UAE team in Nepal to promote World Expo

A high-level delegation led by the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Labour Minister Sakor Ghobash Saeed Ghobash arrived here on Monday on a three-day official visit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said Ghobash is in Nepal to promote the World Expo to be held in Dubai in 2020. He is also the UAE’s envoy for the expo. Although his main objective is to promote the expo, he is expected to hold talks with top Nepali officials on the issues of bilateral relations, including the issues related to Nepali migrant workers. The three-member delegation also includes the UAE’s ambassador to Nepal stationed in India. “The UAE minister is scheduled to meet Chairman of Interim Election Government Khil Raj Regmi and other ministers,” said Kali Prasad Pokharel, Chief of Protocol at MoFA. Minister Ghobash is scheduled to hold separate meeting with Foreign Minister Madhav Prasad Ghimire and Labour Minister Chhabi Raj Panta on Tuesday. Minister Ghimire will also host a luncheon on the same day in the honor of the UAE delegation. The Ministry of Labour and Employment has started drafting agendas for the talks between the two labour ministers. Ministry officials said the discussion will be focused on major problems engulfing the foreign employment sector and seeking jobs for more skilled migrant workers. “There will be discussions on a wide range of agendas surrounding the foreign employment sector,” said Suresh Man Shrestha, secretary at teh MoLE. He, however, said the ministry has not planned to sign any agreement as the minister is visiting for a different purpose. Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) has sent a list of suggestions to be tabled during the meeting between the ministers on Tuesday. The MoLE has urged the recruiting agencies to provide the agendas for the discussion. NAFEA Chairman Bal Bahadur Tamang said there is a need for institutionalised efforts from the government of both countries to end technical difficulties in visa issuance. “The current provision is such that the UAE practices different visa issuance mechanism while issuing employment approval for private companies, government and semi-government sectors and free zone. The provision is even not same in all the provinces of the UAE,” said Tamang. He said he has also suggested the ministry to push the UAE to comply with the minimum wage fixed by the Nepali government and increase the quota for better jobs. The UAE is the fourth largest work destination of the Nepali migrant workers after Malaysia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with presence of around 200,000 Nepalis. Although the condition of Nepali workers in the UAE is comparatively better than in other Gulf countries, stakeholders cited the need for a greater coordination between the two governments to protect the minimum rights of the workers, both male and female, working in construction, security, transportation, and entertainment sectors. They said the UAE should do more to protect the human rights, safety and security of Nepali workers. The team is also expected to hold talks with top Nepali officials on issues related to migrant workers