Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is the highest populated city in the UAE and one of the most expensive cities in the world. At the same time it holds a massive amount of foreign investment. It is considered a great living and working opportunity for people from all over the world. It is the home of millions of expats. Sadly, Abu Dhabi has a lot of online complications; from online censorship of websites to banning of VOIP services to a high level of online surveillance. Blocking of VOIP applications such as Skype Calls, WhatsApp Calls, Facebook Calls, etc. is a major issue for expats as they continuously need a less expensive alternative for international calls to be able to contact their friends and families back home. This causes a massive inconvenience for both expats and citizens. Also, nobody likes the feeling of being watched 24/7, even if they are not doing anything wrong. Today blocking any websites online has been officially considered by the United Nations as a violation of a human right, under the name “the basic human right of freedom of access to information“. For these reason, and many more, many of them have turned to alternative methods to break free online and at the same time remain secure and private. The only solution that combines all is the use of a reliable VPN. A VPN combines online privacy, online security, and online freedom in one service. Before choosing a VPN we need to briefly understand how a VPN operates to provide its users with these capabilities.
Online Freedom
VPN service providers operate a global network of servers. For a VPN user, located in a country with online restrictions, to bypass these restrictions, they can simply connect to any of the VPN servers located outside of the country. Also, VPNs use a tunneling protocol to bypass any Firewalls placed by governments. If the VPN user wants to access a website that is geo-restricted to a certain country (for example, BBC iPlayer can only be accessed from within the UK), they can simply choose to connect to a server within that country (according to the example, choose to connect to a server within the UK to access BBC iPlayer from outside the UK). For users in Abu Dhabi they can connect to servers outside of the UAE to bypass any restrictions. This ensures complete online freedom.
Online Privacy
Once a connection is established between the user and the VPN server, the user’s true IP address is automatically replaced with a shared IP address from the server. This hides the user’s online identity and ensures complete online anonymity. Most of the premium VPN service providers have very strict zero logs policy which means they do not record nor keep logs of their users’ online activities. These 2 features ensure the users’ online privacy.
Online Security
As we have discussed earlier VPN service providers operate networks of servers. They usually secure their networks with high level of encryption. The VPN applications support multiple security protocols. In addition to that, different VPNs offer their users with different additional security features to ensure complete online security. These features also contribute to the privacy of the user’s online information. When this data is encrypted, it cannot be viewed by any unwanted party trying to spy on them.
According to the above mentioned points we can distinguish between different VPN services and compare between them. We are able to rank them according to different situations or purposes. According to the situation in Abu Dhabi, and by focusing on the features of a VPN that are needed the most to overcome this challenge, we were able to filter out the top 3 most recommended VPNs for Abu Dhabi.
Best VPNs for Abu Dhabi
WaselPro VPN
WaselPro is the most popular VPN in the Middle East. It has succeeded in providing its users with the most advanced and strongest security features in the market. It has recently merged with the famous BVPN which raised its competitiveness to an international level. Ever since the merge, and it has become one of the most powerful VPNs in the market which we can depend on in any online challenge around the world. Since we are talking about Abu Dhabi, then it is undeniable that we recommend such a great VPN.
Level of Security
- A military grade 256-bit encryption is used to secure entire network
- Multiple advanced security protocols supported (OpenVPN with TCP/UDP, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, SSH, and BVPN’s own Smoke Tunnel)
Additional Security Features
- Internet Kill Switch
- IPv6 Leak Protection
- Public Wi-Fi/Hotspot Security
Network of Servers
- More than 20 server locations strategically placed all over the globe
- Each server provides the users with numerous shared IP’s
Additional Features
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Unlimited server switching
- Up to 6 simultaneous connections
- No logs kept
- Arabic speaking customer support (very important advantage in the Middle East)
- 7-day money back guarantee
NordVPN
In 2012, NordVPN was launched from Panama City, Panama. In a matter of just a few years it has succeeded in making a big name for itself in the VPN industry. Ever since it started and it has been providing its users with both standard and customized solutions to protect their online security, online privacy, and online freedom. It has been ranked very high in several comparisons in the past. This is why it is considered a great recommendation for Abu Dhabi.
Level of Security
- Entire network is secured with an AES 256-bit SHA encryption
- All data passes through 2 servers instead of 1 and at each server it takes an additional layer of encryption (Double Data Encryption)
- Multiple security protocols supported (OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, SSTP, and IKEv2)
Additional Security Features
- Automatic Kill Switch
- DNS Leak Resolver
- Onion over VPN
- Anti-DDoS servers
Network of Servers
- 1044 servers spread across 57 countries around the world
- A network this big is able to provide its users with countless of shared IP’s and the availability of acquiring a dedicated IP
- Optimized servers for different purposes
Additional Features
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Unlimited server switching
- Up to 6 simultaneous connections
- Strict no logs policy
- Smart Play
- 3-day free trial and 30-day money back guarantee
PureVPN
PureVPN started operating from Hong Kong back in 2007 with as little as 2 server locations and very minimum features. Today it has grown to be one of the biggest names in the VPN market and is able to provide its users with countless features and a massive network of servers. It is continuously growing and adding more innovative features to completely protect its users’ online security, privacy, and freedom. This is why, with all confidence, we highly recommend it for Abu Dhabi.
Level of Security
- Network is secured with a 256-bit encryption
- Advanced security protocols supported (OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, PPTP, SSTP, IKEv2, and its own Stealth Protocol)
Additional Security Features
- Antivirus/Antimalware
- Intrusion Detection System/Intrusion Prevention System (IDS/IPS)
- URL Filtering
- App Filtering
- Automatic Protocol Selection
- Wi-Fi Security
- Internet Kill Switch
- NAT Firewall
- DDoS Protection
Network of Servers
- More than 750 servers spread across 141 countries around the world
- This network provides the users with more than 88,000 shared IP”s and the availability of acquiring a dedicated IP
Additional Features
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Unlimited server switching
- Up to 5 simultaneous connections
- Ad-Blocking
- Split Tunneling
- Smart Purpose Selection
- 7-day money back guarantee
Conclusion
It is considered a major contradiction for such a highly advanced, rich city like Abu Dhabi to have such a high level of online constriction. Cities like this should encourage online freedom to motivate more foreign investments. It is undeniable that Abu Dhabi is considered a dream work location for millions of people around the world. Every year it attracts more and more expats, however perfection will never be reached unless it provides these expats with complete online privacy, online security, and online freedom. This is why it is highly recommended for anyone considering moving to Abu Dhabi, or even just visiting it, to acquire a suitable VPN service. For that reason we highly recommend choosing one of the above 3 VPNs that are considered most compatible with the online situation in Abu Dhabi or the United Arab Emirates in general.
