Y - Issue 246 - November 27, 2012 - Y-oman.com

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Weekly November 27, 2012 

Issue 246 

THE UNSTOPPABLE RISE OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST BAND 

ON THE HUNT 

THE ARABIAN LEOPARD 

REMAINS OF THE DAY 

A VISIT TO RUSTAQ FORT 

WAR TALK 

GALAXY vs iPHONE

Dear Reader, 

If you are honest with yourself, and no 

matter how much you protest, everyone 

has a favourite ABBA song. It has been 

three decades exactly since the group’s 

demise yet the Swedish quartet remain 

one of the world’s biggest bands. This 

week the smash hit show Mamma 

Mia comes to town. We look at why 

their popularity has endured, across 

languages and cultures, and speak to 

one of the original cast members from 

the Swedish version of the show. 

We also speak to Oman’s Leopard Man 

Hadi al Hikmani. Few people know 

that Oman is home to the last of the 

Arabian Leopard. It is one of, if not the, 

most critically endangered big cats on 

earth. Just 200 animals remain but Al 

Hikmani has dedicated his life to saving 

the leopard from extinction. Ahead of a 

big scientific expedition by the British 

Exploring Society, he talks to us about 

Oman’s natural beauty and what can be 

done to save these beautiful creatures. 

The Y team 

4

This week in 

November 27, 2012 Issue 246 

EDITOR'S CHOICE 

16 

9 

Twentyfour Seven 

Oman vs Italy, Mamma Mia, the Muscat 

Regatta, Arabian Leopard hunt. 

14 Movember 

Photo essay. 

Swede dreams 

The enduring appeal 

of ABBA. 

24 

22 Spotlight 

The Muscat Singers get festive. 

32 Skin 

Beauty 

treatments. 

34 Stuff 

Galaxy versus iPhone. 

Pussy galore 

The story of the endangered 

Arabian Leopard. 

28 

36 

Game on 

Oman's Gulf Cup. 

40 

Out & About 

Redtag, National Day, Landmark, 

J.Lo prize winners. 

45 

Chill Out 

Crosswords, Suduko, Go Figure 

Venture 

Rustaq fort. 

Sayyida Iman bint Hamad bin Hamood Al Busaidi Editor-in-Chief 

Clint Derric Egbert Sports Writer/Photographer 

Jerzy Wierzbicki Photographer | Shrikant Akojwar Art Director/Design 

Eihab Abutaha CEO | Feroz Khan Director of Sales & Marketing | Ayman Canawati Logistics Manager 

For editorial enquiries, email info@y-oman.com | Published by SABCO Press, Publishing & Advertising LLC | Y is a SABCO Media Product.

www.radiomerge.fm 

It’s the dawn of a new musical era right here in Oman. 

Merge 104.8 is a celebration of cultures and a true 

reflection of diversity. Providing you with the best 

R’n’B, House, Rock, Lounge, 90s, and Pop music from 

around the world. Served with fresh local flavour.


Readers' letters 

ABBA: Still the best 

Dear Y, 

It is wonderful to see Mamma Mia smashing into 

Muscat after all the hits. 

I can remember all those songs I enjoyed of ABBA. 

Dancing queen, Mamma Mia, Money, Money, 

Money, Chiquitita are some of my favourites. Those 

were my nostalgic school and college days and, to 

date I still enjoy listening to that Swedish pop band. 

Down memory lane and rewind to that era with this 

musical. I enjoyed the film and wonder what live 

musical it will be. It must be magic, and only magic, 

with those mesmerising songs. 

ABBA: a best bet after all. 

Wishes 

Vijayalakshmi R Shetty 

The Editor replies: Vijayalakshmi, you are right. 

ABBA’s music is timeless and I am not ashamed 

to say I like them. Well, a little ashamed. But much 

less than I used to be. However, actually liking 

Mamma Mia the film is borderline unforgivable… 

Charlie update: He finds a 

new home! 

Dear Y, 

I just would like to let you know that Charlie is now 

with a new family. Many thanks for all your support. 

Claudia 

8 

The Editor replies: We are so pleased that Charlie 

has found a new home. There are so many strays 

and unloved dogs in Oman that taking in a rescue 

animal is the only humane way to go when choosing 

a pet. 

Beaches: still dirty 

Dear Y, 

I read your last issue and recognised the beaches 

that you anonymous writer mentioned. 

I am also an expat living in Oman and have noticed 

the same things. Bags of rubbish left out. Bottles 

of (non-alcoholic) beer broken on nearby rocks. I 

went out to a wadi with friends recently and was 

shocked to find that blue plastic bags had clogged 

up the channels in what little water there was. This 

is a beautiful country. But more has to be done to 

protect it. 

Also Anonymous 

The Editor replies: Thanks for your email. We 

get our fair share of complaints at this magazine. 

Usually they are about customer service (more on 

which we will talk about next week), but the second 

most common email concerns the filthy state of 

some of Oman’s wadis, beaches and rivers. It’s true 

that a trip into the mountains usually starts with a 

big plastic bag to pick up the broken glass in the 

vicinity and it shouldn’t be that way. We will have 

more on this is the next few issues. 

Mr Kalyanasundaram, 

I presume 

Dear Y, 

Have you ever heard of a person named 

Kalyanasundaram If not, you should. Because 

he was awarded “Man Of The Millennium” by an 

organization and UNO adjudged him as one of the 

outstanding people of the 20th Century. 

Mr.Kalyanasundaram is a social worker from Tamil 

Nadu, India. He is working for orphans and running 

a social welfare organization named Paalam in 

Tamilnadu, India. 

By profession he is a Librarian for more than 30 

years. Throughout his service he donated his entire 

salary to help the needy. He worked as a server in a 

hotel to meet his basic needs. He is a bachelor and 

he is still dedicating his full time for social services. 

He donated his pension amount also for this great 

cause. 

As part of Man Of The Millennium Award he received 

a huge amount of money which he distributed 

entirely for the needy as usual. Maybe every one 

of us cannot become a person like him but we all 

can help the needy as much we can maybe in a 

smaller way. 

