The government has set a new minimum monthly salary of 1,300 Saudi riyals (approximately Rs39,814) for the Saudi Arabia-bound Nepali migrant workers.

A Nepali worker would get at least a minimum monthly salary of 1300 Saudi Riyals, including 300 riyals food allowance, along with other basic facilities.

A Cabinet meeting on Friday passed the proposal to hike the minimum salary for Nepali workers based on the recommendation of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security.

The salary of Nepali workers, aspiring to work in the Gulf kingdom, has been reviewed for the first time in six years. The previous minimum salary for Nepali workers in Saudia Arabia was set at 1,000 riyals in 2013.

According to Minister for Labour Gokarna Bista, the decision to review the minimum wage of Nepali workers was made considering the increasing standard of living in the Gulf country.

“The government has increased the minimum wage to provide relief to Nepali workers who have been struggling to cope with the rising cost of living in the country,” said Minister Bista, adding that the hike in salary would benefit the unskilled workers the most. The government has increased the minimum salary of all the unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and professional category of workers.

The revised minimum salary means the semi-skilled workers will now be entitled to a minimum of 1,200 riyals and up to 2,500 riyals along with an additional 300 riyals as food allowance.

Likewise, skilled workers would be getting a minimum of 1,200 riyals up to 3,000 riyals and food allowance of 500 riyals.

The minimum salary of professional workers that include human resources executives, general manager, engineers, doctors and others would begin from 5,000 riyals. However, doctors’ minimum salary will be 11,000 riyals, which is the highest minimum wage among professional workers.

Once the decision is published in the National Gazette, only demand letters of workers ensuring the new minimum wage will be approved.