14 Essential Apps for Living in Cairo

By Guest Contributor On Nov 15, 2015

Life in Cairo can sometimes get overwhelming, what with all of the traffic, pollution and noise. It can be hard, after getting stuck in traffic for three hours or being sexually harassed in the streets, to notice and appreciate all of the endless services and opportunities this great city has to offer.

Luckily though, there a great number of apps catered to locals that help keep everything in order and that put many of the information and services you need right at your fingertips. Want to get food delivered to your doorstep without even having to make a phone call? There’s an app for that. Want to figure out the best place to get repair parts for your car? There’s also an app for that.

DINING

1. Elmenus

You’ve probably already heard of this app already but in case you haven’t, Elmenus is an app that allows you to view the full menus of many restaurants in Cairo, as well as providing information as to what time restaurants open and close, where a restaurant delivers, and where a restaurant’s branches are located. The app even provides user-submitted reviews of dishes at different restaurants.

2. Shisha Square

Shisha square is an essential app for any shisha lover (so basically every Egyptian ever). The app allows you to review shisha from different restaurants and cafes all across Cairo as well as view others’ reviews. The app even ranks Cairo’s top shisha spots and lets you know about places that serve shisha near you.

3. Hanakol A

Can’t figure out where to eat? Hanakol A has you covered. The app asks you a series of questions about your food preferences as well as what you’re craving and then comes up with a list of suggested restaurants. The app also tells you about popular dishes of the week and lets users review as well as compare different restaurants.

4. Otlob

Otlob is another app on this list that you might have already heard of. As the name suggests, Otlob allows you to order food from a wide range of restaurants and get it delivered right to your doorstep. Say goodbye to awkward phone calls with the guy at McDonalds!

FITNESS

5. 3ash

Check out our article on 3ash here.

6. CairoGyms.com

Cairo Gyms is another great app to download if you’re looking to get in shape or if you love to work out. The app allows you to find gyms near you, recommends personal trainers as well as workouts, and tells you where you can find healthy foods and supplements. The app even helps get you motivated by featuring success stories and keeping you up to date on fitness competitions and events! This app is a must for any fitness enthusiast in Cairo.

TRAFFIC

7. Wasalny

Wasalny is a free GPS service. The app allows you to save routes and even has a live traffic feature which tells you which areas to avoid based on traffic.

8. Beliaa

Beliaa is an all-inclusive car maintenance app. The app keeps you up to date on your car maintenance appointments and lets you know where you can find parts for your car specifically. The app even has an emergency button in case something goes wrong with your car and you need immediate help or rescue.

9. Bey2ollak Traffic

Every Egyptian’s dream is to get home without getting stuck in traffic. Bey2ollak Traffic is the closest you can come to achieving that dream. Users of the app post live to tell you which areas have lots of traffic and which areas are free to help you get home or to your destination in the shortest time possible.

ENTERTAINMENT

10. Filbalad Cinema Guide

Filbalad’s Cinema Guide app is by far the most accurate resource for finding out where different movies are showing. You’ll never show up to the movies again only to find that the movie you wanted to see has been removed.

11. Cairo 360

Cairo 360 covers every single aspect of Egyptian entertainment. Whatever your interests may be, Cairo 360 will probably find an event or venue for you. With categories ranging from Nightlife to Cinema to Events to Restaurants, Cairo 360 really does do a great job of keeping its users up to date on everything happening in Cairo.