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The Sultanate of Oman celebrates its 51st National Day

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in royal family, culture, travel

His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik the Sultan of Oman
Their Majesties Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah



Message from His Excellency Sheikh Ahmed Bin Hashil Al Maskari, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Brunei Darussalam.



On the 18th of November, the Sultanate of Oman marks its 51st National Day anniversary. With firm resolve, Omani citizens continue to make more achievements under the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik, the Sultan of Oman who vowed to upgrade the march of nation building and enhance the pace of progress, striking a high note in Omani people’s enthusiasm for an ambitious renaissance that covers all spheres of life.

At the onset of the message on the auspicious occasion of the 51st anniversary of the national day of the Sultanate of Oman, I am honored to seize this opportunity to congratulate His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam on Brunei Darussalam’s successful ASEAN Chairmanship for the current year, in these challenging times, Brunei continued to admirably play an important role as the ASEAN Chair in helping the region bounce back from the global pandemic and deal with other challenges facing ASEAN. 

Furthermore, after registering its first locally transmitted covid-19 case in over a year, I am pleased to take this opportunity to commend the Government of Brunei Darussalam’s approach in containing the second wave of COVID-19 outbreak. Owing to His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam’s wise leadership, we are confident that Brunei will overcome this challenge.  

Furthermore, thanks to the government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam the vaccination drive has gained momentum and the country is destined to achieve a level which is needed to achieve herd immunity in the nearest future. 

Moreover, I would also like to take this opportunity to laude Bruneians and foreign nationals residing in Brunei Darussalam for supporting the measures implemented by the Bruneian authority and for acting responsibly to stem the spreading of the virus.  My sincerest gratitude goes to the competent medical professionals, doctors and nurses, law enforcement and border guards and others who are working tirelessly around the clock for the well-being and safety of everyone in this country. 



Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
Omani fort
Aerial view of Muscat- the capital city of the Sultanate of Oman



Oman & Brunei: 37 years of outstanding bilateral relation: 

This year marks the 37h anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Sultanate of Oman and Brunei Darussalam. The two sultanates established diplomatic ties on 24th March 1984 and, ever since, the bilateral relations have always enjoyed stable, healthy and steady development, and has attained remarkable achievements. 

This process was greatly assisted by the official state visits paid by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassnal Bolkiah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam to the Sultanate of Oman on three separate occasions. The first being in the 1984, the second taking place in 1985, and the third and the most recent visit in 2009.  In addition, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, visited Oman in February 2014. 

Furthermore, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the Sultan of Oman, visited Brunei Darussalam in March 2014, in his capacity as Minister of Heritage and Culture during the reign of the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Bin Taimur. These royal visits strengthened the relationship between the two brotherly countries even further. 

Since establishing diplomatic relations, the Sultanate of Oman and Brunei Darussalam have concluded numerous agreements and Memorandums of Understanding in different fields of cooperation. 

Bilateral relations are discussed and reviewed on regular basis by the Foreign Ministry of the Sultanate of Oman and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam through the “Bilateral Consultative Meeting”; mechanism that was established in 1992 to strengthen bilateral relations. So, far twenty meetings have taken place, alternating between the two capitals of Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei and Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman.

Despite the challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic our two brotherly countries bilateral relations continued to grow from strength to strength. On 11th January 2021, the Foreign Ministries of the Sultanate of Oman and Brunei Darussalam held the 20th Bilateral Consultative Meeting (20th BCM), via video-conferencing. 

During the 20th BCM, the two sides acknowledged and agreed to further strengthen the existing bilateral cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman and Brunei Darussalam in various areas, including trade and investment, energy, agriculture and fisheries, higher education, tourism, health, defense, and people-to-people exchanges.  

Cultural cooperation is one of the strong dimensions of Oman-Brunei bilateral relations. Oman has participated on regular basis in Brunei international book fairs. Brunei also took part in Muscat book fairs during the past few years. 

In this regard it worth mentioning that, on the year 2019, the Sultanate of Oman was privileged to be the first country ever to be invited as a country of honor at Brunei Book Fair, since it was inaugurated almost two decades ago.

Additionally, in line with the Embassy’s efforts to make the most of the Bruneians admiration for Arabic language, a fifth batch consisting of four teachers from the Ministry of Religious Affairs studied Arabic Language in the Sultan Qaboos College for Teaching Arabic Language to Non-Native Speakers, for duration of eight weeks during the year 2019, on a partial scholarship from the Government of the Sultanate of Oman. 

