A domain name represents your organization on the Internet. It is your unique Internet address that will be used by others to reach your web site or to send you email messages. (Note that www in front of www.saudinic.net.sa is
not a part of the domain name)
What is an IP address?
The Internet uses Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to locate a host(computer). An IP address
consists of four numbers
ranging from 0 to 255, separated by periods. Each machine on the Internet must have a unique IP
address. Here is an example
if an IP address: 212.26.18.3
What is the link between IP addresses and Domain names?
Though IP addresses provide a compact and convenient way to identify computers, users prefer to
assign machines
pronounceable, easily remembered names.
A domain name can also create an expectation about who is at that location because it is often a
shorthand naming term, or
even a trademark or descriptive term with secondary meaning.
Further more, the use of domain names has the advantage of shielding network changes from users.
Names are often given to
machines according to the services that they offer. For example, www normally denotes the name of
the web server on the
network. Users remember such names rather than specific IP address. In the event that the web server
is shifted from one
machine to another, only the IP addresses change but not the name. Hence, users can still access the
web server using the
same name and the change in machines is transparent to the users.
What is DNS?
The Internet Domain Name System (DNS) is a set of distributed databases containing IP addresses and
their corresponding
domain names. Each domain name is mapped to a particular numeric address. DNS, with servers located
all over the
Internet, performs the translation back and forth between names and numbers.
This scheme enables users to invoke an easy-to-remember name (e.g. saudinic.net.sa) instead of a
more mysterious string of
numbers (e.g. 212.26.18.3) when using the Internet.
What is a name server?
Let's pretend that a domain name is a book in a library. How do you find out which shelf to go to so
that you can get the book
you want? You ask the librarian.
Name servers are like librarians; they hold and seek out information about where to locate a
particular domain name in the
biggest of all libraries, the Internet. Computers only recognize and find each other via a set of
numbers called IP addresses
(e.g. 212.26.18.3). For a computer to find a web site on the Internet, a domain name such as
www.saudinic.net.sa needs to be
translated into a numerical IP address and vice versa. The computers that perform these translations
are called name servers.
Hence for a domain name to function and point to your web site, it first needs to be configured so
that it points to a name
server. The name server will then have information about where the files for the web site are stored
and will "guide" your
web browser to the location of your home page.
Name servers are sometimes also referred to as host machines and Domain Name Servers (DNS).
What is a primary and secondary name server?
A. Imagine if you wanted to find a book in a library - you ask a librarian for assistance but he
can't help you because he is too
busy helping someone else. You would then go to another librarian and ask him for assistance because
he is not so busy. You
could consider the first librarian as a primary name server and the second librarian as a secondary
name server.
Domain names would still work with only one name server but the requirement to have at least 2 name
servers has become a
protocol (accepted standard) across the internet. This is a back-up system so that if the primary
name server is too busy or
for some reason is unable to answer queries about a particular domain name, the secondary name
server will be able to
answer the queries instead.
The information stored about a domain name on the primary and secondary name servers is exactly the
same. The primary
name server acts as a master and the secondary name server periodically updates information from it.
What does this mean "primary and secondary name servers should be always responsive and active"? And
why?
These name servers are the servers hosting your domain name. They need to be always responsive,
i.e., always responding to
DNS queries and lookups, and always active, i.e., 24-hours connected to the Internet. They need to
be always hosting the
domain. Without these servers always hosting, always up and running , users online can not get to
your domain name. Your
web-site cannot be accessed and mail addresses under your domain cannot be reached. Therefore, it is
extremely important
that these two name servers are always active and responsive for your domain name.
Is there a way that I can check if my DNS servers are responsive to my domain name?
Yes, you can use any DNS-lookup tools. If you are using UNIX , you can check your DNS servers
through the use of nslookup.
To know how to use this tool, you can contact the manual pages for nslookup. Similar tools are also
available for Windows
(95/98/NT) platforms.
