Self Esteem Brands Announces Expansion of Anytime Fitness Brand into United Arab Emirates
Posted: March 22, 2024 in Chains
Anytime Fitness
WOODBURY, MN and DUBAI, UAE – Self Esteem Brands (SEB), the parent company of a global portfolio of fitness, health and wellness franchise brands, announces its latest master franchisee in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), an investment group led by Dr. Mark Mobius, an investor synonymous with emerging and frontier markets and one of the most successful and influential money managers over the past 30 years.
“Being a long-time member of Anytime Fitness and having used the clubs around the world makes this investment a natural for me,” Mobius said.
Dr. Mobius is joined by fellow investor John Ninia, along with Ben Matute and Richmond Sy, two longtime Anytime Fitness Philippines franchise operators who will relocate to Dubai and co-invest with Ninia and Mobius to establish Anytime Fitness UAE and open Anytime Fitness clubs across the country over the next eight years. The first Anytime Fitness club in Dubai is forecast to open by the end of 2024.
“When we look at the places where our presence and brands can make a meaningful difference and capture strong growth, UAE is at the top of the list,” said Sander van den Born, executive vice president, international, Self Esteem Brands. “It’s also a strong testament to the strength of the Anytime Fitness model to see existing franchisees relocate from a successful region to help stand up operations in the UAE. We are aligned on values and purpose, especially with wider recognition of health and wellness initiatives across the Middle East region; we are proud to bring the Anytime Fitness brand to the UAE and play an active role in the health and wellbeing of its people and communities.”
With the UAE, Self Esteem Brands will now have Anytime Fitness clubs operating in more than 40 countries and territories around the globe.
“The vote of confidence from Dr. Mobius is something we deeply respect,” said Chuck Runyon, co-founder, Anytime Fitness and CEO, Self Esteem Brands. “We strongly believe in the double-digit growth forecasts for the $5.6 trillion global wellness economy* over the next decade, and investments are crucial to help ensure we evolve health and wellness in ways that are holistic and more accessible. We are humbled to have Dr. Mobius, Mr. Ninia, and our longtime franchise operators Mr. Matute and Mr. Sy come together as the master franchisor bringing the Anytime Fitness brand to the UAE; we look forward to watching the brand grow rapidly in the region and make a difference in peoples’ lives.”
