Skype squashed in UAE

Nobody's 100% sure why, but Skype users in the United Arab Emirates are being blocked from the Skype.com site, which prevents them from buying minutes for use with SkypeOut — meaning they can't take advantage of those deep discounted international calling rates. Also, no one is quite sure where the blockage originates, although the guess is somewhere within Etisalat, the only ISP in the UAE. Since Etisalat has a monopoly on telephony there, the motive could be economic, or it could be one of political control — because Skype encrypts conversations, it's much more difficult for say, a curious government agency to listen in.

[NuTcAsE @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

No surprise there! I lived in the UAE for about 4 years and this move aint out of the ususal. Im presuming they blocked skype.com to not allow users to use the internet telephony revolution goin on... why? So that revenues of Etisalat dont get affected. It has complete monopoly over the market, and moreover the revenues they generate from telephone and internet is phenomenal. Ever checked out the price on a normal DSL line??? Im sure Etisalat will come about soon with an internet telephony option... which ofcourse would be priced at a realy high amount.

The thing that does piss me off was that my family in UAE uses skype out to call me... now will have to find another way...

[ine @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I had the same experience in Palestine.
I believe the telephone/internet operator doesn't want to loose their profit.

[met @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

They've been doing that for all kinds of internet telephony. I think at a time it was even illegal to try and use one. Don't start about the government control. Thats how some 'worlds' are... and there are happy people there too :)

[Trejkaz @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

This is one interesting way to promote SIP, which presumably can't be blocked due to its mostly decentralised nature. :-)

[Hitesh Sawlani @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

They blocked the site, but they cannot block the actual use of Skype. So the solution is for the people to ask someone outside the country to top-up their account. No problem.

[Tytus @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Or just use an annonymous proxy to access the skype.com site and buy credits that way.

I think its time for the people in this country to start a revolution !
Down with the fascist UAE ! ! !

[Dylan Goldblatt @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Etisalat is all about offering less services for higher prices. In fact, very few parts of the UAE receive unproxied internet access--one of those being the local universities which have a government access line as opposed to the limited Etisalat connections. Most other voice over internet functionality is restricted as well. I even had a hell of a time uploading to Flickr in Dubai.

[Steve Mueller @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I was helping Etisalat set up a voice/video chat system (similar to http://www.livve.com) in 2001. They were good people, but wanted to keep their monopoly. I'm guessing it's more about profits than government, but if Etisalat is government-owned, it could be one and the same.

[met @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

If you live there, chances are you might not want to do anything illegal :) unless you really well know that no one can track you.

[Brian Peiris @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I've lived in Dubai, UAE, for about 15 years. Etisalat has always been the only telecommunications company in the UAE and they've been blocking every VoIP service from the minute people started using them.
Apparently they've begun to deregulate the telecoms sector in that region, but one of the main reasons Etisalat is still a monopoly is that they provide the government with 3 billion Dirahms (UAE currency ~ 1 billion US) annually.
The other reason is that etisalat, in conjunction with the government, gets to block anysite they want, which means everything from christianity to pornorgraphy.
Hopefully the deregulation sgoes a little faster (in'sh allah). But other than that and the government's decision to nationalize the wrok force, Dubai is a great place to live... in general.

[riko @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

i live in the uae now. they also recently blocked an international sms site (www.clickatell.com) that i was using. it's all about revenue. very frustrating.

[Tarek @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Being an arab myself, this is no surprise.

[MLI Skypewatcher @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

For those who are interested: It is possible to circumvent Etisalat's censorship using "tunneling" technology. Unfortunately, Etisalat has the keywords "tunnel" and even "privacy" blocked!!

One very nice tunneling program is called Primedius (of COURSE their site is blocked by Etisalat). If you write to them (try [e-mail] or [e-mail]) they can send you info by e-mail.

Don't know if Skype, specifically, will work through a tunnel, but if you can figure it to use a proxy server, it's a pretty safe bet.

