It is the site of an experimental station for wind and solar power generation for desalination.[1]
Transport
The town is a major transport hub and border crossing, for trade by road between Tunisia and Libya. From 15 February – 15 March 2007, 21,758 foreigners entered and 8,112 left through Ras Ajdir.[2]
Ras Ajdir is a likely border station on the new Libyan Railways line, which is under construction in 2007. An agreement has been signed for a link to Tunisian Railways. The nearest Tunisian railhead, albeit of 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) guage, is at Gabès.
Libyan civil war
In 2011, during the Libyan Civil War, rebel forces attempted to take control of the crossing from loyalist forces.[3] On 27 August, the border town was secured by the National Transitional Council forces.
As of 2019, the population of the small coastal town of Ra's Ajdir is 6,469 people consisting of 6,023 Libyans, 306 Tunisians, 87 Algerians, 31 Italians, 9 Chadians, 7 Egyptians, and 6 Maltese.
References
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Sultan A. Kershmana; Jürgen Rheinländerb; Thomas Neumannc; Olaf Goebeld (2005). "Hybrid wind/PV and conventional power for desalination in Libya—GECOL's facility for medium and small scale research at Ras Ejder". Desalination. 183 (1–3): 1–12. doi:10.1016/j.desal.2005.04.021.