Booming real estate and the big infrastructure and manufacturing sectors in Qatar have been absorbing a large number of Nepali workers in recent years. However, declining demands in these sectors have impacted employment opportunities in that oil-rich Gulf state. The number of workers preferring to go to Qatar had risen continuously for five months from mid-November to mid-April this year.
Data compiled by the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) shows that total departures for Qatar dropped to 2,813 between mid-May and mid-June from 4,471 recorded during the previous one month period. A total of 7,295 Nepali job seekers had left for Qatar between mid-March and mid-April.
Foreign employment agents said a slackening in the construction sector in Qatar is the major reason behind the drop in worker demand from Qatari companies.
However, other top destinations including Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia witnessed a rise in arrivals of Nepali workers during mid-May to mid-June.
Saudi Arabia, the second most-favored labor market among Nepali workers, took in 5,335 workers during mid-May to mid-June, up from 3,313 workers during the previous month. Similarly, total intake of Nepali workers by Malaysia and the UAE rose to 1,121 and 1,717 between mid-May and mid-June from 827 and 1,408 respectively a month earlier.
Bed Prakash Lekhak, director of DoFE, said increasing demand for Nepali workers in sectors other than manufacturing and services has pushed up the number of workers leaving for Malaysia.
“It seems that the effect of the global slowdown is marginally easing in Malaysia, the UAE and Saudi Arabia,” said Lekhak.
Total number of Nepalis leaving for overseas jobs rose marginally to 12,795 between mid-May and mid-June from 11,077 during the previous month.
However, the total number of workers departing for foreign jobs declined 8.35 percent to 197,997 during the last 11 months of the current fiscal year of 2008/09 as compared to the same period last fiscal year. During that period, three of the four major destinations- Qatar, Malaysia and the UAE - saw a huge decline in arrivals of Nepali workers.
DoFE data shows that the number of workers leaving for Qatar and Malaysia slid to 67,207 and 33,866 during the 11 months from 75,189 and 49,054 respectively during the same period last year. The UAE took in 27,790 Nepalis during the 11-month period this year, down from 40,530 in the corresponding period last year.
However, Saudi Arabia, which has employed the largest number of Nepali workers, saw a rise in their numbers to 46,712 during the period from 36,116 last year.
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