# Living in Dubai day to day: apps, transport, delivery and holidays > The everyday systems you'll use living in Dubai: key apps, the metro and Nol card, couriers instead of post, and public holidays that move. Source: https://newdubai.life/topics/everyday-life/ Updated: 2026-10-20 Living in Dubai day to day runs on four things: a few phone apps, the metro and your Nol card, couriers instead of post, and a holiday calendar that moves every year. Sort these out early and most of the small daily hassles go away. Here's the short version of each, with the guide that covers it properly. ## Your phone does most of the admin Here you mostly use an app to pay bills, check your visa, book a ride or order dinner. Install the main ones before you need one in a hurry. Our guide to the [apps you need when you live in Dubai](https://newdubai.life/articles/essential-apps/) explains what each one is for. ## Getting around without a car The RTA (Roads and Transport Authority) runs the metro, buses and trams. You pay with a Nol card, which is a rechargeable travel card you tap in and out with. Read [getting around Dubai with the RTA, the Nol card and the metro](https://newdubai.life/articles/rta-and-nol/) to find out which card to get. ## Skip the post and use couriers Dubai has no postcodes, and you can't rely on regular mail. For parcels, the NTD Team sticks with Aramex, DHL and FedEx. 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 an online form insists on a postcode, here's [what to write when Dubai has no postcode](https://newdubai.life/articles/dubai-postcode/). ## Delivery apps: you'll use them more than you think Food, groceries, nearly anything: an app will bring it to your door. Our guide to [home delivery apps](https://newdubai.life/articles/delivery-apps/) covers the main ones. (Our own habit? Out of control.) Most have a paid PRO version, and it's worth having if you order a lot. The drivers we've talked to over the years prefer tips in cash, so keep a few small notes by the door. In summer, offer a bottle of water. Keep a room-temperature one too, because some people believe cold water in the heat will make them ill. ## Public holidays move with the moon Some public holidays, such as Eid, follow the Islamic (Hijri) calendar. They depend on the new moon being seen, so the dates shift every year. The date is confirmed after the UAE's official moon-sighting committee meets, and sometimes that's only the evening before. Don't book flights around a guessed date. Ramadan changes the rhythm of the city too. Our guide to [Ramadan in Dubai](https://newdubai.life/articles/ramadan/) explains what changes and how to be respectful. ## Ask people who live here, then check again People who've been here a while are full of useful tips. Listen to them, but don't treat their advice as the final word. Rules here change quickly, so get a second opinion or check the official source. Each emirate also does some things its own way. If you live in Sharjah, your electricity and water come from SEWA, not DEWA. ## What to read next Pick the guide that matches whatever's bugging you this week. Not sure? Start with the apps guide, because most other tasks go through one of them. ## Guides - [Food delivery apps in Dubai: the habit we love to hate](https://newdubai.life/articles/delivery-apps/): How Dubai's food, grocery and shopping delivery apps work, how to get your address right, how to tip, and how to keep the habit in check. - [RTA Dubai explained: the Nol card, the metro and getting around](https://newdubai.life/articles/rta-and-nol/): How RTA Dubai's metro, tram, buses and taxis work, which Nol card to get, how to buy and top it up, and the rules that catch newcomers out. - [Must have apps in Dubai: what residents use and what each one is for](https://newdubai.life/articles/essential-apps/): The must have apps in Dubai for ID, visas, transport, bills, banking and deliveries: what each one does and which to download first.