UAE

Nepali psychiatrist guidance for Nepalese in Dubai

The Nepali community in Dubai and the wider UAE includes a large number of labour migrants working in construction, hospitality, security, retail and domestic work, many on residency tied directly to a single employer's sponsorship, which can make even raising a health concern feel risky. Long shifts, often outdoors or in kitchens and warehouses through extreme summer heat, are frequently combined with shared, crowded labour accommodation that leaves little privacy or quiet time to make a phone call, let alone attend an appointment. The steady pressure of sending remittances home to support parents, spouses or children, combined with distance from family for months or years at a stretch, weighs heavily. Researchers have documented real psychological strain among South Asian migrant workers in the Gulf linked to overwork, isolation and financial pressure, and many describe feeling unable to mention it to an employer or company doctor for fear it could affect their job. A smaller but growing group of Nepali professionals and business owners in Dubai face a different mix of pressures around performance, visibility and financial risk.