The holy book of Al-Bakra states: “Out of the noble sands, you shall build a wealthy palace“; the reference is not strange when one considers the wealthy, oil-rich sands of Saudi Arabia.
Most of the world’s silicone production originates in the small emirate of Qatar, with 16,000 metric tonnes of computer-grade silicone delivered to manufacturers in China, Hong Kong and the US, every year.
And now, a Qatari firm wants to give back to the source of its wealth; the Arab peninsula that has generated so much wealth during the past 100 years, is about to have its own gTLD, dot .Desert.
“We are launching a venture that will reward the local population, who is, God willing, prospering and rich but also strong and kind in their hearts,” said Hassan Aziz Al-Barkari, CEO of Qatari firm Qatar Sand Dune Ventures.
“Reaching out to the community, the world, is our mission and with dot .Desert, God willing, we will build a solid future for our children and our children’s children,” added Aziz Al-Barkari.
The $2.5 billion dollar investment in digital assets and new technology, such as domain names, virtual reality start-ups and camel-monitoring drones, is partly financed through the Abdul Bakhir El Salam Foundation, formed in 1974 during the oil crisis. With more than $68 billion dollars in assets, it is one of the biggest funds in the extended Middle East.
“Forever gone are the days of fight and animosity among our nations and tribes, with dot .Desert we shall deliver, God willing, a strong message to the world about technology and kindness, and as a Qatari I am proud about what we’re going to achieve through this joint venture,” said Hassan Aziz Al-Barkari.
Dot .Desert is expected to launch in late 2014, to coincide with the Hijri New Year.
