KATHMANDU: Qatar’s rapid economic growth can be a great chance for Nepali migrant workers. Qatar National Bank (QNB) has projected double-digit economic growth for 2010.

QNB’s projection of 16 per cent growth is giving great hopes to Nepali expatriates seeking job opportunities in Qatar in coming years, Gulf Times quoted Nepali ambassador to Qatar Dr Suryanath Mishra as saying. Global financial research institutions and agencies too have projected a substantial growth in Qatar’s economy.

This shows that job opportunities for labour sending countries would rise significantly in coming years, said Dr Mishra. Qatar is a major destination for Nepali migrant workers since long. Around 3,25,000 Nepalis blue-collar workers are believed to be working in Qatar. Last year, Qatar hired around 59,315 Nepalis and 28,448 Nepalis left the country for jobs in Qatar this year, so far.

Qatar has not suffered from global economic slowdown compared to other countries. There is little sign of any shortfall in demand for construction workforce in Qatar. “Our embassy gave visa attestation to more than 300 workers on Thursday,” Dr Mishra said, “Even though we hiked the minimum salaries of our skilled and unskilled workers from last January, the demand for workers has been more or less steady in the past one month.”

The ambassador feels expatriates from South Asian countries, in particular Nepal stand to gain considerably in view of the projected growth in the hospitality sector. “More than 40 new hotels are going to be completed in the next couple of years,” said Dr Mishra.