How Dubai-based GymNation is set to disrupt the regional fitness industry

How Dubai-based GymNation is set to disrupt the regional fitness industry

Holland: Before GymNation, I was involved in private equity in the UK and had previously invested in UK-based budget operator Xercise4Less. The idea for GymNation came about when I relocated to Dubai to work in the corporate finance team for a leading UAE-based education provider and was shocked at the high pricing, annual upfront payments and low quality of fitness facilities available within the UAE. Frank had previous hands-on experience within the affordable fitness sector in Australia, having helped build Crunch, UFC and Hard Candy franchises, which were owned by his family, and Ant had previously managed the sports marketing for brands including Adidas, Reebok and OSN Sports across the Middle East and Africa. The overall idea behind GymNation was to launch an affordable gym that gave people access to world-class fitness facilities around the clock. As consumers ourselves, to pay over Dhs400 per month, in one upfront annual payment just wasn't justifiable and we felt that because of this industry-wide high price point, too many people were being priced out of the market. Around the time we launched our first club in 2018, Deutsche Bank released a study on the affordability of living costs in key cities around the