ICANN just recently announced its plans to fast-track IDNs, but the organization estimates that so far only 50 countries are interested. Of these, nearly one fifth are Arab-speaking nations.
Nine out of twenty-two Arab countries have expressed interest in Arabic domains: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Libya, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
Saudia Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are especially eager to adopt IDNs. In addition, the UAE is expected to apply for the ccTLD .emarat to complement its .ae extension.
IDNs will not only bring more Middle East users online, but also increase the quantity and availability of Arabic content.
Source | Vybes.com