Images of Oman

During the last two months I have been visiting various places all over Oman where my company has branches. Getting out of Oman I was fascinated by the scenery and the natural beauty of the surroundings. I am posting some photos which I clicked during these trips

View of Fujaira (UAE) from Dibba (Oman)
Gateway to Sohar - the Industrial hub of Oman

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque - this marvellous work

of art is a few minutes walk from my residence.

Scenery just after leaving Muscat leading to Nizwa

Beautiful straight roads !!

Sunset before reaching the destination.

Some more scenery !

The grand mosque at Rustaq.

Roundabout at Salalah.

View of Salalah airport from the guest house.

This place is just like Kerela with banana

and coconut plantations aplenty

Salalah roundabout at night.

View of Salalah by night.

Apologies !!

I have not been able to update my blog as often as I would have liked to much to the chagrin of my friends and well wishers who yearn for news from this end. My sincere apologies to them. Well the reasons for this are twofold, firstly I have been quite busy in visiting all the company's facilities all over Oman (about 35 locations !) and secondly, I have still not got my internet connection despite applying on 19 Jan 2009. Will try my best to be regular in future.

The Passing of a Legend

Sheikh Saud Salim Bahwan, our late founder chairman, who passed away on 20 August 2008, was truly a legend. He will be remembered for building a world class corporate empire setting new standards in corporate social responsibility. I just happened to go through his obituary published in the September 2008 issue of 'Business Today'. Log on to http://www.businesstoday.co.om/ and search for the Sep 2008 issue and go through the article (the link is on the right side of the page) to know more about this great individual. There are many employees in my organization whose lives were touched by this legend and for whom he will always be the most unforgettable personality they ever met !

My New Job !!

I have been getting a lot of queries from my friends, acquaintances and well wishers from the Security fraternity in India regarding my new job and the environment in Muscat. Some have even asked me if I regret leaving the Reserve Bank of India where I was amongst the top ten in the combined all India seniority. There is no question of regret as I have walked into this with my eyes open and regret is a wasteful emotion in any case. Some are curious to know about the pay and perks I am getting and so the list goes on. I will attempt to give all the relevant information here so that you guys can breathe easy :

1. The job. Well, I have now spent 25 days over here and have taken over the assignment after my induction programme. I am heading the 'Safety & Security' section which is responsible for safety and security aspects of the entire group. The company has its HQ at Muscat and the branches are spread all over Oman. There is a branch at 'Salalah' which is 1200 kms from here. My designation is 'Assistant Senior Manager - Safety & Security' and I am the seniormost in the cadre. There are 8 officers (4 nationals and 4 expats) in the section who report to me. The total strength of the staff is 631 as on date (out of which 450 are nationals and the rest expats). My job is to ensure that safe practices at the workplace are followed and foolproof security measures are available at all the facilities. Other than this, I am not involved in any 'fundi' jobs (ah, what a relief !!). I report to the Head of the Commercial Department who is a very senior officer having put in more than 30 years service in the company.

2. The benefits.

(a) Accomodation. The company is providing excellent facilities like a fully furnished 3 bedroom flat ( the market rent for which is around 650 Omani Rials (OR) at present - multiply that by 125 to get the figure in Indian Rupees) It is a HUGE flat with three bathrooms, all having different types of fixtures. Four split AC units, a 680 lits fridge, an Italian 5 burner cooking range, 9 kg fully automatic washing machine, a 29 inch Sony TV and a 21 inch Panasonic TV , a wall unit, 8 seater dining table, 7 seater sofa set, centre and side tables etc etc. Bed material like matresses and pillows, bedsheets and covers and even a couple of towels were provided by the company. The accomodation has recently been taken on lease and I was the first occupant in my new flat. The residence is 25 km from the corporate office bu tit takes just 15 minutes by the company coaster as it zips at 100 kmph which is permissible speed limit.

