With Iran vowing revenge for the death of its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, what happens over the next 48 hours is crucial as it will hugely impact the life of Indians living in the Gulf region. We explain.
Indian diaspora in the Gulf
As of 2024, the Indian community in the Gulf countries comprised one of the largest concentrations of overseas Indians, with over 9 million residents across the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, primarily in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. They are now an alienable part of the region’s economy, contributing to sectors like construction, healthcare, and retail, while also serving as a vital source of remittances back home.
The diaspora is diverse, ranging from unskilled or semi-skilled workers in construction to professionals in finance, healthcare, and engineering, along with a significant number of entrepreneurs.
As per the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi, Indian expats are the UAE’s largest ethnic community, constituting roughly about 35% of the population. The number of resident Indian nationals in the country is estimated to be 4.3 million (as of 2024). Around 15% of them are in Abu Dhabi while the rest are spread over the other six Emirates including Dubai, where luxury hotels and airports have become missile targets.
Though most of the Indians living here are employed, about 10 per cent of the Indian population constitutes dependent family members. Among the Indian states, Kerala is the most represented, followed by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. However, Indian nationals from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Punjab also form a significant portion of the UAE’s Indian population, as per Embassy statistics.
Indian contact with the UAE dates back several centuries owing to trade and commercial links between the various Emirates and India. Both in terms of numbers and the categories of workers employed, the expatriate community in the UAE stands out amongst all others.
The community’s profile has changed with the country’s evolving needs: from blue-collar workers (to the extent of 85-90%) in the 1970s and 1980s to professionals in the expanding service sector in the 1990s.
Today, around 35% of the Indian community is made up of professionally qualified personnel, businessmen, and other white collar non-professionals and their families. The community maintains strong cultural ties to India, celebrating festivals, with access to schools, community centres, and places of worship.
Passenger and tourist hub
Recent data from the Ministry of Tourism pointed to the dominance of Gulf destinations in 2025 for Indians. From seamless visa processes to short-haul flights, the region continues to attract Indian travellers in record numbers.
In the region, the UAE remained the most visited destination for Indians in 2025, welcoming approximately 8.6 million travellers from India. Tourism, luxury shopping, entertainment, and fine dining continue to draw visitors. Simplified visa access, cultural familiarity, and strong air connectivity make it a convenient getaway. Dubai remains the star attraction. However, hotels and airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha (Qatar), Kuwait, and Bahrain are now being directly targeted by Iran’s drones and missiles inflicting damage in civilian and residential areas. Earlier on Sunday, the Dubai Media Office reported four injuries in an “incident” at Dubai International Airport, a major transport hub, noting only minor damage to the airport’s concourse.
A view of the Dubai International Airport. On March 1, the Dubai Media Office reported four injuries in an “incident” at the major transport hub, noting only minor damage to the airport’s concourse. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Saudi Arabia got 3.4 million Indian travellers visiting in 2025. Indians travelled for tourism, family visits, business, and religious reasons. Additionally, Hajj remains a major driver for annual travel. Qatar — also under attack — got around 1.1 million Indian tourists in 2025.
Flights disrupted
Besides the fact that Tehran is launching attacks on US military infrastructure across West Asia, the Iranian administration has also reminded all regional countries of their “responsibility” to prevent the US and Israel from exploiting their facilities or territories to carry out aggressive operations against Iran. Attacking civilian areas may be a tactic to get them to pressure the US to tone things down.
The attacks disrupted flights across the Gulf and beyond. Hundreds of thousands of travellers were either stranded or diverted to other airports after Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain closed their airspace. Three of the key airports that connect Europe, Africa, and the West to Asia — Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha — halted operations. Also, there was no flight activity over the UAE, after the government there announced a “temporary and partial closure” of its airspace on Saturday.
That led to the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights by major Middle Eastern airlines. The three major airlines that operate at those airports — Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad — typically have about 90,000 passengers per day passing through those hubs. Dubai is the world’s busiest airport for international flights. If the situation escalates, the region’s impeccable image of being an easy transit hub connecting Asia with Europe is going to be hit for a long time, besides its perception of being a safe tourist destination being dented.
Indian government’s response
On Saturday, the Indian Embassy in the UAE issued an advisory for Indian nationals in the UAE. It said: “In view of the current regional situation, all Indian nationals in the United Arab Emirates are advised to avoid unnecessary travel, take due care, remain vigilant, follow safety guidelines and advisories as and when issued by the UAE authorities and the Embassy. The Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai are continuing to function normally and will issue updates as necessary.”
Earlier in February, Trinamool Congress MP Sougata Ray had asked during the Budget session of Parliament whether the government has assessed the impact of political unrest in Iran on Indians residing there, their possible repatriation as well as their current numbers in Iran. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in a written response, had stated that the government was “closely monitoring the situation in Iran” and the Embassy of India in Tehran is in regular contact with Indian nationals, including students, in Iran, and is providing them regular advice.
“There are about 9,000-10,000 Indian nationals across 16 provinces in Iran, which includes mainly students (and their families), workers, pilgrims, tourists, business persons and seafarers,” the response stated. It added that the last evacuation from Iran organised by the government was under Operation Sindhu in June 2025, during which 3,597 Indian nationals were evacuated amid the 12-day war between Iran and Israel.
(with inputs from Jatin Anand)
Firemen and rescue workers inspect the site of an explosion at the Fairmont The Palm Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on February 28, 2026. Photo: AP/Altaf Qadri 
A view of the Dubai International Airport. On March 1, the Dubai Media Office reported four injuries in an “incident” at the major transport hub, noting only minor damage to the airport’s concourse. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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