Temporary People

  • Dates
    2019 - Ongoing
  • Author
  • Topics Portrait, Contemporary Issues, Documentary
  • Location Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Nepali youth in Dubai.

Growing up I eagerly waited for my cousins, uncles and neighbours to come back home from the UAE. More than their arrival, I looked forward to the chocolates and presents they brought with them. As they grew older and returned to Nepal for good, it was time for the younger generation, which included my siblings and friends, to leave for the UAE. While some left in search of better career opportunities, most were compelled by financial obligations back home.

As migrant workers, Nepalis can never get citizenship in the UAE. Their hopes and dreams are timed and measured by their exploitative employment contracts. Here, they merely hold a temporary space.

(Writings by the people in the photographs)

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Stay in the loop


We will send you weekly news on contemporary photography. You can change your mind at any time. We will treat your data with respect. For more information please visit our privacy policy. By ticking here, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with them. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.