A mall on the Tourist Club side, and two kinds of visitor
Abu Dhabi Mall is a shopping mall in Al Zahiyah, the district many people still call the Tourist Club Area, on Abu Dhabi island. Two groups look for a gym from there: shoppers who wonder whether a workout could share the trip, and people who work in the mall and want a routine that survives a retail rota.
RPM has a single club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, so every session means leaving the mall and crossing the island. Before you plan around it, read what to check before adding a gym visit to a shopping trip.
Pairing the errand with the session
On a shopping day the order matters, mostly because of the car. From May to September a parked car heats up fast, so whatever you buy should head home soon after you pay.
| Your errand | Pair it like this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A food shop with chilled or frozen items | Train first, shop last, then drive straight home | Groceries should not sit in the boot while you train |
| Returning or collecting an item | Either order, as long as it does not wait in the car | Phones and laptops dislike a hot car too |
| Buying new training shoes | Buy on one trip, wear them on the next | Test new shoes on an easy session, not a heavy one |
| A long family afternoon at the mall | Train in the morning and join the family later | Hours of walking after a hard leg session make the afternoon drag |
| Collecting something heavy or bulky | Do it on a day you are not training | A big carry is easier on a fresh back |
Check the mall's own opening hours before a combined trip.
Your shopping, your kit bag and the car park at AD HUB
From the mall, the mapped route follows Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Street (Salam Street) and ends on Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Street into AD HUB. The route box at the top of the page has the mapped estimates, and a busy shopping evening can stretch them.
You leave the car in AD HUB's free on-site parking and ride the lift to Level 4. The changing area has keypad lockers for a kit bag, a phone and keys. Ask the team beforehand what a locker holds, and leave bulky shopping at home rather than in a hot boot. Pack a clean top for the shops afterwards, and ask whether towels are provided.
Working in the mall: plan the year first, then the week
If you work at Abu Dhabi Mall, in a shop, at a kiosk or behind the scenes, the weekly rota is only half the picture. Retail work tends to swell at set points in the year, so set the year in blocks first, then fit each week inside its block.
| Stretch of the year | What it often means at work | Training that tends to hold |
|---|---|---|
| Ramadan | Later trading at night and a different daily rhythm | Short sessions at an hour that suits your fast, using the club's adjusted hours |
| The Eid holidays | Long shifts while friends and family are off | Two short sessions a week, with sleep protected |
| Back-to-school weeks and big sale periods | More customers and more stock to move | Hold what you have and add nothing new |
| The quieter months in between | A steadier rota | Build: heavier lifting, a coached block or a new class |
Your own shop's peaks may differ. Mark them from last year's rota before you plan.
Within each week, count a closing shift and the next morning as one unit, with no early session after a late finish, and give your hardest sessions to days that start with a rest morning. To hand the planning over, bring your rota and busy dates to personal training at RPM, which is built around your goal and your hours.
Live far from the mall? Weighing a gym by work against one by home sets out both cases.
Try it on a real shopping day or a real day off
Book the free guided tour for the kind of day you would really come: a shopping day, or a day off or post-shift slot if you work at the mall. Expect a walk around the club with a team member rather than a workout, and ask:
- Which tier covers the sections you want, and the current prices, shared on enquiry.
- Whether a day pass is available for an occasional shopping-day session, and what it includes. Ask the team to confirm both availability and price.
- Which coaches can work around a rota that changes every week.
- Whether your tier includes the recovery suite, with its Finnish sauna, aroma steam room and ice bath. Ask your doctor first if you are pregnant or have a heart condition.
| 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.
Set your rota or your shopping plan beside the hours above. They start early and finish late, with a shorter Friday, and Ramadan can move them.
Questions, answered.
Is RPM inside Abu Dhabi Mall?
No. RPM is a single club on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, so from the mall you drive across the island. The route box above shows the mapped trip.
I finish late at the mall. Will RPM still be open?
Set your finishing time against the hours shown above. When a late shift ends after the club closes, a session before your next late start is usually easier to keep.
Can my employer at the mall arrange something for staff?
RPM agrees corporate arrangements with each organisation separately, and the details are confirmed on enquiry. Ask your manager or HR team whether they would raise it.
Can colleagues of different genders train together?
Yes. A mixed team of colleagues trains together in the Mixed section. Women who would rather train only with women can use the Ladies section, which has its own strength and cardio equipment and the Pilates studio. Your tier decides which sections you can use, so check it for each of you.