Editing Internationalized domain name (section)

== Arabic Script IDN Working Group (ASIWG) ==
{{tone|section|date=May 2020}}
The Arab region, encompassing approximately 5% of the global population, exhibits a disproportionately low internet usage rate. As of the late 2000s, internet penetration within the Arab world stood at approximately 11% of the population, significantly below the global average of 21.9%. Despite this, the region experienced substantial internet usage growth between 2000 and 2008, registering a 1,426% increase, far exceeding the global average of 305.5% for the same period.

Factors influencing internet adoption in the Arab region include but are not limited to, linguistic accessibility. The availability of Domain Name System (DNS) services in Arabic script (Internationalized Domain Names, IDNs) is posited to have the potential to further stimulate internet usage. IDN implementation is anticipated to provide Arab internet users with the ability to register domains in their native language and script, thereby facilitating the development of localized applications and services. This advancement is expected to broaden access and enhance the relevance of internet resources for Arab-speaking populations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/idn-2012-02-25-en|title=Internationalized Domain Names - ICANN|website=www.icann.org|access-date=2019-12-08}}</ref>

In April 2008, [[Afilias]] together with [[UN-ESCWA]] and the [[Public Interest Registry]] (PIR) launched the Arabic Script in IDNs Working Group (ASIWG), which comprised experts in DNS, [[ccTLD]] operators, business, academia, as well as members of regional and international organizations, drawn from Egypt, Gambia, Iran, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti, Kuwait, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE and Malaysia. Chaired by Afilias's Ram Mohan, ASIWG aimed to develop a unified IDN table for the [[Arabic script]], the first of its kind.

The ASIWG's work led to the creation of the first Root Zone Generation Rules (RZ-LGR-1) and covered the Arabic script. It represented the first harmonized repertoire for the Arabic script, not including combining marks or code point sequences, leading to a simplified and technically sound outcome that resulted in the integration of Arabic script into the Root Zone of the Internet.<ref>{{Cite web |last=ICANN |date=Sep 22, 2022 |title=Root Zone Label Generation Rules |url=https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/root-zone-lgr-2015-06-21-en |url-status=live |website=ICANN}}</ref>