How do I check that a personal trainer is registered?

REPs UAE describes itself as an independent public register that recognises the qualifications and expertise of exercise professionals in the UAE. It was launched in 2013 with the support of Dubai Sports Council, and it belongs to the International Confederation of Registers for Exercise Professionals (ICREPs), which links fitness registers in other countries.

According to REPs UAE, every professional on the register has had their qualifications checked against its registration standards. Registration also carries conditions that clients rarely hear about.

• An up-to-date CPR certificate is required to register.
• Members are expected to build up around 20 hours of continuing professional development every two years to renew.
• Qualifications are assessed against UAE fitness occupational standards. Some applicants receive provisional status and are encouraged to complete further training.
• Registered professionals are accountable to the register's code of ethics.

A listing therefore tells you that a trainer's qualification was checked and that they are keeping it current. It cannot tell you how well they coach. That is a separate test, covered further down.

These steps work for a trainer at any gym, a freelance coach or someone you found on social media. If you are choosing a coach at RPM, start with personal training at RPM and then run the same checks.

1. Ask for the trainer's full name as registered and their REPs UAE number. A registered professional will know the number.
2. Open Find a Trainer on the REPs UAE website (repsuae.com) and search by name or number. You can also filter by emirate, gender and category.
3. Match the result to the person. A listing shows a photo, the registration number and the location.
4. Read the category. It should fit the service: the personal trainer category for a one-to-one programme, a Pilates category for Pilates.
5. Read the expiry date. If it has passed, ask whether renewal is under way before you pay for a package.

If the trainer is not listed, ask why before assuming the worst. They may have just arrived in the UAE or be registered in another country. Ask what they hold instead, and how you can check it.

On 23 September 2026, the Abu Dhabi Media Office reported that the Executive Council had issued a resolution adding new mandates to the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. They include licensing sporting establishments, granting professional accreditation to sports professionals and issuing them licences to practise at those establishments across the emirate.

The release says the Sports Council's board will issue the regulations for accrediting and licensing sports professionals, subject to the Executive Council's approval. At the time of writing (October 2026), check the Abu Dhabi Sports Council's website, or ask the gym how its trainers are licensed under the rules in force.

REPs UAE's own FAQ says registration is not a statutory requirement nationwide. It adds that the Dubai and Abu Dhabi sports councils have issued circulars making it mandatory for fitness instructors working in health clubs and fitness facilities. Read that as the register's own summary, and confirm the current position with the Council.

A register checks paperwork. It does not watch a session. Two trainers in the same category can coach in very different ways, so use the listing as a minimum and then judge the coaching itself.

• Ask how they assess a new client before any heavy work.
• Ask to see how they record your progress from one session to the next.
• Ask about their experience with people in your situation, such as beginners or people returning after a long break.
• If you have a medical condition or an injury, ask whether they will want clearance from your doctor first. A fitness registration is not a clinical qualification.

Judging a gym's coaching before you pay covers the assessment and programming checks in more depth.

A trainer who comes to your building's gym or meets you in a park is harder to check than gym staff, because no employer has vetted them for you. Ask for their REPs UAE number and for the licence they work under as a freelancer, then check both with the body that issued them.

A coach who trains you online from another country may not appear on the UAE register at all. REPs UAE says qualifications from other ICREPs member countries are accepted when they meet UAE standards, so ask whether the coach is on their own country's register and check it there.

Be wary of anyone who will not give a full name or a number, or who says registration does not apply to them without explaining why.

RPM does not publish its coaches' registrations or certificates on this site. The coach roster lists who works in each section and the areas they cover, including female coaches in the women-only Ladies section. Ask the coach you are considering for their REPs UAE number and check it yourself, exactly as this guide describes.

Atelier is the RPM membership tier built around one-to-one coaching. Prices and package terms are confirmed on enquiry, and a free guided tour is a chance to meet a coach and ask these questions face to face.