Thousands of iPhone users across the country are breaking the law by using Skype because the telecoms regulator has banned the popular free-calling software for Apple's hand-held devices.
The ban, which the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) issued in 2006, remains in place even though the Skype application is freely available on Apple's iTunes store in the UAE and will work on iPhones connected to Etisalat or du services. The application has been available for download to iPhone and iPod Touch devices since last April.
The TRA has said: "If a third party application, such as Skype, is available for download from iTunes or any other website, it does not mean that it's legal to use. Furthermore, the licensees have the right to block the illegal traffic of the application."
Access to the Skype website for downloading of the application to computers has been blocked by the TRA since 2006.
The regulator says the software program provider is a telecoms operator and therefore needs a licence to carry phone calls in the UAE. Last month, Skype was updated to allow its users the ability to make calls over a 3G mobile network including those operated by Etisalat and du.
Rouzbeh Pasha, the head of Skype for the Middle East and Africa, said the only way the iPhone application would not be available in the UAE was if the regulator said no one in the country could have access to the iTunes store.
"As long as the App Store is available, Skype and other applications will be there as well," Mr Pasha said. "This is part of the [Skype's] ecosystem. Soon you'll have Panasonic and Sony television sets that will have Skype built in."
The Emirates remains one of only four countries that do not allow Skype software to be downloaded and block access to the company's website. North Korea, Oman and Kuwait are the others. Lebanon is also considering a ban.
The TRA says Etisalat and du "are required to block access to certain unacceptable content including unlicensed, and therefore illegal, VoIP services".
Etisalat and du declined to comment.
Officials from du have previously said they were in discussions with Skype to use the application on du's devices. A representative from Skype said the company was in talks with "several Middle Eastern operators" about service.
The research firm IDC said that 31,526 iPhones were sold in the UAE last year.
Skype is expected soon to announce the opening of its first office in the Middle East, giving the company a permanent presence in the region and allowing it to lobby regulators and operators to allow its service to be used by their customers.
@Email:dgeorgecosh@thenational.ae
Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
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What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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THE%20SPECS
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CONCRETE COWBOY
Directed by: Ricky Staub
Starring: Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome
3.5/5 stars