(b) Transport. The company provides pick up and drop facilities to all employees from various locations and this is provided even when a personal car is taken by an employee. After I pass the driving test (more about that in another post) which may take any time from 2 months to 5 months, I will be entitled to take a brand new car from our company showroom as per my eligibility i.e. either a Toyota Camry, Ford Mondeo or Kia Opirus (as all these brands are being distributed by my company in Oman). After one gets the car he is eligible to get 60 Rials for petrol. The cost of petrol is 10 litres for one Rial (around Rupees 12 per litre). Folks pay more for water per month than they spend on fuel.

(c) Settling Down Allowance. A one time allowance for purchasing kitchen items and bed material is also provided which is quite substantial.

(d) Timings. The job is 5 days week starting from Sunday. Timings are 8.30 AM to 6.00 PM every day. Friday and Saturday are the weekly off days. My off days are spent in household adm as I am staying alone at present and the house is as big as a playground. Luxury also has its pitfalls !!

Messing. I am dining in one of the single officers messes which is close to the house and I pay around 30 Rials per month for food. The company has an arrangement to pick up hot food from the mess and it reaches my office well in time. The only flip side is that it is Malayali fare as the majority of the single guys are my 'Mallu' friends. But I have gotten used to it and am liking it. That is better than having to cook my own meals. As it is mornings are a mad rush as the coaster leaves dot at 0755 hrs.

So thats it. I hope all your apprehensions have been addressed and curiosity satisfied.

Muscat Musings III

Folks,

I have not been able to update my blog as regularly as I would have liked to. This is partly because of the internet connectivity we are facing in Oman at present and partly because I have not yet got my own connection (another couple of weeks to go). The prospect of coming down to the nearest internet cafe (which is always crowded) to check mails etc is quite daunting. However, I am posting some photos which were taken soon after my arrival here (as the telling date stamp will reveal) :

This is my very own personal 'jacuzzi' !!

A view from my bedroom window.

This is the view from the other window. The building in

this photo has the nearest departmental store 'Rawasco'.

Artificially landscaped greens just adjacent to my residence.

Saud Bahwan Group - Feel Good Factors

1. The Saud Bahwan Group is known to be the best employer in the middle east. It employs nearly 11,000 people and the annual turnover is around 5 billion US dollars. It is a trading company dealing with a lot of brands, all of which are market leaders. These are Toyota, Ford, Kia, Man, Hino, Komatsu and Thermoking to name a few. The company buys, stocks and sells products belonging to these brands. It has a very strong service and spares backup owing to which it has 50 % of the market share in passenger vehicle sales. It has 63 branches all over Oman with the aim of having a branch within the reach of every Omani resident. The sales, service and spares in each vehicle category are distinct profit centres. The company has well established and tested systems and procedures. It lays great emphasis on customer as well as employee satisfaction.

2. I have completed a week at the Saud Bahwan Group and am enumerating some feel good factors which I have experienced :

(a) An officer from the HR department along with a vehicle was

present at the airport to receive me. This is done for every new appointee.

(b) I was taken straight to my flat which had brand new furniture and furnishings. The caretaker was there to explain the functioning of various gadgets and to hand over the keys.

(c) The following items were kept in the kitchen which did not form part of the inventory :

(i) Tea rations viz : Sugar, tea leaves and milk pkts.
(ii) Two bottles of mineral water.
(iii) A can of ‘Mountain Dew’
(iv) A packet of biscuits.
(v) One steel ‘thali’, two ‘katoris’ and a glass.

(d) Home delivery of packed food (all three meals) for one week from

the nearest single officers mess (there are kitchens catering to nearly 4000 single guys)

(e) Assistance in paperwork related to obtaining the civil card, opening of Bank account etc.

(e) Provision of advance of salary in cash on the first working day.

(f) A structured and well organised induction programme.

3. That’s it for now. Will post more experiences in due course.

Muscat Musings II

Positives

1. Neat & clean environment (voted second cleanest city after Singapore).
2. Well planned city with excellent roads and lot of greenery.
3. No flies or mosquitoes.
4. No power cuts.
5. Clean drinking water round the clock.
6. No traffic jams.
7. No stray dogs (or any other quadrupeds !!)
8. No beggars.
9. ‘Feel’ of India – 80% expats of which most are Indians.
10. Strict implementation of rules and regulations.
11. Incorruptible officials in public life.
12. Strong economy – hardly any effect of recession.

