Iran war fallout puts 9 million Indian workers in the line of fire

AI Summary

The war on Iran is threatening the safety and livelihoods of approximately 9 million Indian workers across the Gulf region, shattering the longstanding illusion that cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi would remain insulated from regional conflict. Workers describe adapting to missile alert drills as routine, while the broader economic and human risks of the conflict loom large. This crisis puts enormous pressure on India's diaspora and its significant remittance flows from the Gulf.

When the alert arrives on his phone, Yashwant Deshmukh knows exactly what to do. The Dubai-based political analyst moves away from the windows, waits for the second message confirming the missile has been intercepted, and then goes back to work. “It has become a drill,” he said. For the roughly 9 million Indians living and working across the Gulf, the war on Iran has shattered one of the region’s most durable illusions: that cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Manama would remain apart from...