Challenge On: Over 51,000 Emirates Group employees have accepted the Dubai Fitness Challenge since 2017, as workforce gears up for 2024 edition

• Group promotes culture of health and wellness by supporting 30 different hobby and sports clubs, runs year-round health awareness campaigns under its Sehaty programme
• Engages workforce during DFC through classes and fitness events across Dubai, in addition to incentivised travel

Recognising the importance of health and wellbeing in sustaining a productive and happy workforce, the Emirates Group has been wholeheartedly supporting and participating in the Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) since its early days, inspiring its employees to embrace fitness and lead healthier lifestyles.

The momentum continues every year, with over 51,000 Emirates Group employees in the UAE having participated in the annual fitness festival since 2017, clocking in millions of minutes and calories burned through physical activity, as well as attending thousands of fitness classes.

The Dubai Fitness Challenge is set to start in just four days, and the Emirates Group is once again encouraging its workforce to participate and complete 30 minutes of exercise every day for 30 days, or 30X30, with an added incentive for all eligible participants who complete the challenge receiving one free flight ticket to anywhere on the Emirates network.

Dubai-based employees can kick off the month-long celebration of wellness with an endless choice of free classes across the city, participate in sporting events and group workout sessions, participate in the world’s largest community sporting events – Dubai Run and Dubai Ride - or continue with their favourite fitness activities as they make every stride count towards their own health and wellness goals.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive for Emirates Airline & Group said: “The Emirates Group has been a long-standing supporter of the Dubai Fitness Challenge. Over the years, Emirates has activated well-known global teams and leagues we sponsor to raise global visibility for the event, organised friendly challenges to demonstrate employee camaraderie and team spirit, and have organised a diverse schedule of fitness events, trainings and classes fully run by our teams, collectively contributing to Dubai’s goal of becoming one of the world’s most active cities.”

His Highness added: “As a company that cares, we prioritise the health and wellbeing of our workforce as a valuable investment. Throughout the year, we run a gamut of employee wellness programmes, support our employee sports clubs and promote policies that align with our people’s health goals and interests.  This fosters a culture of health, helps our brand to stand out and supports our recruitment and retention efforts, laying the foundation for a stronger and more resilient business.”

Emirates Group’s ‘Sehaty’ programme (which means ‘my health’ in Arabic), runs year-round physical and mental health awareness campaigns, preventative screenings, and health and wellbeing roadshows and webinars. A number of teams from across the Group help spearhead Sehaty initiatives, including Emirates Group Medical Services, Clinical Psychology, the Group’s Employee Assistance Programme, Peer Support, Group Safety and Human Resources. Highly trained medical professionals from the Group’s Medical Services team regularly support health and wellbeing campaigns by distilling complex concepts into accessible, actionable knowledge for employees to integrate into their work and personal life.

There are also more than 30 different sports and hobby clubs, and lifestyle activities managed and run by Emirates Group employees throughout the year ranging from football, volleyball, basketball, badminton, cricket, cycling, rugby, snowboarding, scuba diving and skydiving, amongst other sports. Recognising the importance of the clubs as part of its culture of health, The Emirates Group offers paid leave, travel support and funding to employees who represent UAE national teams as well as the organisation itself, at major sporting events, including inter-airline tournaments.

During DFC, employee fitness experts hold free classes across the Group’s facilities, and teams can avail special discounts and offers at participating Dubai-based health clubs and gyms. Throughout the month and across the year, employees regularly receive supportive health, nutrition, fitness and mental health tips and tricks.

As a brand with a rich sports sponsorship portfolio, employee sports enthusiasts have been fortunate to experience once-in-a-lifetime, money-can’t-buy moments over the years, which include the Group’s women’s basketball team shooting hoops with NBA legend Isiah Thomas as part of the airline’s global partnership announcement with the league; the Group’s cycling team testing their physical skills and endurance against world champion UAE Team Emirates during the opening of the 2018 Dubai Fitness Challenge; one of the members of the Group’s sailing club swapping jobs with Sir Ben Ainslie, top Olympic sailor and Driver of the Emirates GBR SailGP Team for a day; and nine lucky Emirates Group cricket teams taking part in a mini-match on the DXB tarmac, umpired by Indian international cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, to kick off the Emirates sponsored ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021.

 The Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) runs from 26 October to 24 November 2024.

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