Indian expat’s population in UAE reaches nearly 4 million

Dubai: The population of  Indian community in the UAE has reached nearly four million, guiding UAE’s economic growth and its future vision, said Satish Kumar Sivan, consul-general of India to Dubai and Northern Emirates.

While speaking during a conference organised by the Indian Institute of Chartered Accountants of India’s (ICAI) Dubai Chapter on Saturday, Sivan said the UAE, especially Dubai, is fast becoming a global hub in the finance sector due to the contribution of the Indian diaspora.

“Beyond professional contributions, the Indian community serves as a cultural bridge between our two countries, which already enjoy a historical bond. The contribution of community which grew from 2.2 million in 2012 to 3.9 million last year has been a key factor in the rapid strengthening of close strategic partnerships between India and the UAE, especially over the past decade. It is incumbent upon us to thank UAE leaders for giving opportunities for the community to flourish,” Sivan said while delivering a keynote speech at Envisage – Profession, Bharat and World Economy conference.

Indians are the largest expat community in the UAE and have contributed significantly to the Emirates’ economy over the years. In fact, Indian expats are among the richest community members in the country with investments in healthcare, real estate, retail and other sectors.

The population of the Indian and other expat communities dropped during the pandemic year of 2020 but rebounded strongly as many professionals and high net-worth individuals relocated to the UAE in search of greener pastures and job opportunities that came up in the country due to massive economic growth that UAE recorded in the past four years.

The consul-general praised the UAE leadership for giving an opportunity to Indians to practice their religion without inhibition.

Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal, president of ICAI, delivered the keynote speech on the first day of the two-day conference. While Rajesh Somani, chairman of ICAI’s Dubai Chapter, delivered the welcome note.