The Middle East Corridor: Indian Executives Are Finding Unexpected Opportunity

CXO India has observed a significant increase in the flow of senior Indian executives into leadership roles in the Gulf Cooperation Council region over the past two years. This is not the traditional pattern of Indian professionals filling operational and mid-management roles in Gulf companies — it is a newer and more interesting phenomenon: Indian executives with large-enterprise backgrounds assuming C-suite and board-level positions in Gulf holding companies, sovereign wealth fund portfolio businesses, and ambitious regional conglomerates. The drivers are several. The Gulf's most ambitious organisations — particularly in Saudi Arabia, where Vision 2030 is creating enormous demand for experienced operational and strategic leadership — have found that the pool of local leadership talent, while growing, is not yet sufficient for the pace of expansion they are attempting. Indian executives, with deep experience in managing large, complex organisations in challenging operating environments, are seen as a natural fit. The cultural proximity — particularly for executives who have worked in Indian conglomerates with diverse business portfolios — is also a genuine advantage. For Indian boards and companies, this trend has a dual implication. On the supply side, it is intensifying the competition for the most experienced operational leaders — executives who previously had limited alternatives to Indian corporate careers now have genuinely attractive international options, with compensation packages that are often materially superior. On the demand side, it is creating a network of senior Indian leaders with deep Gulf market relationships that can facilitate Indian companies' own expansion into the region. Boards that are thinking strategically about Middle East market entry would do well to map the Indian talent diaspora in the region before engaging conventional advisory channels.