I get around Dubai with 2GIS — it’s brilliant here and much more precise than Google Maps in the details: it knows every little alley, builds routes through neighborhoods correctly, and doesn’t send you into dead ends in shopping malls.
But it’s not just about the navigator. It’s about the fact that when you start driving without prompts, the city becomes yours. You’re no longer a tourist following an arrow. You’re a resident who knows what’s around that corner.
I realized I had fully settled into Dubai the day I drove somewhere and didn’t open the navigator. I just knew where to go.