Thread: The Great UAE VOIP Rip Off

For what its worth, I have been in UAE (+Qatar and Oman) for 10 years and i have NEVER been not able to connect on skype in any of those countries.

I am currently in Dubai and connect at least 3x a day, using absolutely bulk standard skype , at both work and home. (ie NOT Skype for Business)

having said that i know others can't.

why can i connect?

beats me... i have been lucky, maybe. Several times i have made a call to PJ from my office while standing next to a guy who swears that 'skype has been blocked for years'. dumbfounded amazement as she answers is often the reaction.

You are right about the rip off though,Harry... my Etisalat contact confirmed the 'restrictions' are nothing to do with 'security concerns'...the justification often peddled in Abu Dhabi.

its 100% commercial.

They cant stand you having free access to something they think they can charge for, especially if that free service stomps on the toes of their offering.

Originally Posted by Thai Dhupp

For what its worth, I have been in UAE (+Qatar and Oman) for 10 years and i have NEVER been not able to connect on skype in any of those countries.

I am currently in Dubai and connect at least 3x a day, using absolutely bulk standard skype , at both work and home. (ie NOT Skype for Business)

having said that i know others can't.

why can i connect?

beats me... i have been lucky, maybe. Several times i have made a call to PJ from my office while standing next to a guy who swears that 'skype has been blocked for years'. dumbfounded amazement as she answers is often the reaction.

OK Pinocchio. If you're on Du or Etisalat, it ain't happening.

Trust me, even Microsoft have to use their own private wire to circumvent it. I had their security team in yesterday.

It's great for their neighbours though. Companies setting up GCC offices often ditch them when they hear about that.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

OK Pinocchio. If you're on Du or Etisalat, it ain't happening.

Trust me, even Microsoft have to use their own private wire to circumvent it. I had their security team in yesterday.

It's great for their neighbours though. Companies setting up GCC offices often ditch them when they hear about that.

lol... that's the usual reaction I get from those here too... I'm on Etisalat, have been all my time here, and its ALWAYS WORKED.

no Pinocchio involved!

if you are in Dubai, drop round and Im happy to demonstrate it. I just got off a call, from here at work to the wife back in BKK.

its working, and that's fact!! - home wifi, office wifi, anywhere i go out and they have WiFi,( so not dependent on MY connection). never fails. i can use my phone when out. i use my laptop when at home, i use my desktop when in the office. the only thing i DON'T use is the SIM card connection, ie i dont pay to have 'always on' wifi on my phone. complete waste of money as everywhere has free wifi, so maybe that's it??

currently...multiple plaforms, multiple connections. works every time.

I dont need to lie about it BTW....!!. I too was not expecting it to work but I'm grateful it does.

OK.. dont normally do this but ..I sense disbelief still:


here i called her on Skype a while back

i called her again on skype just now - of course shes sleeping but hey... lets wake her up....




call finished


and here, the page now updated, call lasted a couplke of minutes.

this is from my office desktop, hence im still wearing the work clothes, this evening.

hope that clarifies it, or do you think i scammed it somehow!!?

So there's you claiming it "just works" and just about every technology professional I know from Ras Al Khaimah to Abu Dhabi that tells me otherwise.

OoooooooooooooooooKkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

So there's you claiming it "just works" and just about every technology professional I know from Ras Al Khaimah to Abu Dhabi that tells me otherwise.

OoooooooooooooooooKkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

no bullsh1t, see the call? i made that one yesterday from my office in Dubai.

Oh and BTW... im not 'alone' in being able to make calls.

I know quite a few who can use skype without issue

maybe we got a special pass from Etisalat cos we are responsible users....

dunno Harry... what would it take to convince you that this is working.?

as I said.. meet me in dubai i will show you...

cant say fairer than that.

or... you could just believe it....

let me know!

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

just about every technology professional I know from Ras Al Khaimah to Abu Dhabi that tells me otherwise.

Can I just check...this is supposed to be persuasive, right?

Your scepticism of Thaidup's integrity is unbecoming and irrational, Harry.

