WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion users globally. In recent years, WhatsApp has introduced voice and video calling features which have become immensely popular for users to communicate with their friends and family.
However, there has been some confusion around whether WhatsApp calls are banned or restricted in certain countries in the Middle East region. In this article, we will analyze if WhatsApp calls are actually banned in the Middle East, which countries have restrictions, the reasons behind it, and the workarounds people use.
Summary of WhatsApp call restrictions in Middle East
Here is a quick summary of WhatsApp call restrictions in major Middle Eastern countries:
- United Arab Emirates – WhatsApp calls are blocked
- Saudi Arabia – WhatsApp calls are blocked
- Qatar – WhatsApp calls are blocked
- Oman – WhatsApp calls are blocked
- Kuwait – WhatsApp calls are partially blocked
- Bahrain – WhatsApp calls are partially blocked
- Iran – WhatsApp is blocked entirely
- Iraq – No restrictions on WhatsApp calls
- Israel – No restrictions on WhatsApp calls
- Jordan – No restrictions on WhatsApp calls
- Lebanon – No restrictions on WhatsApp calls
As we can see, while WhatsApp call services are restricted in many major countries in the Gulf region, they are freely permitted in other parts of the Middle East like Israel, Jordan and Lebanon.
Why are WhatsApp calls banned in some Middle Eastern countries?
There are a few key reasons why popular voice over IP (VoIP) apps like WhatsApp, FaceTime, Skype are banned or restricted in some Middle Eastern countries:
- Revenue loss for telecom operators: WhatsApp calls allow users to make voice and video calls over the internet, bypassing traditional call routes. This causes a major revenue loss for state-owned telecom operators in these countries.
- Security and censorship: Some Middle Eastern governments want to restrict WhatsApp calls as they are difficult to monitor and censor. Blocking WhatsApp calls allows them greater control over communications.
- Protect local economy: Countries also want to protect and promote their own local telecom and tech companies by discouraging use of foreign apps like WhatsApp.
- Compliance with local laws: VoIP apps sometimes do not comply with local telecom regulations regarding licensing and data privacy. Blocking them allows countries to enforce their own laws.
Detailed analysis of WhatsApp call ban in major Middle Eastern countries
United Arab Emirates
In the UAE, WhatsApp voice and video calling features are completely blocked and do not work. Only WhatsApp text messages are permitted. The block has been in effect since 2017.
UAE’s Telecom Regulatory Authority decided to ban WhatsApp calls to protect the revenues of the country’s telecom providers Etisalat and Du. These two operators have a monopoly over the UAE telecom market and still charge high rates for international calls. The regulators argued that allowing free WhatsApp calls would cause major financial losses to these operators.
The UAE also adheres to strict cybersecurity laws that require VoIP apps to route their calls through licensed servers in the country. WhatsApp did not comply, leading to the ban.
Saudi Arabia
Just like UAE, Saudi Arabia has had a complete ban on WhatsApp voice and video calls since 2017.
The Saudi telecom authority requested WhatsApp to route calls through a Saudi-regulated server in the country, but WhatsApp refused leading to a permanent ban. The block is implemented through sophisticated network filtering systems.
Saudi also wanted to promote its own locally developed VoIP apps like Cello and HiU Messenger. Banning WhatsApp calls has helped these apps gain market share in the country.
Qatar
In Qatar, WhatsApp voice and video calling are blocked across the state-owned telecom operator Ooredoo’s network which has a majority market share. However, these calls work on the network of the other operator Vodafone Qatar.
The block was implemented in 2017 at the request of Ooredoo. The operator faces stiff competition from VoIP apps and wanted to maintain its revenue streams from traditional international calls.
Interestingly, Qatar has not banned all VoIP apps. For instance, apps like Skype, FaceTime and Botim work freely across networks. Only WhatsApp calls face restrictions.
Oman
Oman imposes a similar ban on WhatsApp calls like UAE and Saudi Arabia. Only text messages are allowed while voice and video calls are filtered.
The restriction was put in place since 2017 to protect the state-run telecom operator Omantel from competition. Omantel charges high rates for international calls which are undercut by WhatsApp.
Kuwait
In Kuwait, there is no complete block on WhatsApp calls, but the quality is very degraded making calls mostly unusable.
Kuwait implements bandwidth throttling on WhatsApp Voice over IP servers. This makes the call quality on WhatsApp very poor, while allowing users to atleast place a WhatsApp call, albeit with great difficulty.
Bahrain
Similar to Kuwait, Bahrain also does not completely block WhatsApp calls but the call quality is severely degraded due to bandwidth throttling policies of the internet service providers.
Users also complain of frequent call drops and inability to place WhatsApp calls in Bahrain due to the poor quality.
Iran
Iran has taken the most extreme stance and blocked access to entire WhatsApp application since 2018. The app is filtered through DNS blocking and other methods.
Iran imposes a near-total ban on major Western tech companies like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp due to political reasons and strict internet censorship regulations.
People in Iran rely on illegal VPN connections to bypass the firewall and use WhatsApp. However, the connections are slow and unreliable.
Workarounds used by citizens to make WhatsApp calls
Despite the restrictions imposed by some Middle Eastern countries, their citizens have found innovative workarounds to use WhatsApp call services:
- Using virtual private network (VPN) apps to bypass network filtering of WhatsApp calls.
- Accessing WhatsApp over Wi-Fi internet to avoid carrier-enforced bans.
- Using Business or Enterprise versions of WhatsApp which may have fewer restrictions.
- Downloading foreign SIM cards while travelling abroad and using WhatsApp on them.
- Using alternative calling apps like FaceTime, Skype, Viber which may not be banned.
- Subscribing to international calling plans from telecom operators.
People living under restrictive regimes have always found ways to bypass government censorship. However, these workarounds eventually get blocked once authorities find out about them. Then citizens have to constantly innovate new solutions.
Conclusion
In summary, WhatsApp calls are currently banned or degraded in many major Middle Eastern countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. The reasons range from protecting telecom revenue to enforcing local laws and censorship.
However, people in these countries use clever workarounds like VPNs and foreign SIM cards to access WhatsApp services. The cat-and-mouse game between governments wanting to restrict apps and citizens wanting to access them continues.
So in most of the Middle East, using WhatsApp calls is difficult but not impossible. Where there is a will, there is a way around government-imposed bans!