Regulars at Manarat, not one-off visitors
Abu Dhabi Culture describes Manarat Al Saadiyat, in the Saadiyat Cultural District, as an active community space with year-round exhibitions, film screenings, performances, workshops and drop-in studio spaces. Its art workshops for children and adults cover printmaking, figure drawing and ceramics, among others, and Manarat's own website lists an Art Studio with equipped studios for ongoing classes and a photography studio that runs regular meet-ups.
This page is for the people those programmes bring back week after week, most of whom live elsewhere in Abu Dhabi. RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, and where RPM is for someone who crosses to Saadiyat every week explains how to weigh the trip. The useful question is how a training routine sits beside a class routine you have already committed to.
Match each Manarat habit with a training slot
| Your Manarat habit | A pairing that tends to work | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| A weekly evening workshop | Train on the main island first, then cross straight to class | That the session ends with enough margin for the bridge, and where you will change |
| A weekend course or workshop block | A morning session at RPM, then the afternoon on Saadiyat | That the class does not keep you standing for hours after a heavy leg day |
| Evening photography meet-ups | Train on a different evening and keep the meet-up night clear | Whether that week's meet-up is a photo walk, which counts as activity in its own right |
| A child's workshop at the weekend | One adult takes the child while the other trains, then swap the following week | The workshop's own rules on whether a parent must stay |
| Exhibitions and screenings now and then | No pairing needed | Keep your gym days fixed and count these as extra trips |
The point of pairing is that the class and the session stop competing for the same evening. Two fixed slots a week, one on each side of the bridge, are easier to keep than a routine rebuilt every Sunday.
Courses run in blocks, and training can too
Manarat's Art Studio lists its workshops a few months at a time. That rhythm suits training well. Plan your gym work in the same blocks, so a new course and a new programme start together and you review both at the end.
- Before the block: take RPM's free guided tour at the hour you would train, and ask which tier covers the sessions you want.
- During the block: keep the same days every week, and tell a coach which evenings belong to class.
- In the last week: review what held and what slipped, then set the next block around the next course.
- In Ramadan or the summer: expect both timetables to change, and check the club's hours below before you plan.
If a fixed weekly slot is what makes your class work, group classes at RPM may suit you for the same reason. They run in both sections, and the timetable changes, so ask the team what is on at your hours.
| 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.
Where home is changes the sums
- Home on the main island: the Manarat trip is your crossing, and RPM is on your side. Training on non-class days costs no bridge at all.
- Home on Saadiyat: the class is local and the gym is the crossing. Weigh that against a gym on the island before you commit.
- Home on Yas Island or the mainland: both are trips. Put the session on a day when work already brings you to central Abu Dhabi.
- Working on the main island: a session after work, then home or on to class, uses a drive you already make.
For a wider comparison of training in the centre against training where you live, read central gym or island gym.
Saadiyat to Al Manhal on the mapped route
The mapped route from Manarat crosses Sheikh Khalifa Bridge and uses Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street, the Sheikh Zayed Tunnel and Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Street (Salam Street). The route box calls it a longer bridge trip, and evenings with traffic will stretch it. At AD HUB, use the free on-site parking and take the lift to Level 4.
Sources
Questions, answered.
Is RPM part of Manarat Al Saadiyat or the cultural district?
No. RPM has no link with Manarat or its programmes. RPM's single club is on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, a longer bridge trip from Saadiyat, as the route box shows.
My workshop finishes in the evening. Can I still train afterwards?
Often, yes, because the club opens late into the evening, with shorter hours on Fridays. Check the hours block against your class time and leave room for the crossing.
My classes keep me sitting or standing still for hours. What should I train?
Tell a coach what your class week looks like and ask for a plan that balances it with strength work for the back, hips and legs. If you already have pain, see a doctor or physiotherapist before starting.
Can I use the Ladies section on a class day?
Yes. The Ladies section is for women only, with its own strength and cardio floor and the Pilates studio, where reformer classes run. Check the reformer timetable against your class day, since both change.
Should I join for a whole year if my course is only a term?
Ask the team which options fit the length of commitment you want. Prices and terms are confirmed on enquiry, so compare them against the run of your course.