There are some one million BlackBerry users in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. I'm honestly surprised that the two countries are seeking to ban the device for security reasons (BBC), because I would think that it doesn't make much sense economically. That's a lot of foreign businesspeople who are going to have a hard time conducting business there, and foreign rich people who are going to have a hard time spending their vacations there, now.
Are iPhones likewise banned? Taking the governments at their word, does iPhone use involve the same "judicial, social and national security concerns" that BlackBerry use does? The article states that the aim of the BlackBerry ban is to get Research in Motion to turn users' communications over to the governments on demand. Does Apple already have an agreement with the two governments to turn over iPhone users' communications on demand?
I guess if your profit-seeking motivation is strong enough, it's not a huge problem to drop your BlackBerry and switch to another device so that you can continue to do in-person business with the Saudis. And if you're rich enough, you don't care that you can't use your BlackBerry while you're skiing in Dubai. But other than those very elite groups -- who may well not be using BlackBerrys in the first place -- a lot of people use BlackBerrys to do a lot of business, and they'll continue using them for a while. So it seems like an economically unwise policy to ban them outright. The policy doesn't seem very well thought-out to me.
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from what i've read the iphone's emails are not as encrypted as they are on the blackberry. it's very easy for governments to intercept them if they want to. the blackberry, on the other hand, has some super-duper encryption code that KSA and the UAE has not been able to crack. that's why the governments are demanding RIM's encryption codes. they didn't have to ask apple or other smart phone makers.
given what i saw during my brief dubai visit in june, i expect business people will find a way to keep using their blackberries even after the ban. dubai riches are all from smuggling. there are plenty of people there who are used to finding workarounds for govt regulations.
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