18(b) How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?

Prototypical answer:

The League of Arab States has submitted applications for two gTLDs, which both focus on the Arab community, region, language, and culture: one TLD in standard Latin script ⁄ US ASCII, and one in Arabic script ⁄ IDN. Both TLDs are hereinafter referred to as the “Arab gTLDs”.

The Arab gTLDs have the objective to provide for an alternative (in Latin and Arabic script) Internet top-level domain for the people, organizations, companies and governments of the Arab Region. In addition, it aims to support and promote the Arabic language and culture on the global Internet, as well as the facilitation of economic, social and scientific integration and progress.

The League’s main objective is to promote and operate a regional Internet namespace that has global recognition and caters to the needs of the community in the Arab region as well as Arabs worldwide.

The League of Arab States provides oversight and guidance. Therefore, the League of Arab States has the mission to promote the Arab community’s identity as well as the use of the Arabic language on the Internet, by providing access to domain name registration systems that support the Arabic community and provide the members of this community with effective means to communicate with each other as well as other users of the Internet using their own identities, brand names, trademarks and proprietary TLDs.

The pioneering role of the League of Arab states in the Arab gTLDs is considered to be of great importance, giving legitimacy to both gTLDs from both a governance, cultural and organizational perspective.

With respect to the IDN gTLD, domain name registrations in the applied-for gTLD will be in Arabic script only, which provides domain name registrants and Internet users at large with the opportunity to use Arabic only domain names in Internet communications, and hence promote the Arabic region as a whole.

This offering is similar to what the .EU registry – EURid – is doing within Europe and, to a certain extent, how the DotAsia Organization is trying to position its activities and posture within the Asian-Pacific continent.

In order to reflect the specific focus and character of the Arab gTLDs, the Registry Operator will implement the following eligibility requirements for domain name registrants in either of the two Arab gTLDs, which shall be incorporated in the domain name registration policies of both extensions:

The Registry shall register domain names in one or both Arab TLDs through any Registrar requested by any:

(i) undertaking having its registered office, central administration or principal place of business within the Community, or

(ii) organization established within the Community without prejudice to the application of national law, or

(iii) natural person resident within the Community, or

(iv) any of the above who has associated one of the contacts relating to the domain name registration, which contact is residing or established in the Community.

The term “Community” will be deemed to include the territories of the Member States of the League of Arab States.

The League of Arab States defines the word “Arab” as “a person whose language is Arabic, who lives in an Arabic speaking country, who is in sympathy with the aspirations of the Arabic speaking people”. In the virtual world, out of the estimated 347,000,000 people who speak Arabic, only 5.4% use the Internet. With this percentage, the Arabic language holds the 7th place in the top ten languages used in the web (about 65 million Internet users) but it holds the 5th place according to the estimated number of population.

The Arabic language has been the fastest growing language on the Internet over the past decade, with an increase of more than 2,500%.

According to a 2009 estimate, the population of the member states of the LAS amounts to more than 360 million.

The Registry Operator will, following award of at least one of the Arab gTLDs to the League of Arab States, provide for the following measures in order to protect the privacy of registrants in such gTLD:

First of all, it will restrict automatic access to and harvesting of WHOIS data, by:

- implementing a CAPTCHA process following receipt of a web-based WHOIS query; and
- limiting the number of queries per IP address for a given period of time (both web and port 43).

Furthermore, the Registry Operator will enable registrants not to disclose certain information through the public WHOIS, and limit such information to what is strictly necessary in order to comply with ICANN’s requirements. If, for a valid reason (e.g., following request by a competent public authority, or if there is a risk that a particular domain name that is registered in the TLD infringes the trademark rights of a third party), the Registry Operator will in any case promptly disclose full contact data.


The LAS has developed a detailed action plan for the .ARAB registry, which will ensure that potential domain name registrants from the Arab Region and beyond are made aware of the .ARAB initiative, and what they need to do in order to register domain names in these new extensions. This action plan has been developed in the context of a Pre-Feasibility Study commissioned by UN-ESCWA, as well as in the Charter that has been adopted by the .ARAB Steering Committee in 2011.

