How the Middle East Became The Next Global Wellness Hub: Inside FIBO Arabia 2025

The fitness and wellness revolution is transforming Saudi Arabia, and FIBO Arabia 2025 is at the center of it.

In this episode of the Starrcast Podcast, host Lisa Starr takes you behind the scenes at the first-ever FIBO Arabia event in Riyadh to uncover how vision, entrepreneurship, and cultural transformation are reshaping the region’s wellness economy. From boutique studios and luxury health clubs to female empowerment and data-driven innovation, this conversation reveals how the Middle East is redefining what “wellness for all” truly means.

 

What You’ll Learn:

• From law to Pilates: How Dina Elshurafa turned her legal career into a thriving boutique fitness brand, Reform Athletica, and what it takes to scale in a new market.

• Cultural innovation in fitness: How Louise Whiles and Matthew Graham are adapting global wellness concepts to meet the needs of Saudi Arabia’s rapidly growing audience.

• Building wellness economies: Insights into the investment, training, and retention strategies shaping the region’s next generation of fitness professionals.

• The business of transformation: Susan Turner shares how Saudi’s Vision 2030 is empowering women, driving entrepreneurship, and redefining community health.

• A region in motion: Why the Middle East’s wellness expansion represents one of the most dynamic market opportunities in global hospitality and lifestyle sectors.
  
  

Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 – On location at FIBO Arabia: a new era for fitness in Saudi Arabia
• 04:10 – Dina Elshurafa on leaving law for wellness and building Reform Athletica
• 13:45 – Louise Whiles on inclusive design and empowering women through fitness
• 25:20 – Matthew Graham on leadership, local training, and integrated wellness ecosystems
• 39:05 – Susan Turner on the evolution of Saudi wellness and Vision 2030
• 51:30 – Collaboration, innovation, and the wellness economy’s new frontier
• 1:04:40 – How Saudi Arabia is shaping the global fitness conversation
• 1:10:20 – Closing reflections: redefining wellness, access, and human potential

 

Meet the Guests:

Dina Elshurafa – Founder of Reform Athletica, a luxury boutique fitness brand blending Pilates, TRX, and strength training with a community-focused philosophy.

Louise Whiles – Director of Operations at Reform Athletica, and a former professional dancer, specializing in movement-based programming and performance coaching.

Matthew Graham – General Manager of Core Life, a regional social wellness company integrating spa, performance, recovery, and lifestyle data science across the Middle East.

Susan Turner – Saudi-based wellness consultant and industry pioneer who helped launch the Kingdom’s first female fitness centers and expand Pure Gym’s footprint across the GCC.

 

Tools, Frameworks, or Strategies Mentioned:

• Reform Athletica Method™ – A boutique training system combining Pilates, barre, and functional movement.

• Core Life Ecosystem – A holistic model integrating fitness, nutrition, recovery, and behavioral insights.

• Vision 2030 Wellness Framework – Saudi Arabia’s strategic plan for health, well-being, and inclusivity.

• Precision Health Models – The intersection of DNA testing, AI, and personalized wellness programming.
  
  

Closing Insight:

“We’re not just opening gyms, we’re opening doors for transformation.” – Susan Turner

FIBO Arabia 2025 isn’t just an event; it’s a milestone in the Middle East’s wellness journey. Through entrepreneurship, inclusivity, and innovation, Saudi Arabia is redefining what the global wellness future looks like.

 

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