Living in the UAE often means enjoying sprawling beaches, hot weather, and some of the most amazing architectural prodigies. However, as much as people love Dubai or Abu Dhabi, online censorship is a serious problem. Yes, we know why you want the best VPN for Skype in the UAE.
Much like a boatload of other VoIP services, Skype is on the blacklist. And we all love this app – don’t we? It’s easy to enjoy instant messaging or engage in voice or video calls with our friends, family, or love interests. But if you live in the UAE, that is entirely impossible.
So what can you do? Well, you can use the best VPN to unblock Skype in the United Arab Emirates. Simply connect to a server overseas, download this VoIP app, and enjoy its full capabilities. Warning: not every VPN works in the UAE, so keep reading to find out more about those that do.
Why Is Skype Banned in the United Arab Emirates?
In our recent guide about unblocking WhatsApp in the UAE, we mentioned that this VoIP service’s voice/video call capabilities are blocked. Well, the same applies to Skype, only this time, the entire application won’t work. But why is that?
There are two telecom operators in this country by the name of Du and Etisalat. They developed their proprietary VoIP solutions that people are allowed to use – C’Me and BOTIM. Through these free apps, telecom operators can force additional censorship.
They can read through your messages, spy on your calls, etc. When using Skype, something like this is impossible, as it’s a third-party app from Microsoft. Direct spying is, therefore, impossible, as telecom operators can’t directly go through the app and monitor your chat sessions.
The same applies to Viber and WhatsApp, both of which are end-to-end encrypted VoIP services. That’s why they’re not welcome in the country. With C’Me and BOTIM, Du and Etisalat can fully monitor all your conversations and react to any negative mention of the government or anything similar.
However, it’s not all black. Thousands of people use the best VPN for Skype in the UAE, allowing them to enjoy this practical app without batting an eye. As promised, this is your lucky day because we’ll be giving you not one, not two, but THREE excellent VPNs for this purpose!
Best VPN for Skype in the UAE: These 3 REALLY Work in 2024
Just to make things clearer, we want to tell that we’ll focus on premium services in this article. Very few free VPNs will actually work, and if they do, they often limit your bandwidth and reduce internet speeds, resulting in laggy voice and video calls.
Thus, our selection for today will consist of premium services that aren’t really expensive and even offer a money-back guarantee for your convenience. Here they are:
3000 servers
105 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
8 simultaneous connections
9.4 /10
12000 servers
100 covered countries
45 days money-back guarantee
7 simultaneous connections
9.2 /10
6300 servers
111 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
10 simultaneous connections
9.8 /10
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for accessing and using Skype in the United Arab Emirates.
It’s a provider with the best speeds, on top of which, it offers unlimited monthly traffic. For voice and video calls, it’s a dream come true, packing some serious firepower to last you hours upon hours of online fun with friends.
The service has 3,000 servers in 94 countries, which makes it quite impressive. You can connect to a server in a foreign country in a second and enjoy all your online freedom. We’re talking about exquisite streaming capabilities coupled with P2P optimization that’s above any other provider.
What’s more, ExpressVPN’s security is impenetrable. Having AES-256 encryption is a must in the UAE, and so is a kill switch, split tunneling, and a modern protocol like Lightway. ExpressVPN also possesses IP and DNS leak protection, making sure your private info never leaks to the public eye.
What about a no-logging policy? You got it! ExpressVPN stores absolutely no logs, so even if its RAM-based servers are compromised, hackers or the authorities are getting nothing out of them – none – null! Even better is that the provider is very user-friendly, in spite of its marvelous security architecture.
It works on all devices and platforms, making it easy to use on Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, or macOS. You can use this VPN for Skype in the UAE on up to 5 devices at the same time, with apps sporting all of the aforementioned cutting-edge features. Mobile users also get to block malicious sites – a nice add-on.
Finally, ExpressVPN offers a 49% discount for its annual plan, with 3 free months on top. There’s a 30-day refund policy for all of its plans, plus 24/7 live chat support. If you want a refund, contact the support team and it’ll refund you at the same moment, so everything is risk-free.
Unblock Skype in the UAE With ExpressVPN
Pros
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS
- It works flawlessly in the UAE
- No-logging policy
- 3 free months for the annual plan
Con
- It could be slightly more affordable
2. CyberGhost
CyberGhost uses no obfuscation, so it’s a poor option to use in China or Iran. On the other hand, while it can’t unblock WhatsApp in Iran, it can do so in the United Arab Emirates. Yes, it’s a great VPN for Skype in the UAE and as we speak, it works perfectly fine in this marvelous country.
Aside from 9,500+ servers worldwide, CyberGhost is known for impressive performance and optimization for streaming and torrenting. Its special P2P/streaming servers do an amazing job at these activities, which is why it’s so popular around the planet.
Even if you’re outside of the UAE, it has servers in this country, so you can get an IP from it. Not only that but the provider uses the WireGuard protocol, which provides short connection times with above-average connection stability. Its apps also offer a kill switch and IPv6 leak protection.
