Fitness in the UAE is no longer cyclical. People join a gym for a few months, lose motivation, start again later. That pattern is breaking. Instead, fitness is becoming part of people’s identity and routine, embedded into daily life rather than treated as a temporary goal. The Dubai Fitness Challenge and government health initiatives have accelerated awareness, but the deeper shift is cultural: people now understand that health, energy, mental wellbeing and longevity require ongoing investment. That mindset is creating sustained demand across the entire fitness ecosystem and reshaping what gyms must become to earn loyalty.
Kevin Texieria, founder of Warehouse Gym, has watched this transformation firsthand. Starting with a single location in Al Quoz, the brand has expanded across Dubai and Abu Dhabi by listening to how consumers are changing and evolving alongside them. What began as a strength and functional training space has become a multi-modality ecosystem integrating training, recovery, wellness and community.
The brand’s expansion into Sheikha Fatima Park, First Avenue Mall and Ras Al Khaimah signals something larger: fitness demand is no longer concentrated in commercial districts. It is being integrated into residential, lifestyle and community-focused destinations where people are building their routines. The future of fitness, Texieria argues, belongs to brands that operate as lifestyle platforms, not just gyms.
The UAE’s fitness industry is on a strong growth trajectory, supported by rising participation rates and initiatives like the Dubai Fitness Challenge. From your perspective, what is driving this sustained demand for fitness services in the country?
The growth of the UAE fitness industry is being driven by a combination of government initiatives, greater health awareness and a broader shift in how people think about wellbeing. Programmes such as Dubai Fitness Challenge have played an important role in making fitness more accessible and visible, helping millions of people build healthier habits over the years.
More importantly, we’re seeing fitness move from being a short-term goal to becoming part of everyday lifestyle and routine. People are increasingly recognising that health, energy, mental wellbeing and longevity require ongoing investment rather than occasional attention. That mindset shift is creating sustained demand across the entire fitness ecosystem
Warehouse Gym started with a single location in Al Quoz and has expanded across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. What has been the core strategy behind that growth, and how has the brand evolved since launch?
The growth strategy has always been centred around building something authentic rather than simply opening more locations. When Warehouse Gym launched in Al Quoz, we weren’t trying to create a traditional gym. We wanted to build an environment that reflected the culture and energy of the fitness community we were already part of.
Over time, we’ve evolved from a strength and functional training-focused gym into a much broader fitness ecosystem. Today, our members want access to multiple training modalities, recovery services, coaching expertise and community experiences under one roof. Our expansion has largely been driven by listening to how consumers are changing and evolving the brand alongside them.
While the facilities, services and footprint have grown significantly, the core philosophy remains the same: create spaces where people genuinely enjoy spending time and can build long-term habits around health and fitness.
The traditional gym model is shifting toward experience-led fitness spaces that combine training, recovery, and social interaction. How is Warehouse Gym responding to that shift in consumer expectations?
This shift has been happening for several years. Consumers today expect far more than access to equipment. They’re looking for environments that motivate them, support their goals and fit naturally into their lifestyle.
At Warehouse Gym, that has meant continually expanding beyond traditional gym offerings. We have built a multi-modality model that combines strength training, functional fitness, group classes, recovery services, wellness experiences and community events within the same ecosystem.
The most successful fitness spaces today recognise that training, recovery and social connection are no longer separate categories. They are all part of the overall member experience. Our role is to create an environment where those elements work together seamlessly.
You’ve seen strong spikes in check-ins and class participation recently, including record usage levels. What does that tell you about changing consumer behaviour around fitness and routine?
It tells us that people are becoming more consistent and intentional with their fitness habits. Historically, many people approached fitness in cycles, joining a gym for a few months, losing motivation and then starting again later.
What we’re increasingly seeing is fitness becoming part of people’s identity and routine rather than something they do temporarily. Members are engaging with multiple parts of the business, whether that’s strength training, classes, recovery services or community events.
It also reflects the growing importance of accountability and community. People are far more likely to stay consistent when they feel connected to a culture, a group of people and an atmosphere that motivates them to show up. The energy inside a gym, the people around you and the sense of being part of something bigger all play an important role in building long-term habits.
That’s one of the biggest behavioural shifts we’ve seen over the last decade: people are no longer just looking for access to equipment, they’re looking for an experience and a community that helps them stay committed to their goals.
Fitness is increasingly becoming a lifestyle choice rather than a standalone activity. How important is community-building in your model, and how do you actively design for it?
Community has always been one of the foundations of Warehouse Gym. In many ways, it’s the reason the brand exists.
People often talk about community as if it’s something you can manufacture, but genuine community comes from shared experiences, consistency and culture. It has to be earned over time.
We actively design for that through events, group training, collaborations, educational sessions and creating spaces where people naturally interact beyond their workouts. More recently, we’ve expanded that thinking into supporting local businesses, entrepreneurs and knowledge-sharing initiatives as part of the broader Warehouse Gym ecosystem.
The reality is that fitness is often the entry point, but community is what keeps people engaged long term.
Recovery, wellness, and longevity are becoming central to the broader fitness conversation. How is that influencing the way gyms are structured, both in terms of facilities and programming?
It’s having a significant impact on both facility design and programming.
The modern consumer understands that long-term health isn’t just about training harder. It’s about balancing performance with recovery, mobility, stress management and sustainability. As a result, gyms are increasingly being designed around a more holistic wellness journey.
At Warehouse Gym, we’ve integrated recovery offerings such as ice baths, infrared saunas, cryotherapy, sports therapy and mobility-focused programming alongside more traditional training modalities. The goal isn’t to replace fitness with recovery, but to create a more complete environment that helps members perform better and stay healthier over the long term.
I think we’ll continue to see recovery become a natural extension of the fitness experience rather than a separate category altogether.
As Warehouse Gym expands into new locations including Sheikha Fatima Park, First Avenue Mall, and Ras Al Khaimah, what does that expansion signal about where the UAE fitness market is heading next?
It signals that fitness demand is becoming increasingly embedded within communities rather than being concentrated in a handful of commercial districts.
Historically, fitness growth was heavily centred around major urban hubs. Today, we’re seeing strong demand across a much wider range of residential, lifestyle and community-focused destinations.
Consumers want fitness to be integrated into their daily lives. They want access to high-quality facilities closer to where they live, work and spend time. The success of community-led locations and mixed-use developments reflects that shift.
For us, expansion is less about geography and more about being present where people are building their lifestyles and routines. That’s where we see the future of the industry heading.
Do you see fitness brands in the UAE becoming broader lifestyle platforms that go beyond gym access, and if so, what does that future look like for Warehouse Gym?
Absolutely. The future of fitness will be far broader than gym memberships alone. The most successful brands will operate as lifestyle platforms that support multiple aspects of physical and mental wellbeing.
That doesn’t mean trying to do everything. It means understanding how fitness connects with recovery, education, community, performance, nutrition and overall quality of life.
W e’re already moving in that direction through recovery services, educational initiatives, community programming and partnerships that extend beyond traditional fitness. The long-term vision is to continue building an ecosystem that supports how people actually live, train and connect today.
I think the future belongs to brands that help people build healthier lifestyles, not just better workouts.
