Domain Name Wire Podcast Domains in the Middle East – DNW Podcast #541
Jun 30, 2025
In this discussion, Munir Badr, founder of the Domain Days Conference in Dubai and operator of aeserver.com, reveals the thriving domain landscape in the Middle East. He highlights popular domain extensions and surprises listeners with an unexpected country code. Munir shares his journey in establishing a domain name business and the importance of local extensions like .ae. He also discusses strategic planning for international conferences, emphasizing Dubai's role as a global trading hub for domain investors.
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Accidental Entrepreneur in Domains
- Munir Badr started his domain registrar business in Dubai as an accidental entrepreneur out of curiosity about technology and domain registration process.
- His first clients were teachers and the business evolved from manually faxing forms to digital online registration.
Why .ae Dominates Middle East
- The.ae domain became the most popular in the Middle East because of its unrestricted registration and economic growth in UAE.
- Dubai's multicultural environment and business boom attracted worldwide residents who prefer securing local domain names.
.me Domains in Middle East
- The.me domain, officially for Montenegro, is widely used in the Middle East as a domain hack representing "Middle East."
- Big brands like Pizza Hut and KFC leverage .me domains to target Middle East audiences effectively.