Non-Resident Indians in Saudi Arabia

Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in Saudi Arabia (Arabic: الهنود في السعودية, romanized: al-Hunūd fī as-Saʿūdīyah) are the largest community of expatriates in the country, with most of them coming from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and most recently, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

Overview

Indians as migrant workers first began to arrive in modern-day Saudi Arabia in relatively small numbers from the British Raj soon after the discovery of oil in 1938, but their migration numbers skyrocketed exponentially after the 1973 energy crisis and subsequent oil boom. However, migration to Saudi Arabia dropped dramatically after reaching its peak in 2014 due to the introduction of the Nitaqat scheme in 2011, the acceleration of the 2010s oil glut by early 2016, and the launch of Saudi Vision 2030.

History

India and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to manage and organize the recruitment of domestic workers in January 2014. Between then and April 2016, 500,000 Indians moved to Saudi Arabia for employment. The agreement includes a provision which stipulates that sponsors must pay a guarantee of US $2,500 for each Indian worker they recruit.

Demographics

The following table shows the estimated population of Indians in Saudi Arabia since 1975.

Education

Indian curriculum schools in Saudi Arabia include:

Dammam

• International Indian School, Dammam

Riyadh

• International Indian School, Riyadh
• New Middle East International School, Riyadh
• International Indian Public School, Riyadh
• Al-Yasmin International School, Riyadh
• Al Alia International Indian School
• Yara International School

Jeddah

• Talal International School, Jeddah
• International Indian School Jeddah

Buraidah

• International Indian School Buraidah

Jubail

• International Indian School, Al-Jubail

Notable Indian Saudi Arabians

• Abdulbasit Hindi, Saudi Arabian footballer of distant Indian origin
• Awaiz Patni, Group CFO - Bugshan Investment

See also

• Indian Saudis
• India – Saudi Arabia relations
• Foreign workers in Saudi Arabia
• Migrant workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council region
  • Treatment of South Asian labourers in the Gulf Cooperation Council region

References

1. Indian diaspora
2. Religion in Saudi Arabia
3. Saudi-led intervention in the Yemeni civil war
4. Christianity in Saudi Arabia
5. Demographics of Saudi Arabia
6. Slavery in Saudi Arabia
7. Foreign relations of Saudi Arabia
8. Ahmadiyya in Saudi Arabia
9. Saudi–Yemeni war (1934)
10. Terrorism in Saudi Arabia
11. Saudi Arabia
12. Riyadh
13. Indians in the United Arab Emirates
14. Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict
15. Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
16. Russia–Saudi Arabia relations
17. Kerala Gulf diaspora
18. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
19. Telugu diaspora
20. Jeddah