HUES STUDENT MAGAZINE

Contents PageHUES

IBRI COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY STUDENT MAGAZINE

1: EDITORIAL, Written by Ms Archana Gupta
2-3: MUSTANG, Written by Mohammed Al Shibli

4-5: SPARE TIME, Written by Miss E
6-7: SUCCESS, Written by Asma Masaaod Musabhah Al Hinai
8-9: A BRIEF HISTORY OF OMAN, Written by Hamed Hamood
Sulaiman Al Shaaili
10-11: ABAYA, Written by Wasin Eid Mahboob Al Ghafri and
Safa Sulaiman Ali Al Saaidi
12-13: LIFE, Written by Carmel Ghani
14-15: FAILURE IS NOT THE END, Written by Samah Mubarak
Said Al Ghafri
16-19: PHOTO LAYOUT, Photographer: Almuaayad Ahmed Salim
Al Jabi
20-21: HAPPINESS AND SORROW, Written by Fatma Ali
Musallam Al Darai
22: THE NEW HERO, Written by Miss E
23: BURNING TORCH, Written by Miss E
24-25: PATIENCE, Written by Aryam Ali Al Kalbani
26: FOOTBALL HEROES, Gerard Pique, Written by by Nasser
Abdullah Nasser Al Farsi
27: FOOTBALL HEROES, Messi, Written by Mazin Sulaiman
Nasser Al Farsi
28-29: CYCLING CLUB, Interview by Hussan Bin Ali
30: THE PURSUIT OF AGILITY, Written by Talal Musabah
Mohammed Al-Ghaithi
31: MONTH OF MERCY,Written by Hassan
Ali Said Al Mandhari
32: CREATIVE ETHOS, Written by Mr Rufus Isiorho

HUES

IBRI COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY STUDENT MAGAZINE

EDITORIAL

You are reading the first issue of the student magazine, ‘HUES’ which is
undoubtedly a great platform for our students to showcase their literary
talents. The English Language Centre under the aegis of the Students
Activities Committee has taken this initiative to give an opportunity to our
budding talents, to give shape to their dreams and creativity. I believe that
the magazine is a step in the right direction towards building a concrete
platform for students to showcase their creativity.

The thoughts, literary talents and artistic skills of the students are spread in
varied shades in HUES. We hope that our amateur writers blossom into
prolific ones in the years to come.

I would like to place on record my heartfelt gratitude to the Head of the
Department, Head of Sections and Ms Hind Salim Al Mahrouqi, the head of
SAC and the person who initiated the idea. A big thank you to our
colleagues and the editorial team Ms Maha Saif Harib Al Darei and Ms
Sharon Devaneson, who have worked hard, to edit the magazine. Thank
you Mr Rufus Isiorho for the compilation and design of this magazine which
is greatly appreciated.

‘No one can float a needle, but a team can float a ship.’ The teamwork and
spirit has made ‘HUES’ a reality. The write-ups in these pages will, no
doubt, take us down the memory lane and strike a chord somewhere within
us. I hope that the magazine will be a source of inspiration to the students
and encourage them to write more and be even more creative in the years
to come.

Happy Reading!

Ms Archana Gupta

1

MUSTANG

2

Choosing a car is not easy these days, especially This car has a perfectly affordable price and unique
when you start considering the price, design, features that make it a great choice. Therefore, I
technical characteristics, etc. However If I had to believe that, value for money, is one of the most
choose a car I like the most, I would definitely pick attractive features of Mustang GT V8.
Ford Mustang. It is a car that has totally captivated
me and which I would like to drive one day. There In the end, I must say, there are a lot of cars but I
are some reasons why the Mustang is my favorite chose my favorite one because it suits me. It has an
car. Firstly, I am impressed by the quality of the incredibly attractive design, and the capacity of its
engine that makes this car especially fast. Secondly, engine is outstanding. All these factors make
its attractive design and style make this car so cool. Mustang GT V8 particularly desirable for me and
Lastly, the moderate price of this car and it is unique many other people who appreciate great cars.
and has other features that are important for me.

