VoIP calls in UAE have been blocked for as long as we remember. However, that’s about to change soon according to the country’s head of cybersecurity.
While talking with CNBC, UAE’s NESA Executive Director, Mohamed Al Kuwaiti disclosed that the country has increased its collaboration with the Facebook-owned WhatsApp. According to him, both parties have a better understanding of how things will work including the national security initiatives.
In the interview, Mohamed Al Kuwaiti said,
The collaboration now happening with WhatsApp has increased and we are working on many aspects. (We are) collaborating here in the UAE and in many of those (aspect) we saw a very good understanding of the concept. There might be a lift of that ban for (WhatsApp) voice calls or broadcasting of many of the things that they do and this is going to happen soon. This is what we know and understand from the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) here in the UAE.
For the unaware, UAE has banned VoIP calls including Skype, WhatsApp, and FaceTime. They have been termed as illegal by the TRAand the users are limited to applications like Botim, C’Me and HiU Messenger.
As far as the other Gulf nations are considered, over the years, they have changed their stance regarding VoIP calls. Saudi Arabia lifted its ban on VoIP calls back in 2017 and Qatar has also allowed VoIP calls through licensed telecom operators.
Hopefully, UAE will lift the ban on VoIP calls soon.
