Published on : Monday, August 19, 2019
“Nepal enjoys a wide range of natural tourist attractions. I support the Visit Nepal 2020 initiative launched by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (of Nepal) with the aim to bring in 2mn tourists a year. It is known that tourism flourishes through factors such as political stability, which has been attained in Nepal,” he told Gulf Times in an interview.
The plan of the government of Nepal to fortify infrastructure “will definitely contribute” to the Visit Nepal 2020 initiative, he noted. “Qatar will support Visit Nepal 2020. I want to request my Qatari friends, brothers and sisters to come and visit this incredible country.”
“If you want to see the four seasons – rain, autumn, winter and summer – in one day, come visit this country. Nepal has eight of the 10 world’s highest peaks, and it is the best destination for mountaineers, rock climbers, mountain bikers and other adventurers. The highlights include hiking, canoeing, rafting, paragliding, ultra-light flights, hot-air ballooning, kayaking and jungle safaris. There are three major climatic zones in Nepal – and each zone has a lot to offer by itself. Come to Nepal in 2020,” he said.
Al-Hail, who has been the representative of Qatar to Nepal since 2016, emphasized that bilateral relations between the two countries are “excellent and improving continuously”.
Remembering that diplomatic relations between Qatar and Nepal were set up in 1977, he said Qatar has been one of the popular destinations for Nepali migrant workers over the past few decades. He said: “The bilateral relations are marked by the exchange of high-level visits, which have contributed to further deepening political, cultural and economic ties between the countries. Qatar has contributed to Nepal’s economic development in different ways. The country has provided employment to almost half-a-million Nepali citizens in various categories.”
“Doha is now a gateway to Nepal, linking Kathmandu with the rest of the world through its national flag carrier – Qatar Airways. Also, Nepal’s President Bidhya Devi Bhandari paid a state visit to Qatar in 2018 on an invitation from His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.”
The deal between Qatar and Nepal is gaining momentum, he noted. “Nepal’s export items include yarn and man-made staple fibre, carpets and other textile floor coverings, vegetables, coffee, tea and spices. The country imports plastics and articles thereof, copper and articles thereof, electrical machineries and equipment, and iron and steel, from Qatar,” he said.
When questioned regarding the possible sectors in which Qatar and Nepal could collaborate, he said: “There are various opportunities and ideas to strengthen bilateral co-operation in the fields of trade, investment, agriculture, tourism, minerals and hydropower. The possible areas are wide open, and what we need is a joint effort and work to achieve common interests.”
al-Hail on investment opportunities said: “Qatar is ready to invest in hydropower, agriculture and tourism… there are huge investment opportunities in many fields in Nepal, and the (Nepal) government can improve the investment climate by enacting or rectifying laws to stimulate investments gradually.”
“I believe the time is suitable for Qatari investors to undertake exploratory visits to Nepal, which is a country of choice as a destination for tourism, trade and investment.”