The developer of the hit video game platform Roblox has suspended in-game chat in the Middle Eastern market, in an agreement with telecom regulators.
The steps include the temporary removal of the hugely popular in-game chat and tighter moderation of content in Arabic in countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria, Palestine and Yemen.
The changes in the UAE were introduced by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, in a joint statement with the Roblox Corporation.
The move follows widely publicised concerns about child protection, including that chat functions in the game could allow predators to groom children.
“Together, we can create a secure and supportive online space where children can explore, learn and play with confidence,” the authority wrote on social media.
Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey blocked the platform in August, after earlier bans in Oman and Jordan. The game remains available in Saudi Arabia, one of the largest emerging video game markets in the region.
“Our long-term vision is to connect people with optimism and civility, by creating a platform where users of all ages can have a safe, civil and positive experience,” Roblox said on Thursday.
“As part of this vision, and in view of recent discussions with regulatory authorities in a number of countries across the Middle East, we are committing to enhance our Arabic communication and content moderation capabilities. While we undergo the next phase of this work, we are temporarily disabling certain communication features, including in-experience chat, for all users in Arabic speaking countries in the Middle East region, with immediate effect.”
Founded in 2006, Roblox is a free online gaming platform that hosts millions of user-created games, called “experiences”, which are created through Roblox Studio. In-game purchases are bought using its virtual currency robux, which game developers can exchange for real currency.
After several high-profile lawsuits in the US, Louisiana last month took legal action against the developers of the game, Roblox Corporation. It alleges the company failed to implement substantial safety controls and “knowingly enabled and facilitated the systemic sexual exploitation and abuse of children across the United States”.
Countries introduce bans
In Kuwait, the Communications and Information Technology Regulatory Authority announced on August 21 it was temporarily blocking the platform after parents and community organisations voiced concern about child safety.
Qatar removed access on August 13. The government has so far not released a statement on the move.
Turkey banned it on August 7 with the company saying it was “working with local authorities” on a resolution. The UAE previously banned Roblox between 2018 and 2021.
Why is it being blocked?
Concerns over harmful content, nude or inappropriately dressed avatars and the ability for adults to converse with children, raising the risks of predatory behaviour, are behind the controversy.
Earlier this year, UK research agency Revealing Reality created Roblox accounts for fictional users aged five, nine, 10, 13 and over 40.
“In a short space of time, we revealed something deeply disturbing. Despite the safety features in place, adults and children can easily interact in the same virtual spaces with no effective age verification or separation,” the report said. “Our research confirmed that an account registered as a 42-year-old could add and publicly interact with our accounts registered as children as young as five years old and privately chat with accounts registered as 13 years old and above.
“Additionally, our account registered as a 10-year-old child was able to freely access highly suggestive environments. In these spaces, children were able to both observe and participate in conversations that often strayed into adult themes.”
Keeping your child safe
Parents can restrict what technology and games their children have access to. But with iPads a must for children at school, access to the latest games is constantly at their fingertips, so parents must be aware of new developments.
Parents should consider spending time on Roblox themselves to get an idea of what kind of games are available. Adults should create their own account linked to their child’s and set up strong parental controls. Adding an account pin number will lock parental settings and prevent children from changing them.
“Restrict in-game purchases by limiting or disabling spending to avoid unexpected charges and reduce pressure to buy,” Mudresh Shah, a manager at cyber security company Help AG, told The National last week. “Monitor your child’s chats and their online friends so you know who your child is interacting with and encourage open conversations about online safety.
“Teach safe clicking by showing them how to avoid suspicious links and downloads to prevent malware and enable two-factor authentication, which adds extra security beyond just passwords.”
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- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
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Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
