World Heritage Site - the aflaj of Oman
I must express a quiet note of satisfaction in that the relevant World Heritage website's page about Oman provides a link to my photos of aflaj in the newsbriefsoman gallery.
The announcement that Oman's aflaj system had joined Unesco's other 830 global world heritage sites came on the 13th of July this year, although the bid had been long in the running. Oman held a conference as long ago as May 2002 to gain international support for the recommendation. The International Conference on the Development and Management of Water Conveyance Systems (aflaj) was held under the auspices of Dr Khamis bin Mubarak Al Alawi, the then minister of regional municipalities, environment and water resources and was attended by "ministers, undersecretaries, officials from brotherly and friendly countries and representatives of participating regional and international organisations." Times of Oman, 20th May 2002.
I suspect that efforts to give Omani aflaj World Heritage status began long before that, during the incumbency of the now defunct Ministry of Water Resources, since the World Heritage inscription refers to the Ministry of Water Resources, and the maps defining the area of each falaj were produced in the GIS unit of the ministry between 1998 to 2000.
More recently, in April 2005, a former boss of mine raised the issue once more at a meeting in Russia to revise the executive regulations of the World Heritage Pact.
The wheels of bureaucracy grind exceeding slow.
Just five of Oman's 3,000 aflaj have been nominated, of which four are dawoodi (daoudi) aflaj, and one is aini. See my notes in an earlier entry for definitions. They are:
- Falaj Al-Khatmeen (dawoodi) - Birkat al Mauz
- Falaj Al-Malki (dawoodi) - Izki
- Falaj Daris (dawoodi) - Nizwa
- Falaj Al-Jeela (aini) - Sur
- Falaj Al-Muyassar (dawoodi) - Rustaq
(Gulf News, 11th December 2006, quotes Zahir Bin Khalil Al Sulaimani, Director General of Water Resources Affairs in MRMEWR, as saying that "currently 4,112 aflaj exist in Oman with an annual flow of 680 million cubic metres of water.")
The summary of the inscription states that these particular aflaj have been selected because they preserve the integrity of the entire falaj water management system, and also because they are subject to control by the Ministry of (Regional Municipalities, Environment and) Water Resources. That means that they remain a working, and viable water supply, despite drops in the groundwater table or supply of water to the spring in the case of Falaj Al-Jeela. Each falaj system preserves a network of watch towers to defend the community water supply as well as other buildings listed in association with the aflaj such as mosques, houses, sundials, and water auction buildings.
The announcement that Oman's aflaj system had joined Unesco's other 830 global world heritage sites came on the 13th of July this year, although the bid had been long in the running. Oman held a conference as long ago as May 2002 to gain international support for the recommendation. The International Conference on the Development and Management of Water Conveyance Systems (aflaj) was held under the auspices of Dr Khamis bin Mubarak Al Alawi, the then minister of regional municipalities, environment and water resources and was attended by "ministers, undersecretaries, officials from brotherly and friendly countries and representatives of participating regional and international organisations." Times of Oman, 20th May 2002.
I suspect that efforts to give Omani aflaj World Heritage status began long before that, during the incumbency of the now defunct Ministry of Water Resources, since the World Heritage inscription refers to the Ministry of Water Resources, and the maps defining the area of each falaj were produced in the GIS unit of the ministry between 1998 to 2000.
More recently, in April 2005, a former boss of mine raised the issue once more at a meeting in Russia to revise the executive regulations of the World Heritage Pact.
The wheels of bureaucracy grind exceeding slow.
Just five of Oman's 3,000 aflaj have been nominated, of which four are dawoodi (daoudi) aflaj, and one is aini. See my notes in an earlier entry for definitions. They are:
- Falaj Al-Khatmeen (dawoodi) - Birkat al Mauz
- Falaj Al-Malki (dawoodi) - Izki
- Falaj Daris (dawoodi) - Nizwa
- Falaj Al-Jeela (aini) - Sur
- Falaj Al-Muyassar (dawoodi) - Rustaq
(Gulf News, 11th December 2006, quotes Zahir Bin Khalil Al Sulaimani, Director General of Water Resources Affairs in MRMEWR, as saying that "currently 4,112 aflaj exist in Oman with an annual flow of 680 million cubic metres of water.")
