With the first of new web domain names approved last week by ICANN (Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and 
Numbers) web users will able to type and access an Internet address in Arabic, Russian and Chinese language scripts.
ICANN signed the first four registry agreements with applicants for new generic top-level domain names, also called gTLDs, which are the terms after the final period in a web address.
On 13th June ICANN announced the list of Top Level Domains (TLDs) that have been applied for by big brands and other organisations. Anyone with the capability to operate a TLD is eligible to apply to run domains such as .car or .app. Many big brands have also applied to run their .brand domain, and, inevitably, some domains have attracted numerous competing applications. Up to now, they were limited to 21 types, including .com, .net, .org and .edu.
The four domains that have been announced last week are: -
● International Domain Registry Pty. Ltd., for a domain name in Arabic script ( شبكة ) that means “web” or “network”;
● Core Association, a not-for-profit organization of domain registries and registrars, for two Russian domain names in Cyrillic script: “онлайн” for “online”; and “сайт” for “web site”; and
● Spring Fields LLC, which is part of Donuts Inc., for a Chinese Mandarin term (游戏) meaning “game.”
International Domain Name Registry said in its application that Arabic gTLDs will significantly enhance web navigation for the “350 million Arabic-literate individuals in the world.”
