Positive Governance of Saudi Domain Names

Abstract Most evaluations of the internet in Saudi Arabia focus upon negative (restrictive) aspects of governance that limit the use of the internet, whereas this study focuses upon positive approaches to governance, which enable the fuller use of the internet through positive objectives, by means of developing the logical internet infrastructure. This study is concerned with the Domain Name System ( DNS ) as an essential element of the logical internet infrastructure layer. Thus, it focuses on the nature of the governance of Saudi domains and the relevant mechanisms in Saudi Arabia. It explains the roles of government and the private sector by assessing their interventions, and it examines to what extent these interventions are effective and fair in encouraging the development of the logical internet infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. It includes data from semi-structured interviews and adopted a policy transfer approach so as to benefit from the UK’s experiences in this field.