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Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis are called ‘Rafiq’ in Saudi Arabia. But why, a question related to this was asked by a user, to which many people have given answers. On one hand, some people say that the word was a derogatory slang for workers in the 80s, while others say that it just means ‘friend’.
People from many countries including India and Pakistan go to Saudi Arabia every year to earn money. Compared to these countries, one gets more money in this Gulf country. In such a situation, people work here for years away from their homes and return home after earning money. But do you know what people traveling from India-Pakistan are called in Saudi Arabia? If you do not know, then let us tell you that in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, South Asian immigrants like Pakistanis and Indians are sometimes addressed with the word ‘Rafiq’. After all, what does this mean? A user has asked a question regarding this on the social media platform Quora. User says why do people of Saudi Arabia call Indians or Pakistanis “Rafiq”? Many people have answered this question.
Babar Mughal, who works in Sabaqah, Saudi Arabia, has written that I was born and brought up in Jeddah in the 80s. I heard the word ‘Rafiq’ a lot on the streets. The literal meaning of ‘Rafiq’ in Arabic is ‘partner’ or ‘companion’. However, by the late 80s and early 90s the term had become a ‘slang’ (derogatory term) for workers in the Indian subcontinent. Mughal said that at that time it was considered similar to the ‘N-word’ and many people of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin hated this word. However, he also notices that due to the increasing level of education and changing public attitude over the last five years, the term is now gradually falling from public usage.
