Crisis in Gulf: 10 million Indians watch missiles, wait for calls

Indians form the largest expatriate group in the UAE.

• Indians in Gulf anxious over US-Israel-Iran conflict
• Flights canceled, airports closed, travel plans disrupted for Indians
• Indian families worry as Gulf relatives report missile attacks

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For nearly ten million Indians whose lives are closely tied to West Asia, the US and Israeli strikes on Iran — and the retaliatory escalation across the Gulf — have turned their deepest fears into reality. Trails of smoke across the sky, phones constantly lighting up with alerts, and worried messages from relatives back home have become part of daily life.

According to Indian Express, Indians form the largest expatriate group in the UAE. They make up roughly 35% of the country’s population. As of 2024, an estimated 4.3 million Indian nationals reside there, with about 15% based in Abu Dhabi and the remainder distributed across the other six emirates, including Dubai.

Migrants from Kerala make up the largest share of the Indian community, followed by those from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. There are also sizeable populations from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab.

As of early 2025, there are over 8.5 million Indians residing and working in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The UAE hosts the highest number (over 3 million), followed by Saudi Arabia (over 2.7 million)Kuwait (over 1 million), and Qatar (over 8 lakh). The total overseas Indian population, including Gulf countries, is estimated at over 1.35 crore, according to the Ministry of External Affairs data.

Back in India, families and friends are clinging to their phones and hoping for reassuring updates as routine gives way to anxiety.

Also, there are travellers stranded at airports across the Gulf, waiting for the situation to get better.

Asiya (56) hails from Laila in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district. Her two sons are based in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.

“When I heard about the attacks, I immediately started praying for my two children there. It was only after they called to assure that they were safe that I breathed a sigh of relief,” she told IE.

S P Singh Oberoi, a Dubai-based industrialist and philanthropist originally from Jalandhar, described the attack as “intense”.

“One can openly see drones and missiles passing across the sky from Dubai. A lot of debris is also falling, which has caused some losses here as well,” he told IE.

According to Oberoi, the UAE government has advised residents not to step out “unless absolutely necessary”.

Gulf countries are also leading destinations for Indian outbound travellers. According to the IE report, in 2025, around 86 lakh Indians visited the UAE, 34 lakh travelled to Saudi Arabia and 11 lakh to Qatar.

However, Iranian drone and missile strikes aimed at hotels and airports across the region have forced the shutdown of key aviation hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.

More than 1,000 flights have been cancelled, operations at airports that handle nearly 90,000 passengers a day have been disrupted, and at least four people were reported injured at Dubai International Airport.

In Abu Dhabi, Mohammed Adam and Akbar Ali described it as “the scare of our lives” after sirens signalled an incoming missile strike. “We rushed indoors, afraid that residential buildings might be targeted. So far, only US bases have been struck. The city itself hasn’t been attacked, but it was a frightening night because of the loud blasts as missiles were intercepted,” Adam  told IE.

The Gulf airspace shutdown has also disrupted travel plans. Deendayal Shetty, who was scheduled to fly back to Dubai from Bengaluru this week, said uncertainty looms over his return.

In Manama, Bahrain’s capital, a trader originally from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala said explosions could be heard repeatedly. “Food and essential supplies are still available, though not all stores are open. The Juffair area, which saw missile strikes, has been shut. The Bahrain government has advised citizens and expatriates to head to shelters. Volunteers are receiving calls from people in need of medicine. Panic has spread because multiple locations were hit. We are instructed to move to shelters whenever alerts are issued,” he told IE.