.ارامكو New gTLD Application
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New gTLD Application Submitted to ICANN by: Aramco Services Company
Application Downloaded On: 09 Sep 2014
String: ارامكو
Application ID: 1-1961-53268
Applicant Information
- Full legal name
Aramco Services Company
- Address of the principal place of business
9009 West Loop South Houston, Texas - 77096 US
- Phone number
+01 713 432 4000
- Fax number
+01 713 432 8468
- If applicable, website or URL
http://www.aramcoservices.com
Primary Contact
6(a). Name
Helen Cuillier
6(b). Title
Contract Rep
6(c). Address
6(d). Phone Number
+01 713 432 5138
6(e). Fax Number
null
6(f). Email Address
Secondary Contact
7(a). Name
Coleman Works
7(b). Title
Network Analyst
7(c). Address
7(d). Phone Number
(713) 432-8532
7(e). Fax Number
null
7(f). Email Address
Proof of Legal Establishment
8(a). Legal form of the Applicant
Corporation
8(b). State the specific national or other jurisdiction that defines the type of entity identified in 8(a).
State of Delaware, USA
8(c). Attach evidence of the applicant's establishment.
Attachments are not displayed on this form.
9(a). If applying company is publicly traded, provide the exchange and symbol.
9(b). If the applying entity is a subsidiary, provide the parent company.
9(c). If the applying entity is a joint venture, list all joint venture partners.
Applicant Background
11(a). Name(s) and position(s) of all directors
Name
Position
Abdullatif A. Al-Othman Director
Ahmed M. Alzayyat Director
Dawood M. Dawood Director
Huda M. Ghoson Director
Mohammed Y. Qahtani Director
Omar S. Bazuhair Director
Yousef A. Ulyan Director
11(b). Name(s) and position(s) of all officers and partners
Name
Position
Ali A. AlLafi Vice President
Arthur M. Schneider Assistant Controller
Bobby J. Horton Associate General Counsel
Cynthia A. Poynter Assistant Treasurer
David B. Kultgen General Counsel
Debra A. McNamara Treasurer
Majid F. Al Ghaslan Vice President
Nabeel M. Al Amudi President
Paul R. Jeffcoat Controller
11(c). Name(s) and position(s) of all shareholders holding at least 15% of shares
11(d). For an applying entity that does not have directors, officers, partners, or shareholders: Name(s) and position(s) of all individuals having legal or executive responsibility
Applied-for gTLD string
- Provide the applied-for gTLD string. If an IDN, provide the U-label.
ارامكو
14A. If applying for an IDN, provide the A-label (beginning with "xn--").
xn--mgba3a3ejt
14B. If an IDN, provide the meaning, or restatement of the string in English, that is, a description of the literal meaning of the string in the opinion of the applicant.
Aramco
14C1. If an IDN, provide the language of the label (in English).
Arabic
14C2. If an IDN, provide the language of the label (as referenced by ISO-639-1).
AR
14D1. If an IDN, provide the script of the label (in English).
Arabic
14D2. If an IDN, provide the script of the label (as referenced by ISO 15924).
Arab
14E. If an IDN, list all code points contained in the U-label according to Unicode form.
U+0627 U+0631 U+0627 U+0645 U+643 U+648
15A. If an IDN, upload IDN tables for the proposed registry. An IDN table must include:
the applied-for gTLD string relevant to the tables,
the script or language designator (as defined in BCP 47),
table version number,
effective date (DD Month YYYY), and
contact name, email address, and phone number.
Submission of IDN tables in a standards-based format is encouraged.
15B. Describe the process used for development of the IDN tables submitted, including consultations and sources used.
SaudiNIC has been heavily involved in the development and testing of Arabic domain names dating back to 2004 and has been operating an Arabic IDN ccTLD since 5⁄5⁄2010. The attached tables are based on the tables developed by Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Zoman for SaudiNICʹs Arabic IDN ccTLD implementation.
15C. List any variants to the applied-for gTLD string according to the relevant IDN tables.
ارامکو xn--mgba3a0fp59c U+0627 U+0631 U+0627 U+0645 U+06A9 U+0648
ارامڪو xn--mgba3a0fp10d U+0627 U+0631 U+0627 U+0645 U+06AA U+0648
أرامکو xn--igbi3a0fp59c U+0623 U+0631 U+0627 U+0645 U+06A9 U+0648
ارامڪو xn--mgba3a0fp10d U+0627 U+0631 U+0627 U+0645 U+06AA U+0648
أرامکو xn--igbi3a0fp59c U+0623 U+0631 U+0627 U+0645 U+06A9 U+0648
أرامكو xn--igbi3a3ejt U+0623 U+0631 U+0627 U+0645 U+0643 U+0648
أرامڪو xn--igbi3a0fp10d U+0623 U+0631 U+0627 U+0645 U+06AA U+0648
- Describe the applicant's efforts to ensure that there are no known operational or rendering problems concerning the applied-for gTLD string. If such issues are known, describe steps that will be taken to mitigate these issues in software and other applications.
