
1,088 offenders freed through Fak Kurba initiative
The humanitarian drive, now in its 12th edition, commenced on February 25, under the auspices of Dr Hamad bin Hamdan al Rubaie, Chairman of the OLA Board, and concluded on a highly positive note.
Leading the tally, Al Batinah North Governorate recorded 334 releases, followed by Muscat Governorate with 242 cases. Other figures included 102 cases in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, 95 in Al Batinah South Governorate, 67 in Al Sharqiyah South Governorate, 65 in Al Dhahirah Governorate, 60 in Al Buraimi Governorate, 57 in Dhofar Governorate, 46 in Al Sharqiyah North Governorate, 16 in Al Wusta Governorate, and 4 in Musandam Governorate.
Dr Mohammed al Zadjali, General Supervisor of Fak Kurba, remarked, 'Since its inception, the Fak Kurba Initiative has set an organised framework for humanitarian and social action in Oman. Over 12 years, we have alleviated the suffering of many destitute prisoners and helped restore stability to their families.'
Speaking to Observer, Dr Hamad bin Hamdan al Rubaie, Chairman of OLA Board, explained that the initiative targeted insolvent individuals who were either imprisoned or had detention orders issued against them in commercial, civil, labour or Sharia cases, with claims not exceeding RO 2,000. Beneficiaries must not have previously availed the initiative.
'Priority was given to cases involving smaller claims, followed by larger claims and the oldest insolvent individuals,' he added, noting that cases were accepted solely via the Administrative Affairs Council for the Judiciary's General-Directorate of Execution.
Operating under the slogan "Because we believe that people deserve a second chance", Fak Kurba has secured the release of nearly 10,000 individuals since its inception, offering hope and rebuilding lives across the Sultanate of Oman.
The organisers highlighted the active support received from individuals, government bodies, and private institutions, underscoring the spirit of solidarity embedded within Omani society.
'We aim to sustain and expand this impactful initiative in the future, forging more partnerships across sectors to support an even greater number of cases,' Dr Al Rubaie said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Observer
a day ago
- Observer
FSA appeals against verdict in Sweets of Oman case
MUSCAT: The Financial Services Authority (FSA), regulator of Oman's capital market and insurance sector, has appealed against a Primary Court ruling in Muscat that acquitted three board members of publicly listed Sweets of Oman, while imposing a substantial financial penalty on one board member and several executive management staff in an embezzlement case. The appeal, filed on July 29, 2025, is in response to the ruling of the Primary Court issued on June 30, 2025, in the suit brought against members of the Board of Directors of Sweets of Oman SAOG for their term of office from 2017 to 2019, along with a number of the company's executive employees. The case concerned a criminal matter related to serious violations that caused financial harm to the company and its shareholders, committed by one board member in collaboration with several executive management employees. The Primary Court, in its verdict, ordered certain members of the board and executive management to return an amount of RO 5 million in favor of the company and its shareholders, in addition to bearing court fees and expenses. It, however, acquitted three board members of liability, citing the lack of a causal link between them and the proven damages, as determined in the court's reasoning. This acquittal has now been contested by the Authority through its recent appeal filed recently. The court's ruling followed reports confirming that the company's losses and damages resulted from gross negligence in fulfilling the Board's legal and oversight duties, with major shortcomings in five key areas: failure to oversee bank loans, including obtaining loans without assessing their feasibility or impact and recording them at non-genuine values in the financial statements; approval of financial statements without internal audit review and confirmation of fictitious inventory at a branch; addition of financial assets without legal approval, a board resolution, or clear funding sources; failure to apply policies for writing off doubtful debts under International Accounting Standards; and suspicions of collusion by certain executive employees in inflating revenues and understating liabilities, coupled with the Audit Committee's failure to fulfil its duties in line with corporate governance principles for public joint-stock financial companies. The Authority emphasized that these practices resulted in the presentation of inaccurate and misleading financial data, harming the company's financial position and the interests of its shareholders. This ruling reflects the Omani judiciary's affirmation of the principle of personal liability for members of boards of directors of public joint-stock companies, which does not end with the expiry of their term of office but extends for five years from the date of the act or omission, under Article (18) of the Commercial Companies Law. FSA stressed the necessity for board members to carry out their legal and oversight responsibilities with competence and awareness, ensuring proper guidance of executive management without excessive interference in daily operations or neglect in follow-up and monitoring, thereby safeguarding financial procedures and protecting shareholders' rights. This approach is reinforced by Article (206) of the Commercial Companies Law, which states: 'The members of the Board of Directors shall be jointly liable towards the company, shareholders, and third parties for damages resulting from their joint actions in violation of the law, actions