There are several people residing in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia practicing different religions, but Islam is the state religion of Saudi Arabia. As there are millions of Hindus living in Saudi Arabia, people often wonder if there is any Hindu temple or iskcon or Shiv mandir in Saudi Arabia where they practice their religion?

Is there any Hindu temple or mandir in Saudi Arabia?

Indeed not, there is no Hindu temple or mandir in Saudi Arabia whether it is iskcon or Shiv mandir. However, Hindu temples and Mandir have been built in other Gulf countries like UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain but not in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is not a democratic land and it totally ruled by the royal family. Thus Hindus are not permitted to practice their religion publicly. They are only allowed to worship their idols inside their apartments/homes secretly.

Hindus are not permitted to bring idols in Saudi Arabia

Besides this, the Hindus residing in the Kingdom are not allowed to build a temple or mandir in Saudi Arabia despite the fact that they have several times plead for it. According to some Hindus, it is also said that they are not even permitted to bring their God’s idol or photos in the Kingdom, however, this is not confirmed information.

If you visit Saudi Arabia, you will only find Mosques as the only place for worship. There are no churches or any temple or mandir for any religion follower whether Hinduism, Buddhist or Sikhism in Saudi Arabia.  Recommended: Can we practice a religion other than Islam in Saudi Arabia?

Hindu community celebrate religious festivals

The people in the Kingdom are not allowed to build any other worshiping place other than Masjid. Building a Hindu Temple or mandir is strictly forbidden in Saudi Arabia. However, people have private compounds where the Hindu community freely celebrate their religious festivals like Diwali or Holi.

The Hindu living the Kingdom usually said that the people of the kingdom are friendly and keep friendly relations with everyone including the expats. The only thing is that the Hindus are not allowed to practice their religion publicly, but they have full freedom to practice their religion secretly inside their apartments. People of the kingdom who are mostly Muslim, respect all other religion and never abuse other religions.

There are Hindu temples in other GCC countries

There are Hindu temples or mandir in all the Gulf countries. Bahrain holds a 200 years old temple with the most majority of Hindu expats in the country. Saudi Arabia’s neighboring countries like Iran and Yemen also have Hindu temples but Saudi Arabia has not allowed any of its minorities to build their worship place.

There are some people who believe that in the next 10 to 15 years temples might be built in Saudi Arabia and are moving toward advancement.