New co-working space for fitness companies opens in Dubai’s JLT

A new co-working space dedicated to sports, fitness and wellness professionals has been opened in Dubai’s Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT).

Called nook, the facility has been established by the owners of sports provider Duplays and is located at the One JLT tower.

Nook will offer 200 licences covering over 35 industry activities with specialities in sports, fitness and wellness sectors, a statement said.

The facility will help members through the set-up process – from application, to registration and the issuing of trade licence.

The 10,000 square foot workspace offers three options including a shared collaborative workspace, a micro office for one person, and a premium office for larger businesses, seating up to four.

The monthly workspace rental plans are priced at Dhs2,500 for a shared space, Dhs3,000 for a fixed desk, and Dhs4,450 for private offices.

That does not include the yearly DMCC trade licence fee of Dhs11,000, and the monthly nook membership fees and company registration fees that start at Dhs499.

For industry professionals and companies not requiring physical office space, nook also offers a mobile startup package.

All packages include 24/7 access; free internet, printing and business support services; access to practice/training studios; and access to meeting rooms and PRO services.

Flexible payment terms are also available as an additional launch support service for start-ups getting their businesses off the ground, the statement added.

Duplay founders Ravi Bhusari and Davinder Rao said they established nook in response to the “business opportunities presented by the UAE’s growing sports, fitness and wellness industry”.

“We have been working in the sports and fitness industry in the region for almost 10 years now, and have seen the growing demand for professionals wanting to establish their own business,” said Bhusari.

“Setting up your own business as a personal trainer, sports coach, nutritionist or anyone in a complementary field, can be costly, take time and be a complex process.

“Because of our long-term relationship with DMCC, we have been able to work together to create a one-stop business support platform at nook. Our packages save industry professionals the time, cost and hassle of setting up their business.”

Nook will also host regular community socials, talks and training workshops, the statement said.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, executive chairman of DMCC added: “Supporting the journey of start-ups and small and medium enterprises is something we are deeply committed to at DMCC. We have a number of success stories, spanning different sectors, including technology such as Astrolabs – Middle East’s only Google Tech Hub, and have no doubt that the sports and wellness industry will follow the same path.”

The UAE’s fitness market is growing rapidly, and is expected to reach Dhs3bn by 2022, according to Indian market intelligence company Ken Research. The number of fitness outlets in the country will also exceed 1,400 by 2022, the report found.