The top-level domain (TLD) “XN—MGBAYH7GPA” is an Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) ccTLD for Jordan. This is a domain that utilizes the Arabic language, specifically the word “الأردن”, which translates to “Al-Urdun”, the Arabic word for “Jordan”. Governments of countries who use non-Latin scripts can apply for an IDN Code that represents their country name in that script.
The code “XN—MGBAYH7GPA” is a Punycode representation of the Unicode string “الأردن”. Punycode is a method for representing a string of Unicode characters in the limited character subset (A-Z, 0-9) that is supported by the Domain Name System. ICANN, the organization responsible for coordinating the global internet’s systems of unique identifiers, has sanctioned it and has implemented Punycode for internationalized domain names.
In the allocation of these unique domain names, ICANN ensures that the internet remains a safe and interoperable platform. ICANN has developed a “Fast Track Process” to assign these domains in the scripts of various nations and territories around the globe, assisting those whose languages use non-Latin scripts.
This top-level domain is specifically reserved for the Kingdom of Jordan. Anyone wishing to register a website with this domain needs to go through a registration process with the designated registrar, which in this case is the National Information Technology Centre (NITC).
The use of “XN—MGBAYH7GPA” empowers Arabic speakers to access the web in their native script, aiding cultural preservation and expanding digital inclusivity. More and more governments are trying to make internet use in a native language more accessible for their population. For example, other countries like Russia with “.рф” and China with “.中国” have also registered their IDN ccTLD codes.
Thus, “XN—MGBAYH7GPA” is a significant step towards modernizing and enhancing the inclusivity of the internet as it welcomes an audience that prefers Arabic over English. This allows for diversification in online content generation and consumption, enabling individuals to contribute and engage more actively within their digital communities.
Sources:
1. “IDN Code Points Policy for the .JO Top-Level Domain” – National Information Technology Center, Jordan. https://www.dns.jo/UploadFiles/UploadFiles/IDN\_cp.pdf
2. “Internationalized Domain Names (IDN)” – ICANN https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/idn-2012-02-25-en
3. “ICANN and Internet Governance Participation Guide” – ICANN. https://www.icann.org/en/system/files/files/participation-guide-30jan13-en.pdf
4. “Punycode: A Bootstring encoding of Unicode for IDNA” – IETF Tools. https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc3492
5. “Frequently Asked Questions for Country Code Names Supporting Organizations” – ICANN. https://ccnso.icann.org/en/faq