The first four batches consisted of students from Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) and the Religious Teachers University College of Seri Begawan (KUPU SB). 

So far, a total of twenty-four participants from Brunei had benefited from this program. Currently arrangements are underway for the sixth batch of Bruneian students to study Arabic Language in the Sultan Qaboos College for Teaching Arabic Language to Non-Native Speakers during the course of next year. 

Furthermore, recently the Ministry of Education of the Sultanate of Oman and Brunei’s Ministry of Religious Affairs established an impressive cooperation in the field of Arabic language teaching and learning, that has resulted in several promising initiatives that further strengthened the teaching and learning of Arabic language in Brunei Darussalam.  

The Embassy has also emphasized promoting people-to-people exchanges between Brunei and Oman. As part of this effort, six Omani publications corners were officially launched at the library of Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) in February 2016 and at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD)’s library in May 2017, at the Library of the Religious Teachers University College of Seri Begawan (KUPU SB) on 25th July 2018, at the library of Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB) on October 2019 and the library of Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Défense Academy on October 2020, with the latest Omani publications corner launched at the Library of the Language and Literature Bureau on 27th July 2021. Thus, the total number of Omani publications contained in these six corners are more than two-thousands (2,000) publications. 

Additionally, as part of the Embassy’s effort to foster ties with the People of Brunei, within the framework of public diplomacy, which is considered an effective tool to help formulate people’s perception of each other’s countries and cultures. 

The Embassy continued its annual practice of inviting batches of students from local public schools to visit the Embassy’s premise. During these visits I personally presented on aspects of Oman’s cultural and tourism appeal such as its geographic location, natural beauty and diverse landscapes, in addition to its culture and heritage. My presentation also explored some of the similarities between the Sultanate of Oman and Brunei Darussalam including the form of governance practiced in both countries, and efforts to modernize while maintaining distinct cultural identities, as well as the strong bonds of friendship forged through shared historical, cultural and social ties between the two countries and their peoples. 

Moreover, our two brotherly countries enjoy productive cooperation in the field of education; the Sultanate of Oman continued to offer Bruneian students’ scholarships under the Omani program for Cultural and Information cooperation. At the same time, we are also grateful that over the past years the government of Brunei Darussalam has accepted many Omani students to pursue their studies in various local universities and institutions of higher learning on Brunei government scholarship. 

Speaking of students’ exchange, several Omani students from Sultan Qaboos University and University of Nizwa studied in UBD for one academic semester, during the past few years. 

Oman and Brunei also enjoy promising cooperation in the field of sports, only last April 2021, The National Football Association of Brunei Darussalam (NFABD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Oman Football Association. The MOU entailed cooperation in vast areas including conducting more exchanges between the two Football Associations as well as the hosting of friendly matches.

Moreover, in a move that took trade and investment cooperation between the two sultanates to a higher level, Brunei inked a deal with Oman in April 2009, to establish a US$100 million investment fund, shared between the two sultanates and based in the Omani capital of Muscat. This deal resulted in the unveiling of Oman Brunei Investment Company (OBIC).

OBIC invests in private equity of high-growing sectors through acquisition, or by investing in existing companies or starting new projects.

OBIC continued to make the most of business opportunities available in the Sultanate of Oman and Brunei Darussalam local markets, in order to further boost the two countries economic development and contribute to their economic diversification plans.

OBIC has invested in many projects in the Sultanate of Oman since its establishment 12 years ago. Among the most important of these projects are Kempinski Hotel, located Al Mouj-Muscat; the European Hospital being built in Al Ghubra; and the desalination plant in Sohar. 

On the year 2019, OBIC has acquired (50 per cent) share of Golden Corporation Sdn Bhd (GC), a company that specializes in fish farming, in addition to providing high-quality seafood products, based in Brunei Darussalam. This was OBIC first investment in Brunei.

Furthermore, on 9th December 2019, Oman Investment Authority (OIA) of the Sultanate of Oman and Brunei Investment Agency (BIA) agreed to increase the capital of Oman Brunei Investment Company (OBIC) by another USD 100 million. Thus, bringing the total capital of the company to USD 200 million.

