Al Qadarif

Al Qadarif

Al Qadarif is a city in Sudan and serves as the capital of the state of Al Qaḑārif. Situated at latitude 14.03493 and longitude 35.38344 with a population of 363,945, the settlement lies along the road connecting Khartoum with Gallabat on the Ethiopian border, approximately 410 kilometres from the national capital.

Daily Movement

• Morning sunlight striking the mountains surrounding the city on three sides.
• Nomad herds and peasants moving toward the fertile rain lands during seasonal transitions.
• Traders gathering for the famous daily sesame seed auctions.
• Merchants exchanging commodities at the historical market grounds.
• Travelers navigating the trade route linking Khartoum with Kassala and Ethiopia.

For additional details regarding the area, consult the El-Gadarif entry and the GeoNames record for Al Qadarif.

Al Qadarif is a city situated in Sudan at 14.03493 latitude and 35.38344 longitude, serving as the capital of the state of Al Qaḑārif. Operating within the Africa/Khartoum timezone, the urban center holds a recorded population of 363,945 residents and utilizes the SDG currency while engaging in commerce across languages including ar-SD, en, and fia.

Surrounded on three sides by mountains, the municipality sits approximately 410 kilometres from Khartoum along the road connecting the national capital to Gallabat near the Ethiopian border. Daily movement defines the rhythm of Al Qadarif, anchored by famous daily sesame seed auctions and a grain silo built by the Russians to store sorghum. Historically rooted in a marketplace where Arab nomad tribes roaming the Butana plains exchanged commercial commodities with indigenous people, the location derived its name from the Arabic phrase meaning ‘He who has finished selling or buying should leave.’

Intermingled ethnicities shape the central Sudanese settlement, reflecting a diverse demographic mosaic encompassing Arab and Nuba Sudanese populations, the indigenous Beja people, and communities originating from Nigeria, Eritrea, Abyssinia, Darfur, and Kordofan. Over generations, groups such as Kurds, Armenians, Indians, Greeks, Egyptian Copts, Ethiopians, Somalis, Chadians, Yemenis, and Italians have integrated into the local community. Urban administration divides the city into numerous districts, known locally as Diems, which include Deim Bakr, Deim El Nur, Al-midan, and many others. An agricultural boom turned the area into a major trade center, supported by transport routes and regional institutions like the university established in the city.

Trade activity continuously animates the regional economy, particularly through the renowned daily sesame seed auctions that draw merchants and producers together. The thoroughfares linking Khartoum to the Ethiopian border at Gallabat sustain this constant flow of people and goods through the municipal limits. Beyond commerce, the physical layout accommodates numerous residential and administrative sectors, including Deim Bakr, Deim El Nur, Al-midan, Deim Abbas, Deim Saukin, Al Matar, Deim Sa'ad, Deim Hamad, Janayin, Abbayo, Nasr, Selamt El-Bey, Al Israa, Al Malik, A Nadher, Al Tadamun, Al Danagla, Al Jumhouriya, Al Mufaqaat, Al Syool, Al Mourada, Barnu, Badr, Marco, Al Rabaa, Ruwina, Addona, Taradona, Karfis, Al Kababish, Karrari, Al Mahrouga, Al Sufi, Al Muwazafien, Army Barracks, and Police Barracks.