Segregated denizenship

Paradoxical belonging of Indian migrants in Saudi Arabia

Bibliographic Data

ID24226232
AuthorsShumaila Fatima (0000-0001-7904-138X, University of South Florida)
Year2026
Pages1-23
Publication date2026-04-18
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueNew Community (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0047-9586 • E-ISSN: 1469-9451
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1369183x.2026.2659138
OpenAlexW7154850913
LanguageEN
References cited59

Indians have formed transnational communities with not only an active economic life but also active social and civic lives in Saudi Arabia. In this interview and focus-group-based study, I attempt to answer: How do Indians perceive their belonging in Saudi Arabia? By asking questions related to associational engagement, community engagement, and recent reforms to my participants, I learn about their lived experiences and perceptions that contribute to their sense of belonging and alienation in their host nation. The findings reveal that the Indian population in Saudi Arabia constantly lives in a paradoxical flux. While their attachment to certain spaces of belonging in the host country, the presence of their family, their active civic life, and shared culture contribute to their denizenry, the geographic divide (i.e. the concentration of Hyderabadis in certain localities), their use of ‘us’ and ‘them’ language, and their placement in the recent reforms indicate their separation from the citizen population. Through these findings, segregated denizenship emerged as a concept that most adequately explained the status and lived experiences of my participants in their host country.

Alienation · Citizen participation · citizenship law reform · denizenship · ethnic segregation · Indian migrants · Saudi Arabia · sense of belonging · transnational communities · Diaspora, migration, transnational identity · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Refugees, and Integration

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