Visiting the United Arab Emirates in 2025 is easier than ever, especially if you load your phone with the right apps.
Getting Around Like a Local
These carefully chosen apps will save you time, money, and stress so you can focus on camel‑eye sunsets and gold‑tipped skyscrapers.
S’hail: One‑Stop Public‑Transport Planner
Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) bundles metro, tram, bus, marine, and even e‑scooter schedules into S’hail. You enter your destination, and S’hail combines every mode for the fastest or cheapest route and then lets you book a ride‑hail on the same screen. The newest update now shows real‑time crowding on popular metro lines and integrates, so you know when to avoid crowded hours.
nol Pay: Tap, Top‑Up, Travel
nol Pay turns your phone into a contactless ticket machine. This is another transportation-related app because moving around when traveling is one of the main worries. Many tourists prefer to use well-connected public transportation, and actually, 75% of people would prefer using public transport over driving. NolPay is the best way to avoid long lines and buying unnecessary cards.
Careem + Hala: Reliable Rides in One App
Careem covers everything from airport transfers to six‑seat Hala Max taxis, which is Dubai’s official fleet inside the Careem app. Upfront fares, English‑language support, and card or cash payments keep nervous first‑timers calm, while a built‑in loyalty scheme offers free upgrades after just a few rides.
RTA Dubai & Smart Drive: Hassle‑Free Parking and Navigation
Driving a rental? RTA Dubai consolidates parking payments, Salik toll recharges, and fine checks in English or Arabic. Its sister app, Smart Drive, gives voice‑guided GPS that works without mobile data—handy if you’re road‑tripping toward Al Ain’s deserts, where coverage drops.
The Essentials
Maps & Translate Essentials
Yes, Google Maps still rules for walking directions through twisting abra docks or finding the right Jumeirah beach gate. Couple it with Google Translate’s camera mode to snap Arabic menus and auto‑overlay English text. Offline packs for both are worth downloading before your flight. To round out your digital toolkit, consider using a VPN with a fixed IP—handy for securely accessing home country services like banking or streaming, and for keeping your connection private throughout the trip.
Airline & Loyalty Apps
If you’re on Emirates or Etihad, their apps issue mobile boarding passes valid at Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s e‑gates. They include other useful options such as streaming in‑flight entertainment and notifications of early boarding changes. This could be a life-saver app at mega and unknown terminals, where reaching a new gate can take 20 minutes.
Discovering Culture & Fun
Experience Abu Dhabi: Capital Highlights Curated for You
The Experience Abu Dhabi app layers suggested itineraries, ticket booking, and GPS‑based audio guides so you can wander independently and still catch some hidden gems. It also syncs with Abu Dhabi’s hop‑on‑hop‑off bus schedule. You can even use this app for booking accommodation or restaurants; it’s a truly all-in-one app.
Dubai Calendar: Never Miss a Fireworks Show
Shopping festival, desert jazz concert, or an enormous Eid drone display—Dubai Calendar lists every licensed event citywide. Filter by dates, language, or budget, and buy tickets in the same app (Apple Pay supported). Push alerts ping you when today’s evening fountain show moves to a later slot due to wind.
Eating Like a Local
Talabat: Food, Groceries and More—24/7
You’ll spot orange Talabat riders everywhere, and for good reason: the app delivers restaurant meals, groceries, medicines, and even flowers to most UAE hotels and beach spots. English menus and in‑app translation make ordering shawarma at 2 a.m. painless, while scheduled delivery lets you time lunch with your desert safari pick‑up.
The Entertainer: Two‑for‑One Deals That Stretch Your Budget
A one‑time tourist subscription opens thousands of buy‑one‑get‑one‑free offers, think Friday brunch buffets, water‑park day passes, or spa treatments next to Burj Khalifa. New for 2025, an XL option doubles each merchant’s vouchers, perfect for families splitting off during the day. Even short‑stay travelers report saving their entire subscription fee by the second day.
Final Thoughts
Download these apps before you arrive—you’ll thank yourself later. Trust us, this can save you a lot of headaches as there’s a huge difference between knowing your way around transport, tickets, food, and everything tourists are usually stressed about.
Who knows?
With all these useful tips, you might even end up helping other tourists along the way.