The summary of the inscription states that these particular aflaj have been selected because they preserve the integrity of the entire falaj water management system, and also because they are subject to control by the Ministry of (Regional Municipalities, Environment and) Water Resources. That means that they remain a working, and viable water supply, despite drops in the groundwater table or supply of water to the spring in the case of Falaj Al-Jeela. Each falaj system preserves a network of watch towers to defend the community water supply as well as other buildings listed in association with the aflaj such as mosques, houses, sundials, and water auction buildings.
Strange pretender - a bogus Ministry of Commerce and Industry website alias
Being in the business, I scan the ongoing news about what is happening to Google search services. The latest revision to its search algorithm draws a distinction between sites which are classed as relevant, BUT which offer an enhanced experience for the visitor as opposed to a site which offers virtually nothing but advertising.
Naturally, the forums contain anguished postings about Google's lastest barrier to their aim of making a fast buck.
I've wondered what all the fuss is about. I do get annoyed when it's difficult to pick the content out of the advertising on websites, but the content is usually there. And I offer advertising too, since it helps me pay for the costs of keeping my websites online. I certainly don't get big bucks out of it, but that's because I don't have a business model.
Today, I finally found an extreme example of a relevant content website dedicated wholly to advertising, and it relates entirely to Oman.
For one thing, the domain name, mocioman.com, is very close to that of Oman's Ministry of Commerce and Industry, http://www.mocioman.gov.om. And it appeared second in the list of natural results on a search for mocioman in Google.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry does not offer a website in English at the time I write, so it gets even easier to be misled if you search for it. Supposing I were an American businessman wanting to invesigate trade opportunities following the signing of the Oman-US FTA? I wouldn't get very far if I wanted to look at the official site, and I might easily get to mocioman.com by mistake. What would be my impression of Oman if I thought the advertising site was official?
For another, the list of links in the navigation bar on the left look very relevant and appealing. Oman Jobs, Forts, Jobs in Oman (that's a clue, since it duplicates a previous link), Oman Medical College, Oman Visa, Oman Flight, Oman Hotel, Oman Flag, etc etc
Every single one of those links goes to a page of advertising. There's no original content in that website at all. And the Sheraton Hotel in Oman has presumably paid money for inclusion, since it has its very own link.
You'd be very hard pressed to get in touch with anyone from the site. I finally found a Contact link, but it's only to a page which collects your name and email address. There's no privacy policy, so you could be adding your own email to a spamming list.
I looked up the domain name, mocioman.com, on WHOIS. Unsurprisingly, the registrant has chosen to conceal his/her identity behind a company called Whois Identity Shield based in Vancouver, Canada.
I can tell you that the domain was created on 20th February this year, was updated on 15th May, and expires on 20th February 2007. If the website brings in money, then perhaps the domain name will be extended, or perhaps the site will simply shift to another domain name.
With just a little bit of delving, I arrived at a website called Hitfarm. Just look at the product page, and voila, you will see the template used on mocioman.com. So whoever has that site online is probably subscribing through Hitfarm.
I thought you might like to know.
Addendum on 19th September 2006: For good measure, I've also discovered that the old website for the Public Authority for Social Insurance, which had the domain name www. pasioman. com has also suffered the same fate as www. mocioman. com, simply being a vehicle for adverts. This is the current website for PASI.
Try this website for links on how to report blogs on Blogger and websites that contravene Google's webmaster guidelines.
Naturally, the forums contain anguished postings about Google's lastest barrier to their aim of making a fast buck.
I've wondered what all the fuss is about. I do get annoyed when it's difficult to pick the content out of the advertising on websites, but the content is usually there. And I offer advertising too, since it helps me pay for the costs of keeping my websites online. I certainly don't get big bucks out of it, but that's because I don't have a business model.
Today, I finally found an extreme example of a relevant content website dedicated wholly to advertising, and it relates entirely to Oman.
For one thing, the domain name, mocioman.com, is very close to that of Oman's Ministry of Commerce and Industry, http://www.mocioman.gov.om. And it appeared second in the list of natural results on a search for mocioman in Google.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry does not offer a website in English at the time I write, so it gets even easier to be misled if you search for it. Supposing I were an American businessman wanting to invesigate trade opportunities following the signing of the Oman-US FTA? I wouldn't get very far if I wanted to look at the official site, and I might easily get to mocioman.com by mistake. What would be my impression of Oman if I thought the advertising site was official?
For another, the list of links in the navigation bar on the left look very relevant and appealing. Oman Jobs, Forts, Jobs in Oman (that's a clue, since it duplicates a previous link), Oman Medical College, Oman Visa, Oman Flight, Oman Hotel, Oman Flag, etc etc
Every single one of those links goes to a page of advertising. There's no original content in that website at all. And the Sheraton Hotel in Oman has presumably paid money for inclusion, since it has its very own link.
