ICANN Announcements

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A Look Ahead: Highlights of the 2024 ICANN Middle East DNS Forum

2 April 2024

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Name and Numbers (ICANN) proudly announces the Middle East Domain Name System Forum's (MEDNSF) 10th anniversary, commemorating a decade of fostering innovation, collaboration, and growth in the digital landscape of the Middle East. The forum, co-organized by ICANN and the National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency of Morocco, will take place 24–25 April 2024 in Rabat, Morocco, and online.

The opening ceremony will feature esteemed speakers, including ICANN Interim President and CEO Sally Costerton, who will deliver the keynote speech. Joining her will be Az-El-Arabe Hassibi, General Director of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency of Morocco, and Baher Esmat, ICANN's Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement – Middle East and Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, who will deliver the opening remarks.

Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the MEDNSF

Since its inception, the MEDNSF has served as a pivotal platform for industry leaders, policymakers, technical experts, and stakeholders to converge, exchange ideas, and shape the future of the Domain Name System (DNS) ecosystem in the region. This year's event promises to uphold this tradition of excellence, offering enriching discussions, insightful presentations, and unparalleled networking opportunities.

Themed around "Celebrating Progress in the Middle East's DNS Journey," the 2024 edition of the Middle East DNS Forum will explore the evolution of the digital landscape over the past 10 years and delve into the strategies and innovations driving future growth and sustainability.

Highlights of the Forum

Participants can explore Morocco's digital journey with a focus on the .ma country code top-level domain (ccTLD), while also discussing Universal Acceptance and its role in enabling multilingual access to the Internet. Celebrating a decade of impactful discussions, the forum will feature a panel discussion highlighting its transformative influence on the regional domain industry. Leading ccTLDs will share experiences and insights, offering valuable perspectives.

Attendees will discover the power of artificial intelligence in domain name search and gain insights into the dynamic nature of ccTLD markets. Sessions on operational best practices and DNS Security Extensions will provide strategies for enhancing Internet safety and reliability. Critical topics such as cybersecurity frameworks, DNS abuse, intellectual property rights, and the next round of new generic top-level domains will also be covered, offering participants valuable insights into safeguarding the digital realm.

The MEDNSF 2024 is sponsored by the Public Interest Registry, AEserver, Genious, and the Internet Society Morocco Chapter. For more information about the forum, including registration details and the agenda, please visit the MEDNSF website.

About the Middle East DNS Forum

The Middle East DNS Forum is an annual event dedicated to promoting dialogue, collaboration, and innovation in the field of DNS and Internet governance in the Middle East region. Since its inception in 2014, the forum has been instrumental in bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, technical experts, and stakeholders to address key challenges and opportunities shaping the digital landscape.

About ICANN

ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you need to type an address – a name or a number – into your computer or other device. That address must be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a nonprofit public benefit corporation with a community of participants from all over the world.