Indian expat population in Oman down to less than a million

Workers clean after the Iftar meal during the holy month of Ramadan on May 09, 2019 in the Omani capital Muscat. (File/AFP)

• Foreigners make up more than 40 percent of Oman’s population of 4.6 million
• About 25 million foreign nationals, mostly Asians, live and work in the Arab Gulf

DUBAI: There are now less than half a million Indian workers living and working in Oman by the end of the third quarter, 20 percent lower compared with the previous period last year, the country’s National Centre for Statistics and Information said.
But the 499,431 Indians still represent the biggest single bloc of expatriates in the sultanate, local daily Times of Oman reported.
Their numbers stood at 542,091 in July and decreased to 517,702 in August after the government implemented measures to reduce the expatriate population and allow more Omanis to join the workforce.
Foreigners make up more than 40 percent of Oman’s population of 4.6 million, and have played a major role in the country’s development for several decades.
About 25 million foreign nationals, mostly Asians, live and work in the Arab Gulf.
The number of Bangladeshis in Oman during the period also declined 13.9 percent to 550,471; Pakistanis down 15.7 percent to 176,550; Filipinos down 8.2 percent to 45,038; Egyptians down 8.2 percent to 31,511 and Ugandans almost halving their count to 14,099.