India, the world’s most populous country, is also the country with the biggest diaspora abroad. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) estimates their number to be around 32.29 million, spread across the world. Its large size and humungous diversity make it vulnerable to several situational and professional challenges, particularly in the Middle East.
Over a quarter of the global Indian diaspora, officially estimated to number around 9.09 million, is located in the Middle East. Its main concentrations are in the United Arab Emirates (3.43 mn), Saudi Arabia (2.6 mn), Kuwait (1.03 mn), Oman (781,000), Qatar (747,000), Bahrain (327,000), Israel (97,000), Jordan (21,000), Iraq (18,000), Yemen (10,000), Lebanon (9,000), Algeria (6,000), Iran (4,000), Egypt (4,000), Turkey (1,700), Sudan (1,600), Libya (1,500), Morocco (350); Mauritania (150), Tunisia (137), Syria (94) and Palestine (20). As can be seen, over 98 per cent of Indians present in the Middle East are in six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Moreover. Nearly two-thirds of Indian presence in the Middle East is concentrated in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
There is a near complete social segregation of expatriates and the local population. Most blue-collar workers are housed in dormitory-style labour camps with conditions that are quite basic. Their lack of local language skills and low income prevent them from socio-cultural integration except among their own ethnic cohorts. Although white-collared Indian expatriates have higher incomes and can move relatively freely, only a few of them can afford to bring their families with them
