Sports Desk
DUBAI: With the Dubai Fitness Challenge just one day away, the Emirates Group has been actively engaging with its 70,000 strong workforce to go the extra mile and commit to 30 minutes of activity for 30 days.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive for Emirates Airline & Group said: “We have wholeheartedly accepted the challenge and have partnered with the Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC). This is a great community initiative that will help kick-start physical activity and promote a healthy lifestyle for our employees, to help them build an active routine into their daily life. Many of our employees are desk-based, and physical inactivity is a reality that many working professionals face everyday. With the variety of activities on offer for the next 30 days, we hope that the Dubai Fitness Challenge will have a positive impact on the health and well-being of our staff and their families. We also want our home-base of Dubai to become one of the world’s most active cities and this starts with the most important building block – its citizens and residents.”
To encourage employees to register for The Dubai Fitness Challenge and complete the 30 minutes of daily physical activity for 30 days, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed recently announced a host of extra incentives for employees. Employees who register by 20 October and complete the 30×30 challenge will receive one free Service Related Concession ticket to anywhere on the Emirates network. In addition, if an employee is ranked among the top ten winners in an individual competition or among the top five in a team competition of a Dubai Fitness Challenge organised event, they will receive an extra five annual leave days which will be added to their total yearly allocation.
Across the Group, a substantial number of events, trainings and competitions are being organised during the 30 Day Dubai Fitness Challenge. There are almost 40 different sports and hobby clubs already managed and run by Emirates Group employees, ranging from football, volleyball, basketball, badminton, cricket, cycling, rugby, hockey, amongst other sports. During the Dubai Fitness Challenge, various classes and training sessions will be facilitated for employees, free of charge, such as martial arts classes and volleyball tournaments, with more to come.
Emirates has also partnered with the Dubai Fitness Challenge to bring workouts closer to Emirates Group offices so employees can literally ‘hit the gym’. Through DFC’s mobile gym programme, Emirates Group staff will be able to work out with the latest fitness equipment and can enjoy group classes just steps away from their office environment.
Emirates Group employees intending to be more active, lose weight and track their progress over the course of the next 30 days can also participate in the four-week biggest loser competition, taking place at Emirates Group headquarters. Staff can stay updated on Dubai Fitness Challenge initiatives and cheer each other on through company Fitness and Wellbeing intranet groups. Staff can also avail special discounts throughout the year at participating Dubai-based health clubs and gyms, as well as take advantage of special offers for yoga, aqua classes and other exciting group classes. To ensure employees have all of their essentials when it comes to fitness gear, deep discounts on EK Fit clothing at the Emirates Official Store as well as at well-known sportswear and accessories stores can also be enjoyed during the DFC period.
The Dubai Fitness Challenge kicks off from 20th October and will run until 18th November.
