UBAYYID, AL-

also spelled el-Obeid town, central Sudan. It lies on a sandy, scrub-covered plateau at an elevation of 1,869 feet (570 m). Founded by the Egyptians in 1821, the town was captured and largely destroyed by the Mahdist forces in 1882, but it was rebuilt after Kurdufan was federated with the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan in 1899. Al-Ubayyid is encircled by a forest reserve that tends to alleviate dust storms. Located on a spur of the KhartoumNyala railroad, the town is a commercial and communications centre, trading in gum arabic (the area's main product), millet, oilseeds, and livestock. It also has an airport. Pop. (1983) 140,000.