We should always think the needy when we ever 

waste food, water and money because in this world 

a large mob of people suffer without food and water. 

This distinguished person can be a great example 

for simple living and high thinking. 

Krishnapriya Nikhil 

The Editor replies: Kalyanasundaram would 

indeed be a good example to follow, if he actually 

existed. It appears that the Indian do-gooder may 

not actually exist and was in fact the product of a 

viral email. But we’d be happy to see any evidence 

to the contrary. But whether he exists or not, the 

sentiments expressed here are still noble. 

Tell us what is on your mind. To get published write 

to editor@y-oman.com

November 18: 

NATIONAL DAY 

Oman’s national football team 

might not have been able to give 

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos the gift 

they wanted to, nor vice versa, but 

Oman’s 42nd National Day was 

still celebrated with pride around 

the country. The Red Warriors’ 

captain Ali al Habsi had told Y 

that victory against Japan in their 

2014 World Cup qualifier was the 

“perfect gift for His Majesty”. In 

return the Sultan had promised a 

large reward if the impossible was 

achieved. In the end neither came 

to pass but the country was full 

of flags, fireworks, parades and 

platitudes, proving once again how 

far Oman has come in such a short 

space of time.


INTO THE BLUE OMAN VS ITALY 

It’s a busy couple of months of football coming up 

in Oman. On top of the local league there’s the West 

Asian Championships taking place in Kuwait, the 

AFC U-22 Asian Cup to be hosted in Oman itself, the 

Gulf Cup, where Oman will be aiming to repeat their 

tournament-winning run from 2009, a 2015 Asian 

Cup qualifier against Syria and finally the crunch 

World Cup qualifier against Australia. You can read 

all about the busiest period in Omani football history 

on page 36. 

But the most exciting fixture this week is the chance 

to see the Italian national team play in Muscat. True, 

it’s the Italian under 22 team, but many of the squad 

of players will no doubt pull on the famous blue shirt 

of the Azzurri and represent the full senior team. 

The Italian squad is stuffed full of players who are 

learning their trade at Milan, Inter Milan and other 

top European team. It is exactly the kind of tough 

test that the Oman under 22 coach Philippe Burle 

(pictured) needs ahead of the AFC U-22 Asian Cup. 

Burle, a former French professional player, has 

been charged with rebuilding the Under 22 team 

after they came so close to qualifying for the 2012 

Olympic Games in London. Under the guidance of 

Paul Le Guen the team managed to get to a final 

play-off match against Senegal in Coventry in 

the United Kingdom. It had been a long, arduous 

journey. The match was Oman’s fifth round of 

qualification. It began with victories home and away 

against Tajikistan and China, a group stage that saw 

Oman beat Saudi Arabia and Qatar and finally an 

exhausting, three-team tournament in Vietnam 

against Uzbekistan and Syria that saw them come 

out on top. 

But the Senegal game was a step too far for Oman. 

They lost 2-0 but have still emerged as one of 

Asia’s best collection of young players. With home 

advantage, and with a bit of luck, Oman could well 

go far at the AFC U-22 Asian Cup next year. Italy 

will be the toughest test yet. This is a squad that 

could, in theory, call up the likes of Mario Balotelli 

and Fabio Borini to play. It is, of course, unlikely the 

Manchester City star nor the Liverpool striker will 

be called up, but it goes to show the depth of talent 

Italy has with its youngsters. Thursday’s match 

should provide a good indication of both team’s 

futures, and show Philippe Burle what he needs to 

do if this young Omani squad is to win silverware on 

home turf next year. 

Oman Under 22 versus Italy Under 22, Thursday 29, 

3.30pm, Seeb Stadium. Tickets on the door OR2, or 

OR for VIP. 

10


ROCK THE KHASAB BAR MUSCAT REGATTA 

The 2012 Muscat Regatta is now in full swing. 

We have already seen the conclusion of the Dubai 

to Muscat race but we are now slap bang in the 

middle of the most exciting and eagerly awaited 

competition of the sailing meet. The third edition 

of the 230-mile Muscat to Khasab race has seen 

13 yachts set out with hopes of a share of the 

$50,000 prize. Usually it’s impossible to see 

what is going on in these races – a spectator sport 

it ‘aint. But, what with this being the 21st century 

and all, the yachts have been fitted with state of 

the art tracking equipment. Which means fans can 

either watch the yachts come in to Khasab harbour 

on November 28, or track them live at www.xtratrack.com/regatta. 

For more information go to 

www.muscatregatta.com 

11


LAST MINUTE MAMMA MIA & MUSCAT SINGERS 

12 

Abba is coming to town. Well, OK. Abba is not 

coming to town. They still annoyingly refuse to 

reform. But the next best thing is coming to town: 

Mamma Mia, the hit show that has seen 42 million 

people part with their cash across the world to 

watch Abba songs be performed by artists that look 

a little bit like the band, is coming to Muscat. 

We have an exclusive interview with the star of the 

show on page 16. Last minute tickets for the event 

on Wednesday 28 are available on the door at the 

InterContinental (Tel: 246 80000) for OR20. But if 

you can persuade nine of your friends to come you 

can get ten tickets for OR10. Bargain. 

The Muscat Singers, a Oman-based community 

choir, is hosting a festive show on December 7. 

You can read an interview with the Singers on page 

22 as they prepare for the big day at the Bosch 

Centre for the Performing Arts. Tickets are selling 

fast for this regular in the Oman calendar. Expect 

a mixture of the traditional, with the likes of A 

Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten, and the not 

so traditional, step forward Billy Joel and Elton John. 

Although next year we’re going to suggest 

Enter Sandman by Metallica. Y would pay 

good money to see that performed by a choir. 

Tickets cost OR3 or OR2 for seniors. The event 

starts at 4pm. Tickets can bought at the venue, by 

calling 9557 4887 or visit www.muscatsingers.org


INDIAN SUMMER SONU NIGAM 

Hold on to your hats: Sonu Nigam is coming to town. 

Muscat has had a string of top Indian singers arrive 

on its shores in recent months and Sonu will here to 

sing his trademark Indipop output on December 13 

at the Qurum City Amphitheatre. 

