All online voice and video call services such as Microsoft’s Skype and Facebook’s WhatsApp that satisfy regulatory requirements will become accessible at midnight.

:: The online voice and video call service Skype has confirmed that it has been blocked in Qatar.

A message posted on the site’s FAQ section said the app was being stopped by Internet service providers (ISPs) in Qatar.

The statement added that there was “very little Skype can do about this situation.”

“The best course of action,” the statement reads, “would be for you to speak to your ISP and ask why they are blocking Skype and request that they unblock our site and services.”

The announcement from Skype follows a message Viber sent to its users in September stating that their service was “now unblocked” following a software update.

People in Qatar noticed problems in August when trying to access WhatsApp, Viber, Skype and Facetime.

There has been no formal comment from the telecom service providers.

But Ooredoo put out a statement over the Eid break carrying a denial that the company was the reason for the problem:

“Quality assurance for calling using these apps is out of Ooredoo’s control. However, we can guarantee that the issues are not from Ooredoo Super net. Eid Mubarak.”