The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that more than 1.729 million Nepali citizens are residing in various Middle Eastern countries and that their safety remains a top priority of the government. Speaking at a press conference held on Sunday, Joint Secretary and Head of the Central Asia, West Asia and Africa Division, Ramkaji Khadka, provided updates on the latest developments.
According to Joint Secretary Khadka, the ministry has issued a travel advisory for those countries, urging Nepali nationals to remain safe. He informed that a WhatsApp group has been formed to coordinate with heads of Nepali missions in the respective countries, and that work has begun on developing an online registration platform through the Department of Consular Services. The platform will be made available on the websites of all Nepali missions.
As shared during the press conference, an all-party meeting held on Sunday under the leadership of Chief Secretary Suman Raj Aryal decided to form an “Emergency Rescue Team” under the coordination of Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai. The ministry stated that rescue strategies will be determined based on the possible outbreak of war, its duration, steps taken by neighboring countries, and the preparedness of the concerned states.
According to official data, there are 384,865 Nepalis in Saudi Arabia, 700,000 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), 357,913 in Qatar, and 175,000 in Kuwait. Likewise, 25,000 Nepalis are in Oman, 28,000 in Bahrain, 30,000 in Iraq, 17,000 in Cyprus, 6,500 in Israel, 1,400 in Lebanon, and 500 in Egypt. Of the 10 Nepalis in Iran, four have already returned home.
Another Joint Secretary at the ministry, Krishna Prasad Dhakal, said that based on the information received so far, Nepalis in the Middle East are safe. He urged Nepali citizens not to panic, to stay in contact with their families, and to follow official information issued by local governments and embassies.
Ministry spokesperson Lok Bahadur Paudel Chhetri stated that the Government of Nepal is closely monitoring the developments in the Middle East and called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and pursue diplomatic initiatives to resolve disputes.
