Skype

Don't take my word for it, go to the UAE and point your browser to www.skype.com.

You won't get through.

Then go browse some expat forums and read (for your entertainment) the multitude of panicky posts asking what to do about calling abroad cheaply and how to crack the Skype problem.

Anyone who's done a bit of research on VoIP, specifically Skype, in the UAE knows that the site is blocked by the Powers That Be.  Ok, so the telephone monopoly is protecting its interests.  Fine.  Whatever.  Anyone with half a brain (well, most people with half a brain) can get around this.

The easiest thing to do is to download Skype before you travel.  See, it's not the application that's blocked, it's the website from which you download it.

Of course, there are those who don't research things ad nauseum before they move halfway across the world, and even those who do might end up having to re-download the app once they're already in the UAE.  We might have to make the leap up to a minimum 3/4 brain requirement to find a solution to this problem, but it can be done.

First of all, read about proxy servers, paying close attention to "anonymising proxies."  Then find a free one and configure your browser to use it (one might think that proxy server information is inaccessible once in the UAE, but one would be wrong - the Powers that Be aren't that clever).  I'm particularly fond of Tor (The Onion Router) and find that it works wherever and whenever I need it to.  Once that's all done, open the browser using the proxy and head over to the Skype site.

Trust me, it works.