{"id":189465,"date":"2025-12-13T09:26:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T09:26:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/189465\/"},"modified":"2025-12-13T09:26:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T09:26:07","slug":"chatgpt-was-most-downloaded-free-app-in-uae-in-2025-apple-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/189465\/","title":{"rendered":"ChatGPT was most downloaded free app in UAE in 2025, Apple says"},"content":{"rendered":"

OpenAI’s ChatGPT<\/a> has been ranked No 1 on Apple’s list of the most downloaded free iPhone apps of 2025 in the UAE, highlighting the rapidly growing adoption of generative artificial intelligence on mobile devices.<\/p>\n

ChatGPT wrested the top spot from Chinese shopping platform Temu, which slid to seventh in this year’s ranking, California-based Apple<\/a> said in its year-end App Store assessment.<\/p>\n

Google’s Gemini was the only other AI app in the top 10, at sixth, with the main Google app clocking in at ninth.<\/p>\n

The list remained dominated by social media platforms, including WhatsApp, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat.<\/p>\n

Among paid apps, Shadowrocket, a proxy client service similar to a virtual private network, was No 1.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, current top apps data on iOS – which among other factors considers app downloads, earnings, engagement, reviews and search term relevance – showed that ChatGPT was the fourth top app in the UAE, trailing Dubai Police, Google Gemini and delivery platform Keeta.<\/p>\n

Several Arabic apps made it to the most downloaded iPhone apps of the year lists. Salatuk, an Islamic prayer timing service, was the sixth most-downloaded paid app, while trivia game Tarbaa was also No 6 among paid games.<\/p>\n

On the iPad, ChatGPT was also the most downloaded free app in 2025, while Tarbaa was the 10th in paid games.<\/p>\n

Apps have played a key role in Apple’s strategy. They are part of its services unit that has been a steady revenue stream and complements its hardware sales, especially its flagship iPhone.<\/p>\n

A big part of Apple’s app ecosystem is its developer base, with industry estimates pegging its registered developers at about 30 million globally. The App Store churned an estimated $1.3 trillion in developer billings and sales in 2024, according to the latest Apple data.<\/p>\n

The company also sees the Middle East as a high-potential market for developers, believing it will continue to hone more talent and contribute to the growth of start-ups and entrepreneurship<\/a>, Apple vice president for environment, policy and social initiatives Lisa Jackson told The National<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And with the rise of generative AI, smartphone manufacturers have scrambled to incorporate the latest technologies to entice a wider consumer base. Apple teamed up with ChatGPT maker OpenAI last year<\/a> and eventually launched Apple Intelligence, throwing its hat into the generative AI arena.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, Apple announced the 17 winners of its 2025 App Store Awards, with Tiimo, a task and planning assistant, named the iPhone’s top app for the year.<\/p>\n

A State of Passion<\/p>\n

Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi<\/p>\n

Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah<\/p>\n

Rating: 4\/5<\/p>\n

The specs: 2018 Peugeot 5008<\/p>\n

Price, base \/ as tested: Dh99,900 \/ Dh134,900<\/p>\n

Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder<\/p>\n

Transmission: Six-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Power: 165hp\u00a0@\u00a06,000rpm<\/p>\n

Torque: 240Nm\u00a0@\u00a01,400rpm<\/p>\n

Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L \/ 100km<\/p>\n

More from Neighbourhood Watch:ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA<\/p>\n

Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi<\/p>\n

Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser<\/p>\n

Rating: 4.5\/5<\/p>\n

NO OTHER LAND<\/p>\n

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal<\/p>\n

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham<\/p>\n

Rating: 3.5\/5<\/p>\n

Classification of skills<\/p>\n

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 \u2013 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.<\/p>\n

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make<\/p>\n

When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple \u2013 at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,\u201d says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.<\/p>\n

