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Indians in Saudi Arabia
India has the largest diaspora in the world and as per the Ministry of External Affairs, there are 3.2 Crores or 32 million Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) residing outside India.
As per the 2018 Ministry of External Affairs report, there are 2,594,947 (25.95 Lakh) Indians residing in Saudi Arabia.
- Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) – 2,592,166 (25.92 Lakh)
- Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) – 2781
read about Population of Overseas Indians
Indian population in Saudi Arabia 2023
Indians comprise around 10 – 13 % of the Saudi Arabian population and are the largest community of expatriates in Saudi Arabia. The population of Indians in Saudi Arabia as of 2023 is 30 Lakh or 3 million.
Of the nearly 30 lakh Indians working in Saudi Arabia, expat Malayalees form the most significant chunk, at 40%, followed by those from Telangana, at 20-25%. The remaining expat workers hail from Maharashtra, UP, and Rajasthan. From Telangana, most NRIs are from Hyderabad, Karimnagar, and Nizamabad.
Some of the cities where Indian expats are in large numbers are
- Riyadh – 1,000,000 (10 lakh)
- Jeddah – 70,000
- Dammam
- Jubail
- Jizan
Source: estimates
Religion of Indian population in Saudi Arabia
Among Indian expats you will find a range of communities of faith, Majority of Indians are Muslims and others include Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, and Christian. A study conducted in 2010 found that 93% of people living in the Kingdom were Muslim; less than 5% were Christians. The rest of the population included Buddhists, Hindus, practicers of folk religion, and people who practiced other or no faiths.