Passengers already in Dubai and in transit will continue to be processed for their flights, the airlines said
Some smartphone users in the UAE have been able to make phone calls using WhatsApp, Skype and other internet apps, news agency Reuters reported on Wednesday.
Listen to this story and more on the 8@8 with David Light podcast
When Khaleej Times journalists tried to verify this claim, they, too, were able to effortlessly make a phone call on WhatsApp. The voice quality, too, was clear.
Phone calls via Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services are banned in the country, and residents are required to use paid apps such as Botim to make internet phone calls.
Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Skype for Businesses, however, have been made available for use to enable remote work and learning.
Talks are under way to lift the ban off some VoIP services like WhatsApp and Facetime in the UAE, the cyber security head of the UAE government had revealed earlier.
Speaking on the sidelines of the GCC cyber-security conference and exhibition in December last year, Mohammed Al Kuwaiti, the cyber-security head of the UAE government, said WhatsApp had been unlocked for a limited time for test usage.
Al Kuwaiti pointed out that there remain some regulations that need to be considered and the authorities were working on it. Specific details about these regulations are yet to be disclosed.
Passengers already in Dubai and in transit will continue to be processed for their flights, the airlines said
The airline also suspended flights to Iran amid reports of an Israeli strike
Expect fair to partly cloudy conditions today with chances of fog and mist formation in some areas
Iran fired air defense batteries after reports of explosions near a major airbase at the city of Isfahan
Other requests include residents seeking assistance with cleaning mud accumulation, restoring damaged furniture
Many students wade through waist-deep water to head to neighbour's house for online classes
With 30% of their inventory damaged, owners of Preloved Books now face the daunting task of rebuilding from scratch
Some doctors are already seeing more patients coming in with fever, diarrhoea, and dysentery