Sonu began his singing career at a very young 

age, after joining his father on stage performing 

Mohammad Rafi songs when just three years old. 

By the age of 19 decided to spread his wings and 

left for Bollywood. His breakthrough came singing 

Anu Malik’s song Sandese Aatein Hain from the 

1997 war movie Border. Since then his career has 

rocketed and now he is one of the top singers in 

India. It is a real, modern rags to riches tale. 

Tickets for the event will be priced at OR8, 20 and 

40 for standard, VIP and VVIP. Get in quick as Y 

expects the event to sell out quickly. For all show 

details and ticket enquiries please send an email 

to info.mct@promoseven.com or you can visit the 

concert’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/ 

groups/sonunigam.mct 

13

special feature 


MOVE 

OVER 

MOVEMBER 

14


photo essay 

Did you notice an upsurge in the number of men grooming awful moustaches this month That 

would be the Movember effect. Movember, in case you didn’t know, is a charity movement 

where “Mo Bros” agree to grow a moustache to raise awareness of men’s prostate cancer. 

The pupils and teachers at TAISM decided to do just that and held a charity football match 

showcasing the best, and worst, efforts. Go to www.movember.com for more information. 

15

in depth 


MAMMA 

KNOWS BEST 

16


Four decades ago a Swedish quartet armed with a suitcase of some of the catchiest 

pop songs in history burst into the public’s consciousness. But despite breaking up 

a few years later amid acrimony and divorce, and vowing never to reform, ABBA’s 

songs live on thanks to hit show Mamma Mia. Ahead of the show’s arrival in Oman 

Y speaks to Mamma Mia's Swedish star Gunilla Backman and asks: just how did 

ABBA conquer the world 

Words: Alina Totti 

17

in depth 


There are songs, and then there are 

anthems: those pieces of music that are 

recognisable from the first beat. They 

appear timeless, and without geographic 

moorings. They would be equally as 

recognised in Lagos as they would in 

London. Only a few such artists can enjoy 

this ubiquitous fame. Michael Jackson and 

The Beatles, perhaps. But neither spans 

the generations and continents quite like 

ABBA, the Swedish pop outfit that has 

sold 370 million records. They were a band 

so popular they even managed to make 

the Nordic snow-print cardigan look cool. 

Three decades since the band broke up, 

Muscat is to get the full ABBA experience. 

Well, not the full ABBA experience. The 

group still resolutely refuse to 

reform. Instead we have the next 

best thing: Mamma Mia, a onenight-only 

concert on November 

29 of ABBA music with three of 

Sweden’s greatest singers. 

While most people have at least 

heard, if not seen, the not-socritically-acclaimed 

Mamma Mia! 

film – which even the Oscarwinning 

genius of Meryl Streep 

could not save – few know about 

how the idea of the film came to 

be. Before we had Ikea meatballs, H&M 

and the latest Eurovision Song Contest 

winner, it was ABBA that came to be known 

as Sweden’s most successful export. 

The band was formed in 1972 in the 

Swedish capital of Stockholm. The name 

– which is an acronym of the first names 

of the four members - Agnetha Fältskog, 

Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Anni- 

Frid Lyngstad – is now widely considered 

the most successful group to come from 

the non-English speaking world. 

Almost everyone now credits ABBA as a 

guilty pleasure. Their songs were – and 

still are – the perfect pop product. The 

creative duo of Andersson and Ulvaeus 

delivered perfectly-polished pop tune 

harmonies which – coupled with the pretty 

faces of Agnetha and Norwegian-born 

Anni-Frid – led the band to countless 

number ones around the world. At times, 

the very theatrical songs of the band were 

accompanied by what can now be regarded 

as some of the first music videos in history. 

In the early 1980s however, their success 

began to wane in light of the personal 

grievances within the band. The pressures 

of two married couples constantly touring 

had taken its toll. By 1981 Ulvaeus and 

Fältskog had finalised their divorce 

and Andersson and Lyngstad were 

announcing theirs, a situation reflected in 

the increasingly more personal songs like 

30 YEARS AFTER THE BAND 

DISSOLVED, ABBA SONGS 

HAVE BECOME THE FABRIC 

OF OUR LIVES 

The Winner Takes it All and One of Us. The 

band met in the studio for the last time 

in 1982 but it seemed that ABBA’s time 

had passed. The band never announced 

their separation officially. Instead Bjorn 

Ulvaeus explained the band’s thinking in 

an interview. 

“Money is not a factor and we would like 

people to remember us as we were: Young, 

exuberant, full of energy and ambition,” 

he told the British newspaper the Sunday 

Telegraph. 

“I remember Robert Plant saying Led 

Zeppelin were a cover band now because 

they cover all their own stuff. I think that hit 

the nail on the head” 

But now, 30 years after the band 

dissolved, ABBA songs have become part 

of the fabric of our lives. While the four 

former band-mates live a quiet life in their 

native Sweden, their music is as loud and 

flamboyant as ever in theatres around the 

world. The re-birth of ABBA’s music took 

place in 1999 in London’s West End when 

producer Catheryne Johnson wrote a 

script for a musical which included some 

of the Swedish band’s hits. The idea for 

the show belonged to Judy Craymer, an 

English musical theatre producer. 

Craymer suggested the concept to 

Andersson and Ulvaeus – the original 

ABBA members and composers – but 

they kept saying “no”. In the end, the two 

Swedes realised the potential 

success a West End show could 

have and finally agreed to work 

on it, keeping a tight artistic 

control over the entire process. 

Mamma Mia tells the 

unconventional story, through 

a medley of the band’s most 

famous tracks, of a single 

mother (Donna) whose daughter 

(Sophie) is looking for the father 

she never met. It became an 

instant box office success and 

toured the world for many years. It has 

grossed over $2 billion. Over 42 million 

people have seen it. It has been staged in 

both English and German but it was only in 

2004 that the two ABBA members decided 

it could be translated in to Swedish and 

taken back to where it all started. 

