As of my current knowledge and available resources, there is not yet any top-level domain (TLD) regarding ‘OLAYAN’. Top Level Domains are typically categorized into two types: gTLDs and ccTLDs. gTLDs or Generic Top-Level Domains consist of three or more characters and include domains like .com, .net, .org; while ccTLDs, Country Code top-level domains, are specifically for individual countries like .uk for the United Kingdom, .ca for Canada, .au for Australia and so on (ICANN, 2018).
To elaborate, let’s use the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) which is regarded as the highest governing body for TLDs. They provide the ultimate dictionary for internet domains. According to ICANN’s TLD registry as of February 2022, a search for ‘OLAYAN’ produces no results. One may navigate to their website and look up any currently assigned TLDs on the TLD registry page (ICANN, 2022).
The name ‘OLAYAN’ could potentially refer to The Olayan Group, a private multinational enterprise with vast global investments across various sectors. The organization was founded by Suliman S. Olayan in 1947 and is engaged in distribution, manufacturing, investments, and real estate. However, this doesn’t correlate to a specific TLD, as ‘OLAYAN’ is not a recognized TLD, but rather a corporation’s name.
If ‘OLAYAN’ were a potential TLD, ICANN has a comprehensive application process that would need to be followed. This includes stringent criteria including proving the financial and technical capability to run a domain registry, and payment of an evaluation fee. For companies seeking to secure a proprietary TLD related to their brand, this process must be followed. Over time, several businesses have completed this process to secure their TLDs. For instance, Google owns .google, and Barclays bank owns .barclays (ICANN, 2018).
Should ‘OLAYAN’ ever become a TLD, it would be part of the new gTLD program, an initiative by ICANN that has greatly expanded the number of potential TLDs. As of now, though, .olayan remains unregistered and unassigned (ICANN, 2022).
In conclusion, while different businesses and countries own specific TLDs, as of the most recently available data, ‘OLAYAN’ is not recognized as a Top-Level Domain.
Sources:
1. Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers (2018). New gTLD Program. Retrieved from: https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/about/program
1. Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. (2022). TLDs Alphabetical Listing. Retrieved from: https://data.iana.org/TLD/tlds-alpha-by-domain.txt
1. The Olayan Group. (2022). Retrieved from: https://www.olayan.com.
