Gulf Salaries for Nepalis: UAE, Qatar, Saudi, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman

Basic salary vs total salary

Gulf contracts often separate basic salary from allowances for food, accommodation and transport. Overtime and end-of-service benefits are usually calculated on basic salary only, so a high total with a low basic can be worth less than it looks.

• Check if food is provided or paid as an allowance.
• Check if accommodation is free, and how many people share a room.
• Ask how overtime is paid and how many hours per day are normal.

Free visa, free ticket

Under Nepal's "free visa, free ticket" policy, for Malaysia and the Gulf countries the employer should pay the visa and air ticket, and the agency service fee is capped. Rules can change, so check the latest with the Department of Foreign Employment (dofe.gov.np) before paying anyone.

Your rights

• Your employer should not keep your passport.
• Get a copy of your contract in a language you understand, and make sure it matches what you signed in Nepal.
• Most Gulf countries ban outdoor work at midday in summer. If you face unpaid wages or abuse, contact the Embassy of Nepal and the labour ministry of that country.