ICANN Reveal Day 2026: What Egyptian Companies Should Do Now to Protect Their Brand and Domains

Short answer: On 7 October 2026 ICANN published the list of applications in its 2026 round of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs): 1,615 applications, 333 of them for brands. On ICANN Reveal Day 2026 the practical job for an Egyptian company is threefold: search the official list yourself for your brand, your sector keywords and their likely variants; put the Community Input and Objections Period (17 November 2026 – 16 March 2027) in your calendar; and tidy up your existing .com, .eg, .com.eg and .مصر domains before any new extension opens for public registration.

ICANN Reveal Day 2026 has happened, and anyone can now see who applied to run a new top-level domain and which string they asked for. Most Arabic coverage so far simply translates the official announcement. This guide answers a more practical question: what should an Egyptian company, clinic or agency that did not apply do now to protect its name and domains? We checked every figure and date against ICANN's official pages on 12 October 2026.

What is ICANN Reveal Day 2026 in plain language?

A generic top-level domain (gTLD) is the part after the last dot in a web address, such as .com, .org or .shop. ICANN, the organisation that coordinates the global domain name system, periodically opens rounds in which organisations can apply to operate a brand-new extension: a generic word, a brand, a geographic name, or a name in a non-Latin script such as Arabic.

The 2026 round accepted applications from 30 April to 12 August 2026. On Reveal Day, 7 October 2026, ICANN published for the first time the applied-for strings, the applicant names, a CSV list of contention sets (where several applicants want the same or similar strings) and the public parts of each application, all on its Application Publication and Statistics (APS) website.

Why should an Egyptian business care? Because a new extension may match or resemble your brand, which starts fixed objection deadlines. And because, once these extensions launch, people will be able to register second-level domains with your name on them, whether that is you or someone else. Note also that the Applicant Guidebook limits applications to legal entities; individuals and sole proprietorships cannot apply, and this round's window has already closed.

The Reveal Day numbers in one table

These figures come from ICANN's official snapshot of primary-string applications as of 7 October 2026. Final numbers and application types will be confirmed on String Confirmation Day.

Africa accounts for only 16 of 1,615 applications, but that does not make the list irrelevant to the Egyptian market. An English word describing a profession or a product can target exactly your audience. The only way to know is to search the official list, which is why we do not name any Egyptian applicant here.

The timeline after Reveal Day: what happens and when?

All dates below are published by ICANN in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Next to each one we add what it means for an Egyptian business.

Replacement Period (8–21 October 2026)

Some applicants nominated a second-choice "replacement" string when they applied. Only during these two weeks can they switch to it, and only if it is eligible; it cannot be used if it is identical to another primary or replacement string. On APS, a replacement record carries an "-R" after the application ID. So today's list is not final: search now, and again after String Confirmation Day.

String Confirmation Day and the objections window

On 17 November 2026 ICANN publishes the final string list and opens the Community Input and Objections Period, which runs until 16 March 2027. Input includes application comments, Early Warnings from Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) members, singular/plural notifications and formal objections. There are four objection grounds: string confusion, legal rights, limited public interest and community.

The one most relevant to brand owners is the Legal Rights Objection, filed by a party with standing who believes an applied-for string infringes its existing legal rights. It is decided by the relevant dispute resolution service provider, fees are paid directly to that provider under its own rules, and the losing party can appeal. We do not quote fee amounts here because each provider sets them; review them with your lawyer.

Timing tip: 23:59 UTC falls after midnight in Cairo, but do not rely on that margin. Set your internal deadline at least a week before the official one.

A practical checklist for Egyptian companies after ICANN Reveal Day

Most Egyptian SMEs will never apply for their own extension, and they do not need to. What they need is monitoring, a documented trademark and a tidy domain portfolio. You can do the following in a week.

Step 1: Search the official list yourself

1. Open the Applications page on the APS website. No login is required.
2. Choose the search field: Primary String, TLD Variants or Applicant Name.
3. Search your brand in Latin letters, its common spellings and the abbreviation customers use.
4. Search your sector keywords in English and Arabic: your profession, product or service.
5. Download the results as CSV, save them with the search date and note every relevant application ID.
6. Open each relevant application to read its public answers; you can download a summary PDF.

