ACTIV, a gym chain in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which operates separate gyms for men and women, has partnered with digital management solution expert Fisikal to create a custom branded experience for its members.

When partnering on this project, ACTIV was particularly interested in Fisikal’s digital solutions for membership management, payment management, group exercise and PT bookings, as well as the option to launch live streaming and on-demand workouts in the future.

John Greenwood, CEO of Ezdihar Sports, says: “We approached Fisikal – which we’d worked with before – at a very late stage in the creation of our ACTIV gym brand.

“We knew this project would require an element of custom development, and that Fisikal was our preferred partner, but we knew the short time frame would present a challenge for any provider.

“We needn’t have worried. Fisikal has completely surpassed our expectations and the rapid completion of the project, under such tight time restraints, has been incredible.

“In addition to the membership system, Fisikal also managed to have the member app ready for the opening of the first two gyms which totally exceeded our expectations.”

This project included a number of custom developments which had to be built into the project as bespoke functionalities.

Culturally, Fisikal had to consider the Arabic translation and navigation of the member app, plus the gender separation elements that were required. In order to do this, Fisikal built the system to ensure there was no overlap between the male and female members when booking.

The team was also able to create bespoke, specific reporting requirements so that men and women are displayed on the dashboards as two separate clubs.

In addition, ACTIV needed to be able to use their local payment cards (Mada) through the Fisikal booking systems and comply with recent tax changes and specialised invoicing to meet Saudi legal requirements. In the future, Fisikal will also be tasked to integrate with their local access control partner.

Emma Excell, COO at Fisikal, adds: “It’s been a fantastic experience working with ACTIV to elevate its member experience to the next level. We were excited by the custom developments required to meet cultural needs – these have now strengthened the advanced functionalities of our digital ecosystem.

“The actual turnaround on design, custom brand and build of the app was completed in just five days. Our partnership with ACTIV is now live, initially across three sites, but with many more planned moving forwards.”

To find out more, visit the official website for ACTIV or click here to hear more from Fisikal.