Indians in the United Arab Emirates

Indians in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) constitute a large part of population of the country. Over a million Indian migrants are estimated to be living in the UAE (2000), [http://books.google.com/books?id=fJbTzZEpl84C&pg=PA8&lr=&sig=_yI6dLODaEQkJ40i8z6AObqjkIM#PPA8,M1 The Report Dubai 2007] . Oxford Business Group] who form over 40% of the total population of the UAE. [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indians_largest_working_force_in_UAE_Study/articleshow/2814473.cms 'Indians largest working force in UAE'] . "The Times of India". Feb 26, 2008] A majority of Indians live in the three largest cities of the UAE — Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Indian contact with the emirates that now constitute the UAE dates back several centuries, as a result of trade and commerce between the emirates and India. More recently, the UAE has experienced a tremendous increase in the population of Indians who, having migrated to the country as a result of opportunities in petroleum, construction and other industries, far outnumber the population of local emiratis. While most Indian migrants support the manufacturing and transport industries, a sizable minority of migrants are involved in professional services and entrepreneurship. Relations between India and the UAE have traditionally been friendly, though recent incidents relating to the treatment of the Indian migrant labour force by companies in the UAE have been the source of friction between the two nations.

History

merchants in both gold and textile tradeKing, Russel. [http://books.google.com/books?id=nbsNAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA245&sig=5hMl2NVYxW2iWDBEee69NDkgKMM#PPA245,M1 Return Migration and Regional Economic Problems] (page 245). Routledge. 1986] Dubai was also an important trading post for Indians prior to the discovery of oil (in commercial quantities) in the UAE in 1959; the emirate had been at the centre of a smuggling route of gold to India via small boats, where the importation of gold was illegal.Brenchley, Frank. [http://books.google.com/books?id=QtRojsvBm8wC&pg=PA279&lr=&as_brr=3&sig=oqO2SnCbPRczKODLoIkzIcIbxsc Britain and the Middle East: An Economic History 1945-87] (page 279). I.B.Tauris. 1989]

The discovery of oil brought with it an influx of workers from India in the 1960s. Many came via sea, a trip of about three days from Bombay (now Mumbai) to Dubai. Most of the shopkeepers were from the state of Kerala, or were Indian Arabs, descendants of Arabs who had previously emigrated to India. It was also in the late 1960s that the Hindu Temple and first Indian schools were built for expatriate Indian families. Indian migration to the UAE drastically increased in the 1970s and 1980s, with the expansion of the oil industry and the growth of free trade in Dubai. Annual migration of Indians to the UAE, which stood at 4,600 in 1975, rose to over 125,000 by 1985, and stood at nearly 200,000 in 1999.G Singh, B Parekh, et al. [http://books.google.com/books?id=OUlhu8dVX8MC&printsec=frontcover&sig=8C42ip-NxXPG7JowPtoM-9F8Vw0#PPA105,M1 Culture and Economy in the Indian Diaspora] . Routledge. 2003]

Demographics

By 1999, the population of Indian migrants in the UAE, which stood at 170,000 in 1975, was at 750,000. The estimated population of Indians in the UAE as of 2008 is over one million. A majority of Indians in the UAE (approximately 35%) are from the southern state of Kerala, followed by migrants from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa. The majority of Indians were Sunni Muslims (56%), followed by Christians (26%) and Hindus (16%). Naturalisation and citizenship laws in the UAE effectively make it impossible for a path to permanent residency or citizenship. A vast majority of Indian migrants are on employment based visas, while others are on business or trade visas. Approximately 26% of Indian migrants live in apartments or villas in the large cities of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, while 15% live in rented rooms in cities. The remaining migrants (about one-third) live in collective labour accommodations (referred to as "labour camps"), such as those in Mussafah (Abu Dhabi) or "Sonapur" (Dubai). Approximately 88% of those living in collective labour accommodations live in rooms with an average occupancy ranging from four to eight. Recently, Human Rights Watch criticised the labour accommodations, calling the living conditions "less than human". [http://www.hrw.org/reports/2006/uae1106/uae1106web.pdf Building Towers, Cheating Workers: Exploitation of Migrant Construction Workers in the United Arab Emirates] . Human Rights Watch. November 2006]

