The Governorate of Buriami occupies a prominent position within Oman's geography. That is to say, it is Oman's western gate. Buraimi is an oasis town in the region of Ad Dhahirah in northeastern Oman on the border of the UAE, sharing borders on the UAE's side with Al Ain. For many decades, there has been an open border between Buraimi located in Oman and Al Ain(UAE). However, since 16 September 2006 this border has been relocated to an area around Hilli. Governorate of Buriami was established by the Royal Decree no 108/2006 consisting of Al Buraimi, Mahdhah , and Al Sinainah.

Wiliyat of Buraimi
This is the regional center of the Governorate located 375 kilometers from Muscat. It has a number of historical forts and houses. Its main forts are al Khandaq which has been adopted as the emblem of the Wiliyat, and Al Hillah fort. Recenly, both of these forts have been restored and renovated by the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture. There are also several other forts including the forts of Fayyadh, Hafeet and Wadi al Jizzi. The most famous historical house in the Wilayat is Bait Bahr. Buraimi's villages are watered by 49 falajes.

Wiliyat of Mahdah
Mahdhah is bordered by the Wilayat of Buraimi and the UAE to the south and by the Emirates of Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Ras al Khaimah. To the east a chain of mountains separates it from the Batinah region. It has 9,200 inhabitants and ninety-nine villages. The Wilayat of Mahdhah has produced great personalities such as Ahmed bin Nu'man al Ka'abi who was the first Arab Ambassador to the United Satates of America in 1840. There are various historical landmarks in the Wiliyat such as the forts of Ubul, Bait al Nad, Al Khabib and Qala'at Sharm. Tourism attractions include Wadi Sahrm, Wadi al Qahafi, al Lajj, Uyul, al Ubailah, al Khadhra, al Jazira and Jabal al Howraa.

Local and Traditional Occupations
Farming is one of the Wilayat's chief occupations. The farms depend on wells and afalaj for their irrigation. They grow a vast array of crops notably dates, limes and other types of fruits, along with animal fodder. Some other people make a living by breeding livestock. There is an extensive range of local handcrafts including spinning, weaving, and products made from palm trees.

Development Process
In the past, Buriami was merely a wiliayat. But thanks to the Royal Decree no 108/2006, it was transformed into a governorate. Thus, it was imperative to transform it to be on a par with the other governorates in the Sultanate. To this end, fifteen service project agreements worth around RO6 million were signed for the development of Buraimi and Mahdah in the Dahirah region.

These agreements aim at transforming the two wilayats from sleepy towns into modern centres of commerce and tourism.

The projects included nine agreements to pave 80.5km internal roads, four agreements for road lighting and two agreements for landscape projects.

As for street lighting, the agreements included execution of five lighting projects in the wilayats of Al Buraimi and Al Mahdah whereas the total length of the internal roads intended for lighting will be 96.2km and 1,331 lighting poles will be installed. The agreements also included two landscape projects, involving construction of asphalted car parking at schools, mosques, and government institutions.
The agreements had been signed as per the vision of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to extend the economic and social development to all towns and villages across the Sultanate.

This is also in implementation of the recommendations of the Council of Ministers to give priority to the wilayats of Buraimi and Mahdah in the Dhahirah region when implementing the Seventh Five-Year Plan from 2006-2010d. Several such important services projects will be executed in Buraimi and Mahdah not only because of their significance but also to match the economic activities, urbanization, and social development witnessed by the region

So these 15 signed contracts are really important especially for Buraimi because of its commercial potential and Mahdah because of the attractive tourism locations there. The work for the surveys has already commenced and the projects are in full swing.