The Arabic domain name of the website of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has been launched, WAM, the state news agency, reported yesterday. The launch comes after the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority won approval from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to use the domain name in Arabic, placing the UAE among the first four countries in the world to register domain names in an official language that does not use Roman script, WAM said.
The site can now be reached through either of the following addresses when typed in Arabic script: "sheikh-mohammed-bin-rashid.emarat" or "mohammed-bin-rashid.emarat". The site's address in English is www.sheikhmohammed.co.ae. The Government of Dubai Media Office said the move reflects Sheikh Mohammed's "keenness to promote the Arabic language, and reaffirms the UAE's deep-rooted Arab identity". Launched in 1999, the website receives about 85,000 visits a month. It includes live streaming of notable events, information about tourism and traditions, features on Sheikh Mohammed's interest in equestrian sports and falconry, and samples of his poetry. * The National
