press release: GymNation
Gold company profile | GymNation
PRESS RELEASE
The world’s heaviest billboard has been unveiled in the UAE - with a team of strongmen and strongwomen needed to install it
29 Oct 2025
The world’s heaviest permanent billboard? / GymNation
GymNation, the biggest gym chain in the Middle East, has turned heads this week, after claiming its new billboard in Dubai has broken all known weight records for an OOH (Out of Home) advert.
Weighing-in at a staggering one tonne, the billboard was created using forty weight plates joined together.
According to Rory McEntee, Chief Marketing Officer at GymNation, the company had to “hire in” a team of strong muscle-bound men and women to install the billboard.
The advert marks the first time a UAE gym has built their own billboard. Health & Safety reps at the company concluded that the ad was “so heavy” that perimeter tape must be used to seal off the advert, in the event of a wall collapse.
The permanent installation reads: "THE ONLY BILLBOARD THAT NEEDS A SPOTTER".
The heavyweight advert was unveiled to launch GymNation’s new “Strongman” class, which takes place every Saturday, 10am, at the Mirdif club. The class, for fitness lovers who love to lift big, is inspired by The World's Strongest Man international competition and includes exercises like Deadlifts, Tyre Flips, Log Press and Farmer’s Walk.
Commenting on the engineering triumph, McEntee said: “Advertising in the UAE needed a lift so we took that literally. The result is the world’s heaviest billboard, built to celebrate strength in every form. It was a massive job, spotters were required to put it up, but thankfully no hernias were reported during the installation.
"The Strongman class has been formulated in collaboration with our expert Fitness Instructors, and members can expect to shift some serious heavy loads - designed to bring out the inner strong man and woman in all of us.
"We strongly advise observers to remain outside the perimeter tape if they’re heading past the billboard, or just want to take a photograph of this heavyweight marketing feat.”
GymNation’s new Strongman class will run at 10.00am on Saturdays at GymNation Mirdif. You can book the class online at GymNation.com.
More press releases and updates from GymNation:
Passengers flying out of Riyadh this week have been treated to an extraordinary sight from
the skies after GymNation unveiled a giant desert sand mural supporting the Saudi Arabia
National Football Team ahead of the FIFA World Cup in the United States.
From Riyadh to Saar to Dubai - GymNation is making sure the Middle East has somewhere to
train, compete and progress in Hyrox, despite no confirmed Hyrox races on the calendar.
GymNation, the region’s fastest-growing fitness brand, has announced the launch of a bold
new global creative competition, inviting agencies, freelancers, studios, and its own member
community to design the brand’s next national billboard campaign.
In a city where delivery bikes are as common as sunshine, GymNation has done something nobody
saw coming.
Last week, GymNation announced what it called the world's first protein shisha bar - a
tobacco-free, nicotine-free vapor concept delivering up to 25g of 'aroma-activated protein'
per session.
GymNation: news from HCMmag.com and FitTechGlobal.com
In celebration of World Mental Health Day 2025 today (10 October) Gymnation is removing its
weights from the gym floor across the UAE and KSA.
Fitness participation rates in the United Arab Emirates and Kingdom Saudi Arabia are growing
faster than anywhere else in the world, but the key barriers of cost and gymtimidation persist,
according to the UAE & KSA Health & Fitness Report 2025, undertaken by operator, GymNation.
GymNation: featured in HCM and Fit Tech magazines
Research: Gulf growth
Gymnation’s 2026 report found a strong appetite to improve physical and mental health in the Gulf region, and a call for beginner programmes and offerings targeted at women
Sponsored: Orbit4
Orbit4 and GymNation have partnered to drive tech innovation
into the heart of the businesses, transforming operations
Sponsored: Gymnation – Active Nations
The fitness market in the Middle East is thriving, with the low-cost sector set to gain greater traction over the next few years. GymNation’s recent report uncovers the changing consumer factors fuelling this growth
Sponsored: Perfect Gym – strong foundations
GymNation is pioneering the future of
fitness with software specialist Perfect
Gym providing a scalable tech platform
to power and sustain its growth
Loren Holland: founder and CEO
GymNation video gallery:
Key personnel
Loren Holland: founder and CEO
Frank Afeaki: founder and COO
Ant Martland, founder and CCO
William Rasmussen-Dean, country director
Ishan Patil, head of finance
Ian Mullane, board member
Frank Afeaki: founder and COO
Ant Martland, founder and CCO
William Rasmussen-Dean, country director
Ishan Patil, head of finance
Ian Mullane, board member
Key customers
GymNation is a community to support
everyone, to celebrate and inspire
each other to become better versions
of themselves, by living happier,
healthier and more active lives.
Plans for the next 12 months
Today, GymNation stands at 36 locations across the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, with over 150,000 members.
In 2026, GymNation plans to open another 20-30 locations across the GCC, and with many more in the pipeline our aim is to become the largest gym chain across the GCC.
Behind the scenes, we’re diligently advancing our position as a world leading operator in the integration of technology, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.
Our commitment extends beyond mere application, aiming to spearhead discussions and set benchmarks within the fitness industry and beyond, ensuring GymNation remains at the cutting edge of innovation.
We’re not just building gyms; our vision is to play a lead role as the region’s movement partner, championing healthy and active lifestyles alongside the importance of mental health and well-being.
In 2026, GymNation plans to open another 20-30 locations across the GCC, and with many more in the pipeline our aim is to become the largest gym chain across the GCC.
Behind the scenes, we’re diligently advancing our position as a world leading operator in the integration of technology, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.
Our commitment extends beyond mere application, aiming to spearhead discussions and set benchmarks within the fitness industry and beyond, ensuring GymNation remains at the cutting edge of innovation.
We’re not just building gyms; our vision is to play a lead role as the region’s movement partner, championing healthy and active lifestyles alongside the importance of mental health and well-being.
Search news, features & products:
Find a supplier:
