Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, has led social media posts on the first day of the Dubai Fitness Challenge as the emirate gears up for 30 days of activity.
Sheikh Hamdan posted a video of himself to Instagram Stories on Saturday, standing on a board on top of what looked like a foam roller, and holding a kettlebell. The short clip showed him balancing for just under 20 seconds. He added the hashtag #Dubai30x30 and tagged @DubaiFitnessChallenge on the post.
On day two, he told his followers he's in Uzbekistan, where he's been on a falconry trip, but promised he wouldn't miss a day of the challenge, as he posted clips of himself working out in a gym, again using the tag.
The sixth annual event, championed by Sheikh Hamdan, runs until November 27, and challenges the city’s residents to commit to 30 minutes of daily activity for 30 days.
Scroll through the gallery above to see photos of participants on day two of the challenge
People chose all sorts of ways to begin their challenge, also posting their feats on social media, such as Skydive Dubai, which shared a video of three skydivers performing horizontal bar flips and tricks in the sky to mark day one.
Participants can do the challenge in their own time and in their own way, but there’s also a full schedule of events and activities taking place citywide to help keep participants motivated.
Much of this is taking place at the dedicated fitness villages. At Kite Beach, there's DP World Fitness Village, which has 15 fitness zones and hundreds of classes on offer, including aerobics, football, yoga, boxing, rowing and more. It's open from 7am to 11pm on weekends and 3pm to 11pm on weekdays.
The RTA Last Exit Al Khawaneej Fitness Village, meanwhile, has five different zones, and is open from 4pm to 11pm Sunday to Thursday, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. It's hosting free ladies-only classes, group classes and children’s classes, and visitors can reward themselves with a snack from one of Last Exit’s many food trucks afterwards.
Elsewhere, DFC’s free Fitness Hubs are located across numerous residential and commercial neighbourhoods, with certified fitness instructors on hand. During the first week of the challenge, hubs can be found in Dubai Silicon Oasis, at the Hatta Wadi Hub, in the Dubai Design District, at Zabeel Ladies Club and in the Dubai International Financial Centre, with more set to open in the coming weeks. There will be 12 hubs in total, each offering free 30-minute sessions daily.
Throughout the month, there will also be major sporting events, such as the Dubai Ride for cyclists on November 6, followed by the second Dubai Padel Cup from November 9 to 27, and the Dubai Run on November 20.
A full schedule and details can be found at dubaifitnesschallenge.com.
