Punjabis of United Arab Emirates (PGID: PG012249)

PEOPLE GROUP PROFILE

The Punjabis of United Arab Emirates

The Punjabis of United Arab Emirates, numbering approximately 333,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnolinguistic group characterized by their rich cultural heritage, agricultural prowess, and vibrant traditions, originating from the Punjab region of South Asia, currently divided between Pakistan and India. They mostly adhere to Sunni Islam and Panjabi is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Punjabi

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: South Asian Peoples
Country: United Arab Emirates
People Cluster: Punjabi
Primary Language(s): Panjabi (pan)
Primary Religion(s): Sunni Islam
Population: 333,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG012249
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Pray for the Punjabis of United Arab Emirates

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

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Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Sunni Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

55%

Sunni Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Panjabi
Language Family: Indo-European

100%

Punjabi, Eastern Speakers

Media Resources in Panjabi:

Films:

Title	Link
JESUS	View Film
Magdalena	View Film
The Savior	View Film

3 films

Provided by the Jesus Film Project

View all resources

Bible Resources in Panjabi:

Bible Name (Translation)	Video	Audio	Text
2000 Bible League International			✓
Indian Revised Version		✓	✓

2 entries

Provided by Faith Comes by Hearing

Or check out the Panjabi bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

View all resources

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Punjabis are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Punjabis:

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

Pray specifically for the Punjabis of United Arab Emirates

As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God".
Romans 3:10-11

Pray that God will have mercy on those living in broken relationship with Him, and that He will bring many to surrender and repentance at the throne of grace.

"You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet."
Matthew 5:13

Pray that the lost will have the opportunity to hear a Christian witness of how the gospel can bring hope and that they will put their faith in Christ.

This God - his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
Psalm 18:30

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will have access to His Word and the ability to understand it, so that they can grow in their faith and find refuge in Him.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16

Pray that God will raise up sons and daughters who, like Paul, will be bold to share the gospel across cultural barriers so that many might receive salvation.

Punjabi, Eastern Across Countries (ROP3 - 108182) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index

All

Engaged yet Unreached UUPG No Longer Unreached

CountryReligion

18 people groups

People Group ID	Name	Country	Population ▼	Strategic Progress Index	Language	Religion
PG000673	Eastern Punjabis	United Kingdom	815,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Panjabi	Sikhism
PG043605	Punjabis	United States	606,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Panjabi	Sikhism
PG012249	Punjabis	United Arab Emirates	333,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Panjabi	Sunni Islam
PG018234	Punjabis	Malaysia	172,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Panjabi	Sikhism
PG011888	Punjabis	Oman	134,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Panjabi	Sunni Islam
PG009504	Eastern Punjabis	Myanmar	78,000	Unengaged and Unreached	Panjabi	Folk Hinduism
PG015024	Punjabis	Tanzania	71,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Panjabi	Hinduism
PG048148	Sikhs	Kenya	42,500	Engaged yet Unreached	Panjabi	Sikhism
PG011805	Punjabis	Kuwait	21,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Panjabi	Sunni Islam
PG006280	Punjabis	Nepal	16,500	Engaged yet Unreached	Panjabi	Folk Hinduism
PG048144	Sikhs	France	16,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Panjabi	Sikhism
PG010717	Punjabis	Singapore	15,000	No Longer Unreached	Panjabi	Sikhism
PG006439	Punjabis	Sri Lanka	13,000	Engaged yet Unreached	Panjabi	Sikhism
PG010910	Sikhs	Thailand	11,500	Engaged yet Unreached	Panjabi	Sikhism
PG000094	Punjabis	Denmark	10,000	Unengaged and Unreached	Panjabi	Sikhism
PG008234	Punjabis	Fiji	9,600	Unengaged and Unreached	Panjabi	Folk Hinduism
PG024006	Punjabis	Afghanistan	8,900	Unengaged and Unreached	Panjabi	Sunni Islam
PG001198	Punjabi Sikhs	Bangladesh	80	Unengaged and Unreached	Panjabi	Sikhism

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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