Interest in healthy lifestyles and getting active is growing rapidly among consumers in the Middle East, with a recent industry survey revealing that 92 per cent of respondents want to improve their health and wellness (compared to 76 and 75 per cent in the UK and US respectively).

The inaugural 2024/2025 KSA and UAE Fitness Report – commissioned by leading Middle East-based low-cost gym operator, GymNation – the largest survey of its kind in the region – reveals a fitness market that’s set for transformative growth over the next five years.

Karl Foster, CTO of GymNation, says: “We conducted this research to live up to our commitment of empowering our communities to strive for healthier, more fulfilling lives. Our goal is simple but ambitious: to democratise health and fitness for all.”

Covering topics such as consumer perceptions and behaviours, socio-economic factors, as well as barriers to entry, the report includes responses from 9,644 individuals across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

New entrants
Over half of new GymNation members surveyed had no membership 12 months before joining, indicating consumers are entering the market in larger numbers.

Currently, strength training is the most popular gym activity (47 per cent KSA, 52 per cent UAE), followed by running clubs, yoga and Pilates, mindfulness classes and Hyrox-style workouts.

However, for those who have yet to join a gym, cost is cited as a major barrier – perhaps not surprising considering Dubai was ranked the third most expensive city in the world for gym memberships, while Riyadh was fifth, according to Deutsche Bank Research in 2019.

The GymNation report shows that more than half of respondents (51 per cent KSA, 53 per cent UAE) believe current gym memberships are too expensive, suggesting there is much room for the expansion of lower cost offerings.

‘Gymtimidation’ was also cited as a barrier, with respondents afraid of not knowing how to use the equipment (women 75 per cent, men 50 per cent) and feeling self-conscious about exercising in public (34 per cent of both women and men).

‘Major social hubs’
For those KSA and UAE consumers who have joined the fitness crowd, interest and enthusiasm is strong and growing.

Around a quarter (27 per cent KSA, 25 per cent UAE) see their gym as a ‘major social hub’, while almost half (46 per cent KSA, 43 per cent UAE) consider the gym to be part of their social life.

A significant number of these members are planning to invest more in their health. Over half of the GymNation respondents (62 per cent KSA, 55 per cent UAE) plan to increase their wellness spending in 2025, indicating a buoyant market that’s ripe for continued expansion.

Reasons cited for this increased spending include fitness becoming more of a passion, people wanting to invest in gym clothing and wearables, as well as a desire to upgrade to premium memberships and services.

Against this robust market backdrop, GymNation has ambitious plans to improve accessibility to low cost gym memberships for consumers seeking high quality facilities and value for money.

After a successful 2024, where the UAE-founded company launched six gyms in Saudi Arabia (adding to its 14 UAE locations) and surpassed 110,000 members, 2025 is shaping up to be even bigger and better.

Strong forecasts
CEO and founder of GymNation, Loren Holland, says: “The Middle East market is in the early growth phase of the low-cost fitness segment, similar to what the UK experienced in 2011 when this market began to gain traction.

“Our theory is supported by individual research from the Ministry of Investment and the Ministry of Sport (2023), which provides a five-year forecast indicating low-cost membership growth at 35-45 per cent CAGR.”

With confident predictions like these, backed up by data from the GymNation survey, the future of the Middle East fitness market – especially in the low cost sector – looks bright.

Holland continues: “We hope this research inspires action in our sector and ultimately leads us toward a more active, inclusive and health-focused future as this region continues to evolve.

“GymNation is gearing up for an even bigger year in 2025 with an ambitious strategy centred around expansion and innovation.

We’re planning 20 further locations across the UAE and KSA, while staying true to our mission of making fitness affordable and accessible to everyone.”

More: www.gymnation.com