Dubai: After leaving a high-pressure corporate job and relocating to Dubai in 2021, Canadian expatriate Vaneezeh Hassan turned to Pilates to find balance amid life’s changes. A trained accountant and former employee of KPMG, Vaneezeh relocated to Dubai to help manage Growth Rhino – her husband’s growth marketing agency.
The 26-year-old describes the shift from the corporate world to the startup scene as a whirlwind. “Everything was new—new industry, new role, new city. It was a lot to take in,” she said. In February 2022, Vaneezeh found her anchor in Pilates and eventually turned her passion for Pilates into a thriving business.
After undergoing certification programmes to teach Pilates, Vaneezeh started offering classes inside a small garage studio in early 2023. Today, it has grown to become Vaneezeh’s Pilates—a Reformer Pilates studio located in the heart of Nad Al Sheba’s Arch Mall. In a year, her business, which also offers retail athleisure wear, has a valuation of Dh2.5 million.
From fitness enthusiast to entrepreneur
Pilates is a type of mind-body exercise developed in the early 20th century by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates, after whom it was named. Vaneezeh, who spent many summers in the UAE, relocated to Dubai to seek better opportunities post-pandemic.
“After we married and moved to Dubai, I began helping my husband with his business. It was a small business, so we did everything without funding. Through this experience, I learned how to bootstrap, manage a team, do practical accounting, budgeting, and more,” she explained.
“Since we were still working Canadian hours to accommodate our clients in Canada and the U.S.,” she explained. Pilates became a consistent part of her weekly routine.
“I started going three times a week, and eventually, I went five times a week because I enjoyed it so much. I even brought a friend with me, but she didn’t have a great experience; she felt the place wasn’t welcoming because she wasn’t as fit as I was,” she stated.
“I felt bad because I had such a positive experience, but she didn’t. That’s when I got the idea to start a Pilates studio where everyone could feel welcome, regardless of their fitness level,” said Vaneezeh. And thus began Vaneezeh’s Pilates.
From passion to business venture
When Vaneezeh started attending classes as a client at other studios, she saw a high demand for Pilates. “Here, people were booking private and group sessions, and I found myself setting reminders to book classes, which was quite different from my experience in Canada. People in Dubai prioritise their wellness, and Pilates tends to be viewed as a luxury activity here, so I felt there was a solid market for it,” she stated.
Set up exclusively for women, Vaneezeh’s Pilates offers Reformer (a piece of exercise equipment used for Pilates) sessions for groups and individuals. The company also offers mat Pilates sessions for corporates and individuals.
“To get the certification for Pilates, you must have 100 practice teaching hours and 100 practice hours for yourself. So, you have to go to like 100 classes, and you have to teach 100 classes,” she added. Vaneezeh began by teaching her friends and family and eventually started teaching strangers.
“I finished my reformer course in January 2022, and that’s when I got my first business license, which was just to teach from home. So that’s when I was doing classes in the garage. We just had one machine at the time, and I was only doing private sessions,” she explained.
Dh2.5 million in one year
Once demand picked up, Vaneezeh opened a studio in Nad Al Sheba’s Arch Mall in April 2024. Vaneezeh said, “I invested Dh150,000 in the business, of which 90,000 was from revenue from the garage classes I had saved.”
The business now anticipates monthly revenue of Dh 80,000 to Dh 100,000, driven by a blend of recurring subscriptions, single passes, and product sales like socks and apparel. This brings us to an annual revenue range of Dh960,000 to Dh1.2 million.
“In the fitness world, studios like mine are typically valued between three to six times their annual profit. So, even using a conservative multiple of four times the earnings, the valuation lands between Dh2.3 million and Dh2.88 million. Given the solid numbers and the unique experience my studio offers, that Dh2.5 million mark feels just right,” she added.
“We have over 200 clients registered on our website and more that are just over the phone for private bookings,” she said.
New studios
Commenting on her five-year growth strategy, Vaneezeh expressed her intention to open more studios. “We want to open in Abu Dhabi for the next one. Based on how those two locations perform, we may either open another small studio of the same size—since I believe it helps us understand our clients better—or consider eventually launching a wellness centre,” she said.
“We are still evaluating what makes the most sense: whether to remain small with a few locations or to expand into something larger. For now, I think we’ll try another small studio first to see how it goes,” she added.
