Is using a VPN illegal in the UAE, or does it depend on what you use it for?

Using a VPN is not illegal in the UAE by itself — the law looks at what you use it for. Businesses, banks and remote workers use VPNs every day to secure their connections, and accessing your employer's systems the way you describe is a normal, lawful use. The offence under the cybercrime law arises when someone uses a VPN or a false network address to commit a crime or an unlawful act — fraud, accessing prohibited material, or evading UAE restrictions in order to do something the law forbids. That is where the penalties, which are heavy, actually attach. Streaming sits in a grey middle: breaching a streaming service's terms by changing your apparent location is a contractual issue with that service rather than an automatic crime, but using a VPN to reach services that are blocked in the UAE — unlicensed calling apps are the classic example — moves you toward the unlawful-purpose territory. So keep the work VPN without worry, and be thoughtful about what you route through the personal one. If your usage pattern is unusual, a short consultation with a UAE lawyer can settle where your specific setup stands.