DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Gulf Arab countries have remained mostly silent as India's government moved to strip the Indian-administered sector of Kashmir of its limited autonomy, imposing a military curfew in the disputed Muslim-majority region and cutting off communication and the internet.

This muted response is underpinned by more than $100 billion in annual trade with India, making it one of the Arabian Peninsula's most prized economic partners.

Saudi Arabia urged restraint and expressed concern over the brewing crisis. Other Gulf countries — Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman— do not appear to have issued any statements.

The United Arab Emirates has gone a step further by apparently siding with India, calling the decision to downgrade Kashmir's status an internal matter. Gulf Arab states are also home to more than 7 million Indian expatriate workers.