Saudi Fitness Market and Vision 2030: A Guide for Gyms

What does Vision 2030 mean for trainers and gym owners in Saudi Arabia?

Vision 2030 set a public goal to raise the share of people who exercise at least once a week from 13% to 40%, and Saudi officials report that 59.1% of adults did regular physical activity in 2025. For gym owners and coaches, that means a larger, more active customer base, more women's facilities, and a largest chain, Leejam, that is adding its own PT app and AI-assisted program design. Independent studios and coaches win where the chains are thin: women-only and small-group training, Arabic-first coaching, Ramadan programs and online follow-up.

This page sticks to what official documents, company filings, company reports and news coverage of official results say, checked October 2026. Where a figure could not be confirmed, it is left out or marked as something to check.

The participation numbers, and why they are not the same metric

There are two headline figures, and they measure different things, so never add them up or compare them as one trend.

The Saudi Vision 2030 document commits "To increase the ratio of individuals exercising at least once a week from 13% of population to 40%". The Quality of Life Program document says that share "reached %19*" in 2019, and credits more sports venues and licensed clubs, "especially women clubs". Separately, Arab News reported in July 2026 that "The share of adults engaging in regular physical activity reached 59.1 percent" in 2025, and Ajel English described it as "exceeding the 55% target". That 59.1% is an adult physical activity KPI, not the weekly sport goal.

One caution if you quote these in a pitch deck: the QoL PDF also prints a 31% baseline for weekly sport in one KPI table, which conflicts with the 13% in the main Vision document. Use 13% and link the source.

Women are the clearest growth story. Saudi Arabia announced licences for women's gyms in February 2017, and women's weekly participation more than tripled between 2015 and 2019 by Saudipedia's figures.

Who runs the big gyms in Saudi Arabia

The market is led by a few listed chains, and their filings tell you where the volume is going.

A few details from Leejam's first half of 2026 matter for anyone selling training. Members rose 8%, group exercise classes rose 37%, and conducted personal training sessions fell 9% to 479K. Seven of the 12 centres opened in the half were female centres. Leejam also reports that membership sales grew because the average price per unit rose 14% while units fell 9%. Leejam calls itself the "Largest Gym Chain in MENA", which is the company's own claim.

GymNation's line is different: a low monthly price and a lot of first-time members. Its own report says "51% of GymNation members had no prior gym membership". That is a company figure, not an independent study.

Leejam's PT app and AI program design: what it signals

Leejam, the largest of the chains above, is building its own personal training app, so app-based coaching is becoming the normal expectation for Saudi gym members.

Leejam's 2025 annual report says the group is extending its performance-based PT model "to an even wider base of trainers and clubs in 2026, supported by the launch of the dedicated PT app and AI-assisted program design." The same report mentions work with the Saudi Academy for Sports Science on developing new Saudi trainers.

In practice, this changes what a member compares you with. A client who trained at a big box gym may now expect a program on their phone, logged sets, progress charts and messages between sessions. If you run a studio or coach independently, you do not need to match a chain's budget. You need the basics to work in Arabic, on the phone, without friction.

Digital habits back this up. The CST Saudi Internet Report 2025, as reported by Arab News, says AI tools were used by 45.2% of internet users, and MIT Sloan Management Review Middle East reports that peak internet use falls between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. That evening window is a sensible time to send check-ins and next-day reminders.

Where independent coaches and studios fit

Independents fit where a chain is too broad: specific groups, specific times and closer follow-up.

• Women-only training. Leejam added more female centres than male ones in the year to June 2026, and GymNation's survey says "50% of women experience gymtimidation". A small women-only studio or a female online coach offers privacy and attention a big floor cannot. See women-only online coaching in the Gulf.
• Small group and semi-private sessions. At Leejam, group exercise classes rose while conducted personal training sessions fell. Small groups sit between the two and suit studios.
• Ramadan and prayer-time scheduling. Sessions after iftar, shorter programs during the fast and check-ins that avoid fasting hours are a service in themselves.
• Arabic-first coaching. In the GymNation survey, 55% of respondents answered in Arabic. A coach who writes plans, messages and nutrition advice in Arabic removes a real barrier.
• Online and hybrid follow-up. Clients who train at a low-cost gym can still pay a coach for the program and accountability. GymNation's survey says 66% use the gym as their main place to exercise, so a coach does not need to own the floor.
• First-timers. GymNation says 51% of its members had no prior gym membership, and first-timers often want a structured start with someone checking in.

