From n.p.ridout at qmul.ac.uk Wed Jul 2 19:44:23 2008 From: n.p.ridout at qmul.ac.uk (Nicholas Ridout) Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2008 20:44:23 +0100 Subject: [Oman-L] Research Project Opportunities Message-ID: Jeremy Jones and Nicholas Ridout have recently been awarded funding to conduct research into the history of Oman?s political, cultural and economic contacts with the rest of the world. The scope of this research covers the period from 1744, although established relations prior to this period will constitute important background. We are seeking potential collaborators for this project, whose contributions might range from contract research in official archives and private collections (in London, Muscat, Zanzibar and elsewhere) to more extended consultancy. To discuss the project further, and to express interest in participating, please contact either Jeremy Jones or Nicholas Ridout; jj at jjteam.demon.co.uk or nick at jjteam.demon.co.uk -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://oman.org/pipermail/oman-l/attachments/20080702/60aaa1ba/attachment.htm From jduester at oman.org Sat Jul 5 11:24:25 2008 From: jduester at oman.org (Joachim Duester) Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2008 04:24:25 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Oman-L] Phone & Internet connectivity on the rise in Oman Message-ID: <762769.81147.qm@web37908.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Remarkable rise in Oman's phone and Internet subscription Spurce: Oman Daily Observer, 5 July 2008 The statistical bulletin issued by the Ministry of National Economy shows that the number of fixed phone subscribers grew by 0.6 per cent to 217,904 by the end of April this year as compared to the corresponding period last year. The number of Sahl subscribers stood at 41,482 by the end of April 2008, compared to 42,079 by the end of April 2007. The number of public phones in different parts of the Sultanate reached 6,814 as against 6,858 in April 2007. The number of active wireless lines amounted to 3,355 as of the end of April 2008. The number of fixed telephone lines subscribers in the Muscat Governorate stood at 130,816 as at the end of April 2008, followed by the Al Batinah region 43,815, the Al Dakhiliyah region 25,690, the Al Sharqiyah region 22,427, the Dhofar Governorate 20,598, the Al Dhahirah region 15,814, the Musandam Governorate 3,263 and the Al Wusta region 318. The number of mobile service, provided by Oman Mobile and Omani-Qatari Telecommunications Com-pany (Nawras), subscribers stood at 2,779,098 by the end of April 2008 compared to 2,500,000 by the end of 2007, an 11.2 per cent increase. The number of billed mobile telephone subscribers by the end of April 2008 amounted to 296,988 compared to 293,622 as of the end of 2007, a growth by 1.1 per cent . The number of pre-paid mobile service has shown remarkable increase as the number of subscribers, by the end of April 2008 amounted to 2,482,110 compared to 2,206,378 as of the end of 2007, a growth by 12.5 per cent. The bulletin added that the number of Internet service subscribers rose by 14.4 per cent as at the end of April 2008 to reach 116,582, compared to 101,890 as of the end of 2007. The number of internal phone service subscribers stood at 52,831. The number of Power Net subscribers stood at 24,936 and the number of leased Internet lines amounted to 512. The number of other Internet services amounted to 1,103. The number of Internet pre-paid service amounted to 37,200. The number of subscribers reached 3,286 for auto calls at the end of April at the leased circuit subscribers. From jduester at oman.org Sun Jul 20 15:53:27 2008 From: jduester at oman.org (Joachim Duester) Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:53:27 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Oman-L] GDP growth rate and inflation in Oman (Oman Daily Observer, 20 July 2008) Message-ID: <293985.75664.qm@web37908.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Oman GDP posts highest growth in 28 years Source: Oman Daily Observer, 20 July 2008 Oman's economy achieved nominal GDP growth at current prices of a record 42.9 per cent in Q1 2008, the highest growth experienced in the Sultanate since 1980, the Ministry of National Economy said in latest bulletin for the first quarter of this year. Much of the growth was contributed by the petroleum sector, which itself posted a record growth of 60.8 per cent. This was the result of both a 4.9 per cent increase in production and a 60 per cent increase in prices in Q1 2008, the ministry said. Oman crude oil increased from an average of $ 54.70 per barrel in Q1 2007 to an average price of $ 87.4 in Q1 2008, a 60 per cent increase of $ 33 per barrel. In Q1 2008 alone, the price enjoyed its record highest gain in any single quarter, rising $ 14.3 per barrel. Oil production had been in decline since 2000 but Q4 2007 saw the first increase of 2.7 per cent over the previous quarter and again in Q1 2008 there was a 1.9 per cent increase over Q4 2007, bringing the year on year increase in Q1 2008 to 4.9 per cent. The increase came from condensate rather than crude oil. Oil export values saw strong growth in Q1 2008 with a 46.6 per cent increase in Q1 2008, thanks to the jump in oil prices and the increase in production in Q4 2007 and Q1 2008. The non-oil sector also performed well with 28.3 per cent growth in the same period ? the highest since Q3 1996 ? driven by high growth rates in the wholesale and retail trade, manufacture of basic chemicals, transport, storage and communication and financial and intermediate sectors. The cost of borrowing for companies and households fell the most it had done this decade to reach a nominal interest rate of 6.3 per cent by the end of March 2008, and an average of 6.5 per cent for Q1 2008. The supply of funds for lending was at an all-time high in Q1 2008 with liquidity growth of 37.8 per cent compared to Q1 2007. ?These credit market conditions meant it was never easier to borrow money. Indeed, the amount of money borrowed in Q1 2008 increased by 48.1 per cent compared to Q1 2007. This credit boom had the effect of strengthening the demand from companies and households, with net import growth remaining strong at 45.5 per cent in Q1 2008 compared to Q1 2007. In addition, high growth of 23.2 per cent in the private sector workforce fuelled the demand from the household sector,? the bulletin said. At the same time, Q1 2008 saw record increases in prices. The Consumer