The Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) published the second edition of the Saudi Domain Report 2024, intending to highlight the Kingdom’s pioneering role in the field and raise awareness of the Saudi domain's importance and features as well as the licensed registrars’ roles. The report revealed that over 17 thousand new domains had been registered during 2023, With a growth rate of 40%, which is three times the growth rate of new registrations in 2022.
The report pointed out the transformation journey of the Saudi domain names registration model, moving from direct registration through CST to licensed registrars (Registry Registrar model), which is an international practice in the domain market. This shift required a transition period that provided registrants with sufficient time to transfer their domain name management to the licensed registrars without affecting their services.
Furthermore, the report provided an overview of international domain names, noting that the internationally registered domains reaching more than 359 million by the end of 2023, representing a 3% increase from 2022. The report also highlighted the market shares of licensed Saudi domain name registrars, with an annual growth rate of 11%, which is three times the international growth rate. The Registrar services are also included in the report, some of which are the ability to transfer domains from one Registrar to another, and the domain restore service in case the registration period ends without renewal within a period not exceeding one month, with the renewal rate reaching 84% in 2023, which is higher than the international average.
CST illustrated that the Saudi domain names are served by a resilient infrastructure with more than 150 distributed servers, making it one of the largest in the world based on international best practices and standards. Also, the monthly transaction rate on the Registry system also increased by 75% compared to 2022. Additionally, CST committed to provide full support to registrants and registrars to ensure the quality of services provided. The report also revealed the list of the most visited Saudi domains in the Kingdom in 2023.
Lastly, CST emphasized that the domain names service targets both the public and the private sectors as well as individuals and renews its call to register Saudi domain names through its licensed registrars, to benefit from their services and features, while government entities can register their domains via the Digital Government Authority by visiting:
Source: https://www.cst.gov.sa/en/mediacenter/pressreleases/Pages/2024051201.aspx