# 9.6 million Indians in Gulf face risk as war escalates 2026-08-08T08:51:54+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Nearly 96 lakh Indians live in Gulf states that are now in the direct line of fire between Iran and the US-led coalition. The Ministry of External Affairs recorded 96,79,121 Indians across the Middle East as of January 2025, with over 95.7 lakh being non-resident Indians. UAE alone hosts about 4 million, Saudi Arabia over 2 million, and Kuwait over a million. These numbers dwarf the 7,000 Indians still in Iran, which has already seen limited evacuations. Since the war began on 28 February 2026, Iran has targeted US military bases in Gulf states hosting American forces, the same countries where most Indians work. India has set up a 24/7 control room, helplines in embassies, and evacuated 2,557 people from Iran via land borders. Prime Minister has appealed for fuel conservation after markets lost Rs 6 lakh crore in one session. But no plan has been disclosed for evacuating even a fraction of the Gulf population if strikes hit civilian areas. ## Coverage - timesnownews.com Tags: evacuation, geopolitics, Gulf war, Indian diaspora, Iran, US Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/9-6-million-indians-in-gulf-face-risk-as-war-escalates/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/9-6-million-indians-in-gulf-face-risk-as-war-escalates/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.