Muhafazah

A muḥāfaẓah (Arabic:محافظة‎ [muˈħæːfazˤa]; pl. محافظات muḥāfaẓāt [muħæːfaˈzˤaːt]) is a first-level administrative division of many Arab countries, and a second-level administrative division in Saudi Arabia. The term is usually translated to "governorate", and occasionally to "province". It comes from the Arabic root ḥ-f-ẓ, which means to "keep" and "guard". The head of a muḥāfaẓah is the muḥāfiẓ.