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Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed deep sadness over the death of a Nepali citizen in Saudi Arabia. According to the ministry, the person was killed by debris from a drone that Saudi air defence systems intercepted over Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oil field a day earlier.
In a statement posted on X, the ministry offered condolences to the bereaved family and wished a speedy recovery to all those injured. It reiterated Nepal's "unequivocal condemnation" of attacks targeting civilians and critical infrastructure. The ministry said Nepal continues to call for the peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue, negotiation and diplomatic engagement, which it described as the country's principled position. The statement did not name the victim, give his hometown or say whether arrangements were under way to repatriate his body. Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy said air defence systems intercepted a drone attempting to target one of the oil field's processing facilities in the Eastern Province on Wednesday morning. The attempted attack caused a fire in a contractor's vehicle outside the facility's perimeter, without affecting operations. The ministry said two expatriates, one Nepali and one Filipino, were killed, while a Pakistani and an Indian national were injured. Saudi Arabia is a major destination for Nepali migrant workers, thousands of whom are employed across the country. The Saudi ministry's statement did not identify who launched the drone. The incident came amid a series of drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia attributed to Yemen's Houthi rebels. The United States ordered non-emergency embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. Shaybah produces around one million barrels of crude oil a day and is located close to the border with the United Arab Emirates. The field was also targeted in March, when Saudi forces said they had shot down ten drones heading towards it. The foreign ministry did not say whether it had contacted the family or Saudi authorities, or what consular support it would provide. Nepal's embassy in Riyadh and the Department of Foreign Employment have not yet commented publicly. (ANI)
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