The declaration of the 24,000ha district with a population of 50,000 was made by the Sultan of Kedah, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah in conjunction with his 81st birthday celebrations in January 2009 (also in commemorating the golden jubilee anniversary of his reign from 1958-2008).

The district is divided into 6 sub-districts: Gajah Mati, Jabi, Tualang, Lesong, Bukit Lada, Derang and consists of 122 villages and 21 residential areas.

The district was poised for rapid development with ongoing infrastructure projects such as road expansion spanning from Hutan Kampung, Pokok Sena and Kuala Nerang to Sungai Burung to spur new growth areas.

The state government is currently developing a new township of this district called Bandar Baru Sejahtera Pokok Sena.

Other state routes link the town to Padang Terap, Pendang and Kubang Pasu districts.