     arad ( ; ) is a city in the south district of israel. it is located on the border of the negev and judean deserts, 25 kilometers (15.5&nbsp;mi) west of the dead sea and 45&nbsp;km (28&nbsp;mi) east of beersheba. the city is home to a diverse population of 23,400 including ashkenazi and sephardi jews, both secular and religious, bedouins and black hebrews, as well as new immigrants. the city is notable for its clean, dry air and serves as a major attraction to asthmatics worldwide. after attempts to settle the area in the 1920s, arad was founded in november 1962 as an israeli development town, the first planned city in israel. arad's population grew significantly with the aliyah from the commonwealth of independent states in the 1990s, and peaked in 2002 at 24,500 residents. landmarks in arad include the ruins of tel arad, arad park, a domestic airfield and israel's first legal race circuit. the city is known for its annual summer music festival, the arad festival.{{cite news |author=dafna arad |date=3 august 2011 |title=arad festival returns to its rock roots |url=http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/arad-festival-returns-to-its-rock-roots-1.376644 |newspaper=haaretz |accessdate=1
Cities_in_Israel Cities_in_Southern_District_(Israel) Development_towns Populated_places_established_in_1956 Southern_District_(Israel)