Below, we will elaborate on the high-level steps that will be taken in order to effectively market the TLDs, taking into account where possible the issues and constraints identified above. It is believed to be key for the success of the .ARAB Project that a number of these steps are taken as soon as possible, even prior to the submission of the applications to ICANN.

1. Pre-Delegation Phase

The LAS has identified the following organizations that can play a role in creating awareness about the .ARAB Project, of which some of them can be very actively involved in the ultimate success of the Registry and its operations. In addition thereto, a number of action points have been formulated in order to achieve this objective.

1.1. Ministers and Ministries of Telecommunication represented in the League of Arab States

It is important for the success of the .ARAB Project that it obtains sufficient government support from the Member States of the League of Arab States. Following award of the applied-for gTLD, the Registry Operator will develop a high-level action plan together with each of the Ministers of Telecommunication of the Member States of the LAS.

1.2. Telecom operators active in the Arab Region

Telecom operators have an enormous client base with people, organizations and companies that will have – in one way or another – an interest in registering domain names within the Arab TLDs.

Given such large client base, there may be an opportunity for such actors to apply with ICANN to become an ICANN Accredited Registrar or Reseller, as this can bring in additional business for them. Additionally, such status could support such telecom operators to expand their business in other countries in the Arab Region, and in particular in other Member States of the League of Arab States.

Even if these organizations would not be interested in such an activity, liaising with them (on a regular ⁄ continuous basis) will allow the League of Arab States to raise awareness regarding the .ARAB Project, and may incite some of them to be involved in this project further down the road in, perhaps, another capacity (such as acting as a Reseller).

1.3. ccTLD registries in the Arab Region

The LAS has determined on various occasions that the (timely) involvement of ccTLD registries in the Arab Region is crucial for the success of the .ARAB Project. In order to allow these registries not only to become “morally” involved, but also reap part of the (financial, technical and operational) benefits of this initiative, appropriate steps will be taken in order to ensure such involvement.

Given the fact that many ccTLD registries of the Arab Region have actively participated in the preparation of the .ARAB TLD project and the preparation of this application for the .ARAB gTLD, it is clear that the LAS enjoys a lot of goodwill from their end in order to make this project a success.

1.4. Domain name registrars with ccTLDs in the Arab Region

Although the requirements for becoming an ICANN Accredited Registrar could be too cumbersome for many existing registrars with ccTLDs in the Arab Region, the LAS (and existing ccTLD operators within the Arab Region) should be able to identify a few organizations that could be “thought leaders” in the .ARAB initiative. Therefore, LAS and ccTLD operators within the Arab Region will provide for guidance and advice in order for these registrars to become ICANN Accredited Registrars.


1.5. Existing ICANN Accredited Registrars from outside the Arab Region

The Registry may opt to convince a number of large ICANN Accredited Registrars to set up an operation in the region, and provide operational and marketing support to them in order to effectively reach out to its targeted community.

This operation will consist of providing access to a web site dedicated to the .ARAB gTLDs, and have staff on the ground promoting the registration and adoption of domain names in these TLDs to businesses, organizations and individuals within the region.

2. Delegation Phase
2.1. Introduction

The Registry Operator, working closely with its selected registry back-end services provider, will develop a detailed marketing and outreach plan, in order to make sure that the .ARAB gTLDs are adequately promoted and a sustainable registry operation is guaranteed. This plan will be developed and rolled out following award of the gTLD to the League of Arab States.

This Marketing & Outreach Plan will in any case be a working document, which will need to be adapted to the specific needs and circumstances that arise following the delegation of the first Arab TLD to the League of Arab States.

In particular, detailed plans will be drawn up in order to market these gTLDs within the Arab Region, creating a workable competition amongst ICANN Accredited Registrars, considering that only few of them have actually deployed activities within the Arab Region. Furthermore, this plan shall take into consideration the development of the domain name market at that time.

