US-Israel-Iran conflict: Nearly 1 cr Indians live in Middle East countries, over 374662 cr in annual remittances to India - What statistics indicate

US-Israel-Iran tensions: Amid rising tensions in the Middle East, India has appealed to its citizens to exercise utmost caution. This appeal comes after the major military escalation in the region following the joint US-Israel strikes on Iran. Following the strikes, Iran launched retaliatory attacks on Israeli and American military bases in countries such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

In this context, Indian missions in Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Palestine have issued separate advisories, advising Indian citizens to remain alert and strictly follow security and emergency guidelines.

In a broader context, countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have long been popular career options for Indians. Tax-free salaries, better pay packages, and many additional facilities are the main reasons for this attraction. Even at the end of 2025, Saudi Arabia and the UAE remain the largest employment hubs for Indian migrants, where millions of Indians are employed in construction, hospitality, IT, healthcare, and other sectors.

How many Indians are living in the Gulf?

A large population of Indians resides in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, and these countries are extremely important for India in terms of employment, air connectivity, and foreign currency. According to statistics, the highest number of 43.26 lakh Indians live in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This is followed by 27.47 lakh in Saudi Arabia, 10.36 lakh in Kuwait, 8.30 lakh in Qatar, 6.76 lakh in Oman, and 3.17 lakh in Bahrain. Thus, a total of approximately 99,34,024 or nearly 1 crore, Indians reside in GCC countries.

In the financial year 2023–24, India received a total of USD 118.7 billion in remittances (money sent from abroad). The share of GCC countries in this was 37.9 per cent, which is equivalent to approximately USD 45 billion. Alone from the UAE came 19.2 per cent, i.e., about USD 22.8 billion to India. From Saudi Arabia came 6.7 per cent (about USD 7.9 billion) and from Kuwait 3.9 per cent (about USD 4.6 billion).

However, in comparison, in the financial year 2016–17, the share of GCC countries was 46.7 per cent, which has now reduced to 37.9 per cent, i.e., a declining trend is visible over time.

According to the World Bank, in 2024, India remains the number-1 country in the world for receiving remittances.

India Remittance Data (FY 2023–24)

Comparison with FY 2016–17

Trend: GCC contribution to India’s remittances has declined over time.

India-Gulf air connectivity is the largest international corridor

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in the winter 2025 season, a total of 26,495 international flights were approved weekly from India, i.e., an average of 3,785 flights daily (including all international routes). Among these, the Gulf/Middle East share is considered the largest international corridor. Airlines like Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Emirates, Air Arabia, Etihad, Flydubai, Saudia, Kuwait Airways, Oman Air, and Qatar Airways operate between India and Gulf countries.

However, during February–March 2026, due to airspace restrictions amid the Iran conflict, more than 170 flights were disrupted or cancelled, and DGCA issued an advisory.

More than 1,000 Indians depart daily for employment

Immigration clearance figures released through the e-Migrate portal show that in 2023, a total of 398,316 immigration clearances were issued for GCC countries. This is equivalent to an average of about 1,091 people per day, who are mainly blue-collar workers. In 2023, 2,00,713 clearances were issued for Saudi Arabia, 71,687 for UAE, 48,212 for Kuwait, 30,683 for Qatar, 21,336 for Oman, and 7,376 for Bahrain.

Gulf countries and its importance for India

Gulf countries are extremely important for India on three levels:

Employment: Job opportunities for millions of Indians.

Remittances: A major source of foreign currency.

Connectivity: The busiest international air route.

In such a situation, any kind of geopolitical tension in the region can not only affect the Indians living there but also impact India's economy, remittance flow, and air traffic.