ABU DHABI // Final approval for .abudhabi and .dubai web addresses may be only months away, with experts predicting widespread uptake.
The global authority that controls the launch of new domain names, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann), is in the final stages of approval for the two.
It is hoped that by linking the web addresses to the geographical location of a website, it will boost online business and bring more attention to the country.
The .abudhabi and .dubai addresses are owned by their respective governments and will be controlled by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.
It will be up to the TRA to decide who will be able to buy a web address ending with these suffixes but it is the understanding of Icann that they will be available not just for government use, but also to individuals and private companies.
The .abudhabi address will also be available in Arabic script.
Talks were held with stakeholders at the Middle East DNS forum in Dubai this week, an event jointly held for the first time by the TRA, Icann and the Internet Society, which ensures an open, transparent internet.
As an overall goal, the UAE government, along with Icann, wants to see more top-level domain names coming from the Middle East, and to successfully roll out Arabic web addresses.
“We are seeing a trend of geographical names coming to this space – London, Paris and New York, for example,” said Baher Ismat, Icann’s regional vice president in the Middle East.
“I envisage that every party has its own plans on what it will do with these names but I expect there will be a range of services that are delivered to the end user.”
Mr Ismat said that although the running of the Abu Dhabi and Dubai domain names will be up to the TRA, he had high hopes for them.
“It depends on the policy they set but I imagine you could have restaurants or cinemas or malls all under dot-Dubai and dot-Abu Dhabi. This would be a very positive step forward.”
The TRA hailed the importance of the talks at the DNS Forum, and also announced that it would be launching the .arab domain.
“TRA recognises the importance of these events in building bridges between interested parties in the region and the world’s experts in the field,” said Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA director general.
“It also boosts coordination efforts with global internet organisations, as well as the relevant government entities in Arab countries to promote further industry growth in the region.
“Furthermore, this significant event reinforces our strategic relationship with Icann as we continue our joint efforts to provide high-quality services and develop the relationship between registrars and registrants with the private sector.”
Last week was the public roll-out of the Arabic domain name .shabaka, the first Arabic top-level domain name.
Shabaka, or “web” in Arabic, is designed to help spur a new phase for Arabic content online.
“There is no better way for businesses to demonstrate their affiliation with the Arabic language online than by registering a domain name,” said Yasmin Omer, general manager of dotShabaka Registry.
“Our early promotional activity and initial registrations have demonstrated the vast number of proud Arabic businesses and individuals who have been waiting for the chance to accurately represent their brand online in their native language.
“One of the goals of .shabaka is to empower the Arabic language on the internet.”
ksinclair@thenational.ae