How to Become a Successful Professional Trainer in Dubai


It is easy to see why the glitz, glamour, and warmer climate of Dubai might seem like the ideal environment for a personal trainer. Yet for all the allure of a move to the Emirate offers, as well as the significant growth the fitness industry saw in the last decade in this part of the world, it is not without its potential pitfalls.

Competition is stiff. Potential earnings are certainly attractive but they are offset by high living costs.. With this in mind, the following tips are crucial for any existing or budding fitness professionals hoping to make the leap into becoming a personal trainer in Dubai. As we covered, living in Dubai isn't cheap so you have to make sure you understand how many clients you should work with, get your qualifications right and understand the market,

1) Make Sure You Meet The Qualification Requirements.

For anyone wanting to either move to or become a personal trainer in Dubai, you must hold at least a level 3 Diploma in Personal Training. This is the minimum requirement and without it, you will struggle to become employed as a personal trainer in Dubai.

If you don't hold your level 3 qualifications before you move out to Dubai you can try to gain your new qualification afterwards, but that would be considerably more expensive than doing so in your home country due to the increased living costs.

Furthermore, you must meet the minimum qualifications requirement for your visa application. If you are already in another form of employment living in Dubai or, you are moving out to Dubai for another position but wish to change jobs, you will need to consider this carefully.

2) Don't Expect To Set Your Own Business Up Straight Away.

If you are a fortunate enough individual with access to significant funds enabling you to secure your own premises to start your business then great! But you might want to think carefully before doing so. The world of fitness is incredibly diverse and competitive in Dubai, even if it is arguably, a potentially lucrative one.

Launching your own gym or studio is expensive, but that isn't merely because of real estate and running costs. You have to consider how much new business you will be generating before your operation becomes viable enough to start offsetting your costs.

If you are arriving in Dubai as an unknown entity, then you should definitely not look to open your own place straight away as the time it will take to build up your business could see you losing money, fast.

3) Networking Is Crucial

Whether you're looking to start out as a sole trainer or harbour bigger ambitions from the beginning, you need to get to know as many people in Dubai as possible. That doesn't just mean trying to find potential clients so much as it means identifying your competitors and potentially, you're future co-workers or employer/employees.

Networking both physically and digitally is an absolute must for anyone willing to get started in the fitness industry in Dubai. There is a legion of personal trainers and body coaches already working and earning their living here, but you shouldn't see them as complete rivals for earnings and clients.

As a newcomer to the scene, you'll want to learn as much about the industry in your new environment as possible. Which gyms are popular? What kind of classes or sessions are clients taking the most of at the moment? Who is hiring personal trainers or looking for more clients? The fastest way to get answers to these questions is networking.

4) Make Sure You Offer As Much As Possible

In a market as competitive as Dubai, it's equally beneficial to specialize in as many niche fields as possible as it is to specialize in more popular areas. HIIT, circuits, cross-fit are all classes on the up right now but, you never know when people will start going crazy for Tai Chi or Capoeira again.

You can research as much as you like beforehand but really you need to take a good look at your resume and qualifications before you make the move into becoming a personal trainer in Dubai.

You don't have to be the most unique personal trainer to succeed but, you also can't afford to come in short-handed when there will be thousands of potential competitors able to offer more than you.

5) Start Off Working For Another Company First

Don't go charging into working as a personal trainer in Dubai with both guns blazing and expect to make either a big impression or a lasting impact straight away.

So why not do the smart thing and go get the lay of the land, the connections and most importantly, the earning security of working in your dream job for someone else first? But if you don't feel like going to work for yet another gym or fitness centre, or are reluctant to be assigned clients through an agency like app or operator, then Fitlov could be just the company for you.

Fitlov is an app-based personal training service that lets its clients choose who they want to train them in a location of their choosing. All trainers are selected by the client, but trainer options are tailored to meet the client's goals based on skills and qualifications. You can quickly sign up on their website and you will get matched with the users that fit your expertise.

So, are you ready to become a personal trainer in Dubai? Let us know how your journey is going and share your best tips!