- United Arab Emirates has roughly 11 million internet users (11,000,000 people) — about 98.2% of the population and rank #61 globally.
- The apps people open most: WhatsApp, Botim, imo, Instagram. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Payments, Mobility, Food, News, Travel, Tools, Cloud storage, Security, AI assistants, Learning, Health, Parcels, Maps, Gaming, Reading, Public services, Classifieds, Banking and more.
- The one to know first: WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.
United Arab Emirates in numbers
2025–2026- Internet users
- 11 million11,000,000 · #61
- Penetration
- 98.2%#9
- Population
- 11.2 million11,200,000 · #86
- GDP
- $552B#28
- GDP growth
- +4.0%#74
- GDP per person
- $49,313#35
- Land area
- 83.6k km²#115
- Capital
- Abu Dhabi
- Region
- Asia
- Official languages
- Arabic
How United Arab Emirates goes online
Ask a resident of Dubai which app opens first and the answer is WhatsApp: the employer, the clinic, the school driver, all in one place. Instagram and Snapchat show life the way people want it seen. For shopping, noon has become the household default, from groceries to a new phone. Careem covers the big cities with a fare you see before you book. Municipal and traffic paperwork sits inside apps such as DubaiNow, which matters in a city where most residents arrived recently and nobody grew up knowing the forms.
Around 98.2%. With a population of about 11.2 million and 11 million online, roughly 200 thousand people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.
All 130 apps below are grouped by category.
What people actually use
130 Most-used appsWebsites people in United Arab Emirates actually use
21The 21 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.
Nearby and similar markets
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Frequently asked questions
6 Q&AHow many people in United Arab Emirates are online?
About 11 million (11,000,000 people). That works out to roughly 98.2% of the population, which puts United Arab Emirates at #61 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.
Which apps do people in United Arab Emirates use most?
Mostly WhatsApp, Botim, imo, Instagram — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Shopping, Payments, Mobility, Food, News, Travel, Tools, Cloud storage, Security, AI assistants, Learning, Health, Parcels, Maps, Gaming, Reading, Public services, Classifieds, Banking. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.
What is the leading Messaging app in United Arab Emirates?
WhatsApp, Botim, imo dominate this space. The best-known is WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.
How high is internet penetration in United Arab Emirates?
Around 98.2%. With a population of about 11.2 million and 11 million online, roughly 200 thousand people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.
Where do these app facts come from?
Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.
Which websites are most popular in United Arab Emirates?
The everyday ones are Gulf News, noon, Careem, plus the other 21 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.
Sources
Updated 2026-11-12- DataReportal — Digital 2026
- ITU — Statistics
- Official product sites
World Sites & Apps. “United Arab Emirates: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/ae-en.html