19.02.2026
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What is this about? Useful apps for Dubai make staying in the emirate more comfortable and efficient. This is a city of high technology and digital services, where almost any need can be met using a smartphone.
What is important to know? Most apps support English and Arabic. Registration often requires a local phone number. A tourist SIM card purchased at the airport is also suitable.
If you are planning to relocate to the UAE, already live there, or are simply flying to Dubai for a vacation, local services on your smartphone will quickly become your best assistants.
Using the apps, you can order groceries and food, pay utility bills, sort out your visa, find parking, plan a route around the city, and solve a multitude of household tasks without visiting any offices. Below is an overview of useful apps for Dubai. All of them are available on the App Store and Google Play and support at least Arabic and English.
UAE PASS is amongst the top useful apps for Dubai. This is a single login for most government and many private services in the country. Essentially, the app serves as a national electronic identity card and provides access to more than 6,000 services at federal and local levels.
Through UAE PASS, you can log in to government and company portals without separate registration, sign documents with a digital signature, verify the authenticity of documents and operations, request electronic versions of official papers and send them to service providers, pay utility bills, renew your visa, register a business, purchase a car, and much more.
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The app is available to both residents and tourists. Visitors to the Emirates will be asked to scan their passport or enter their details manually. UAE citizens and residents register using their Emirates ID, provide contact details, and wait for verification.
The final step is biometrics: either facial recognition through the phone's camera or fingerprint verification through a UAE PASS kiosk.
The DHA app combines key digital medical services for residents and citizens of Dubai. It is a convenient entry point into the emirate's healthcare system.
Via the DHA app, you can:
UAE PASS account is used for logging in, so there’s no need for additional logins and passwords. The app regularly publishes explanations on current issues, hosts live broadcasts, and provides links to useful medical services.
Dubai Now is a "super app" for residents and expats. It brings together more than 120 different services and helps to handle most household tasks directly from your phone.
Key features:
Through DEWA App, the following are available:
The app is especially useful for those who have just moved into new accommodation or frequently change rented apartments, as most operations can be done remotely.
Dubai places great emphasis on security, and the police mobile app is an important element of the city’s security system. The Dubai Police App is used by millions of residents and visitors to the city.
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The app allows you to:
Life in Dubai is usually busy: work, relocations, traffic jams, meetings — there is almost no time left for household tasks. Some of these chores can easily be delegated to specialised services: several apps on your phone can help you keep your home tidy and care for your car without any extra effort.
Justlife lets you book apartment or villa cleaning services either for a one-off visit or on a regular basis. The minimum cost is 30 dirhams (approximately 8.2 US dollars) per hour of work. If you book the same employee once every two weeks, a 5% discount applies; with weekly cleaning, the discount increases to 10%.
Justlife's functionality is not limited to just cleaning. The app offers disinfection of premises, laundry and linen care, home visits (personal training, spa and beauty treatments), online sessions with a psychologist, and PCR testing for COVID-19 at home.
For more comprehensive home care, you can connect other services: Seyenah UAE — repairs, small household jobs, and technical maintenance; or Washmen — laundry and dry-cleaning services, as well as professional shoe care.
CAFU appeared in 2018 and greatly simplified the refuelling issue in Dubai: with it, you no longer need to drive to a petrol station; the fuel will be delivered to where your car is parked — at home, at the office, or in a shopping centre car park.
Through the CAFU service, you can order:
Such useful apps for Dubai allow you to significantly reduce the number of routine tasks: the house is clean, the car is refuelled and well-maintained, and you do not lose precious time on the road or in queues.
Moving around a metropolis is more convenient if you have the right apps at hand. They help you avoid traffic jams, find your way in new areas, quickly call a taxi, or rent a car for a couple of hours.
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In an unfamiliar city, navigation on your phone is an almost essential tool. These services will help you find the right address, plot a route, and discover the best way to reach your destination.
A classic used by both tourists and locals. In one app, you can:
An app particularly loved by drivers, including those who rent a car.
The official app of the Roads and Transport Authority.
This is a convenient tool for those who use public transport and car parks.
The app includes:
Taxis in the UAE are a popular and quite convenient way of getting around, especially if you do not want to rent a car. Several apps allow you to call a taxi with a couple of taps.
Careem is a multifunctional service that combines taxi, delivery, and vehicle rental services.
