By the end of this year, Nepalese residents will become the largest foreign community in Qatar. This was mentioned by Nepal's Ambassador to Qatar, Surya Nath Mishra, during a speech at the first 'Nepal Tourism and Cultural Festival' at the Ramada Hotel yesterday evening.
Ambassador Mishra especially thanked the Qatari government for granting 100,000 visas for Nepalese this year. "There are more than 250,000 Nepalese in Qatar, which makes us the second-largest community, next to Indians," the ambassador told The Peninsula.
He said Nepal was a small but beautiful country rich in natural resources. Nepal ranks second in the world after Brazil in terms of water resources, he said. The immense quantity of water in the Himalayan country provides great potential to generate hydroelectric power.
Ambassador Mishra said the tourism festival was held to promote tourism in Nepal and expressed the hope that it would become an annual affair.
Ambassador Mohammed bin Khater Al Khater, Director of Protocol Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and chief guest at the festival, lighted a candle to formally inaugurate the function.
Representatives of diplomatic missions as well as guests graced the colourful event.
The event featured traditional dances and traditional Nepalese food. The dancers mesmerized the audience with the brisk movements of their hands and feet and their colourful costumes in the Shyabru dance, which is popular among the inhabitants of the high altitudes of northern Nepal.
The Pen
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