We all know Dubai for its skyscrapers, steel and concrete infrastructure and all the trappings of a modern metropolis. In this month of August 2025 though, the city launched a unique program focussed on community wellness. It is not a one-off promotional event; rather it has the makings of a movement that could truly democratise urban health and fitness and one that could serve as a template for both vertical and horizontal scale-up.
Welcome to the Dubai Mallathon – a month-long city program featuring nine malls wherein the public can participate in walking and running in the most premium air-conditioned malls between 7 am and 10 am everyday. This includes the Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Hills Mall and Deira City Centre.What seems to be a quirky modern experiment could well be the start of how modern urban fitness looks like.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence says “With the Dubai Mallathon, we’re turning familiar spaces into places that inspire movement, connection, and better habits. “We want everyone in Dubai to feel they can stay active and energised in welcoming spaces built with their needs in mind. This reflects our broader commitment to placing people and families at the heart of our development plans.”
Dubai Mallathon is aligned with the goals of the Year of Community, the Dubai Social Agenda 33, and Dubai Quality of Life Strategy 33, which aim to provide the highest standards of living, residential services, and cultural and sporting events while celebrating the UAE’s cultural, architectural and environmental heritage.
What stands out about this initiative is that there is no moralising here, it is low cost and high impact as it leverages existing infrastructure beautifully. I spoke to one of the participants this morning at the Mall of the Emirates and this is what he had to say “I never thought I’d look forward to coming to the mall before the shops even open. But here I am, walking alongside people of all ages, chatting, laughing, and actually feeling fitter. The air-conditioning keeps the heat away, and the energy here makes it feel less like exercise and more like a morning festival. It’s the first time fitness has felt this easy—and this much fun.” Are we witnessing a new movement that can democratise fitness and make it habit forming ?
The pitch to the mall owners is pretty straightforward – leverage the existing infrastructure and build a community. Imagine what the impact on the food court could potentially be with this initiative in the off peak hours! Imagine if this concept could now be extended to other kinds of metros – Hot climate ones like Riyadh, Doha, Muscat or the cold climate ones like Toronto, Chicago, Stockholm. Then again, you could extend this to pollution-affected metros like Delhi, Mumbai and Beijing or even take it to dense urban hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong.
One final thought on extendability. Imagine if the concept could be leveraged like “Happy Hours” at your favourite watering hole and the merchants put on offer special discounts during the off peak hours. Or combine the mallathon with a digital app that records your steps across not just the malls but also airports, exhibitions and tourist attractions like say the Global Village. And what if this could accrue as mileage or loyalty points that can then be redeemed for merchandise?
Well Done Dubai … for showing us the way with a new kind of marathon. One that starts not with the firing of a gun but with the simple opening of a door!
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