2.2. Draft High-Level Marketing & Outreach Plan

During the Delegation Phase, the Registry Operator’s Marketing & Outreach Plan will cover the following aspects:

- attendance at or co-ordination of a to be agreed upon number of major events at which presentations will be made to members of the IP community, the Registrar community, and the domain name community, including ICANN meetings;

- drafting of a General Information and RPM (Rights Protection Mechanisms) section of the Registry’s website, including materials for other relevant web sites (e.g. ccTLD registries in the Arab Region, registrars, resellers, …);

- drafting of a Registrar website focused on the .ARAB launch and RPMs;

- drafting of detailed information sheets for Accredited Registrars, IP owners, and the domain name community at large;

- drafting of presentations materials and brochures for IP owners, law firms, trademark attorneys and Registrars;

- the preparation of information that can be used in briefing sheets for the general and specialized press.

All of the above tasks need to be executed and⁄or supervised by a dedicated resource appointed by or under the authority of the Registry Operator.

2.3. Language Aspects

Taking into account the fact that many members of the LAS’ targeted distribution networks and Community (i.e. individuals, companies and organizations that are using the Arab language) may reside or be established abroad, the Registry should effectively reach out to ICANN Accredited Registrars in order to obtain the necessary marketing support outside the LAS region.

Since most of these registrars will not master the Arab language, specific information and marketing packages and initiatives need to be developed in order to make sure that such targeted Community members obtain all the necessary information in order to effectively register domain names in the .ARAB gTLDs.

3. Launch Phase
3.1. Introduction

An important element in the launch of any TLD is the provision, by or on behalf of the Registry Operator, of detailed and accurate information with respect to the policies it is going to implement, the processes that will accompany the launch of the TLD, and the pricing charged to Registrars. These three elements need to be clearly defined in detailed information memoranda and legal terms before they are distributed to Registrars, the intellectual property community and the public at large.

In order to ensure that an adequate marketing campaign is being set up, the Registry Operator will develop and implement a Marketing & Outreach Plan that takes the following aspects into account:

- designing clear, unambiguous information for the relevant stakeholders, including the intellectual property community (with respect to the Sunrise aspects), the domainer community (with respect to the Landrush aspects) and Registrars;

- consult with these stakeholders, and do regular follow-ups with them;

- tracking and identifying any outreach campaigns these stakeholders are organising;

- trying to be involved in any marketing, consultation, information, … activities organised by these stakeholders, and provide them with regular reporting on new information that is going to be released before it is actually released;

- etc.

3.2. General Marketing & Outreach Activities

Marketing & Outreach Activities during the Execution Phase include:

- updating of the General Information website including RPM FAQ;

- organization⁄participation in web seminars ⁄ webcasts for IP owners, the domain name community;

- attendance at or co-ordination of events for the IP and domain name communities;

- attendance⁄co-ordination of events for Registrars and their clients;

- co-ordinate an e-newsletter for Registrars covering general points of information, updating them on dates, FAQ answers, etc.;

- meetings and briefings of the general media and specialized press with the Registry.

3.3. Involvement of telecom operators, ccTLD registries and their registrars

In order for the .ARAB gTLD to be successful in terms of numbers of domain name registrations, the LAS might reach out to the ccTLD operators of its member states in order to support the initiative. Such support could consist of any of the following:

- marketing the .ARAB gTLD to its customer base, by organizing seminars, sending mailings to registrars and domain name registrants, etc.;

- offering domain names in the .ARAB gTLD together with registrations in their own ccTLD;

- actively promoting the .ARAB gTLD on their respective web sites;

- etc.

In this respect, the Registry Operator’s dedicated Marketing Manager will need to play a liaison function between ccTLD operators on the one hand and ICANN Accredited Registrars on the other hand in order to make sure that the .ARAB gTLDs are properly marketed.

3.4. Accredit Registrars

Once delegated the applied-for gTLD, the LAS will be required to accredit ICANN Accredited Registrars in order to effectively offer domain name registrations in these new gTLDs.

A dedicated resource, appointed by or on behalf of the Registry Operator, will forge relationships with the .ARAB Accredited Registrars. The Registry Operator’s dedicated Marketing Manager will have the task to provide detailed information to them, and keep them updated on new developments, promotions, etc.

Similar gTLD applications: (1)