Gunilla Backman is – as Meryl Streep 

called her when they met for the Stockholm 

premiere of the film – the Swedish Donna 

and the lead singer of the trio coming to 

Muscat. A renowned and awarded singer 

in Sweden, Backman wanted initially to be 

part of the English version of the show but 

back in 1999 she was too old to play the 

daughter and too young to be the mother. 

But by a stroke of luck she heard that it 

18


19

in depth 


was to come to Sweden. She auditioned 

as Donna for the Swedish version of the 

musical and still remembers the moment 

she received a call from none other than 

Benny Andersson himself to let her know 

she got the part. 

“It was quite amazing. I couldn’t stay still” 

she gushes, before mimicking Benny 

Andersson’s voice. “‘Hello, how are you 

This is Benny Andersson,’ he said at first. 

Then he just asked me: ‘Do you want a 

job’ He told me that he loved my singing 

and that was it. To me, it was a dream to 

get to do this musical, having been a huge 

ABBA fan myself.” 

The musical opened in 2005 and toured 

Sweden until 2007 when it came to an end 

after 550 shows. But the ABBA frenzy did 

not stop there for Backman. Not ready to 

give up singing the music she grew up 

with, the singer continued to play ABBA 

tracks in concerts in Sweden and abroad, 

which has led her to Muscat. “This show 

20 

is very special. It is specially made for 

this event in Muscat,” reveals Backman. 

“What we are doing is a concert with the 

original trio of singers from the Swedish 

musical. There are more songs in this 

concert that in the original production.” 

The ABBA music show about to take place 

in Muscat was meant to be a small gig for 

the Swedish expats of the area. But since 

its announcement, the organisers have 

sold more than 1,500 tickets, attracting a 

variety of nationalities, be they Swedish, 

Omani, British or Indian. For Backman and 

probably for many other fans around the 

world and of different ages, ABBA means 

a variety of things. It is the music one grew 

up with or the ridiculous, flamboyant outfits 

that one copied. But it is also a powerful 

Swedish symbol. 

“ABBA is very important for Sweden” she 

explains “We’ve performed in many places. 

We’ve been from Hong Kong to India and 

the wonderful thing is that people love the 

music everywhere.” 

Which is what makes ABBA so special; 

its universal appeal. But what is it about 

ABBA, and not the hundreds of other 

bands of the era, that struck such a chord 

Why is ABBA so appealing even today 

For Backman it is the joy that comes from 

the songs and the sounds that transcend 

cultural barriers. “There is a certain 

worldliness to ABBA which I think makes 

it easier for the audience,” she explains. 

“Benny and Bjorn created a distinct 

sound and gave Scandinavia a voice.” 

A Scandinavian voice it may be, but it 

is a voice that is still recognised in any 

language. 

Mamma Mia takes place November 29 

at the InterContinental hotel. Tickets can 

bought at the venue for OR20, or for OR15 

if you buy ten. For more information go to 

www.facebook.com/MammaMiaMuscat


THE BEST OF BRITTEN 

A group of amateur singers are thrown together for 

intensive training before belting out a series songs at a big 

end of year performance. No, not the plot Glee but the story 

of the Muscat Singers. 

Words: James Montague and Chris Fisher 

Photos: Jerzy Wierzbicki 

Gwen Willson is extremely excited. 

The musical director is just a few weeks 

away from seeing her Muscat Singers 

from finally performing their one-off Winter 

Concert 2012 on December 7. 

“Oh my gosh, there is such a buzz in our 

choir!” she exclaims when asked about the 

performance. She’s right to be excited. 

The Muscat Singers is a community choir 

that has been running for almost four 

decades and has become something of 

an institution in Oman. As a community 

choir there is not a single professional 

singer. Instead it is made up of volunteers 

who give up their time to sing. No one is 

turned away based on ability. Think Glee 

meets the crowd at a Pavarotti concert 

and you are almost there. But this year 

Willson believes the Muscat Singers will 

give their best performance ever, thanks to 

the inclusion of a few more contemporary 

22 

numbers. “I try to keep it pretty eclectic, 

knowing people’s backgrounds and love 

of certain types of music I put in a lot of 

traditional choral music and I try to put 

in some contemporary things,” she says 

when asked what music will be sung at 

the concert. “We are doing Billy Joel Good 

Night My Angel. A gorgeous six-part 

choral arrangement.” 

The Muscat Singers is open for anyone 

to join and it took Gwen little under three 

months to whip the current group of 

amateurs in to shape. “We have a season 

of twelve weeks and sing twelve pieces so 

we try to mix up some easy ones with hard 

ones. We are attempting a beautiful piece 

by Benjamin Britten this year with a harp 

and a boys’ choir. It’s lush and ethereal.” 

The Muscat Singers aren’t just a choir. 

They’re also a social group that helps 

newcomers acclimatise to their new 

surroundings. But on December 7 it will 

all be about the music. That doesn’t mean 

that she’s not on the look-out still for new 

members. It’s a female heavy group that is 

always looking for more male singers. But 

don’t worry if you feel your voice isn’t up 

to it. 

“Singing is so natural,” says Gwen. “It’s 

not about reading music. Do you feel 

the music Do you feel it’s expressing 

something You’ll find a way through it. It’s 

not about the black and white notes on the 

page.” 

Muscat Singers perform at the Bosch 

Centre for the Performing Arts at TAISM 

on December 7, 4pm. Tickets cost OR3 

for adults, and OR2 for seniors. Tickets 

can be bought from the venue or by 

calling 9557 4887. If you are interested in 

joining the choir, visit their website www. 

muscatsingers.com


TRAVELS WITH THE 

LEOPARD MAN 

Oman is home to one of the world’s rarest, and most 

endangered big cats: the Arabian Leopard. Y speaks to 

the Omani who has dedicated himself to preventing its 

extinction ahead of a scientific expedition to discover more 

about Oman’s deserts and this rare and beautiful beast. 

Words: James Montague 

Photos: James Borrell 

24

Hadi al Hikmani isn’t always known 

by his given name. More often than not 

the Omani conservationist is known by 

his nom de plume: The Leopard Man. Al 

Hikmani is the foremost expert on one of 

the rarest big cats left in the wild anywhere 

in the world today, the Arabian Leopard. It 

also happens to live amongst us. 