exceeding their powers, or any fraud, forgery, or error they commit during the performance of their duties, as well as for failing to act with the care of a prudent person under given circumstances.' It is noteworthy that the ruling was issued after the court merged two lawsuits filed against the company's board members and certain executive employees. The Financial Services Authority filed the first lawsuit in December 2022, followed by a second lawsuit filed by several major shareholders in July 2023. The Authority reaffirms its full commitment to promoting the principles of governance, transparency, and accountability, and to exercising its regulatory role in monitoring compliance by companies under its supervision and their boards of directors with applicable laws and regulations, based on the powers granted to it under the Commercial Companies Law No. (18/2019), including Article (207). It also calls on all parties to strictly comply with the applicable laws and regulations, and to refrain from any practices that could undermine the integrity and efficiency of markets or harm the rights of shareholders and investors. Caption:


Observer
2 days ago
- Observer
The thin line between prejudice and racism
In a world grappling with conflict, migration and cultural misunderstanding, the difference between prejudice and racism may seem academic — but it's not. These concepts are deeply woven into the fabric of human interaction and understanding them is essential if we are to build fairer, more tolerant societies. This is a personal reflection on how prejudice can emerge from experience and how easily — and dangerously — it can slide into racism. I have often pondered whether there is a meaningful difference between racism and prejudice. We all carry certain prejudices — assumptions or expectations based on limited experience. Even though we know that, statistically, in any country — including Oman — most people are polite, honest and kind-hearted, we occasionally meet individuals we don't get along with or cannot trust. For me, such experiences in Oman are rare. When I sit next to an Omani on a plane, I expect to be treated with good manners and invariably we get on well. In fact, I would rather sit next to an Omani than, say, a European. Is that a form of prejudice? Most certainly. Why is this the case? I have met many Europeans — including, of course, my fellow Brits — who are kind, polite and warm-hearted. But I've met more Omanis who fall into that category than Europeans. It's not rational or logical to judge an entire nation based on the actions of a few unpleasant individuals, but it isn't always easy to avoid such generalisations. Let me share another example. In the UK, I used to buy and renovate properties. Over the years, I found that most British tradesmen I employed tried to cheat me in one way or another. By contrast, the tradesmen I hired from Eastern Europe were almost always honest, reliable and capable. So I ended up employing only Eastern European workers. Yes, I admit that I developed a prejudice against British tradesmen. Interestingly, they were all white — so my bias was not based on the colour of their skin. Both of these prejudices emerged from real but limited experiences — a statistically insignificant number of negative encounters with Europeans and British tradesmen. Yet they shaped my expectations. That's the insidious thing about prejudice: it's often not rooted in ideology, but in personal experience. And that makes it harder to recognise and perhaps even harder to admit. Then we come to the difficult question: is it reasonable to maintain such prejudices? I would argue that, to a degree, it is. There's an old proverb — 'Once bitten, twice shy'. If a pattern of behaviour appears to repeat itself, we become wary. Why should I risk another bad experience? That's how prejudice works. But it's also why prejudice can so easily lead to racism. This is the slippery slope. Prejudice is usually based on behaviour — what someone does to you. Racism is based on identity — what someone is and particularly what is the colour of their skin or their ethnicity. And while I don't believe I am a racist, I recognise how close the line can be. I am not proud of my prejudices. I see now how even well-intentioned caution can slide into bigotry and racism if left unchallenged. Let us imagine that all my bad experiences had been with people of colour. For some — especially those with little education or limited exposure to diversity — these experiences could easily evolve into racist attitudes. And in its most extreme forms, racism has led to some of history's darkest atrocities. Nazi Germany comes to mind, as does what the Israeli Zionists are doing in Palestine today. That is why I am working hard to root out my own prejudices. It isn't easy. But I believe we all have a responsibility to examine our assumptions, recognise how prejudice can morph into racism and resist the temptation to generalise. Prejudice can destroy trust. Racism can destroy societies. The writer is a former Cambridge School Principal and an Interview Skills Advisor


Observer
4 days ago
- Observer
Oman takes part in UN-GGIM session
NEW YORK: The Sultanate of Oman participated in the 15th session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM), held at the UN headquarters in New York, USA. The Omani delegation was headed by the Acting Chairman of the National Survey and Geospatial Information Authority at the Ministry of Defence. The meeting addressed several topics related to geospatial information management, including enhancing governance frameworks, the contributions of regional committees to the global geospatial information agenda, and the role of thematic networks in advancing geospatial data initiatives. Discussions also covered the future of geospatial information ecosystems. — ONA