Fitness leaders reveal the future of Saudi Arabia’s wellness economy at FIBO Arabia

RIYADH: Leading voices from the Kingdom’s health and fitness industry took part in a high-impact panel discussion at FIBO Arabia on Thursday titled “Unlocking the Growth of the Fitness and Wellness Economy in the Kingdom.”

Moderated by Herman Rutgers, president of consulting firm Global Growth Partners BV, the panel included 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. Their discussion offered a deep dive into the operational, strategic and cultural levers that are accelerating sector-wide growth in alignment with the goals Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan for national development and diversification.

The participants addressed several critical questions about the future of the fitness and wellness sector in the Kingdom, including whether operators remain overly dependent on discounts and price-led promotions.

The fitness industry in the region has historically relied heavily on such incentives to attract customers, but Obeid said: “Clubs offering discounts are a result of market-driven factors. We want to stop that and, as of today, we’re moving away from this, we’re pushing towards value with the focus on the consumer and what is valuable for the consumer.”

The value of learning lessons from mature international fitness markets to help drive faster growth in Saudi Arabia was discussed at length.

“The answer is easy: learning from any market is important,” said Clute. “The more you know about the industry, the more you know about fitness consumers in general, which will be beneficial.

“But that doesn’t outweigh the value of local market knowledge. You could be the most experienced person in the world but