“Well, I’ve been working for a long time in 

this area,” he explains, laughing at how 

every scientist and conservationist Y had 

interviewed had insisted that The Leopard 

Man was the only person to speak to 

on this vanishing creature. All roads, it 

seemed, lead to Al Hikmani. “It is one of 

the most critically endangered leopards 

in the world. Their numbers are maybe 

200. But we don’t know. It is guess work. 

Maybe we might now have less.” 

Few in Oman realise that the Sultanate 

has its own indigenous big cat. But the 

Arabian Leopard used to roam freely on 

the peninsula. Human development and 

encroachment on to the leopard’s natural 

habitat over the past two centuries has 

decimated their numbers. 

The situation has become so critical that 

global conservationists are stepping up 

efforts to learn more about this elusive 

creature – which roams in the verdant 

Dhofar Mountains - and prevent its 

extinction. In January Al Hikmani, who 

works for the Omani government’s Office 

for the Conservation of the Environment, 

will be overseeing a project run by the 

British Exploring Society to gather as 

much scientific evidence on the leopard 

as well as other under documented areas 

of Oman’s vast, and largely undiscovered, 

natural world. 

“Europeans look at big cats as extraordinary 

animals. They go to Africa to see them,” 

says Al Hikmani of his efforts to try and 

publicise the plight of the peninsula’s top 

natural predator. 

“People [in Dhofar in the past have] viewed 

wildlife differently. They said the leopard 

was an enemy, that it kills their camels and 

livestock. Things are changing now. We 

work with them and the leopards. It could 

provide an alternative tourist income.” 

The British Exploring Society’s expedition 

is a case in point. A team of biologists 

and young conservationists are coming to 

Oman for eight weeks to gather scientific 

25



fieldwork, firstly in the vast deserts of 

Rub al Khali, before moving to the Dhofar 

Mountains. The Arabian Leopard is the 

main focus which is very rarely seen by 

human eye. Last year, when the team 

arrived to try and capture it on camera 

they had a rare treat. 

“I remember opening up the camera trap, 

it was so exciting when we saw we had 

captured pictures of two leopards,” recalls 

Soo Redshaw, who will be leading the 

2013 expedition. 

“It was euphoric we were hugging each 

other. It’s like solving a detective story. It is 

such an iconic beautiful animal. They are 

never far from you at times, a few hundred 

metres at most.” 

The British Exploring Society was set up 

in 1932 by Surgeon Commander George 

Murray Levick, a member of Captain 

Scott’s final Antarctic expedition, as 

a way of encouraging leadership and 

team building through exploration. And 

the BES is looking for Omanis to join its 

next expedition in 2014. You will need 

to committo eight weeks of expedition, 

looking at Nubian artifacts in the Empty 

Quarter before tracking the Arabian 

Leopard in the Dhofar Mountains. 

It also helps to promote just how tenuous the 

Arabian Leopard’s position has become. 

The threats to their environment still exist. 

Land clearance for livestock grazing is a 

major problem, as are poachers. Not those 

who hunt the leopard, but those who hunt 

what the leopard hunts, like the ibex and 

the gazelle. 

“The government is creating lots of roads 

and infrastructure in remote areas in 

Dhofar and that pushes the leopard into 

small areas,” explains Al Hikmani. 

“They need a large home range and they 

might not find a lot of resources. It’s killing 

them indirectly and unintentionally.” 

But the situation is changing. Money is 

being invested and there is, as one of 

the scientists on last year’s trip said, 

“real hope” that the leopard population 

can be saved. But that’s not enough for 

The Leopard Man. Hadi al Hikmani is 

playing the long game in trying to protect 

the only big cat in the Middle East. “We 

want to conserve what we have but it’s 

also a chance to increase the leopard 

population,” he says. 

“It could be 500 or more. There are 

demands on the land, livestock grazing, 

they are all interconnected. When you 

solve one problem another presents itself. 

But in 50 years time, it might be possible." 

For more information on the next expedition 

contact Paul McGreavy at Al Takween 

by email dhofarexpedition@gmail.com or 

by calling 933 63204. You can find out 

more about previous expeditions on the 

British Exploring Society’s website www. 

britishexploring.org 

26

REMAINS 

OF THE 

DAY 


Photos: Jerzy Wierzbicki 

28


JUST A SHORT DRIVE FROM MUSCAT YOU WILL FIND 

RUSTAQ, OMAN’S SLOW-PACED FORMER CAPITAL 

AND ITS MAJESTICALLY RESTORED FORT. Y TAKES A 

WALK ALONG THE RAMPARTS. 

Not much happens in Rustaq these 

days. The small town in the north of the 

country – around 150km from Muscat 

– moves at a sedentary pace. Old men 

shuffle from coffee shop to mosque as 

livestock mooch around the side streets, 

chewing up any tufts of grass they may 

find. Thick plantations of date trees can be 

found every few hundred metres, tall and 

strong thanks to the natural, warm water 

spring that runs here and which many 

locals believe has medicinal qualities. The 

market is full of fruit grown nearby. No 

wonder the craggy, reddish and barren 

mountains that rise over Rustaq are known 

as Jebel Akhdar: The Green Mountain. 

But in the centre of town something 

else, something man made, dominates 

the skyline. The magnificent Rustaq 

Fort is proof of the town’s glorious past. 

Rustaq used to be the capital of Oman and 

its fort is one of the tallest and sturdiest in 

the country, built around 800 years ago. It 

became the capital under the rule of Imam 

Nasir bin Murshid al Ya’arub, who famously 

defeated the brutal Portuguese settlers 

who had occupied Muscat for almost 

a century and a half. Oman’s history is 

littered with the remnants of advancing and 

retreating dynasties and their armies, and 

the Rustaq fort was built on the remains of 

a much earlier Persian built fort. 

The forts were a necessity for ruling Oman. 

Its strategic importance at the mouth of 

the Strait of Hormuz, not to mention as a 

port that serviced trade between India, 

Iran, the Middle East, Africa and Europe, 

was immense. And with over 2,000km 

of rugged, wild coastline to defend from 

covetous invaders, the impenetrable fort 

was a must-have accessory. 

