MANAMA: In a humanitarian gesture, the Bahrain government on Sunday pardoned 250 Indians serving sentences in the Gulf nation during the maiden visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the oil-rich country.

The prime minister expressed his gratitude to the Bahrain leadership for the Royal pardon.

According to official data, 8,189 Indians are lodged in various prisons in foreign countries, with Saudi Arabia having the highest number at 1,811 followed by the UAE at 1,392.

It was not clear how many Indians are lodged in jails in the Gulf kingdom.

"In a kind and humanitarian gesture, the Government of Bahrain has pardoned 250 Indians serving sentences in Bahrain," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) tweeted.

The prime minister has specially thanked the King of Bahrain and the entire Royal Family for their kindness and the compassionate decision, it added.