Muscat, Oman - Omani-based luxury title Crème de la Crème and lifestyle magazine Black & White have joined the list of Middle East titles using independent circulation audits by BPA Worldwide. This sees the increase of Omani publishers with titles either being audited or awaiting an audit from one to three. The two publishing houses – SJS Group Oman for Crème de la Crème and Black & White Oman – now join Apex Press & Publishing, which has had its two weekly newspapers, The Week and Al Isbou’, audited by BPA Worldwide for several years now. Crème de La Crème, which bills itself as a luxury lifestyle magazine, targets Oman’s affluent community, with features on international trends, business, real estate, automobiles, travel, hotels, homes, art and fashion.

Beirut, Lebanon - Few hours ago we live streamed Nokia’s major regional press conference where they announced the launch of ‘Comes with Music, ’which offers people a year of unlimited access to the entire Ovi Music catalog with the ability to keep all downloaded tracks even after the year is over. The Arab world launch covers 11 markets that include Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestinian Territories, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. With the purchase of the new Nokia X6 16 GB Comes With Music edition, users will have access to a music catalog of an estimated four million tracks from the biggest international and regional labels that people will be able to download for free. The device with the service will be commercially available the first week of March, for an estimated price of USD 600, excluding sales taxes.

How NOT to do corporate marketing on Twitter

Muscat, Oman - From a corporate perspective, Twitter is a tool to supplement Broadcast or print Media. Instead of just Yelling At people about what you are selling, you are Communicating with customers. Twitter provides a Low-cost opportunity to relate to customers and receive 360* feedback, while hopefully building a loyal customer base who will follow you, and your tweets. But social media can bite back. By providing a public forum to interact with customers, you are also providing a public forum for customers to air grievances, so you had better be prepared to solve problems, listen to your customers, and take criticism like a Big Boy. Let me give you some examples of how it's working here in Oman.

Muscat, Oman - 25 to 30 Twitter users met India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Dr Shashi Tharoor at a tweetup in the Indian Embassy on Friday. Tharoor, is the first Indian to have over 100,000 followers and currently has over 639,000 twitter users.“A number of politicians in the world are currently using twitter to connect to people. Twitter has opened up a new space to communicate,” Tharoor said while interacting with members of Oman Twitter community, a representative group of social media enthusiasts, at a session titled ‘TharoorMuscatMeetUp’, on the premises of the Indian Embassy. Responding to queries of twitter users attending the event, he said that more and more Indian politicians should use the twitter platform to respond to people’s concerns. “It’s a good way to communicate,” he said. “In fact, this is my first meeting with a group of tweeters outside India,” he said.

Muscat, Oman - Barbara and her husband Adam were asleep when thieves came through the window of their house in Qurm last week. The thieves stole money from Barbara’s wallet and when departing took the couple’s car keys and drove the car away some time between midnight and 1am. When the pair woke up the next morning, they realised their Nissan Xterra was gone and reported the incident to the police. Barbara sent a photo of the car with a brief message to the chairman of their Off Road Club, who forwarded it to all club members. @Otheroman wasted no time in posting a message on her blog and Twitter page, giving details on the make, colour and registration number of the car. Just over two hours after the tweet, Otheroman received a message from @YasserAmeer saying he had spotted the car near Al Sarooj. The police were alerted and the Nissan was released to Barbara and Adam around ten hours after being reported stolen.

foilman posted a photo:

foilman posted a photo:

At last, an airport with things to entertain Poppy. Full marks to Seeb International Airport in Muscat, Oman!

Elvis John Ferrao posted a photo:

Visible Watermark:
1. Create a new file with a transparent background.
2. Type out your copyright information.
3. Add a drop shadow and lower the opacity of the layer.
4. Crop the picture so that there isn’t a lot of extra room around your copyright.
5. Save the file as a brush.
6. Use the brush to stamp your copyright over your picture, change the opacity or colour if you need to, then save as a new file and upload it to the internet however you want.

This is the best way to discourage people from taking your photo!

Photograph taken at Mumtaz Mahal Restaurant,
Muscat-Sultanate of Oman

Japokskee posted a photo:

Gregor Samsa posted a photo:

Muscat is the capital and largest city of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. The metropolitan area spans approximately 1500 km² and includes six wilayats. Known since the early 1st century CE as an important trading port between the west and the east, Muscat was ruled by various indigenous tribes as well as foreign powers such as the Persians and the Portuguese Empire at various points in its history. A regional military power in the 18th century, Muscat's influence extended as far as East Africa and Zanzibar.

As an important port-town in the Gulf of Oman, Muscat attracted foreign tradesmen and settlers such as the Persians, the Balochis and Gujaratis. Since the ascension of Qaboos bin Said as Sultan of Oman in 1970, Muscat has experienced rapid infrastructural development that has led to the growth of a vibrant economy and a multi-ethnic society.

The rocky Western Al Hajar Mountains dominate the landscape of Muscat. The city lies on the Arabian Sea along the Gulf of Oman and is in the proximity of the strategic Straits of Hormuz. Low-lying white buildings typify most of Muscat's urban landscape, while the port-district of Muttrah, with its corniche and harbour, form the north-eastern periphery of the city. Muscat's economy is dominated by trade, petroleum and porting.

