.شبكة

Overview

• .شبكة (transliterated as .shabaka) is an internationalized country-code style gTLD in Arabic script. Its ASCII/Punycode equivalent is .xn--ngbc5azd.
• The string translates to “web” or “network” and is commonly used among Arabic-literate Internet users to refer to the Internet.
• The TLD was applied for under ICANN's New gTLD Program and is intended to serve Arabic-literate communities worldwide.

History

• The applicant and registry operator named in materials is International Domain Registry Pty. Ltd.; registry technology/registry partner listed as ARI Registry Services.
• The application was the only one for the string and passed ICANN evaluation processes.
• Registry Agreement with ICANN was signed on July 14, 2013 — described as the first new gTLD contract signed in the New gTLD Program.
• .شبكة was delegated to the DNS Root Zone on October 23, 2013, one of the first four strings delegated under the Program.
• The TLD entered general availability in February 2014.

Usage and Audience

• Target audience: Arabic-literate Internet users and organizations seeking domain names in Arabic script.
• The TLD is presented as a generic, open namespace (no niche industry target), intended to expand direct-navigation options for Arabic speakers.
• Registrations have included a mix of brand-protection and general registrations; major international registrars have held the bulk of names.

Registration Rules

• Operational policy: open TLD with no eligibility restrictions; domains are allocated on a first-come/first-served basis when multiple parties apply for the same label.
• Sunrise and launch:
  • Sunrise period: 31 October 2013 to 29 December 2013.
  • The registry used auction services (Pool.com) for Sunrise and Landrush auctions.
  • Sunrise attracted "very few" registrations in part because the Trademark Clearinghouse had limited promotion in Arabic-speaking regions.
• No other technical registration period limits, character set specifics or minimum/maximum registration durations are detailed in the provided source material.

SEO and Brand Impact

• The registry's stated mission emphasizes improving online navigation and accessibility for Arabic-literate communities and promoting Arabic-content websites under an Arabic-script TLD.
• The application and registry materials claim potential SEO and usability benefits when the website content is fully in Arabic and the Arabic domain is used visibly.
• Real-world challenges identified by the registry and in studies include low public awareness of Arabic-script IDNs and universal acceptance issues across browsers, systems and infrastructures.
• As a result, the registry recommends or supports deployment strategies such as:
  • Forwarding the Arabic domain to an existing Latin-script site
  • Forwarding while retaining visible Arabic domain in the browser
  • Hosting fully Arabic-content sites under the Arabic domain to maximize the intended SEO and user benefits
• Many registrations are held by registrars and services focused on brand protection (examples: 101Domains, Com Laude, CSC, MarkMonitor, Instra).

Notable Cases or Examples

• Early registration figures: after general availability in February 2014 the TLD immediately reached about 2,000 registrations; numbers declined to roughly 1,500 by September 2015 as first renewals took effect.
• Registrar concentration: 101Domains reportedly held about 66% of registrations as of 2015; other major registrars and brand-protection providers also had significant shares.
• Google registered جوجل.شبكة during the Sunrise period — noted as Google’s first New gTLD domain registration.
• Milestones:
  • First new gTLD contract signed (July 14, 2013).
  • Delegated to the Root Zone on October 23, 2013, among the initial delegated new gTLD strings.

% IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       شبكة
domain-ace:   XN--NGBC5AZD

organisation: International Domain Registry Pty. Ltd.
address:      Level 8, 10 Queens Road
address:      Melbourne VIC 3004
address:      Australia

contact:      administrative
name:         IANA Contact
organisation: GoDaddy Registry
address:      100 S. Mill Ave, Suite 1600
address:      Tempe AZ 85281
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1 480-505-8800
fax-no:       +1 480-624-2546
e-mail:       iana@registry.godaddy

contact:      technical
name:         IANA Contact
organisation: GoDaddy Registry
address:      100 S. Mill Ave, Suite 1600
address:      Tempe AZ 85281
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1 480-505-8800
fax-no:       +1 480-624-2546
e-mail:       iana@registry.godaddy

nserver:      A.NIC.XN--NGBC5AZD 2001:dcd:1:0:0:0:0:3 37.209.192.3
nserver:      B.NIC.XN--NGBC5AZD 2001:dcd:2:0:0:0:0:3 37.209.194.3
nserver:      C.NIC.XN--NGBC5AZD 2001:dcd:3:0:0:0:0:3 37.209.196.3
nserver:      X.NIC.XN--NGBC5AZD 156.154.172.82 2610:a1:1074:0:0:0:1:82
nserver:      Y.NIC.XN--NGBC5AZD 156.154.173.82 2610:a1:1075:0:0:0:1:82
nserver:      Z.NIC.XN--NGBC5AZD 156.154.174.82 2610:a1:1076:0:0:0:1:82
ds-rdata:     862 8 2 662b4ab8c83d78983f29da731e7b495a7b249f8c714268631e21cd1e88370087

whois:        whois.nic.xn--ngbc5azd

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: http://www.dotshabaka.com

created:      2013-10-21
changed:      2024-04-17
source:       IANA