FaceTime not available in Saudi Arabia. Blocked by Apple or Saudi Arabia?

It's because Saudi Arabia doesn't want it.

<http://appadvice.com/appnn/2010/09/unconfirmed-saudi-arabia-apple-disable-faceti me-national-security>

<http://www.macgasm.net/2010/10/23/facetime-saudi-arabia-workaround/>

<http://www.macstories.net/tag/middle-east/>

<http://www.thereaderseye.com/apple-confirms-no-facetime-for-middle-east-why/>

<http://www.sauditechview.com/en/nimbuzz-chat-service-blocked-in-saudi-arabia.htm l>

Phones have to be approved in each country so a country can insist a feature be omitted. Other video chat apps are added after the phone is sold, so a country could have the app removed from that country's app store but can't stop a user with an account in a different country getting the apps.

In case this helps

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3042999

Governments rarely officially announce unpopular policies. They may not realize what's in the App Store. If the right people complain they may have the apps removed.

When Facetime was announced it was on mid-east sites, then removed

<http://i.tuaw.com/2010/09/20/facetime-goes-missing-in-saudi-arabia-much-of-middl e-east/2>

so Apple intended it to be there but must have had some pressure to remove it. The carriers wouldn't care, since it is WiFi only, so it must be the governments. they already have VOIP restrictions there.

This is a user to user forum and you are not addressing Apple directly here.

Suggest that you send feedback directly to Apple at http://www.apple.com/feedback.

FaceTime has been disabled by the Saudi Government and not Apple. As far as I am aware, Facetime is not available in any of the Middle Eastern countries.

your question was answered: it's blocked by your government, reach out to them...oh and do let us know how that goes....

I've just today been in Jarir Bookstore in Al Khobar, and they are advertising the iPhone 5 complete with FaceTime, and according to the salesman are selling the iPad with faceTime as well.

Perhaps now it's Apple we need to complain to!!!!

That retailer is selling gray market items not intended for your country.

Warranty will be valid only in the country were those items were originally

sold. There is also a good chance that the items were hacked or otherwise

modified to work in your country and will become non-functional as soon

as you try to update the iOS version or restore from a previous backup.

What benefit do you think would accrue to Apple by refusing to put FaceTime

on iPhones for certain markets? As you have been told repeatedly, restriction

is due to your government - contact them to get it changed.

First of all, Jarir Bookstore is not some back street dealer in Saudi Arabia, and they are not likely to be selling hacked or modified devices. I would also be surprised i(but wouldn't rule it out) f they were selling devices with potential upgrade or warranty issues.

Secondly, there is always a chance that one day the policy here may have been changed, and today may have been the first time I saw evidence of it.

Thirdly, you may have 1595 points attached to your name, but the tone of your last paragraph is quite rude, and unnecessary.

It doesn't matter what kind of dealer they are, they are selling illegally imported phones if the phones have facetime on them.

hello there! just wanna ask regarding facetime, model and accessibility/compatibility of iphone 5. Im from philippines working here now in saudi arabia. Im sure they selling here model A1429 GSM, am i right? Since facetime here in saudi is blocked due to some government reasons, will my iphone 5 facetime works when i go back to the philippines? Lastly, the 4G network. Is it accessible when i go back to my country (Philippines). Thanks in advance.

No. Facetime is permanently removed from those phones.

Both Globe and Smart in the Philippines support LTE on the iPhone.