Report finds Oman’s Indian diaspora declined due to Omanisation, pandemic

The Indian community, however, still constitutes the largest expatriate community in the Sultanate.

The population of Indian expats in Oman has reduced to 499,431 due to the government’s “Omanisation process” and the coronavirus pandemic which have forced a large number of Indians to return home, according to a media report.

The Indian expat community declined by 20 per cent by the end of the third quarter of 2020, compared to the same period last year. (Reuters. Representational image)

The Indian community, however, still constitutes the largest expatriate community in the Sultanate, Gulf News quoted the National Centre for Statistics and Information.

The community declined by 20 per cent by the end of the third quarter of 2020, compared to the same period last year, it said.

Their population decreased from 542,091 in July to 517,702 in August following the government measures to reduce the expatriate population and allow more Omanis to join the job market, the report said.

It attributed the fall in the number of Indian expats to the government’s “Omanisation process” and the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic.

Foreigners, who account for over 40 per cent of the country’s total population of 4.6 million, have played a key role in Oman’s development for several decades.