- 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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03:56 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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06:51 pm |
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Isha |
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08:11 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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Ahmad Al Harthy along with the sponsors and officials at Grand Hyatt Hotel, yesterday. – Jun Estrada / Times of oman
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Muscat: Oman's motor-racing champion Ahmad Al Harthy's desire to eventually become the first Omani driver to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hour Race is close to becoming a reality since the 31-year-old has announced his plans to move into endurance racing this year, with his participation in the British GT Championship.
Speaking to the media yesterday at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Pro-Am1 champion said he would partner with 2012 British GT Champion Michael Caine under the official banner "Oman Air Motorbase."
"For me, 2012 was an amazing year, and it has paved the way for me to climb the ladder into the British GT this year. It's an incredibly prestigious and highly respected championship with such an amazing heritage," he remarked.
The Avon Tyres British GT Championship is an endurance racing series. The series was created by the British Racing Drivers' Club in 1993 and, for its first two seasons, was called the National Sports GT Challenge. The series is currently run by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation in conjunction with the British Formula Three Championship and is sponsored by Avon Tyres.
Ahmad and Caine will share a powerful Porsche 911 GT3R car that has been specifically developed to withstand the demands of long endurance races. The two drivers will take turns behind the wheel during each GT encounter, with the driving time shared evenly between them.
Driver-change pit-stops are, therefore, a vital part of the strategy in an endurance competition, which is a relatively new experience for Ahmad.
With the little endurance-racing experience he gained from participating in the 2011 GT Championship in the United Arab Emirates, where he teamed up with two-time Porsche Carrera Cup GB Champion James Sutton, Ahmad admitted the race would be a challenge.
"Challenges have always pushed me to perform at my best, and this isn't going to be easy because it will be a totally new experience for me," he stated.
The British GT Championship features high-performance cars from some of the top automotive brands in the world, including Porsche, McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin.
Champion racer
Of the seven races, round one will begin at Qulton Park in the United Kingdom on April 1. Ahmad, however, will take a test race in less than two weeks.
"It is important to prepare, no matter how much you know about driving. I seriously couldn't have a better or more experienced teammate than Caine to share a car with. I will be able to learn a lot from him, and he will learn from me as well," Ahmad asserted.
Mohammed Al Shikely, marketing general manager of Oman Air, heaped praise on Ahmad: "Ahmad has shown the world that Oman can produce champions." Mutassim Al Zedjali, head of corporate affairs at Nawras said Ahmad's success is clearly the result of his dedication to the sport.
"If you look at his graph, ever since he made his debut in motorsports, (his results) have been astonishing. This shows his passion and dedication to the sport. He is truly a role model for all of us," Mutassim acknowledged.
Fahad Al Raisi, director of sports development and welfare at the Ministry of Sports Affairs, pointed out that the government had increased Ahmad's sponsorship money. "We have complete faith in him, and we know that he will do exceptionally well in this season and will make Oman proud," he stated.
Sameer Al Awam, CEO of Muscat Eye Laser Centre; Ibrhaim Al Mahrooqi from the Ministry of Tourism; and Tarek Sakik, head of PR and Communication, were also present at the media briefing.
Oman Air, Nawras, National Bank of Oman (NBO), Muscat Eye Laser Centre, the Ministry of Sports Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism, and Sports Oman are the sponsors for this season's event.
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