AROUND THE WORLD WITH HFA
(l to r) Greg Boucher, H.H Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hamad bin Saif Al Sharqi, H.E. Saeed Hareb, Gonzalez, Clark, H.E. Sheikh Suhail Butti Al Maktoum, and Rania Boucher
MEFIT Summit 2025 Enjoys Record Success
The first HFA-MEFITPRO partnership expands attendance at the Middle East event in Dubai.
Participants from Around the Globe
The 23rd edition of the MEFIT Summit in Dubai on October 9-11 marked a turning point in HFA’s expansion into the Middle East. This was the first year HFA partnered with MEFITPRO to help produce the event, and the result was the most successful summit since its inception in 2003.
Held at the Marriott Resort Palm Jumeirah, the three-day event drew over 2,000 participants from around the globe and featured more than 30 international speakers and 80 educational sessions.
MEFITPRO CEO Greg Boucher and MEFITPRO Managing Director Rania Boucher signed a partnership agreement with HFA CEO and President Liz Clark earlier this year. Rania hailed the partnership with HFA as a “major milestone,” and Greg said: “This collaboration will further empower our community and ensure we are not just hosting a summit, but we’re also bringing the global fitness community closer and driving real impact where it matters most.”
Making the trip to Dubai were Clark and HFA board members Maria Gonzalez, CEO of ClubFitness Greensboro, and Ahmar Azam, FCA (ICAEW), CEO of Trifit.
The event proved to be a critical step in unifying HFA’s mission with fitness leaders in the United Arab Emirates and neighboring countries. The summit drew top officials from the region, including H.E. Sheikh Suhail Butti Al Maktoum, executive director of the sports development sector at the Ministry of Sports; H.H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hamad bin Saif Al Sharqi, president of the Emirates Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation; and H.E. Saeed Hareb, secretary general of the Dubai Sports Council.
(l to r) Ahmar Azam, HFA Manager of Education and Events Katie Philipp, Gonzalez, and Trifit Marketing Lead Omar Azam.
“This collaboration with MEFITPRO marks a significant step in HFA’s global strategy to support and elevate the fitness industry in high-growth regions.” ● Clark
Hyrox is making inroads in the Middle East.
A Wide Agenda of Fitness and Wellness Topics
The three-day summit offered sessions on wide-ranging topics such as longevity, functional medicine, and bio-hacking, in addition to more mainstream fitness subjects.
HFA research took centerstage in two presentations:
● Donal McElwee, a consultant from CAA Portas, presented details from a landmark report done in collaboration with HFA on physical inactivity, pricing, and public policy, Reversing the Physical Inactivity Crisis—Fitness Affordability as Strategic Policy.
● Gonzalez shared insights from the 2025 HFA Global Report, which provided reports from more than 50 countries from five major regions (North Africa, North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Europe).
● Azam, former CEO of Leejam Sports Company based in Saudi Arabia, led a panel discussion on insights from founders and their strategies for growth. Azam’s current company, Trifit, is based in Pakistan.
This is just the beginning of the partnership between HFA and MEFITPRO, which will continue to open new opportunities for industry stakeholders to participate in the influential Middle Eastern region.
“This collaboration with MEFITPRO marks a significant step in HFA’s global strategy to support and elevate the fitness industry in high-growth regions,” said Clark.
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Health & Fitness Business (HFB) is the leading health and fitness industry publication. Published monthly by the Health & Fitness Association (HFA) and distributed free to the industry, HFB offers analysis of the opportunities, challenges, issues and news that impact the industry.
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