How many Indians are living in UAE in 2025?
More than half of expats now call Dubai their home
DUBAI: The Indian expat population in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has crossed an unprecedented 4.36 million, doubling in just over a decade, according to Satish Sivan, Consul General of India in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
Speaking at the Indo-UAE Conclave in Dubai, organised by the India Today Group last week, Sivan pointed to the exponential growth that has made tracking accurate data a challenge.
“In December 2023, the number was 3.89 million. Within six months, it touched 4.36 million,” Sivan revealed, highlighting the meteoric rise. He compared the figure to the entire UAE population in the early 2000s, which hovered around 4.5 million, implying that Indian expats now equal the country's total population from two decades ago.
The leap from 2.2 million just over ten years ago to today's 4.36 million marks one of the most significant demographic shifts among expatriate communities worldwide.
Indian expats in Dubai
Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Sunjay Sudhir, noted that more than half of this swelling diaspora resides in Dubai alone. “Dubai is where the India-UAE relationship historically began. Our first dhows landed at Port Rashid,” he said, connecting past maritime ties to modern migration patterns.
“Today, our Indian community is 4.3 million plus, and more than half of that is actually in Dubai,” he added, emphasising the city’s central role in the community’s presence and activities.
This density has led to Dubai being dubbed an unofficial "little India" – a thriving microcosm of subcontinental culture, business, and labour.
Driving the economy
The Indian community is not only growing in numbers but also in influence. Ambassador Sudhir stated that more than 60 per cent of Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) across the UAE are Indian nationals.
“If you look at our investments into the UAE, the vast majority is in Dubai,” he remarked. Indians are occupying strategic positions across sectors, from finance to construction, hospitality to healthcare.