One of the main characteristics of the car is its Written by Mohammed Said Mohammed Al Shibli
engine, which is unique. The roaring sound of its
powerful engine cannot leave a true car-lover
indifferent. The V8 engine revised 5.0-liter will pump
out 460 horsepower engine and 569 Nm of torque
makes this model particularly endurable. The engine
is connected to a 10-speed automatic gearbox to
accelerate the car from 0 to 96 km / h (60 mph) in
less than 4 seconds when using the Drag Strip
mode and the Michelin Pilot Sport 4s. It makes the
car super fast, enabling it to develop speed.

Furthermore, I see the design of Mustang GT V8
especially attractive due to its unique and youthful
look. The interior is equipped with a 4-gauge
instrument cluster that has special chrome accents,
a steering wheel wrapped in high-quality leather,
message center, single-zone air conditioning, cruise
control, and a premium audio system that contribute
to the great internal design and functionality of the
car.

Moreover, the prices for Ford Mustang GT V8 makes
it the winner amongst other cars for me. A price of
OMR 13,000 - 22,000 is significantly lower than the
prices for the other cars with similar technical
characteristics. However, it is not too low, which
would be a sign of a bad quality car.

3

SPARE TIME This vigour must be taken care of and nurtured,
which will definitely lead us to become successful.
The only way to make this occur is by utilizing that
special ability and continuously sharpening that
skill.

3- Sport exercises
One of the ways that human civilization has used
since ancient times, to improve the body and mind,
is sport. Here a person can exercise any type of
sport, which he or she finds interesting because the
goal of it is to get rid of negative charges that affect
the healthy functioning of the body and mind.

Happiness comes to all at various time but it is truly 4- Involve yourself in volunteering and charitable
cherished by those who are ready to fully absorb it. activities
It does not require a lot of effort to be an average Living to complement only your own needs will not
person, but for those who wish to dig their names in make you feel satisfied. You will reach a point in
history, going beyond the usual should be their your life asking for the purpose of your existence
sword. Success is one of the reasons of happiness. because you will see life only from your own
To achieve this, people use many strategies at their perspective. If you try to look deeper, you will find
work place. Free time has a big impact on their some who suffer from wants, so do not hesitate to
success and it depends on how much a genius they give your heart to them by helping them to fulfill
are in seizing and using it. Here are some secrets their needs. Thus, you will gain new experiences
that you could follow to enjoy and benefit from and recognize different people who will change
your spare time: your perspective of life.
1- Learn new things
Absorb everything that exists in this universe and 5- Spend Time with Friends and Family
never stop learning. You will find that there is It is natural to run away from the obstacles that life
unlimited energy within you, which is renewed by throws at us. During tougher times, getting the
practice and dedication but lost by negligence and support and motivation of people whom we love,
non-use. It opens up new horizons and the crafts can help us face challenges. They might have faced
that you have acquired will help you to be a better similar situations, so their experiences and guidance
person than before. Give yourself new knowledge will guide us on the right path. Friends and family
and know something about everything. provide great comfort. People will not always be at
2- Develop your strengths the same level of thinking, and spending time with
Each one of us knows our special ability that makes family members and friends teaches us how to deal
us a unique person. with variety groups of people and how to present
our opinions sensitively.
4 Ultimately, everyone has their own strengths and
they can utilize their free time to build these
strengths to become successful.

Writer Miss E

Photograpah taken byAbdulaziz Ali Saleh Al Kalbani

5

Photograph taken by Abdullah Nasser Issa Al Humaimi

6

SUCCESS Photograph taken by Hassan Ali Said Al Mandhari
Success is an invaluable joy. When we learn about the
stories of the successful, we find that their stories are not Asma Masaaod Musabhah Al Hinai
without failure and fatigue or stumble and stress. One who
gathers strength from failures and decides to try repeatedly,
finally touches the peak of success. Before a person tries to
be successful, he must be a person of value and then
success will come automatically. Success must not be a
cause of self-sufficiency. One should realize that humility
precedes success. A popular proverb says that ‘Pride goes
before a fall’. Whoever achieves success should use his
success to serve others. Success is the result of sacrifices,
humongous hard word, and persistent work, done day after
day.
7

A Brief History of Oman

Oman is located at the southeastern corner of the their islands also provided an economic source
Arabian Peninsula, the farthest stretch of Arab land and social cover for the population from ancient
towards the Indian subcontinent, on the other side of the times to the present. The Omani lifestyle has
East African coast. It represents the entrance of the undergone many changes over the past several
Arabian Gulf region, close to the entrance to the Red years. The men, women and children spend their
Sea. The oases are located in the interior and mountain free time in many ways. The Omani men went to
slopes, which were one of the first urban settlement the farm every morning and provided a source of
areas in historical Amman. The long Omani coasts and . income and social cover for the population.