In addition, over 300,000 illegal migrants, many of whom are Indian, are said to be living in the UAE.Kapiszewski, Andrzej. [http://books.google.com/books?id=S4ksRUcbbHMC&pg=PA87&as_brr=3&source=gbs_search_s&sig=E9tq1ZfMiuJ7cMKAhMJO8Tv_C9c#PPA92,M1 Nationals and Expatriates: Population and Labour Dilemmas of the Gulf] . Garnet & Ithaca Press. 2001] Illegal immigrants, if caught, are jailed and then deported to their home countries. A federal law enacted in 1996 in the UAE imposed sanctions against illegal immigrants and their employers. The UAE government offers amnesty programs where foreign illegal workers can voluntarily leave the country without facing imprisonment or having to pay fines. One such three month amnesty program in 2007 benefitted 110,000 illegal Indian migrants, all of whom were either legally reabsorbed into the UAE workforce or allowed to return to India without sanctions or imprisonment. [http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/70000_Indian_workers_benefited_from_UAE_amnesty_scheme/articleshow/2517873.cms 70,000 Indian workers benefited from UAE amnesty scheme] . The Economic Times. The Times Group. November 5, 2007]

Economic contribution

Foreigners constitute 99% of the UAE's labour force, of which Indians are a sizable majority. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/06/world/middleeast/06dubai.html Fearful of Restive Foreign Labor, Dubai Eyes Reforms] . The New York Times. The New York Times Company. August 6, 2007] In addition to employment-based migrants from India, many Indian entrepreneurs in the UAE have established successful national franchises such as Jashanmal, Jumbo Electronics, Choitram's, the Varkey Group, Alukkas, Lal's and New Medical Center. By 1996, at least 150 Indian companies were operating in the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZ). Over 35% of Indian workers in the UAE were engaged in manufacturing, transport and related professions, while 20% were engaged in professional and technical fields.K Zachariah, B Rakash, et al. [http://64.233.179.104/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=cache:NN7Ay_dfLBMJ:www.epw.org.in/articles/2004/05/7249.pdf Indian Workers in the UAE: Employment, Wages, and Working Conditions] . "Economic and Political Weekly". May 29, 2004] A study conducted in 2004 found the median salary range of Indian migrants to be between Dh 1,001—1,500 (between US$ 270—408) per month (or US$ 3,240—4,896 per year), considerably below the national per capita income of US$ 55,200. Only 9% of those surveyed earned a salary of Dh 5,000 (US$ 1,360) or more per month. However, a 2005 Merrill Lynch report estimated that there were approximately 33,000 Indian dollar millionaires living in the UAE. [http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/business/2005/December/business_December486.xml&section=business&col= ICICI Bank: The Indian diaspora in Dubai and DIFC] . "Khaleej Times". December 25, 2005] Indian works typically save most of their earnings through employment benefits on accommodation and transport, and income tax free provisions of the UAE. As a result, a majority of the money is remitted for the maintenance of migrants' households in India. In 2005, an estimated US$ 7 billion was remitted, about half of which was sent through informal "hawala" channels. About 70% of all remittances from the UAE (or US$ 5 billion) was sent to India, with 60% "alone" being remitted to Kerala [http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/bline/2006/10/11/stories/2006101103860600.htm UAE Exchange is now authorised dealer] . "The Hindu BusinessLine". October 10, 2006]

A small number of Indian migrants have been involved in criminal activities in the Middle East, including smuggling, trade in narcotics, extortions and other activities. Dubai, in particular, has been associated with the smuggling of gold, precious metals and electronics. Dawood Ibrahim, head of the organised crime syndicate D-Company, is estimated to have smuggled 20 to 30 tons of gold to India annually.On January 19 2003, Sharad Shetty, one of Dawood Ibrahim's associates who controlled a vast cricket betting empire was shot dead by rival gangmembers while entering the India Club in Oud Metha, Dubai. [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/34948859.cms 'Sharad Shetty killed by two Rajan hitmen'] . "The Times of India" January 20, 2003]

