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The community of Indians in Qatar includes Indian expatriates in Qatar, as well as people of Indian origin born in Qatar. Qatar has a total population of 2,740,479 as of May 2019[update].[2] The Indian population in the country currently stands at around 691,000.[3] As of 2024, Indian population in Qatar forms approximately 25% of Qatar's populace, primarily as migrant workers.[4]
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 691,000 25% of the Qatar's population (2017)[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Doha • Al Wakrah • Al Khor • Al Rayyan | |
| Languages | |
| Malayalam • Telugu • Tamil • Urdu • Bengali • Punjabi • Hindi • English • Gujarati • Arabic • Kannada | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism • Christianity • Islam • Sikhism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Indian diaspora |
Overview
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More and more Indian students in Qatar, especially Doha, are opting for distance education programmes after passing their higher secondary examinations. After clearing their Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 exams, the students are making a beeline for the various distance education programmes offered by a number of Indian universities in Qatar.[5]
There is also a sizable population of second or third generation Qatari-born Indians. They share characteristics with other third culture kids, forming a cultural identity that blends their heritage culture and the myriad of foreign cultures they encounter growing up in the Qatar, and a more fluid sense of home. Those who grow up in western compounds tend to be well-assimilated into western culture, whereas those who stay in Indian neighborhoods such as Najma or Mughlina tend to be more in touch with India. Many Qatari-born Indians further migrate to countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand both for greater economic and lifestyle opportunities, and due to the Qatar's restrictive citizenship practices; many are forced to leave when no longer deemed valuable by the government. There is also a large area known as Asian Town specifically targeted at working class Indian immigrants
Controversy
editDeaths
editAccording to media reports and Indian government figures published on February 17, 2014 more than 1,000 Indians working in Qatar have died in the past two years, obtained by news wire AFP under right of information laws. According to the Indian embassy in Qatar, 237 workers died in 2012 and 218 in 2013. The figures follow similar data revealed to AFP by the Nepalese embassy in Doha last month, showing 191 deaths recorded in 2013, with many of them from "unnatural" heart failure, compared with 169 the year before. The Indian embassy did not give details about the circumstances of the deaths.[6]
Allegation of Spying
editIn October 2023, eight former Indian naval officers working for the Al Dahra consulting company, which was advising the Qatari government on the acquisition of submarines, were handed death sentences on 'spying charges' by a Qatari court.[7] The charges against the eight men were not made public by either the Indian government or the Qatari authorities.[8][9] Some news outlets, citing unnamed sources, said the men were charged with spying for Israel.[10]
In December 2023, as per India's foreign ministry, the death sentences were commuted. However, the new penalty the former Indian naval officer would face was not specified.[11][12]
In February 2024, all eight ex-navy personals were freed and sent to India.
2022 world cup in Doha
editFollowing the 2022 World Cup final in Doha, FIFA and Qatari authorities have failed to compensate migrant workers for abuses, including wage theft and unexplained deaths. Indian, Kenyan, and Nepali workers interviewed by Human Rights Watch reported unpaid wages and denial of end-of-service benefits, highlighting the inadequacies of Qatar’s labor reforms. Despite promises from Qatari authorities and FIFA that existing systems would protect workers, many migrant workers, including Indians, have not received compensation and face new forms of exploitation.[13]
According to the Guardian’s February 2021 report, around 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died in Qatar since it won the bid for FIFA.[14]
Education
editIndian schools in Qatar include:
- Birla Public School
- Doha Modern Indian School
- DPS Modern Indian School
- Ideal Indian School
- M.E.S Indian school
- Shantiniketan Indian School
- Bhavans Public School
- Delhi Public School
- Al Khor International School
- Loyola International School (LIS, Doha)
- Noble International School (NIS)
- Pearl School (Pearl)
- Rajagiri Public School
Notable people
edit- Tahsin Jamshid, Qatar international footballer
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Indian population in Qatar touches 691,000". 13 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ^ "Total Population in Qatar, May 2019". Qatar Planning and Statistics Authority and assigning. Archived from the original on 2018-12-09. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
- ^ "Indian population in Qatar touches 691,000". Gulf-Times (in Arabic). 2018-04-13. Retrieved 2019-06-16.
- ^ "Eye on the Middle East | Challenges and opportunities in Delhi-Doha ties". Hindustan Times. 2024-07-07. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
- ^ "More Indian students in Qatar go for distance education". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2011-02-13.
- ^ "Indian gov't confirms 450 workers died in Qatar in 2yrs".
- ^ "India 'exploring all legal options' after Qatari court sentences 8 Indians to death for spying". AP News. 26 October 2023. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "Qatar sentences eight former Indian naval officers to death". The Independent. 27 October 2023. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ^ "8 ex-Indian Navy personnel sentenced to death in Qatar; New Delhi says deeply shocked". Hindustan Times. 2023-10-26. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2023-10-28.
- ^ "Qatar sentences 8 Indians to death on charges of spying for Israel". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ "Qatar commutes India ex-navy officers' death penalty". 2023-12-28. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ "Qatar drops death sentence for 8 Indians on reported charges of spying for Israel". 2023-12-28. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ "Qatar: Six Months Post-World Cup, Migrant Workers Suffer | Human Rights Watch". 2023-06-16. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
- ^ Pattisson, Pete; McIntyre, Niamh; Mukhtar, Imran (2021-02-23). "Revealed: 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since World Cup awarded". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-10.