"the former Gezira Province" Al Wilayah al Wusta by uglyscot

Al Wilayah al Wusta Travel Guide: 36 reviews and 219 photos

The trip from Khartoum to Wad Medani takes about 2 hours, though it depends on how heavy the traffic is as the road is the main route to Port Sudan. It is not the most attractive trip as the scenery is boring, mainly flat agricultural land, heavily polluted along the road with plastic bags. There are villages and towns with little of note except the style of mosque and the graveyards. Some villages have trees near them or even forests or orchards, others sit in the barren plain at this time of year when the harvest is over. From time to time the Blue Nile can be seen – this is clearest at Hassaheisa where there is a ferry across to the east Bank.
There are a few industrial areas :el Bagair , the original industrial area with agriculture as the base – glucose, flour milling and cooking oil for example. The newest area is Giad Industrial City constructed fairly recently with houses for employees. Cars are manufactured here. As you approach el Hassaheisa at Sadaga there is the Textile Factory , and in Wad Medani itself there is an industrial area. But it is better known for the Sudan Gezira Scheme.

the former Gezira Province - Al Wilayah al Wusta

Shops and cafes face the highway and people can be seen going about their daily lives. Sometimes there will be a market day and people and carts come from far and near. School children can be seen coming home about mid-day, and boys congregate to play football on their makeshift pitches. Men bring their sheep, goats and cows back from the fields or forests where they have been grazing can halt the flow of traffic.
Along the road too outside the Khartoum State boundary is a toll gate and another just before entering Wad Medani. There are also police check points fining unlicensed vehicles.

shops and mini buses

The road itself can be rough in patches although in recent years repairs and widening have been ongoing. The surface coming out from Wad Medani to Khartoum shows a clear drop in level from the heavily laden trailers and lorries. When the road was built , nobody expected such heavy traffic carrying such heavy loads. The road into Medani from Khartoum sees long trailers almost empty, swaying from side to side..

Pros and Cons

Pros:very hospitable people
Cons:very boring landscape

Last visit to Al Wilayah al Wusta: Jan 2007
Intro Updated Jan 5, 2008
Add to Trip Planner (?)
Report Abuse

Reviews (11)

a dust devil approaching the main highway. - Al Wilayah al Wusta

Dust devils Warnings Or Dangers (3)

Everyone has heard of the famous Sudanese haboobs, or dust storms; however, there is another phenomenon concerning dust,... more travel advice

The main highway Transportation (1)

For those who do not have cars, the only way to travel long distances is by bus. These are nowadays air-conditioned and... more travel advice

Scorpions Warnings Or Dangers (3)

Some people think desert lands have scorpions and snakes crawling all over them. This is not the case. In urban areas... more travel advice

football crazy Sports & Outdoors (1)

the Sudanese are football fanatics. The capital has the most famous teams : Mereikh, Hilal, Mourada, Tahrir, Khartoum... more travel advice

Shopping (1)
shops along the road
Things to Do (3)
See All Giad Industrial City

Travelogues (2)

1 - 2 of 2

Comments (5)

lynnehamman Apr 16, 2009 at 7:04 AM Report Abuse

Shane- interesting page on this unknown (to me) place. The scorpion & cemetary tips are particuarly interesting. However- from your shopping tip-well-I would NOT be tempted to buy spare parts & tyres lol!
evaanna Jan 6, 2008 at 1:33 AM Report Abuse

Interesting mosques and gubbas. The cemeteries look different from the European ones, but do we need anything more after death? I didn't realise travelling on Sudanese roads can be so dangerous, and when I think of the scorpions... Interesting updates.
SLLiew Oct 9, 2007 at 8:03 PM Report Abuse

Learnt more of life in Sudan after reading this page. Thanks for sharing. At least, it is easy to play football so much open space.
Ekaterinburg Aug 4, 2007 at 4:44 PM Report Abuse

It's very interesting to read about a place and culture I know so little about. Thanks for sharing this information :))
sachara Jan 31, 2007 at 5:25 AM Report Abuse

Hi Shane, thanks for this informative tiny page. One of the gubbas looks like a space rocket.