Saudi domain registration criteria

This document sets out guiding criteria for determining the relationship between a domain name and the registrant when requesting a domain name registration, without prejudice to the terms and conditions mentioned in the registration regulations. The criteria set forth in this document are guiding criteria to be used when choosing the domain name to be registered.

Criteria for determining the relationship between a domain name and a registrant

Introduce

  1. In application of the text of Paragraph (4/4) of the Saudi Domain Name Registration Regulations that require a link between the domain name and the registrant, this document sets out guiding criteria for determining the relationship between a domain name and the registrant when applying for a domain name registration, without prejudice to the mentioned terms and conditions. In the registration regulations, bearing in mind that these criteria are under constant change and update and the latest version will be relied upon in case there is a suspicion of determining the relationship between the domain name and the registrant.
  2. The criteria set out in this document are guiding criteria to be used when choosing the domain name to be registered, and do not establish any right to register a domain name or maintain the registered domain, and do not give the right to infringe on the rights of others, and the registrant must take appropriate means to preserve and protect the names to be registered.
  3. The registrant is responsible for providing proof of the existence of the relationship between the domain name and the registrant, and the center has the right to use this document to ensure that there is a relationship between the domain name and the registrant even if after the domain name has been registered periodically or randomly, and this document can be used by the authority in If there is an objection to the domain name registration.
  4. Each registration application is evaluated and accepted separately without being linked to previous decisions to register other domain names. For example, accepting the registration of (Zayd Real Estate Company) for the domain name (Bayut-Zaid.Saudi Arabia) is not sufficient to support the request of (Omar Real Estate Company) to register the domain name (Bayut-Omar.Saudi Arabia).
The following are the criteria on which the relationship between the domain and the registered entity is determined:

1. Relationship with the name of the registrant

1.1 The domain name matches the registrant’s name and is indicated by:

This can be achieved when the section of the domain name to be registered exactly matches one or more words of the name used by the registrant (in Arabic or English) to prove his eligibility for registration in the same order, and indicates it unambiguously. This criterion may apply more to domain names in the English language than to the Arabic language, as the word in the Arabic language is characterized by its indivisibility or fragmentation, and therefore there are not many abbreviations. The abbreviation is abbreviations or acronyms. This criterion can be stated in the following detail: Abbreviations:
It is the construction of a new word from two or more words of different meaning and image, so that the new word takes all of them by luck in the pronunciation, denoting both of them in meaning, such as the abbreviation (In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful) in (Bismillah), or the abbreviation (Electronic) Mail) in (Email). The first form: It consists of the first letter in the word, such as:
  • meter = m
  • page = p
  • Fahrenheit = F
  • North = N
The second form: It consists of the first letters of the word (provided that it is a common practice), such as:
  • Continued = cont
  • International = Inter
  • volume = vol
  • Network = Net
  • Honorable = Hon
  • Thursday = Thurs
The third form: It consists of several letters of the word placed in no order (provided that it is a common practice), such as:
  • assistant = asst
  • department =dept
  • kilometer = km
  • tablespoonful=tbsp
  • sergeant = Sgt
Acronyms: Words formed from the first letter of each word found in a complete phrase, such as:
  • Network Information Center = NIC
  • Member of Parliament = MP
  • compact disc = CD
  • His Royal Highness = HRH
  • very important person = VIP There are a few types of abbreviations that fall under this type, but they include the presence of the second letter of a word in the acronym. For example, the abbreviation for Bachelor of Science is BSc.

2.2.1 Unrecognized phrases in the acronym

When doing the abbreviation, he does not pay attention to some phrases, such as: (co.), (ltd.), (company), (institution), (group), (limited) or (the definition), and does not pay attention to the nature of the activity (trading) or (investment) or (the owner) nor to Pronouns or letters such as (a), (an), (the), (of), or (with).

3.2.1 Abbreviations in Arabic

As for the Arabic language, the use of abbreviations is almost rare. Examples of abbreviated words in the Arabic language are:
  • T = Telephone
  • PO Box = PO Box
  • SCT = Commercial Register
  • LLC = Limited Liability
  • Kilometers = Kilometers
  • cm = centimeter

4.2.1 Use and combine shortcut shapes

A syllable that represents an abbreviation of a full name belonging to the registrant or symbolizes it in a logical way (verb and meaning) can be used to indicate and express it clearly (using one of the previous forms of abbreviation or a variety of them). The verbal correlation comes, for example, from the use of parts of the word (Net to denote Network) or an alternative word (4u to denote For you) or its prefixes, while the semantic connection is due to the meanings of the resulting words and their connection to the meaning of the original words. For example, the domain name (SaudiNIC.net.sa) is an abbreviated name taken from the official name of the Saudi Network Information Center (Saudi Network Information Center), where SaudiNIC stands for the center both verbally and meaninglessly.

