DO YOU REALLY NEED MAPS TO DRIVE IN UAE?

A look back at how navigation has changed — and what we may have lost along the way

- BY SHYAM A. KRISHNA | Acting Editor

How do you drive? With or without maps? Silly question, isn’t it? These days, it feels like everyone uses maps.

Map apps have become such an integral part of driving that whether you’re a newbie or a veteran driver, chances are you'll check your phone before turning the ignition. But why is that, I wonder?

I’ve mostly driven without maps. Even today, I only turn them on when I’m heading somewhere new. Well, there’s one exception: I'll get to that later.

Twenty-five years ago, I was a new driver in Dubai. The road network was a far cry from the simpler layout I was used to in Doha. And the traffic was fast and relentless. The speed on Shaikh Zayed Road was staggering at first, but that didn’t stop me from joining the flow.

When signboards led the way