Prime Minister Narendra Modi receiving Kuwait’s highest honour from the Amir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah. The two sides signed an MoU on defence cooperation for the exchange of defence personnel, joint exercises, supply of military equipment; Prime Minister holds discussions with Kuwaiti Amir.
This is the first visit by an Indian PM in 43 years, and it will undoubtedly strengthen the India-Kuwait friendship across various sectors.
Highlighted the role of the Indian diaspora in the country in terms of “talent, technology and tradition
Key Highlights
The laborers/ workers represent 61% of Kuwait’s total population (2.97 million) in 2023 and 75% of its expatriate population. The Indian community remains the largest expatriate community in Kuwait and has crossed the one million mark.
What is the current status of the Indian Diaspora?
The Indian Diaspora is one of the largest in the world, with an estimated 18 million people of Indian origin living abroad.
The US, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Myanmar, the UK, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Canada host an Indian diasporic population of at least one million each.
According to the Global Migration Report 2020, India continues to be the largest country of origin of international migrants, with a 17.5 million-strong Diaspora across the world.
According to a World Bank Report, India received approximately 87 billion dollars in remittances in 2021 with the USA being the biggest source, accounting for over 20% of these funds.
Country | Population of Indian Diaspora (approximate) |
United Arab Emirates | Around 3.5 million |
United States of America | Around 2.7 million |
Saudi Arabia | Around 2.5 million |
Malaysia | Around 2 million |
United Kingdom | Around 1.4 million |
Country | Percentage of population (approximate) |
Qatar | Around 30.5 % |
United Arab Emirates | Around 27 % |
Bahrain | Around 19 % |
Oman | Around 18 % |
Kuwait | Around 17.5 % |
Source Country | Share in remittances |
United States of America | 23.4 % |
United Arab Emirates | 18 % |
United Kingdom | 6.8 % |
Singapore | 5.7 % |
Saudi Arabia | 5.1 % |
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