Connectivity — United Arab Emirates
What travelers need to know about connectivity in United Arab Emirates. What is legal at home can be a serious crime here — each rule links to its official source.
Connectivity in United Arab Emirates: restricted — there are real limits travelers must follow.
Expect WhatsApp and FaceTime voice and video calls to be blocked in the UAE - neither appears on TDRA's list of approved apps, and only licensed operators (Etisalat and du) may carry internet calls. Use an approved app instead: BOTIM, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, Cisco Webex and Slack are all cleared. WhatsApp texting and photo sharing still work; it is only the calling feature that is restricted.
TDRA states that a user of unlicensed VoIP "may be committing a criminal offence", but no specific penalty for an individual traveller is stated on the pages read. The documented practical consequence is technical, not punitive: licensed operators are obliged to block the non-compliant traffic. THE AED 500,000-2,000,000 FINE UNDER ARTICLE 10 OF THE CYBERCRIME LAW DOES NOT ATTACH TO THIS CONDUCT - that article is a different offence requiring intent to commit or conceal a crime, and must not be borrowed into this row.
§ TDRA (Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority) - "Internet Guidelines", including the current list of VoIP applications allowed in the UAE; page footer "Last updated 30/06/2025". Supporting: TDRA FAQs, VOIP section (https://tdra.gov.ae/en/FAQs); UAE Legislation portal, Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021, article 10 (https://uaelegislation.gov.ae/en/legislations/1526).