WhyGulf is important for India and Indians?

As of March 2022 Indian diaspora in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain constituted significant portion of the Gulf population.

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The Ministry of External Affairs recently revealed that over 66% of the estimated 1.34 crore Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) are currently residing in Gulf countries, which is also known as Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

This data, as of March 2022, sheds light on the significant concentration of the Indian diaspora in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain.

The information is based on an RTI reply. The Gulf region hosts a substantial NRI population, with 34.1 lakh NRIs residing in the United Arab Emirates, 25.9 lakh in Saudi Arabia, 10.2 lakh in Kuwait, 7.4 lakh in Qatar, 7.7 lakh in Oman, and 3.2 lakh in Bahrain.

The RTI was moved by Nagpur-based banker Abhay Kolarkar, who sought this information to gauge the potential impact on NRIs in the event of a conflict or humanitarian crisis abroad.

The ministry’s data further indicates that out of the total 1.34 crore NRIs, 88.8 lakh are spread across 210 countries. Besides the Gulf countries, other significant concentrations include 12.8 lakh NRIs in the United States, 3.5 lakh in the United Kingdom, 2.4 lakh in Australia, 2.2 lakh in Malaysia, and 1.7 lakh in Canada.

The Gulf region hosts a substantial NRI population, with 34.1 lakh NRIs residing in the United Arab Emirates, 25.9 lakh in Saudi Arabia, 10.2 lakh in Kuwait, 7.4 lakh in Qatar, 7.7 lakh in Oman, and 3.2 lakh in Bahrain

Interestingly, the Gulf nations have relatively fewer Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), with the United States leading in this category with 31 lakh PIOs. A PIO is an individual whose ancestors were Indian nationals, and they currently hold foreign citizenship. The United States is followed by Malaysia with 27.6 lakh PIOs, Myanmar with 20 lakh, Sri Lanka with 16 lakh, and Canada with 15.1 lakh PIOs.

This data provides valuable insights into the global distribution of the Indian diaspora, with a particular emphasis on the Gulf region’s significant role in hosting a substantial portion of NRIs.

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