But Rustaq’s strength and importance 

mirrored that of the rise of Oman. It was 

during this period that Oman and Muscat 

rose to prominence off the back of a 

strong naval presence and the increasing 

importance of the waterways around it. 

By the middle of the 19th century, the 

Omani empire stretched from the southern 

coastline of the Persian Empire – modern 

Iran – all the way down to Zanzibar in 

modern day Tanzania. 

Today the fort has been totally rebuilt (in 

29


fact it is still undergoing some renovations 

today) to bring it back to its former glory. 

Inside you will find four round towers, Al 

Burj Ashiateen – the devil’s tower – Burj 

al Ahmar, Al Burj al Hadeet and Al Burj 

al Reeh. Canons poke out of slots in the 

tower wall to give 360 degree coverage 

of approaching attackers. Although on 

the day we arrived the most threatening 

foreign force was a pair of mild mannered 

Swiss tourists. 

One feature inside is a falaj, a channel 

from Rustaq’s famous spring that runs 

through the fort to supply water to its 

inhabitants. Although it no longer supplies 

the town with drinking water. Rustaq has 

its own piped water supply these days 

and the spring is used mainly for irrigation 

and as a local remedy for rheumatism. 

Yet it is outside where the adventures 

really begin. Just a few minutes’ walk from 

the renovated walls of the fort you will find 

the crumbling remains of large, formally 

grand homes that have fallen onto hard 

times. The heavy old wooden doors hang 

by single rusty brackets, but the ornate 

features that prove these were once the 

houses of wealthy families – on wooden 

beams and above doors – can still be seen. 

It is a strange sight, to see a horde of 

workmen feverishly working on the Rustaq 

Fort, only to see the crumbling remains of 

old houses abandoned to the advances of 

time. They will not last long. Soon there 

will be nothing left but the palm trees and 

the cows that graze nearby. But the fort – 

as it has done for centuries – will watch 

unmoved from afar. 

HOW TO GET THERE: 

Rustaq is not very far from Muscat, only 

around 150 km. 

The route is extremely simple and you don’t 

need a 4x4. In fact it’s a perfect day trip on 

the weekend. Firstly head towards Barka. 

Once you reach the Barka roundabout turn 

left to Nakhal and Rustaq on road number 

13. From there you can drive directly to 

Rustaq. The fort and the old town is in the 

centre of Rustaq. You can’t miss them. 

30

THE HEAVY 

OLD WOODEN 

DOORS HANG BY 

SINGLE, RUSTY 

BRACKETS 

31

eauty 


SKIN DEEP 

As Oman begins to cool, and the rains, begin to fall 

it’s time to take care of your skin. 

Words: Karima Farid 

A change is in the air. For those of us 

who have grown up with the cooling winds 

and rain of Oman’s winter, we know that 

protection needs to be sought. Sure, there 

might only be two seasons in Oman, and 

it certainly doesn't compare to the bracing 

cold of the Swiss Alps, but the change 

still affects your skin dramatically. This 

is why it is crucial to keep updating your 

essentials and finding products that suit 

your skin and the surroundings you are in. 

So as the weather is clearly getting chillier 

– thankfully – take it as a perfect excuse 

to spice your beauty closet up. This week 

we try out a great, fresh homemade peel, 

a gorgeous moisturiser, magical lip balms 

and much more. 

THE BEST VALUE OPTION 

CLARINS ECRAN 

MULTI-PROTECTION SPF 

Finding the perfect protection for your skin 

can be tricky- and even though the weather 

is getting better, you still need to use a 

proper product to protect your skin from 

any pollution. I recently tried out Clarins 

Ecran Multi-Protection SPF and found that 

it pairs perfectly with my moisturiser. You 

can apply this after your daily care routine 

but right before your make up. This invisible 

lotion will leave your skin breathing and 

well protected. Say goodbye to that white 

sunscreen residue with this product. 

THE ORGANIC OPTION 

TOMATO FACIAL PEEL 

Huda Heidi Kattan from Huda Beauty 

swears by this tomato facial peel, and as 

she posted this on her blog, I just had 

to try it out and tell you all about it. This 

will only take 15 minutes but will conjure 

beautiful results, and the best part about 

it is that you can do it right at home. The 

ingredients are simple: take half a medium 

tomato and one lime. Puree the tomato In a 

blender and squeeze your whole lime into 

the mix. This will take less than 2 minutes. 

After that, apply a very thin layer for 15 

minutes. After that, splash water to clean it 

off and apply your favorite moisturizer. My 

skin felt hydrated and very fresh! Check 

out www.hudabeauty.com for the latest 

beauty updates. 

THE TASTY OPTION 

LIP SMACKER 

Just as I was leaving Virgin Mega Store on 

my last trip to Dubai, a colourful collection 

of lip balms caught my eye. I picked it up off 

the shelf and saw that Lip Smacker came 

in packs of seven. All the flavors looked 

good and, ever since then, I’ve been stuck 

to the strawberry Lip Smacker. 

I apply this at least three times a day, and 

every time I do, my lips feel soft for hours 

even in the very cold office I work in. Check 

out www.lipsmacker.com as they have so 

many collections to pick from – even a few 

ranges for themed parties and events. 

THE LUX OPTION 

LANCOME VISIONNAIRE ADVANCED 

SKIN CORRECTOR 

This lightweight serum spreads 

magically on your face and gets 

absorbed in less than a minute.Are 

you wondering what this product could 

do for you It’s basically an anti-aging 

corrector that also nourishes the skin. 

Although I only applied it a few times under 

my foundation, I must confess that I never 

broke out whilst using it. Using an antiaging 

formulae only means that you are 

preventing skin damage for the future and 

investing in such products will give you 

good results in the long run. 

32


Lip Smacker 

Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector 

Clarins Ecran Multi-Protection SPF 

Tomato Facial Peel 

33

stuff 


LORDS OF WAR 

The Samsung Galaxy SIII might just have out-sold the iPhone 

4s, but it is just the latest battle in a prolonged corporate war 


It’s war, but not as we know it. A few 

weeks ago a surprising salvo in an ongoing, 

seemingly intractable conflict was fired. 