Aramco Services Company foresees no known rendering issues in connection with the proposed “ارامكو.” string which it is seeking to apply for as a gTLD. The following sections discuss the potential operational or rendering problems that can arise, and how they are mitigated.
Compliance and Interoperability
The applied-for string conforms to all relevant RFCs, as well as the string requirements set forth in Section 2.2.1.3.2 of the Applicant Guidebook.
Mixing Scripts
If a domain name label contains characters from different scripts, it has a higher likelihood of encountering rendering issues. If the mixing of scripts occurs within the top-level label, any rendering issue would affect all domain names registered under it. If occurring within second level labels, its ill-effects are confined to the domain names with such labels.
All characters in the applied-for gTLD string are taken from a single script. In addition, the IDN policies are deliberately conservative and compliant with the ICANN Guidelines for the Implementation of IDN Version 3.0. Specifically, mixed-script labels are not permitted to be registered at the second level, except for languages with established orthographies and conventions that require the commingled use of multiple scripts, e.g. Japanese.
Interaction between Labels
Even with the above issue appropriately restricted, it is possible that a domain name composed of labels with different properties such as script and directionality may introduce unintended rendering behavior.
A conservative strategy is adopted when offering IDN registrations. In particular, it ensures that any IDN language tables used for offering IDN second level registrations involve only scripts and characters that would not pose a risk when combined with the top level label.
Immature Scripts
Scripts or characters added in Unicode versions newer than 3.2 (on which IDNA2003 was based) may encounter interoperability issues due to the lack of software support.
We have no current plans to offer registration of labels containing such scripts or characters.
Other Issues
To further contain the risks of operation or rendering problems, we are not offering the registration of domains that includes combining characters or characters that require IDNA contextual rules handling.
The following may be construed as operational or rendering issues, but we consider them out of the scope of this question. Nevertheless, we will take reasonable steps to protect registrants and Internet users by working with vendors and relevant language communities to mitigate such issues.
- OPTIONAL.
Provide a representation of the label according to the International Phonetic Alphabet (http://www.langsci.ucl.ac.uk/ipa/).
Aramco (in Arabic)
18A. Describe the mission/purpose of your proposed gTLD.
18a
Describe the mission⁄purpose of your proposed gTLD.
As explained in 11(c) hereto, Aramco Services Company is the US affiliate of Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) and the acquirer of the a new .aramco gTLD and its Arabic equivalent. Our acquisition of new gTLDs will serve several purposes, chief among them the unification of our global network of affiliates under a common identity. New gTLDs will also increase awareness of and strengthen the identity of Saudi Aramco as one of the world’s leading energy companies. Saudi Aramco has embarked on an ambitious expansion program in Saudi Arabia and internationally, and new gTLDs will help us present a unified and coherent profile to the general public, potential business partners, material and service suppliers, job seekers, the media and others.
Saudi Aramco is involved in a diverse array of businesses in Saudi Arabia, North America, Europe and Asia. We are moving into new areas of business, including ventures with global chemicals and refining companies, and also are expanding our efforts in Saudi Arabia to promote new business development, entrepreneurship and sustainability programs such as energy efficiency and environmental awareness. New gTLDs create for us the opportunity to gather all of these affiliates and programs under one unified domain name. This creates a stronger identity for Saudi Aramco, domestically and globally, clarifies the scope and scale of our operations and the breadth and reach of our corporate social responsibility programs. In addition, new gTLDs for Aramco provide us with the ability to add a significant number of second-level domain names as Saudi Aramco continues to expand its activities.
Furthermore, the new gTLDS will clarify to the general public and to Internet search engines what is an official Saudi Aramco-affiliated website and what is not. Saudi Aramco frequently confronts the issue of other companies or individuals setting up websites that claim to represent Saudi Aramco. These non-sanctioned and unaffiliated websites can potentially damage our reputation and image and, in some cases, are designed with the purpose of committing fraud. For example, some of these unaffiliated websites claim to act as purchasing agents for material supplies or as investment companies acting on behalf of Saudi Aramco. By owning our own .aramco and its Arabic equivalent domains, we will be able to control the second-level domains and ensure that only genuine Saudi Aramco affiliate companies are registered under the .aramco and its Arabic equivalent gTLDs. This will clarify for the general public – and potential business partners, vendors and suppliers – what is an official Saudi Aramco website.
Further supporting our gTLD application is the effort to avoid damage to our reputation by potential “rogue” websites during times of crisis. As an international petroleum company, we are well aware of the damage suffered to BP’s image during the Macando Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster when a website that mimicked the official BP website was launched. This rogue website generated considerable media attention, amplified via social media sites, and caused considerable embarrassment to BP and contributed to the harm inflicted on the company’s reputation during the crisis. Our .aramco and its Arabic equivalent gTLDs would help reduce the chance of a rogue website being launched during a crisis and, if one is launched, minimize confusion among the media and general public and lessen the potential damage to our reputation.
