South Asians in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) constitute the largest ethnic group in the country. Over 2 million Indian migrants (mostly from the
southern Indian states of
Kerala,
Andhra Pradesh,
Coastal Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu) are estimated to be living in the UAE, constituting 28% of the total population of the Emirates as of 2017. A majority of Indians live in the three largest cities of the UAE —
Abu Dhabi,
Dubai and
Sharjah. From the estimated 2 million migrants, 1 million are from Kerala and 450,000 from Tamil Nadu, thus constituting a majority of the Indian community in the UAE. The population of Indian migrants in the UAE had grown from 170,000 in 1975 to an estimated value of 750,000 in 1999. By 2009, this value had grown to an estimated value of 2 million. A majority of Indians in the UAE (approximately 50%—883,313 in 2011) are from the South Indian state of Kerala, followed by migrants from Tamil Nadu. The majority of Indian migrants to UAE are Muslim (50%), followed by Christian (25%) and Hindu (25%). Estimated Hindu population in UAE is between 6-10%.
Temples In 1958, permission were given to build the
Hindu Temple, Dubai in Bur Dubai in a complex that included
Shiva Mandir,
Krishna Mandir, and
Gurudwara. In January 2024, a new Hindu Temple, Dubai opened in Jebel Ali and the existing Shiva Mandir and Gurudwara were moved to this new location. Krishan Mandir is still housed in the original complex in Bur Dubai. Majority of Hindus living in UAE practice their religion within their homes. The new temple,
BAPS Hindu Mandir Abu Dhabi, had its foundation stone laying ceremony in April, 2019. The inauguration ceremony of the temple took place on 14 February 2024. ==Bahrain==