Dubai Gym reaches milestone of 1 million member visits

GymNation opened its first location in Dubai’s Al Quoz in July 2018, and it’s now celebrating it’s one millionth member visit.

The one-millionth member check-in was Joanne Mary Ababa, who checked into GymNation Bur Dubai on Tuesday at 11.04am. As a reward, she received a free lifetime GymNation membership, as well as prizes worth more than Dhs10,000 from GymNation partners.

It’s not a surprise that over 1 million Dubai residents have visited GymNation since its opening – with an unrivaled price point of AED99 per month, each gym bosting over 30k sq ft of space, 24hour opening hours, 400+ free fitness classes a month, over 500 pieces of Matrix gym equipment and free parking at all sites – the offer is more than compelling.

GymNation was a UAE homegrown business that was established by three friends who’d lived in Dubai for several years and had grown increasingly frustrated by the cost of keeping fit and healthy. To combat these problems, Loren Holland, Frank Afeaki and Anthony Martland, came up with the idea for GymNation – Dubai’s first affordable gym, The People's Gym and the first thing to pop on your mind when you think of Gyms near me.

The one million member visits have been across gyms in Al Quoz, Bur Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, and there are exciting plans for more GymNation branches coming this year in Motor City, Mirdif, Silicon Oasis, Downtown Dubai and Khalidiyah Mall in Abu Dhabi; not even the COVID19 market disruption can stop the growth of this UAE homegrown brand which it appears has no problem taking the fight to multinational franchises given they recently started the pre-sell and fit-out of their Gym in Motor City which is right next door to Fitness First.

Founder Loren Holland, “The market for gyms in Dubai market had become stagnant, with operators overpricing their bang average products which simply hadn’t evolved with the global markets.

They had become complacent and the industry needed a shakeup.

As a customer myself I simply wasn’t prepared to spend AED400-500 per month to use a tired and old facility. We saw a gap in the market for a world-class offering which was priced fairly so we could make health and fitness available to everyone, not just the upper echelons of income earners. And that’s just what we have achieved.

Everyone told us the concept wouldn’t work in Dubai, but at GymNation you’ll find millionaire CEO’s running on treadmills or lifting weights alongside far lower-income earners previously priced out of the gym market. There’s no social status, just a great and inspiring environment which over 1 million people have benefited from in under 24 months.”