The top-level domain (TLD) “XN—4GBRIM” refers to موقع. in Arabic, which translates to “website”. This is categorized as a Generic top-level domain (gTLD), and part of a series of internationalized domain names (IDNs) that were introduced to cater to different languages and scripts across the globe, aiming to facilitate a multilingual internet. This specific domain “XN—4GBRIM” was added to the Root Zone Database and was delegated to the Internet’s Domain Name System on 5th of February 2011, as part of ICANN’s New gTLD Program.
International domain names (IDNs) are internet domains that contain language-specific scripts or non-Latin characters. They allow URLs to be written in languages where characters are not featured in the ASCII character set, including Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and many others. In the case of “XN—4GBRIM”, it uses Punycode translation to represent “موقع.” in a format that can be understood by the Domain Name System.
The company responsible for operating and managing “XN—4GBRIM” is “Suhub Electronic Establishment”. As of the writing of this response, some notable websites that operate with the “XN—4GBRIM” top level domain include Souq.com and Aljazeera.net.
The introduction of such top-level domains serves to further the aims of ICANN in promoting competition and consumer choice in the namespace, as it ensures that the web is not dominated by Latin-script websites and allows for an equitable web space where different languages and scripts have adequate representation.
Moreover, such multilingual domains provide a more user-friendly internet environment for speakers of various languages worldwide, and offer new opportunities for local businesses to reach out to consumers in a more direct and culturally relevant manner.
In summary, “XN—4GBRIM” is a top-level domain intended for use by Arabic language websites. It is part of ICANN’s push for a more multilingual and multicultural internet.
Sources used for the response:
1. ICANN Delegation Record for .موقع. (2011). Retrieved from https://www.iana.org/reports/2011/xn—4gbrim-report-2011-02-05-en.pdf
2. ICANN IDN TLDs. Retrieved from: https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/idn-2012-02-25-en
3. ICANN New gTLD Current Application Status. Retrieved from: https://gtldresult.icann.org/applicationstatus
4. Database of registered .موقع. domains from CST Group Ltd. Retrieved from: https://cst-group.com/domains/موقع.
5. ICANN – What is a gTLD? Retrieved from: https://learn.icann.org/hc/en-us/articles/360000636727-What-is-a-gTLD-
