Notes about Arabic domains

[BandAid]

Hello.

I have a few points that you should consider when dealing with Arabic domain names:

- If you buy a name with أ إ لأ and the like you should also take the plain ا version with it (even if is not a legal word) because surfers do not type the little head ء. Same applies to names that end with ة, you should buy the ه, version too for the same reason.

- If you buy, say, نفط.com (oil.com) you should know that النفط.com is similar to (TheOil.com). The first is a winner, but the second is more acceptable and natural in Arabic than it is in English.

- AdultThings.com in Arabic are not really usable in most Arab states. The Internet is very strickly sensored. Any domain name that carries a hint of adult nature is blocked without the content manager even checking the content. Sensoring is a national policy and can not be overrid by the ISPs.

- Do not confuse Arabic with Farsi or Urdu. Farsi and Urdu use Arabic letters and adds a few more to them but the langauges are different. نفت.com (oil.com) in Farsi is a meaningless word in Arabic.

- Unless there is a radical change in how Arabic is written, try to avoid any domain names that have more than one word! It is normal to say JobsUSA.com or MoneyMan.com in English, but double words in Arabic are actually difficult to read. Arabic has to have spaces between words because the words are them selfs connected. If you drop the space (which you will have to do since IDNs does not allow a space char) you will have Arabic combined words that people are not used to and do not know how to read. (There are no upper/lower case in Arabic)

- Also don't over estimate the Arabic usage of the Internet. Arabic traffic is not good know, nor will it be in the near future. (Check: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats7.htm for Internet usage by language, Arabic does not even make top ten)

- Words like Novartis, Xanax, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, all these are readily accepted by the English language even though they are not dictionary words. Arabic on the other hand is resistive. It does not easily accept new words, nor is it forgiven with word abbreviations. This is one reason why Arabic basically did not change in over 15 centuries. Hold on to your dictionary words, you will notice that they are actually big brand name corporate words too.

Too long, sorry. I hope you find it usefull.

[Rubber Duck]

Not too long at all. Some very interesting stuff in there. OK, I had probably already got my head around a lot of it but it would help others not to make the same mistakes.

[kenne]

Posts like these should go to a special heaven. Thanks!

[touchring]

Originally Posted by BandAid

Hello.

I have a few points that you should consider when dealing with Arabic domain names:

- If you buy a name with أ إ لأ and the like you should also take the plain ا version with it (even if is not a legal word) because surfers do not type the little head ء. Same applies to names that end with ة, you should buy the ه, version too for the same reason.

Looks like i got a problem here, i've got many without the little head or tail. :-(

I generally avoid the one with the head or tail, except for الإمارات.com.

Originally Posted by BandAid

- AdultThings.com in Arabic are not really usable in most Arab states. The Internet is very strickly sensored. Any domain name that carries a hint of adult nature is blocked without the content manager even checking the content. Sensoring is a national policy and can not be overrid by the ISPs.

Do internet filters filter on the basic of just the domain name? Many adult names are just dating and chat websites. Adult ads are banned in my country, but people are allowed to advertise chat and voicemail dating services, which are clearly adult, although there is no mention of sex.

Originally Posted by BandAid

- Unless there is a radical change in how Arabic is written, try to avoid any domain names that have more than one word! It is normal to say JobsUSA.com or MoneyMan.com in English, but double words in Arabic are actually difficult to read. Arabic has to have spaces between words because the words are them selfs connected. If you drop the space (which you will have to do since IDNs does not allow a space char) you will have Arabic combined words that people are not used to and do not know how to read. (There are no upper/lower case in Arabic).

I've got quite a few 2-word names that do not stick together:

صورسكس.com Sex Photos
صوربنات.com Girl Photos
تفسيرالاحلام.com An interpretation of dreams
صورفنانات.com Artists Photos
دردشةالشلة.com The group chatting

Originally Posted by BandAid

- Also don't over estimate the Arabic usage of the Internet. Arabic traffic is not good know, nor will it be in the near future. (Check: http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats7.htm for Internet usage by language, Arabic does not even make top ten)

The stats can't be further than the truth, but ironically, most of us here will feel that the ones ranked top few bring the least traffic. And Russian, ranked last, and Arabic which is not even in the list brings more traffic?? There had to be some other factors involved.



TOP COUNTRIES AS OF 2004 Q4 WITH
THE HIGHEST INTERNET DSL BROADBAND SUBSCRIBERS

http://www.internetworldstats.com/dsl.htm

This should be interesting for those vested in .TV extension. DSL is a pre-requisite for Internet TV development.

1
United States
33,900,000
199,861,345
293,271,500
Nielsen//NR Feb./05

2
China
25,800,000
94,000,000
1,288,307,100
CNNIC - June/04

3
Japan
12,739,564
66,586,234
127,853,600
Nielsen//NR Nov./04


4
Korea, (South)
11,900,000
30,670,000
49,131,700
KRNIC - June/04

5
Germany
5,950,000
46,455,814
82,633,200
Nielsen//NR Oct./04

6
France
5,253,000
24,803,250
60,011,200
Nielsen//NR Oct./04

7
Italy
3,680,000
28,610,000
57,987,100
C.I.Almanac - Dec/03

8
United Kingdom
3,335,000
34,874,469
59,595,900
Nielsen//NR Oct./04

9
Taiwan
2,900,000
11,602,523
22,689,300
Nielsen//NR June/01

10
Canada
2,568,351
20,450,000
31,846,900
C.I.Almanac - Dec/03

[Drewbert]

Interesting post.

