The Middle East’s Largest Fitness and Wellness Expo Smashes Records
The Middle East’s biggest annual fitness and wellness exhibition, featuring the Dubai Muscle Show, Dubai Active, and Dubai Active Industry, showcased its international impact and celebrated a triumphant event with a record-breaking turnout of 36,010 visitors at Dubai World Trade Centre held across three action-packed days – an impressive 10% increase from last year.
Fuelled by this success and tremendous demand, the exhibition is thrilled to announce its return in 2024. It is now set to take place at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai, home to this year’s highly anticipated COP28, where world leaders will unite to tackle climate change.
In collaboration with Dubai Sports Council, this year’s exhibition hosted 600 inspirational athletes and health and fitness influencers from around the globe. Seamlessly bringing together all facets of the fitness industry at its exhibition space with its epic headliners and its robust schedule of events, attendees experienced inspirational and educational talks, meet and greets with some of the fitness industry’s biggest names, world-renowned competitions, a back-to-back schedule of exciting group fitness classes, and business seminars.
The event also showcased the largest assembly of exhibitors to date, with more than 400 exhibitors representing world-leading sports nutrition, fitness, wellness, and bodybuilding brands spanning 40 countries.
Dubai Active provided visitors with the opportunity to participate in exhilarating group fitness classes in the new Optimum Nutrition Arena led by superstar fitness trainers Kayla Itsines, Krissy Cela and Kelsey Wells. Additionally, attendees enjoyed meet and greets, photo opportunities, Q&A sessions and an unforgettable evening performance by James Smith, two-time bestselling author, motivational speaker, and the world’s fastest-growing online personal trainer, alongside Chris Williamson.
This year, WODXB, Dubai Active’s Functional Fitness Competition, delivered pulse-pounding action and Gravity Gym’s Calisthenics competition showcased raw athleticism. Visitors also enjoyed fitness, yoga, and meditation classes led by top Dubai gyms and studios.
The halls at Dubai Muscle Show hosted for the first time, the reigning champion and five-times winner of Mr. Olympia, Chris Bumstead, and welcomed legendary bodybuilders such as two-time Mr. Olympia Big Ramy and Dexter Jackson, 8x Mr Olympia, Ronnie Coleman, 7x Mr. Olympia and American IFBB Pro, Phil Heath, Iranian professional bodybuilder and Middle Eastern favourite, Hadi Choopan, and 3x Mr. Olympia Runner-up, American IFBB Pro,and Stranger Things actor, Kai Greene.
The Dubai Muscle Talks Stage, presented by Optimum Nutrition, featured exclusive meets, Q&As, guest poses, and talks from these top names in bodybuilding and visitors experienced Chris Bumstead’s most-anticipated Raw Talk Series, gaining insights into his journey to five-time Mr. Olympia champion.
Exciting competitions, including the Middle East’s biggest bodybuilding competition, the Dubai Muscle Classic added to the dynamic atmosphere, with winners crowned in various bodybuilding categories.
Dubai Active Industry, the Middle East’s only international fitness, wellness and sports tradeshow, introduced some new additions this year, including the CEO Forum. The CEO Forum, part of Dubai Active Industry’s Middle East Fitness Business Summit, featured talks from a world-class lineup of fitness experts, motivational speakers, and business thought leaders including Noel Mack, Chief Brand Officer at Gymshark, Krissy Cela, Forbes 30 under 30 CEO, Founder of OnerActive and Evolve You and Jack Thomas, Founder and CEO of The Fit Guide, who launched the official rating guide for gyms as well as numerous names from gym operators, brands and distributors.
The expo further delighted visitors with thousands of sample giveaways, special discounts and the chance to shop exclusive ranges from over 150 leading brands in fitness, apparel, beauty and nutrition.
Organised by Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), in collaboration with Dubai Sports Council, the Dubai Muscle Show, Dubai Active and Dubai Active Industry are part of IEG’s portfolio, which also includes Rimini Wellness in Italy, one of the premier events in the world within the fitness, wellness, and sport sectors.
