Saudi Arabia has paid 29.247 million rupees (605,000 riyals) through insurance to 69 Nepali workers who have not received their salaries from their employers. This is the first group of Nepali workers to receive their salaries withheld by their employers through government insurance.

The Nepali Embassy in Riyadh submitted a claim for 469 Nepali workers who had not received their salaries and the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, in collaboration with the Public Institution of Social Insurance (GOSI), has paid 69 workers in the first phase. The embassy had requested the Ministry of Human Resources to pay the 469 workers who had not received their salaries of Rs 146.1 million.

The workers worked for Saudi Aramco, a Saudi Arabian petroleum production and processing company, through Sendan International Company. After Sendan Company went bankrupt, workers from other countries, including Nepalis, were also deprived of their salaries after becoming unemployed. They had stopped receiving their regular salaries since August last year. Since they were not getting their salaries and were not able to return home, they had stopped working since last March and had been living in a camp provided by the company in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia. Some of them have already left Saudi Arabia. Some are working in Saudi Arabia after changing their employer.

Saudi Arabia had issued a procedure to pay salaries through the 'Migrant Workers' Salary Insurance Service' to workers who have not received their salaries for six consecutive months if the company goes bankrupt. According to Kabiraj Upreti, Labor Counselor for Saudi Arabia, workers who fall under the procedure related to the migrant workers' salary insurance service should not be deprived of their salaries. 'We are in regular discussions with the Saudi Crisis Department to get the outstanding salaries of the unemployed workers. So far, 69 people have been paid,' he said, 'We are positive that the remaining workers will also receive their salaries through insurance.'

The Ministry of Human Resources has issued checks to workers in Nepal through insurance companies. Out of the 69 people, 31 are outside Saudi Arabia. 685 to 61,608 riyals (2.279 million rupees) have been paid through insurance. According to Balram Rai of Sankhuwasabha, salary arrears and gratuities vary according to the workplace (site). ‘We have been working at different sites of Aramco. Here, the month in which we receive our salary also varies according to the site. Some have not received their salaries for 10 months. Most of them have not received their salaries for up to 8 months,’ he said, ‘We are hopeful that Saudi Arabia will pay all the workers.’

According to the Nepali Embassy, ​​it will now be easier for Nepali workers in Saudi Arabia to get the money they have not received.

There is international pressure on Saudi Arabia, which is going to host the 2034 World Cup, to work in favor of migrant workers. Saudi Arabia has said that it has started paying workers who have been laid off from the company and those who have suffered from companies in financial crisis. According to a notification from the Ministry of Human Resources, it has been stated that in September alone, 15 million Saudi riyals were paid more to workers from 50 private sector employers. The ministry has stated that this policy has been taken to make the Saudi labor market more stable, protect the rights of workers, and minimize the impact of the financial crisis. ‘It ensures that foreign workers receive their wages and other benefits even if they cannot pay their salaries and allowances for a certain period,’ the ministry’s notice said. ‘All Saudi employers must be affiliated with Goso to receive this facility.’