Written byHamed Hamood Sulaiman Al Shaaili

Photograph taken by Hamed Hamood Sulaiman Al Shaali
8

The Omani men went to the farm every morning lot. With modernization, rural life is giving way to
and did agricultural work and fed the sheep. In urbanization. Omanis are moving to cities and there
addition, some men worked in industry. They is a steep increase in people choosing to work in
manufactured the art and warfare tools used in offices and institutions. Children go to modern
warfare, such as swords, armor, and helmets. schools that have the latest technologies. The future
Women were limited to housework, such as cooking of Oman will surely see a great change in the field
and caring for children. The children went every of transportation, medical facilities, education etc.
morning to the school of the king or fort to learn
science and religion. Life in Oman has changed a

9

An Abaya is a long black dress worn by women in
some parts of the Middle East, especially in the
Arabian Gulf countries. Women wear an abaya over
their normal clothes when they go out of their house.
It is a custom and tradition to wear an abaya in the
Sultanate of Oman.
The choice of Abaya design vary according to the
different age groups. For example, in Oman, old
women wear black abayas that do not have any
design and they wear it with a headscarf. On the other
hand, young women wear abayas of brown, gray and
blue shades, which have designs printed or
embroidered on it. Youngsters also wear colourful
head-scarves. Abaya prices vary depending on the
type of cloth and design in Oman.

ABAYA
Written by Wasin Eid Mahboob Al Ghafri
and Safa Sulaiman Ali Al Saaidi

10

PINTEREST IMAGE ©INAYAH

11

LIFE

If your life was a story and you were the writer,
how would you make your story unique and interesting?
If your life was a book and you were the author,
how would you like to write your book?
If your life was a poetry and you were the poet,
how would you like to assort your words?
There is only one life, only one chance to live,
only one chance to dream and only one opportunity to prove.
We live to dream, we are born to dream,
we picture our life as a dream.
The journey of thousand miles begins with a one, little, tiny step;
those small steps take us a long way.
Life must be lived as a game for
we cannot live better without wanting to become better.
We keep moving forward, opening new doors and learning new things,
for this is how our life begins.

12

Carmel Ghani We should always look at the optimistic side of our life,
we should also remember that the life is complex.
To achieve great things, we of course, need to stand up from the little falls.
For a comfortable life, we need to face many troubles.
Being successful is not a cakewalk.
We need to trust, to optimize, to dream,
the most important thing is to, Never lose hope.
Our life is in our hands, and it is our choice to bring success in life.

Photograph taken by Abdulaziz Ali Saleh Al Kalbani 13

Failure Is Not The End

If you fail, does it mean that you are a failure and that you cannot be successful in
your life? Failure is something that we experience in our life just like success.
Sometimes you will experience failure for a long time in your life, but you will
always find a way out of the failure to be successful. If you do not reach your
intended goal or objective, it does not make you a failure.
What makes you a failure is when you stop trying to reach that goal. There are
many reasons that will make you a failure: disruption of work, lack of conviction,
and justifying mistakes and making excuses. Moreover, all of these reasons can be
solved easily if you have the perseverance and continuity, confidence and
courage, change your view of yourself and avoid thinking of every loss as a
failure. Finally, failure is not the end of a destination. You can overcome failure
like any problem that you have faced and solved. Be positive; do not let the
negativity and other people affect your success.

Written by Samah Mubarak Said Al Ghafri

14

Photographer: Almuaayad Ahmed Salim Al Jabi

15

16

Photographer: Almuaayad Ahmed Salim Al Jabi

17

18

Photographer: Almuaayad Ahmed Salim Al Jabi

19

Happiness
and Sorrow

Written by Fatma Ali Musallam Al Darai

20

In our lives, there is something that some

people call happiness; that everyone
aspires to reach with all their power.
H appiness for every person makes them
forget their sorrows and draws a smile. It
seems like this happiness does not leave
them, whatever happens. Happiness takes
them to a place away from the problems of
human beings. It gives them beautiful
memories, but you do not discover it if you
always look at the sky. Look down to the
ground to see what you have. You will
realize that you have many things that
others wish they had. You are unaware of
its importance. Hence, seize the
opportunity and make use of it before you
lose it in the blink of an eye. This is life, it
makes you a little happy and then it makes
you cry. Be patient, bear the sadness, but
do not give up. Know for sure that at the
end of the dark long road, there is light.



