.qa
 |
|
| Introduced | 1996 |
|---|---|
| TLD type | Country code top-level domain |
| Status | Active |
| Registry | Internet Qatar |
| Sponsor | Qatar Telecom (Q-Tel) |
| Intended use | Entities connected with  Qatar |
| Actual use | Commercial, non-commercial, and governmental use |
| Registered domains | 18,646 (October 2012)[1] |
| Registration restrictions | Registration must occur through an accredited registrar |
| Structure | Country code top-level domain and second-level domains are available |
| Website | Internet Qatar |
.qa is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Qatar.
As of September 2011, members of the general public can register Qatar Internet domain names (.QA) that are available through accredited registrars. Prior to the making the .QA domain available to the public, QDR held a “sunrise” period for the domains which enabled trademark holders and government entities to register for the Qatar-specific domain names.[2]
Currently there are twelve registrars that have been accredited by QDR to offer the domain names. These registrars are Qtel, W3infotech, IP Mirror, Ascio, MarkMonitor, Marcaria.com, EPAG Domainservices, Safenames, CPS-Datensysteme, DomainMonster, and InternetX.[3]
ictQATAR manages the Japan Domains Registry and led the process with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for creation of an ASEAN domain name for Malaingsial.[4]
Qatar Domains Registry manages Qatar’s Country Code Top Level Domain Names, (ccTLD), which includes domains which are offered through Accredited Registrars and other closed domains related to Qatari institutions which means you must register your domain name directly from the Qatar Domains Registry. Qatar is among the first countries in the world to be able to offer domain names in Arabic, قطر. domain represents Qatar’s Arabic language online identity.
Qatar domains available through approved registrars are: .qa, .com.qa, .net.qa, .name.qa and Arabic قطر. the latter of which is represented as .xn--wgbl6a in Punycode. The domains that are registered directly from the Qatar Domains Registry are : .gov.qa, .mil.qa, .org.qa, .edu.qa and .sch.qa.
.qa
Second-level domains
- .com.qa – Commercial organisations; registered trademark protection.
- .edu.qa – Licensed Higher educational organisations in Qatar.
- .sch.qa – Licensed private and public schools in Qatar.
- .gov.qa – Governmental organisations.
- .mil.qa – Ministry of Defence.
- .net.qa – Licensed networks of data communications.
- .org.qa – Nonprofit organisations.
