Saudi Arabia is lifting a ban on voice and video calling apps such as WhatsApp and Skype, in a move aimed at boosting productivity and economic growth. The ministry of communications said access to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) would be “widely available to users” from Wednesday. It had previously blocked VoIP apps for failing to comply with “regulations”.
The announcement comes only days after Snapchat blocked Al Jazeera from its app in the conservative Gulf kingdom. Saudi officials accused the Qatar-based network of being a “harmful, propaganda-pushing channel that supports extremism”.
