Anyone can register a plain .ae domain such as yourbusiness.ae. The .ae Domain Administration (.aeDA), part of the TDRA, says everybody is eligible for a first-level .ae name, and its policy asks for no documents for it. The extensions under .ae, such as co.ae, net.ae and org.ae, are restricted: you need a UAE trade licence, a free-zone licence, a UAE trademark or another proof that fits that extension.
This guide to .ae domain registration covers the rules from the .aeDA’s own pages and policy, the steps to register, and the ownership mistakes we see most often when UAE businesses come to us for a new website.
Who manages .ae domains
.ae is the country code domain of the United Arab Emirates. It is regulated by the .ae Domain Administration (.aeDA), which works under the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA). According to its guide to registering a domain name, .ae and the Arabic امارات. (dotEmarat) names are registered through its Accredited Registrars or their resellers.
The TDRA’s About .ae page also explains that dotEmarat is the Arabic internationalised domain name for the UAE, and that domains can be registered for 1 to 5 years.
Unrestricted and restricted .ae domains
The .ae Domain Name Policy (AEDA-POL-007) splits the space into an unrestricted zone and several restricted zones. In short:
| Extension | Who it is for | Proof needed |
|---|---|---|
| .ae | Any applicant, in the UAE or abroad | No documentary evidence |
| co.ae | Commercial entities trading in the UAE | UAE trade licence, free-zone licence, or a UAE trademark (applied for or registered) |
| net.ae | IT service providers in the UAE | Licence for IT services, or a UAE trademark for an IT service or product |
| org.ae | UAE not-for-profit organisations | Certificate of registration or a letter from the competent authority |
| sch.ae / ac.ae | Schools and academic institutions | Registration from the relevant ministry |
| gov.ae / mil.ae | Government and military bodies | Authorisation letter from the minister or officer |
The policy also says restricted names can only be registered through Accredited Registrars based in the UAE. Plain .ae names may be available through all Accredited Registrars.
For most private businesses the real choice is between yourbusiness.ae and yourbusiness.co.ae. The plain .ae is shorter and open to anyone. The co.ae needs your licence or trademark details, and the name has to match your business.
Rules for a co.ae domain
If you want a co.ae, the policy sets two conditions. First, the registrant must hold a valid UAE trade licence, be a commercial entity licensed in a UAE free zone, or have applied for or hold a UAE trademark. Second, the name must be an exact match, an acronym, an abbreviation or closely connected to one of these:
- the name of a company the registrant controls or holds 50% or more of;
- the trading name or trademark of such a company; or
- the name of an organisation or association the registrant controls.
So a Sharjah trading company can register a co.ae based on its trade name, but it cannot pick an unrelated generic word as a co.ae. Have the trade licence ready when you register, because the registrar checks eligibility before the application goes to the registry.
Naming rules for any .ae name
The policy lists the same composition rules for all zones. A name must:
- be between 2 and 63 characters;
- start and end with a letter or a number;
- use English letters (a–z), numbers (0–9) and dashes only;
- not start or end with a dash, and not have dashes in the third and fourth positions;
- not contain spaces.
Some names are on the .aeDA’s Reserved Names List and need special authorisation. Names are also allocated first come, first served, so if two eligible applicants want the same name, the one accepted first gets it.
How to register a .ae domain step by step
- Check availability. Use the .aeDA domain availability service on the TDRA site, or the search box of any registrar.
- Choose a registrar. Pick one from the list of Accredited Registrars, or a reseller of one. They differ in price, support and extras such as hosting and email.
- Fill in the registrant details carefully. The .aeDA points out that the registrant is the one who controls the domain name. For a business, that should be the company, not an employee or the web developer.
- Use an email address you control. The .aeDA says the registrant and administrative contact email must be one you can be reached on. Renewal and transfer notices go there.
- Accept the .aeDA policies. You confirm this at registration and again at each renewal.
- Check WHOIS afterwards. Look up the domain in WHOIS to confirm the details are correct, and keep them up to date.
On price, the .aeDA says it sets a standard price for registrars, but each registrar decides what it charges. Compare a few, and check the renewal price, not only the first-year offer. If you are budgeting for the whole site, our guide to what a website costs in Dubai covers the other parts.
Who should own the domain
The policy is clear that you do not own a domain in the legal sense. You hold an exclusive licence to use it for a set period. That makes the registrant field important. We often take over UAE sites where the domain was registered under a former developer’s or employee’s name and the business has to get it transferred back before anything else can change.
A few habits avoid that:
- Register the domain in the company’s name, with a company email address that more than one person can reach.
- Keep the registrar login with the business owner. Your developer can be given access, or can manage DNS records, without being the registrant.
- Turn on auto-renew, or put the renewal date in your calendar. A lapsed domain takes your website and business email down together. We explain the DNS records that email needs in setting up business email on your own domain.
- Give accurate details. The .aeDA can revoke a licence if the application contained false or incomplete information, or if the domain is used in breach of UAE law.
If you plan an Arabic version of your site, you do not need a separate Arabic domain for it. Most bilingual UAE sites use one domain with a language folder such as /ar/, as explained in our guide to planning a bilingual Arabic and English website. Once the domain is registered, the next step is connecting it to hosting and building the site; this is part of our web development service.
One note: the policy document we used is version 1.1, and the .aeDA can update its policies at any time. Before you register a restricted name, check the current rules on the .aeDA policies page of the TDRA website or ask your registrar.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a UAE trade licence to register a .ae domain?
Not for a plain .ae name. The .aeDA policy asks for no documentary evidence for the unrestricted .ae zone. You do need a licence or a UAE trademark for co.ae and net.ae.
Can a company outside the UAE register a .ae domain?
Yes, for a plain .ae name. The TDRA says everybody is eligible to register a first-level .ae. Restricted extensions such as co.ae are for UAE entities and must go through a UAE-based registrar.
How long can I register a .ae domain for?
Between 1 and 5 years at a time, according to the TDRA. You renew through your registrar before it expires.
How much does a .ae domain cost?
It depends on the registrar. The .aeDA sets a standard price for registrars, but each registrar sets its own price to customers, so compare first-year and renewal prices.
Can I register an Arabic domain name?
Yes. Arabic names under امارات. (dotEmarat) are registered through the same Accredited Registrars, and the TDRA says everybody is eligible for a first-level dotEmarat name.
If you have a domain and want a website built on it, or you are not sure who controls your current domain, send us a short brief through our contact page and we will reply with a fixed quote.
