Preparations are intensifying in Doha, Qatar, for the Non-Resident Nepali Association’s ninth regional conference, ‘Sahayatra-2026’, scheduled for December 11 and 12. Under the leadership of Middle East regional coordinator Ramesh Shrestha, organisers have formed ten committees to prepare for the event, which will focus on the concerns of Nepali workers in the Middle East, safe foreign employment, labour rights and social issues.
Ten committees formed for the event
The formation of ten committees marks a step in organising the two-day gathering, according to reports by Ratopati and Nagarik News. The conference is being prepared under Shrestha’s regional leadership, with the committees tasked with supporting arrangements for the programme. The reports describe preparations as being in full swing ahead of the December meeting.
The event’s title, ‘Sahayatra-2026’, and its ninth-conference status place it within the NRNA’s regional conference series. It is planned as a gathering focused on issues affecting Nepalis in the Middle East. The available details do not specify the committees’ individual responsibilities or provide a full programme, but organisers have identified worker concerns, employment safety, labour rights and social matters as central areas for discussion.
Workers’ concerns and safe foreign employment
The conference will address the situation of Nepali workers in the Middle East, with safe foreign employment among its key themes. The focus connects employment-related safety with workers’ rights and broader social concerns, presenting these issues as part of a shared regional agenda. The planned discussion is intended to keep the experiences and needs of Nepali workers central to the gathering.
Labour rights are another major subject on the agenda. By bringing this issue together with safe employment and social concerns, the conference will consider several connected dimensions of workers’ lives abroad. The announced themes signal an emphasis not only on employment itself but also on the rights and social issues associated with Nepalis working in the region. No specific proposals, policy decisions or commitments have been announced in the information available ahead of the event.
Remittances and Nepal’s economy
The conference is also taking place against the economic importance of the Middle East for Nepal. Remittances sent from the region are described as a key pillar of Nepal’s economy, underscoring the significance of the Nepali workforce abroad. That economic contribution provides important context for a meeting centred on workers’ conditions, employment safety and labour rights.
The link between workers’ concerns and remittances gives the conference both a social and an economic dimension. The agenda recognises the importance of Nepalis’ work abroad while directing attention to the issues they face in the region. The reports do not provide figures on remittance flows or set out specific economic measures for discussion, but they identify remittances from the Middle East as a major part of Nepal’s economic picture.
Doha to host the two-day conference
Doha will host ‘Sahayatra-2026’ on December 11 and 12. Organisers are continuing preparations through the ten committees formed under Shrestha’s leadership, with worker-related issues and the contribution of the Middle East region to Nepal providing the main context for the meeting. News of Nepal has also reported on preparations for the conference.
The gathering will bring the NRNA’s Middle East regional conference series to its ninth edition. Its stated priorities place safe foreign employment, labour rights and social concerns alongside the wider importance of Nepalis working in the region. Further programme details and the outcomes of the discussions were not included in the reports on preparations.