Additionally, both countries have identified and explored over the years during the Bilateral Consultative Meetings between the Sultanate of Oman Foreign Ministry and Brunei Darussalam, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a number of new investment opportunities in various industries including the upstream and downstream, oil and gas sectors, halal food, banking and finance, agriculture and fisheries. With the hope that these investments won’t be limited to either Oman or Brunei, but could also be extended to joint investment in third countries.

Moreover, the longstanding shared values and similar energy landscapes of Brunei Darussalam and the Sultanate of Oman have been key in nurturing close ties between the two countries, with the Brunei-Oman Joint Seminar – first held in 2014 in Brunei and the second held in Muscat, Oman in 2016 and third taking place in Brunei 2019– symbolizing this partnership. We are hopeful that the fourth session of the aforementioned seminar will take place next year 2022, at Muscat. 

The biennial seminar, hosted alternately between Brunei and Oman, was established as a platform to share best practices in areas of mutual interest between both countries and to foster joint opportunities, as well as to enhance understanding of the business and investment environments in both countries, especially in industry sectors.

Cooperation in the field of energy and related fields further fortified with the exchange of professionals through the staff cross-posting between Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd (BSP), Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and Oman Liquefied Natural Gas (Oman LNG), an arrangement which has been ongoing for several years.

Défense cooperation is another dimension of Brunei-Oman bilateral relations that has also grown steadily over the past years, with both countries armed forces regularly participating in command and staff courses and other military events held in the Sultanate of Oman and Brunei Darussalam.

With reference to what I have highlighted earlier it’s evident that relations between the two Sultanates have extended beyond the political spheres to include other important areas of cooperation and we firmly believe that with the joint efforts of both sides, more positive results will be yielded in the Sultanate of Oman-Brunei Darussalam excellent and mutual beneficial cooperation.

Therefore, based on these cooperative relations shaped by economic necessity and investment opportunities and incentives, there is ample reason to expect our two countries partnership to reach new heights and cover more sectors including industries, tourism, logistics, fisheries, as well as, technology, health care, water, environment, and renewable energy.

Furthermore, we hope that the friendship and cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman and Brunei Darussalam will grow from strength to strength and we are confident that with the outstanding leadership of their Majesties Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, the bonds of friendship between Oman and Brunei will be further cemented in the years ahead. 

I would therefore like to express my thanks and appreciation to the Government of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam for their kindness, generosity support and cooperation in promoting the good relations between our friendly countries. 

I am, thus confident that our two friendly countries relations in the coming years will witness further enhancement of closer bonds of friendship and partnership. Ultimately, my heartfelt wishes to Brunei Darussalam to further success, progress, peace and for the Oman-Brunei relation further development and prosperity.





Celebrating Renewed Renaissance, Setting Further Milestones:


It is with great pride, immense happiness, deep love and gratitude to the Builder of Modern Oman, the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Bin Taimur and His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, that Omani people celebrate the 51st National Day on the 18th of November 2021.  

The achievements brought about over the past 51 years can be seen in all fields and on every yard of the Sultanate of Oman’s territory. The late His Majesty established the pillars of a modern state on solid grounds of justice, equality, responsible citizenship and rule of the law as part of His Majesty’s keenness on safeguarding the unity of the nation and the solidarity of citizens in every part of the country.


The main focus of the Sultanate of Oman’s Renaissance has been on the creation of a modern nation based upon a system of laws and institutions that reflect the development of its society and state. The Basic Law of the State embodies all aspects and helped establish ‘the state of institutions and rule of law’ and paved the way for wide-scale cooperation between executive and legislative institutions within a framework of equality, in earnest quest to facilitate citizens’ access to justice.

Oman National Day is an occasion in which citizens exhibit their joy over the achievements made, as well as their love and gratitude to their benevolent leader.

The celebration comes at a time the Sultanate of Oman is making progress in every field, inspired by the directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik, who continued charting the roadmap of the renaissance.  That’s how modern Oman has emerged as a country admired by the whole world, because of its civilized contribution to human experience and its dignified presence in regional and international arenas. 