Price Index increased in Q1 2008 to bring the average increase compared to Q1 2007 to 10.6 per cent. The Wholesale Price Index increased 12.9 per cent and the Building Materials Index 13.8 per cent in Q1 2008, up from 6 per cent and 8.1 per cent respectively in 2007 compared to 2006. However, the broadest indicator of the general price increase across the economy is the fact that the majority of the 42.9 per cent increase in GDP in Q1 2008 was due to price increases. Oil and gas revenues formed 86 per cent of government revenue in Q1 2008. Total government revenue was up 36.5 per cent to RO 2,116 million in Q1 2008 which enabled a 14.7 per cent increase in total public expenditure to RO 1,246 million during the quarter, leaving a healthy surplus of RO 869.8 million. The Omani rial continued to depreciate in Q1 2008 with the Index of Effective Exchange Rate reaching a new record low of 89.4 in March 2008 as the value of the US$ fell to record lows against the other major world currencies. The previous record low was in November 2007 when it dipped to 91.6. From jduester at oman.org Wed Jul 23 08:32:43 2008 From: jduester at oman.org (Joachim Duester) Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:32:43 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Oman-L] Sultanate / Emirates border: border demarcation (AFP) Message-ID: <715430.6581.qm@web37908.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Oman, UAE finalise border demarcation Agence France-Presse, 23 July 2008 Oman and the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday signed lists of coordinates and detailed maps finalising the delineation of their border, official news agencies in both Gulf countries said. The documents signed by Omani and Emirati interior ministry officials in Muscat were drawn up in line with a border accord inked in June 2002. Fifty-one maps and three lists of coordinates were signed, "settling all outstanding border issues between the two brotherly countries," said the UAE's WAM news agency. Oman and the UAE, which share a 1,000-kilometre (625-mile) frontier, had initially signed an agreement in May 1999. WAM said the only outstanding issue was the technical designation of the point where the borders of the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia converge in Umm al-Zumol. The UAE has differences with Saudi Arabia over their border and the sharing of a major oilfield there, although the issue is seldom mentioned in public by either country. In June 2005, the UAE said it had proposed to Saudi Arabia "substantial" changes to a controversial 1974 border pact between the two countries. Their differences were supposed to have been settled in the agreement signed in 1974 in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah under which the Saudis dropped their claim to the Buraimi oasis region. In return, Abu Dhabi gave up a 25-kilometre (15-mile) strip of land linking it to Qatar to the west of the UAE, and some 80 percent of the resources of the Shaybah oilfield in southeast Saudi Arabia. Abu Dhabi felt it made the 1974 deal under duress, to secure recognition of the UAE federation -- formed in 1971 -- by its larger neighbour. From jduester at oman.org Sat Jul 26 08:51:16 2008 From: jduester at oman.org (Joachim Duester) Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 01:51:16 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Oman-L] Omani crude sold above Brent crude prices - any explanation? Message-ID: <576033.49290.qm@web37904.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Does anyone have an explanation for this? Or is it that there just happens to be a demand from refineries that process exactly the type of crude (with regard to sulphur content) which Oman supplies? Comments welcome! ---------------------------------------------- Middle East crude under pressure as Oman gains Source: Khaleej Times, 26 July 2008 The Middle East crude market came under pressure yesterday as front-month Oman crude, which usually trades lower than Brent crude due to its weaker quality, was pushed well above its market value, traders said. September-lifting Oman crude traded $ 3.11 a barrel higher than Brent crude for the same month by 0830GMT, and almost $ 4 higher than US crude futures. September Oman settled at $ 129.41 by 0830GMT on the Dubai Mercantile Exchange, up $ 5.19 cents from Thursday. "The lack of liquidity is the biggest concern," said a trader with a refiner. "This should not be happening. Just think of the (official selling price)." The Oman OSP is the arithmetic average of the daily Oman settlements at 0830GMT in April for the front-month contract and will probably rise to another record high. "Oman is all over the place," said another trader. "Someone is really playing a game." Oman crude usually trades well below US crude and Brent crude, and only about $ 1 above Dubai values because it has a higher sulphur content than the first two, but about half that of Dubai crude. The spread between September-lifting Oman crude and October-lifting rose to above $ 7 a barrel, turning Oman into backwardation and making prompt Oman crude more expensive than crude for later months. DME Oman prices have come off highs in recent sessions but have not lost as much value as other benchmarks. The spread between September Oman DME and Dubai swaps at Asian closing widened to around $ 5.80 a barrel yesterday, up from an already high level around $ 2.20 a barrel on Thursday, Reuters calculations showed. Other spot cargoes came under pressure as ample supplies were still left on the market, with most buyers' demand covered for the month, traders said. A number of spot cargoes of Abu Dhabi's flagship Murban crude were still on the spot market, with a Japanese trading house offering some cargoes with destination restrictions within Japan, further pressuring differentials. An enduser pegged Murban - without destination clauses - at around parity to a five cents premium to ADNOC, down about 5 cents from earlier in the week. No Qatar Land was offered on the spot market this month as sellers had committed all volumes to term buyers, traders said. The Brent/Dubai Exchange of Futures for Swaps for September (EFS) rose to around $ 3.60 a barrel, up 40 cents from Thursday, a broker said. But the arbitrage remained shut due to high freight prices. September ICE Brent was $ 1.77 higher than a day ago at $ 126.90 a barrel at 0830GMT, as oil prices found some stability after two weeks of losses as buyers crept back into the market before the weekend.