The top-level domain (TLD) “XN—MGBI4ECEXP” is an internationalized country code top-level domain (ccTLD). The Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) system was established to allow internet users around the globe to navigate the web in their native languages. This specific domain is the Arabic equivalent for Qatar’s ccTLD, which is “.qa” in common English language notation.
The Domain Name System (DNS) is designed to convert user-friendly domain names like “google.com” into IP addresses, which are less memorable strings of numbers. However, it was traditionally restricted to Latin script, making it challenging for speakers of languages based on other scripts, like Arabic, Chinese, and many others to access the web in a way that’s natural to them.
To address this problem, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) developed the IDN system to permit the use of thousands of characters from different writing systems in domain names. ICANN is a non-profit organization based in the United States that’s responsible for coordinating the maintenance and operations of several databases related to the namespaces of the internet.
The “XN—” at the beginning of the domain indicates that it’s an IDN, followed by a string that encodes the actual characters in a language-independent format known as Punycode. “MGBI4ECEXP” is the Punycode representation of the Arabic word for Qatar, which visually appears as “قطر.”. To ensure accurate translation and prevent confusion, ICANN uses a special tool during the registration process to convert the entered native language domain name into the Punycode equivalent that forms the actual TLD.
The aim of this adaptation is to create a more diverse and inclusive internet by allowing users to identify themselves and their businesses online in their own languages. Websites using a non-English ccTLD have become increasingly common in recent years, particularly in countries where English is not the primary language. For example, large corporations such as Google and Facebook use the Arabic ccTLD for their Qatari versions (www.google.قطر and www.facebook.قطر).
All the information listed here can be found provided by ICANN (the organization responsible for global domains) in their guides and documentation, as well as their database of TLDs.
Sources:
- ICANN. (n.d.). Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) Programme. https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/idn-2012-02-25-en
- Wikipedia. (n.d.). Punycode. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punycode
- ICANNWiki. (n.d.). .xn—wgbl6a. https://icannwiki.org/.xn—wgbl6a