Audience with His Excellency Sheikh Ahmed Bin Hashil Al Maskari, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to Brunei Darussalam
Thank you for the appreciation gift and the hospitality. Hope to visit Oman one day 😀



Royal directives to tackle coronavirus pandemic:



To contain coronavirus (Covid-19) that wreaked havoc in countries of the world, the Sultanate of Oman formed a Supreme Committee tasked with tackling developments resulting from coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. The Supreme Committee has been taking ‘moderate’ decisions and precautionary measures that ensure the safety of citizens and residents, while at the same time catering to social and economic implications on this benign land.

The Supreme Committee is responsible for cooperation with the departments concerned and regulating social response. It worked for the procurement of internationally approved vaccines and oversaw the implementation of a national immunization campaign. This was commended by His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik when he chaired the Supreme Committee’s meeting on 18 August 2021. His Majesty said that, “This improvement could not have happened had it not been for the appropriate decisions taken and the efforts exerted by the departments concerned in the Sultanate of Oman, albeit the health sector.” His Majesty the Sultan of Oman lauded the “high sense of responsibility shouldered by all members of society through abidance with the decisions and the measures set by the authorities concerned to safeguard public health—individuals and society at large”.

The decisions resulted in the improvement of Covid-19 indicators in the Sultanate of Oman, which, the reports said, registered great decline in mortality, infection and hospitalization rates, while recovery from the disease reached 98.5%.

Meanwhile, the government accorded special attention to the ensuing economic impacts of Covid-19. The decisions, which took into account the fallouts of the pandemic on establishments and companies, included exemption from fines of some services. Special exemptions were sanctioned to small and medium enterprises and holders of Riyada Card for Entrepreneurs. This is in addition to a package of incentives for borrowers, individuals, banking institutions, financing and leasing firms.

Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience 2019

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in travel, automative, Social News

 

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With the customers from Jati Transport at the Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience 2019 at Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur
 

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The Best Driver of the Day during the Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience 2019
 

Recently Jati Transport Sdn Bhd brought a few of the selected Mercedes-Benz customers for the Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience 2019 at Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur. As usual, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia hosted the event where the guests stayed at Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur while the driving experience itself was held at Sepang International Circuit.

This event is organized yearly to give a better experience to the customers of what the Mercedes-Benz can do. Thank you once again to Jati Transport Sdn Bhd and Mercedes-Benz Malaysia for hosting another successful event. Looking forward to next year indeed.

 

 

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Sabre Travel Fair 2019

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in travel, lifestyle, Business, Social News

 

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With the organizer and partners for Sabre Travel Network Travel Fair 2019 held at Mulia Hotel
 

Coming soon to your neighbourhood is Sabre Travel Network (Brunei) Sdn Bhd’s Annual Travel Fair which will be located at the OneCity Shopping Centre on August 3-4. This will be the first time that the travel fair will be having their presence at the new mall.

Further more, Hua Ho OneCity will be having special deals for travel accessories and also discounts on luggages to make it more convenient for potential travelers.

Abdul Halim bin Haji Abdul Rahman, Senior Manager of Sales and Marketing at Sabre Travel Network Brunei, has been very appreciative of the past customers for the past decade.

“As expected, The Sabre Brunei Travel Fair always attract large crowd because it is able to offer travelers better deals and packages for their dream vacation. Just last year, the Sabre Brunei Travel Fair welcomed over 13,500 visitors. By continuing to provide exclusive opportunities to travelers, and with the support of our partners and travel agents, we are confident that we will record incremental growth again this year.”

That number is actually a 14% from 2017’s statistics. I’m pretty sure that it won’t be a surprise to see another huge crowd, this time at OneCity Shopping Centre.

It’s also good to note that Royal Brunei will be playing a major part in the travel fair and furthermore, with new routes, this gives more choices for travelers to discover newer destinations. Fresh from obtaining the Skytrax 4-Star airline accreditation, Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) as the official airline partner for the Sabre annual travel fair will be offering attractive travel deals, with irresistible fares and prizes to be won.

RB Country Manager Brunei Lim Guat Wen said, “Any customer who purchases an RB ticket is entitled to a lucky draw featuring air tickets, Royal Skies miles and RB merchandise as prizes. They can be won daily with 7 draws each day. We also have an attractive travel deals with irresistible fares and prizes to be won during the travel fair.”

“In addition, we are giving away RB tickets to London, Brisbane or Melbourne and Tokyo bundled up with Baiduri MasterCard cash card pre-loaded with BND 900, BND 500 and BND 300 respectively sponsored by Baiduri Bank. The grand draw will be announced soon after the travel fair.”

