{"id":105471,"date":"2025-10-03T08:53:20","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T08:53:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ainalalam.com\/?p=105471"},"modified":"2025-10-03T08:53:20","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T08:53:20","slug":"fitness-leaders-reveal-the-future-of-saudi-arabias-fitness-and-wellness-economy-at-fibo-arabia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ainalalam.com\/?p=105471","title":{"rendered":"Fitness leaders reveal the future of Saudi Arabia\u2019s fitness and wellness economy at FIBO Arabia"},"content":{"rendered":"[mhc_section admin_label=&#8221;\u0642\u0633\u0645&#8221; fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221; specialty=&#8221;off&#8221;][mhc_fullwidth_menu admin_label=&#8221;\u0642\u0627\u0626\u0645\u0629 \u0628\u0639\u0631\u0636 \u0643\u0627\u0645\u0644&#8221; menu_id=&#8221;56&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; submenu_direction=&#8221;downwards&#8221; fullwidth_menu=&#8221;off&#8221;] [\/mhc_fullwidth_menu][\/mhc_section][mhc_section admin_label=&#8221;section&#8221; 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background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;right&#8221; animation=&#8221;off&#8221;]\n<p><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\n<ul style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<li style=\"direction: ltr;\">Discussions during the panel focused on price promotions and discount-driven marketing, learnings from developed markets and attracting new target audiences, including women and seniors<\/li>\n<li style=\"direction: ltr;\">FIBO Arabia takes place until Friday, 3 October at the Riyadh Front Exhibition &amp; Conference Center<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\"><strong>Ain Alalam &#8211; Rashad Iskandrni<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">Leading voices from the Kingdom\u2019s health and fitness industry have gathered for a high-impact panel discussion during FIBO Arabia titled <em>\u201cUnlocking the Growth of the Fitness and Wellness Economy in the Kingdom.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">Moderated by Herman Rutgers, President of Global Growth Partners BV,\u00a0 the session brought together Nasser Obeid, CEO of Pure Gym Arabia; Hani Abdulhafeez Bukhari, CEO of Riyadh Combat Club; and Nathan Clute, Chief Strategy Officer at Armah Sports Company to provide a deep dive into the operational, strategic, and cultural levers that are accelerating sector-wide growth in alignment with Saudi Arabia\u2019s Vision 2030.<\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">The panel addressed several critical questions shaping the future of the Kingdom\u2019s fitness and wellness sector, including whether operators are overly dependent on discounts and price-led promotions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">Addressing the region\u2019s fitness industry historically relying heavily on discounts and price promotions to attract customers, <strong>Pure Gym Arabia\u2019s Nasser Obeid,<\/strong> said: \u201cClubs offering discounts are a result of market-driven factors. We want to stop that, and as of today, we\u2019re moving away from this. We\u2019re pushing towards value, with the focus on the consumer and what is valuable for the consumer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">The value of learning from mature international markets to drive faster growth in Saudi Arabia was also discussed at length. \u201cThe answer is easy: learning from any market is important. The more you know about the industry, the more you know about fitness consumers in general, which will be beneficial,\u201d said <strong>Nathan Clute, Chief Strategy Officer at Armah Sports Company.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-105468\" src=\"https:\/\/ainalalam.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/fibo-arabia-c-suite-discussion-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ainalalam.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/fibo-arabia-c-suite-discussion-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ainalalam.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/fibo-arabia-c-suite-discussion-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ainalalam.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/fibo-arabia-c-suite-discussion-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ainalalam.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/fibo-arabia-c-suite-discussion-1080x720.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/ainalalam.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/fibo-arabia-c-suite-discussion.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\u201cBut that doesn&#8217;t outweigh the value of local market knowledge. You could be the most experienced person in the world, but if you don&#8217;t have the local market knowledge, I think you&#8217;re setting yourself up for failure,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">The session also touched on the challenge of attracting new demographics, particularly women and older adults, to increase sector participation, where the sentiment was that effective targeting requires a deep understanding of specific customer segments with tailored approaches, based on real demand and clear market segmentation, which is key to attracting and retaining different groups, including women.<\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\u201cWe learned that targeting everyone is not targeting anyone. When we started, we had three branches. We had a lot of young girls, and when they grew up, they always requested that we open a branch, but few signed up. So we converted to an adults and kids branch, which is our main target audience,\u201d said <strong>Hani Abdulhafeez Bukhari, CEO of Riyadh Combat Club<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">Other sessions taking place on FIBO Arabia\u2019s popular Conference Stage, included, amongst others, \u2018<em>Avoiding the retention mistakes made in mature markets\u2019<\/em> by Paul Bedfor, Director Retention Guru Ltd; \u2018<em>What longevity medicine can learn from cancer innovation<\/em>\u2019 by Dr Marwan Ghosn, Founder IGH Clinic; and \u2018<em>Climbing your Everest\u2019<\/em> by Nelly Attar, Lebanese-Saudi athlete, adventurer and entrepreneur.<\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\"><strong>Vasyl Zhygalo, Managing Director of RX Middle East and Emerging Markets, <\/strong>said<strong>: <\/strong>\u201cFIBO Arabia is a catalyst for channelling investment into one of the world\u2019s most dynamic health, fitness and wellness markets. By uniting key stakeholders from these sectors, the event fosters high-impact partnerships that directly support Saudi Arabia\u2019s Vision 2030 ambitions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\u201cIt\u2019s about driving long-term economic growth, accelerating innovation, attracting strategic capital, and scaling initiatives that enhance quality of life across the Kingdom. The conference platform is central to this mission, offering a space for critical dialogue, thought leadership, and the exchange of ideas that shape the industry&#8217;s future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">The panel coincided with the release of the <em>Fitness Sector Development Report \u2013 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia<\/em>, launched yesterday at FIBO Arabia. Produced in collaboration with the Ministry of Sport and CAA Portas, the report provides a blueprint for the industry\u2019s growth to 2030, and highlighting key trends discussed during the session. They include the shift from price-led competition to value-driven models, the exponential growth of female participation, and the untapped potential in underserved regions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">With market revenues forecast to double to SAR 15.5 billion by 2030, the report highlights the urgency of tailored offerings, investment in workforce development, and strategic expansion, all themes echoed by panellists as critical to unlocking the next phase of the Kingdom\u2019s fitness and wellness economy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">FIBO Arabia takes place until 3 October at the Riyadh Front Exhibition &amp; Conference Center, welcoming over 140 international and regional exhibitors, 50 global speakers, and thousands of health and wellness professionals from around the world.<\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">For media registration and more information, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fibo-arabia.com\/\">www.fibo-arabia.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">To register to attend the event, please visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fibo.com\/arabia\/en-gb\/visit\/tickets.html\">https:\/\/www.fibo.com\/arabia\/en-gb\/visit\/tickets.html.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"direction: ltr; text-align: left;\">\n[\/mhc_text][\/mhc_column][\/mhc_row][\/mhc_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[mhc_section admin_label=&#8221;\u0642\u0633\u0645&#8221; fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221; specialty=&#8221;off&#8221;][mhc_fullwidth_menu admin_label=&#8221;\u0642\u0627\u0626\u0645\u0629 \u0628\u0639\u0631\u0636 \u0643\u0627\u0645\u0644&#8221; menu_id=&#8221;56&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;light&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; submenu_direction=&#8221;downwards&#8221; 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