Official Name: | Musaid |
Other Name: | Imsasd, Msaad |
Native Name: | Arabic: امساعد |
Settlement Type: | Town |
Pushpin Map: | Libya |
Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Libya |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | Libya |
Subdivision Type1: | Region |
Subdivision Name1: | Cyrenaica |
Subdivision Type2: | District |
Subdivision Name2: | Butnan |
Unit Pref: | Imperial |
Population As Of: | 2006 |
Population Footnotes: | [1] |
Population Total: | 7,139 |
Population Blank1 Title: | Ethnicities |
Population Blank2 Title: | Religions |
Timezone: | EET |
Utc Offset: | +2 |
Coordinates: | 31.5758°N 25.0397°W |
Musaid or Imsaad (Arabic: امساعد) is a town in Butnan District in eastern Libya. Alternates names include: Oistant, Msa'ed, Imsa'ed, and Musa'ed. Musaid lies approximately 150km (90miles) east of Tobruk and is the major border crossing between Libya and Egypt.
Musaid was the site of heavy fighting during the brief Libyan–Egyptian War of 1977. This war, the break-off of Libyan-Egyptian diplomatic relations, and the resultant trade embargo with Egypt, had a very negative impact on Musaid. For example, Musaid's population shrank from 4,330 in 1973 to 3,200 in 1984 (-26.1%),[2] while overall Libya's population rose in the same period by 60.30%.[3]
Nearby is the Sidi Shahir Ruhih shrine.[4]
Musaid's economy depended heavily on trade between Egypt and Libya. After the 1977 war and the follow-on trade embargo with Egypt, this was replaced in part by smuggling, aided by the close tribal ties across the border.[5] In 2008, the Libyan government acted to suppress the smugglers.[5]
As of autumn 2010, a large suite of new border facilities is under construction.