View source for Religion:Buddhism in the Middle East

It is estimated that in the Middle East over 900,000 people profess [[Religion:Buddhism|Buddhism]] as their religion. Buddhist adherents make up just over 0.3% of the total population of the Middle East. Many of these Buddhists are workers who have migrated from Asia to the Middle East since the late 1990s, many from countries that have large Buddhist populations, such as {{wipe|China}}, Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. A small number of engineers, company directors, and managers from {{wipe|Japan}}, Taiwan, [[Place:Hong Kong|Hong Kong]], [[Place:Singapore|Singapore]], and {{wipe|South Korea}} have also moved to the Middle East.

==Demographics==
Theravada Buddhism is the predominant religion of workers from Thailand and Sri Lanka. Mahayana Buddhism is the predominant religion of workers from East Asia and Vietnam, although [[Philosophy:Taoism|Taoism]], [[Philosophy:Confucianism|Confucianism]], and [[Philosophy:Shinto|Shinto]] are also represented among these people. In Dubai (the [[Place:United Arab Emirates|United Arab Emirates]])<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.emirates247.com/lankans-in-dubai-to-celebrate-vesak-2011-05-05-1.389291|periodical=Emirates 24/7|title=Lankans in Dubai to celebrate ‘Vesak’|date=2011-05-05|accessdate=2013-07-22}}</ref> and Qatar,<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=71,8150,0,0,1,0#.Ue2G8tLIZIM|periodical=THE PENINSULA|title=Sri Lankans celebrate Vesak in Qatar|date=2009-05-09|accessdate=2013-07-22}}</ref> the workers from Sri Lanka were allowed to celebrate [[Astronomy:Vesak|Vesak]] (the most important holiday in Buddhism) in those Islamic countries.

==Saudi Arabia==
The U.S. State Department's ''International Religious Freedom Report 2007'' estimates that more than 8 million foreigners are living and working in Saudi Arabia, including Muslims and non-Muslims.

In addition to 400,000 Sri Lankans, there are a few thousand Buddhist workers from [[Place:East Asia|East Asia]], the majority of whom are Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai. A number of Tibetan-Nepalese immigrants may also be among the foreign population of Saudi Arabia.

Thus approximately 1.5% of Saudi Arabia's population – or around 400,000 people – are Buddhist, likely giving Saudi Arabia the largest Buddhist community in either the [[Place:Middle East|Middle East]] or the Arab World<ref>[https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90220.htm U.S. Department of State. International Religious Freedom Report: Saudi Arabia.] Accessed 20 Nov 2008.</ref>

==Population by country==
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|caption = Buddhist percentages in the Middle East
|label1 = {{flag|Saudi Arabia}}
|value1 = 45.9
|color1 = Green
|label2 = {{flag|United Arab Emirates}}
|value2 = 24.6
|color2 = Red
|label3 = {{flag|Kuwait}}
|value3 = 11.1
|color3 = Black
|label4 = {{flag|Turkey}}
|value4 = 7.9
|color4 = White
|label5 = {{flag|Qatar}}
|value5 = 5
|color5 = Purple
|label6 = {{flag|Oman}}
|value6 = 3.6
|color6 = Orange
|label7 = {{flag|Bahrain}}
|value7 = 0.8
|color7= Yellow
|label8 = {{flag|Israel}}
|value8 = 0.7
|color8 = Blue
|label9 = {{flag|Lebanon}}
|value9 = 0.4
|color9 = Pink
}}

{| class="sortable wikitable"
|+<big> '''[[Religion:Buddhism|Buddhism]] by country in the [[Place:Middle East|Middle East]]''' </big>
|-
! Country
! Population (2007E)
! % of Buddhists
! Buddhist total

|-
| {{flag|United Arab Emirates}}
| align="right" | {{Sort|004444011|4,444,011}}
| align="center" | {{Sort|00500|5%}}<ref>{{cite web
  |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71434.htm
  |title=International Religious Freedom Report: United Arab Emirates }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/country/?CountryID=10 |title=Country Profiles |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927193701/http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/country/?CountryID=10 |archivedate=September 27, 2007 }}</ref>
| align="right" | 222,201

