Oujda, city, northeastern Morocco, capital of Oujda Province, near the Algerian border. The city, a rail and road junction, is a center for trade in wine, citrus fruit, grapes, wheat, barley, vegetables, tobacco, sheep, wool, and esparto grass. Lead, coal, and manganese mines are adjacent. Oujda is the site of Mohammed I University (1978). Founded in the late 10th century and ruled by several Arab and Berber dynasties, the city was captured by the French in 1844 and again in 1859 and was occupied by them from 1907 to 1956. The name is also spelled Oudjda. Population (1994) 678,778.
