The top-level domain (TLD) “.xn—mgbtx2b” corresponds to the Arabic script; it’s the domain for “.الاردن” which is “Jordan” in English. Top-level domains are the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System (DNS) of the Internet. TLDs are essentially the last part of a domain name, such as .com, .net, or .org. In the question’s specific example (.xn—mgbtx2b), this is a punycode representation of an internationalized domain name (IDN) TLD.
Punycode is a method proposed in IDNA (Internationalized Domain Names in Applications, RFC3492) by Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) for representing Internationalized Domain Names, in which non-ASCII characters can be represented in ASCII suitable format. As the Internet’s DNS was initially set up to handle only ASCII characters, Punycode was introduced as a way to represent unicode characters in the non-English languages that use non-ASCII characters.
The “.xn—mgbtx2b” domain, for example, represents “.الاردن” or “Jordan” and this is intended to increase the web’s accessibility and usability by allowing the use of native languages or scripts for domain names. Jordan is one of many countries that has received approval for country-specific TLDs in native scripts, recognizing the importance of the Internet’s ability to connect diverse cultures and languages.
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) should be credited for pioneering an internationalized domain name system that makes the internet more inclusive and accessible. ICANN is a nonprofit organization that is responsible for coordinating and ensuring the secure and stable operation of the internet’s unique identifier systems including the domain name system. In 2009, ICANN started the process for the approval of internationalized domain names (IDN ccTLDs) using native scripts and languages, which marked a significant step towards achieving a multilingual and diverse internet.
The .xn—mgbtx2b (.الاردن) internet extension was officially delegated to Jordan by ICANN in 2014 according to IANA report. Thus, domain names using .xn—mgbtx2b (.الاردن) are directly aimed at internet users in Jordan, allowing them to access and create content in their native Arabic script, demonstrating the evolution of the internet to effectively encompass linguistic diversity.
Sources:
1. ICANN (https://icann.org/)
2. IANA (https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db/xn—mgbayh7gpa.html)
3. IETF’s RFC 3492 (https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc3492)
