Got a tip for us?Let us know

a. Send us an email
b. Anonymous form

Apple Maps Gets Traffic Data for Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates

Tuesday April 25, 2017 1:35 AM PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple has updated its Maps app with traffic data for major metropolitan areas in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

So far, the new coverage extends to the capitals of the two countries and other heavily populated areas, with more limited traffic information on major highways and thoroughfares also available.

Examples in UAE include Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, and Al Ain, with locations in Saudi Arabia including Jeddah, Mecca, Medina, and Ta'if.

Turn-by-turn navigation still appears to be unavailable in the Middle East regions, which may explain why Apple hasn't added the countries to its iOS feature availability page, but the inclusion of traffic data strongly suggests Apple is about to follow up with live direction information.

The update marks Apple's first visible effort to increase its geographical data services to the Middle East beyond the standard street information and notable points of interest.

(Thanks, Ram!)

Tag: Apple Maps

Top Rated Comments

hagar

95 months ago

Being gay is punishable by death in UAE. Cook will overlook that for money, and then pick up another humanitarian award in a couple of weeks.

Women also don't have any rights. I assume therefore the US government does not maintain any relations with Saoudi Arabia, or buy any of its oil. Ooh wait...

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Megakazbek

95 months ago

Being gay is punishable by death in UAE. Cook will overlook that for money, and then pick up another humanitarian award in a couple of weeks.

You can either have nothing to do with that country and let this medievality continue to happen indefinitely, or you try to export and spread your western culture and technology and make them absorb western values along with it.

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

canny

95 months ago

Being gay is punishable by death in UAE. Cook will overlook that for money, and then pick up another humanitarian award in a couple of weeks.

Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Creek0512

95 months ago

Being gay is punishable by death in UAE. Cook will overlook that for money, and then pick up another humanitarian award in a couple of weeks.

Tim Cook has lived most of his life in a country where it was illegal to be gay. Lawrence was only 14 years ago.

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

bitfactory

95 months ago

Traffic is most likely light since women aren't allowed to drive there.

Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

markiv810

95 months ago

I hope Apple makes for India too.

Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Read All Comments

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol

Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...

• 68 comments

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by Hartley Charlton

Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...

• 160 comments

Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...

• 162 comments

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...

• 130 comments

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by Juli Clover

Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...

• 82 comments