WRD/PTC.36/INF. 1, p. 1

WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATIONFOR PARTICIPANTS ONLY

AND

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSIONWRD/PTC.36/INF. 1

FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC(7.I.2009)

______

WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones

Thirty-sixth session

Muscat, Oman

2 to 6 March 2009ENGLISH ONLY

INFORMATION NOTE FOR PARTICIPANTS

1. VENUE OF THE MEETING

The thirty-sixth session of the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones will be held at the Golden Tulip Hotel inSeeb,Muscat, Oman.

Golden Tulip Hotel

Box: 69 Postal code: 111

Sultanate of Oman; Muscat (Seeb)

Tel:(968) 24 510300

Fax: (968) 24510390

2.REGISTRATION OF PARTICIPANTS

Registration is necessary to get your PTC-36 Session security badge.

Pre-registration will take place on Sunday, 1 March 2009 from 3 to 5 p.m. at the sessionvenue. For participants arriving on Monday morning, registration will be from 8:30 to 9:15 a.m. also at the sessionvenue.

The opening ceremony of the PTC-36 will begin at 09:15 hours in the Conference Hall of the Golden Tulip Hotel. All remaining sessions will run from 09:00 to 12:30 hours with afternoon sessions from 14:00 to 17:30 hours. Each session will pause for a 15-20 minute coffee/tea break during mid-morning and mid-afternoon.

3. PASSPORT AND VISA REQUIREMENTS

All visitors need a valid passport and are urged to check their particular passport and visa requirements well in advance of travel. Certain western countries do not require pre-obtained visas to enter Oman, while others need either a visa or a NOC (No Objection Certificate).

Further information: please consult the nearest Oman Embassy or High Commission. For those wishing to obtain visas on arrival, in order to avoid possible long delays at the airport, it is recommended that all conference participants from outside the Gulf Cooperation Council countries send a photocopy of their valid passport with all information pages to the conference secretariat. We will apply for your NOC well in advance and lodge it at the airport for your arrival.

4. HOTEL ACCOMMODATION

A block of rooms had been reserved for conference participants at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Seeb Muscat, where the conference will be held, with the following corporate rates:

Single RO 50

Double RO 60

Deluxe SingleRO 80

Deluxe Twin/DoubleRO 90

Free Coffee and Snacks during the session breaks.

Buffet BreakfastRO 6

Diner RO 9

Above rates are inclusive of 17% tax and service charges

NOTE: Room ratesare in R.O.(Rial Omani)(includes 17% tax, and transportation from and to Airport and daily shuttle from and to CityCenter). It is highly recommended that participants stay in this hotel as it is where the meeting will be held and the hotel is far from the city center and other hotels in Muscat.

Breakfast and dinner are not included in the above rates: A buffet breakfast costs R.O. 6 while an average dinner may cost around 10 R.O.(+/- US$ 26).

Reservation

Participants should arrange their own booking directly through online reservation and are advised to visit avail of the corporate rate, you are required to send ane-mail message to: nd request for the Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation meeting room rate,give the completetitle of the meeting/session,your full name, date and time of arrival and departure. Subsequently,a hotel staff will officially book your room(s) and send you a confirmation e-mail.You may also contact MrNaji Abi Farah, Country Director of Sales & Marketing by phone: +968 2451 0300 or Mobile: + 968 9986 3323.

IMPORTANT:Hotel bookings should preferablybe arranged before 1 February 2009

5.RECEPTION ON ARRIVAL

Airport pick-up will be arranged with participants’ name printed on a green board. Your flight details must be sent to the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) at least one week before arrival, so that the Public Relations personnel can meet you at the Immigration gate, clear you through the formalities and put you on a transport to your accommodation. If for some reason, you are not met by a member of the LOC, it is suggested that you either look for a Golden Tulip Hotel vehicle which is on standby at the airport to take you to the hotel or take an accredited airport taxi. Taxi counters are located at the airport lobby. The taxi rate from the airport to the Golden Tulip Hotel is about 8 R.O. or USD 20.

  1. CURRENCY EXCHANGE

Some major currencies are convertible in Oman. MuscatAirport has Moneychangers in the Baggage Claim Area and also in the Arrival Hall. There are also ATM machines that will accept credit and cash cards from foreign countries. Please check the instructions for the compatibility of your card before using it in the machines.

Hotels will readily change money, but rates may not be to your advantage. Large business establishments, car rentals and hotels will accept major credit cards, such as Visa, Master Card and American Express. Please keep passports available for identification purposes.

Rial Omani is a strong currency, pegged to the USD. 1 R.O. = USD 2.6. For all other currencies check the electronic bulletin boards displayed in banks and moneychangers. If your credit card is encoded with a PIN number, you will be able to withdraw cash from normal Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).

7. CLIMATE IN MUSCATIN MARCH

March is the best time to visit Oman. The mean daytime temperature is 24.9º C. Night temperatures are usually cooler. Mountains are cold by Oman norms, with day temperatures ranging from 12-18º C and night temperatures falling below 10º C. If intending to spend time in the desert or mountains, particularly at nights, sweaters and lightweight spring jackets are necessary. Rain is not generally expected during this period.

Climatological normals for March are as follows:

Weather Elements/Data Airport

Absolute Maximum Temperature 41.4°C

Absolute Minimum Temperature 12.2°C

Mean Temperature 24.9°C

Humidity (mean) 59 %

Pressure (mean) 1011.8 hPa

Rainfall (mean) 15.2 mm

Number of rainy days 3 days

Number of Days with Thunderstorm 1 day

Prevailing Wind Direction/Speed 060/06 kt

8.COMMUNICATION

Oman has excellent communication facilities. Landline and mobile networks are very reliable. Prepaid phone cards and SIM cards for short-term usage on mobile phones are easily available. The local organizers will establish a communication centre with PCs for Internet and e-mail access during the session. If in need of assistance, please contact the local secretariat.

9. LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

For any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact the Chairman of Local Organizing Committee(L.O.C),Mr Badar Ali Alrumhi,who will beavailable during working days from Saturday to Wednesday and during working hours between 03:30 to 10:30 UTC on:

Tel: 00968-24519610 (Office)

Tel: 00968-26879054 (Private)

Mobile:00968-99327811

Fax: 00968-24518360

00968-24519363

E-mail:

Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation

MuscatInternationalAirport

P.O.Box: 1 - Code: 111

Muscat, Sultanate Of Oman