Thursday, May 21, 2026

Oman News

Picture used for illustrative purpose only. — File photo

Indians living in Oman drops significantly, Bangladesh nationals remain largest expat community

The number of Indians living in Oman dropped below 500,000 for the first time.

TAS News Service

info@thearabianstories.com

Monday, November 23, 2020

MUSCAT :The number of Indian expats living in Oman has significantly dropped by the end of October 2020. According to a data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the numbers dropped below 500,000 for the first time.

According to the latest figures there are now 492,276 Indians living in Oman. “During the pandemic since May, many Indians have made use of the repatriation efforts to return home,” said an official.

Despite the drop, Bangladesh nationals continue to be the largest expat community in the country with a total of 546,681 workers and their dependents compared to 565,011 in August. While expats from Pakistan numbered 179,375 and Filipinos are ranked fourth with 44,295 workers in Oman.

Meanwhile the total number of expatriates working in the Sultanate has dropped by 17 per cent by the end of October 2020. According to NCSI, the total expat work force in the country stands at 1,435,070 compared to 1,712,798 last year.

With the government introducing the exit scheme, expatriates with expired documents can leave the country before December 31. According to the figures released by the Ministry of Labour, more than 7,000 expats have registered for the scheme. “This will further see a dip in expat population in the country,” the official added.

Liked this story? We’ll send you more. Subscribe to TAS newsletter and get stories delivered to your inbox. Click to get started.

Close