Yzer, the cloud-based app offers voice and video calling, texting, group chats, automatic translations (for 16 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Hindi and Farsi), and more.
A deal is currently being offered by Dubai-based telco du in which the app – downloadable for Android and Apple – can be used for Dhs5 per day, or Dhs50 a month.
Yzer’s launch comes after news broke of a Dhs400m investment – equivalent to a 10 per cent stake – by Dubai-based businessperson Balvinder Singh Sahni. Also known as Abu Sabah, Sahni is perhaps best-known in the UAE for paying about $9m for licence plate number 5 in 2016.
In early August, billionaire Dubai businessperson Khalaf Al Habtoor – owner and chair of conglomerate Al Habtoor Group – also called for ending the Skype and WhatsApp ban. Like Dr Al Mulla, Al Habtoor said telcos needed to end a monopolistic mentality.
“Allow audio and video calls through WhatsApp, Skype and other applications that allow these services for free to improve the lives of residents and investors. This is one of the services that must be provided as we strive to be a smart city. Stop the monopoly mentality of telecommunications companies,” he said.