Business is undeniably booming in the United Arab Emirates. From construction to hospitality, to maintenance, education, and of course, health and fitness, too. Highlighting this is the fact that there are over 20,000 new businesses in the UAE each year.
Dubai’s the centre of the UAE’s business and investment hub – and it is now one of the world’s top five economic zones.
This country comprises mostly foreign nationals: of the 10 million people living in the UAE, about 8.5 million are foreigners. That’s not a bad thing at all. They’re what’s building Dubai and driving the economy forward for the entire region.
Recent changes to visa regulations and business laws have seen an influx of applications for foreign nationals to live and work here. High quality of life, zero tax policy, and government-backed business-friendly environment make Dubai a fantastic city to become a personal trainer and start your own fitness instructing company.
What the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us is to take a more proactive approach to our health and fitness. Also, escaping the confines of our homes to stretch our muscles and work on our fitness in our vibrant city.
Right now, there are about 1,000 health clubs, fitness outlets, and exercise centres in the UAE – with the bulk of those in Dubai. Healthy living is very much a part of Dubai’s culture and lifestyle, and they gave predicted that health and fitness market will continue to grow to about 1,500 within the next two years.
For business-minded personal trainers they estimate this growth to be an AED 3bn industry within the next two years.
If you’re thinking of becoming a personal trainer in Dubai’s fitness environment, now is the right time.
Why Personal Training in Dubai?
If you’re passionate and enthusiastic about exercise, health and fitness, gym instructing, fitness instructing, and training people to improve their overall physical fitness and physical activity, Dubai’s fitness lovers are waiting for you. Becoming a personal trainer in Dubai is the perfect career for you.
Dubai is a sports lovers’ paradise. Cycling, running, swimming, football, rugby, weightlifting, gym fitness, motorsport and more are just some of the many physical activities enjoyed here – and the fitness environment is of international standards.
Professional sports people and athletes call Dubai home for many reasons – and mostly because of the world-class facilities and year-round wonderful weather. Fitness services, outlets and fitness professionals proliferate and thrive in Dubai. And, as personal trainers in Dubai, you’ll be kept very busy with a large clientele.
A personal trainer works with one client at a time for individual participation to help their clients reach their health and fitness goals. Even before COVID-19, the fitness instructing industry was undergoing a change. The pandemic sped up a trend in the fitness industry: more and more people prefer to work out and exercise in smaller groups or one-on-one sessions with mostly gym-based exercise. No matter a client’s goals – losing weight, building strength, or fitness – having a trainer to personally coach and train them in their own dedicated space and time makes it more convenient, comfortable and motivational.
Personal training is an exhilarating and rewarding career. Are you ready to start your own personal training business in Dubai?
Regulations of the Fitness Industry in Dubai
A personal trainer – as with all other industries and jobs in the UAE – are required to hold a certificate, diploma or a degree from a recognized institute and the necessary skills and knowledge to get a relevant work visa. We know this as a REPS UAE certification. As is the same in the United States and the United Kingdom (REPS UK), REPS stands for the Register of Exercise Professions, a membership body for exercise professionals.
Personal trainers are also required to be affiliated with a licensed company or licensing authority to practice at a professionally competent level as a personal trainer with clients in the UAE. Our country’s General Authority of Youth Sports and Affairs issues this license. Of course, to work in Dubai you’ll also need a work and residence visa, too.
If you’ve already completed your personal training qualifications and are a member of your country’s REPS body, simply crosscheck with the UAE’s REPS website’s listed qualifications to see whether they recognize your certification or training in the UAE.
Don’t sweat it just yet. Most international personal training courses and personal training diploma equivalents are REPS UAE-approved. It will allow you to apply for a work visa and practice as a fitness instructing and personal training professional in Dubai. The UAE’s General Authority of Youth Sports and Affairs personal trainer license application defines two categories for applicant types: first, applicants meet the government’s REPS qualification requirements; and secondly if the applicant aims to study further fitness training in the UAE to get the highest level personal training certification.
