Gulf News spoke to UAE residents to know what their favourite apps are and why they use them.
Khalifa Ali Al Fugaee, 23
Dubai-based Emirati
Fugaee works in PR and Marketing as well as runs a business that creates video content that localises brands.
He still has much use for the old-fashioned method of jotting down ideas with pen on paper but, equally, he resides with passion in the digital domain.
Happening apps: He uses social media and messenger apps regularly and is reliant on certain apps for his work.
The Shazam app for producing video content, for instance. It is, he says, an easy way to identify if a particular music is copyrighted or not.
“Shazam identifies a particular music at a press of a button. So you hear something you like, you open Shazam and it will tell you what the song is, who the artist is, the full details.”
If the app does not recognise a song, then it reassures him that that particular music is not copyrighted and he can proceed to use it for his videos.
“Without Shazam, it would be a very lengthy procedure.”
Another app he uses, specially for his PR and marketing role, is Hoot Suite.
“This app is fantastic. It allows you to upload your photograph on all your social media, Instagram, Facebook, twitter, with different captions at the same time.
“I can even set up a tweet for a particular event to come out on the date that I want. It is a great way of being organised.”
Another benefit is it helps him pick the best hashtag for his captions, which helps promote his messages better.
“Without apps, life would be more difficult but I do think we need to take care of how much we use them and what we use them for,” he says.
UAE apps: He uses the Dubai Police and Salik apps on a regular basis.
“The Dubai Police app is great. It is so easy to check if you have a fine or even to report an accident.”
Lyndon Pearce, 37
Construction manager, Australian and based in Abu Dhabi
Pearce admits to using a variety of apps on a daily basis, mostly for work, social media and communication.
Happening apps: Aconex and Onenote.
“The Aconex is a construction-based project manager tool which we can also use on our phones. As my job requires me to be out on site for a majority of the time, this app allows me to bring up drawings, correspondence or specifications of a particular project on my phone.”
The app has increased his efficiency by cutting out the need to come back to the office to check for information. Life before the app involved a lot of time doing this.
He is also reliant on OneNote for his daily work. “OneNote pretty much controls my whole day.”
The app is a live data entry app that is acceptable on all platforms.
“You punch information on the phone and get back to the office, log into the desktop and all the data that you have added during the day on your phone is there.
“I generally don’t carry a pen and paper. If someone tells me something or I’m trying to remember something. It all goes to OneNote.”
Another work app that he finds useful is Genius Scan, which allows him to scan a document on his phone.
“You don’t have to go to the office or a shop [to scan a document].”
Pearce said although he knows that the apps have made him more dependent on his phone, they have also made him more efficient. However, he is aware that they are not great to have from a social perspective.
“At home, you probably shouldn’t be on your phone as much. You end up checking everything about 10 times in an hour.”
Though, reliance on apps does mean that he takes his work home with him.
UAE apps: He likes to use the ADCB banking app.
“The other day, I was walking to my work and managed to transfer money to my home country in two minutes.”
He also uses UAE-MOI app to re-register his car, a great way of avoiding queues, he said.
Malcolm Goddard, 34
Health and Safety Manager, construction industry, from the UK and based in Abu Dhabi
Goddard uses apps for all the usual social media benefits, entertainment, as well as for his work.
Happening apps: His job involves checking that calculations surrounding loads on sites are correct. He has found a number of apps that have made his job easier.
“I have a lifting load calculating app called Slim Calculator 3. So when I need to lift a load, I type in the size [of the load], the weight, and the app tells me what kind of crane we will need, apart from other technical info.”
Life before the app was about carrying out significant amount of calculations which could be very time-consuming.
“You still have to do a lifting plan but the app helps you out a lot by giving you a lot of information that you otherwise have to create.”
At the other end of the spectrum, for leisure, Goddard who goes camping a lot, uses Survival Camping Guide, SAS Survival and Survival Guide.
The apps provide information such as how to tie various types of knots, find water, make fire, and how to survive in harsh environments such as the desert.
“They give good tips but they are more of an entertainment.”
And when his daughter was born, he also downloaded a few baby-related apps.
“Baby and Child First Aid gives you any number of tips on any issues that might arise with a baby. For example, if the baby is choking or has heavy bleeding, there are even videos [to offer help and guidance].”
“It just made me feel safer.”
UAE apps: Goddard said he finds the Abu Dhabi Police’s traffic violation app very helpful because it allows him to check on his fines and pay online.
Fatima Salah Hamad, 18
Student, Sudanese based in Abu Dhabi
When Hamad uses her smartphone, it’s mostly for apps.
Happening apps: An app she was introduced to when she started university has been particularly helpful and changed her lifestyle.
“I use the Blackboard app which has all my courses, assignments and even books on it.
“I don’t have to carry a heavy bag with books, and a laptop and notebooks. I can come to university just with my phone — it has all my courses, my reading material and my books, absolutely everything.”
She said she uses the app to read and do her homework. “Anytime, everywhere and anywhere, I have all my university stuff with me. As long as I have my phone, I can never forgot my books.”
A music fan, she uses an app called Document. ”It lets me download any music on my phone. You can even open YouTube and paste the link and it will download the music. It’s nice and easy. Really amazing”
The app has helped her make her playlists easier and faster.
Then there are fitness and health-related apps such as 30 days fitness, Fitness Pal and Fit Well.
“When I am on a diet, I use the Fitness Pal app a lot. It shows you how much protein and calories your food has. You type in the name of your food, and get all the details.”
Can she survive without the apps? She could but it would be difficult, she says. “It would really slow down my life if I didn’t have my phone and apps.”
Hamad admits to using her phone excessively and is aware that it can be antisocial but “the feeling of grabbing my phone, having it, and checking it makes me feel like I am okay.”
Hamad has not yet used any UAE government apps.