“We also have an attractive Customer Reward programme for our guests who will receive limited edition RB merchandise in the form of a luggage belt, luggage protector and a travel pouch set.”

This one, I have to say are really superb RB merchandise. I had a look at them myself and makes me want own one. I believe if you purchase a minimum of $500, you are entitled to an RB luggage belt merchandise and the more you spend, you will be entitled to more RB merchandise (while stocks last).

Participating travel agents include Anthony Tours & Travel Agency, At-Taqwa Travel Tours, Century Travel Centre, Dar El Ehsan Travel, Darussalam Holdings, Freme Travel Services, Grace Travel, JJ Tour Service, Pan Bright Travel Service, Southern Cross Travel Agencies and Straits Central Agencies.

National tourism organisations attending the Brunei Travel Fair include the Brunei Tourism Board, the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, Ministry of Tourism – Republic of Indonesia, Sarawak Tourism Board, the Singapore Tourism Board and the Taiwan Tourist Bureau.

Baiduri Bank Berhad, Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam, Club Med, Korean Air, Standard Chartered Bank, Travel Recommends and RB will also be at the venue with their own booths, to support the participating travel agents.

Medical and insurance services will be represented by Bangkok Hospital, Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council and Takaful Brunei Am.

The other participating partners are Fitness Zone, Hua Ho Department Store, Kingston Beverage & Creamery (free ice-cream) and Progresif Radio (giving out perhaps one lucrative prize that’s worth more than $5,000).

Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines will also be supporting the travel fair by providing attractive fares to participating travel agents, as well as lucky draw prizes. Singapore Airlines will be promoting their Premium Economy seats (exiting Singapore sectors) and also their flight to cruise promotion with the support from Freme Travel. Singapore Airlines will be sponsoring a prize – a return economy class air ticket to Beijing via Singapore and 10 prizes for the quizzes. Malaysia Airlines will have a lucky draw of one return economy class air ticket to Kuala Lumpur and one return ticket to Phuket via Kuala Lumpur.

So come down to OneCity this weekend and check out the amazing fares the travel agents have to offer.

 

 

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During the press conference
 

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Awesome RB merchandise
 

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Now Pan Bright has stepped up their game by giving out more attractive prizes
 

 

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At-Taqwa giving away a car in commemorating their 5th year anniversary
 

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Travel Recommends making a presence, thanks to Grace Travel
 

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Now this is it!! The biggest package to be won that is worth more than BND 5,000 and it’s a Holiday for 4 to Club Meb in Bali. Just tune in to Progresif Radio to find out more.
 

The Miri International Back2School Run

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in Youth, community, family, travel, lifestyle, Social News, Sports

 


Representatives from Sarawak Tourism Board, Tourism Malaysia Brunei Darussalam, SMK Agama Miri and Pan Bright Travel at the starting line of the Miri International Back2School Run last weekend
 


Representatives of Pan Bright Travel supporting the run
 

Pan Bright Travel Service co-organised the Miri International Back2School Run with the SMK Agama Miri which took place at the said school last weekend. The event is part of the “Lakas Tah ke Miri promotion” in conjunction with Malaysia Mega Sales Carnival National Sales Campaign & Visit Sarawak Campaign 2019 in collaboration with Tourism Malaysia Brunei Darussalam and supported by Sarawak Tourism Board.

This is the second run organized by Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Miri and this is the first time SMK Agama Miri collaborated with Pan Bright Travel Service to cater for the residents of Brunei Darussalam. There were three categories overall – 5KM run, 11KM Men’s and Women’s Open and the Mountain Biking Jamboree 44KM Open & Veteran. The event attracted more than 140 participants from Brunei from the 1,3000 participants of the run.

The Lakas Tau Ke Miri promotion is still ongoing until the 31st July 2019 where for every purchase of BND 800 worth of travel products from Pan Bright in a single receipt, you are entitled to a rebate special from as low as BND 35 at Meritz Hotel or BND 75 at Miri Marriot per room per night. There are also special room deals from Meritz Hotel (BND 59) and Miri Marriot (BND 99) which includes breakfast for two.