Negatives

1. Some items prohibitively expensive if converted to rupee terms.
2. Telephone calls very expensive – a 3 Rial mobile card gives only 10 minutes of talk time (ie for nearly Rs 400/-)
3. If you don’t have a car – you are dead ! Public transport system not good as everyone is rich and has a car.
4. Driving classes expensive (4 – 5 Rials per hour ) and getting a driving licence is a pain. If you fail in the first attempt (which is a likely scenario) the next date allotted may be only after a month.
5. Crossing of the road (any road) can be fatal as vehicles regularly ply at speeds in excess of 100 km per hour.

Muscat - First Impressions

1. I have started the ‘fourth innings’ of my career with the Saud Bahwan Group on 15 December 2008. I have not been able to catch up with my pending mails and I know that a lot of you guys must be wondering what’s up with me ! Well, the company has an induction programme which they conduct in right earnest and I am in the thick of it till 24th December after which I will be posted to my department. In addition to this, me and some other new appointees have been busy with a series of medicals - (company medical and then the all important ‘Ministry Medical’) After the report is found OK we will be required to get our fingerprints registered with the Ministry and then we get the ‘Civil Card’. This is the most important document without which one is NOT eligible to get even a telephone connection. The Govt here maintains a database of all the nationals as well as the expatriates. Commit a misdemeanour or a breach and one can be traced in no time and then it is cooling time in the clinker – no questions asked. Added to all this was the mandatory filling up of various forms etc. I am now ‘Code No. 21217’ in the company records.

2. With all this happening at a furious pace, I would say it is too early for me to form an opinion about this place. The one thing which struck me first was the fantastic condition of the roads lined with greenery and flowers and the speed at which vehicles ply on them. Despite the official limit of 100 kmph (and 120 kmph on some roads) everyone meticulously follows the rules of the road and is very disciplined. No honking and no overtaking – just follow the guy in front and make liberal use of ‘flashers’. Otherwise there would be a pileup at every crossing.

More later !!

Parting Shot

Folks,

Today is my last day of service in the Bank and I am being relieved 'at close of business hours' !! Being a vehement proponent of the fact that Security Officers should only be doing 'Security Management', particularly in these 'terrible' times, I have penned a couple of lines on this occasion :

" कह चले हम अलविदा RBI को सथियो ,
अब तुम्हारे हवाले 'झाडू-पोचा' और 'trolley' साथियो "

PS : To be sung to the tune of the famous song from the movie "Haqeeeqat"
PPS : My friends who believe that we should take on whatever additional tasks are dished out to us may find this post 'offensive'. My apologies !!

Lungar Gupp L

This happens to be the 50th (and also the last !) post in the ' Lungar Gupp' series. I feel that it would be inappropriate for me to 'Gupp' further as I will cease to be a part of the 'Lungar' soon.

1. Faux Pas. I was in Delhi recently when I happened to read an unflattering article in the HT supplement 'Lutyen's Delhi' dated 29 Nov 2008 (Saturday) regarding the hassles of the common man in getting soiled notes exchanged for clean ones at RBI. The last para was particularly startling. Click on the article to enlarge it :

2. Promotion Fever. It seems that the ball is in motion as regards the promotion interviews for Grade 'B' to 'C' in our cadre is concerned. Capt Sudershan just told me that his particulars have also been called for. Looks like we may have 6 new AGMs (in case the vacancy created by my leaving is also taken into account !). This was the general topic under discussion when I visited the P&S Cell at New Delhi - Col Roy (who was a bit under the weather) was in command.

3. Posting - Lady Officer. A newly recruited lady security officer who was posted to New Delhi has achieved the 'impossible' - she now stands posted to Bangalore and is likely to report on 15 Dec 2008. She managed to convince the powers that be (either you convince me or I will convince you !!) that she should be posted to Bangalore.

Lungar Gupp - RIP !!!