Relationship dossier
Nepal
Qatar
Relationship assessment
Labor ties and expanding government cooperation underpin Nepal–Qatar relations, alongside continuing concerns about worker welfare.
Nepal toward Qatar
+35Nepal has maintained formal labor cooperation with Qatar, where many Nepali nationals work, including through bilateral labor arrangements. Nepal’s government has also engaged Qatar on worker welfare and expanded cooperation through agreements and high-level visits.
Qatar toward Nepal
+35Qatar has employed a large number of Nepali migrant workers and entered into formal labor cooperation with Nepal. Qatar has also pursued broader bilateral cooperation, including through agreements signed during the Emir’s 2024 visit to Nepal. Questions about the implementation of worker protections remain.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship has a durable foundation in labor migration and bilateral labor arrangements, supplemented by expanding cooperation across several government fields and high-level engagement. Concerns about the treatment and protection of Nepali workers complicate these ties, but the relationship remains substantially cooperative.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Nepal and Qatar maintain substantial ties centered on Nepali workers in Qatar and formal labor cooperation. The governments have also developed cooperation in areas including education, culture, agriculture and legal matters. The Emir of Qatar’s 2024 visit to Nepal marked a high-level engagement. Worker welfare and the implementation of labor protections remain important concerns within an otherwise cooperative relationship.
Areas of tension
- Protection and working conditions of Nepali migrant workers in Qatar
- Implementation of labor protections and safeguards for Nepali workers
Key developments
Nepal and Qatar established a bilateral labor agreement, providing a formal framework for employment cooperation.
The Emir of Qatar made a state visit to Nepal, during which the governments signed agreements covering areas including education, culture, agriculture and legal cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The extent to which labor protections are consistently implemented for Nepali workers in Qatar is unclear.
- The scope and implementation of cooperation agreements signed during the 2024 visit are uncertain.