Purpose Brands Expands in Kuwait With Rhone Fitness: What It Means for the Region’s Fitness Market

Purpose Brands announced that regional operator Rhone Fitness has secured exclusive franchise rights for Anytime Fitness in Kuwait, expanding an existing relationship between the two groups.

Rhone Fitness already operates Orangetheory Fitness studios across the GCC and runs other fitness brands in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, led by CEO Khaled Jafar.

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Why this partnership matters

This isn’t just “another gym opening.” It’s an example of how the Middle East fitness sector is maturing into clearer segments:

• 24/7, convenience-first training for people who want flexibility and value (the Anytime Fitness model).
  
  

• Coach-led, tech-enabled group training placed in premium lifestyle destinations (the Orangetheory model).
  
  

That split reflects how people actually train: some want access and independence, others want coaching, community, and a structured session.

What’s been announced so far

1) Timing

Rhone Fitness plans to open its first Anytime Fitness location in Kuwait before the end of 2026, with a growth plan across the following 12–36 months.

2) Location strategy

The initial focus will be on established urban areas where there’s strong demand for always-available fitness and favorable unit economics.

3) The market rationale

The announcement points to Kuwait’s fitness market having:

• rising participation in structured fitness
  
  

• under-penetration of professionally operated 24-hour facilities
  
  

• increased preference for branded, standardized fitness experiences
  
  

A quick reality check: what “24/7 gyms” actually solve

For most members, the biggest barrier isn’t knowledge. It’s friction:

• you finish work late
  
  

• family schedules shift
  
  

• you miss a session and the week collapses
  
  

24/7 access solves the scheduling problem. But results still come from the basics: a repeatable plan, progressive strength work, and enough consistency to make change inevitable.

If you’re building your own routine, start by choosing a structure you can keep:

• 2–3 strength sessions per week
  
  

• 1–2 conditioning sessions
  
  

• daily steps as the “baseline”
  
  

If you prefer training that’s already structured, browse group formats.

What this signals about the wider GCC fitness landscape

Purpose Brands positioned this as part of a multi-brand portfolio strategy, noting its wider lineup (including Anytime Fitness and Orangetheory Fitness) and stating the portfolio generates USD $3.9B in revenue across 40 countries, serving 6 million members.

For the region, it reinforces two trends:

1. Branded experiences are winning (people want consistency across locations).

2. Operators with multiple concepts can serve different training “personas” without forcing everyone into one model.

Source: businessinsider.com 

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