Pickleball Has Arrived in Dubai, and It's Here to Stay

While padel has firmly established itself as the unofficial sport of Dubai's social scene, a new racquet sport is quietly making its mark.

Poll

What's your go-to workout time?

Morning

Afternoon

Evening

Pickleball, the wildly popular American import, has landed in the city, and its home is Picklers, Dubai's first dedicated indoor pickleball club.

Located in Al Quoz, Picklers offers an antidote to the often-intense world of padel. Where padel can feel sleek and intimidating, pickleball is unpretentious and incredibly welcoming to newcomers.

The sport itself is a hybrid of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, played on a compact court with a whiffle-like ball. Its rules are easy to learn, and the learning curve is famously gentle, which explains why it has been the fastest-growing sport in the US for years.

TRAIN LIKE AN OLYMPIC MEDALLIST!

Welcome to Picklers

Picklers provides a perfect environment to dive into the sport, with six climate-controlled indoor courts.

The club fosters a social energy that turns strangers into doubles partners in minutes. While the game is accessible, it's far from just a casual hit-around.

The smaller court size leads to fast, sharp rallies at the net, making for an addictive and surprisingly energetic workout.

The club offers beginner clinics to teach the fundamentals, from serving and groundstrokes to dominating the "kitchen" (the no-volley zone near the net). For those ready to play, open sessions and court bookings are available daily.

It’s a low-stakes way to get active, meet new people, and join a growing community.

GET HYROX RACE READY AT GYMNATION

From Tennis Pro to Pickleball Pioneer

The driving force behind this movement is Patrick Chucri, a former professional tennis player and the founder of Picklers.

After a long career in media, Chucri felt drawn back to the racquet sports world. He initially experimented with touchtennis before discovering the universal appeal of pickleball.

"I found pickleball through social media and was initially skeptical, until I saw top tennis players embracing it," Chucri says. "After trying it myself, I realized how fun, accessible, and addictive it was."

VINYASA YOGA CLASSES AT GYMNATION

He envisioned Picklers as a premium, community-driven space that recreates the social atmosphere he loved in tennis.

For Chucri, the most rewarding part has been seeing the positive impact on members' lives. "Many members have told me it’s improved their health, expanded their friendships, and brought them real happiness," he shares.

Looking ahead, Chucri sees a bright future for the sport in the region, with ambitions for school programs, national teams, and over 20 Picklers clubs across the Middle East. His goal is to set the benchmark for pickleball and lead its growth from Dubai to the world stage.

Source: whatson

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.