You'd be very hard pressed to get in touch with anyone from the site. I finally found a Contact link, but it's only to a page which collects your name and email address. There's no privacy policy, so you could be adding your own email to a spamming list.
I looked up the domain name, mocioman.com, on WHOIS. Unsurprisingly, the registrant has chosen to conceal his/her identity behind a company called Whois Identity Shield based in Vancouver, Canada.
I can tell you that the domain was created on 20th February this year, was updated on 15th May, and expires on 20th February 2007. If the website brings in money, then perhaps the domain name will be extended, or perhaps the site will simply shift to another domain name.
With just a little bit of delving, I arrived at a website called Hitfarm. Just look at the product page, and voila, you will see the template used on mocioman.com. So whoever has that site online is probably subscribing through Hitfarm.
I thought you might like to know.
Addendum on 19th September 2006: For good measure, I've also discovered that the old website for the Public Authority for Social Insurance, which had the domain name www. pasioman. com has also suffered the same fate as www. mocioman. com, simply being a vehicle for adverts. This is the current website for PASI.
Try this website for links on how to report blogs on Blogger and websites that contravene Google's webmaster guidelines.
The long, hot summer - and Lebanon
The long, hot Gulf summer is in full swing. Sandstorms blowing from Ar Rub al Khali (the Empty Quarter) have hit Dubai. Temperatures are recorded as being in the forties' centrigrade, but often exceed 50C, certainly in the sun.
So hot has it been that Sri Lankan labourers have been asking their embassy to go home because 'they have to work on open sites exposed to the scorching sun' throughout the heat of the day. The Punjab News has alleged that ten Indians have died in an open camp, during a scramble for food and water. Around 2,000 Indians had been rounded up for not having labour cards and residence permits.
Those who can, leave town. Including senior government figures. It was left to the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, for instance, to receive the credentials of the Greek ambassador last week. Although Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, deputy prime minister for the Council of Ministers, received both the outgoing Syrian ambassador and the British Chief of Defence Staff, a few days later. In the language of diplomacy, the meetings focused on "bilateral relations, current regional and international developments and matters of common concern."
The British Chief of Defence Staff also met Lt General Malik bin Sulaiman al Maamari, Inspector-General of Police and Customs, and Lt Gen Ahmed bin Harith al Nabhani, Chief of Staff of the Sultan’s Armed Forces, which points to a focus on security issues.
Perhaps the summer break explains the lack of published government response to the crisis of Lebanon.
A two-line item in the Oman Observer of 26th July reported that 13 aid flights had been sent to Lebanon with medicine, food, tents and blankets. Compare this with the public fund-raising that has been happening in Saudi Arabia and in UAE, where a telethon organised by three local television stations raised at least Dh49 million (approx £13,342,000 or RO5,130,000).
It might be appropriate to provide a little more background, before examining the direct influences on Oman's foreign policy towards the current crisis.
So hot has it been that Sri Lankan labourers have been asking their embassy to go home because 'they have to work on open sites exposed to the scorching sun' throughout the heat of the day. The Punjab News has alleged that ten Indians have died in an open camp, during a scramble for food and water. Around 2,000 Indians had been rounded up for not having labour cards and residence permits.
Those who can, leave town. Including senior government figures. It was left to the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, for instance, to receive the credentials of the Greek ambassador last week. Although Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, deputy prime minister for the Council of Ministers, received both the outgoing Syrian ambassador and the British Chief of Defence Staff, a few days later. In the language of diplomacy, the meetings focused on "bilateral relations, current regional and international developments and matters of common concern."
The British Chief of Defence Staff also met Lt General Malik bin Sulaiman al Maamari, Inspector-General of Police and Customs, and Lt Gen Ahmed bin Harith al Nabhani, Chief of Staff of the Sultan’s Armed Forces, which points to a focus on security issues.
Perhaps the summer break explains the lack of published government response to the crisis of Lebanon.
A two-line item in the Oman Observer of 26th July reported that 13 aid flights had been sent to Lebanon with medicine, food, tents and blankets. Compare this with the public fund-raising that has been happening in Saudi Arabia and in UAE, where a telethon organised by three local television stations raised at least Dh49 million (approx £13,342,000 or RO5,130,000).
It might be appropriate to provide a little more background, before examining the direct influences on Oman's foreign policy towards the current crisis.