Nepal has opened foreign employment opportunities for its citizens in 149 countries, despite having signed bilateral labor agreements with only 13 destination nations. The latest agreement was signed with Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on January 25, adding one of the largest destinations for Nepali workers to the formal framework.
According to the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS), Nepal has labor agreements with several Gulf countries, Japan, South Korea, and a few European nations such as Germany and Romania. Other partner countries include Malaysia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Mauritius, and the United Kingdom.
An estimated 340,000 Nepali citizens are currently working in Saudi Arabia alone. For decades, the absence of a formal labor agreement exposed many workers to risks such as wage exploitation, unsafe working conditions, and restrictive practices like the Kafala system, which can limit job mobility and freedom to return home.
In countries without bilateral agreements, Nepali workers often face weak protection mechanisms and limited access to grievance redress. Foreign employment expert Ganesh Gurung says Nepal has failed to fully benefit from labor migration due to insufficient diplomatic efforts to secure formal agreements with major destination countries.
Bilateral labor agreements are designed to address wages, working conditions, social security, health services, contract enforcement, and workers’ rights in line with national laws and International Labour Organization standards. MoLESS officials say such agreements also help improve job security, prevent human trafficking, curb recruitment fraud, and promote a more transparent and safe foreign employment system.
