A method for manufacturing of an improved attrition resistant catalyst having an oxide-rich surface layer involving forming an aqueous slurry comprising; catalyst, catalyst precursor or catalyst support particles (e.g., vanadium/phosphorus oxide, V/P/O catalyst), a large particle colloidal oxide sol (e.g., 200 Å, 600 Å, 750 Å colloidal silica, sodium stabilized) as the major oxide-rich surface layer forming component, and a second oxide-rich surface layer forming component solution wherein the solute is selected from the group consisting essentially of a precursor of the oxide-rich surface with average particle size no greater than 5 nm (e.g., aqueous silicic acid or polysilicic acid), a colloidal oxide sol wherein oxide particles in the sol have an average size below 10 nm (e.g., 50 Å colloidal silica), and mixtures thereof and then spray drying the slurry to form porous microspheres of attrition resistant catalyst; and, calcining/activating the spray dried microspheres. Such a catalyst is particularly useful and exhibits improved performance in oxidation processes such as the catalytic air oxidation of butane to maleic anhydride.