231 Nepali workers died in UAE in last fiscal

KATHMANDU: The Nepali Embassy in the UAE has reported that 231 Nepalis died while working in the Gulf state during the fiscal year 2023/24.

In a statement, the Nepali mission in Abu Dhabi said it repatriated 231 bodies of Nepali workers to Nepal during the review year.

While the mission hasn’t specified the causes of death, natural causes, heart-related issues, and workplace accidents are the major causes of deaths of Nepali workers in Gulf countries.

According to the embassy, it collected 46,404 passports for renewal and distributed 43,718 renewed passports to Nepali citizens during the year. It also issued visas to 702 foreign nationals and processed 44 birth registrations. Additionally, the embassy prepared travel documents for 2,135 individuals.

The embassy spent 3,446,500 AED (approximately Rs 126,078,000) on compensation and insurance claims during the year. It also addressed 7,534 complaints and grievances received through various channels over the course of the year.

According to the UAE Population Statistics 2024, expatriates form 88% of the total population of the UAE. Nepalis are the 7th largest expat community in the country accounting for over 3% of the total population.