collisions with pedestrians on crowded routes while also making sure there are buses available to minimise walking time in the desert heat. It is a decade since the Haj suffered its worst disaster, a stampede that killed up to 2,300 people during the "stoning of the devil" ritual. Hundreds also died in stampedes in 2006, 1998 and 1994. In 1990, 1,426 pilgrims were trampled to death or asphyxiated when a tunnel ventilation system failed. With its cutting-edge technology, "the control room is our eye on the ground," said Mohammed al Qarni, who oversees the Haj and the year-round Umrah pilgrimage at the transport centre. A young boy is lifted up to touch the Kaaba, in the holy city of Mecca. — AFP Artificial intelligence helps to determine "the flow on the roads to the holy sites, and detects emergency situations even before they occur", he said, adding that the technology can help assess the number of people in a single place. Cameras and AI can estimate if a site has reached maximum capacity, allowing authorities to divert the flow of pilgrims, Al Qarni said. During the holy month of Ramadhan this year, the system spotted when the Grand Mosque had reached full capacity. "The flow to the Haram (Grand Mosque) was stopped and the process controlled," he said. The use of advanced technology extends beyond logistics, also tracking unregistered pilgrims, who accounted for most of the 1,301 deaths in sweltering conditions last year. As temperatures soared to 51.8 degrees Celsius last year, unauthorised worshippers who lack access to air-conditioned tents and buses bore the brunt. Temperatures are forecast to top 40C this week. Muslim worshippers make their way towards the Kaaba. — AFP The Haj, one of the five pillars of Islam, must be completed by all Muslims with the means at least once. Yet not everyone is able to secure or afford one of the official permits, which are allocated to countries by quota. To try to stop anyone sneaking in this year, a fleet of camera-equipped drones is monitoring entrances into Mecca. "We use artificial intelligence and other tools like drones and thermal imaging cameras," the director-general of public security, Lieutenant General Mohammed bin Abdullah al Bassami, told reporters. Meanwhile, the Saudi Special Forces for Roads Security said it was using "smart thermal imaging" to monitor the perimeter of Mecca and the holy sites. — AFP
BusinessToday
03-06-2025
- Business
- BusinessToday
BAT Malaysia's 1Q PAT Drops 20%, Revenue Down To RM322 Million
For the quarter under review, BAT Malaysia recorded a revenue of RM322 million, 21.8% lower compared to the same period last year. While profit from operations declined by 15.7% to RM39 million, the Group's gross profit margin rose by 2.9%, supported by a more effective portfolio mix strategy. However, its profit after tax dropped from RM29 million to RM23 million, Despite the Group experiencing softened demand due to seasonality factors and the early start of the Ramadhan fasting period in 2025, which saw a 20.6% decline in the Group's volume, the Group's flagship brand, Dunhill grew its market share and continued to strengthen its leadership position. The Board of Directors has declared a first interim ordinary dividend of 7.5 sen per ordinary share amounting to RM21.5 million, payable on 3 July 2025 to shareholders. The group said that despite the challenging operating landscape, the Group's flagship brand, Dunhill, continued to demonstrate strength, recording a 0.7 percentage point growth in market share compared to the same period last year. Related