Also we have made a tool to check if your domain name is hosted in your name servers. Check this
link.
What's the difference between a domain name and an URL?
A domain name is the textual address of the location of a set of machines whereas the URL (Uniform
Resource Locator)
refers to the location of a particular document on the Internet. Since this document resides on a
machine, the domain name
often appears as part of the URL. The term, www.example.com.sa is a host name, i.e. the name of a
machine that resides
within the example.com.sa domain. It is common practice to have web servers running on hosts with
names as www (for
world wide web). Before anyone can access www.example.com.sa, there must be a record that one can
look up which maps
www.example.com.sa to the specific IP address. This is done on your primary and secondary name
servers (provided by your
own machines or by your service providers). In fact, your name server will have a SOA (start of
authority) record for your
domain, example.com.sa, together with mappings of host names under example.com.sa, to their IP
addresses.
How does '.sa' ccTLD differ from '.com' gTLD?
The '.sa' is the country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) designated for domain names in Saudi Arabia.
While '.com' is the
generic Top Level Domain (gTLDs) designating commercial entities world-wide. The policies and
administration of the
'.sa' domain name are set and managed by SaudiNIC in KACST. And the gTLDs are managed by ICANN.
What are the differences between domain name hosting and web hosting and which one of them comes
first?
A domain name hosting is to setup two active name servers on the Internet that store all the
information about the domain
name and replay for any query about it. While a web hosting is a service that comes after domain
name hosting which hosts
the web pages related to that domain name.
Why should I register a domain name?
A domain name will uniquely and easily identify your organization on the global Internet. By having
it, you will have your
own E-mail or Web addresses that are similar to/contain your company name.
2- FAQs About Domain names with SaudiNIC.
What type of domain name should I apply for?
This depends on the nature of your organization (see Domains under .SA).
How do I choose a domain name for my organization?
It is most probable that users online will try out names that are similar to your organization name
(e.g., transliteration,
English translation, or abbreviation).
Are domain names case sensitive?
No they are not.
What is a suitable domain name? And how long can my domain name be? what characters can I use?
A typical .sa domain name consists of three parts separated by "." and looks like:
..sa.
The portion can contain any combination of letters (a -z) and numbers (0-9) as well as
hyphen (-) between
2 and 60 characters long.
The portion describes the nature of your organization (see the SA domain hierarchy) while the
last portion is .sa.
Please note that A domain name is not case sensitive.
So the valid characters for use in any domain name are:
Any of the letters a to z (e.g. saudinic.net.sa).
Any numbers 0 to 9 (e.g.123.com.sa).
You may also use a hyphen '-'(e.g. Saudi-nic.net.sa).
The domain can be a combination of numbers, letters and hyphens (e.g. a-1-b-2.com.sa).
The domain can begin and end with a number (e.g. 9to5.com.sa).
The domain name cannot begin or end with a hyphen.
Can I use Arabic characters to register a domain name?
Unfortunately, this is not available yet. Because the domain name system currently in use is based
on Latin character set.
There are a number of worldwide projects (www.minc.org) to internationalize the DNS system. SaudiNIC
is participating in
the development of supporting Arabic domain names.
Do I need to register my domain name under '.com' after I register it under 'com.sa' and vise versa?
The ccTLD sub-domain ?.com.sa? is for the commercial entities in Saudi Arabia while '.com' gTLD is
open for commercial
and non-commercial entities world-wide.
We recommend for Saudi entities to register their domain names under '.com.sa' as well as under
'.com'.
Can I check if a domain name is available?
Yes, you can check if the name you want is available or not by conducting a domain name search at
SaudiNIC database:
http://www.saudinic.net.sa/cgi-bin/whois.htm
Are there any companies that provide domain name hosting?
Yes, there are many companies, mostly ISPs, available whether locally in the Kingdom or outside that
offer domain name
hosting services.
Do I need to have a web site (ready or hosted) to register a domain name?
