Here at TNW Middle East, we’ve received emails by the dozen with questions related to where and how domain names with Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) can be registered. The answer is, you can’t. Not just yet.
While the first DNS record for an Arabic TLD was inserted by iCANN as a proof of concept, it was also to probably resuscitate the hype and buy time till registrars are capable of accepting applications.
If the process of registering these IDNs is going to bear any similarity to how complex it is to register local addresses (let’s just say that my personal experiences with .ae registrations have not been positive) then it would probably not be available through the networksolutions of the world.
We’ve gotten in touch with UAE NIC, the official domain name registrar in the United Arab Emirates, and have not received an answer yet, but we’ll certainly let you know if we do.
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I still stick to my prediction – and for once pray that I’m wrong – that this will not be available till the fourth quarter of 2010.
Until then, hold your horses, and watch this tacky video that ICANN was so nice to put together.
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