This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).<\/p>\n

Age<\/p>\n

$250 a month<\/p>\n

$500 a month<\/p>\n

$1,000 a month<\/p>\n

25<\/p>\n

$640,829<\/p>\n

$1,281,657<\/p>\n

$2,563,315<\/p>\n

35<\/p>\n

$303,219<\/p>\n

$606,439<\/p>\n

$1,212,877<\/p>\n

45<\/p>\n

$131,596<\/p>\n

$263,191<\/p>\n

$526,382<\/p>\n

55<\/p>\n

$44,351<\/p>\n

$88,702<\/p>\n

$177,403<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Our family matters legal consultant<\/p>\n

Name:\u00a0Hassan Mohsen Elhais<\/p>\n

Position:\u00a0legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.<\/p>\n

Results<\/p>\n

%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EElite%20men%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Amare%20Hailemichael%20Samson%20(ERI)%202%3A07%3A10%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Leornard%20Barsoton%20(KEN)%202%3A09%3A37%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Ilham%20Ozbilan%20(TUR)%202%3A10%3A16%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Gideon%20Chepkonga%20(KEN)%202%3A11%3A17%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Isaac%20Timoi%20(KEN)%202%3A11%3A34%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EElite%20women%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Brigid%20Kosgei%20(KEN)%202%3A19%3A15%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Hawi%20Feysa%20Gejia%20(ETH)%202%3A24%3A03%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Sintayehu%20Dessi%20(ETH)%202%3A25%3A36%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Aurelia%20Kiptui%20(KEN)%202%3A28%3A59%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Emily%20Kipchumba%20(KEN)%202%3A29%3A52%3C%2Fp%3E%0A<\/p>\n

‘Gehraiyaan’<\/p>\n

Director:Shakun\u00a0Batra<\/p>\n

Stars:Deepika\u00a0Padukone,\u00a0Siddhant\u00a0Chaturvedi,\u00a0Ananya\u00a0Panday,\u00a0Dhairya\u00a0Karwa<\/p>\n

Rating:\u00a04\/5<\/p>\n

Killing of Qassem SuleimaniAayan%E2%80%99s%20records<\/p>\n

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20UAE%20men%E2%80%99s%20cricketer%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWhen%20he%20debuted%20against%20Bangladesh%20aged%2016%20years%20and%20314%20days%2C%20he%20became%20the%20youngest%20ever%20to%20play%20for%20the%20men%E2%80%99s%20senior%20team.%20He%20broke%20the%20record%20set%20by%20his%20World%20Cup%20squad-mate%2C%20Alishan%20Sharafu%2C%20of%2017%20years%20and%2044%20days.%3Cbr%3E%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20wicket-taker%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAfter%20taking%20the%20wicket%20of%20Bangladesh%E2%80%99s%20Litton%20Das%20on%20debut%20in%20Dubai%2C%20Aayan%20became%20the%20youngest%20male%20cricketer%20to%20take%20a%20wicket%20against%20a%20Full%20Member%20nation%20in%20a%20T20%20international.%3Cbr%3E%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYoungest%20in%20T20%20World%20Cup%20history%3F%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAayan%20does%20not%20turn%2017%20until%20November%2015%20%E2%80%93%20which%20is%20two%20days%20after%20the%20T20%20World%20Cup%20final%20at%20the%20MCG.%20If%20he%20does%20play%20in%20the%20competition%2C%20he%20will%20be%20its%20youngest%20ever%20player.%20Pakistan%E2%80%99s%20Mohammed%20Amir%2C%20who%20was%2017%20years%20and%2055%20days%20when%20he%20played%20in%202009%2C%20currently%20holds%20the%20record.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A<\/p>\n

SPECS<\/p>\n

Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now<\/p>\n

Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners<\/p>\n

Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women\u2019s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women\u2019s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women\u2019s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)<\/p>\n

