Up to 500,000 Indians left Saudi Arabia during COVID-19 crisis, envoy says

Cairo: The numbers of Indians in Saudi Arabia have dropped by at least 400,000 to reach 2.2 million, but they continue to form the largest foreign community in the kingdom, according to an Indian diplomat.

Around 400,000-500,000 Indians left Saudi Arabia during the global coronavirus crisis, reducing the community’s pre-pandemic numbers of 2.6 million, Indian Ambassador in Saudi Arabia Ausaf Sayeed said.

Therefore, the current estimate of Indians in the kingdom ranges between 2.2 million to 2.3 million, however, remaining the largest foreign community in the country, he told Saudi TV Al Ekhabriya.

There are nearly 40 Indian schools in Saudi Arabia, enrolling nearly 80,000 students, he added.

Indians are spread across the kingdom, actively engaged in society, Sayeed noted. Many Indian residents have settled in the kingdom with their families. Some were born in Saudi Arabia and have never seen India, he said.

Foreigners make up around 10.5 million of Saudi Arabia’s total population of 34.8 million.