KATHMANDU: Nepal and Saudi Arabia will finalize a long-awaited bilateral labor agreement during the “Labor Expo” in Riyadh, the capital, on Monday and Tuesday.

Labor Minister Rajendra Singh Bhandari, with senior officials, will sign the pact with Saudi counterpart Ahmad bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi.

The deal excludes domestic workers, focusing on construction and security staff, and aims to end exploitative conditions, ensuring insurance, social security, and occupational safety for nearly 500,000 Nepalis.

Annually, around 150,000 Nepalis migrate to Saudi Arabia, with 152,000 labor permits issued in the fiscal year 2024/25 and a peak of 188,692 in the fiscal year 2021/22.