|-
| {{flag|Qatar}}
| align="right" | {{Sort|000907229|907,229}}
| align="center" | {{Sort|00500|5%}}<ref>{{cite web
  |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5437.htm
  |title=International Religious Freedom Report: Qatar }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
  |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/qa.html
  |title=CIA World FactBook: Qatar }}</ref>
| align="right" | 45,361

|-
| {{flag|Kuwait}}
| align="right" | {{Sort|002505559|2,505,559}}
| align="center" | {{Sort|00400|4%}}<ref>{{cite web
  |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71425.htm
  |title=International Religious Freedom Report: Kuwait }}</ref>
| align="right" | 100,222

|-
| {{flag|Saudi Arabia}}
| align="right" | {{Sort|027601038|27,601,038}}
| align="center" | {{Sort|00150|1.5%}}<ref>{{cite web
  |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90220.htm
  |title=International Religious Freedom Report: Saudi Arabia }}</ref>
| align="right" | 414,016

|-
| {{flag|Bahrain}}
| align="right" | {{Sort|000753000|753,000}}
| align="center" | {{Sort|00100|2.5%}}<ref name="pewforum.org">{{cite web|publisher=Pew Research Center|url=https://www.pewforum.org/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-buddhist/|title=Global Religious Landscape: Buddhists|date=December 18, 2012}}</ref>
| align="right" | 30,000

|-
| {{flag|Oman}}
| align="right" | {{Sort|003204897|3,204,897}}
| align="center" | {{Sort|00100|1.20%}}<ref>{{cite web
  |url=http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/nationprofiles/Oman/rbodies.html
  |title=Religious Freedom Nation Profile: Oman
  |url-status=dead
  |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071106021825/http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/nationprofiles/Oman/rbodies.html
  |archivedate=2007-11-06
  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/country/?CountryID=36 |title=Religious Freedom Nation Profile: Oman |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930152448/http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/country/?CountryID=36 |archivedate=September 30, 2007 }}</ref>
| align="right" | 32,049

|-
| {{flag|Israel}}
| align="right" | {{Sort|006426679|6,426,679}}
| align="center" | {{Sort|00010|0.1%}}<ref>{{cite web
  |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71423.htm
  |title=International Religious Freedom Report: Israel }}</ref>
| align="right" | 6,426

|-
| {{flag|Lebanon}}
| align="right" | {{Sort|003925502|3,925,502}}
| align="center" | {{Sort|00010|0.1%}}<ref>{{cite web
  |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71426.htm
  |title=International Religious Freedom Report: Lebanon }}</ref>
<!--DEAD REF LINK http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=86340 -->
| align="right" | 3,926

|-
| {{flag|Turkey}}
| align="right" | {{Sort|071158647|71,158,647}}
| align="center" | {{Sort|00010|0.1%}}<ref>{{cite web
  |url=http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/nationprofiles/Turkey/rbodies.html
  |title=Religious Freedom Nation Profile: Turkey
  |url-status=dead
  |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071204000736/http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/nationprofiles/Turkey/rbodies.html
  |archivedate=2007-12-04
  }}</ref>
| align="right" | 71,159
|- bgcolor=#99FFFF
! {{Sort|ZZZZ|Total}}
! 285,194,911
! {{Sort|00032|0.32%}}
! 925,360
|}

== See also ==
* Buddhism in the West
* [[Religion:Index of Buddhism-related articles|Index of Buddhism-related articles]]
* Hinduism in Arab states

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070609142528/http://www.buddhanet.net/wbd/region.php?region_id=6 Buddhist pagodas or temples in Middle East]

==References==
<references />
* The U.S. State Department's [https://2001-2009.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/ International Religious Freedom Report 2006]
* [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ CIA FactBook]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131112150057/http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/nationprofiles/ Religious Freedom page]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130715084239/http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/ Religious Intelligence]

{{Asia in topic|Buddhism in}}

[[Category:Buddhism]]

{{Sourceattribution|Buddhism in the Middle East|1}}