The plan comes in the framework of an agreement with the Kingdom and other Gulf countries that will guarantee protection to the maids, according to newly appointed Nepalese Ambassador Udaya Raj Pandey.

Pandey said Nepalese women would be allowed to work in Saudi Arabia as maids, but only for carefully vetted sponsors who agree to certain conditions.

At a press briefing at the Nepalese Embassy, the envoy spoke at length on growing Riyadh-Katmandu ties with special reference to the proposed visit of a high-power Saudi delegation to his country, possibly during the last week of November.

He also unveiled Nepal’s plans to open consulates in Jeddah and Dammam to cope with the growing workload, mainly related to labor and consular matters.

Pandey, a veteran youth leader and former adviser to the Nepalese home minister and foreign minister, said the Kingdom had expressed interest to support Nepal’s infrastructure projects, mainly in education, irrigation and other sectors.

The focus of Saudi aid will be on regions with a greater Muslim population, added the diplomat. Muslims represent 6 percent of the Himalayan country’s population.

He said Nepal has great potential and expertise to cooperate with Saudi Arabia in different sectors, including manpower, trade and tourism.

Speaking about the need to ensure more facilities and more protection to Nepalese workers, Pandey said Nepal has proposed a SR1,000 minimum monthly salary for Nepalese workers and stipulated other terms and conditions.

“An orientation program is now in place in Katmandu and it’s mandatory for female migrant workers to attend it before they are deployed in the Kingdom,” said Pandey.

At present, Saudi Arabia is home to about 700,000 Nepalese.

The two countries can also forge closer ties in the tourism sector. Tourist arrivals in the ninth month of the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 have increased by 11 percent compared to the same period last year, according to government figures.