By GEOFFREY BEW

MANAMA: Record number of Indians are living and working in Bahrain, it has emerged.

Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty yesterday confirmed the population had now reached 290,000, with around 5,000 people arriving every month.

“A few years ago we had around 140,000 people,” he said during the embassy’s monthly open house.

“The increase has been substantial and is a reflection of the faith, capacity and discipline of Indian workers.”

Although around 8,000 Indians left Bahrain during the government’s amnesty for expatriate workers, which ended on January 31, another 22,000 regularised their visas and stayed, he said.