I can understand why Mertiz Hotel is very popular among Bruneians because of the convenience of shopping at Bintang Mall (Ever Rise supermarket, H&M, Uniqlo and many more). My recent stay saw many Bruneians parked their car at the parking lots though the congestion might test your patience. The same can be said for Miri Marriot where Brunei families and expats would pamper their kids and children at the massive swimming pool and it’s also located a bit further from the busyness of Miri.

For more enquiries about the promotion, do contact Pan Bright Travel offices at 224 0980 (Bandar) or 334 1154 (Kuala Belait). You can also their Facebook or instagram @panbrighttravel for updates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


My room at Meritz Hotel during the Lakas Tah ke Miri Promotion
 


John Teo, General Manager of Meritz Hotel with representatives from Tourism Malaysia Brunei and Pan Bright Travel
 


Our hotel inspection at Miri Marriot
 

 


The sizable pool that caught the eyes of Bruneians
 


Miri Marriot also offer spa services for singles and couples
 


International Buffet on weekends only at Miri Marriot
 

Thailand Grand Fair at CF

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in royal family, culture, travel, lifestyle, food, Social News

 

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Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accompanied by H.E. Ms. Wanthanee Viputwongsakul, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to Brunei Darussalam with other diplomatic corps at the grand opening of the Thailand Grand Fair at the 23rd Consumer Fair held at the International Convention Centre
 

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Her Royal Highness looked on the hand made design on the umbrella
 

The Royal Thai Embassy organised the ceremony of the “35th Anniversary of Thailand―Brunei Diplomatic Relations Grand Fair” at Bilik Sepakat 2 and 3 yesterday. On this special occasion, Her Royal Highness Princess Hajah Masna, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs graced the Opening ceremony of the Fair as part of the 23rd Consumer Fair.

The Embassy’s annual Thailand Grand Fair is celebrating its 11th edition this year and also coincides with the 35th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Thailand and Brunei Darussalam.

Visitors can expect around 30 booths selling fresh and ready-to-eat food such as fresh spring rolls, Miang Kham and Som Tam (papaya salad), dried food, snacks and delicacies such as mango and durian sticky rice as well as dried, fresh and seasonal fruits.

Visitors can also find at the Fair,Thai silk and cotton clothing, handbags, handicrafts, jewelries and herbal products. So do visit the Thailand Grand Fair at the Consumer Fair which ends this Sunday.

 

 

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Her Royal Highness receiving a Thai delicacy from one of the vendors at the Thai Grand Fair
 

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Photo opportunity with the guest of honour
 

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Her Royal Highness visited Chatramue booth
 

Yuslinayati driving back a Hyundai

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in travel, Business, Social News

 

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Yuslinayati Yusof the grand winner of Pan Bright Travel Service 5th Travel & Win a Hyundai or Birkin campaign with her family and the manage of Pan Bright Travel Service
 

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The top three winners of the Pan Bright Travel campaign promotion
 

Finally the conclusion to the long campaign, again organised by Pan Bright Travel Service, where one could walk away with a Birkin bag or drive away a Hyundai Accent. Pan Bright has already become a household name in Brunei Darussalam when it comes to booking your flight tickets or your preferred travel agent. I was hoping to be short listed since I bought a few tickets from them as well but perhaps next time would be a much luckier prospect for me 🙂

Last night saw the top 15 vying for the top prize as they were already shortlisted a week prior to the grand draw. The grand prize of the Pan Bright Travel Service 5th Annual “Travel & Win a Hyundai or Birkin Promotion” 2019 was a brand new Hyundai Accent or an exclusive Hermès “Birkin” bag sponsored by the said travel agent.

On hand to present the grand prize was Abdul Rahman Abu Bakar, the Managing Proprietor of Pan Bright Travel Services. The grand winner was Yuslinayati Yusof who chose the Hyundai Accent instead of Birkin bag. Second prize went to Serine Khoo who won a trip to Melbourne while third prize went to Gary Young Chee Wai who won a trip to Seoul.

The good thing about the grand draw was that all the top 15 finalists will walk away with prizes sponsored by Baiduri Bank, Royal Brunei Airlines and Singapore Airlines. The prizes included return air tickets to Melbourne, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh, Tokyo, Seoul, Osaka, Beijing and Royal Skies Miles valued from 10,000 to 25,000.

Members of the media, senior management of Pan Bright Travel and other representatives from Royal Brunei Airlines, Baiduri Bank, Tourism Malaysia (Brunei) and Sabre Brunei were present to witness the event.

