Skype blocked completely in the UAE

Popular internet video calling service Skype has been banned in UAE. The UAE’s telecoms regulator (TRA) has confirmed that voice over IP (VoIP) calling services have been blocked completely.

That means Skype has now fallen the way of other services like FaceTime on iPhone, Viber and – in some cases – WhatsApp Calling. Why has Skype now been banned? Well, the TRA has repeatedly held the line that all VoIP services in the UAE must conform to a very strict set of policies, and as it stands only the services provided by the country’s main telecoms operators (du and Etisalat) adhere to the regulations.