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  1. #1
    The Dentist English Noodles's Avatar
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    Is Skype Still Illegal In Dubai?

    Like the title asks, is it still illegal to use Skype in Dubai? If so, any suggestions on legal alternatives? Is Skype actually blocked, or if you have it on your laptop already are you able to access the service?

  2. #2
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    Smug Farang Bore's Avatar
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    Snoggin in public is...


    Don't think so as tam don't have it and would if could...

  3. #3
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    alwarner's Avatar
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    i could only see an article from 2010 but this was top of google for "skype dubai" looks like it's blocked but unblock-able if the site is genuine.

  4. #4
    The Dentist English Noodles's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smug Farang Bore
    Don't think so as tam don't have it and would if could...
    Yeah, you are probably right there.

    Quote Originally Posted by Smug Farang Bore
    Snoggin in public is.
    And so it should be.

  5. #5

    R.I.P.


    dirtydog's Avatar
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    Learn how to use and set up a proxy before you go.

  6. #6
    Thailand Expat
    Smug Farang Bore's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by English Noodles View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Smug Farang Bore
    Don't think so as tam don't have it and would if could...
    Yeah, you are probably right there.

    Quote Originally Posted by Smug Farang Bore
    Snoggin in public is.
    And so it should be.
    ...but you can shag your way around the world in the York bar though..!



  7. #7
    The Dentist English Noodles's Avatar
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    ^Maybe if I was single again.

  8. #8

    R.I.P.


    dirtydog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by English Noodles
    Maybe if I was single young, handsome, untattoed and not some northern thug again
    Yeah, it all seems a bit too late noodles

  9. #9
    The Dentist English Noodles's Avatar
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  10. #10
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    If it is already installed on your laptop you should still be able to use it. Download some of the alternatives as a back up (VoipBuster etc..)

  11. #11
    The Dentist English Noodles's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by madjbs
    If it is already installed on your laptop you should still be able to use it. Download some of the alternatives as a back up (VoipBuster etc..)
    Company computer, they are a UAE company and might get pissy about downloading such stuff on to it.

  12. #12
    sabaii sabaii
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    Quote Originally Posted by English Noodles
    any suggestions on legal alternatives?

    MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger

  13. #13

  14. #14
    Thailand Expat armstrong's Avatar
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    what was the reason skype was made illegal?

  15. #15
    Ocean Transient
    Sailing into trouble's Avatar
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    Google have the same set up as Skype.

  16. #16
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    AFAIK Skype isn't blocked, but the Skype site is, so you can't buy credit.

    If you're just going PC-to-PC you can use anything, MSN, Oovoo, etc.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by madjbs
    If it is already installed on your laptop you should still be able to use it.
    Nope. :-(

    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda
    AFAIK Skype isn't blocked, but the Skype site is, so you can't buy credit.
    Skype has been banned / blocked in Dubai ever since I've lived there. We were told at one time that it became unblocked, but then it was blocked again. I got my new laptop here in UK and we had installed Skype on it. It works here, but not when I go back to Dubai.

    If I try to cennect I get some message about this site blah blah blah. But strangely, the icon will show up every so often and it will work. Very strange. Now, the icon isn't showing, but I'll try to connect and see what happens.

    Quote Originally Posted by armstrong
    what was the reason skype was made illegal?
    According to the grapevine it's because the two big carriers, Etisalat and du have done this so that more people phone overseas and they make money.

    You can get around it with a vpn or a proxy, but access is usually only temporary or random.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by natalie8
    Nope. :-(
    Yes actually, I used it almost everyday for a week earlier this month.

  19. #19
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    It could be my antivirus because when I tried Skype earlier today here in London, I got the pop up thing again saying that I can't get on.

  20. #20
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    I was on Skype with a mate of mine in Dubai yesterday. No problems from his side apparently.

  21. #21
    Thailand Expat

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    Do any of you know the story of how it became freed up? Shortly after I moved to Dubai, this is about 3 years ago, Oprah had a special edition in which she interviewed women from different countries about their lifestyle, their city and country etc.

    She had interviewed a local lady from Dubai via Skype. At this time, and for a long time, Skype was blocked in the UAE. In one part of the interview, the local lady had told Oprah that Electricity and water are free in Dubai too. So, of course, Oprah and her audience loved that and said isn't that great and on and on.

    Of course, expats in Dubai protested both of these things - the fact that she was using Skype which was banned at the time, and her giving the false impression that water and electric are free for everyone. They are free for locals only.

    It was shortly after that that Skype became freed up but it was really random if you could get on or not. Some people use vpn's to make sure that they can get on it. Our friends use a vpn and they use Skype all the time. He had loaded it onto my laptop, but I still had problems. I really think it's our antivirus. It doesn't like Yahoo Messenger either.

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