 The town was formed in 1992 as a result of a municipal merger of the villages of Shibli and Umm al-Ghanam.Shibli High School is attended by 270 Arab students, Special educational programs introduced at the school have boosted the Bagrut matriculation pass rate and percentage of graduates attending university.Hassan Saida of Shibli–Umm Al-Ghanam owns a collection of small cast lead books featuring what is believed to be the first-ever portrait of Jesus.