Fiscal Nepal
First Business News Portal in English from Nepal
KATHMANDU: A total of 272 Nepali nationals stranded in Dubai have been brought back to Nepal through a special rescue flight coordinated by the government, as evacuation efforts continue amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
According to Nepal Airlines Corporation spokesperson Devendra Pun, the national flag carrier operated a special repatriation flight on Thursday that transported the stranded Nepalis from Dubai International Airport to Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.
The same aircraft had earlier carried 260 passengers from Kathmandu to Dubai, many of whom had been stranded in Nepal due to flight disruptions caused by the regional crisis.
Rescue operations are set to continue on Friday as well. According to the airline, another Nepal Airlines aircraft will depart Kathmandu carrying 267 passengers bound for Dubai, and will subsequently bring back 164 Nepalis currently stranded in the Gulf region.
The evacuation flights began after airspace restrictions were imposed across parts of the Gulf starting from Falgun 16 in the Nepali calendar (late February 2026). The restrictions disrupted several commercial flights and left hundreds of Nepali migrant workers and travelers stranded at major transit hubs in the region.
The crisis intensified after United States and Israel jointly launched airstrikes targeting sites in Iran, escalating geopolitical tensions across the Middle East and forcing airlines to suspend or reroute flights due to security concerns.
Nepal’s government has been coordinating with airlines, diplomatic missions, and aviation authorities to facilitate rescue flights and safe return arrangements for Nepali citizens, particularly migrant workers who rely heavily on the Gulf region for employment.
Officials said evacuation and assistance efforts will continue depending on the evolving regional security situation and airspace availability, as thousands of Nepali workers remain employed across Gulf countries including United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.
The government has urged Nepali citizens currently traveling through or residing in the Gulf to stay in close contact with Nepali embassies and consular offices and follow official travel advisories as the regional crisis continues to evolve.
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