The Name Hassi Messaoud means "the well of Messaoud" in Arabic. Messaoud Rouabeh, son of ElHadj Rabah, son of Amira, was from the tribes of Chaamba (Arabic tribes living near the region of Ghardaia and Ouargla) and exactly from the tribe named "Oulad Belkacem" (sons of Belkacem). He was born in 1875 near Ouargla. He dug other water wells in the region; the last one before that in Hassi Messaoud was the well of Doubba, and since that well was crowded by Bedouin using it, he decided to travel elsewhere to find another water point. When traveling south-east from Ouargla, he found some green areas in the place named now "Bou Amamma". He decided to dig a well there and he found a liquid with a bizarre color and odor, The information didn't manage to reach the French colonies at that time. From that time i.e. 1917, they named the region as "Hassi Messaoud".
Before the discovery of oil in the region, Hassi Messaoud was not very populated. After discovering oil in the region in the 1950s the French built two petroleum bases. After the nationalization of oil and gas in the early 70s, the bases became property of Sonatrach (the national oil and gas company). In 1984, and after a new administrative zoning, Hassi Messaoud became a municipality (a local district) with a local assembly. After that date people started populating the town independently. Sonatrach has imported ready-built houses, approximately 2000 units. Now Hassi Messaoud is a town with more than 60,000 inhabitants (non official source), without counting those living in the oil and gas company bases. The town contains several bases for the oil and gas companies, where Algerian and foreign people are working and living
