Introduction
The Indian diaspora in the Gulf is one of the largest and most important overseas Indian communities. It is concentrated mainly in the six GCC countries: the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain. In March 2026, the Government of India stated that there are about one crore Indians in the GCC region.
Latest official country-wise distribution
The latest official figures available from the Ministry of External Affairs in late 2025 show the following distribution:
• United Arab Emirates: 43,26,248
• Saudi Arabia: 27,47,551
• Kuwait: 10,36,389
• Qatar: 8,30,491
• Oman: 6,76,781
• Bahrain: 3,17,564
Why the Gulf is important for India
The Gulf is important for India because it combines labour migration, remittance flows, energy interests, maritime routes, and strategic diplomacy. India’s official statements in 2026 linked the Gulf directly with the safety of Indian lives and livelihoods, as well as with trade and energy supply chains.
Nature of the diaspora
The Indian diaspora in the Gulf is different from Indian communities in North America or Europe. It is much more strongly connected with migrant labour and temporary work-based residence. A large number of Indians in the Gulf work in construction, transport, domestic work, retail, hospitality, and other labour-intensive sectors, though the community also includes professionals, entrepreneurs, medical workers, and businesspeople. This is reflected in the strong policy focus on migrant-worker welfare in official parliamentary replies.
Strategic significance
The Indian presence in the Gulf is a major factor in India’s West Asia policy. It affects labour agreements, evacuation planning, crisis diplomacy, and bilateral ties with GCC states. The Government of India has repeatedly stated that the safety, protection, and well-being of Indians in the Gulf remain a priority.
Labour welfare dimension
India has labour and manpower cooperation agreements with all six GCC countries. In addition, India has specific labour cooperation agreements for domestic sector workers with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait. These agreements are important because a large part of the Indian presence in the Gulf consists of migrant workers in vulnerable sectors.
The Ministry of External Affairs has also highlighted welfare measures such as insurance, pre-departure orientation and training, dedicated labour wings in Indian missions, and shelter homes in countries with a large Indian presence.
Why this diaspora matters economically
The Gulf diaspora is economically important because it supports remittance inflows to India and sustains millions of households in several Indian states. The scale of the Indian population in GCC countries makes this migration corridor one of the most economically significant overseas labour linkages for India. This is a reasoned inference from the official population scale and the repeated government emphasis on worker welfare and migration governance.
