The mountainous and elevated regions, which make up the western half of the governorate, are dominated by a moderate climate with hot summers and relatively cold winters.

[6][7][8] Its construction was financed by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, who himself was reportedly a descendant of people from this area.

These sabotage operations did not stop until 2014, due to the inability of the Basindawa government to deter the saboteurs.

Many types of livestock are found in the governorate, including cattle, camels, sheep, goats, donkeys, and poultry.

According to statistics for 2007-11, the governorate was home to approximately 1,943,564 sheep, 1,669,370 goats, 42,000 cattle, and 112,782 camels, making up 3.8% of Yemen's total livestock.

[citation needed] The presence of the nimr (Arabic: نِـمْـر, leopard) was reported in the Sarawat Mountains.