21

The New Hero

Being confident is not something easy

because at a point in your path you will find
that even the best speakers pretend to be
perfect while they actually are not.
Confidence is not just about the ability to
stand in front of a great crowd and act as if
you are the one who orates words
professionally, with the right tone and
involving yourself in every debate. However,
it is all about the satisfaction you feel about
yourself: being so durable from inside and
equipping the soul with high possibilities.
Destroy all intellectual blocks that prevent
you from gaining the confidence and
obtaining the inner faith amid dispersion. It
could mean nothing to all, but for you, it is
something special. You choose what makes
you confident; be the new hero.

Written by Miss E

22

Burning Torch

Do you want to know why some people

look so unique than others do? Although they
do the same work, they seem to ignite that
fire that keeps them lighted even on snowy
nights. Something like a shadow follows you
everywhere and forces you to look forward
to conquering more, and you may become a
legend through it. It gives you the reason for
your terrestrial existence. Can you give
yourself the opportunity to find the essence
of life? That essence, which once you think
about giving up, will be difficult to regain.
Everyone experiences the feeling that when
you find that when you reach something, you
lose the desire in it. It happens because it was
not true passion.

Written by Miss E

Photographer: Almuaayad Ahmed Salim Al Jabi
23

Between Joy and Sorrow Hold on to the boat of patience!

My story about a little girl is made of imagination.
Was it imagination? I still don’t know; but in reality,
she lived for a moment.
In August 2008, she was 8 years old. She was riding
a bicycle when suddenly a car with a woman
stepped onto the road in her path. She swerved to
avoid the car, but the car hit her and she fell on the
ground, head first. This impact caused traumatic
brain injury. Traumatic brain injury can cause a host
of physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral
effects. People can recover completely, but they can
also end up with permanent disabilities or even die
as a result.
After being in a coma for one week, everyone has
lost hope of her return to life. When she regained
consciousness, everyone was crying. They thanked
God and then said thanks to the doctors. She woke
up from a deep sleep after a week. She began to
open her eyes a little. She couldn’t see anything at
first except for wires intertwined to her body.
The nurse went to tell her family that she had
opened her eyes and promised to live again. Her
father entered and a broad smile filled his face.
Then her mother’s tears followed. She did not know
what happened to her, did she cry or smile? It was a
miserable day.
The girl almost lost her life, her friends. She missed
the fun of life. Life returned as it was, she returned
with her family and companions.
Finally, she said, “I walk on the edge of fate and
don’t know what is written’.

Written by Aryam Ali Al-Kalbani

24

Photograph by Asma Masaaod Musabah Al Hinai 25

FOOTBALL
Gerard Pique
I am a fan of Barcelona and
Barcelona is considered one of the
best Spanish clubs at this time with
the best players and with a solid
defender Gerard Pique.
Gerard Pique grew up in Barcelona’s
youth clubs and in 2004 he moved to
Manchester United and was loaned to
Real Zaragoza for one year in 2006,
and returned to Barcelona in 2008. In
his first season with Barcelona, he
won all six tournaments he played
with his club and is one of four
players who won the champions
league for two consecutive years with
different teams.
I like Gerard Pique because of his
experience and good skills that
characterizes him. He can control the
game and is considered one of the
best and most influential players. He
is diligent in every match and protects
his team’s goal.
Written by Nasser Abdullah
Nasser Al Farsi

26

HEROES
Lionel Messi

I think that Messi is the best player in history,

because he has so far scored 600 goals from
the start of his career. Messi is considered one
of the best
players in the the history of Barcelona. I am
also very impressed with this player because he
struggled with a disease when he was small and
still managed to achieve his goal to become the
best player in history. In addition his generosity
has increased my admiration for him, because
he donates to orphans and is building a hospital
for cancer warriors.