(Wikipedia)

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Glass decoration in the market of old Muttrah, the oldest part of Oman's capital.

Elvis John Ferrao posted a photo:

Italian Cuisine

Elvis John Ferrao posted a photo:

Italian Cuisine

Gerry Hill posted a photo:

HARAS 2
Oman Police, high speed vessel, at Muscat, Oman

Gerry Hill posted a photo:

MCS Anie.
IMO 9352729
A Glasgow tug working in Muscat, Oman.
www.maritimecraft.co.uk

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ania115 posted a photo:

ania115 posted a photo:

In 1992 Sultan Qaboos directed that his country of Oman should have a Grand Mosque. A competition for its design took place in 1993 and after a site was chosen construction commenced in 1995. Building work took six years and four months.

The Mosque is built on a site occupying 416,000 square metres and the complex extends to cover an area of 40,000 square metres.

The Mosque is built from 300,000 tonnes of Indian sandstone. The main musalla (prayer hall) is square (external dimensions 74.4 x 74.4 metres) with a central dome rising to a height of fifty metres above the floor. The dome and the main minaret (90 metres) and four flanking minarets (45.5 metres) are the mosque’s chief visual features. The main musalla can hold over 6,500 worshippers, while the women’s musalla can accommodate 750 worshipers. The outer paved ground can hold 8,000 worshipers and there is additional space available in the interior courtyard and the passageways, making a total capacity of up to 20,000 worshipers.

A major feature of the design of the interior is the prayer carpet which covers the entire floor of the prayer hall. It contains, 1,700,000 knots, weighs 21 tonnes and took four years to produce, and brings together the classical Tabriz, Kashan and Isfahan design traditions. 28 colors in varying shades were used, the majority obtained from traditional vegetable dyes. It is the second largest single piece carpet in the world. The carpet measures over 70 × 60 meters, and covers the 4,343 square meter area of the praying hall, all in a single piece.
The prayer hall is lit by 35 chandeliers made of Swarovski crystal: the grand chandelier being 14 meters tall and weighing 8 tonnes.
The whole interior of the Grand Mosque is panelled with off-white and dark grey marble panelling clothed in cut tile work. Ceramic floral patterns adorn arch framed mural panels set in the marble forming blind niches in a variety of classical Persian, predominantly Safavid, designs. The ceilings are inspired by those of Omani forts. The mihrab in the main prayer hall is framed by a border of Quranic verses and a gilded ceramic surround. The dome comprises a series of ornate, engraved stained glass triangles within a framework of marble columns.

It was quite an overcast day and very difficult to get any shots without people.
It was an amazing place to visit.

vineetsuthan posted a photo:

Shot Last Year when on Vaction. 3 Exposures, Digitally blend.

Qurum Beach, below the Crowne Plaza Hotel, is well set up for visitors and has a number of picnic areas and palm shades. When the tide is low, one can take a 4km walk towards the Embassies' area in Shati Al Qurum. Approximately half way along this stretch of beach is the Muscat InterContinental hotel. Around this area are many jetski rentals.

Ma.Ka posted a photo:

Estonia, Tallin

Gregor Samsa posted a photo:

Muscat is the capital and largest city of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. The metropolitan area spans approximately 1500 km² and includes six wilayats. Known since the early 1st century CE as an important trading port between the west and the east, Muscat was ruled by various indigenous tribes as well as foreign powers such as the Persians and the Portuguese Empire at various points in its history. A regional military power in the 18th century, Muscat's influence extended as far as East Africa and Zanzibar.

As an important port-town in the Gulf of Oman, Muscat attracted foreign tradesmen and settlers such as the Persians, the Balochis and Gujaratis. Since the ascension of Qaboos bin Said as Sultan of Oman in 1970, Muscat has experienced rapid infrastructural development that has led to the growth of a vibrant economy and a multi-ethnic society.

The rocky Western Al Hajar Mountains dominate the landscape of Muscat. The city lies on the Arabian Sea along the Gulf of Oman and is in the proximity of the strategic Straits of Hormuz. Low-lying white buildings typify most of Muscat's urban landscape, while the port-district of Muttrah, with its corniche and harbour, form the north-eastern periphery of the city. Muscat's economy is dominated by trade, petroleum and porting.

(Wikipedia)

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An afternoon moment in the old Muttrah, the oldest part of Oman's capital; satellites on roofs of houses are abundant here...

srt10_psycho posted a photo:

ms. mac posted a photo:

One of them...

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www.herbertfernandes.com posted a photo:

My wife posing up front and an abandoned dhow in the background,

Strobist : I sb800 camera left with CTO orange Gel, WB at 3000K approx, shot thru a Lumiquest softbox III

www.herbertfernandes.com posted a photo:

Strobist : I sb800 camera left with CTO orange Gel, WB at 3000K approx, shot thru a Lumiquest softbox III

Model : My Wife
Location : Yiti / Yanket