THE Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQatar) launched the Qatar Domains Registry (QDR) on Wednesday.
The move will make Internet more accessible to Arabic language speakers in Qatar and beyond.
Managed by ictQatar, QDR will start making Qatar-specific Internet domain names in Arabic and Latin scripts while selecting names of organisations in Qatar.
The general domains will be available to the people by August.
Secretary General of ictQatar Dr Hessa al Jabor, President and CEO of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Rod Beckstrom and representatives from top organisations in the country were present at the opening ceremony.
Chief Technical Manager at ictQatar Saleh al Kuwari said the domains using a new system will have the domain name as Arabic version of ".qa" which shows that the user is "uniquely Qatari".
Al Kuwari said, "The launch of QDR will help build a more digitally inclusive society.
As more organisations and individuals begin adopting non-Latin domain names, the Internet will open up avenues to new audiences.
The Arab world has an enormous potential to grow, both in terms of usage and also the creation of new digital content, especially the Arabic content.
Qatar-specific domains are a valuable asset for business groups and individuals looking to establish their own online identity," he added.
Addressing the gathering, Beckstrom said Qatar is one of the top three countries in the Arab world to have a great Internet potential.
Citing a June 2010 official survey, he said 52 percent of the people in Qatar use broadband Internet services.
"The choice of Qatar Domain Registry is something which provides a unique identity for the users.
In pursuing for the IDN, the country has recognised that Internet is the country's future," he added.
Qatar is one of the first countries to apply for ICANN to create an Arabic domain name.
Currently, a number of websites are being used as pilot projects for the new domain names.
It includes ictQatar and Hukoomi.
Qatar-specific Arabic domain names will be made available to the government entities, and registered trademark and IP holders during the next phase of registration.
Business groups and individuals will be able to easily check the availability of Qatar domain names through the QDR website and check who owns the domain if it is already registered.
After checking the domain name, the user will either be directed to the approved registrars list or be provided information on how to register directly with the QDR.
The QDR will offer most of the domain names to the public through accredited registrars, except for specialised domain names which will be reserved for the government, military, non-profit organisations and educational institutions.
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