Hinduism in the Middle East

According to the Book of Idols by the medieval Arab scholar Hisham ibn al-Kalbi, Hinduism was present in pre-Islamic Arabia. Ibn Al-Kalbi explains the origins of idol worshipping and the practice of circumambulation as rooted in India and Hinduism.

Hinduism has been present in the form of ancient Hinduism or Vedic religion in other parts of the Middle East and influenced the Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism in ancient Persia. Krishna, one of the avatars of Vishnu and prominent Hindu deity, figures prominently in the Baha’i faith.

While influencing ancient religions of Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism, the Hindu notion of reincarnation or transmigration of souls was incorporated in other smaller religions such as Yazidism as well as Druze. Many religions in the Middle East, notable among them is Yazidism, draw heavily from common Indo-Iranian traditions, closely connected to Hinduism. The Yarsani, followers of Yarsanism, believe that the Divine Essence has successive incarnations known as mazhariyyats (similar to the Hindu notion of avatars).

At present, there is an influential and wealthy Hindu community, mostly of Indian, Nepalese and Sri Lankan heritage in Arab states of the Persian Gulf. Many came due to the migration of Indians and Nepalese expatriates and employees to the area around the Persian Gulf.

The Indian expatriate community is the largest ethnic community in the UAE constituting 30% of the country’s population. The Indian community members -- from managers, doctors and technicians to engineers, IT experts and chartered accountants or business tycoons -- have left an indelible mark on the Gulf nation’s social and economic life.

Hindu temples have been built in Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Oman.

Historical background
Indian settlers came to live in Oman, creating settlements and practicing Hinduism. Arab sailors were using the southwest monsoon winds to trade with western Indian ports before the first century CE. An Arab army conquered Sindh in 711 and Arab traders settled in Kerala in the 6th century. In the opposite direction, medieval Gujaratis, Kutchis, and other Indians traded extensively with Arab and Somali ports, including Hormuz, Salalah, Socotra, Mogadishu, Merca, Barawa, Hobyo, Muscat and Aden. Arab merchants were the dominant carriers of Indian Ocean trade until the Portuguese forcibly supplanted them at the end of the 15th century. Indo-Arabian links were renewed under the British Empire, when many Indians serving in the army or civil service were stationed in Arab lands such as Sudan. The current wave of Indian immigration to the Arab states of the Persian Gulf dates roughly to the 1960s. Hinduism is also one of the fastest growing religions in the Middle East, mainly due to immigration from the Indian Subcontinent.

In 2001, Belgian speleologists discovered a large number of inscriptions, drawings, and archaeological objects on the Socotra island in Yemen left by sailors who visited the island from the 1st century BC to 6th century AD. Most of the texts found were written in the Indian Brahmi script.

Egypt
There were about 2,700 Hindus in Egypt in 2010. That number decreased to about 1535 in 2020.

Oman
Oman has an immigrant Hindu minority. The number of Hindus has declined in the 20th century although it is now stable. Hinduism first came to Muscat in 1507 from Kutch. The original Hindus spoke Kutchi. By the early 19th century there were at least 4,000 Hindus in Oman, all of the intermediate merchant caste. By 1900, their numbers had plummeted to 300. In 1895, the Hindu colony in Muscat came under attack by the Ibadhis. By the time of independence, only a few dozen Hindus remained in Oman. The historical Hindu Quarters of al-Waljat and al-Banyan are no longer occupied by Hindus. The most prominent immigrant Hindus, are Visoomal Damodar Gandhi (Aulad Kara), Khimji Ramdas, Dhanji Morarji, Ratansi Purushottam and Purushottam Toprani. The only Hindu crematorium is located in Sohar, northwest of Muscat.

Temples
Hindu temples once located in Ma'bad al Banyan and Bayt al Pir no longer exist after the area's redevelopment in the mid-1970s. The only active Hindu temples today are the Shiva temple complex in Muscat (locally known as Motishwar Mandir), and the Krishna temple located in Darsait.

Qatar
Hindus make up 15.9% of Qatar. There are an estimated 422,118 Hindus in the country. Many Hindus are from South and Southeast Asia.

Saudi Arabia
Saudi authorities interpret Hindu icons as idols, and idol worship is strongly condemned in Sunni Islam. This is likely the foundation for the stringent position of Saudi authorities when it comes to idol-worshipping religious practice.

United Arab Emirates
South Asians in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) constitute the largest ethnic group in the country. Over 2 million Indian migrants (mostly from the southern Indian states of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Coastal Karnataka and Tamil Nadu) are estimated to be living in the UAE, constituting 28% of the total population of the Emirates as of 2017. A majority of Indians live in the three largest cities of the UAE — Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. From the estimated 2 million migrants, 1 million are from Kerala and 450,000 from Tamil Nadu, thus constituting a majority of the Indian community in the UAE. The population of Indian migrants in the UAE had grown from 170,000 in 1975 to an estimated value of 750,000 in 1999. By 2009, this value had grown to an estimated value of 2 million. A majority of Indians in the UAE (approximately 50%—883,313 in 2011) are from the South Indian state of Kerala, followed by migrants from Tamil Nadu. The majority of Indian migrants to UAE are Muslim (50%), followed by Christian (25%) and Hindu (25%). Estimated Hindu population in UAE is between 6-10%.

Temples
In 1958, permission were given to build the Hindu Temple, Dubai in Bur Dubai in a complex that included Shiva Mandir, Krishna Mandir, and Gurudwara. In January 2024, a new Hindu Temple, Dubai opened in Jebel Ali and the existing Shiva Mandir and Gurudwara were moved to this new location. Krishan Mandir is still housed in the original complex in Bur Dubai.

Majority of Hindus living in UAE practice their religion within their homes. The new temple, BAPS Hindu Mandir Abu Dhabi, had its foundation stone laying ceremony in April, 2019. The inauguration ceremony of the temple took place on 14 February 2024.

Yemen
There are about 200,000 Hindus in Yemen. Many of them are from India and Nepal.

Hindu temples

 * BAPS Hindu Mandir Abu Dhabi, UAE
 * Sindhi Guru Darbar Temple in Dubai, UAE
 * Motishwar Mandir in Muscat, Oman
 * Hindu Temple, Dubai, UAE
 * Shrinathji Temple, Bahrain