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In the UAE, WhatsApp and Telegram messages send as usual, but voice and video calls don't connect. It's not an outage or a phone problem. Internet calling in the country may only be provided by a licensed provider, and the carriers e& (formerly Etisalat) and du cut the VoIP traffic of unapproved apps. It has been this way since March 2015: back then Etisalat blocked WhatsApp calls a few hours after they launched, and the regulator TRA (now TDRA) stated that VoIP remains the prerogative of licensed operators.
Yandex suggestions keep showing queries like "does whatsapp work in dubai", "does telegram work in the uae" and "is vpn banned in dubai". Below are answers to all three.
WhatsApp messages, photos, documents and voice messages work in Dubai. Voice and video calls don't: they either don't connect or drop after a few seconds. The restriction is the same on e& and du mobile internet, on home fiber and on Wi-Fi in a hotel or cafe.
In June 2017 users noticed that WhatsApp calls had suddenly started working, but the regulator immediately clarified: the VoIP policy hadn't changed, and such services must operate within the existing regulation. There was a similar story with FaceTime: in October 2021 calls briefly went through (Gulf News, 10.10.2021), but no official permission ever followed.
| Service | Messages | Calls on the local network |
|---|---|---|
| Work | Blocked | |
| FaceTime (audio and video) | No messaging feature | Blocked |
| Telegram | Work | Blocked |
| Viber, Line | Work | Blocked |
| BOTIM, GoChat, Voico, C'Me | Work | Work (licensed) |
| Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex | Work | Work (approved by TDRA) |
| Regular cellular call and SMS | Yes | Yes |
A separate note on Skype: Microsoft shut down the consumer version on May 5, 2025, so the question "does Skype work in the UAE" is no longer relevant.
The reason is licensing, not censorship of messages. In the UAE, VoIP is a regulated activity, and internet calls can only be offered through licensed operators, that is, e& and du. Apps that haven't reached agreements with the operators and haven't passed TDRA approval must be filtered by the operators at the network level.
That's why "reinstalling the app", switching Wi-Fi or calling through WhatsApp Web don't help: the filter sits in the network, not on the phone.
You can legally call over the internet in apps approved by TDRA. According to the Gulf News list (updated September 9, 2024), there are 15 services: BOTIM, GoChat Messenger, Voico, Comera, Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business, Zoom, Blackboard, Google Meet, Cisco Webex, Avaya Spaces, BlueJeans, Slack, Etisalat Cloud Talk Meeting and Matrx.
Practical nuances:
The status of individual services changes. If you're moving for a long time, check against the TDRA list rather than advice in chats.
Sometimes it does, but there are no guarantees. With regular roaming on a SIM card from home, mobile data often goes through your home carrier's network. The block in the UAE works inside the local network, so such traffic may bypass it. Many travel eSIMs work the same way.
But there are three caveats:
If you need to call urgently, regular cellular service always works. For a long stay, a local e& or du SIM card is more convenient: you can add the Internet Calling Plan to it.
A VPN as such is not banned in the UAE, but using it to bypass restrictions is risky. The key provision is Article 10 of Federal Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 on Combating Rumours and Cybercrimes. It punishes using a fraudulent or someone else's IP address to commit a crime or prevent its discovery: a fine of 500,000 to 2,000,000 dirhams and/or imprisonment. The UAE Public Prosecution issued a reminder about this on December 23, 2024 (Gulf News).
What's important to understand:
So for calls in the UAE we recommend approved apps first. A VPN here should be seen as a tool for protecting your data, not as a way to get around the country's regulation.
The main legitimate task is protection on public networks. Wi-Fi at an airport, hotel or mall is shared by hundreds of people, and a VPN encrypts the traffic between your phone and the server. More on the risks: security on public Wi-Fi.
The second task appears after you return. In Russia, WhatsApp and Telegram calls are restricted, and you'll need the same VPN at home: VPN for WhatsApp and VPN for Telegram. On the legal side in Russia: is a VPN legal in Russia in 2026.
BessyConnect runs on the VLESS protocol with Reality camouflage: to filters the connection looks like ordinary HTTPS, so the tunnel holds where regular protocols are cut. There are more than 100 servers, no logs, registration isn't required, there's no device limit, and there's a trial period. One subscription covers the whole family's phones, laptops and tablets on the trip.
The app isn't in the Russian App Store: to install it on iPhone you need an Apple ID from another country. Do this at home, not in the hotel.
Honestly about the limits. A VPN doesn't make calls legal where local regulation prohibits them, and doesn't remove your legal risks in the UAE. It won't help if the whole internet is shut off, doesn't change your app store region and doesn't solve problems with paying by Russian cards. If you need to call from Dubai without risk, use BOTIM, Zoom or Teams.
If your relatives aren't ready to install BOTIM, look at alternatives to WhatsApp and Telegram: some of them may already be on your family's phones.
Does WhatsApp work in Dubai? Yes, messages, photos and voice messages work. WhatsApp voice and video calls are blocked on e& and du networks and on Wi-Fi.
Does FaceTime work in the UAE? No, FaceTime audio and video calls are blocked on UAE networks. The short periods when they went through, as in October 2021, were not official permission.
Does Telegram work in the UAE? Messaging and channels work; Telegram calls are blocked just like in WhatsApp.
Can you make calls through a VPN in the UAE? Technically it's possible, but legally risky. Article 10 of Decree-Law No. 34 of 2021 provides for a fine of up to 2 million dirhams for using a fraudulent IP address for an offense, and lawyers consider bypassing the calling ban a violation of TDRA rules.
How do I call relatives in Russia from Dubai? The legal options are BOTIM, Zoom, Microsoft Teams and a regular cellular call. BOTIM requires an Internet Calling Plan subscription from e& or du, and the person you call needs to install the same app.
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