This is even better with the presence of an ad blocker that you can find on the Windows version. For Skype, this VPN is tremendous. With one click on the server you want, you can unblock Skype in the UAE and enjoy unlimited traffic with 10+ Gbps servers, resulting in the best-quality calls.
In addition, CyberGhost’s zero-log policy is verified by Deloitte and backed by several transparency reports throughout the year. This makes the provider extremely safe and secure, with no possibility of ever leaking your personal data. By the way, it offers 7 concurrent connections – more than ExpressVPN.
Price-wise, it’s a lot cheaper than its rivals. As the icing on the cake, there’s a 45-day money-back guarantee for all long-term plans too. Check out its latest and greatest deal through the button below and get CyberGhost for as low as ~$2 or so a month.
Use Skype Freely in the UAE With CyberGhost
Pros
- 9,500+ servers (many in the UAE)
- Third-party audit by Deloitte
- 7 simultaneous connections
- Cheap 2-year plan with a 45-day refund policy
Con
- No obfuscation
3. NordVPN
NordVPN offers obfuscated servers that allow it to work in the majority of censored countries. It’s among the best VPNs that work on Skype in the UAE, offering no traffic limits for unlimited Skype calls. In addition, the provider has easy-to-use apps, making it beginner-friendly.
We tested NordVPN in the UAE (Dubai to be precise) personally and can confirm it works even without obfuscated servers. Just connect to one of the 5,500+ of them and enjoy Skype without limits. Its NordLynx protocol is particularly great, as it’s based on WireGuard for the best performance.
Moreover, NordVPN packs a ton of exceptional features. One of them is a Double VPN that’ll route your traffic through two servers and double your encryption. Then, you get Onion over VPN servers for Tor, while many users enjoy P2P servers for downloading torrents in the UAE or abroad.
We should also mention NordVPN’s bank-grade encryption along with features like an advanced kill switch, DNS leak protection, split tunneling, and Threat Protection. The latter is the most impressive, as it includes an ad blocker, antivirus, and anti-malware.
The provider has a no-logging policy too, with audits from PwC and Deloitte. As a result, it’s really one of the safest VPNs your money can buy. NordVPN even offers Dark Web Monitor, which will help you save your compromised emails/passwords from breaching.
Its only downside is the presence of value-added taxes in some countries, which can go up to 25%. However, NordVPN is still more than affordable and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for all new subscribers. Why the wait? Try it out and enjoy a reliable VPN for making Skype calls when you’re in the UAE.
Enjoy Skype Calls With NordVPN
Pros
- Antivirus and anti-malware are included
- NordLynx security protocol
- Some of the fastest speeds
- AES-256 encryption
Cons
- Security breach in 2018
- Expensive 1-month plan
Best Free VPNs for Skype in the UAE: Do They Work?
We already said that we’ll focus on premium providers in this article. But for those of you willing to save some money, let’s quickly go over free VPNs. If you want a short version, we don’t recommend them. A longer version would be that they actually work. Yes. They do… some of them.
Those that do aren’t the best for Skype due to other limits in terms of bandwidth, performance, and security, which is something you don’t want in a country like this. Still, if you’re willing to make a bet, you can try these two providers:
Atlas VPN
Atlas VPN is a safe VPN with a no-logs policy that’ll keep you anonymous online. With servers in the Netherlands and the US, it’ll be a good VPN for Skype in the UAE. But that’s not for long, as it limits you to just 5 GB of bandwidth a month, which is super annoying.
One moment, you’ll be enjoying a video call, while the next moment, you’ll run out of bandwidth and be disconnected. Atlas VPN is fast and that’s great but only if you use Skype from time to time.
If you’re a frequent Skype user, you’re in for a grave disappointment. The same applies if you’re looking for a free VPN that can help you make WhatsApp calls when you’re in Dubai.
ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN’s impressive security and privacy are combined with unlimited bandwidth for one of the top free VPNs on the market. Its premium plan is a bit expensive, though, but the free version comes with impressive security features and the ability to work in the UAE.
Its servers in the Netherlands, the US, and Japan can unblock Skype in Dubai and the UAE. On the other hand, it’s really slow and won’t work for streaming or torrenting. More issues include the lack of simultaneous connections, connection instabilities, and a limited server fleet.
We tested it and saw that our audio and video calls tend to lag frequently, with annoying disconnects when latency hits the ceiling. So yeah, ProtonVPN and Atlas VPN aren’t really your best choices for this scenario.
Summary
Having explained everything, we think we can all agree on the best VPN for unblocking and using Skype in the UAE.
That would be ExpressVPN, with its fastest speeds, impeccable security, and other amazing features. Make no mistake – CyberGhost and NordVPN are more than great as well.
They’re cheaper, with the ability to unblock Skype, WhatsApp, and even Viber in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Conversely, these 3 are also the best VPNs for the UAE, so they’re great for many other purposes. They include streaming, torrenting, freedom of speech, saving money on flights, and so much more.
