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By Shanker Man Singh 

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is visiting Nepal. The Emir’s visit to Nepal, which was scheduled to take place earlier, was postponed due to the Israel-Hamas war. According to a senior official of the ministry, preparations were made to sign 11 different agreements during Thani’s visit, however, the Qatari officials have asked to cut down the number. 

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, the government has prepared to present a pair of elephants to Al Thani during his visit. Elephants reared in Chitwan are about to be given as gifts.

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is arriving in Kathmandu this afternoon (Tuesday, April 23) for a two-day visit. Recently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement and officially informed that Thani is going to visit Nepal on April 23 and 24. This is the highest-level visit to Nepal from an Arab country so far. Earlier some ministers from Qatar also visited Nepal. Neither the Emir (King) nor the Prime Minister visited Nepal. From Nepal, the then President Bidya Devi Bhandari visited Qatar in October 2079. 

 Emir Sheikh left Qatar to visit three Asian countries, including Nepal. He flew to the Philippines from Doha and is scheduled to arrive in Nepal via Bangladesh. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Emir of Qatar will meet President Ramchandra Paudel at Sheetal Niwas and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Wednesday. According to the ministry, during Al Thani’s visit, Nepal is preparing to ink a new labor agreement with Qatar. 

Nineteen years ago in 2005, a labor agreement was signed between Nepal and Qatar. Since the environment has changed a lot since then, the Ministry of Labor has prepared a new labor agreement. Qatar is also a major destination country for Nepali workers. According to the data from the Ministry of Labor, there are currently 367,389 Nepali workers in Qatar.

During the visit, Nepal is going to propose a cooperation agreement worth about 9 billion rupees for the upgrading of the Kanti Children’s Hospital. 

Al Thani has been ruling Qatar since 2013. He is the fourth son of the previous Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. He has held various government positions in Qatar. He has been playing a role in promoting sports and healthy living. 

Strengthening Nepal-Qatar Relations: 

The visit of Al Thani aims to broaden the base of mutual friendship, understanding, and trust between the respective countries. 

Diplomatic relations were established between Nepal and Qatar on January 21, 1977, and since then, the relations between Nepal and Qatar have always been cordial. The relationships are based on mutual trust and understanding.

Qatar News Agency stated that the King, who is on a visit to Asian countries, will enhance cooperation with the leaders and senior officials of the respective countries and will sign agreements and memoranda of understanding in various fields.

It has become public knowledge that preparations are being made to make bilateral agreements in the fields of tourism, hydropower, health, education, sports, labor, culture, etc. in Nepal. 

Then King Gyanendra Shah visited Qatar. Before that, in 1999, the then King Birendra made a private visit to Qatar, and in 1998, the then Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala also made an official visit to Qatar. 

Mutual interest: 

There is an atmosphere of great understanding for mutual benefit at the people’s level, although both countries are small in geographical area, both countries are rich in natural resources. 

Nepal has abundant potential for water resources and natural beauty. Qatar is rich in vast reserves of natural gas and oil. By utilizing these resources, both countries can reach the highest standards of development and living in the world. 

In 1998, Nepal and Qatar signed a memorandum of understanding to operate air services. Qatar Airways is currently operating two to three daily flights from the capital, Doha, to Kathmandu. It is a satisfactory thing that the Nepalis who are going to work abroad are fulfilling a part of Qatar’s manpower requirement and are contributing to the progress and prosperity of this country in their own way. 

It is highly commendable that the Qatari government and people are relying on the honesty and hard work of Nepalis and continue to provide them with employment opportunities. At present, a significant number of Nepalese human resources of various categories are working in various professions. 

Nepalis working in Qatar have become a bridge between the two countries and their people. As quoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Nepal and Qatar share common views on many international agendas and issues. Both countries are members of the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement, where both work together for the common good of mankind. 

 Both countries are making significant contributions to promoting peace and security around the world. Since ancient times, South Asia has been in close contact with the Arab world through enterprising Arab traders. Nepal has been continuously sharing the aspirations and interests of the State of Qatar and other Gulf States for the establishment of peace in the Middle East. 

Nepal and Qatar have a lot of potential for mutually beneficial cooperation. Indicator areas of cooperation could be food processing, Himalayan spring water for drinking purposes, petrochemical and hydropower generation, banking, and finance. 

Joint ventures in industries such as tourism and tourism-related industries, trade in petroleum products, handmade carpets, handicrafts, medicinal herbs, pulses, cardamom, fresh vegetables, flowers, etc. are the areas where the Qatari investors can be attracted. 

In the past, the then President of Nepal, Rambaran Yadav and Emir Sheikh Hamad of Qatar signed two framework agreements in October 2011. The purpose of the Legal Cooperation Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. The agreement was signed during President Yadav’s state visit, less than a year after the two countries clashed for the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly.

Improving relations with the Gulf nation is of particular importance to Nepal as Qatar is home to a large number of Nepali migrant workers and currently hosts the second largest number after Malaysia. 

Nepal and Qatar signed an air service agreement in 2002. Currently, Qatar Airways is operating daily direct passenger flights to Kathmandu and handling a significant amount of Nepali exports to Europe and America.

The Nepal-Qatar relationship is known for the exchange of visits at various levels, which has contributed to further strengthening the political, economic, and people-to-people relations between the two countries. In the past, the then presidents, Bidya Devi Bhandari and Dr. Rambaran Yadav, paid an official visit to the State of Qatar.  

In the fourth meeting of the Nepal-Qatar joint committee, it was agreed to review the labor agreement in 2005. Nepal offered to help the economic and social reintegration of Nepalis who returned from working in Qatar. In order to increase the efficiency of the laborers taken from Nepal, the government of Qatar said that it would support the establishment of training centers in all seven provinces of Nepal. 

Issues such as guaranteeing workers’ social security, workplace safety, health and insurance arrangements, and participation in social security were also discussed. Also, since Nepal is a preferred destination for tourism, trade and investment opportunities, both Nepal and Qatar should strengthen economic relations in areas of comparative advantage and bilateral trade, as trade between Nepal and Qatar is negligible. 

The main items exported from Nepal to Qatar are pasta, carpets, spaghetti, noodles, and tea, while the main items imported from Qatar are ethylene polymer, petroleum products, and bituminous minerals. Nepal should find a way to reduce the trade deficit by increasing exports to Qatar. In this context, it is an opportune time to review/revise the agreement on economic, commercial and technical cooperation as well as the MoU between the chambers of commerce between the two countries.

Looking at the past, when the Gulf countries accelerated the development of infrastructure for the FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar significantly increased the recruitment of Nepali workers. 

Agro Enterprise Center recently conducted a study in Qatar to evaluate the comparative potential of fresh fruits, vegetables, and floriculture products selected in Qatar as well as orthodox tea, honey, pulses, and exports to Doha.

Given that markets are indeed different depending on the source of production, it is concluded that certain agricultural products will be well marketed in Doha as long as the minimum preconditions are met. Mount Sagarmatha (Everest), the world’s highest peak, and the birthplace of Buddha, Lumbini, can be the major destination to attract Qatari tourists. 

In terms of fulfilling the goals set in the “Qatar National Vision 2030” by the Qatar government, employment opportunities in Qatar are increasing due to the construction of extensive infrastructure by the Qatar government.

In short, the visit of the Nepali presidents helped to further strengthen the bilateral relations between Nepal and Qatar. The upcoming visit of the Emir of Qatar is expected to prove to be a stepping stone for the development of Nepal’s foreign relations.