Written by: Mazin Sulaiman Nasser Al Farsi

Drawing by Morshid AlKhatri 27

CYCLING CLUB

Interview with Abdulsalam Maktoum Ali Al Manthari
by Hassan Bin Ali

Good morning can you please introduce yourself, So you started very young?
your name, where do you live, what you do and I started at the age of three, but I stopped for a very
your qualification. long time, yes, when I left school I stopped for a
Yes, good morning Hassan. My name is Abdulsalam very long time, and I started again in 2014. And
I am from Ibri, Sulaif. I teach at Ibri College of since 2014 I have not stopped.
Technology. I was here ten years ago, no, eight How do we motivate people to start cycling, what
years ago. I started teaching in 2010 and then I went are the best ways?
to the UK to get my PhD and now I am back here at I do a lot of things. First I created some social
Ibri College. media platforms. I opened an Instagram account, a
Great, what inspired you to start cycling, and Facebook account, Twitter account, and also there is
why did you choose this sport specifically? a Whatsapp group. I also use the Whatsapp status to
There are a lot of factors; one of them was friends. I show pictures of our excursions because people get
started cycling in the UK because my friends were curious when they see these videos and pictures,
cyclists, so they encouraged me to practice the and when they ask me (about it) I encourage them
sport. I had a lot of opportunities to try a lot of to join.
sports there but this (cycling) was my favourite. AlDahirah Biking team. What are the
Because when you cycle, you see nature. You see a requirements to join the club?
lot of things compared to other types of sports. If First, when we introduce the team, we give some
you go to the gym, you just see the mirrors, the wall information about the rules. For example everyone
and you smell the sweat of other people. I used to should wear a helmet, sport clothes, proper shoes
go to the gym, but I didn’t like it a lot. My favourite and then people can join us on our excursions if
sport was football, but in December 2016, I got a they are serious and they want to be an official
sports injury. It was very serious and stopped member they have to pay a membership fee which
(playing football) for more than six months, and is 10 rials for the whole year.
then I decided that football was not my sport They get things in exchange like yellow vests that
because I got injuries frequently. One year earlier in they wear at night, t-shirts with the team’s logo and
2015, there was a football tournament I got injured, when we go on trips. Sometimes food and drinks
and I stopped (playing) for many months. It is the are offered there.
nature of these kinds of sports, because it is If someone is interested in buying a bicycle how
competitive and you clash with the other team. would you guide them? I mean the expenses, the
However, with cycling you enjoy nature, you are on quality, the types of bikes. You know that not
your own and do not have to be in a race. Even if everyone can afford to buy an expensive bike.
there is a race there is no physical contact amongst How do you categorize the types of bicycles?
other cyclists. Yes, it is a common question. When people are
How long have you been doing this hobby? interested, this is the first question that they ask.
Of course I started when I was very young. I used to
cycle up to the age of seventeen …

28

I ask them where they want to cycle. Is it So, it takes some time for our society to accept new
just on roads or off roads or a things. Even cycling itself is a new sport in Oman...
combination of both? You may think this I have not seen such a team other than yours
is basic information but many people Yes, it is a new sport, and a lot of people question
don’t know it. Then I will ask about their us and people think that it is not a real sport that we
budget, some people are willing to pay just cycle for fun. We try to create awareness about
hundreds of rials while others will only this sport so that it is taken seriously. So, they not
pay thirty. People are also willing to pay only see the fun side of it, but also the serious side
thousands, for example, one of my of it which is races, getting fit and winning national
friends has a bicycle he bought for 1900 and international awards.
rials that was for just one bike he has
two. So I ask about the budget, the way 29
they intend to use the bicycle, and the
purpose. Is it just for fun a half an hour
ride or for races you need something of
good quality?
Finally, what can we do to provide a
special place and environment for
ladies? You know fitness is so
important for them. So how can we
provide it for them?
Yes, I believe that fitness is important for
everyone, but a lot of people think that
only young people can do sport, but that
is a misconception …
Yes, especially here in our country but
if you go abroad, it is not the case.
So, if you see an old man in his fifties,
sixties doing sports people will be
looking at him like there is something
wrong. Even if they see kids in sports
clothes and running, that is not very
common. For ladies, it is a big problem
because they can’t do any kinds of sports
and this is something that we should
encourage in the future. Everyone
should be involved, and I hope our team
in the future will do something about it.
It is because of the custom of our
culture here...
Yes, it is a conservative society, and
when they see new ideas, they are not
usually accepted immediately.

