In a significant milestone, the population of the Indian community in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reached approximately four million.
This demographic boost is essential for the UAE’s economic development and is in line with the vision of the country according to the consul-general of India to Dubai and the Northern Emirates Satish Kumar Sivan.
Speaking at a conference organized by the Indian Institute of Chartered Accountants of India’s Dubai Chapter, Sivan said that the Indian expatriates had an important mission to turn the emirate into an international financial centre.
He added that the Indian expatriates’ impact is represented across fields of construction, retail, health care and financial domain making them crucial for the UAE economy.
“Beyond professional contributions, the Indian community serves as a cultural bridge between our two countries, which already enjoy a historical bond. The contribution of the 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”, Sivan said as reported by Khaleej Times.
The bilateral relationship between India and UAE has also strengthened the Indian population in the Emirates including the introduction of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in the county and local currency trade mechanisms
Indian population in UAE
The Indian community occupies the larger percentage with about 37.96 per cent of the total expatriate population in the UAE. Pakistan is the second largest expatriate population in UAE constituting approximately 26,310, which contributes 8.61 per cent.
This demographic factor has been facilitated by the continued flow of Indian professionals in search of employment opportunities within the region.
According to the latest figures, more than 130000 Indians have migrated to the UAE in a year, proving that the UAE is a top choice for Indians while they are moving abroad.