Update 19th April 2017: A VPN still allows you to access restricted websites and still be anonymous in Dubai.
Summary: If you live in or travel to Dubai, you may encounter some blocks to internet content and your online activity could be supervised. The UAE’s has various censorship laws, which blocks some internet content, including Skype, Flickr, porn, and torrenting, and gives the government the right to monitor your activity.
The easiest and simplest way to get around these content blocks and protect your privacy is with a VPN. A VPN allows you to log in to a server in another country, thereby avoiding the content restrictions in Dubai. As an added bonus, a VPN will also encrypt your data so your personal information and browsing habits are protected from prying eyes.
We tested 42 VPNs that were available in Dubai (many are blocked) and the best VPN for avoiding content blocks and protecting your personal information is Express VPN. It has the best combination of fast server speeds, personal data encryption, and access to content in the US, UK, and the rest of the world.
To unblock restricted content in Dubai and protect your personal information, get Express VPN now.
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Why Is My Access Limited?
Dubai is a part of the United Arab Emirates, which is subject to the nation’s very strict internet censorship laws. A great deal of content is blocked, including, but certainly not limited to:
- pornography
- SIP services, such as Skype
- Social networking and dating sites, including Match.com
- all Israeli domains
- anything not fitting with the moral values of the country
- politically sensitive material
Unfortunately, the list goes on. With the government’s cast-iron grip on internet content, you may have a difficult time accessing the websites you’re accustomed to.
Sign up for a VPN before travelling to Dubai to ensure that none of your access is ever limited, and that your activity is always anonymous and private.
What is a VPN?
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of a VPN, it stands for Virtual Private Network.
Basically what it does is provide you with a private way to browse, while simultaneously getting you through content blocks by routing your connection through a host company’s servers.
In turn, this company will encrypt all of your data, protecting you from things like identity theft.
They even block your IP address – that’s the little code in your device that tells servers your location information.
If you’re concerned with protecting your privacy, and want to maintain contact through services like Skype or Yahoo!
Personals while travelling in Dubai, consider signing up for a VPN through one of these companies.
3 Best VPNs for Dubai
Not all VPNs are the same. Here are the top 3 VPN providers and what you can expect from them.
#1 Choice: ExpressVPN – 9.5/10 (Voted Best VPN for Dubai & UAE)
Express VPN has the best all-around customer service on the market, so if you’re new to the idea of VPNs, there’s nothing to worry about.
Their 24/7 customer support team will answer all of your questions through live chat or e-mail in less than 30 minutes.
Plus, with their user-friendly software, even beginners can use their VPNs with ease. Additionally, they have a 30 day money back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose.
If you decide it’s amazing and tell all your friends, make sure they put you down as a reference. That way you and your friends both get a month of free service.
If you use an arsenal of gadgets, Express VPN will work on them all, and can even be used on more than one device at a time.
In addition, their excellent encryption and super-fast connection speed means that your information is always secure, and videos will always play seamlessly.
If you’re planning on travelling to Dubai, make sure you sign up for a package with Express VPN before you board your flight.
#2: HideMyAss – 7.5/10 (Good enough if ExpressVPN isn’t available)
HideMyAss is another really good VPN, with the only exception to the quality of their service being that you may wait a little longer for a customer service response compared to Express VPN. Their staff, is always available to help via live chat or e-mail.
They also offer a 30-day money back guarantee, however there is no referral program with this company. You can also use their service on everything from tablets to iPhones, and on more than one device at a time.
With their connection speed, high bandwidth services like Hulu and Netflix will always have seamless playback. The encryption available with HideMyAss is lower than Express VPN’s, but will still provide your data with protection.
What really gave HideMyAss their 7.5 out of 10 is their massive network of servers. With locations in 151 countries all over the world, chances are you can use their VPN software the next time you travel to Dubai.
If you want to check them out, you can find HideMyAss here.
#3: VyprVPN – 5/10 (Use only if the top 2 are not available)
VyprVPN has a unique encryption team. They actually write all of their own software, so your information never passes through a third party for encryption, giving you added security and peace of mind.
However, they really lack in their connection speed and reliability. Unlike Express VPN or HideMyAss, this isn’t the best service for people who use streaming services, or even communication tools like Skype. You may experience a bad connection, or choppy video playback.
Like Express VPN, they have customer service reps on staff to answer your questions 24/7, though many users have complained of long wait times. In addition, they don’t offer any kind of money back guarantee or referral program, so be certain before purchasing a plan with them.
Their service does work on all of your devices, but their very limited number of servers may hinder your ability to even access their plans in the first place. I would recommend trying Express VPN or HideMyAss first.
You can find VyprVPN here.
Conclusion: Use Express VPN for Fast, Unlimited Access
Being a part of the United Arab Emirates, Dubai has some very strict internet censorship laws. In addition to blocking politically sensitive content, they also restrict access to a large number of web pages that are not fitting with the moral standards of the nation.
If you’re a foreigner visiting the country, these restrictions may come as a bit of a culture shock. At some point in your online travels, you’ll run into the infamous du block page, as you unknowingly attempt to access restricted content.
If this isn’t how you want to spend you trip, look into signing up for a VPN before crossing the borders to this country. Not only can you use it to get around these restrictions, but you’ll receive the added bonus of protecting your anonymity, and safeguarding your information.
For the best VPN for Dubai get Express VPN now.
Hello Jen,
Hope you can help me…I have a friend working in Dubai (Suadi). She got the job through an agency. She applied as a nurse and when she arrived there, she had trouble with her VISA, it now turns out that she is there as a teacher (which she is not at all). Now she is blocked on their system and can’t get a VISA. Can you help? What can we do?
Angela you would need to speak with a lawyer about this.
It seems tht every vpn has been restricted in uae and if we use this they might take a particular action towards it. So wat ever vpn u have talked about is safe or not for viber,whatsappcall etc
Hey Savith,
So Dubai is a special situation in that they banned VPNs in the country. We believe these are the Best VPNs for the country at the time being with that in consideration, but each user has to weigh the benefits and costs for themselves.
Hope this helps,
Best,
Lyndon
If I open match.com with hidemyass…How long would I be on the sites. Whenever I use Vpn to sign up on the site, they block me after few day. I will be getting email notifications but I can’t log in to the site. Any help suggestion would be helpful and very much appreciated. Thanks
Hello Anthony,
I’m afraid I’m not certain enough about your problem in order to properly solve it. It could very well be an issue with Match, and it might be prudent to contact their customer service to find your answer. Depending on how the sites logs and tracks IP addresses (they could get suspicious about different logins from different places) a VPN could simply not work for the dating service.
Hope this helps!
Lyndon
Hi lyndon
Can we use VPN fo Facebook calling or IMO calling in UAE? Or this also ban in UAE? Some people are still using VPN in UAE for call quality on facebook and IMO.
Thanks
Hi Rishi,
With vpn you should be able to do those things. I used a VPN when I was in Dubai and I can do FB and Netflix streaming without any issues.
Hello Rishi,
Based on my understanding it should be possible, although as to the legality of a VPN in the UAE depends on how you use it. As I am not a UAE Legal expert of any kind, I would recommend checking with more detailed resources on the subject.
Best,
Lyndon