A local domain tells customers you are local. It also comes with rules. Here is what they are in plain English, checked on 6 November 2026. This is a summary, not legal advice: the registry's own policy is the final word.
UAE: .ae and .co.ae
UAE domains are run by the .ae Domain Administration (aeDA), part of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority.
- .ae is open. Any applicant can register a plain .ae name.
- .co.ae is for businesses. You need a UAE trade licence, or a UAE trademark that is registered or applied for, and the name must match or closely relate to your company, trading name or trademark.
Free-zone companies have had different treatment under older versions of the policy. If you are in a free zone, check the current rules with your registrar before you build your brand around a .co.ae.
Qatar: .qa and .com.qa
Qatar domains are run by the Qatar Domains Registry, under the Communications Regulatory Authority. Its updated policies took effect on 22 October 2026 and tightened the rules.
- .com.qa needs a Qatari commercial registration or trade licence, or a trademark registered in Qatar, plus an official document from a Qatari authority.
- .qa on its own is limited to listed categories of Qatar-based applicants. Businesses normally fall under the .com.qa rules.
- Individuals need a Qatari passport, Qatar ID or Qatar residence permit.
- Only accredited registrars based in Qatar can register these names.
- .qa names cannot be sold or leased.
- The longest registration term is now 10 years.
In practice, a company with no Qatari registration or Qatar-registered trademark cannot get a .qa or .com.qa name.
Should you use a local domain at all?
A local domain helps people trust that you are local, and a few customers will look for it. Google does not need it to show you to searchers in your country; a .com site can rank in Qatar or the UAE if the content is clearly about that market.
Our usual advice:
- You are registered in the UAE or Qatar: register the local domain, and the .com too if it is free, pointing to the same site.
- You are not registered there: use a .com, and say clearly on the site which countries you serve.
Who owns it
Whatever you choose, the domain should be registered in your company's name, not your web designer's. When we build a site, the domain is yours, and we tell you the registration fee before anything is bought.
More for Gulf businesses: web design for Gulf businesses, what a website costs in Qatar and in the UAE.