A taxi can be ordered via the app by specifying your destination or selecting it from saved addresses. The interface is even available in Russian.
You can also rent a bicycle and ride along Dubai Marina or on cycle paths in the park.
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Careem also delivers food and small purchases, which helps on busy days when there is no time to leave home or the office.
Uber is well known to expats and travellers who have used it in other countries.
One of the main advantages is convenient payment. The journey can be paid for by card, cash, or through Apple Pay.
You can also choose the car class. Depending on your budget and needs, you can select a simpler or premium car.
The official app of Dubai's state taxi service.
Transparent tariffs are worth noting. The cost of the journey is calculated according to official rates and depends on distance and travel time.
There is a pre-booking function. You can book a car in advance, for example, for an early departure to the airport or a journey to an important meeting.
One of the most popular minute-by-minute rental services. It works simply: you find an available car on the map in the app, book it, open the doors directly from your phone — and you can go.
The per-minute tariff is especially convenient for short trips around the city: you go to a shopping centre, to a meeting, or on errands and return the car when it is no longer needed.
Works on a similar scheme but offers additional options.
For example, hourly rental. Convenient if you are planning a longer trip, such as to the beach or to a neighbouring emirate like Abu Dhabi.
In addition, petrol is already included in the rental cost, so you do not need to think about refuelling and additional expenses.
If you do not feel like cooking or spending time on trips to supermarkets, several useful delivery apps in Dubai come to the rescue.
This is an international service through which you can order food in Dubai and other major cities in the UAE. The app allows you to choose from various catering establishments: from simple cafés and food courts to premium-class restaurants.
The order is placed through the mobile app or website: you choose a restaurant from the list of partners, view the menu, add dishes to your basket, and confirm the order.
The service allows you to track the courier on the map, receive notifications about each stage, and choose a convenient delivery time in advance.
Instashop is one of the fastest delivery services in Dubai: on average, orders are delivered within 30 minutes to an hour. Via the app, you can order not only ready-made food from nearby restaurants and cafés but also groceries from supermarkets, medicines, household chemicals, and even some electronic devices.
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Payment is possible both online and in cash to the courier, so the service is convenient to use for both city guests and those who have not yet linked a card to local apps.
Talabat is a large platform for ordering food from restaurants and shops. Its main advantage is a wide choice of establishments and an easy-to-use interface.
The app has smart search and convenient filters by cuisine, price, rating, and type of dish: this helps to quickly find what you want. An order can be placed not only to an address in Dubai but also in other cities, which is especially convenient when travelling around the country.
The most convenient way to follow current events in the city is through the Dubai Calendar app. It features concerts, exhibitions, festivals, football matches, sports tournaments, shows, and other important events.
You can filter events by date, theme, or location and quickly find what interests you specifically. In it, in a couple of clicks, you can also book and immediately purchase tickets for the chosen event.
The ENTERTAINER app is perfect for hunting for good deals. It features discounts and special offers on restaurant services, hotels, beauty salons, fitness clubs, amusement parks, tourist activities, shopping, and household services. The service operates not only in the UAE but also in other Arab countries, and within the Emirates, it covers Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Al Ain.
Access to most offers is available by subscription: there is a free “Lite — Dubai” level. The “Standard — Dubai” tariff will cost approximately AED 35 (USD 9.5) per month. The “Premium — Dubai” level costs around AED 49 (USD 13.3) per month.
For tourists, there is a separate 30-day package: it provides access to discounts in parks and water parks, on desert safaris, and at the best restaurants in the country; its cost is approximately AED 204.75 (USD 55.7).
Additionally, in Dubai, you can use other money-saving apps: Groupon helps reduce spending on entertainment, and The Discounter App — on restaurants and hotels.
For metro travel, it is convenient to install the Dubai Metro app. It is simple and easy to use: it displays the map of the metro, stations, routes, and train schedules, helps calculate travel time, and arrive at the right place on time.
Life and travel in the UAE become much more comfortable if you install several key apps in advance and get used to using them. Digital services help you effortlessly plan routes, pay bills, follow events in the city, find interesting places, good deals, and get acquainted with local cuisine.
All these apps were created with the realities of life in the Emirates in mind, so they are especially useful for those who are visiting the country for the first time or are spending a holiday there.
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