Hinduism in Arab states

The estimated figures for the Hindu population in 2020, among some Arab countries was as follows:

• United Arab Emirates 660,000[2][3]
• Saudi Arabia 440,000[4]
• Qatar 360,000[5][6][7]
• Kuwait 330,000[8]
• Yemen 200,000[9]
• Oman 190,000[10][11]
• Bahrain 150,000[12]
• Jordan <10,000[13]
• Egypt <10,000[14]
• Iraq <10,000[15]
• Israel <10,000[16]
• Lebanon <10,000[17]
• Syria <10,000[18]
• Palestine <10,000[19]

Approximately 2.4 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 Nepali community of about 10,000[20] individuals (in 2007), many of whom are likely to be Hindu. It is not known whether any Hindu temples exist in these countries.

Indian settlers came to live in Oman, creating settlements and practicing Hinduism. 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 and Arab traders settled in Kerala in the 6th century. In the opposite direction, medieval Gujaratis, Kutchis, and other Indians traded extensively with Arab and Somali ports, including Hormuz, Salalah, Socotra, Mogadishu, Merca, Barawa, Hobyo, Muscat and Aden. Arab merchants were the dominant carriers of Indian Ocean trade until the Portuguese forcibly supplanted them at the end of the 15th century. Indo-Arabian links were renewed under the British Empire, when many Indians serving in the army or civil service were stationed in Arab lands such as Sudan. The current wave of Indian immigration to the Arab states of the Persian Gulf dates roughly to the 1960s. Hinduism is also one of the fastest growing religions in the Middle East,[21] mainly due to immigration from the Indian Subcontinent.

In 2001, Belgian speleologists found a large number of inscriptions, drawings and archaeological objects on the Socotra island in Yemen[22][23] left by sailors who visited the island in the 1st century BC to 6th century AD and most of the texts found were written in the Indian Brahmi script.[24]

There is a small community of Indians in Egypt, the majority of whom are presumed to be adherents of Hinduism.[25]

South Asians in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) constitute the largest ethnic group in the country.[26] Over 2 million Indian migrants (mostly from the southern 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.[27] 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%). Estimates suggest Hindu population in UAE to be anywhere from 6-10%.

Shiva temple in Old Muscat is one of the oldest Hindu temple in Middle East

Oman has an immigrant Hindu minority. The number of Hindus has declined in the 20th century although it is now stable. Hinduism first came to Muscat in 1507 from Kutch. The original Hindus spoke Kutchi language. By the early 19th century there were at least 4,000 Hindus in Oman, all of the intermediate merchant caste. By 1900, their numbers had plummeted to 300. In 1895, the Hindu colony in Muscat came under attack by the Ibadhis. By the time of independence, only a few dozen Hindus remained in Oman. The historical Hindu Quarters of al-Waljat and al-Banyan are no longer occupied by Hindus. The most prominent immigrant Hindus (Kutchi), are Khimji Ramdas, Dhanji Morarji, Ratansi Purushottam and Purushottam Toprani.[31] The only Hindu crematorium is located in Sohar, northwest of Muscat.

Saudi authorities interpret Hindu icons as idols, and idol worship is strongly condemned in Sunni Islam. This is likely the foundation for the stringent position of Saudi authorities when it comes to Hindu religious practice.[34] Hindus are not permitted to build temples though many of them worship inside rented apartments/houses in Saudi Arabia. Celebrations of all festivals are also held only indoors. Further permission is asked for outdoor activities for certain areas. According to US State Department,[35] a Sunni Muslim male in Saudi Arabia receives the full award for accidental death or injury compensation as required by Sharia, a Jewish or Christian male receives 50 percent of the compensation a Muslim male would receive, and Hindus (and others such as Buddhists, and Sikhs) are only entitled to receive 1/16 the amount a male Sunni Muslim would receive.[36]

Similarly, only the testimony by Sunnis is accepted as reliable, while the testimony of Hindu witnesses (and other non-Muslim religions) are often ignored in courts of law altogether, as stipulated in Sharia. In general, in Saudi courts, a woman's testimony is worth only half that of a man's, and a non-Muslim's (Hindu) testimony is worth less than that of a Muslim's.[35]

Hindus make up 13.8% of Qatar. There are an estimated 351,210 Hindus in the country.[5][6] Many Hindus are from Nepal.

• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Abu Dhabi in Abu Dhabi, UAE
• Motishwar Shiv Mandir in Muscat, Oman
• Shiva and Krishna Mandir in Dubai, UAE
• Shrinathji Temple, Bahrain

• Hinduism by country
• BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Abu Dhabi
• Buddhism in the Middle East