 

 

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Second prize went to Serine Khoo who won a trip to Melbourne sponsored by Royal Brunei Airlines
 

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Third prize went to Gary Young Chee Wai who won a trip to Seoul sponsored by Singapore Airlines
 

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Consolation winners flying on Royal Brunei destinations
 

 

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Consolation winners flying on Singapore Airline destinations
 

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The short listed draw held last week prior to the grand draw
 

Sabre Sizzling Fare Promotion 2019

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in travel, Social News

 

 

Sabre Sizzling Fare 2019
 


Contact your favourite travel agents to find out more. Win attractive prizes such as air tickets, iPad, TV and luggage bags.
 

Sabre Travel Network (Brunei) Sdn. Bhd., in collaboration with Royal Brunei Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Ranoadidas.com, today (27 March 2019) launched the Sabre Sizzling Fare Promotion 2019. One week air fare promotion runs from 27 th March to 2 nd April 2019.

Attractive fares to destinations serviced by Royal Brunei Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines can be obtained from one of the 23 locations of the 14 participating travel agents.

“During the 2019 Sizzling Fare Promotion, travellers have the opportunity to shop from a wide selection of attractive fares to their favourite travel destinations and run the chance to win attractive prizes, including three return economy class air tickets to Kuching and Taipei sponsored by Royal Brunei Airlines, one return economy air ticket to any Singapore Airlines South East Asia destinations sponsored by Singapore Airlines, an Apple iPad Pro 9.7, a 32” television and Exclusive luggage bags,” said Irene Soon, General Manager, Sabre TN Brunei.“We thank our partners; Royal Brunei Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Ranoadidas and travel agents for their support and participation in this promotion”.

Travel agents participating in the 2019 Sabre Sizzling Fare Promotion include: Anthony Tours & Travel Agency, At-Taqwa Travel Tours, Century Travel Centre, Continental Yachting, Dar El Ehsan Travel, Darussalam Holdings, Freme Travel Services, Grace Travel Agency, Halim Tours & Travel, JJ Tour Service, Pan Bright Travel Service, Mas Sugara Travel Services, Southern Cross Travel Agencies and Straits Central Agencies.

The Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience 2018

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in travel, automative, lifestyle, Social News

 


The Brunei representatives including the 10 lucky winners from Jati Transport Sdn Bhd during the Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience 2018 in Kuala Lumpur recently
 


Posing with the GLC AMG 63
 

One of the lucky customers of Jati Transport Sdn Bhd was very grateful that the company hosted such event outside of Brunei Darussalam for their customers. Not just one or two customers but 10 lucky customers had the privilege to test drive different ranges of the Mercedes-Benz models on the famous Sepang International Circuit, Selangor, Malaysia recently.

This was also made possible by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia as the winners were able to participate in the Mercedes-Benz Driving Experience 2018 in Kuala Lumpur.

Our Brunei representatives was grouped with the Philippines, Singapore and Bangladesh. All of us were treated to stay at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Kuala Lumpur and it truly fitted the occasion hosted by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia.

We were treated to a great hospitality team by MBM at the Paddock Club 1, maybe the best I’ve experience at Sepang International Circuit and we were given awesome Mercedes goodies. Let’s not forget the free flow of food and beverage during the whole day session.

Before experiencing the different rides on the different Mercedes-Benz models, the participants were greeted by Peter Hackett, MBM AMG Representative/Chief Driving Instructor/Australian Endurance Championship GT Race Driver and he gave a run down of the program and also a briefing on certain skills such as braking, wheels and most of important, safety in dangerous situations.

So which models did we drive? The C300, The A250, The CLS 450 and lastly, my favourite, The AMG C 43. Most of us were able to also drive the GLCs. The instructors were very accommodating and helped the participants to go through the activities – the Slalom course, the Race Start Simulation and the Drifting Session.

I actually enjoyed all the activities and especially the lapping sessions which took place after lunch. This meant we were able to drive the whole track of the Sepang International Circuit and we took turns to drive all the models prepared by MBM.

I didn’t try the Taxi Ride session where the instructors did a hot lap session so the participant got to experience how professional racers drive on the track.

