The Gulf and Middle East: Where 9 Million Indians Live and Work
The Middle East and Gulf region is home to approximately 9 million Indian expatriates — the largest diaspora concentration anywhere in the world. The UAE alone has over 3.5 million Indians. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain each host hundreds of thousands of Indian workers across every sector from construction labor to corporate leadership. Remittances from the Gulf constitute a significant portion of India's foreign exchange inflows, and several Indian states — Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan — have deep economic ties to the region.
Despite this enormous Indian stake in the Gulf, coverage in Indian mainstream media is patchy and often event-driven. A major geopolitical crisis (Israel-Palestine, Iran tensions, Yemen conflict) gets wall-to-wall coverage. But the day-to-day developments that affect Indian workers — labor law changes, visa policy updates, Kafala system reforms, housing regulations, Indianization policies — are covered sporadically if at all. When they are covered, the sourcing is often limited to wire services, with little original reporting.
The Coverage Gaps
- Labor rights and working conditions for Indian blue-collar workers in the Gulf — a critical issue that mainstream Indian media rarely investigates
- Gulf countries' diversification policies (Saudi Vision 2030, UAE's economic transformation) and their impact on Indian businesses and workers
- Regional geopolitics beyond conflict — India's energy relationships, defence partnerships, and economic corridors with Gulf nations
- Cultural and social news from the Indian diaspora — community events, achievements, and challenges that matter to millions but rarely make Indian headlines
What This Feed Covers
The Middle East & Gulf feed on The Balanced News aggregates coverage from Indian media, Gulf-based publications (including those serving the Indian diaspora), international outlets, and regional media. This gives you the geopolitical analysis alongside the diaspora-relevant updates that no single Indian outlet provides comprehensively.
For the millions of Indian families with members working in the Gulf, this feed is not just a news aggregator — it is a lifeline to the information that mainstream Indian media considers too niche to cover regularly.
