RIYADH – Several people residing in Saudi Arabia has reportedly claimed that they are now able to use voice and video calling features.
However, it is yet to confirm whether the WhatsApp features, which has been facing restrictions in the Kingdom for years, have been activated a test run or permanently.
There is also no official statement from Saudi Arabia and the social media company about any change in the policy.
Experts are of the view that the activation of the features comes as the Saudi government focuses on improving communication for users.
WhatsApp, one of the widely used messaging apps, rolled out voice calls in 2015 and video calls in 2016.
However, these features have not been available in Saudi Arabia due to the country’s regulatory policies.
While there have been occasional reports of brief activations, they were typically linked to technical updates rather than policy shifts, Gulf news reported.
Last year, rumours claimed that the ban on WhatsApp had been revoked. However, the Communications, Space and Technology Commission of Saudi Arabia had denied the rumours.