18B. How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?
18b
How do you expect that your proposed gTLD will benefit registrants, Internet users, and others?
- What is the goal of your proposed gTLD in terms of areas of specialty, service levels, or reputation?
The primary goal of our proposed gTLDs is to protect and further the reputation of Saudi Aramco and its affiliates. In addition, our new gTLDs will improve our services by reducing confusion among job seekers, potential business partners, vendors, and material and service suppliers as to what is an official Saudi Aramco website and what is not. Our .aramco and its Arabic equivalent gTLDs will also improve efficiency and coordination of electronic processes and systems shared between Saudi Aramco’s IT organization and the IT organizations of our affiliates.
- What do you anticipate your proposed gTLD will add to the current space, in terms of competition, differentiation, or innovation?
New gTLDs will strengthen our identity, create greater awareness and potentially drive new business opportunities. Despite being the world’s largest petroleum company in terms of oil reserves, production and exports, Saudi Aramco is not a well-known company outside of the industry. Further, another significant benefit of our proposed gTLDs to the current space is to enable greater differentiation of Saudi Aramco from copycat or fraudulent websites.
- What goals does your proposed gTLD have in terms of user experience?
For Internet users, our proposed gTLDs will unify and clarify Saudi Aramco’s corporate identity and its activities in Saudi Arabia and around the world. Internet users will be able to more easily grasp our wide network of affiliates, business ventures and outreach programs, leading to increased awareness of and confidence in the Saudi Aramco brand. In addition, it will help strengthen our own efforts to coordinate the appearance and content of our various affiliate websites and social media sites, which, in turn, will improve the user experience of these sites.
- Provide a complete description of the applicant’s intended registration policies in support of the goals listed above.
All of the registrants for our proposed gTLDs will be affiliates of Saudi Aramco and Saudi Aramco will oversee and control the registration process. No registrant outside of the Saudi Aramco network will be able to apply for a second-level domain name.
- Will your proposed gTLD impose any measures for protecting the privacy or confidential information of registrants or users? If so, please describe any such
The corporate website of Saudi Aramco, www.saudiaramco.com, is an informational and reputational website. No transactions are conducted on the website itself. Any transactions—whether of a business nature, for Saudi students to register for one of our educational programs or for job seekers to apply for a position—are conducted inside the company’s own protected systems. The corporate website simply provides links to the internal transactional systems which are protected by our IT organization. This is true of our affiliate websites as well: all transactions are conducted on secure sites and not on the affiliate home site. This will remain true in the future, as all sites under the .aramco and its Arabic equivalent domains will be informational and reputational in nature.
18C. What operating rules will you adopt to eliminate or minimize social costs (e.g., time or financial resource costs, as well as various types of consumer vulnerabilities)? What other steps will you take to minimize negative consequences/costs imposed upon consumers?
18c
What operating rules will you adopt to eliminate or minimize social costs (e.g., time or financial resource costs, as well as various types of consumer vulnerabilities)? What other steps will you take to minimize negative consequences⁄costs imposed upon consumers?
All second-level registrations under our proposed gTLDs would be for non-retail sites. We do not anticipate that visitors to the websites in our domain will incur any time or financial costs, nor do we foresee any types of consumer vulnerability. Furthermore, company registrants in the proposed gTLDs will add value by disseminating information on a variety of issues related to energy, safety and wellness.
- How will multiple applications for a particular domain name be resolved, for example, by auction or on a first-come⁄first- serve basis?
Aramco Services Company will directly supervise the registration process and, accordingly, does not anticipate multiple applications for particular domain names. All of our affiliates and official outreach programs have distinct names. The process of assigning domain names will be a straightforward and non-competitive process.
- Explain any cost benefits for registrants you intend to implement (e.g., advantageous pricing, introductory discounts, bulk registration discounts).
We will not charge registrants for their domain name in our proposed gTLDs. The corporate website of Saudi Aramco, www.saudiaramco.com, is a non-commercial site. Home sites of our affiliates and outreach programs are also non-commercial. The primary purpose of our proposed gTLDs, as described above, is reputational. The new gTLDs will enable us to gather our affiliates under one unified domain, eliminating confusion, promoting clarity and strengthening our brand. There will be no costs associated with registering official affiliates under the .aramco and its Arabic equivalent domains.
- Note that the Registry Agreement requires that registrars be offered the option to obtain initial domain name registrations for periods of one to ten years at the discretion of the registrar, but no greater than ten years. Additionally, the Registry Agreement requires advance written notice of price increases. Do you intend to make contractual commitments to registrants regarding the magnitude of price escalation? If so, please describe your plans.
As described in our answer to 18c-ii above, registrants under our proposed gTLDs will not be charged a fee. Therefore, there will be no need to provide advanced written notice of price increases.