And this time it seems to be cable of 

changing the course of the campaign: 

Samsung’s Galaxy S III outsold its rival the 

iPhone 4s in the US. 

This news, to the uninitiated, might sound 

deeply underwhelming. But consider 

this. Since Apple revolutionised the 

market at the start of the 21st century, 

the Smartphone has become ubiquitous. 

So much so that the figures are daunting. 

According to research conducted by 

Strategy Analytics the Samsung Galaxy 

S III shipped 18 million units, whilst the 

iPhone 4S could only muster 16.2 million. 

In one quarter. 

Together, the two control 50 percent of the 

industry. Strategy Analytics also released 

figures that, when looking at individual 

handsets, Samsung’s Galaxy S III’s share 

of the world Smartphone market was 

10.7 per, a full one per cent more than the 

iPhone 4S on 9.7 per cent. 

For a generation steeped in the near 

blanket acceptance of Apple’s dominance, 

the announcement came as quite a shock. 

Sure, some analysts – not to mention 

Apple’s legion of obsessives, every bit 

as dedicated and myopic as a Grateful 

Dead fan club – pointed to the fact that the 

new iPhone 5 was about to be launched. 

Consumers would naturally check their 

behaviour, hold back on buying an iPhone 

4S and save for the newer phone. 

The frenzy that followed the iPhone 5 

is likely to return Apple to the top of the 

sales charts. But the blip, even for just 

one quarter, highlights the intensifying 

war for supremacy between Samsung and 

Apple that has been fought in court rooms 

around the globe, country by country, 

amid accusations of theft, plagiarism and 

bad faith. 

The fabled “Patent Wars” began in April 

2011 when Apple lodged a legal case in the 

United States for copyright infringement 

against Samsung, a company that had 

supplied components for its products. 

Both the iPhone and the iPad were game 

changers and when other tablets entered 

the market, Apple’s notoriously litigious 

lawyers hunted out anyone who had 

strayed too far to their design. The Galaxy, 

amongst others, was deemed too similar. 

The court battles raged, in South Korea, 

Germany and UK, each winning individual 

battles and having their rivals products 

pulled from the shelves before an appeal 

swiftly put them back on them again. 

It was strange that the companies had 

engaged in such a vicious war – spending 

tens of millions of dollars on lawyers’ 

fees – against each other. After all, 

Apple is Samsung’s single biggest client, 

responsible for close to eight per cent of 

revenues. But Apple can’t pull the plug. 

Its products are equally as dependent on 

Samsung’s components. They are locked 

in a symbiotic relationship that is sucking 

the life out of each other. 

Yet as Bloomberg pointed out after one 

particularly nasty round of litigation in 

California, Samsung may not be the real 

enemy for Apple. Rather it is Android, 

Google’s operating system. Whereas 

Apple’s business model is based on 

its highly integrated, tightly ring fenced 

software (iOS) and hardware, Android is 

different. It is given free to Samsung, as 

it is to anyone that wants it. It is also open 

source, completely anathema to Apple. As 

the late Steve Jobs told his biographer: 

“Google, you f****** ripped off the iPhone, 

wholesale ripped us off. Grand theft … 

I’m going to destroy Android, because 

it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go to 

thermonuclear war on this.” Charming. 

The court cases continue and the battle 

still rages. But of the products themselves 

The iPhone 5 has sold six million units but 

has been beset by problems including 

the fiasco over its own maps application. 

In the end the company had to go back 

to Google, cap in hand, to sort the mess 

out. The Samsung Galaxy SIII has also not 

drawn the same reviews that the previous 

model generated. With Jobs now gone 

and Samsung looking to claw back its 

advantage, the time is right for a new 

pretender to take advantage of the chaos. 

HTC One X, anyone 

34

game on 

THE WIZARD OF OZ 

Oman face Italy and then three crucial tournaments before 

World Cup D-Day in March. But can they bring home 

another Gulf Cup along the way 


Photos: Abdulwahed al Hamdani 

36

The Oman national team don’t have long 

to pick themselves up, dust themselves 

down and somehow forget the traumatic 

end to their last match. 

With seconds left, and with their 2014 

World Cup qualifier against Japan poised 

at 1-1, the Blue Samurai snatched a late, 

undeserved, victory. The team, the fans in 

the Sultan Qaboos stadium and, indeed, 

the coach Paul Le Guen were left shocked 

by the result. 

“It will be tough,” Le Guen responded 

when asked about the Red Warriors’ 2014 

World Cup qualification chances as he 

walked back to a dejected team bus. 

He’s right. With just three games in 

the group left his team will have to get 

something out of their trip to Australia 

in March, a very tough ordeal given the 

quality of the Socceroos’ squad and the 

fact that Oman’s away form has been 

as dire as their home form magnificent. 

Before then the focus is closer to home. 

Over the next few months Oman’s full and 

under 22 squad will be playing in a series of 

vital tournaments that could determine the 

success of Oman’s World Cup campaign. 

Le Guen has picked an all-Oman based 

squad of 30 players for the West Asian 

Championships in Kuwait between 

December 8 and 20. The tournament, 

over the past decade, has had a habit of 

throwing several explosive fixtures together 

with wider geo-political significance. In 

one group Iran has been paired with Saudi 

Arabia, Bahrain and Yemen. In another 

Iraq, Jordan and Syria will fight it out. 

Oman has been drawn with Lebanon, 

Palestine and home side Kuwait. It is a 

tough group given the leaps and bounds 

that Palestine has made in the past year 

under local coach Jamal Mahmoud. Last 

week they recorded their first ever victory 

against Syria in a warm up in Jordan. In 

the past year they have reached the semi 

finals of the Pan Arab Games and lost in 

the final of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup. 

37

game on 


The big challenge in the group, however, 

is Lebanon. German coach Theo Bucker 

has taken a team and country divided by 

sectarianism to the final group of 2014 

World Cup qualification, even managing 

their first ever victory against Iran. 

