Published: 17.10.2026
The .ae extension is the country-code domain of the United Arab Emirates, a federation of seven emirates on the Arabian Peninsula. Companies, public bodies and projects that serve customers in the country use it to show a local base. Arabic is the official language and English is widely used in business, so bilingual sites are common. Use the availability form just below this text to see whether your name in .ae is still free.
Check if a .ae domain is available .ae Check
A short history
The UAE national code has been in use for many years, as the country's universities, government agencies and companies moved online. The zone grew with the wider economy, from early technology firms and large groups to retailers, hotels, service providers and community projects. Today .ae is a familiar ending in the country, and its rules are maintained by the national authority, which updates them when needed.
Who runs it
The .ae zone is administered by a national authority in the UAE. It sets the registration policies and keeps the central register of names, while accredited registrars sell names to customers and send the orders to the registry. Because the policies come from the national authority, its published rules are the reference point for any question about eligibility, holder details or renewal, and they may change over time.
Rules in practice
- Holder conditions: rules apply to who may hold a .ae name, so check the current terms before you order.
- Holder details: the information you provide must match your official records, and the registry or registrar may ask you to confirm it.
- Length and characters: names use letters, digits and hyphens, and a single label can be up to 63 characters long.
- Renewal: keep the expiry date in view and make sure the contact e-mail address is checked regularly.
Who uses .ae
- Retailers, restaurants, hotels and service businesses that serve customers in the UAE.
- Companies with offices in the Emirates that want a local address for their brochures and e-mail.
- Schools, clinics, associations and community projects with a UAE audience.
- Bilingual Arabic and English sites that present a service to people across the country.
Strengths
- The ending gives a clear signal of a UAE base, which helps local customers recognise the business at once.
- Search engines can treat a country-code ending as one hint about the intended audience, so content for UAE visitors may be easier to match with local searches.
- The short ending works well on signs, vehicles, invoices and printed materials.
Things to keep in mind
- An .ae name points to the UAE, so a business with a mainly international audience may also want a generic address.
- Conditions for holders can be specific to the zone, and not every applicant may qualify.
- Common words are often taken, so a descriptive or local wording may be easier to find.
- Visitors from other countries may type .com out of habit, so think about owning both names.
Tips before you register
- Check the same name in .com and decide whether you need both addresses.
- Enter the company or personal details exactly as they appear in your official documents.
- Decide whether the site will be in Arabic, English or both, and plan the pages before launch.
- Host the site where it can load quickly for visitors in the UAE.
- Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC records before the domain sends any e-mail.
Frequently asked questions
Can a company outside the UAE register an .ae name? It depends on the holder conditions of the zone, which can change. Check the current rules before you order.
Does .ae help a site appear in UAE search results? It is a useful location signal, but clear local content, fast pages and genuine local references usually matter more.
Can I use Arabic on a .ae site? Yes, the ending does not fix the language. Pages in Arabic and English are common for audiences in the country, so plan the content for both.
