It follows the coast of Oman southward from Masirah Island and reaches inland to 120 kilometres (75 mi) in the Jiddat al Harasisi plateau and the Dhofar Mountains.

In Oman and Yemen moisture is provided by thick fogs coming off the ocean during the summer khareef monsoon, while the hot Tihamah plain is moisturised by some rainfall and the generally high humidity of the Red Sea.

Although it rarely rains, the fog provides moisture sufficient to nurture a great deal of grassland, shrubs and thick woodland.

Vegetation varies progressively away from the coast which features dense woodland of Terminalia dhofarica, Senegalia senegal, Olea europaea, Balanites aegyptiaca, Cupressus sempervirens, Vachellia tortilis, Salix alba, Juglans regia, Populus alba, Populus nigra, Quercus coccifera, Quercus ilex, Quercus pubescens, Pistacia terebinthus, Juniperus communis, Pinus nigra, Ceratonia siliqua, Arbutus unedo, Erica arborea, Phoenix canariensis, Phoenix dactylifera, Laurus nobilis, Vachellia flava, Ziziphus spina-christi, Prosopis cineraria, Pinus halepensis, Aerva javanica, Prunus amygdalus, Corylus avellana, Sclerocarya birrea, Ficus salicifolia, Faidherbia albida, Borassus aethiopum, Vitellaria paradoxa, Afzelia africana, Kigelia africana, Adansonia digitata, Pinus pinea and various thorny Commiphora trees and shrubs.

The main threat to this ecosystem is overgrazing by increasing numbers of cattle and other livestock as well as off-road driving and human encroachment.