New Hijri year holiday announced in Oman
The message is clear: The slightest mistake could cost your child’s life
MUSCAT: Sayyid Khalid bin Hilal bin Saud Al Busaidi, Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court, Chairman of the Civil Service Council yesterday issued a decision on the holiday of the Holy Prophet’s Hijra Anniversary (PBUH) and the advent of the New Hijri year 1439 AH.
The decision said: “On the occasion of the Holy Prophet’s Hijra Anniversary (PBUH) and the new Hijri year 1439 AH, it was decided that the first day of Muharram, 1439 AH will be an official holiday for the employees of the ministries, public authorities and other departments of the State’s administrative apparatus. If the first day of Muharram 1439 AH falls on Friday, September 22, 2017, the holiday will be on Sunday 3rd Muharram 1439 AH, corresponding to September 24, 2017. Muharram moon sighting will be declared by the concerned authority.”
On this great occasion, the Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court extended his congratulations to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said, praying to Allah the Almighty to protect His Majesty, grant him good health, happiness and a long life and for the return of this and similar occasions on His Majesty for many years to come and the Omani people and our dear country with further progress and welfare under His Majesty’s wise leadership, and all Muslims with blessings and welfare.
On his turn, Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Bakri, Minister of Manpower also issued a decision on the occasion of the new Hijri year 1439 AH, declaring that the first day of Muharram, 1439 AH will be an official holiday for employees at the private sector’s companies and establishments, as Muharram moon sighting will be declared by the concerned authority. MUSCAT: Two Oman racing car drivers have teamed up with road safety chiefs to give residents one simple warning: “If you don’t strap in your child, you’re risking their life.”
Ahmad Al Harthy and Ayman Al Salmi may often drive at breakneck speeds clocking more than 250 kph (kilometres per hour), but they are surrounded by some of the safest gear in the world, and have one very strong message for people—strap in your young children, so that they don’t suffer.
“Whenever I am driving on the road, I often see young children sitting on their mothers’ laps in the front of the car, or just in front of them, in the gap between the seat and the dashboard,” said Al Harthy, speaking to the
“This really irritates me, because it is so simple for families to make sure their children are safe.”
“Most of them can easily afford car seats for their children, and one tiny mistake made by the driver could result in a really serious injury, or even worse,” added Al Harthy, who currently represents Oman Racing.
“They are risking their children’s lives just because they don’t know about the importance of getting a car seat, or maybe they don’t realise how it can help.”
“I am involved in many campaigns to promote road safety in Oman, and I believe we need a much larger platform to inform people,” he explained. “Now, we see signboards asking people to wear their seat belts properly, or to follow the correct speed limit, so hopefully, in the future, we’ll see something similar for this as well.”
Al Harthy is not wrong: car seats can cost as low as OMR60, and go a long way in saving a child’s life, a fact Renault racing’s test driver and Oman Force racer Ayman Al Salmi knows only too well.
“I knew someone who didn’t put their young daughter in a car seat, and he got into an accident,” he recalled. “She had a bad injury and she was in the hospital for three months, fighting with those injuries and she died. “Her parents were obviously very sad, but this could have been prevented if they had put their child in a car seat.”