Meet Salim!

This cartoon guy has appeared on banner signs along Sheikh Zayed Road, the central highway in Dubai. The signs say "Meet Salim, Your Cyber Security Advisor" (pictured). I was confused, as usual, at first due to the similarity of the name to "Salik." Like E-Z Pass in the US, Salik is the name of the toll road system here in Dubai. You have to get a card to put on your windshield and the toll is automatically deducted from your account. Salik is an Arabic word for open or clear, while Salim seems to be just another masculine Arabic name.

Once I realized that Salim was different from Salik, I was then puzzled as to how Salim differed from another cartoon character I have encountered while using the internet in Dubai. This other character, who does not appear to have a name, comes up when you try to access a website that is blocked in the UAE. He/she comes up with a warning to "Surf Safely! This website is not accessible in the UAE."

It is interesting to see what websites are blocked. A blog called Secret Dubai is blocked while one called One Big Construction Site isn't. (Maybe it has to have Dubai in the name to get monitored.) Also, I noticed that sites giving advice on how to circumvent the internet restrictions seem to be blocked only if they have VPN in the name (for virtual private network.) Apparently it is very easy to avoid the restrictions by using a VPN.

I had heard before I arrived that Skype was blocked. This may be a problem only if you try to download Skype in the UAE. I already had it on my computer and my iPhone when I arrived, and it works just fine. I am very happy to have it, as the rates for international calls, even with an international calling plan, are ridiculously high.

Salim is making personal appearances at schools and the like to talk with young people about using the internet safely. Whether these other topics will come up or be revisited remains to be seen.