A long commute with an office at one end
Plenty of people keep their home in Dubai and drive to a job in Abu Dhabi. This page is written for that group. The route box measures the Abu Dhabi part of that drive, from Al Ghadeer on the Abu Dhabi side of the border to AD HUB, and rates it a long commute. Your own drive from home in Dubai comes on top.
RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, with no branch in Dubai. That fixes its role: a gym for your Abu Dhabi days, not your Dubai ones. For the wider checks, read RPM's one club, read from an inter-emirate commute. If your situation is the reverse, with a home in Abu Dhabi and a job still in Dubai, the guide for people moving from Dubai to Abu Dhabi covers that plan.
The Abu Dhabi end against the Dubai end
| Question | Train in Dubai after driving home | Train in Abu Dhabi at the office end |
|---|---|---|
| Energy when you train | Low, after a full day and the long drive | Higher, before the drive or after an early arrival |
| The drive home | In the thick of the evening traffic, then a session | Often later and calmer, once the outbound rush has eased |
| Time at home in the evening | Short, with the session still to do | Short too, but the session is done |
| Weekends and home-working days | Covered by the same gym | Not covered: you need another plan in Dubai |
| Number of memberships | One, if all training happens in Dubai | One for office days, and perhaps another for Dubai days |
Test the evening traffic on your own commute before you plan around it. Patterns vary with the day and the season.
The Abu Dhabi end tends to win for people in the office most days. It loses for hybrid workers who come in once or twice a week.
Two ways to run an office-end day
| Step | Early-arrival day | Stay-late day |
|---|---|---|
| Leaving Dubai | Early, ahead of the morning traffic | At your usual time |
| Before work | Drive to AD HUB, train, then get ready for the office | Straight to the office |
| After work | Straight onto the road home | Drive to AD HUB and train while the evening rush passes |
| The drive home | At the usual hour | Later, and often lighter |
| What it costs | An earlier alarm and less sleep if you are not careful | A later dinner and less evening at home |
| 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.
Early opening suits the arrival plan and late closing suits the stay-late one, with shorter hours on Friday. For the evening version in more depth, see training after work.
Where your Abu Dhabi office is changes the answer
- On the main island: RPM is a short detour from most offices, and the office-end plan works well.
- On Al Maryah or Al Reem Island: a short crossing onto the main island, worth it on fixed days.
- On Yas or Saadiyat, or in Khalifa City, Masdar City or another mainland district: RPM sits past your workplace rather than at it, so a gym by the office will usually suit you better.
- Hybrid weeks: count only the days you are in an island office. If that is fewer than two a week, RPM is unlikely to earn a membership.
Keeping a long day safe and sustainable
A long commute and a hard session in one day add up, so set a few limits.
- Cap it at two or three sessions a week. The drive is already part of your load.
- Eat before the drive home after an evening session, and carry water in the car.
- If you feel drowsy, stop and rest before or during the drive. Never fight sleep on the motorway.
- In Ramadan, office and club hours both shift. Rebuild the plan once you know the month's timetable.
- Protect sleep. An early-arrival plan that costs you sleep every night will not last.
A coach can keep sessions short and effective. Personal training at RPM is planned around your goal and schedule, and a long commute is part of that schedule.
The E11, Salam Street and arriving at AD HUB
The mapped route from Al Ghadeer follows Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Street (E11), then Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Street (Salam Street), before the last stretch on Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Street into AD HUB, which has free on-site parking and a lift to Level 4.
For office days, keypad lockers hold your work clothes and the grooming hub has hairdryers and products. Showers and towels are worth checking with the team. Book the free guided tour on an office day, at the hour you would train.
Questions, answered.
Does RPM have a branch in Dubai?
No. RPM has one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, Abu Dhabi. The route box shows the mapped trip from Al Ghadeer, on the Abu Dhabi side of the border.
I work from home in Dubai two days a week. What happens on those days?
Train at a gym or outdoors in Dubai, or keep them as rest days. RPM can only cover the days you are in Abu Dhabi, so count those before you join.
Should I keep a Dubai gym membership as well?
Only if it gets real use at weekends or on home-working days. Work out the cost per visit for each membership, using your own fees and visit counts, and drop the one that costs most per visit.
Is training straight after the drive in a good idea?
It can be, if you slept enough and you have eaten something. Start with a short warm-up on the bike or cross-trainer, since a long drive leaves hips and back stiff.
I live in Abu Dhabi and still drive to Dubai for work. Does any of this help?
Not really. Your gym usually belongs at the home end, in Abu Dhabi. The movers' guide linked in the first section covers that situation.