469 Nepali workers stranded in Saudi Arabia

KATHMANDU: A total of 469 Nepali workers have been left jobless in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, after Sendan International Company Ltd. shut down in Dec 2024.

The workers, some of whom have been employed for over 16 years, have not received salaries for up to a year and are living in poor conditions without work or proper medical care.

According to the Nepali Embassy in Riyadh, exit permits are delayed due to technical issues, and workers cannot return home until the permits are issued.

Of the total, 243 wish to return to Nepal, while 226 are seeking job transfers within Saudi Arabia.

Nepali authorities are coordinating with Saudi labor offices to resolve the issue, but the process may take another month.

Local Nepali organizations have provided some medical aid to ill workers in the meantime.

The embassy says legal steps will be required to recover unpaid wages and benefits through company liquidation.