|
Positioned as the Middle East & Africa’s flagship event for the domain, hosting, and Web3 sectors,
Domain Days Dubai brought together senior executives, registry and registrar leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, and technology innovators from
around the world. “The energy this year was electric,” Munir
said. “From groundbreaking ideas to yacht deck deals, Domain Days Dubai proved that Dubai is not just hosting the future of domains — it’s shaping
it. Our goal is to make this event the ultimate global gathering where digital infrastructure, innovation, and investment converge, with Dubai as its beating
heart.” 
Above
& below: Domain Days Founder & Curator Munir Badr welcoming
guests to the 2025 edition of the conference on October 22,
2025. (All photos in this article are courtesy of Domains Days Dubai).
Munir also told the crowd the dates
for Domain Days 2026 have already been locked in with the show
running October 14-15, 2026. That will dovetail perfectly with
the ICANN 87 Meeting that will start just two days later in nearby Muscat,
Oman where it will run October 17-22, 2026.
Above
& below: At far left Domain Days Dubai Program Director Leonid
Todorov introduced the show opening Keynote Speaker, Dr.
Marwan Al Zarouni (CEO of AI for Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism
(DET) and CEO of Dubai Blockchain Center). He presented a visionary talk entitled Predicting
the Future of Domans and Assets that set an optimistic tone that
prevailed throughout the conference.
Above & below: Next up
Wednesday morning, October 22, 2025 was Mohammad Ismail Alfalasi
(Manager Digital Resources Management, aeDA/TDRA, operator of the .ae domain name registry)
whose own keynote provide the latest updates on the UAE's official ccTLD.
Above & below: At 10am
Davide Vicini (CEO & Co-Founder of Freename) addressed one of
the industry's hottest current topics - Domain Fractionalisation: Unlocking Liquidity.
Davide introduced Domora.com, a platform being billed as the world's first
domain fractionalisation platform. Davide said Domora enables domain
owners to sell units of their premium domains, while buyers can invest in top-tier names starting from just $1.
Above: At 10:30 it was time
for a 50-minute break for coffee and informal networking. Taking advantage
of that opportunity were (left to right), Trillion/Above.com Founder
David Warmuz, Daniel Koleschuk (Hilco Digital Assets) and Nathan
Parker (Above.com General Manager, Marketplace & Brokerage).
Above: Back in the conference hall
at 11:20am the topic was Eliminating the Hidden Complexity behind Domains for SaaS Platforms & Users
hosted by Nova Registy (.link) GM Vaughn Liley (at the podium)
and Entri CEO Abe Story. Entri & .link are on a mission to make domains easier for everyone by
empowering users to configure DNS automatically.
Above & below: Next up at
11:50am was the first of two sessions (one each day) on Mastering
the ART of Domain Investing & Sales. This is something just
about everyone wants to know more about and this discussion featured
four of the world's true masters in the field. They are (left to right
above): Braden Pollock (LegalBrandMarketing.com), Mark Ghoriafi
(Sedo Premium Broker), Darpan Munjal (Atom.com Founder) and Jack
Dai (DN.com CEO). They used ART as an acronym for A: Assessment
& Acquisition: How to evaluate domain opportunity, spot hidden gems,
and acquire domains with upside potential, R: Raising
Awareness: Strategies to build exposure through various marketplaces and
outbound marketing and T: Transaction & Timing:
When and how to sell - auctioning, brokering, negotiating, and executing
deals.
Above: In the final session
before the opening day lunch break, this panel discussed Building MENA Region’s Digital Future.
It featured (left to right) Sami Ali (QOS Expert, .BH TRA
Bahrain), Bashar Al-Abdulhadi (DCEO, KuwaitNet), Nabil Babache
(CEO, Nindohost) and Wahid Aziz (CEO, Tasjeel.ae). From new growth drivers to market trends shaping the region’s online economy,
the panelists revealed what’s working, what’s next, and their "top tips" for building success in the MENA digital landscape.
Aboive & below: A 90-minute networking
lunch break started at 1pm, providing ample time to make valuable
connections. Below an attendee enjoyed some personal time with Domain
Days Dubai Founder Munir Badr (center) and the conference Program
Director, Leonid Todorov (at right).
Above: In the first opening
day afternoon session (October 22, 2025), the key question was From Dot-Com to Dot-What?! Bridging DNS and Blockchain.
The answers came from (left to right): Sandy Carter (COO,
Unstoppable Domains), Vaughn Liley (GM, Nova Registry -
.link), Davide Vicini (Freenmame CEO & Co-Founder) and
Kalin Karakehayov (CEO, SEO.domains). They frankly
discussed the real risks, real opportunities, and most importantly, real ways to get
the two worlds of Web2 and Web3 talking, focusing on interoperability, smarter governance, and naming systems that actually make life easier for users.
Above & below: At 3pm
Team Internet CEO Michel Riedl took the stage to cover another hot
topic,
The Future of Domain Monetization. With the decline of traditional solutions like Google AdSense for
Domains,
the focus has shifted to building the next generation of revenue
opportunities. RSOC
(Related Search on Content) Parking for Domains is one avenue being
actively explored. Michael covered what the industry and his company are
doing to meet the challenge.
Above: Taking the stage next
was Bob Ochieng (ICANN Senior Director for the New gTLD
Program's Next Round) coming next year. Bob provided the latest
details on Expanding the Domain Name Space – Where Do We Stand Today?
including what can be expected in the applicant's journey. Below:
A closely related session - How to Apply, Run & Manage Your Own gTLD in 2026
- followed, featuring Joe Alagna (Chief Strategy Officer, it.com Domains)
and Venkatesh Venkatasubramanian
(ICANN Accreditation Consultant). Joe teamed up with .it.com Domains
Founder Andrey Insarov to write a new book, How to Get Your
Own Top Level Domain that is available on Amazon.
Venkatesh is the author of the guide ICANN Accreditation Made Easy, a practical handbook widely used by domain entrepreneurs and legal teams navigating ICANN’s regulatory framework.
Above & below: More
time for networking thanks to a 45-minute mid-afternoon coffee and
snack break. Connecting above are, left to right, Aishwin Vikhona,
Harmandeep Singh, Deepak Daftari, Arpit Jain and Jack Dai. Below:
ShortDot Founder Lars Jensen greets Bashar Al-Abdulhadi from
KuwaitNet during the break.
Above: In the final opening
day business session, Andrew Lewela (CEO & .KE Chief Evangelist at
the Kenya Network Information Centre) got the audience's attention with
his informative and inspirational talk - From
Access to Identity: How a Meaningful Internet is Powering Africa’s
Digital Naming Revolution. Below:
While the Wednesday business sessions were over, one big event
remained to go. That was the RightOfTheDot Live & Online Domain
Auction presented by ROTD Founder & President Monte Cahn
(at right) and Marketing Director Scott Pruitt (seated).
Above & below: While the
live the auction that Monte conducted on site in Dubai is over, the online
auction in continuing until 12 Noon US Eastern Time on November
15, 2026. You can register to bid and see the catalog lots here.
With opening day business
done, the networking continued with a 7pm dinner for all featuring an
Arabic inspired and international buffet. Guests enjoyed dining on
the Arabian Gulf with Bluewater Island's beautiful skyline as the backdrop
to Marriott's Bal Harbour Beach.
That was a lot of ground to
cover and it was only Day 1! Another full day is ahead and you can see
all of those Thursday, October 23 highlights at the link below: DAY
2 Photos & Highlights from Domain Days Dubai 2025
|
