Arabic speaking web hosting clients around the world from now on will be able to create a truly Arabic online presence. The global regulator of web addresses (ICANN) has just officially entered into a contract with dotShabaka Registry for “شبكة.” to become the world’s first Arabic new Top-Level Domain (TLD).
Surpassing almost 1900 other applicants from around the world, شبكة. (.shabaka, translates to .web in English) will become the world’s first borderless new Top-Level Domain officially recognized by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This will provide Arabic speaking web hosting clients with an alternative to non-Arabic Internet namespaces such as .com, .net and .org.
Expected to be available through web hosting providers in the coming months, شبكة. is part of the new Top-Level Domain program being rolled out by ICANN to expand the internet’s web address system.
Joining dotShabaka Registry in this exciting opportunity is GoDaddy, one of the world’s largest domain name and web hosting providers. The addition of GoDaddy as the first Registrar partner will ensure شبكة. is set for worldwide release.
GoDaddy and dotShabaka Registry
The announcement follows the release of initial evaluation results in March when ICANN announced the official approval to the شبكة. application. With the signing of this contract, there are only a few final testing requirements before شبكة. will be delegated and accessible on the Internet. dotShabaka Registry has contracted ARI Registry Services for the provision of software and infrastructure systems to support شبكة., owing to their vast experience in Domain Name Registry technology in supporting the .ae, .qa and .om domain name spaces.
Yasmin Omer, General Manager of dotShabaka Registry, says: “The contract signing is a monumental occasion. As the first new Top-Level Domain, شبكة. is set to become the centre of all things Arabic on the internet. “شبكة. will have a global audience, with over 20 countries in the Middle East and North Africa which use Arabic as an official language – a region that comprises over 380 million people.”
“In spite of the boom in Arabic content online, users are still burdened with the need to use English on the internet. Many websites and internet applications force visitors to only use English. Through شبكة., we are campaigning for a truly Arabic Internet experience from start to finish,” Ms. Omer said.
“We are ready to help make the new names available with an experience that includes easy-to-use search tools and the reliable service the world has come to expect from us,” says GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving. “This partnership between our two companies is in line with our strategy to expand the GoDaddy brand into international markets.”
For more information about how you can register your own شبكة. website address, please visit www.dotshabaka.com.
