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In a move towards creating a suitable environment for secure electronic transactions, the Sultanate of Oman has issued the e-Transactions Law formalised by the Royal Decree 69/2008.

This is the first law for legalising electronic transactions in Oman which can be defined as any contract, agreement or communication in this regard to be fully or partially implemented by electronic means as electronic messages.

The formulation of this law begins a new era for Oman, where a truly e-enabled society evolves in the realisation of the digital society of Sultanate. It is a major milestone in the implementation of the national IT strategy by the Information Technology Authority (ITA) of Oman.

The e-transactions law consists of nine sections and combines 54 articles, developed and refined over a period of three years. ITA along with a few other government entities and a private law firm have compiled this law based on studies about the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidelines on the Protection of Privacy and Trans-border Flows of Personal Data, and e-laws of several countries like the USA, Europe, France, Ireland, Malaysia and Tunisia.

The e-transactions law of Oman legalises the use of digital signatures in electronic commerce and communications through letters, emails, etc. Organisations wishing to introduce digital signatures for their use must be approved by the Information Technology Authority through a formal process.

Dr. Salim Al Ruzaiqi, CEO of Information Technology Authority (ITA) has pointed out that one of the main purpose of this law is to facilitate electronic transactions which are vital to e-government and e-commerce applications in Oman. In order to support such transactions, any contract, agreement or communication carried by electronic means as electronic messages is considered legally valid through this law. It regulates the transfer of electronic data and messages through various electronic channels such as the Internet and control changes made to data.

For creating the regulatory environment, the law has strict penalties for anyone misusing electronic systems, the applications and the data resident in them by punishing criminal acts using electronic systems and data like hacking into computer systems, unauthorised capture or tampering of data, etc.

ITA is saying that through this law it aims to consolidate public trust in the safe use of e-transaction, messages and records while assuring adequate protection for privacy of data of individuals involved in such e-transactions.

Promotion of this law sets up unified rules, regulations, and standards of authenticating electronic messages and records. By building trust and security, it will reinforce the development of the e-transaction at the national, Gulf, and Arabic domain by using the

e-signature and e-transactions. The use of electronic signatures in electronic commerce set forth a common legal framework for electronic authentication over the Internet or other electronic media. It also will play a pivotal role in forming contracts, carrying out business; assisting people work together co-operatively and underpin many forms of electronic collaboration.

As a comprehensive law it gives credibility to electronic information sharing, while taking the issue of information and communication security to higher levels of authentication, integrity and privacy.

The law provides for encryption as a means to protect e-transactions in order to ensure confidentiality of information or data of the message, to verify the originator, and to prevent others from getting information or data messages so as not to reach the addressee or to corrupt them.

Government entities can now use electronic records and digital signatures in tendering systems; license request processing and taxation systems can also accept fees or any payments electronically.

Protection for adequate privacy in matters related to personal data held in computer systems and processes for enabling electronic transactions is assured by the new e-transactions law of Oman. The law rests the responsibility of protecting electronic systems and data on the entities that manage these electronic systems and the authorised entity that issues valid digital signatures.

The necessary regulations and decisions for the law, which will come into effect three months after its publication in the Government Gazette, would be issued by the Minister of Commerce and Industry.

Art Investment Guide

Second only in size to the US market, The UK art and antiques market is worth well over £4 billion a year, and holds a global share of some 26% of the world’s total art sales. In terms of volume, the UK is the largest marketplace for art on the planet.(1). In 2005, the index covering sales of old masters showed growth of 18.8%, while the similar index covering post-war and contemporary art rose 8.3%. Over the past five years, the average annual returns were 3.1% and 17.7% respectively.(2). That’s a better return than investing in stocks and shares.

Buying art can represent a fantastic long-term investment opportunity. In order to help you make an informed decision on the art you buy through The Art Ministry website, we have put together some key considerations to bear in mind when selecting work from our galleries. With over 25 years’ experience in the art market, our team have followed the same steps to ensure all work available in our Online Store is fairly valued.

