The Nepali government has decided to partially resume granting labour approvals for migrant workers heading to the Gulf region, despite the ongoing US-Iran conflict. Initially suspended after joint US and Israeli attacks on Iran in February, the labour approvals for countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Jordan, and Turkiye will now be reinstated.
This decision, announced by Nepal’s Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, also allows workers who had returned to Nepal on leave to obtain labour approvals for employment in these countries. The move follows requests from the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), Nepali embassies, and workers facing challenges in renewing their permits.
While approvals for some Gulf countries will resume, the suspension remains in place for Iran, Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and Lebanon due to ongoing security concerns. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that around 1.7 million Nepali nationals are currently employed in various Gulf countries, with recent casualties reported in the region.
