Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Nepal and Saudi Arabia have signed a bilateral agreement on workers’ recruitment.
Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security Rajendra Singh Bhandari and Saudi Arabia’s Minister for Human Resources and Social Development, Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, signed the agreement in Riyadh on Sunday.
According to a statement issued by the Embassy of Nepal in Riyadh, the agreement aims to ensure effective and ethical recruitment of Nepali workers for legal employment in Saudi Arabia, while safeguarding the rights and interests of both workers and employers.
“Both ministers expressed confidence that the agreement would enhance labour cooperation and further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries,” the statement said.
Saudi Arabia is one of the major destination countries for Nepali workers. More than 500,000 Nepalis are believed to be working in Saudi Arabia at present.
Nepal had been proposing a labour agreement with Saudi Arabia for many years. However, Saudi Arabia had insisted that any agreement should include workers in domestic employment.
Nepal has imposed a ban on the recruitment of workers in the domestic sector. It is not clear whether the new agreement addresses the issue of domestic workers.
More than 150,000 Nepalis received labour approvals to work in Saudi Arabia in the fiscal year 2025/26. The number of workers arranging jobs through individual channels is also believed to be very high.
Minister Bhandari is in Riyadh to participate in the 3rd Global Labor Market Conference.
