Yemeni workers in Saudi at risk of forced returns: HRW

Human Rights Watch has called on Saudi Arabia to stop laying off Yemeni employees, warning that this could force them to return to the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country.

Yemen has been embroiled in conflict between the government, which is backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, and the Iran-allied Huthi rebels since 2014, creating what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Saudi authorities in July began "to terminate or not renew contracts of Yemeni professionals", HRW said in a statement on Tuesday.

The rights group cited local Saudi media reports that said new regulations require businesses to limit the percentage of workers from certain nationalities -- including 25 percent for Yemeni citizens.