Serpentine queues at UAE airports’ Indian flight counters only reinforce what the numbers are saying.
There are 3.3 million expats from the country who call the emirates their home.
Navdeep Singh Suri, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, recently quoted the 2017 International Migration Report of the International Organisation of Migrants (IOM), a UN agency, in an interview with Gulf News, while confirming the news: “I want to say that what a privilege to be India’s representative with such a dynamic and diverse Indian community of 3.3 million,” he said.
And where there is such an influx, there are bound to be influences taking root. From kabab rolls with ‘chili mayonnaise’ to embroidery for scarves, there are plenty of elements that point to crossover.
Vlogger Khalid Al Ameri is the latest to explore links between India and the UAE. He traces the dirham’s route for one thing to the rupee.