Nearby localities include Baniyas to the north, Kharibah to the east and Maten al-Sahel to the south.

[1] The majority of al-Bayda are predominantly Sunni Muslims with a Christian minority,[2] and together with Baniyas, Basatin al-Assad and Marqab, the villages form a large Sunni population amid an Alawite-inhabited area.

[3] During the Syrian civil war, al-Bayda fell under the control of anti-Assad elements.

In May 2013 the village was subjected to government bombardment that reportedly left over 100 dead, including the town's mayor and his family.

[4] According to main opposition group, a massacre took place on 2 May, committed by government and pro-government forces.