Desks and lecture halls along one street
Shakhbout Bin Sultan Street, which plenty of people in Abu Dhabi still call Al Saada Street, is lined with offices and campuses. This page is for the people who spend their days there: office staff, and the students and staff on its campuses.
Their weeks run on different clocks. An office year looks much the same from one month to the next, while a campus year swings between teaching weeks, exam periods and long breaks. RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, rather than on Al Saada Street, and the mapped estimates put it close by. For a plain account of where RPM is and who it suits, see the main location page. Below, the two calendars sit side by side.
The office year and the academic year, side by side
| Stretch of the year | Office staff | Students and campus staff |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary working or teaching weeks | Two or three fixed sessions, after work or before it | Sessions fixed around the timetable once it settles |
| Deadline weeks and exam weeks | Shorter sessions rather than none | Short sessions to keep the habit, without pushing for progress |
| Ramadan | Working hours often change, so check the club's adjusted hours too | Timetables may shift as well, so rebuild the week around iftar |
| Summer, from May to September | Train indoors, and expect holidays away to pause the routine | The long break gives you time, though travel often interrupts it |
| Term breaks and public holidays | A chance for a longer weekday session | Time to build up, or to rest after exams |
On a campus, the guide for university students plans training by the semester. Do not assume a student rate exists: RPM does not publish prices, so ask the team.
| 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.
A gap in the middle of the day
Both groups sometimes get a gap mid-day: a lunch break for office staff, an empty slot between lectures for students. With RPM close to the street, a midday session is possible, but the gap has to hold the drive both ways, changing, the session itself and getting ready again.
- Time the round trip once, at the hour you would actually go, rather than trusting a quiet-afternoon run.
- Keep the session simple. One main lift and a short finisher suits a tight gap better than a full programme.
- Arrive in training clothes under a layer if you can, so changing takes less of the gap.
- Before the afternoon, use the hairdryers and products at the grooming hub, and ask the team about showers and whether towels are provided.
- If the gap is too tight on most days, train before or after the day and keep midday for the odd session.
The lunchtime training guide works through the timing in detail.
Getting there, and back for the afternoon
Al Saada Street is long, so offices and campuses along it start the trip from different places. The route box measures from where Shakhbout Bin Sultan Street passes closest to RPM, so any driving along the street before that point comes on top. Its last stretch runs along Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street (Airport Road) into AD HUB.
AD HUB has free on-site parking, and a lift goes up to Level 4. If you have an afternoon class or meeting to get back to, put the leaving time in your calendar along with the session.
Training as a team, a department or a class group
Offices and campuses both produce groups who would like to train together. RPM sets up arrangements for organisations one at a time, with the details confirmed on enquiry, so a manager, an HR team or a head of department is the person to approach. Bring answers to these questions:
- How many people are interested, and at what times of day.
- Whether women in the group want the Ladies section, which has its own equipment and the Pilates studio.
- Whether people want coaching, or only the training floor.
- For a campus group, what should happen over term breaks, which is a question for the team.
Questions, answered.
Which end of Al Saada Street is RPM at?
Neither. RPM is not on Shakhbout Bin Sultan Street. Its one club is in Al Manhal, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex, and the route box shows the mapped trip from the street.
Why do people still say Al Saada Street?
Al Saada Street is the older name of the street now called Shakhbout Bin Sultan Street, and many people kept using it. Both names point to the same street, and the figures on this page apply to both.
Is there a student rate?
RPM does not publish prices, so ask the team directly rather than assuming one exists. Membership options and prices are confirmed on enquiry.
What happens to my routine over the summer break?
Decide before the break whether you will be in the city. If you travel, ask the team what your membership allows while you are away. If you stay, the long break is a sensible time to build, indoors, through the hot months.
Can I train before a morning lecture or an early meeting?
Early opening makes it possible, so check the hours block above. Leave time for the round trip and for getting ready, and test it on a morning with nothing booked early.