El-Obeid

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City in North Kordofan, Sudan

title: "El-Obeid" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["el-obeid", "populated-places-in-north-kurdufan", "state-capitals-in-sudan"] description: "City in North Kordofan, Sudan" topic_path: "general/el-obeid" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El-Obeid" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary City in North Kordofan, Sudan ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
	official_name
native_name_lang	ar
native_name	الأبيض
settlement_type
image_skyline	SudanCamels.jpg
imagesize	250px
image_caption	Camels in El-Obeid (early 1960s)
pushpin_map	Sudan
pushpin_image	Locator map Sudan North Kurdufan (CPA).png
pushpin_map_caption	Location in Sudan (North Kurdufan state highlighted)
pushpin_label
El-Obeid
pushpin_label_position	bottom
coordinates
	subdivision_type
subdivision_name	[[Image:Flag of Sudan.svg
subdivision_type1	State
subdivision_name1	North Kordofan
population_as_of	2025
population_total	560,471
population_density_km2	auto
timezone	GMT + 3
elevation_m	609
::

El-Obeid (, al-ʾAbyaḍ, lit."the White"), also romanized as Al-Ubayyid, is the capital of the state of North Kordofan, in Sudan.

History and overview

El-Obeid was founded by the pashas of Ottoman Egypt in 1821. It was attacked by the Mahdists in September 1882, and, after capitulation, was subsequently destroyed in 1883. It was then rebuilt on a modern plan in 1898, following the fall of the Mahdist empire.

In 2008, its population was 340,940. It is an important transportation hub: the terminus of a rail line, the junction of various national roads and camel caravan routes, and the end of a pilgrim route from Nigeria. As regional commercial centre, it is known for products such as gum arabic, millet, oilseeds, and livestock.

The population of El-Obeid today is majority Muslim, with a small Christian presence. The town is the site of an airport and an oil refinery. El-Obeid is home to the University of Kordofan, one of the largest universities in Sudan, established in 1990.{{cite web |url = http://www.fuiw.org/en/universites_membres.php |title = Member Universities |publisher = Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World |access-date = 2011-09-17 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110930125830/http://www.fuiw.org/en/universites_membres.php |archive-date = 2011-09-30

The United Nations Mission in Sudan established its Logistics Base there.

Due to the repair and paving of asphalt roads and the emergence of several private bus companies, transport became easier between the town and the Sudanese capital Khartoum. The 500 km journey takes about nine hours by tourist coach, and another three hours from El-Obeid to Um Kadada in Darfur.

During the Sudanese civil war, the city has been under siege. In early September 2023, the Sudanese Army recaptured the city. Tensions remain high at the grand market

Geography

Climate

El-Obeid has a hot semi-desert climate (Köppen: BSh), bordering upon a hot desert climate (BWh), despite receiving over 400 mm of rain, owing to the extremely high potential evapotranspiration. Temperatures are coolest in December and January and are hottest from April to June. A wet season lasts from June to September with moderate rainfall and relatively high humidity. The period from November to April is almost completely dry, with very low humidity.

