The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has officially relocated its ICANN87 Annual General Meeting from Muscat, Oman, to Nusa Dua, Bali, due to security concerns stemming from escalating conflict in the Middle East. The event, which serves as the organization’s flagship forum for overseeing global internet infrastructure, is scheduled for October 17–22, 2026, and is expected to draw at least 1,500 participants from approximately 150 countries.
Why the venue was changed
ICANN officials made the decision to move the meeting following a closed-door session on the sidelines of ICANN86 in Seville, Spain, on June 9, 2026. According to the organization, the primary driver for the relocation was the need to ensure the safety of attendees and maintain high levels of participation amid regional instability in the Middle East. ICANN leadership, including Vice President Samiran Gupta and Asia Pacific Stakeholder Engagement Manager Athena Foo, coordinated the venue shift with representatives from the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Komdigi) and the Indonesian Domain Name Administrator (PANDI).
The significance of the ICANN87 meeting
The Annual General Meeting acts as the central hub for governing the Domain Name System (DNS) and IP address allocation, the foundational architecture of the global internet. Ashwin Sasongko Sastrosubroto, Indonesia’s representative to ICANN’s Governmental Advisory Committee, described the event as the most important annual gathering for the organization. It provides a platform for the multistakeholder model of internet governance, allowing global participants to address technical challenges and provide direct input to the ICANN Board during the Open Forum sessions.
What happens next for the organizers
With the relocation confirmed, the Indonesian government and PANDI face a condensed timeline to prepare for the October 2026 arrival of international delegates. Teguh Arifiyadi, Director of Digital Space Supervision at Komdigi, stated that he intends to report the mandate to Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid to mobilize support from local partners and the broader internet community. PANDI Supervisory Board Chair Hammam Riza expressed confidence that the organization can successfully host the event despite the limited preparation window, noting that the new PANDI management will work in close coordination with both Komdigi and ICANN to finalize logistics.