3.1 The domain name to be derived from the registrant name:

This criterion provides some flexibility for the registrant who wishes to register a domain name derived from his name, and this includes writing the domain name in other language characters (called ronma or transliteration), or translation, or adding some words that indicate his activity or something related to the registrant. He may need to provide proof of this relationship at or after registration.

illustrative examples

For the purpose of clarifying the first criterion (relationship to the name of the registrant), we list here some acceptable and unacceptable examples: Official Entity Name: (Ehco Ehco) ✅ Acceptable examples:
  • Eternal Happiness Company.Saudi Arabia
  • Eternal-Happiness Company.Saudi Arabia
  • Al-Saada Company.Saudi Arabia
  • Eternal-happiness.Saudi Arabia
  • Eternal happiness.Saudi Arabia
  • His Excellency. Saudi Arabia
  • Eternal-Happiness Products.Saudi Arabia
  • Ehiko.Saudi Arabia
  • Eternalhappiness.sa
  • hyyat.sa
  • Eternalhappiness.com.sa
  • Eternal-happiness.sa
  • happiness.sa
  • AlSaadah-Alabadiah.sa
  • Sa3dah.sa
  • ehc-portal.sa
  • ehc.com.sa
  • ehco.sa
  • ehc.sa
  • eh.sa
  • aa.com.sa
❌ Unacceptable examples:
  • S-A. Saudi Arabia
  • Sa.Saudi Arabia
  • ec.sa
  • hec.sa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Trading.Saudi Arabia
  • Happiness-Real Estate.Saudi Arabia
  • Company.sa
  • HappinessMarriage.sa

2. Brand Relationship

1.2 Domain name identical to or derived from a registered trademark owned by the registrant :

The syllable of the domain name to be registered can be exactly the same without the trademark plus or minus, with the exception of letters or symbols that cannot be used in domain names (such as the following symbols: $, @, ?). The domain name can be derived from the trademark by deleting some letters or words or adding any word or symbol, and this includes writing the domain name in other language characters (called ronma or transliteration), and this does not include the use of abbreviations. > May require clarification of the derivative name’s relationship to the trademark.

illustrative examples

For the purpose of clarifying the second criterion (relationship to a trademark) here are some acceptable and unacceptable examples:

a. The first brand

Trademark: (National) – Registered for (Eternal Happiness Trading Company) under food category. ✅ Acceptable examples:
  • Saudi Arabia
  • National-Happiness.Saudi Arabia
  • Futures-Watani.Saudi Arabia
  • watany.sa
  • HappinessWatany.sa
  • HappinessWatanyFoods.sa
❌ Unacceptable examples:
  • National.Saudi
  • National.sa
  • hw.sa

b. Brand Two

Brand: (Eternal Happiness) – Registered for (Eternal Happiness Trading Company). ✅ Acceptable examples:
  • Eternal-Happiness.Saudi Arabia
  • Eternal-Happiness.sa
❌ Unacceptable examples:
  • Happiness-eternal.Saudi Arabia
  • EH.sa

3. That the domain name has a close relationship with the registrant

This standard provides some flexibility to a registrant who wishes to register a domain name that is closely related to it but is not associated with its official name or trademark. It may be required that the Registrar provide, upon registration, evidence of this close relationship clearly and in detail, including:
  • What does the name to be registered mean (what do the letters and words that make up the name stand for)
  • Clarification of the purpose of registering this name and its relationship to the registrant
  • Determine the services that will be provided by registering this name and who is the target group for those services
The phrase (close relationship) means that the passage refers to something belonging to the registrant (such as one of his products or activities) and indicates it or is related to it, without ambiguity or abbreviation, provided that it does not violate the rights of others. Examples of a close relationship include:
  • Products that the registrar manufactures or markets.
  • The service provided by the registrar.
  • An event organized, supported, or held by the Registrar.
  • The project or place occupied or managed by the Registrar.
  • The profession or trade practiced by the Registrar or his followers.

4. Personnel

Individuals can register under the following branches (pub.sa, .sa or .Saudi) personal names, according to what is stated in the registration list as follows:

1.4 Register a Personal Name

Natural persons may register a personal name, whether it is a first name or a family name (such as: Ahmed or Al-Falani), provided that the chosen name is followed by a number or more, and two or more names may be combined without using numbers.

2.4 Register other domains

Individuals can register other domain names, provided that they do not violate the rights of others, after stating the following points:
  • What does the name to be registered indicate (i.e. what do the letters and words that make up the name stand for?).
  • Clarification of the purpose of registering this name and its relationship to the registrant.
  • Determine the services that will be provided by registering this name and who is the target group for those services.

illustrative examples

To illustrate this, we present the following example – the name of the individual: (Ahmed Al-Falani) ✅ Acceptable examples:
  • ahmad7.pub.sa
  • alfulani01.sa
  • Ahmed7.Saudi Arabia
  • ahmadalfulani.pub.sa
  • Ahmed-Al-Falani.Saudi Arabia
❌ Unacceptable examples:
  • Ahmed.Saudi Arabia
  • Al-Falani.Saudi Arabia
  • ahmad.sa
  • alfulani.sa

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