KATHMANDU, MARCH 1 The government has suspended the issuance of labour permits for foreign employment in several Middle Eastern and Gulf countries in view of the evolving adverse situation in the region. According to a notice issued on Sunday by the Department of Foreign Employment under the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, a ministerial-level decision taken on March 1 has halted both individual and institutional labour permits for the affected destinations until further notice. The suspension applies to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Iraq, Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Israel. The department stated that it and its subordinate offices will not issue labour permits for employment in the listed countries until a new decision is made.