People group profile · PG012261
The Urdu of the United Arab Emirates
The Urdu of the United Arab Emirates, numbering about 253,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a diaspora community of Urdu-speaking South Asians in the United Arab Emirates, largely descended from migrants from Pakistan and India who maintain a shared linguistic and cultural identity.
They are a diaspora people in the Urdu people cluster of the South Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Urdu.
Fast facts
- Country
- United Arab Emirates
- Population
- 253,000
- Affinity group
- South Asian Peoples
- People cluster
- Urdu
- Primary language
- Urdu (urd)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Western Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Urdu are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist Yes
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Urdu
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Sunni Islam · Islam
99% adherents
Primary language
Urdu · Indo-European family
100% speak Urdu
Gospel resources in Urdu
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Urdu)
- Magdalena (Urdu)
- The Savior (Urdu (Indian))
- The Savior (Urdu)
Bibles
- Easy-to-Read Version · audio, text
- Geo Version · audio, text
- Geo Version · audio, text
- Geo Version · audio, text
- Pakistan Bible Society · audio
- Revised · video
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Urdu
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
Urdu in other countries
The same people is also reported in 21 other countries.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urdu | Pakistan | 17,560,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Saudi Arabia | 2,145,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | United Kingdom | 1,220,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Pakistani | United States | 668,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Canada | 221,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Qatar | 180,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Oman | 137,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | France | 110,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Germany | 96,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Pakistani | Spain | 92,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Bahrain | 78,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Turkiye | 27,000 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Urdu | Denmark | 26,500 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Urdu | Afghanistan | 20,500 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Urdu | Malaysia | 17,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Belgium | 9,900 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Urdu | Ireland | 9,400 | Unengaged and Unreached |
| Pakistani | Thailand | 5,600 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Iraq | 4,500 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Kuwait | 4,200 | Engaged yet Unreached |
| Urdu | Guyana | 4,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
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