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Request for Proposal: DNS Study for the Middle East and Adjoining Countries

16 March 2015

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The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("ICANN") is seeking a provider to conduct a study on the domain name industry in the Middle East and Adjoining Countries ("MEAC Region")1. The goal of this study is to identify and define the strengths and weaknesses in the industry ecosystem within the region, and develop recommendations on how to advance the industry and bring it closer to the opportunities available.

The recommendation to conduct this study is one of the outcomes of the ICANN Middle East Engagement Strategy, developed by a group of community members in the region2. The Strategy defined three strategic focus areas for the region one of which was to further develop the domain name industry.

The study at a minimum will investigate the current state of the Internet and the domain name industry in the region, define best practices that have made an impact in domain name market growth, look at the broader ecosystem of the Internet infrastructure and online services and describe the impact of such elements on the overall evolution of the domain name industry, describe the business potential in the domain name industry in this region, and provide suggestions on how to develop the industry and what business models can be adopted in the entire industry chain. The study will include data, analysis, and recommendations.

The final report of the study is to be delivered no later than 9th October 2015.

For additional information and instructions for submitting responses please click here [ZIP, 409 KB].

Proposals should be submitted to MEDNSStudy-rfp@icann.org by 23:59 UTC on 6 April 2015.


1 The MEAC region consists of the 22 Arab States in addition to Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkey.

2 This wiki space provides more details about the Strategy. Key documents include the Strategy Document [PDF, 1.5 MB], the Year 1 Implementation Plan [PDF, 88.8 KB], and the Year 2 Implementation Plan [PDF, 28.7 KB].