| width = auto | collapsed = yes | metric first = yes | single line = yes | location = El-Obeid (El Obeid Airport) (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1961–2020) | Jan record high C = 40.5 | Feb record high C = 43 | Mar record high C = 44.5 | Apr record high C = 45.8 | May record high C = 45 | Jun record high C = 43.7 | Jul record high C = 41 | Aug record high C = 40 | Sep record high C = 40 | Oct record high C = 42.3 | Nov record high C = 40 | Dec record high C = 38 | year record high C = 45.8 | Jan high C = 30.0 | Feb high C = 32.7 | Mar high C = 36.1 | Apr high C = 39.1 | May high C = 39.3 | Jun high C = 37.7 | Jul high C = 34.1 | Aug high C = 32.3 | Sep high C = 34.7 | Oct high C = 36.8 | Nov high C = 34.0 | Dec high C = 30.9 | year high C = 34.8 | Jan mean C = 21.8 | Feb mean C = 24.4 | Mar mean C = 27.8 | Apr mean C = 31.0 | May mean C = 32.0 | Jun mean C = 31.1 | Jul mean C = 28.6 | Aug mean C = 27.4 | Sep mean C = 28.5 | Oct mean C = 29.7 | Nov mean C = 26.4 | Dec mean C = 22.9 | year mean C = 27.6 | Jan low C = 13.7 | Feb low C = 16.1 | Mar low C = 19.6 | Apr low C = 22.9 | May low C = 24.7 | Jun low C = 24.5 | Jul low C = 23.0 | Aug low C = 22.5 | Sep low C = 22.3 | Oct low C = 22.6 | Nov low C = 18.7 | Dec low C = 14.9 | year low C = 20.4 | Jan record low C = 4 | Feb record low C = 5 | Mar record low C = 9.7 | Apr record low C = 12.7 | May record low C = 16 | Jun record low C = 16 | Jul record low C = 11.5 | Aug record low C = 13.7 | Sep record low C = 14.9 | Oct record low C = 12.5 | Nov record low C = 8 | Dec record low C = 4.7 | year record low C = 4 | precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation mm = 0.2 | Feb precipitation mm = 0.0 | Mar precipitation mm = 0.1 | Apr precipitation mm = 4.8 | May precipitation mm = 17.2 | Jun precipitation mm = 39.0 | Jul precipitation mm = 122.2 | Aug precipitation mm = 139.9 | Sep precipitation mm = 59.9 | Oct precipitation mm = 17.7 | Nov precipitation mm = 0.2 | Dec precipitation mm = 0.0 | year precipitation mm = 401.2 | unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm | Jan precipitation days = 0.0 | Feb precipitation days = 0.0 | Mar precipitation days = 0.1 | Apr precipitation days = 0.5 | May precipitation days = 1.9 | Jun precipitation days = 3.2 | Jul precipitation days = 8.3 | Aug precipitation days = 9.9 | Sep precipitation days = 5.8 | Oct precipitation days = 2.4 | Nov precipitation days = 0.1 | Dec precipitation days = 0.0 | year precipitation days = 32 | Jan humidity = 24 | Feb humidity = 19 | Mar humidity = 15 | Apr humidity = 17 | May humidity = 28 | Jun humidity = 44 | Jul humidity = 61 | Aug humidity = 70 | Sep humidity = 62 | Oct humidity = 40 | Nov humidity = 25 | Dec humidity = 27 | year humidity = 36 | Jan sun = 300.7 | Feb sun = 266.0 | Mar sun = 272.8 | Apr sun = 264.0 | May sun = 241.8 | Jun sun = 228.0 | Jul sun = 195.3 | Aug sun = 192.2 | Sep sun = 225.0 | Oct sun = 272.8 | Nov sun = 303.0 | Dec sun = 310.0 | year sun = 3071.6 | source 1 = NOAA{{cite web |url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Sudan/CSV/ElObeid_62771.csv |title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — El-Obeid |publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |access-date = January 21, 2024}}

Sports

As of 2015, the Sudanese Premier League team Al-Hilal SC (Al-Ubayyid), led by Boushra Adam, plays in El-Obeid.

Religion

The town is predominantly Muslim. However, it is also the seat of a Roman Catholic Diocese, which is the only other one in Sudan next to Khartoum since the partition in 2011, and of an Anglican Bishopric.

The Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady Queen of Africa in El-Obeid is considered to be one of the largest and oldest churches in Sudan. It was founded in 1872 by Daniele Comboni, an Italian Roman Catholic bishop, who worked for the Catholic missions in Sudan between 1858 and his death in Khartoum in 1881. The present building was constructed between 1961 and 1964 in Italian style.

References

"Wad Medani Population 2025".
{{Cite EB1911
"Al-Ubayyiḍ {{!}} Sudan".
Hassan, Faiz. "The French Center in El Obeid: 30 Years of Cultural Programming".
[http://www.unmis.org UNMIS homepage]
"Khartoum to Darfur – a road trip of rediscovery for Radio Dabanga".
(2023-06-14). "Sudan: North Kordofan's El Obeid Besieged but Electricity Restored". Dabanga.
"Pope Francis appoints new Bishop for Sudan's El-Obeid diocese - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan".
Office, Anglican Communion. "Anglican Communion: Diocese".
Hassan, Faiz. "Religious Coexistence in Al Obied".
Omer, Khaled. "The Art of Architecture in El Obeid".

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