Indo-Emirati relations

India and the UAE have generally enjoyed cordial relations, partly due to their shared history with the British presence in Asia, and partly due to the pre-colonial history of trade, commerce and settlement between the two nations. In 1999, the UAE government secured the release of 25 civilian passengers on board Indian Airlines flight IC-814 that had been hijacked and forced to land in Dubai "en route" to New Delhi from Katmandu, Nepal. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/577965.stm Chronology of a hijack] . British Broadcasting Corporation. December 29, 1999] However, several incidents, mainly concerning India's expatriate workforce in the UAE, have caused friction in Indo-Emirati relations. The destruction of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, India in December 1992 provoked demonstrations in the UAE on a scale not seen before since the formation of the country. Protests conducted mainly by Pakistani migrantsR Perry, B Maurer. [http://www.google.com/books?id=WWFlo6sCzbQC&printsec=frontcover&sig=AFJQ0vBnfTnYnYtV9GEgAPfY7qI&source=gbs_book_other_versions_r&cad=3_0#PPA148,M1 Globalization Under Construction: Governmentality, Law, and Identity] . University of Minnesota Press. 2003] at the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi were controlled by UAE police. Riot police in Dubai were required to restore order in the Hindu dominated Gold Souk area of Deira. Indian shops in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah were closed, while Pashtun labourers from Pakistan staged demonstrations in Al Ain and were consequently deported. Indian consuls are consulted over disputes over wages and working conditions. On March 21 2006, construction workers, many of whom were Indian, rioted at the construction site of Burj Dubai, upset over bus timings, poor wages and living conditions. [http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2006/March/theuae_March745.xml&section=theuae Labour unrest hampers Burj Dubai work] . "Khaleej Times". March 22, 2006]

Culture

The large segment of Indian migrants, along with comparatively lenient laws in the UAE have allowed Indian communities to more or less practice their native cultures in the country. Middle class Indians in the UAE have established a network of cultural associations which cater to their needs. Cultural associations such as the India Club, Indian Association, Goan Cultural Society and numerous Keralite associations support cultural networks of the Indian sub-communities in the UAE. Additionally, schools such as the Abu Dhabi Indian School and The Indian High School, Dubai provide Indian curricular education to expatriate students. Dubai is the only emirate in the UAE with a Hindu temple and Sikh Gurudwara. Non-Muslims are allowed to conduct their religious ceremonies in their private homes without interference. Dubai and Sharjah are the only emirates with operating cremation facilities in the Emirates. Official permission must be obtained for their use in every instance. Churches exist in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. In 1998, the government of Dubai donated land for the construction of a facility to be shared by five congregations, four Protestant and one Catholic. Non-Muslims may practice their religions but may not proselytise publicly.Larkin, Barbara. [http://books.google.com/books?id=OTx1qbA8OW8C&printsec=frontcover Annual Report on International Religious Freedom] . United States Department of State. November 2000]

Restaurants serving Indian food are very popular and widely available in the Emirates. Many of the hotels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have Indian restaurants that serve "Mughlai" or "Tandoor" cuisine, while vegetarian South Indian and "Udupi cuisine" are widely available and popular in the larger cities of the UAE. India-Pakistan cricket matches are widely followed by the Indian diaspora in the UAE. The Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, established by Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, hosted several India—Pakistan matches and triangular tournaments through the 1980s and 1990s, which attracted Indian and Pakistani cricket spectators from the UAE as well as from India and Pakistan. More recently, the state-of-the-art Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi has hosted bilateral and triangular cricket tournaments featuring India and Pakistan.

Bollywood and Malayalam cinema are popular among Indian expatriates and are shown in most major theatres in the Emirates' main cities. Award ceremonies such as the International Indian Film Academy Awards as well as Filmfare Awards have previously been held in Dubai; the city is also a popular destination for filming Bollywood movies. The importation of Indian movies into the UAE had already reached INRConvert|48.9|m in 1991.T Jordan, S Pile. [http://books.google.com/books?id=UWbYXI9a158C&pg=RA1-PA180&as_brr=3&sig=C4IUsKm5iS1Q8a7DFBK5mk-ySAY#PRA1-PA185,M1 Social Change] . Blackwell Publishing. 2002]

References