Az Zahirah
Al Dhahirah Governorate (Arabic: محافظة الظاهرة, romanized: Muḥāfaẓat aẓ-Ẓāhirah, lit. 'The Phenomenon') is one of the eleven governorates (muhafazah) of Oman. It was previously a region (mintaqah), and became a governorate on 28 October 2011. The largest city in the governorate is Ibri.
Economy
Al Dhahirah Governorate is the location of the biggest oil field in Oman, Yibal, which started operations in 1968.
Provinces
The governorate consists of three provinces, or wilayat:
Regional Subdivision Review before 2007
Until October 2006, two more former wilayat were also part of this region, Al Buraymi and Mahdha. Al Buraimi Governorate was formed from these provinces as a new governorate in October 2006. A third wilaya, Al Sunaynah, was created from rural parts of Al Buraymi and Mahdha.
Demographics
| Census year | Pop. | ±% p.a. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 124,606 | — | ||
| 2003 | 130,177 | +0.44% | ||
| 2010 | 151,664 | +2.21% | ||
| 2020 | 213,043 | +3.46% | ||
| ||||
| Source: Citypopulation | ||||
