Who uses Defence Road to cross the island
Defence Road is the everyday name for Hazza' Bin Zayed The First Street, one of the routes people take from one side of Abu Dhabi island to the other, passing Al Manhal on the way. This page is for drivers who use it to get across: to an office on the far side, a school across town, or family at the weekend.
RPM is one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, and the mapped estimates put it close to the road. A gym beside a road you cross is not automatically part of your week, though: that depends on how often you cross. Before anything else, read the checks worth running on any gym you pass every day. The rest of this page sorts crossings by type.
Four reasons to cross, and the session each one leaves room for
People cross on Defence Road for a handful of reasons, and each puts a different limit on a session.
| Why you cross | What cannot move | Where a session fits | Build a plan on it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work on the far side of the island | Office hours | On the crossing home, or before work if you start late | Yes. Repeated crossings make a reliable anchor |
| A school run across town | The school day at each end | After the morning drop-off, if your own day allows it | Sometimes, on days without a fixed start of your own |
| Weekend visits to family or friends | The family plans | A weekend morning, before the visit starts | Now and then, as an extra session |
| One-off errands and appointments | The appointment time | Hard to say, because the timing changes | No. Count any session as a bonus |
If you cross for work on some days and work from home on others, tie RPM to the crossing days and keep the home days for rest or a walk in the cooler months.
A crossing that repeats on set days is what turns a gym you drive past into a habit. A crossing that shifts every week can still include a session, but count that one as extra.
Make the call at home, not at the wheel
A driver who decides at the moment of passing usually keeps driving, because at the end of a long day the easier choice wins. People who keep training on a crossing route settle the question before they set off.
- Put the session in your calendar on crossing days and give it the weight of a meeting.
- Leave your kit in the car the night before, so the session never depends on going home first.
- Know the session before you leave: what you will train, and how long you can give it.
- If you have to skip, choose the replacement day there and then.
| 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.
Friday crossings need their own plan, because the midday prayers shape the day and the club keeps shorter Friday hours. In Ramadan the hours change and evenings tend to gather around iftar, so check the adjusted times before you keep the usual crossing days. For a fuller way to test a gym against the route you drive, see the detour test for a daily commute.
One road under two names, mapped from one point
Is a gym near Defence Road the same as a gym near Hazza' Bin Zayed The First Street?
Yes. Defence Road, sometimes spelled Defense Road, is the common name for Hazza' Bin Zayed The First Street. A search under either name points to the same road, and the route figures on this page apply to both.
The route box starts counting where Defence Road comes closest to RPM, so whatever you drive on the road before that point is yours to add. From there the mapped route follows Hazza' Bin Zayed The First Street and finishes on Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street (Airport Road) into AD HUB.
At AD HUB the parking is free and on site, and a lift takes you up to Level 4.
Trying a crossing day before you join
Book the free guided tour for a crossing day, at the hour you would normally drive by: a walk-through with the team, not a workout. Then hold the membership tiers up against an ordinary week of crossings. Floor is the training floor alone, and Engine adds coached programming for a fixed slot you would rather not plan yourself. Atelier is built around one-to-one coaching. Inclusions, prices and the sections each tier covers are confirmed when you enquire.
To try a single crossing day first, ask whether a day pass is available. Pass offers change from time to time, so the price and what it covers come from the team as well.
Questions, answered.
Which building on Defence Road is RPM in?
None. RPM has one club, in AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, up on Level 4. The route box at the top of the page shows the mapped trip from the road.
I only cross the island at weekends. Is a membership worth it?
Possibly, if it is the long session you look forward to. With weekend crossings alone, though, a gym on your own side of the island may let you train on weekdays too.
My crossing time changes from day to day. Can I still keep a routine?
Tie the session to whichever end of the day changes least. If neither end is steady, a session booked with a coach gives the week one fixed point that the rest can move around.
I do a school run across the island. Can I train between drop-off and pick-up?
If your own day is flexible, yes. Ask on your tour how busy weekday mornings are. A mother on the school run who wants a women-only floor can ask to see the Ladies section and its Pilates studio, then check her tier includes it.