Dubai: Fitness freak Pakistani expat adds muscle to personal training module

Dubai: Fitness freak Pakistani expat adds muscle to personal training module

Shahbaz Haider strikes a big chord with his clients because of his performance and word-of-mouth publicity

Shahbaz Haider, Personal Trainer, trains Mysha Omer Khan UAE ranked No 1 in Girls Under 15 badminton at the AB Fitness in Dubai. Photo by Neeraj Murali.

Published: Mon 27 Jun 2022, 4:13 PM Last updated: Mon 27 Jun 2022, 4:24 PM

Lahore-born Shahbaz Haider was a fitness freak since his formative years. Shahbaz, who graduated from the Punjab College of Commerce (PCC), Lahore, in 2004, took up fitness training the following year at a local health studio to keep his passion going.

However, fitness training in Pakistan over 17 years ago was hardly a profession, as awareness was low about keeping yourself in shape.

Shahbaz had little option but to look for a viable career — he worked as a quality assurance supervisor for Warid Telecom while working as a fitness trainer as a part-time gig.

Little did he realise that his side hustle would become his livelihood when he visited Dubai for the first time in July 2010. He quickly figured during that short trip that there is a booming yet untapped market for fitness in the Middle East’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan city.

Shahbaz Haider, Personal Trainer at