1. Buy what you like

It’s important to trust your own taste when buying art. Our aim in providing this collection is to offer artwork for every budget that adds interest to your home or office, a talking point that enriches your environment and lifestyle. Great art needn’t be expensive, and buying artwork should primarily be an expression of your own personality. Like stocks and shares, the value of artwork can go up or down, so it’s crucial you buy what you like and can afford. Ultimately the true value of art is in the pleasure or feelings it evokes. The more people that find it appealing the more demand increases, which inevitably increases the value.

2. Do your homework and understand the value of the work

When you view a piece of artwork to buy, pay attention to detail. If you look into the way it has been physically created, how much time it took and the journey the artist went through in producing the piece, you will come to appreciate the skill of the artist and the effort involved in making the work. When it comes to value, don’t be taken in by the medium either. For example, oil paintings are in general more expensive than watercolours, but the latter can require more skill to achieve the desired impression.

The more artwork you look at and the more background information you obtain on various artists and how they work, the more you will learn what you like and why. Comparing the merits of a work with other artist’s work will help you determine the inherent value in any given piece and assist your buying decision. If you want to know what similar work has sold for, use a source like The Art Sales Index, which has catalogued art prices since the 1950’s, or the Mei/Moses Fine Art Index, which tracks various auction price indexes and compares them to the stock exchange to gauge relative performance.

The comparative merits include:



The artist’s exhibition history

The nationality of the artist

What country the artist works in

The medium the artist uses

The size and dimensions of the piece

The price their work has sold for in the past

3. Buy from a reputable dealer

Only buy artwork from a reputable dealer. The best ones will provide extensive background information on the artists in their portfolio, giving details on how they work and what inspires them. Knowing the artist’s passion might also help you find a work that is right for you. Click here to read ‘About the Artists’ at The Art Ministry.

Reputable dealers will also provide a ‘Certificate of Authenticity’ with all original and limited edition artwork sold. This will be signed by the artist and proves the work is 100% genuine and has been accurately valued. These also include the following information:



The title and visual description of the artwork

Edition numbers and collection details

Materials and techniques used

Size and dimensions of the work

The copyright holder

Distributor details

Release date of the artwork

Printer’s details if relevant

Comments from the artist

Notes on caring for the artwork

Sources:

1. The House of Commons Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport (Sixth Report)

2. ‘Is it just art, or is it investment?’ by Joe Bolger, Times Online 17th April 2006, quoting figures from the Mei/Moses Fine? Art Index

If you require more assistance with buying art from our website, please to contact us, alternatively, feel free to browse our to view the work of all our artists.

Looking for tips and advice on art and design, visit our blog.

The process of hiring a Humorous Motivational Speaker for your next meeting or event can be a daunting task. In today’s politically correct work environment choosing the right Humorous Motivational Speaker that can add appropriate and relevant humor can be a challenge.

The ideal Humorous Motivational Speaker you hire should have proven expertise in the speaking business and an exceptional command of the spoken word and humor. There are several questions you can ask the speaker to minimize any questions you have before you hire them, they are:



Is the speaker a member of the National Speakers Association –NSA or the International Federation of Professional Speakers – IFFPS.



How many paid presentations has the Humorous Motivational Speaker provided for your specific industry or association.



Has the Humorous Motivational Speaker ever missed a speech and if so, does he have a backup speaker in case of bad weather or airplane mechanical problems.



Does the Humorous Motivational Speaker have a pre-program questionnaire that asks detailed questions about your company or association so they can truly customize their program to speak to your issues and challenges?



Does the Humorous Motivational Speaker have a video demo of their speech that you can view?



Does the Humorous Motivational Speaker have several testimonial letters from past satisfied clients that you can contact?



If you ask these simple, yet thorough questions, you can mitigate your risk when hiring a Humorous Motivational Speaker and have a truly successful event with lots of laughs!