Most applications using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services – free internet-to-internet voice and video calls – have been blocked in the United Arab Emirates for years, angering many particularly since the start of the pandemic. On Wednesday Reuters found people were able to make and take voice calls using WhatsApp and Skype from the Expo site, which will open to businesses and other exhibitors from almost 200 countries on Friday. On Wednesday, the internet services appeared to cut off again outside the site. The block on calls using the popular WhatsApp, FaceTime and Skype applications has particularly galled UAE residents who were separated from families and friends by restrictions during the pandemic. Expo 2020 Dubai, the first world fair to be held in the Middle East, was delayed for a year by the pandemic.