Etisalat can block ANYTHING, including the Skype client and Skype's log-in server. Rumors to the contrary are simply untrue. However, with a tunneling service that constantly changes their proxies, as Primedius does, you can generally always stay a few hours of Etisalat's current info and beat their game.

[Andrew Caley @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Skype also blocked in Oman. I wonder whether blocking of such services is a restraint of trade in contravention of WTO agreements.

[sulliman @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

this is etisalat (UAE telecom company), blocking so many sites. monopolistic postion with very high internet costs.
so if someone cannot buy credit from Uae, he can ask a relative or a friend to do it for him from outside Uae, thus, he 'll be able to use skypeout, ha ha !

[Rashed @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Is there anyway that skype provide credit card form in its client application, and transfer these information securely through p2p network to skype network, so people can credit their account securely.. without contacting skype.com directly through the web.

[jim @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

There is a private telecom co. called Sahm http://www.sahm.ae in Dubai and provide full service to freehold properties in Dubai like EMMAR which is also owned by them. They also provide services to government sectors�
Nothing is blocked by them even pornography�.

[wendy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

It is possible to use anonymising software to circumvent the UAE problem which from what has previously been said would seem to indicate the legality is unlikely to be a major issue.

[wendy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

It is possible to use anonymising software to circumvent the UAE problem which from what has previously been said would seem to indicate the legality is unlikely to be a major issue.

[Lorna @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Hi, i'm moving to Doha, Qatar in a month and have installed skype onto mine and my mums computer so i can talk to her, otherwise i won't be able to afford to. does this mean I won't be able to use skype there??

[Hesham @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Yup, VOIP is banned in the UAE, and recently flickr has been added to the list of banned sites. Can't wait to see the new ISP in operation so I can switch...

[skoburn @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Lorna you will be able to use skype with no problem, as long as you make computer to computer calls. Skype out is the one that dosen't work. Actually it works, but you can not buy credit.

[Geoff Bailey @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Does any one know the actual legal position. I.e. is it illegal to use voip or is it just made difficult by Etisalat?

[Suresh @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

The people in the emar properties seem to get a good deal (cheap and uncensored internet). even in Dubai Internet City where i work, there is no censorship. So all you have to do is make friends with any one who lives in the free hold properties or works in DIC or DMC and you r good to go.

[Chas @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I live in the UAE and work for a major comms company. Any attempt by the public to encrypt voice communication (e.g. Skype) or set up a private network (e.g. private walkie-talkies) is punishable, potentially by imprisonment, under UAE law. Etisalat is officially no longer a monopoly but we haven't seen much competition yet. Leaving aside the question of the threat to revenues that Skype would pose, Etisalat may take the view that they are performing a public service by not exposing its customers to the risk of breaking the law - if indeed it is they who are blocking skype.com - NB: If Etisalat were to openly block a site they would do so by refering the user to a "site Blocked" web page. This is not the case with skype.com

[tallal @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

hello guys, i am sorry for bringing such an old topic to the top again but i am going to shift to UAE next week and i am quite interested if i could use skype there? i am a heavy user of skype. around 100 euro is my weekly skype out uses. and it works great for me in USA. yet i am welling to take my Lingo devices with me to Dubai. infact my business is depending on that. i should have USA numbers even when i am in Dubai.
So please if any one in Dubai can help me and tell me if my Skype from www.skype.com and my Lingo from www.lingo.com as well as vonage from www.vonage.com are going to work.
can any one please conferm that. i would be very glad beacause that will have a great impact on business.
thanks

[StuFried @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I've used samnet. It is great. Additionally, the IP connections in Knowledge Village are also wide open.

[StuFried @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

My understanding that VOIP that did not connect to PSTN lines was legal in the UAE, e.g. Free World Dial. Does Etisilat block those as well.

[Maxal @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Even pc-to-pc is not possible by skype now as you won't be able to log in or register. The main skype.com continues to be blocked and even if you succeeds in downloading the programe, it is useless! Damn Etisalat