DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates Friday backed off a threat to cut key BlackBerry services, just days before a planned ban that could have harmed the country's business-friendly reputation. The last-minute decision ended more than two months of brinksmanship with the Canadian company that makes the smart phones, a tool popular both with businesspeople and gadget-loving consumers in this Gulf federation. The ban on e-mail, messaging and Web services – which the government threatened to impose over security concerns - was due to take effect Monday. Half a million local users and thousands of BlackBerry-toting business travelers would have been affected. Dubai's airport, the region's busiest, handles about 100,000 passengers daily. “It's going to come as quite a relief,” said BlackBerry user Matthew Reed, a Dubai-based analyst at Informa Telecoms and amp; Media, a research firm. “It was not at all clear what would happen until right up to the end.” While a number of countries, including India and Saudi Arabia, have threatened BlackBerry crackdowns in recent months, the UAE's proposed ban drew widespread attention because of the country's tough negotiating stance and its role as a highly wired, tech-savvy trade and transportation hub. The Emirates telecommunications regulator confirmed that a deal had been reached with device maker Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM) that brought the devices into compliance with local laws. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority provided few details, but said “no suspension of service will occur” Monday as previously planned, according to a statement carried by state news agency WAM. The wording of the announcement suggested the reprieve was permanent. The TRA acknowledged “the positive engagement and collaboration of Research In Motion (RIM) in reaching this regulatory compliant outcome.” It wasn't clear what concessions, if any, the Canadian device maker made to avert the ban.TRA representatives were not available for comment Friday, the start of the local weekend. RIM declined to comment specifically on the UAE decision. “RIM cannot discuss the details of confidential regulatory matters that occur in specific countries, but RIM confirms that it continues to approach lawful access matters internationally within the framework of core principles” it has spelled out in the past, the company said in an e-mailed statement.
