Saudis follow UAE's BlackBerry ban

Saudi Arabia will halt BlackBerry smartphone service in the kingdom, effective August 5. The announcement follows a recent statement by the United Arab Emirates to cancel all BlackBerry applications except for voice, effective October 11.

The Saudi and UAE decisions hinge on their governments' desire to access BlackBerry encrypted data. The smartphone’s manufacturer, Research In Motion (RIM), has been at odds with governments in the region to allow access to its secure communications. Countries in the region fear that RIM’s encrypted phones may be used for anti-government activities.

Industry experts told CNN that governments in nations such as China and India are considering similar bans.