Many WhatsApp users in the UAE on Thursday have expressed their delight at being able to make phone calls and video calls through the app, a feature that was previously not working. There has been no official statement from either the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority in the UAE or WhatsApp. Even telecom operators Etisalat, Du and the new entrant Virgin Mobile, have not released a statement yet about the recent development.
Some users told Review Central that they could make calls without problem: “Yes, I was able to make a call to my parents in India. The call quality was very good and we did not encounter any glitches ,” said a banker working in Dubai, UAE. All people Review Central reached out to were positive that the WhatsApp calling feature indeed worked.
Since Thursday morning, this topic was trending on Twitter. One person tweeted: “I’m video calling EVERYONE on WhatsApp.”, while another posted “No more trolling United Arab Emirates. Whatsapp Audio & Video Calling for Emirates now active!”.
The calling feature was welcomed last year when it was made available on users’ devices, even though WhatsApp had said it would not be available in all countries “due to local laws and regulations.” Many WhatsApp users complained that the feature was not available in the UAE.