The specs<\/p>\n

Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo<\/p>\n

Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm<\/p>\n

Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm<\/p>\n

Transmission: 9-speed auto<\/p>\n

Price: from Dh498,542<\/p>\n

On sale: now<\/p>\n

The Voice of Hind Rajab<\/p>\n

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees<\/p>\n

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania<\/p>\n

Rating: 4\/5<\/p>\n

HIJRA<\/p>\n

Starring:\u00a0Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy<\/p>\n

Director: Shahad Ameen<\/p>\n

Rating: 3\/5<\/p>\n

The cost\u00a0of Covid testing around the world<\/p>\n

Egypt<\/p>\n

Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists<\/p>\n

Information can be found through VFS Global.<\/p>\n

Jordan<\/p>\n

Dh212<\/p>\n

Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.<\/p>\n

Cambodia<\/p>\n

Dh478<\/p>\n

Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.<\/p>\n

Zanzibar<\/p>\n

AED 295<\/p>\n

Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.<\/p>\n

Abu Dhabi<\/p>\n

Dh85<\/p>\n

Abu Dhabi\u2019s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.<\/p>\n

UK<\/p>\n

From Dh400<\/p>\n

Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.<\/p>\n

The President’s Cake<\/p>\n

Director: Hasan Hadi<\/p>\n

Starring:\u00a0Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rating: 4\/5<\/p>\n

GAC GS8 Specs<\/p>\n

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo<\/p>\n

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm<\/p>\n

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm<\/p>\n

Transmission: 8-speed auto<\/p>\n

Fuel consumption: 9.1L\/100km<\/p>\n

On sale: Now<\/p>\n

Price: From Dh149,900<\/p>\n

Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net<\/p>\n

Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink\u00a0tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.<\/p>\n

Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar – about six teaspoons.<\/p>\n

A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just\u00a0Dh6.<\/p>\n

Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.<\/p>\n

Company Profile\u00a0<\/p>\n

Founder: Omar Onsi<\/p>\n

Launched: 2018<\/p>\n

Employees: 35<\/p>\n

Financing stage: Seed round\u00a0($12\u00a0million)<\/p>\n

Investors:\u00a0B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners<\/p>\n

PROFILE OF SWVL<\/p>\n

Started: April 2017<\/p>\n

Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh<\/p>\n

Based: Cairo, Egypt<\/p>\n

Sector: transport<\/p>\n

Size: 450 employees<\/p>\n

Investment: approximately $80 million<\/p>\n

Investors include: Dubai\u2019s Beco Capital, US\u2019s Endeavor Catalyst, China\u2019s MSA, Egypt\u2019s Sawari Ventures, Sweden\u2019s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani<\/p>\n

Essentials<\/p>\n

The flights
Emirates<\/a>, Etihad<\/a>\u00a0and Malaysia Airlines<\/a>\u00a0all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.\u00a0
\u00a0<\/p>\n

Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element<\/a>\u00a0is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400\u00a0per night, including taxes.\u00a0Hotel Stripes<\/a>, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Penang, Ren i Tang<\/a>\u00a0is a boutique b&b\u00a0in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane<\/a>\u00a0in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.\u00a0
In Langkawi, Temple Tree<\/a>\u00a0is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.<\/p>\n

First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus\u00a0<\/p>\n

The specs<\/p>\n

Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo<\/p>\n

Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm<\/p>\n

Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm<\/p>\n

Transmission: Eight-speed auto<\/p>\n

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L\/100km<\/p>\n

On sale: December<\/p>\n

Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)<\/p>\n

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pocketsMATCH INFO<\/p>\n

Watford 1 (Deulofeu\u00a080′ p)<\/p>\n

Chelsea 2 (Abraham 5′, Pulisic 55′)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"OpenAI’s ChatGPT has been ranked No 1 on Apple’s list of the most downloaded free iPhone apps of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":189466,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[936,218,7889,61,4178,60,1284,329,80],"class_list":["post-189465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-apple","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-business-team","tag-ie","tag-iphone","tag-ireland","tag-standard","tag-story","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189465\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/189466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}