Internet calls in UAE: 17 VoIP apps that are legally allowed

The UAE has the fastest mobile Internet speed in the world and its quality is the third best globally. Both these are the perfect ingredients for seamless Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls. However, there are several rules that govern the use of Internet calling in the country.

The UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) defines VoIP services as those that “allow the transmitting, receiving, delivering and routing of voice telecommunications by means of Internet Protocol (IP)”.

Anyone using VoIP calls illegally "may be committing a criminal offence", according to the TDRA. "If the service is not provided by a licensee or approved by TDRA, the authority urges you not to use such software/application as you are legally liable for such action, and the licensees have the right to and most probably will block your illegal traffic," the TDRA says on its website.

This means that Etisalat and du are obliged to block the traffic of illegal VoIP applications "as it falls under the prohibited content category of illegal communication services".

Below are 17 of the VoIP applications that are currently allowed in the UAE, according to the latest updates posted by the TDRA:

1. Microsoft Teams

2. Skype for Business

3. Zoom

4. Blackboard

5. Google Hangouts Meet

6. Cisco Webex

7. Avaya Spaces

8. BlueJeans

9. Slack

10. BOTIM

11. C ME

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