Same training, different city
Moving between the two cities changes less inside the gym than outside it. Your programme, your shoes and your favourite lifts all come with you. The trip, the contract and the weekly rhythm are what need resetting, and they decide whether you keep training.
This page lists the Dubai habits that tend to catch movers out, and what to do instead. For the club itself, see RPM Gym in Abu Dhabi: one club, in Al Manhal, with no branch in Dubai. If you are still in temporary housing, settle the flat first, then work through the steps for new residents to choose.
Dubai habit, Abu Dhabi adjustment
Mark the habits in the first column that are yours. Each row is a general pattern, not a rule, so test it against your own address and hours.
| Your Dubai habit | What is different here | Adjust by |
|---|---|---|
| Training in your community, a short drive from home | Districts sit on the main island, on Reem, Saadiyat or Yas, and on the mainland, joined by bridges that slow at rush hour | Choosing a gym on the same side of the water as the place you set off from |
| Taking the Metro to a gym by the station | Most gym trips here are made by car or taxi, with buses where a route suits you | Planning door to door by road, parking included |
| One membership for branches all over Dubai | The same brand may have few branches in Abu Dhabi, or none on your side of a bridge | Asking for the Abu Dhabi branch list in writing, then testing each at your hour |
| A class-credit app for studios across the city | Which venues an app covers differs by city and by district | Counting the venues on your own route before you renew |
| The gym that came with your community or tower | Building gyms vary widely, and some towers have none | Inspecting the building gym on viewing day, before you sign the lease |
| Tolls and parking on Dubai's systems | Abu Dhabi runs its own toll gates, called Darb, and its own paid street parking | Setting both up for your car before your first week of gym trips |
| Friday as an ordinary training day | Government offices here finish at midday on Friday, the midday prayer shifts traffic, and many gyms keep shorter Friday hours | Moving the Friday session to the morning or evening, once you know your gym's Friday hours |
| Women-only training in a studio or at set hours | Women-only formats vary from gym to gym: a separate section, set hours or a studio | Asking which format a gym has, and whether your membership covers it |
Dress codes are set by each gym rather than by the city. If your Dubai kit was on the minimal side, read what to wear to the gym in Abu Dhabi before your first session.
If you still work in Dubai
Plenty of movers keep a job in the other city for a while, or split the week between an office there and home days here. The long drive is the fixed cost, so the gym has to sit at one end of it.
- Office days, home end: train early at a gym on your side of the water, before the drive, and arrive at work with the session done.
- Office days, office end: only worth it if you would otherwise sit in the evening traffic, since a session there can let the worst of it pass. It needs a second membership or a Dubai pass, so count the visits it would get.
- Home days and weekends: these carry the longer sessions, at the gym on your Abu Dhabi route.
A worked example: a project manager moves to the island and keeps a Dubai office three days a week. She trains before the drive on two of those mornings, lifts at an island gym on Sunday and on one home day, and lets the Dubai membership lapse when its notice period ends. That gives her one membership and four sessions, none of them in Dubai.
Closing out the Dubai contract
Before you hand in notice, find out what the contract says about moving away. Some agreements end early on relocation if you can show proof, and others hold you to the full term. A chain may let you move to another branch, which only helps if that branch sits on your new route.
- Does the contract end early if I move out of Dubai, and what proof do you need?
- Can I freeze while I move, and does the frozen time extend the term?
- Is there an Abu Dhabi branch my membership moves to, on the same terms?
- When does it renew, and how much notice do you need before that date?
For timing the overlap between the old gym and the new one, see switching gyms without paying twice.
Weekends, Fridays and Ramadan on this side
The weekend itself will not feel new. Abu Dhabi government entities have worked a Saturday and Sunday weekend, with Friday as a half working day, since January 2022. Private employers set their own week, so check yours.
- Weekend trips back: if you return to Dubai to see friends, the weekend sessions are the first to go. Anchor one strength session on a weekday you always spend in Abu Dhabi.
- Friday: a morning or evening session is easier to keep than one at midday, when the prayer moves traffic and gym hours.
- Ramadan: office hours usually shorten and gyms often publish a separate timetable, with evenings busy after iftar. Ask for it when it is announced.
- Summer: if you travel in July or August, ask whether a freeze is possible before you sign, not after.
Where RPM fits a Dubai mover
RPM is a single club on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, on Abu Dhabi island. It has no other branches, so it cannot replace a membership you use in both cities. It fits if your new home or office loop passes Al Manhal at your training hour.
- Parking: free on-site parking at AD HUB, then the lift to Level 4.
- Sections: a Mixed section for men and women, and a Ladies section for women only, with its own strength and cardio equipment and the Pilates studio. The tier decides which sections you can use, so confirm it.
- Tiers: Floor covers the training floor, Engine adds coached programming, and Atelier centres on 1:1 coaching. Prices and inclusions come from the team on enquiry, not from the website.
- Before you sign: a free guided tour, which is a walk-through with the team rather than a workout.
Expect early starts and late closing, with a shorter day on Friday:
| Days | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Saturday to Thursday | 06:00–23:00 |
| Friday | 09:00–22:00 |
Hours can change, for example during Ramadan. Confirm with the team before a late or early visit.
Sources
Questions, answered.
Can I keep my Dubai gym membership after the move?
You can, but count the visits it will really get. If you are in Dubai two or more days a week, a gym by the office may still earn its fee. If you only go back for the odd weekend, price a pass on those days against the membership before you renew.
Should I choose the gym before the flat?
No. Choose the flat, then the gym on your route from it. A gym that looks a short hop from a flat on the map can still sit across a bridge from it at your hour.
Is training in Abu Dhabi different from Dubai?
On the gym floor, hardly at all. What movers notice is practical: the trip, the shape of the week and which formats sit on their side of the city. Dress codes and women-only arrangements are set gym by gym, so ask on the tour.
Does RPM have a branch in Dubai?
No. RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, Abu Dhabi.