The Brunei participants didn’t go empty handed as we walked with goodie bags and also certificate of participation. One Bruneian, Reuben Fang, was awarded the Best Male Driver by the organiser. Awesome, huh? Congratulations, buddy!!

I could tell that the Brunei group had fun during the one day event. They also took the opportunity to take photos with the newly launched AMG G 63 and also the AMG GLC 63 which were being displayed at the Sepang International Circuit.

Let’s hope this sort of event will be a yearly thing for Mercedes-Benz customers. I wonder what models will be introduced in the next driving event.

 

 


Customary group photo before the first session
 


Azlan Ahmad, founder of Mixmediaworx, receiving his certificate of participation
 


Another Bruneian receiving a certificate
 

 


Izah Azahari of Borneo Bulletin also enjoyed her session
 


Pg Abdullah posing for the camera
 


Reuben Fang the Best Male Driver
 


I loved the bean bags
 


Chilling at the hospitality section at Paddock Club 1
 

 


The Mercedes-Benz CLS 450
 


The drifting session with the A200/A250. I kinda enjoyed this.
 


The ladies were excited for their sessions
 


Ready, Get Set, Go
 


I love the C 43 😀
 

 


I don’t mind this as my garage
 


Take your pick
 


Daniel and I chilling before the ride
 


Olala… The AMG GT C
 


This AMG can be a collateral for your new home
 

 


I don’t mind being caged with the Mercs
 

Winners feted by At-Taqwa Travels Tour

Written by Rano Iskandar on . Posted in travel, Business, Social News

 


With the top three winners of At-Taqwa Travel Tours promotion held yesterday
 


The grand winner, Massharyanti binti Haji Hussain who an Umrah package for two, receiving the prize from Ak Md Nassiruddeen Pg Hj Yussof, Chief Financial Officer of At-Taqwa Travels Tour
 

At-Taqwa Travel Tours Sdn Bhd has been making a name for themselves for the past year or so. With a very solid team, they provided the best service to every customer they can within their resources. I have worked closely with them last year during my Umrah trip and they were very particular when it came to service.

And yes, when you provide good service, you will eventually get more customers and so they did. The last travel fair, Sabre Travel Fair 2018 drew 562 bookings and it was the biggest milestone for a new player in the industry.

Apart from that At-Taqwa also had special lucky draw promotions and yesterday, three top winners were feted with awesome prizes from the travel agent.

The Grand Prize went to Massharyanti binti Haji Hussain who won an Umrah package for two. The second prize winner went to Fauzian Hj Samat with a BND 2,500 travel voucher while third place winner won a BND 1,500 travel voucher which went to Muhd Wazif Asryaf bin Md Affendy.

Ak Md Nassiruddeen Pg Hj Yussof, Chief Financial Officer of At-Taqwa Travels Tour thanked the customers for their support during the travel fair and also to their loyal customers.

All present during the prize presentation were Pg Hj Rosdimar bin Pg Hj Omarali, Managing Director of At-Taqwa Travels Tour and the management as well as representative from Royal Brunei Airlines.

At-Taqwa Travels Tour will be in full swing this until next year as the first batch of Umrah pilgrims will fly off today. They have been busy with the preparations especially with the practical session for the pilgrims to be familiar before they reach the Holy land.

You can follow their updates on IG @at_taqwa_travel_tours for updates.

 

 


Ak Md Nassiruddeen delivering his welcoming remarks
 

 


Fauzian Hj Samat receiving 2nd prize from Pg Hj Mohd Fakhrulrazi Pg Hj Omarali, Head of Department, Haji and Umrah, At-Taqwa Travels Tour
 

 


Representative of Muhd Wazif Asryaf bin Md Affendy receiving third prize from Dk Sabtuyah binti Pg Hj Abdul Rahman, Head of Department of travel and tourism, At-Taqwa Travels Tour
 

 


Representatives from At-Taqwa and Royal Brunei Airline
 


Check out the merchandise from At-Taqwa
 


The first batch of Umrah pilgrims flying to Jeddah today
 

Contact RA

ranoadidas (a) gmail.com
Instagram & Snapchat @ranoadidas
Contact: +6738677773

About RA

A blogger since 2002, using platforms from blogspot, joomla and now currently wordpress. A readership that stands on average of 20,000 visits per month. Also on active on social media platform on IG, Facebook and Snapchat (@ranoadidas)

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