Hinduism in Arab states

There are many Hindus in Arab states, many due to the migration of Indians to the oil-rich states around the Persian Gulf.

Hindu temples have been built in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Yemen and Oman.

The estimated figures for the Hindu population in several Arab countries is as follows:

• Saudi Arabia 1,100,000
• United Arab Emirates 900,000
• Oman 300,000
• Kuwait 200,000
• Bahrain 100,000
• Qatar 90,000
• Yemen 6,000

• Total: 2.7 million

The number of Hindus in other Arab countries, including the countries of the Levant and North Africa, is thought to be negligible, though Libya has an Indian community of about 10,000 individuals, many of whom are likely to be Hindu. It is not known whether any Hindu temples exist in these countries.

(See Hinduism by country for the sources of these figures, which may need to be adjusted.)

Historical background

Historically, links between Arabia and the western coast of India have been strong and persistent. Arab sailors were using the southwest monsoon winds to trade with western Indian ports before the first century CE. An Arab army conquered Sindh in 711. Arab traders settled in Kerala in the 8th century, becoming the...
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