WhatsApp is a great messaging tool allowing you to call friends and family around the world. Well, that is unless the app is blocked in the country you are located in. Unfortunately, Dubai is one of the regions where the internet laws are strict and censorship is imposed on the app. This means you cannot use it in the country. So, what is the best VPN in Dubai to unblock the restrictions and make calls?
We are focusing primarily here on how to make calls in the country using the popular messaging app, but you can check out our article about the top 3 best VPNs for the UAE overall.
Why is WhatsApp Banned?
The country is well known for enforcing harsh restrictions on what you can and cannot do on the internet and the messaging app is by no means the only app to be blocked. In fact, many VoIP services are on the restricted list.
VoIP apps are a great way of keeping in touch with friends and family and so, they would be ideal when traveling. However, it does not matter whether you live in the country or you are visiting it, as you cannot use them.
So, why are they banned? The ban on VoIP’s is placed, as the government does not want people to use them instead of using the calling services offered by Du and Etisalat. These are the two ISPs in the country.
In other words, if you want to do something online and the government does not like it, they have the two ISP’s block access.
Other reasons for the restrictions include the government being worried about hacking and phishing attempts using Voice over Protocol services.
How Are Restrictions Enforced?
This leads to the question of how internet laws are enforced. This is easy, as ISPs know what you do online. They can see every site you visit, what you download, the emails you send, and more.
They know what you are doing online and they can trace you through your IP address. Each device has its own unique IP address that can be identified back to you.
Therefore, restrictions are enforced on WhatsApp to try to get you to use alternative apps from the providers such as BOTIM or C’Me. That is unless you use one of the best VPN in Dubai to overcome censorship.
If you have no idea what this is, you should continue reading.
What is a VPN?
A VPN is short for Virtual Private Network and one of its uses is for overcoming censorship. However, this is not the only use by any means.
A Virtual Private Network is also used to:
- Overcome geo-restrictions.
- Help you to remain secure while browsing.
- Allow you to torrent without the ISP finding out.
- Make savings online.
- Remain totally anonymous for freedom of speech.
- Access online games banned in the country.
There are free and paid providers out there. However, when in Dubai or other cities in the United Arab Emirates and want to make calls using VoIP, it is important to bear in mind that using a free VPN on your Android device won’t work there.
Free VPNs do not have what it takes to overcome censorship in countries with strict internet laws, but the top paid providers do.
How to Use the Best VPNs in Dubai to Make Calls?
To overcome censorship just follow the steps below.
- Choose a provider and sign up for a plan. In this case, we recommend that you use ExpressVPN.
- Decide what apps you need to download and download them to the devices.
- Launch the app on your device.
- Sign in using your credentials.
- Choose a server outside the UAE.
- Use the app or visit the websites to call friends and family.
So, now let’s move on to providers, and here are three of the best you might want to consider. All of whom have the ability to beat censorship and more.
Best VPN Providers to Use in Dubai
All of the providers we have chosen are paid providers. As mentioned before, there are many risks with free ones. They do not offer the same level of service, nor do they have the ability to overcome strict internet laws and unblock restrictions imposed.
So, without further ado, here are our top picks:
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is our first choice to overcome censorship in Dubai and the rest of the cities in the United Arab Emirates.
If you want to make WhatsApp calls in the UAE, ExpressVPN is the ideal provider, offering military-grade encryption that can overcome even the strictest internet laws. The provider has a strict no-logging policy so you can be sure your data remains anonymous.
Servers are reliable with, 3,000+ of them spread out around the world, and the provider includes numerous security measures such as leak protection and Kill Switch.
You can make big savings of 49% on yearly plans and you get three months free of charge thrown in.
Finally, ExpressVPN offers a 30-day no-quibble money-back guarantee and a great level of customer support, including live chat, email, and help pages.
- Greatest speeds
- Can unblock anything
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Easy-to-use application
- 3,000+ servers in 94 countries
- No-log policy
- Very reactive client support
- Expensive solution
Overcome censorship in Dubai with ExpressVPN now >
2. NordVPN
NordVPN also makes a good choice of provider for using in the UAE to overcome blocks put into place by DU and Etisalat, the two ISPs.
The provider has strong anti-censorship and privacy features including 256-bit AES military-grade encryption.
NordVPN offers access to 5,600 servers so you can appear to be located anywhere in the world. The provider also offers double VPN. This allows you to connect to two servers to double the security and encryption.
- Double VPN
- Strong security
- Lots of servers
- Company based in Panama
- Servers optimized for P2P
- Great interface
- No payment through PayPal
- Expensive short-term plans
Get NordVPNs privacy features now >
3. CyberGhost
Finally, CyberGhost is also among the best VPN in Dubai to unblock WhatsApp calls.
The provider offers pre-set configurations to make overcoming censorship easy. CyberGhost uses strong encryption protocols including OpenVPN and access to thousands of worldwide servers.
Moreover, this VPN easily allows you to bypass censorship and geo-restrictions in the United Arab Emirates, offering an automatic Kill Switch, DNS, and IP leak protection, plus a strict no-logs policy.
Plans come with unlimited bandwidth and speed, and the provider supports a wide range of apps for different devices.
CyberGhost offers a 45-day money-back guarantee and help is available 24/7 via live chat and email.
- 45-day money-back guarantee
- 7 simultaneous connections
- Servers for P2P and streaming
- 7,000+ servers
- Ad-blocker included
- Doesn’t work in China/Turkey
- 1-month deal is expensive
Use WhatsApp in Dubai with CyberGhost now >
A professional writer with a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. Since his youngest age, he loves everything related to internet, technology, fitness, games, and dogs! He joined our team in order to bring his deep knowledge in security services, among which VPN is of course a key component.
