How Indian Expats Became Part Of Saudi Arabia's Transformation

Under the sweeping socio-economic blueprint of Saudi Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is rapidly redefining itself - and the Indian community in Riyadh says it is witnessing the transformation first-hand. Invited by the Ministry of Media (Saudi Arabia) to cover India Week, which is a part of the Global Harmony initiative, a cultural celebration of food, music, dance and handicrafts at the Al-Suwaidi Festival, a team of journalists from India that included NDTV, found more than just a showcase of Indo-Saudi ties. They discovered a Kingdom in motion - a country pivoting from oil-dependency to a broader cultural and economic nexus.

In conversations with NDTV, Indian professionals based in Riyadh offered insights into this evolving landscape. "Work wise, Riyadh has always been welcoming. I came in 2015, at a time when the changes were happening. There's nothing here that makes us feel that we belong to another country," said chartered accountant Navin Goel, who has lived in the capital for a decade.

Goel and his colleague Avinash Gupta, who head an India-based financial services firm that now employs some 450 people, described how their move into Saudi Arabia signalled both confidence and belonging. "We are working to fulfil the vision of our Prime Minister - to build an Indian company like the Big Four. About 450 people work for us in India. We started in Dubai and after that, it was Riyadh," said Gupta.

Beyond business, the sense of integration runs deep in daily life. "We feel part of the country. We go to any store, any office, anywhere, we are always welcome. The locals here try to speak to us in Hindi. They will say 'Oh, you are from Al-Hind? Mashallah!'" said Goel. The duo emphasised that Indian schools, infrastructure and strong embassy support are among the factors making the Kingdom feel like home.

Saudi Arabia: A Kingdom In Transition

Saudi Arabia's evolution under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - unleashed after 2015 - has been swift. The Vision 2030 framework, built around three pillars - a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation - has seen the Kingdom open cinemas, lift female driving bans, launch tourist visas, and ramp up non-oil economic activity.

Recent reporting puts as much as 85 per cent of Vision 2030 initiatives "completed or on track" by end-2024, according to the Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih. The drive is no longer tied only to energy. It now spans culture, tourism, digitalisation and labour reforms.

India's diaspora in Saudi Arabia - numbering more than 2.3 million - now find themselves in a country that is increasingly opening up. As Goel observed, "When I landed here, my family was not sure whether I would return back to India. Still that perception is there. But what I found was a country with a 360-degree change."

Business, Labour And Culture: The Indian Footprint

Gupta and Goel say Indian IT and professional services are among the key growth engines in the Kingdom. "The biggest driver of growth in Saudi is the Indian IT industry," said Goel. "In some cases, because of the small population and the gap, they have achieved a lot as well. And most of their IT initiatives are being driven by Indian companies only."

These narratives align with Saudi Arabia's drive to diversify its economy and boost workforce localisation and participation of expatriate professionals.

At the same time, cultural diplomacy is in focus. The India Week event is part of the kingdom's broader Quality of Life Programme, which emphasises cultural exchange, entertainment and global outreach as core components of transformation.

Challenges And Perceptions

But the shift isn't complete. Both Indian professionals emphasised the need to change perceptions back in India about Saudi Arabia. "Indian people have been living here for more than four decades and they have seen changes that we haven't," said Goel. "That's something that we need to take back to India."

The kingdom's transformation may also be tempered by concerns around human rights and geopolitical dynamics, even as it projects a more open face to the world.

For India, the developments in Riyadh hold relevance beyond expatriate experience. They form part of a growing India-Saudi Arabia partnership that spans energy, investment, culture and people. As Saudi Arabia continues its reform journey, the Indian community here appears not just as observers - but as active participants in a changing kingdom.