But Le Guen has decided to give his 

home-based players more exposure after 

witnessing his makeshift team – missing 

Mohammed Sheiba and Jaber al Awaisi, 

and with Imad al Hosni and Ali al Habsi 

not 100 per cent fit – fall at the final hurdle 

against Japan. 

“The West Asian Championship is an 

opportunity for us to provide more 

exposure to these national team players 

who are currently playing in the domestic 

leagues as well as the national under 22 

side,” le Guen said when announcing the 

30-man squad. 

The under 22 team, indeed the whole of 

Oman, has their own big tournament to 

focus on. The AFC U-22 Asian Cup is being 

hosted in Oman between January 11 and 

26. But first there is a big marquee friendly 

against Italy on November 29. Then on 

February 6 the full squad has a 2015 Asian 

Cup qualifier against Syria before the most 

anticipated regional tournament of the lot. 

Oman’s victory in the 2009 Gulf Cup is 

38 

arguably the finest moment in the country’s 

recent footballing history. But, despite 

being the second ranked team in the 

tournament, the Red Warriors have been 

handed a wicked group alongside Qatar, 

UAE and hosts Bahrain. Still, expectations 

going in to the tournament are at an all 

time high given the heroics in World Cup 

qualification. 

“When you are a coach the pressure is 

always there, and it is everywhere in the 

world no matter what tournaments you are 

playing with,” replied Le Guen when he was 

asked to assess his chances of repeating 

the victory in 2009. 

“But I think with this team and support staff 

we have, we can cope with the pressure. 

And as I have always said I am thinking of 

the future of Oman football and will strive 

to do my best … I am hopeful we can bring 

back the Gulf Cup to Oman.” 

That is a lot of tournament football to play 

in a short period of time but the experience 

could be invaluable. One of the main points 

Le Guen made after the Japan game was 

the perceived lack of the depth in the 

squad. But once some of the younger, 

less experienced players were thrown in 

at the deep end, they thrived. The Gulf 

Cup, the West Asian Championships and 

even the AFC U-22 Asian Cup, where the 

next generation of Omani talent is being 

bred, gives Oman’s domestic players vital 

experience so that they can be called upon 

when required. 

“It’s not possible to field all our best 

players in all competitions,” Le Guen 

explained. But the tournaments, leading up 

to the World Cup qualifier in March, gives 

Le Guen an unrivalled opportunity to test 

new talent and to build that strength and 

depth that has alluded Oman for so long. 

It could be a different, fitter, more focused 

team that travels to Australia. If so, the 

Socceroos could be in trouble. 

On the Road: Oman’s long journey to 

Australia 

• 7th West Asian Championship, Kuwait. 

December 8-20 (www.the-waff.com) 

• 21st Gulf Cup of Nations, Bahrain. 

January 5-18, 2013 (www.gulf-cup.net) 

• AFC U-22 Asian Cup, Oman. January 

11-26, 2013 (www.the-afc.com) 

• 2015 Asian Cup qualification match, 

Oman versus Syria. February 6, 2013 

• 2014 World Cup qualifier, Australia 

versus Oman. March 26, 2013

IT’S EASY 

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IPAD MINIS OR 

GALAXY S3 

Kindly fill in the survey below and provide us with your answers by: SMARTPHONES! 

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(Knowledge Oasis - KOM4), Qurum (Bareeq Al Shatti, Shatti Cinema, Oasis by the Sea, Sultan Centre, 

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Deadline for submitting surveys is November, 30th, 2012 

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REDTAG OPENING AT MARKAZ AL BAHJA MALL 

Dr Ibrahim bin Abdullah al Rahbi 

40


STUDENTS AND TEACHERS INSPIRED BY INTERNATIONAL ART 

NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATION AT GUTECH AT HALBAN 

41


THE J.LO PRIZE WINNERS AT MERGE 104.8 

Chris Fisher (right) 

Marius Wolmarans (left) Rumaitha al Busaidi (right)


LANDMARK BEAT DIABETES EVENT

44 

Ayman Canawati 

ayman.canawati@sabcomedia.com 

Feroz Khan 

Tel. 97768900 

feroz.khan@sabcomedia.com 

Abhudit Greene 

Tel. 94051770 

abhudit.greene@sabcomedia.com


chill out 

SUDOKU 

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way 

that each row across, each column down and each 

small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from 

one to nine. 

Go Figure 

The idea of Go Figure is to arrive at the figures 

given at the bottom and right-hand columns of the 

diagram by following the arithmetic signs in the 

order they are given (that is, form left to right and top 

to bottom). Use only the numbers below the diagram 

to complete its blank squares and use each of the 

nine numbers only once. 

45


Each week we are asking our readers to take part in a topical discussion 

via Y Magazine's facebook page. 

Join the group and you might see your comments printed in next week's 

issue! 

This week: 

Question: What is your favourite ABBA 

song, and why do the Swedish quartet 

remain so popular 

ANSWER OF THE WEEK 

EMILY DEPUTO 

My most favorite song of ABBA is The 

Winner Takes It All. Everybody can 

relate to this song whichever generation 

weekends belong ... and whichever 

situation one can be ... simply there Is 

always two faces in each individual :) and 

:( This what makes ABBA phenomenal... 

VEDETTE DE NIESE 

Chiquitita.....When u are down a friend can 

give u hope...... Thats true friends. 

SHERRIN FINOJ 

Lay all your Love on me 

AKHILESH EMANUEL 

Chiquitita coz it s based on true friendship... 

SANDHYA VORA 

My favorite song is ‘The winner takes it all’ It 

is beautiful song ever written which one can 

hear many times 

ARSHI SARFARAZ 

My favorite song is ‘The Winner takes it all’ 

from ABBA song. The swedish Pop group 

is so famous because of its good hearttouching 

lyrics and awesome eternal music. 

SARFARAZ AKHTAR KHAN 

My fav one is Mamma Mia. The Swedish 

group truly reflects the innocent and pure 

feelings of love and friendship in their songs. 

SOLUTIONS 

46 

CROSSWORD 

SUDOKU 

GO FIGURE

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