Even though I'm not planning to go for Arabic IDN's at present, I find learning those things about another language to be educational.

Thanks!

[BandAid]

Originally Posted by touchring

Looks like i got a problem here, i've got many without the little head or tail. :-(

I generally avoid the one with the head or tail, except for الإمارات.com.

Excellent name it will worth alot. I can't think of a better name you could buy in Arabic (except maybe إمارات.com). The name without the little head or tail might not be stricktly legal, but they are actually the traffic drawing names.

[kenne]

Originally Posted by BandAid

Excellent name it will worth alot. I can't think of a better name you could buy in Arabic (except maybe إمارات.com). The name without the little head or tail might not be stricktly legal, but they are actually the traffic drawing names.

What is it? For curiosity's sake.

BTW, any good english<-> arabic translator?

[Rubber Duck]

Originally Posted by kenne

What is it? For curiosity's sake.

BTW, any good english<-> arabic translator?

http://www.systranet.com/systran/net?s=NewTranslation

Emirates

[gammascalper]

Great post BandAid.

Tough to quantify, but in general terms, how much more would you favor an Arabic .com IDN over a .net?

[touchring]

I've seen some Arabic idners (from the name) take only the .net and leave the .com empty.

[kenne]

i did a search on "مجلة" site:.com

vs .net;

the number of results returned are on par.

So i'll let someone who knows arabic comment on this.

[Drewbert]

OK. I said i wasn't planning to go for Arabics, but I took a punt today anyway.

أشياء
التجاره

Both .com's.

Thoughts?

[touchring]

Originally Posted by Drewbert

OK. I said i wasn't planning to go for Arabics, but I took a punt today anyway.

أشياء
التجاره

Both .com's.

Thoughts?

Did you check OVT?

To be frank, you can get many times more OVT per dollar if you buy the Arabic domains i am selling on the sales thread.

[Drewbert]

On the US OV site?

I never thought of that.

I need to start thinking out sode the box.

And spellchecking too.

[BandAid]

Originally Posted by gammascalper

Great post BandAid.

Tough to quantify, but in general terms, how much more would you favor an Arabic .com IDN over a .net?

I really don't know, difficult to tell. One reason is that there is not much domain movement in the Arab countries anyway. I don't know.

Personally I would not put my $$ in Arabic domains. I don't see a bright future for them (there are a few exceptions though).

[Rubber Duck]

Originally Posted by BandAid

I really don't know, difficult to tell. One reason is that there is not much domain movement in the Arab countries anyway. I don't know.

Personally I would not put my $$ in Arabic domains. I don't see a bright future for them (there are a few exceptions though).

Well, my traffic figures suggest that interest in these domains both domestically and internationally is very significant. If you are an Arabic Speaker and you do not invest, you will almost certainly bitterly regret it later.

[BandAid]

Originally Posted by Dwrixon

Well, my traffic figures suggest that interest in these domains both domestically and internationally is very significant. If you are an Arabic Speaker and you do not invest, you will almost certainly bitterly regret it later.

I'm a native Arab and live in Kuwait. Furthermore I actually design and sell webpages here (ironic, isn't it!), but I do not sense any seriousness towards the Internet as a whole. The Internet here (and in the Arab countries in general) is just some sort of new computer TV! You can not use it to, say, apply for services or do domestic research. Maybe I'm being too pessimist.

I hope you are right about the traffic, and really hope it picks up (will be good for my business actually)

Maybe in the future my client would want me to buy YOUR أبجد.com domain! (this is just like ABCD.com!)

Wish you all well.

[idn]

Originally Posted by BandAid

I'm a native Arab and live in Kuwait. Furthermore I actually design and sell webpages here (ironic, isn't it!), but I do not sense any seriousness towards the Internet as a whole. The Internet here (and in the Arab countries in general) is just some sort of new computer TV! You can not use it to, say, apply for services or do domestic research. Maybe I'm being too pessimist.

I hope you are right about the traffic, and really hope it picks up (will be good for my business actually)

Maybe in the future my client would want me to buy YOUR أبجد.com domain! (this is just like ABCD.com!)

Wish you all well.

One of my Arabic domains makes over $10 a month at Namedrive.

[Rubber Duck]

Yes, and I have turned down an offer of $1500 dollars for three domains earlier in the week. Didn't even haggle as it was not even close to where I have wished to hand them over.

Arabic is traffic terms is as heathly if not more so than any of the other languages speculated except perhaps China, where we believe there is traffic but don't get to see it.

[BandAid]

OK, good! I will take a closer look at Arabic traffic and possibilities. I don't want to later look back and say aaaah!

Thank you for pointing that out.