- Oman Daily Observer
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Oman Daily Observer 
Oman Daily Observer front page excerpt, 2007-01-13.Type Format Broadsheet Owner Oman Establishment for Press, News Publication and Advertising Editor Fahmy bin Khalid Al Harthy (acting) Founded November 1981 Political alignment Pro-government Headquarters Muscat, Oman Official website omanobserver.om The Oman Daily Observer is an English-language Omani daily.
Established in November 1981, it is the oldest and most widely circulated English-language broadsheet in Oman.[1][2][3]
The Observer focuses on local, national, regional and international news covering current affairs, business and sports. It also pays special attention to Oman’s economic development, highlighting the country’s natural, historical and cultural wealth.
The current chief executive officer is Abdullah bin Nassir bin Musallam Al Rahbi, and the acting editor is Fahmy bin Khalid Al Harthy.
Contents
Controversy
The managing editor for several years of the Oman Daily Observer was Maurice Gent, an Irish journalist with experience working on Fleet Street, at The Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times, and at the BBC.[4] On 15 June 2004, Gent was dismissed as managing editor by the Observer's owners, the Oman Establishment for Press, News Publication and Advertising (OEPNPA). Market rumour was that Gent was a victim of Omanization, but an article in the Kerala Monitor exposed disquiet in Oman at Gent's editorial interference, in particular through a front page article he wrote defending the former chief ljBank of Oman]], Aubyn Hill, who had recently been deported from Oman for fraud.[5]
The Kerala Monitor article also quoted Observer staffers who recalled further editorial interference by one of Gent's female associates, and the sacking by Gent of VM Sathish, a reporter at the Observer for five years, after strong lobbying by the Khimji family, whose business was undergoing investigation in Oman.[5]
The article quoted sources saying that, while Gent's management duties at the Observer had been terminated, he was taking over Oman Money Works, a publication also owned by the OEPNPA,[6] and other marketing supplements.[5]
On 23 August 2009, the Observer published "A co-ordinated transport plan for Oman", an article by Gent on TransOman, a transport, shipping and logistics show organised by Oman International Trade and Exhibitions.[4] The introduction to the article stated that Gent had been with the Observer for 10 years, and that the article was the first in a weekly series, appearing on Sundays.[4] The Observer subsequently published two more articles by Gent in the series,[7][8] and various other articles in Gent's TransOman Notebook column throughout late 2009,[9] including an article on Khimji Ramdas,[10] the main enterprise of the Khimji family.
Managing Editors
Years Managing Editor Until 2002 Said bin Khalfan Al Harthy 2002 - 2004 Maurice Gent From 2004 Fatima Aideed Present Fahmy bin Khalid Al Harthy (acting) References
- ^ "About Us" at timesofoman.com. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
- ^ omanobserver.om. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
- ^ "About Us" at omantribune.com. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
- ^ a b c Gent, Maurice (2009-08-23). "A co-ordinated transport plan for Oman" in Oman Daily Observer. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
- ^ a b c "Observer Terminates British Editor Maurice Gent" (2004-06-15) in the Kerala Monitor. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
- ^ "Oman", in the catalogue of the Library of Congress Cairo Office. Updated 2008-03-13. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
- ^ Gent, Maurice (2009-08-30). "A co-ordinated transport plan for Oman" in Oman Daily Observer. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
- ^ Gent, Maurice (2009-09-06). "A co-ordinated transport plan for Oman" in Oman Daily Observer. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
- ^ OITE Press Releases at Oman International Trade and Exhibitions. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
- ^ Gent, Maurice (2009-09-27). "Khimji Ramdas joins TransOman conference" in Oman Daily Observer. Retrieved 2010-03-05.
External links
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