Al-Ubayyid also spelled El Obeid, is the capital of the state

States of Sudan

Below is a list of the 15 states of Sudan, organized by their original provinces during the period of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Arabic language versions are, as appropriate, in parentheses. States that were not provinces before 1994 are marked with . Transliterations from Arabic to English may vary;...

 of North Kurdufan

North Kurdufan

North Kurdufan is one of the 15 wilayat or states of Sudan. It has an area of 185,302 km² and an estimated population of 2,529,370 . Al-Ubayyid is the capital of the state.North Kurdufan is generally arid and desert.- History :...

 in central Sudan

Sudan

Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...

. In 2008, its population was 340,940. It is an important transportation hub: the terminus of a rail line, the junction of various roads and camel

Camel

A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...

 caravan

Camel train

A camel train is a series of camels carrying goods or passengers in a group as part of a regular or semi-regular service between two points. Although they rarely travelled faster than the walking speed of a man, camels' ability to handle harsh conditions made camel trains a vital part of...

 routes, and the end of a pilgrim

Pilgrim

A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...

 route from Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

. It was founded by the pasha

Pasha

Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...

s of Ottoman Egypt in 1821 but was subsequently destroyed by the Mahdist

Muhammad Ahmad

Muhammad Ahmad bin Abd Allah was a religious leader of the Samaniyya order in Sudan who, on June 29, 1881, proclaimed himself as the Mahdi or messianic redeemer of the Islamic faith...

s in 1883. It was then rebuilt in 1898 following the fall of the Mahdist empire.

The population of this town is majority Muslim with a small Christian presence. The town today is the site of an international airport and an oil refinery. Al-Ubayyid is home to the University of Kordofan

University of Kordofan

The University of Kordofan is one of the largest universities in Sudan located in Al-Obied 560 Km to the southwest of Khartoum. It was founded in 1990...

, established in 1990. The United Nations Mission in Sudan

United Nations Mission in Sudan

The United Nations Mission in the Sudan was established by the UN Security Council under Resolution 1590 of 24 March 2005, in response to the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the government of the Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement on January 9, 2005 in Nairobi,...

has established its Logistics Base there.

In recent years transport has become easier between the town and the Sudanese capital Khartoum, owing to the repair and paving of roads, and the emergence of several private bus companies. The 500 km journey now takes about nine hours by tourist coach.