The Pursuit of Agility

Many people do things they

like, for example I like sports for
many reasons. First of all, sport is
a physical exercise that can be
done by anyone for the purpose of
recreation, pleasure and the
pursuit of agility.

Sport is performed by people
alone or in groups. The reasons
why I like sport is because it
makes my mind active, increases
intelligence, increases physical
activity, strengthens memory,
improves observational abilities
and helps in gaining agility.
I like to do sporting activities in
my free-time, and I set aside a
specific time to do it. For
example, in the mornings, I run
for about half an hour outside my
house, and in the evening I walk
for one hour to the Mosque when
I hear the call for prayer. I make it
a part of my daily routine.
Sometimes I play football with
my friends for half an hour on
Friday evenings.

To sum up, people who want to be
fit need to do some kind of sport.

Writer; Talal Musabah
Mohammed Al-Ghaithi

30

MONTH OF

MERCY Written by Hassan
Ali Said Al Mandhari

Ramadan is in the ninth month of the Muslim Ramadan teaches Muslims patience,
calendar and is one of the five pillars of Islam. perseverance and tolerance by enduring long
It is the month of spiritual reflection, which is periods without eating and drinking. But, the
considered a distinctive, blessed month in important point is to feel for what poor people
Islam. The month allows Muslims to get much and people struck by famine suffer and to be
closer to Allah by engaging in extra worship. To thankful to Allah for what one has.
Muslims, Ramadan is also the month of mercy,
forgiveness, devotion, prayer and charity. Iftar, is the first meal that has to be eaten at
sunset. Family members gather together
Ramadan is a granted grace for Muslims so waiting until the bell (Almaghrib Athan) rings
that they can practice self-discipline, read the out to break the fast. Dates are usually the first
Quran, donate to the poor and give handouts to food to break the fast; social gatherings
gain rewards. frequently happen among people at Iftars up
until midnight. Traditional dishes are often
The common practice during Ramadan is consumed at this time, including traditional
fasting. Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. desserts. Suhoor is eaten before dawn, and we
Moreover, fasting is obligatory for adults but not as Muslims have it as a pre-fast meal as it
for children, the disabled, travellers, those who helps to avoid hunger and weakness during
are physically or mentally ill and women who fasting time.
are pregnant. All those people are
recommended not to fast.

When fasting begins, we as Muslims are not
allowed to do specific actions. Firstly, eating
and drinking –not even a sip of water-,
smoking, sinful speech or bad behaviour are all
prohibited. Besides those things, any negative
emotions and harmful acts that may break the
fast is not allowed. So, the purpose is to purify
the soul by releasing it from any kind of
impurities.

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HUES

IBRI COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY STUDENT MAGAZINE

CREATIVE ETHOS

Authentic English language material is essential in aiding second language
acquisition. However, in most cases, second language students are not
invested emotionally in the educational material that they are asked to review,
and therefore become disengaged and lack the motivation to study
autonomously.

The purpose of Hues Magazine is to combine the interests of Ibri College of
Technology students with learner-centred pedagogy within a highly
conventionalised medium. The challenge that the ELC department faces is to
get the language students to become more active learners.

The magazine contains articles written by undergraduates in English, and
artwork created by them to showcase their talents. The editorial team hopes
that the combination of SLA and L2 learners creative pursuits will help to
foster a drive towards independent learning.

Students have written articles for other learners to consume and evaluate.
The Creative Director and the Chief Editor hope that students take pride in
having their work published within the periodical; and that Hues Magazine
becomes a useful tool for in-class assessments, which forms the basis for
book reviews, in class discussions, and argument essays based on themes
explored within the magazine.

As Albert Einstein stated so succinctly '..the supreme art of the teacher is to
awaken joy in the creative expression and knowledge.' The editorial team
hope that this first issue is a stepping stone in rousing those qualities within its
readers.

Mr Rufus Isiorho

32

Editorial Team

Drawings by Morshid AlKhatri

Creative Director Chief Editor
Mr Rufus Isiorho Ms Archana Gupta

Editor Editor
Ms Sharon Devaneson Ms Maha Saif Harib Al

Darei