Good article. 
This move is not surprising to me since, for example, Apple FaceTime has long been unavailable in the UAE in what seemed to me to be an obvious, and futile government attempt to control communication. Skype is also banned but everyone brings it in pre-loaded on their devices or on a memory stick. 
I don't know what to make of Apple's decision. Is it prudent business and a wait-and-see attitude, or is it pandering to repression in the race for the all-mighty buck? I'll wait to hear what Tim Cook and others in the tech community have to say. 
We live in interesting times.