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Your scepticism of Thaidup's integrity is unbecoming and irrational, Harry.

Maybe you should tell Microsoft then.

Is Skype blocked in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)?

It has been brought to our attention that our website and services have been blocked by the ISPs in the United Arab Emirates. That means you won't be able to use Skype in the United Arab Emirates.
We are working towards getting Skype re-enabled. We’re passionate about the benefit that Skype offers to our users around the world by facilitating communication and enabling collaboration.

https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA3...b-emirates-uae

And I'm not disputing that he's using it, just that he's using it without help.

There was Gulf news article recently where one of the head honchos here was saying that the Du and Etisalat model of restricting voip to their own packages and basing their income on voice call pricing is regressive, they should allow voip apps to operate and make money from data, as is the case with telecoms anywhere else.

but this is more to do with restricting choice than being progressive

Originally Posted by Neo

There was Gulf news article recently where one of the head honchos here was saying that the Du and Etisalat model of restricting voip to their own packages and basing their income on voice call pricing is regressive, they should allow voip apps to operate and make money from data, as is the case with telecoms anywhere else.

but this is more to do with restricting choice than being progressive

Even Saudi fucking Arabia doesn't block Whatsapp or Skype.

It's purely a commercial decision, and as one of the UAE Federal Council said a little while ago, "embarrassing".

No matter how much money they have, it will always break their hearts to see stuff given away for free.

Originally Posted by cyrille

No matter how much money they have, it will always break their hearts to see stuff given away for free.

Totally true... as I said, friends working at Etisalat confirm its commercial and no 'security' related

Originally Posted by Neo

possibly because your office has dedicated VPN?

I haven't been able to use Skype since the beginning of the year on mobile data or wifi.. its a fucking pain and it's getting worse, the VPN's I do have are now blocked in the last few weeks, seems to be a real drive this year to turn the UAE into communications dead zone and control the channels of information available.

There are still ways, but for instant VOIP over mobile, forget it.

I set up a data plan on both the wife and mines phone so we can keep in touch when I'm travelling regionally as its marginally cheaper than the Du / Etisalat voip packages, but the quality of voice over data calls is very poor.

Hey Neo, I checked with my IT guy - no, not a dedicated VPN.

he was one of the ones shocked when my Skype connected, btw.

Also, I can connect in the apartment, and that's not controlled by my employer. I can connect using any public Wifi - surely they cant ALL have vpn's?. as i mentioned previously, i am NOT using the sim card wifi option as i think its a rip off - connecting via external wifi only.

If you or anyone is with a usable Skype connection, just sent me your call sign and i will call you now. im in the office, and u can see it working.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Maybe you should tell Microsoft then.



https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA3...b-emirates-uae

And I'm not disputing that he's using it, just that he's using it without help.

or...maybe I should keep quiet as I don't want to draw attention to the fact that I seem to be able to beat the system and then promptly have it turned off for me too!!

Originally Posted by Thai Dhupp

or...maybe I should keep quiet as I don't want to draw attention to the fact that I seem to be able to beat the system and then promptly have it turned off for me too!!

Actually yes, I would keep shtum.

Originally Posted by Thai Dhupp

Hey Neo, I checked with my IT guy - no, not a dedicated VPN.

he was one of the ones shocked when my Skype connected, btw.

Also, I can connect in the apartment, and that's not controlled by my employer. I can connect using any public Wifi - surely they cant ALL have vpn's?. as i mentioned previously, i am NOT using the sim card wifi option as i think its a rip off - connecting via external wifi only.

If you or anyone is with a usable Skype connection, just sent me your call sign and i will call you now. im in the office, and u can see it working.

Maybe you've got a version that has been overlooked. Whatever you do, don't update, keep with that version.

Maybe this is the reason...


No, not a VPN but.. i think most if not all of the connections i use are through BUSINESS LINES, not domestic.

maybe that's the answer...???

Originally Posted by Thai Dhupp

Maybe this is the reason...


No, not a VPN but.. i think most if not all of the connections i use are through BUSINESS LINES, not domestic.

maybe that's the answer...???

Possible.