Ar’ara An-Nagab is a Bedouin town established by Israel in 1982, as part of the peace treaty with Egypt and because of the construction of Nevatim military air base. The need to establish a military airport as a substitute for the air bases that were operating in Sinai led to the eviction of some 5,000 residents who lived in the Tel Malhata area. The Land Acquisition Law- 1980, also known as the “Peace Law”, enabled the displacement of the population from the Tel Malhata area to the town. At first, A’rara An-Nagab was part of the Masos Regional Council, but in 1996 it was declared a local council which currently has 16,000 residents.

A’rara An-Nagab is ranked in the first cluster in the socio-economic ranking of localities in Israel, the lowest cluster. The town has 10 primary and secondary schools, 50 kindergartens and one community center. There are seven clinics and one emergency medical center. The various services provided by the town to its inhabitants also serve the residents of the nearby unrecognized Bedouin villages.