The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will host its 19th annual conference in Abu Dhabi this fall at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, following a strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi Investment Gate (ADIG) and Shura Global Consultancy (SGC) with support from the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention.
The Middle East has emerged as a leading wellness economy, with the UAE at its center as the region’s largest market—reaching $34 billion in 2023, according to the Global Wellness Institute.
Scheduled for November 18-21, the conference will introduce new platforms for collaboration, investment and transformative ideas shaping the future of the global wellness economy, GWS said.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Abu Dhabi Investment Gate and Shura Global Consultancy to bring this prestigious event to the UAE,” GWS chair and CEO Susie Ellis said. “Abu Dhabi is a natural choice to host our most ambitious Summit to date, and we look forward to giving delegates the opportunity to experience the rich landscape of the UAE, a country that has so much to offer in terms of natural beauty, pioneering preventative health and wellness solutions and new luxury destinations.”
The region’s wellness ambitions have led GWS to name it one of its top ten trends for 2025, citing investment in preventive healthcare, sports and wellness infrastructure and tourism.
Several fitness leaders are also zeroing in on the growing market. Middle East gym giant GymNation is investing $1.5 million in Pilates studios at its existing and future locations and partnering with Basi Systems to outfit its facilities with pilates equipment. Meanwhile, master franchisee Luxe Fit Pilates is set to expand FIT’s Vaura Pilates across the Middle East and Orangetheory Fitness has opened a new studio in Saudi Arabia.
More recently, Lift Brands, the global wellness company behind Snap Fitness, Fitness On Demand and a minority partner in 9Round and Fitstop has reacquired the Snap Fitness master franchise for the UAE, with plans to open several new locations across the country in the coming years.
In Abu Dhabi, plans are underway to launch SHA Emirates in 2026 as the world’s first “healthy living island” with AI-powered wellness solutions. The city is also expanding its wellness and longevity innovation hubs, including Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and Kintsugi Space, a women-only holistic wellness club while developing wellness real estate communities such as Saadiyat Grove.
“Bringing the Summit to Abu Dhabi is an unparalleled opportunity to showcase our nation’s leadership in innovation-driven wellness initiatives, and the Summit will serve as a catalyst for economic growth, sharing experiences and establishing cross-sector partnerships,” ADIG chairman H.E. Saeed Al Meqbali said.
The 2025 Global Wellness Summit will bring together global thought leaders for in-depth discussions on health and wellness trends, along with an expanded Innovation Lab spotlighting wellness breakthroughs from startups and industry disruptors.
