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

[MacRumors]

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!)

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

 

[markiv810]

I hope Apple makes for India too.

 

[canny]

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.

 

[hagar]

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...

 

[Megakazbek]

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.

 

[Kabeyun]

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.

That is certainly the long game. Hope it works. Hard to predict the outcome of "westernization." Look at China and Russia. Embracing capitalism (or some version) doesn't necessarily translate to embracing human rights. Saudi Arabia is driven by the dollar but controlled by Wahhabists.

 

[bitfactory]

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

 

[Creek0512]

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.

 

[2010mini]

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.

Yeah let's crucify TC for what the UAE does. He should be more like you right and not have any dealing with that country. So I'm guessing you don't put gas in your vehicle or light and heat your home with anything that derives from oil? Or eat and wear any products that gets transported with oil products that come from the UAE?

Yes, yes I'm sure you did all that so you can have righteous indignation against TC.

 

[Gasu E.]

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.

The UAE has a large LGBT community and is the "gay center" of the Arab world. It has an actual gay nightlife scene. That said, homosexual acts are illegal. There are various overlapping penal codes with various punishments; it's true that one does include death, but that is never enforced. The favored punishment is deportation, but imprisonment does sometimes happen; as has, more rarely, "cure" attempt such as forced hormone treatments.


source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates

 

[makr]

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.

I don't think it's Apple's mission to spread those values.

 

[Rafagon]

And China is communist so we shouldn't do business with them.

Just because you do business with a county doesn't mean you endorse every practice of that country.

I don't care, or rather, it isn't my business what the UAE punishes or doesn't punish... by death or otherwise. If we're going to refrain from doing business with countries we disagree with on anything, the USA is going to be in serious trouble.

 

[WRChris]

Yeah let's crucify TC for what the UAE does. He should be more like you right and not have any dealing with that country. So I'm guessing you don't put gas in your vehicle or light and heat your home with anything that derives from oil? Or eat and wear any products that gets transported with oil products that come from the UAE?

Yes, yes I'm sure you did all that so you can have righteous indignation against TC.

There's not really much choice at the gas pump. Tim Cook gets bogus humanitarian awards for god knows what and deals with countries that do not support even basic human rights. Not difficult to see the point that person made.
It's not okay to criticize but it's okay to blindly accept this as business as usual?
You and Tim go way back huh?
[doublepost=1493168713][/doublepost]

And China is communist so we shouldn't do business with them.

Just because you do business with a county doesn't mean you endorse every practice of that country.

I don't care, or rather, it isn't my business what the UAE punishes or doesn't punish... by death or otherwise. If we're going to refrain from doing business with countries we disagree with on anything, the USA is going to be in serious trouble.

You are right you don't endorse the practices, but we can make some money off them!!! Whatever it takes to keep the wheels moving for these awful nations.

 

[2010mini]

There's not really much choice at the gas pump. Tim Cook gets bogus humanitarian awards for god knows what and deals with countries that do not support even basic human rights. Not difficult to see the point that person made.
It's not okay to criticize but it's okay to blindly accept this as business as usual?
You and Tim go way back huh?
[doublepost=1493168713][/doublepost]
You are right you don't endorse the practices, but we can make some money off them!!! Whatever it takes to keep the wheels moving for these awful nations.

no I am pointing out the ridiculousness of going after TC for UAE's society because Apple updated their app. No, I am not TC's biggest fan. I actually have no feelings of solidarity or anything for him. We live in, and benefit from a country that has done equally ****** things across the globe.

Remember the old saying about pointing fingers?