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Dubai utilities: getting electricity, water, phone, internet and air conditioning working

How to switch on DEWA, get a phone number and home internet once you have a place in Dubai, and how to keep your air conditioning running.

Once you have the keys, Dubai utilities come down to four jobs: DEWA for electricity and water, a mobile number, home internet, and air conditioning that keeps working. Do them roughly in that order. Get the AC serviced before summer, because in July it's the one thing in the flat you can't live without.

This page tells you what each step involves and points you to the guide that walks you through it.

The order that works

This is the order the NTD Team followed when we set up our own homes. Each step tends to unlock the next.

Electricity and water: DEWA

DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) supplies both services, and one account covers the two. Once your Ejari is issued, DEWA emails you with your new account number and a payment link. That only happens if the property management company typed your email correctly. If it doesn't arrive, apply yourself in the DEWA app or on its website.

Your Ejari and tenancy contract also show up in the apps automatically. Our guide on how to set up DEWA takes you through it screen by screen. Living in Sharjah? Electricity and water there come from SEWA, not DEWA.

Your phone number and home internet

You can get a du tourist SIM at the airport when you land, so you can have a number from your first day.

Home internet has three providers: du, e& (once called Etisalat) and Virgin Mobile. With du and e&, the internet comes bundled with TV and a home phone line, and you can't take it on its own. Virgin sells 5G (wireless) home internet only, through a router that picks up the mobile signal. Expect it to be a bit slower than a wired connection. For a wired connection, you'll usually need your Emirates ID and your Ejari.

Read how to get a SIM card in Dubai, plus home internet for what to bring and how installation works.

Keeping the air conditioning running

Dust clogs AC filters fast here. A clogged unit cools badly and costs more to run. The whole NTD Team uses the Breasy app to book servicing and follows its advice. In a rented flat, major repairs are the landlord's job, and they're usually arranged through Breasy too.

Some buildings use district cooling, where chilled water is piped in from a central plant instead of each flat having its own unit. Before you sign, ask your agent how the cooling is charged and what the DEWA bill comes to in winter and in summer. Then you'll know what you're in for.

Our guide to maintaining your air conditioning covers home units and your car.

Ask around, then double-check

Talk to people who have lived here. Their tips will save you time. Just don't take what they say as the final word, because rules and processes in Dubai change quickly. Get a second opinion, and check the official app or website before you act.

Next step

Don't have the keys yet? Start with finding a home in Dubai, then come back here when you're ready to switch things on.