Applicants require a minimum skill set of a Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training (or equivalent, according to UAE’s REPS information) to prepare to work in a gym with clients one-on-one basis or start their own freelance personal trainer company.
The quickest and easiest way to start your own company and begin working as a personal trainer in Dubai is to set up your own business.
Partnering with local company setup specialists at Trade License Zone, we’ll manage the entire company registration, personal trainer license application and visa processes for you.
While the UAE streamlined the processes and application requirements for business licenses and company formation, it is still a tricky process to negotiate and can be daunting and overwhelming.
That’s why Trade License Zone will help you to quickly and easily start your own business and begin your personal training courses in Dubai.
Steps to Getting your Personal Trainer License in Dubai
Step 1: Partner with Trade License Zone
As we’ve mentioned, partnering with a local company setup agency is the first step to opening any type of business in Dubai. Our experts at Trade License Zone will manage all aspects of your company formation process, business licenses, and guide you to start instructing and personal training.
Step 2: Choose a Business Structure
The UAE (and Dubai) is the first region to implement free-trade zones. These innovative free zones created special economic zones to offer more than just tax concessions and customs duty benefits. Each free zone is dedicated to a specific industry for trading, services, and licenses to investors and business people starting their own companies. They require no share capital up-front, are not audited annually, offer SME incubators and accelerators, and support centres. Choosing the right business structure will allow you to apply for a business license in a specific free zone for maximum benefits and support. For example, a specific free zone will offer freelancer licenses to allow you to set up your own company. This means you can take advantage of the full benefits of a normal business setup and visa eligibility.
Step 3: Choose and Register a Business Name
Trade License Zone will help you choose and register your company name with the UAE’s Registry Office. The business name must adhere to the UAE’s strict naming regulations. Business names cannot include any offensive or blasphemous language, nor any references to Allah or Islam. If you wish to include your name in your company name, you must use it in full rather than just your surname or initials. We’ll also check that your chosen name is available to be registered.
Step 4: Notarizing your Business Documentation
Once the company name’s approved by the Registry Office, you need to apply for notarization of the company’s Memorandum of Association (MOA) and Articles of Association (AOA) with the Department of Economic Development in Dubai (D-DED).
Step 5: Submitting your Business License Application
Along with your completed application form and initial business plan, you’ll also need to submit the following documentation:
- Proof of ID and address for directors and shareholders
- Passport copies for shareholders and directors
- Copy of trade name confirmation
- Memorandum of Association (MOA)
- Articles of Association (AOA)
At the same time, we’ll also apply for your personal trainer license with the UAE’s General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare in Dubai. For that application, we’ll need to submit the completed application form, passport copy of the applicant, and two colour passport-sized photos.
Step 6: Getting your personal trainer license and personal trainer visa
Let Trade License Zone help you get a visa for a personal trainer or a freelance visa for personal training. The steps are the same from the application through to your passport stamp.
With your personal trainer visa or freelance personal trainer visa, you can sponsor your dependents for their visas, too. Again, this follows the same process whether you wish to sponsor domestic staff or a child or spouse.
Conclusion
Becoming a personal trainer in Dubai is a profitable and rewarding business with huge growth potential. They have designed the company formation process and personal trainer license process in the UAE with simplicity in mind in navigating the legal requirements.
That said, it takes some hard work and in-depth knowledge of the region, its markets, its many customs and regulations.
That’s why it’s always advisable to sign up with the services of a UAE business setup company to guide you on your company’s license and setup based on your needs and budget.
When you work with Trade License Zone, we’ll guide and manage the entire incorporation process for you, and guide you through the latest government regulations regarding your personal training and freelance personal training license and fitness training business. Get in touch today for a personalised quote and competitive advantage.
We’ll give you peace of mind that your license and visa applications are free from errors and omissions – both of which can lead to delays and rejection.
All you need to provide is some basic documentation and some information about your business. Then, sit back and let the experts take care of the rest – managing your license and visa applications, communicating with all relevant government departments and authorities, and reporting back when you’re ready to trade. It is that simple.