Before you come to the UAE you better realize that you cannot use Skype or voice messenger to talk to your family back home. They block all voice messengers, skype, and VoIP service. So you have to pay thru the nose to Etisalat, the local phone monopoly to do that. It costs about 60 cents US a minute to the US, and more for Europe.
The web censor blocks many things, and usually irrationally. They are mindless, and have a net nanny program that blocks way too much stuff.
Several of us here and our company are moving to Jordan, a more enlightened country. Many expats are bailing out as fast as they can arrange it.