Step 2: Classify what you find

• A string that matches or resembles your brand: document it and consult a trademark lawyer early; an objection decision takes time before 16 March 2027.
• A generic word from your sector: usually not a legal threat, but a marketing opportunity. Add it to your watch list so you can register your name on it at launch.
• Nothing relevant: good, but search again after 21 October and after 17 November 2026.

Step 3: Document your trademark before extensions launch

Brand protection in new extensions relies on the Trademark Clearinghouse (TMCH), a global repository of verified trademark data. ICANN requires every new gTLD to run a Sunrise period of at least 30 days, giving TMCH-recorded trademark holders priority registration, followed by Trademark Claims for at least 90 days, which alerts the holder to matching registrations. Recording a mark costs a fee and requires verifiable trademark data, so if your mark is not registered yet, start there. If an infringing domain is registered after launch, the URS and UDRP procedures are available.

Step 4: Tidy up your current domain portfolio

• Make sure your main domain is registered to the company, not to an employee or former developer, and that the registrar account uses a company email.
• Turn on auto-renewal and transfer lock for every important domain.
• Secure the core variants of your name: .com, the Egyptian .com.eg or .eg, and the most common typos.
• Keep one sheet listing every domain, its expiry date, where its DNS is managed and who has access.

Step 5: Set calendar reminders

Add four reminders now: 22 October 2026 to search again after the Replacement Period, 17 November 2026 to review the final list, mid-December 2026 to review singular/plural notifications, and 1 March 2027 as your internal deadline for any objection.

The table below shows what fits each type of organisation:

How the 2026 gTLD round relates to .eg, .com.eg and .مصر

.eg is Egypt's country-code top-level domain, .مصر is its Arabic-script counterpart, and .com.eg is a common second-level space for companies. These domains are not part of the New gTLD Program and follow national registration policies, so Reveal Day changes nothing in their rules or in your current domain. For required documents and fees, see our guide to registering .com.eg and .eg domains in 2026.

What does change is how you think about your portfolio. More extensions mean more places your name can be registered, and you do not need to hold it on all of them. We suggest a simple order of priority:

1. The domain customers know you by, whether .com or .com.eg, secured and on auto-renewal.
2. The Egyptian domain, a clear signal to local customers that you are an Egyptian business, which also protects your name from local look-alike registrations.
3. .مصر if your audience types and searches in Arabic, or your brand name is Arabic in the first place.
4. New extensions only when they launch, and only where they relate to your sector or brand, using Sunrise if your mark is recorded in the TMCH.

This order is our practical recommendation, not an official rule.

How Smart One Group can help

Through our domain services we register, renew and transfer Egyptian and global domains, with full DNS control, transfer lock and early renewal reminders. For your website and email, see our hosting and server services, and for ongoing follow-up you can rely on our support plans.

If you would like us to review your current domain portfolio and draw up a list of strings worth watching in the new round, get in touch and we will suggest a clear plan. The decision to object, however, belongs with your trademark lawyer.

Frequently asked questions

Can an Egyptian company apply for its own extension now?

Not in this round: the application window closed on 12 August 2026, and ICANN has not announced a date for any later round. Applications are also limited to legal entities.

How do I find out whether someone applied for an extension matching my brand?

Search the Applications page on the APS website using every spelling of your brand in the Primary String or TLD Variants field, then repeat after 21 October and after 17 November 2026.

What is the difference between the Replacement Period and the objections window?

The Replacement Period (8–21 October 2026) is for applicants only, letting them switch to their replacement string. The Community Input and Objections Period (17 November 2026 – 16 March 2027) is open to the public and to rights holders.

Does Reveal Day affect my existing .eg or .com.eg domain?

No. Egyptian domains are country-code extensions under national policies and are not part of the New gTLD Program. Your domain stays as it is as long as you renew it.

When can I register domains on the new extensions?

Launch dates have not been announced. The Prioritization Draw itself is scheduled for the first half of 2027, and further stages follow before any launch, then a Sunrise period of at least 30 days.

Do I need a registered trademark to use the Sunrise period?

In practice, yes. Sunrise priority goes to trademark holders whose data has been verified and recorded in the TMCH. If your mark is not registered, start the process with your lawyer now.

Sources

We relied on ICANN's official Reveal Day announcement (7 October 2026), the Application Publication and Statistics (APS) website and its user guide, ICANN's Community Input, Objections and Appeals page, and ICANN's brand and trademark protections overview. ICANN may update these dates, so check them before taking action.