Bangalore: Indian professionals are preferred to work on projects in West Asia because of the hesitance of Europeans and Americans to work in the region due to the current volatile situation, Larson and Toubro (L&T) Chairman A M Naik said today (Aug 19, 2004).

"I think Indians are much better off in the Gulf than before. You are talking very specific on Iraq, otherwise in the rest of the Gulf, the dependence on Indians is even more than ever before," Naik told reporters in Bangalore.

"Because, a number of Europeans and Americans now don't go to work in the Middle East (West Asia), because of the current atmosphere," he said.

"All of these positions are basically filled by Asians and about 70 per cent to 80 per cent are by Indians," Naik, whose firm has large oil and construction projects in the region, said.

On the current kidnap crisis of Indians in Iraq, he said, "well, it is nothing to do with Indians, they will do it to every one, including Pakistanis."

"I think it is an issue of isolated pockets. I don't think, we can tilt our policy on that," Naik said.