Growing markets

Fitness participation rates in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are growing faster than anywhere else in the world, according to a report charting the region’s gym market

United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based health club operator, GymNation, has published what it says is the Middle East’s largest ever health and fi tness survey. Analysing responses from more than 9,600 residents across the (UAE) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the report aims to shine a light on barriers, opportunities and a fi tness industry that continues to shift. Titled UAE & KSA Health & Fitness Report 2025, the report’s findings reveal a significant fi tness boom in the region, with 92% of respondents expressing a desire to lead healthier lives in 2025.

The overall market trajectory reflects this trend. Saudi Arabia is witnessing an increase in penetration of gym users at 16.8% (Compound Annual Growth Rate – CAGR) from 2020 to 2023 – the fastest globally – while the UAE ranks third at 5.8%. Encouragingly, more than 40% of participants in both countries have increased their fitness spend in the last year – and more than half of respondents (62% KSA, 55% UAE) plan to increase their spending in 2025, reflecting a robust market poised for continued expansion.

Gym memberships are also seen as more than just beneficial for physical health. Nearly half of the respondents see the gym as part of their social life, with one in five forging meaningful friendships there.

Roughly a quarter of respondents in Saudi Arabia (27%) and the UAE (25%) see the gym as a “major social hub.” These individuals report regularly meeting friends, socialising, or forming new connections during their workouts. Meanwhile, about one in five in both countries describe their gym time as “somewhat social,” meaning they occasionally interact with others.

However, high costs and gym intimidation continue to prevent some from starting their fitness journeys. According to the report, nearly half of all participants experience some form of gym intimidation, with women (50%) reporting the issue more than men (42%). Common reasons for gym intimidation include unfamiliarity with equipment, lack of knowledge of exercises and feeling self-conscious about exercising around others.

Nearly half of respondents see the gym as part of their social life, with one in five forging meaningful friendships there

“These figures point to a need for beginner-friendly environments, support, and better education to help newcomers get started comfortably,” the report states.

Commenting on the report’s findings, Karl Foster, Chief Technological Officer at GymNation, said: “Our inaugural Health & Fitness Report is the largest of its kind in the region, with responses from 9,644 individuals across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates covering important topics such as perceptions, behaviours, motivations, socioeconomic factors, and much more.

We conducted this research to live up to our commitment to empowering our communities to strive for healthier, more fulfilling lives. I am particularly proud that the report highlights the link between the nation’s progress in nurturing healthier generations and the role we, as an industry, can play in helping people lead fitter lives.

“However, our findings highlight specific barriers— including limited supply, affordability concerns, time constraints, and “gymtimidation”— all of which are real issues and point to the continued need for collective action.

“We hope our research presents a compelling case that these barriers can indeed become opportunities. Currently, Dubai and Riyadh rank among the world’s most expensive cities for gym memberships, at third and fifth place, respectively— making them 150% more expensive than Stockholm, 25% more than London, and 15% more than New York. When we surveyed the public, they echoed these same concerns, with cost and the availability of locations cited as the primary obstacles to exercising.”

Key findings

Strong desire to be healthy ■ 92% of respondents in KSA and the UAE aspire to improve their health, far higher than in the UK (76%) and the USA (75%) ■ 64% report their health has improved over the past year, with an additional 26% having maintained it ■ The overall market trajectory supports this focus: Saudi Arabia is witnessing an increase in penetration of gym users at 16.8% CAGR from 2020 to 2023 — the fastest globally — while the UAE ranks third at 5.8%

A boom in first-time gym-goers ■ 56% in Saudi Arabia and 58% in the UAE did not have a gym membership in the previous 12 months, highlighting substantial untapped potential ■ Despite this, 82% describe themselves as at least somewhat active, with 79% working out twice a week or more ■ Government data (Ministry of Investment and Ministry of Sport, 2023) anticipates low-cost gym memberships in KSA to surge with a CAGR of 35–40% for men and 40–45% for women over the next five years, validating the trend of large-scale market entry by new users

The low-cost boom

The report shows that the Middle East is currently experiencing an early growth phase in the low-cost, high-value gym sector, akin to what the UK saw in 2011. During that period, low-cost gym memberships in the UK grew at a CAGR of 39% over eight years, while traditional private gyms saw no net growth Memberships in low-cost gyms increased from 200,000 to 2.8 million, leading to an increase in the UK’s gym penetration rate from 11.9% to 15.6%.

92% of respondents in the UAE and KSA express a desire to lead healthier lives in 2025, highlighting a significant fitness boom in the region