New to DubaiMust have apps in Dubai: what residents use and what each one is for
The must have apps in Dubai are UAE Pass (your digital ID), DEWA for electricity and water, the RTA apps for getting around, Dubai REST for your tenancy, your bank's app and a ride app or two. Download UAE Pass first, because many of the others let you sign in with it.
Below is what each app does, roughly in the order you'll need it. You won't need all of them in your first week. Most people end up with a folder on their phone called something like 'Dubai', and after a month they stop thinking about it.
Start with UAE Pass
UAE Pass is the national digital identity app. Think of it as your Emirates ID on your phone. You use it to log in to government services and to sign documents digitally, so you don't have to queue at a counter.
It reaches a long way. The UAE's digital government regulator, TDRA (the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority), says it gives access to more than 15,000 services from government, semi-government and private organisations. It also works in every emirate, not just Dubai.
You can't fully set it up until you have your Emirates ID, so it comes after your residence visa. Our guide to setting up UAE Pass walks you through each step.
Visa and ID apps
Two apps cover most visa and ID tasks. GDRFA DXB comes from Dubai's immigration authority, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs. If you live in Dubai and sponsor family members, this is where you apply for their visit visas and residence entry permits, and where you renew residence visas.
UAEICP is the federal app from the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security. You use it to issue, renew or replace an Emirates ID card. It also handles some visa applications and fine payments.
If your employer sorts out your visa, you may barely open either app. Keep them anyway. At some point you'll need to renew something.
Apps for your home
Once you've signed a lease, a handful of apps run the practical side of your flat or villa.
DEWA is the one you'll notice first. Once you've applied, power and water usually come on within 1 to 3 days. Our guide to setting up DEWA covers what to have ready. One tip before you sign: ask your agent what the DEWA bill usually is in winter and in summer. If the building has district cooling (central air conditioning billed separately), ask about that bill too. Then the first July bill won't come as a shock.
For home internet there are only 3 providers. Two of them bundle TV and phone, and you have no choice about that. Virgin offers 5G (wireless) internet-only packages. Just bear in mind that a wireless connection will be a bit slower than a wired one. Whichever you pick, you'll use its app to manage your plan and report faults.
- Dubai REST: the Dubai Land Department's property app. Once your Ejari (the official registration of your tenancy) is done, it and your contract are added to the app automatically.
- DEWA: open your account, pay bills and keep an eye on how much you use.
- Makani: Dubai's location app. Many buildings have a Makani number on a plate by the entrance. Dubai has no postcodes, so this number is the easiest way to tell a courier or taxi exactly where you are.
- Breasy: everyone on the NTD Team uses Breasy (getbreasy.ai) for air conditioning servicing and follows its advice. Major AC repairs are the landlord's job, and landlords usually handle them through Breasy too.
- Your internet provider's app: for your plan, bills and fault reports.
Getting around
Even if you plan to drive, you'll take the metro or a taxi at some point, and these apps make that much easier. Topping up a nol card (Dubai's transport card) through the RTA Dubai or S'hail app can be paid by credit card, debit card or Apple Pay.
Our guide to the RTA, the Nol card and the metro explains how fares and cards work.
- RTA Dubai: the Roads and Transport Authority's main app. Use it to check and top up your nol card, top up your parking account, recharge Salik, and renew your car registration or driving licence.
- Nol Pay: the RTA's app for everything to do with nol cards. You can tap to pay for RTA rides, top up and check balances, buy travel passes and manage your children's cards.
- S'hail: the RTA's route planner for the metro, tram, buses and water transport. You can top up your nol card here too.
- Careem and Uber: both book taxis and private cars. Careem also does food, groceries and other deliveries in the same app.
- Smart Salik: the official app for Salik, Dubai's road toll system. Recharge your account, see every toll gate you've passed and manage the number plates on your account.
- Dubai Police: check and pay traffic fines, get an accident report or apply for a lost item certificate.
Banking
Your bank's app will soon be one of the apps you use most. The catch is that you can't open a bank account without your Emirates ID, so plan for a gap in your first weeks.
If you'd like a digital-only bank, the NTD Team rates Wio. Whichever bank you choose, opening an account can take longer than you expect. Be ready to redo your signature several times. It happens to almost everyone.
Deliveries and parcels
Almost anything can be delivered in Dubai. Talabat, Deliveroo, Noon and Amazon.ae are the names you'll hear most. Most delivery apps have a paid PRO version, which can be worth it if you order a lot. The NTD Team's own delivery habit is out of control, so we're in no position to lecture. Our piece on home delivery apps covers what each one is good for.
If the pin drops in the wrong place, don't panic. Riders will usually try to find you by calling the delivery service or posting in a Facebook group for your community. On tipping, the drivers we've talked to over the years say they prefer cash in hand. In summer a bottle of water is a kind extra. Keep some cold and some at room temperature, because in some cultures people believe cold water in the heat will make them ill.
For anything from abroad, don't use regular mail. Dubai has no postcodes, so stick to couriers. Aramex, DHL and FedEx are the ones the NTD Team rate highest. You can rent a P.O. Box from Emirates Post, but it's a hassle, because you have to go to the post office to collect your mail.
If you live outside Dubai
Plenty of people live in Sharjah or another emirate and work in Dubai. If that's you, your home apps change with the emirate you live in. In Sharjah, for example, electricity and water come from SEWA, not DEWA.
GDRFA DXB and Dubai REST are Dubai apps. If your visa or tenancy is in another emirate, ask your employer, sponsor or landlord which system applies to you. UAE Pass works across the whole country, and the RTA apps still matter if you commute into Dubai.
Ask around, then check for yourself
Talk to people who have lived here and ask what they use. It's the fastest way to learn. Just don't treat their advice as gospel. Things in Dubai change quickly: apps merge, services move from one app to another, and rules get updated. If something matters, get a second opinion and check the official app or website yourself.
What to do next
Download UAE Pass, DEWA and the RTA apps now, and add the others as you need them. Then read our getting started guide to see what to sort out first after you land.