No, you only need to have your domain name hosted, provide SaudiNIC with the two name servers
hosting your domain
name, and have your domain registered. All this does not require having your web-site ready.
3- FAQs About Domain Polices, Registration and Procedure.
I would like to register a domain name but I do not have legal documents supporting my request. Can I still register it?
Yes! Provided that you do not violate other party rights. I would be responsible if this name
infringe in someone else's rights.
How long dose it take to register my new domain name with SaudiNIC?
On Average, it takes from 1 to 4 working days if your request is complete and hosted correctly.
Can I register a domain name directly under ".sa"(e.g. "saudinic.sa")?
Unfortunately you can?t register a domain name directly under '.sa' ccTLD. The '.sa' domain
hierarchy is divided into
sub-domains based on general category of organizations (com.sa, net.sa, med.sa, org.sa, edu.sa,
sch.sa, gov.sa, pub.sa). And
you can only register domain names under these sub-domains.
Can I sell a registered domain name?
No, domain names registered with SaudiNIC are not for sale nor rent.
Who will be given a domain name if there are two requests for the same domain name?
SaudiNIC follows first come first severed approach.
Why SaudiNIC needs the domain name to be hosted before registering it?
SaudiNIC performs domain registrations and not reservations and that follows the recommendation of
RFC 1591.
We are a non-Saudi entity can we register a domain name under .sa TLD?
One of the following should be true for an Applicant requesting domain name registration under SA
domain:
physically in KSA,
belong to an entity registered in KSA,
belongs to an entity that provides goods or services physically in KSA,
owns a Saudi trademark.
How can one become a Registrar for SaudiNIC?
Currently there are no registrars with SaudiNIC and SaudiNIC haven?t open the Registrars system. You
can send Domain
requests directly to SaudiNIC.
I want to change my Internet Provider, what should I do?
All what you need is to fill our online form as "modify" request and send to us a letter requesting
this modification.
Who should be the administrative contact?
The administrative contact should be the person responsible for the domain name license in
all-significant issues. The
administrative contact is typically a senior person within the organization.
If I register a Domain name when it will expire? Does it require any renewal procedure and when?
Since there is no fees for registering any domain under ?.sa?. This means that your registration
will not expire until there are
registration fees. And we will announce to all registrars when we have applied the registration fee.
And currently there are
no renewal procedure needed.
What do I need in order to apply for a Domain Name in Saudi Arabia ?
To register your organization domain name, you will need to submit the following:
A letter requesting the domain name. It must be on an official letterhead.
Legal documents. For-profit entities requesting names under the "com.sa", "sch.sa", or "med.sa"
domains should submit a
copy of their legal documents (e.g., commercial registration, license, trade mark registration,
...). For all others, a copy of any
official documents showing the relationship between the proposed domain name and the name of the
organization is
required.
An Application form. You can use one of the following links:
http://www.saudinic.net.sa/cgi-bin/online.cgi
http://www.saudinic.net.sa/regservice/app-text.htm
Two valid DNS name servers that maps IP addresses to their corresponding domain names. Such domain
name servers may
be arranged through third party providers.
Technical Note:
Registering a domain name requires that you must have arranged at least two operational domain name
servers serving this
domain. One of them is a primary name server and the others are secondary name servers. They must be
continuously
connected to the Internet but need not be dedicated, i.e., they can run on servers performing other
services such as email or
web.
If you do not have your own dedicated server, a local ISPs can provide name services to you.
My company is the sole agent for X-product in Saudi Arabia, can I register that product/mark under
'com.sa'? How?
Yes, you need to provide a valid Trade Mark certificate. If your company does not have a TM
certificate on that product, then
a letter from the foreign company (the original manufacturer or holder of X-product rights) is
needed to approve your
request.
My organization registered a domain name through an ISP, who owns that domain, our organization or
the ISP?
Domain names are owned by the requesting organizations and not the agents (e.g., ISPs).
Can I register my personal name?
Yes under '.pub.sa'.
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