Once the capital of the Fezzan, Sebha is an important regional town with a population of around 150,000. Still a major Saharan transportation hub motor caravans from Algeria, Niger, Chad and even Tunisia pass through Sebha on their way to the Mediterranean Sea. Local agriculture is quite diverse, producing barley, wheat, onions and dates although much of the town's food and water must be transported from other oases.

The town is dominated by white buildings and wide streets. A few sections of the old quarters still stand, with mud-brick houses and covered alleyways. The old Italian Fort Elena rests on a nearby hill, and is used as a military base. Sebha is also known as the town where the Libyan leader, Mu'ammar Gadhafi, was educated.