"The Communications and Information Technology Commission" Launches the First Phase of Registrars for Saudi Domain Names

The Communications and Information Technology Commission has launched the first phase of registrars for Saudi domain names (.السعودية, .SA), through which the door has been opened for private-sector applications to obtain accreditation as an official registrar to provide Saudi domain name registration services in the Kingdom.

The Commission invited entities wishing to obtain accreditation as a registrar to fulfil the regulatory requirements set out on the official website of the Saudi Network Information Center (www.nic.sa), and to apply using the designated form during the specified application period (from 18-10-1441H, corresponding to 10-6-2020, to 12-1-1442H, corresponding to 31-8-2020).

The Commission revealed that the requirements include a set of administrative and regulatory requirements, including: the registrar must submit a detailed proposal outlining the technical plan for connecting to the registration systems, the mechanism for providing registration services to the end user, the marketing plan for offering registration services, and the technical support services available to customers, in addition to fulfilling the technical requirements.

The accreditation of registrars will allow for the inclusion of additional services alongside Saudi domain names, providing a unified one-stop-shop platform for obtaining both value-added and basic services, such as website and e-service hosting, email, and innovative services, in addition to providing round-the-clock technical support services for customers and marketing at both the local and international levels.

This step comes as part of strengthening and improving the business environment for Saudi domain names in the Kingdom, given their importance as a national resource that must keep pace with the rapid steps toward digital transformation in the government and private business environment in the Kingdom, as the application of the domain registrar model is one of the most important internationally recognized benchmarks with an impact on localizing specialized expertise in internet services in general and domain names in particular.

It is worth noting that the Commission oversees the management and operation of the Saudi Network Information Center (SaudiNIC), which is responsible for domain names under the international top-level domains designated for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (.sa, .السعودية).

To apply:

https://wakeel.nic.sa/