A long commute sets the rules
The route box puts Al Reef, a community on the mainland, a long commute from RPM in Al Manhal. Every session at RPM therefore has to ride on a trip you already make. If your office is on the island, the session can sit at the island end of the day, so the long drive happens once rather than twice. If it is not, the honest answer is a gym by home, with RPM kept for something you cannot get there. The general checks are on judging RPM's one club against a long drive.
Count your island days first
| Office days on the island each week | Plan | Weekend role for RPM |
|---|---|---|
| None | A gym by home | An occasional coached session or recovery visit, if any |
| One | One session on that day, ideally coached | Rarely needed |
| Two or three | Up to two sessions, before or after work | Only for something specific |
| Four or five | Two or three sessions, on the days with the lightest workload | Usually none |
Leave at least one office day without training. A long commute plus a session every day can wear you down, and a skipped session hurts the habit less than a short night's sleep. For a wider method, see the commute-first way to choose a gym.
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street, Salam Street and the island end
The mapped route from Al Reef uses Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street and Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Street (Salam Street), and finishes on Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Street into AD HUB, where the free parking is on site and a lift goes up to Level 4.
Those figures measure home to club. On a training day the trip that counts starts at your office, which may be anywhere on the island, so time the office-to-club leg at the hour you would leave work. The long drive home then starts from Al Manhal instead of your desk.
| 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.
Keeping the long day bearable
- Keep a training bag in the car all week, so a session never depends on going home first.
- Eat a proper snack in the afternoon, because the drive home after training is a long one.
- Keep sessions focused, with one main lift or a coached block, so you are not home too late.
- From May to September, carry water for the drive as well as for the session.
- If a hard session leaves you drowsy, rest and eat before the long drive.
Signs the plan costs more than it gives
- You get home too late for dinner on training days.
- Your sleep is shrinking to make the sessions fit.
- You skip more sessions than you make.
- Weekend visits feel like a chore rather than something you look forward to.
If two or more apply, move routine training to a gym by home and keep RPM for one coached session a week on an office day.
Searches from Al Reef Downtown and Al Reef Villas
Does this apply to Al Reef Downtown?
Yes. This page also answers searches from Al Reef Downtown, and the same advice applies: train at RPM on island office days, and use a gym by home for the rest. Measure the trip from your own front door.
I live in Al Reef Villas. Is the advice different?
No. Searches from Al Reef Villas are answered here too, because the same long-commute rules hold: count your island days first, and keep weekend visits for coaching, the Ladies section or the recovery suite.
Questions, answered.
Do I have to drive into the city to train at RPM?
Yes. RPM's only club is on the island, in Al Manhal, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex. From Al Reef that is a long commute, as the route box shows, which is why this page ties training to island office days.
Before work or after work, on a commute this long?
After work is often easier: you train while the evening traffic thins out and make the long drive home once. Before work means an even earlier start from Al Reef. Try each on an office day before deciding.
Can I keep a gym by home as well?
Yes, and that split suits a long commute: routine sessions by home, RPM on office days. Ask the team which tier fits two visits a week, since inclusions and prices are confirmed on enquiry.
What makes a weekend visit from Al Reef worth it?
A booked session with a coach, a reformer class in the Ladies section, or a long session ending in the recovery suite. Ask which tiers include the suite, and if you are pregnant or have a heart condition, ask a doctor before using heat or cold.
Can I test the commute plan before joining?
Book the free guided tour straight after an office day, then drive home from Al Manhal. For a fuller trial, ask whether a weekly pass is available. Pass terms change over time, so availability, price and inclusions come from the team.