Affordability is the main barrier for 58% of GymNation's respondents. That argues for clear entry packages, not a single expensive one-to-one product.

Rules to check before you grow

Licensing, tax and data rules apply to coaches and gyms, and some details are not confirmed online, so check them with the authority named below.

This is not legal or tax advice. For the tax side in more depth, read VAT and e-invoicing for fitness businesses in Saudi Arabia.

A step-by-step plan for a Saudi studio or coach

Pick one segment, build a repeatable program for it, and make the follow-up visible to the client every week.

1. Choose your segment. Women-only, first-timers, small groups, Ramadan clients or online clients who train at a chain gym. One clear segment beats a general offer.
2. Check your paperwork. Trainer licence status, facility licence if you run a space, VAT and e-invoicing, using the table above.
3. Write entry packages. For example a 4-week starter program with two check-ins, then a monthly plan. Price them yourself; there is no official market rate to copy.
4. Build programs in Arabic first, with English for clients who prefer it.
5. Plan the calendar around prayer times and Ramadan. The Ramadan training guide covers what clients go through.
6. Decide how clients pay. Card online where your provider supports it, mada at the desk, bank transfer. Record every payment in one place.
7. Protect client data. Limit who sees progress photos and health notes, and tell clients how you store them.
8. Review every quarter. Which package sells, who renews, which check-in times get answers.

Where Trainera fits

Trainera is one system for gyms, studios and coaches that need Arabic, client apps and programs without building their own software.

Gym plans cost $119 a month (Core), $219 (White Label) and $259 (Studio) in US dollars, which is what visitors from Saudi Arabia and the UAE see; prices differ by country on trainera.fit/pricing. All gym plans have unlimited members with no per-member fee and no setup fee, three trainers included ($15 a month per extra trainer), and a 7-day trial with no card. Over 2,000 active members or more than one location moves to Enterprise, arranged on a call.

• Arabic. The app runs on the web, iOS and Android in 26 languages, and Arabic is fully right-to-left.
• Branded app. White Label and Studio include the gym's own branded iOS and Android member app. Trainera builds it and publishes it on the App Store and Google Play under Trainera's own developer accounts; store review times are Apple's and Google's. Core runs members in the Trainera app. More in Core vs White Label and white-label fitness apps in Saudi Arabia.
• AI help for staff. TRAI, the in-app assistant, gives 200 requests a month on every gym plan. It is not a medical service.
• Payments, honestly. Online member package sales are one-off card payments through the gym's own Stripe account with a 0% Trainera platform fee, and SAR is not a supported package currency. Stripe does not list Saudi Arabia, so a Saudi gym takes mada, cash or transfers at the desk or through its own bank or provider and records each payment in Trainera.
• No ZATCA e-invoicing. Trainera does not issue tax-compliant e-invoices in Saudi Arabia, so keep your own FATOORA solution.

Independent coaches use trainer plans instead: Free (3 clients), Starter $19.99, Pro $49.99 and Business $99 a month. A coach's own branded store app is on Enterprise only, priced on request.

If a chain-scale build with its own development team is what you need, a custom app may suit you better. For most studios and independent coaches, a ready system is the quicker route. For a wider view of software options, see gym management software for the Gulf.

Your 12-month checklist for the Saudi market

Use the official numbers correctly, pick a segment the chains serve poorly, and give clients an Arabic program they can follow on their phone.

• Quote 13% to 40% for the weekly sport goal and 59.1% only as the 2025 adult activity KPI.
• Watch the women's segment: Leejam's female members grew 23% in the year to June 2026, against 8% for all members.
• Offer small group and starter packages alongside one-to-one sessions.
• Confirm licence, VAT and e-invoicing status with the Ministry of Sport and ZATCA.
• Treat progress photos and health notes as sensitive data under the PDPL.
• Know what clients see on the consumer side: the best fitness apps in Saudi Arabia and how online personal training works in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Run your gym or studio in Arabic with member apps and unlimited members: see Trainera for gyms.