The gym franchise will open many clubs in the United Arab Emirates, where Dubai is becoming a fitness hotspot
Anytime Fitness will head to Dubai later this year to open its first club in the Middle East hotspot. Following the signing of a master franchise agreement, this will be the first of many Anytime Fitness clubs to open in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the next eight years.
There’s even better news for the gym franchise, which earns bragging rights by becoming the tech giant’s first gym partner following a deal with Apple.
Behind the impending growth of gyms in the region is an investment group led by Dr. Mark Mobius, self-esteem brandthe parent company of Anytime, recently announced plans to merge with Orangetheory Fitness.
“As a long-time member of Anytime Fitness and having used clubs around the world, this was a natural investment for me,” Mobius said.
He will work with investor John Ninia and two Anytime Fitness franchisees in the Philippines, Ben Matute and Richmond Sy, to develop Anytime Fitness. Matute and Sy will move to Dubai to launch Anytime Fitness UAE and open clubs across the country over the next eight years.
Push globally at any time
Sander van den Born, executive vice president international at Self Esteem Brands, said the UAE was “top of the list” when the health and wellness-focused company looked for regions where it could achieve strong growth.
The Self Esteem Brands executive also pointed to the “wider recognition of health and wellness initiatives” across the Middle East, making it ideal for fitness operators to enter the market.
With the addition of the UAE, Anytime Fitness will operate in more than 40 countries and regions. The gym franchise recently announced plans to expand into France, among other international moves.
In the United States, Anytime Fitness will expand its footprint with the help of Omega Fitness, which was acquired by Seattle-based private equity firm Rainier Partners last year.
Dubai becomes ‘fitness capital’‘
If it seems like the UAE has been making great strides in fitness and health recently, that’s certainly true. Dubai, in particular, has been dubbed the region’s “fitness capital” by fitness industry veteran Jack Thomas, co-founder of The Fit Guide, an anonymous reviewer of fitness and fitness International rating system for clubs.
Ken Research’s survey results last month showed that Dubai’s international atmosphere has established the UAE’s urban fitness service market as worth US$700 million, and is expected to exceed the US$1 billion mark.
Ahead of the trend, Barry’s opened a studio in Dubai’s business district in 2017, while fitness concepts such as F45 Training and Mayweather Boxing have also landed in Dubai.
The UAE has launched its National Wellbeing Strategy 2031, which plans to make the region a “world leader in quality of life” by promoting healthy, active lifestyles and positive mental health.
Dubai’s health and wellness resorts are second to none. The city is gearing up for a tourism boom this year, with people seeking rejuvenation flocking to this luxurious area, where high-end “healing hotels” offer a wealth of treatments and services, such as IV drips, salt caves, and saunas. wait.
