- Weather
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Max |
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40°C |
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Min |
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30°C |
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Sunrise |
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05 : 30 AM |
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Sunset |
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06 : 30 PM |
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Humidity |
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50 to 80 per cent |
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- Prayer Time
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Fajar |
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03:58 am |
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Dhuhr |
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12:09 pm |
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Asar |
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03:30 pm |
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Magrib |
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06:50 pm |
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Isha |
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08:09 pm |
- Oil Price
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- Gold Price
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Price in RO
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24ct / gm |
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17.37 |
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22ct / gm |
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17.00 |
- Currency Rates
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Forex Rates vs R01
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US Dollar |
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2.60 |
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Euro |
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2.01 |
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Pound |
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1.72 |
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Indian Rs. |
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144.42 |
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Pak Rs. |
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255.85 |
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Bangla Taka |
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201.35 |
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Hassan bin Fida Al Lawati, NPCI manager
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Muscat: The national PC initiative (NPCI) has reached its third phase in which 16,000 computers and 9,000 modems have been distributed, so far. Since the launch of the initiative in 2011, OmanTel has provided more than 87,000 computers and more than 57,000 modems to be distributed.
The initiative grants a free laptop to school students and higher-education students belonging to families on social insurance and subsidises the cost of a personal computer for school teachers who have graduated from the Government IT Training & Certification (GITTC) project and for first-year students enrolled in various higher-education institutions within the Sultanate. The move has been much appreciated at all levels. The Information Technology Authority (ITA) and Oman Telecommunications Company (OmanTel) project, now in its third phase, has so far distributed 16,000 computers and 9,000 modems.
Hassan bin Fida Al Lawati, NPCI manager, commented on the initiative's impact on society: "Since its launch in January 2011, the initiative has contributed to strengthening the capabilities and skills of citizens in dealing with modern technologies and, therefore, has helped to transform Omani society into a knowledge-based society. The initiative has distributed, since its launch, more than 87,000 computers and more than 57,000 modems, provided by OmanTel."
The initiative's package includes a training offer for students belonging to families on social insurance. In this regard, Hassan added, "In the first and second phases, more than 6,000 people from the social-insurance families' category have been trained in cooperation with local training institutes and a specialised body. All the information on the distribution outlets, the beneficiaries, PC options, and other most frequently asked questions is available on the NPCI website: www.ita.gov.om/npc."
Speaking about OmanTel's support of the initiative, Aladdin Abdullah Baitfadhil, senior manager of Direct Sales in the Consumer Unit of OmanTel, said, "Through our communications partnership with ITA, OmanTel seeks to add real value to the initiative's beneficiaries through the offers provided to them. OmanTel offers the social-insurance beneficiaries a free modem, exempt from connection fees and the monthly rental fee, as well as a free download limit of 1 GB per month for a full year for both home and mobile Internet. The package also includes two special offers for the teachers' and higher-education students' categories.
"The first offer is ADSL Internet service, which includes a wireless modem, free rent on a fixed line for a full year, with a free download limit of 1 GB per month and 75 minutes of free calls from a fixed line, at speeds of up to 2 MB for the first three months, followed by a 50-per cent reduction on the subscription fee for the remaining nine months of the year.
"The second offer is a new SIM card with a modem and free activation, combined with a wide range of options for daily, weekly, or monthly packages at the prevailing market rate."
Aladdin emphasised the initiative's importance in supporting the e-Oman vision to transform the Sultanate into a knowledge-based society: "The initiative has witnessed high demand since the launch of the third phase due to the expanded coverage of the 3G network, which provides high-speed Internet service from OmanTel. This enables the initiative's beneficiaries to use mobile Internet outside their home, in addition to accessing ADSL Internet [at home], which gives them a better online experience."
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