Four types of tourism jobs are now reserved entirely for Saudi nationals, while 12 others require 70 percent local staffing and another 12 need 50 percent.

The company has agreed to pay 31,000 riyals as end-of-service benefits and 150,000 riyals as compensation to Bharat Mahato’s family, equivalent to over Rs7.2 million, Nepali embassy says.

Houthi attacks have disrupted nearly half of scheduled flights from Saudi airports, leaving migrant workers without clear information as their leave runs out and exit-re-entry permits near expiry.

Malaysia suspended biomedical health screenings for new Nepali migrants on October 1, effectively halting calling visas after Nepal rejected Kuala Lumpur’s policy restricting recruitment to 25 primary manpower agencies.

The Department of Foreign Employment warns of banking and travel restrictions for those who fail to report, as it investigates Malaysia’s selection of 25 Nepali recruitment agencies.

Around 400,000 Nepalis work in Saudi Arabia. Recent attacks have raised fresh concerns about their safety as workers call for better protection and emergency arrangements.

The airport attack came hours after falling debris from a drone intercepted by Saudi air defences near a processing facility at Aramco’s Shaybah oil field killed a Nepali and a Filipino worker and injured two others.

A Filipino national was also killed, while a Pakistani and an Indian worker were injured, Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry says.

Police accuse them of collecting an unauthorised biomedical fee from migrant workers, while labour ministry officials say a bilateral technical committee had approved the charge. The foreign ministry had urged a diplomatic solution.

Kuala Lumpur will retain its list of 25 primary agencies and 250 sub-agencies, leaving the recruitment of new Nepali workers in limbo as Malaysia also announces a minimum wage hike to 2,000 ringgit from June 2027.

The increase, announced in the 2027 budget, is expected to benefit more than four million workers, including Nepalis, although micro, small and medium-sized businesses will receive an exemption.

Some are returning after over a decade, while others will mark the festival in workers’ compounds far from home.

Eligible workers can process entry visas for immediate family members while completing their own employment visa procedures.

Businesses could face difficulties if wages are raised without considering their capacity, while the government could consider wage subsidies, a minister says.

Any increase would directly benefit eligible Nepali workers employed in Malaysia. About 400,000 Nepalis work in the country.