The top-level domain (TLD) refers to the last segment of a domain name, or the part that follows immediately after the “dot” symbol. Examples include .com, .org, .edu and they typically represent the kind of organization associated with the domain.
The TLD XN—CLCHC0EA0B2G2A9GCD is an internationalized country code top-level domain (IDN ccTLD). For those unfamiliar with the term, an IDN ccTLD is a top level domain with non-Latin characters. When the Domain Name System was designed, domain names could only contain ASCII characters (this includes English alphabet, digits and some special characters). However, this posed limitations for regions where languages are not based on the English alphabet, such as Asia, Middle East, etc. To overcome this, IDN ccTLDs are used.
XN—CLCHC0EA0B2G2A9GCD is the Punycode representation of the Arabic script “السعوديه”, meaning Saudi Arabia. The interesting part is that while you will see the Arabic characters in the URL, what is actually stored in the Domain Name System (DNS) is “XN—CLCHC0EA0B2G2A9GCD.”
According to a registry announcement by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), XN—CLCHC0EA0B2G2A9GCD, was approved for Saudi Arabia as an IDN ccTLD on 5 May 2010. This allowed websites within Saudi Arabia to register domain names using Arabic characters.
When we look at the record of ICANN Root Zone Database, it explains in detail that XN—CLCHC0EA0B2G2A9GCD stands for Saudi Arabia (Kingdom of), registered through “Saudi Network Information Center (SaudiNIC)” since 5th May of 2010.
The usage of internationalized domain names has gained momentum and will likely continue to rise, as it helps promoting the use of local languages and scripts on the internet. This development also ensures that the internet is accessible and usable to as many people as possible, regardless of their language.
Therefore, in conclusion, XN—CLCHC0EA0B2G2A9GCD is an internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Saudi Arabia, designated in Arabic script.
Sources:
1. ICANN : Fast Track Process Launch Announcement (https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/sc-application-2012-02-25-en)
2. ICANN: Root Zone Database (https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/xn—mgberp4a5d4ar.html)
3. Saudi Network Information Center, SaudiNIC (https://www.saudinic.sa/en/about/internationalized-saudi-tld/)
