In the mid-19th century and earlier, Obock was ruled by Afar sultans, local authorities with whom France signed various treaties between 1862 and 1887 to first gain a foothold in the region.

[2] It is bordered by Eritrea to the north, the Tadjourah Region to the southwest, and the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to the east.

[12] The regional capital is Obock which is positioned on the Gulf of Tadjoura littoral, by the sea, by a group of beaches and flattened abraded in coral beds with a very salty sheet of water.

The wooded area of the Mabla Mountains, reaching more than 1,000 m and housing the second forest of the country, constitutes the natural border between the region of Obock and that of Tadjourah.

The practice of small business and other informal activities is also widespread in the town of Obock and in the main localities.

The rare and low rainfall and endemic drought make this area one of the driest places in the country.