The formation of Nepalese migrant and diaspora communities in the Gulf cities of Doha and Dubai

The poor working and living conditions and work-related deaths and injuries of migrant
labourers in the Gulf States came to the attention of the global media in the run up to Qatar
holding the FIFA World Cup in December 2022. Such exploitation and its link to the Kafala
sponsorship system has an undeniable impact on the lives of such migrants-a key
contributor to 'social suffering' (Bourdieu et al., 1999). Indeed, this has been the
predominant focus of much social science research focused on the experiences of migrants
from the Global South to the Gulf States (Bruslé, 2018; Sharma, 2018; Babar, 2014;
Williams et. al., 2012). A less considered aspect of migrant experience in Gulf states has
been the social relationships and networks-both within the destination and transnational
sphere-that support and sustain the lives and livelihoods of these migrant workers. The
proposed research will build on the small body of research with South Asian migrants of the
Gulf that considers temporariness, belonging, and transnationalism among these populations
(Vora, 2013; Babar, 2014). It offers an in depth examination of migrant lives through an
ethnographic study with Nepalese migrants living and working in Doha (Qatar) and Dubai
(UAE). In particular it will consider the following research questions:
(1) On what grounds are social groups formed within Nepalese migrant communities
in Doha and Dubai?
(2) To what extent are the social, ethnic and cultural hierarchies of the country of
origin reproduced within Nepalese migrant communities in these cities?
(3) What are the socio-political implications of the transnational presence of the
Nepalese migrant communities and their experiences of belonging to their home
and host societies?