We are the Register of Exercise Professionals in the UAE. REPs is a public register which recognises the qualifications and expertise of exercise instructors in the UAE.

REPs UAE was initiated by the Dubai Sports Council and spearheaded by CEO Naser Al Tamimi. The goal was to support and professionalise the local fitness industry, ensuring that fitness professionals hold qualifications that meet global standards. REPs UAE operates as an independent entity under the umbrella of the International Confederation of Registers for Exercise Professionals (ICREPs), aligning with global registers to maintain high standards in the fitness industry.

The International Confederation for Registers of Exercise Professionals (ICREPs) is the global organisation that connects exercise professional registers worldwide. It includes member registers from countries such as the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, South Africa, Canada, the UAE, Poland, and India. ICREPs sets rigorous membership criteria to ensure high standards and facilitate international portability between registers. As a full member, REPs UAE participates in ICREPs' annual Board meetings, benefiting from shared best practices and global recognition. To visit the website click here: www.icreps.org

While it is not a legal requirement for a fitness professional to be a member of the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) UAE, membership is highly encouraged and widely recognised. REPs UAE collaborates closely with various government entities and has the support of a majority of employers who prefer or require fitness professionals to be REPs registered before employment.

Membership with REPs UAE signifies that an exercise professional has:

• Met nationally agreed occupational standards.
• Obtained recognised and approved qualifications.
• Been independently verified as competent in the workplace.
• Committed to ongoing professional development.

We strongly recommend that members of the public seeking the services of an exercise professional check to ensure they are registered by searching our member database.

The categories of registration with REPs UAE are:

A: Personal Trainer
B: Gym Instructor
C: Group Fitness Instructor
D: Group Fitness Instructor Freestyle
E: Yoga Teacher
F: Pilates Instructor
G: Pilates Instructor Comprehensive
H: Aqua Fitness Instructor
I: Children's Fitness Instructor
J: Advanced Exercise Specialist

These categories help ensure that professionals are recognised for their specific expertise and skills.

REPs UAE adheres to the Global Standards for fitness established by the International Confederation of Registers for Exercise Professionals (ICREPs). This alignment ensures that the standards and practices in the UAE meet the highest international benchmarks in the fitness industry, promoting excellence and consistency.

Qualifications for entry into REPs UAE are approved through internationally recognised accreditation systems. Currently, these include accreditation routes from the UK, Europe, Australia, and South Africa. This ensures that the qualifications meet high global standards.

To become a fitness professional and register with REPs UAE, you need to hold a recognised qualification from an approved training provider. You can find a list of these approved training providers here: click here .This ensures you receive quality education and meet the required standards to join REPs UAE.

REPs UAE will accept qualifications obtained in another ICREPs member country with a fitness register, provided you have a REPs certificate or a letter of portability. Qualifications from other countries can be fully accepted if they meet all UAE fitness standards. If there is any uncertainty about whether the qualifications meet these standards, we may grant "provisional status" membership.

REPs UAE requires a competency-based practical assessment as part of the qualification. Since this is not generally included in US certifications, and most are completed online, trainers with a US certification are typically given provisional status. These trainers may need to attend face to face practical sessions and complete a practical assessment to "top up" their certification. However, if the US certification includes all practical components and is globally accredited by ICREPs, it grants full entry to REPs.

Provisional status is assigned to members of REPs UAE who are employed in the fitness industry and hold a fitness qualification, but whose qualification may not fully meet the REPs UAE Fitness Occupational Standards. During this provisional period, the trainer must provide additional evidence to demonstrate their competence or "top up" their qualification with a locally accredited certification. This process helps ensure that all professionals meet the required standards for full registration.

If your qualifications are more than 5 years old, it is essential to provide evidence of ongoing education and professional development. Each application is assessed individually, taking into account your certificates, work experience, and any continuing education or professional development activities you have undertaken. Based on this comprehensive review, we will decide whether to grant you full or provisional status. This approach ensures that all qualifications are evaluated fairly and according to current standards.

Degrees in sports, such as sports science, sports management, or sports coaching, are highly valued for their comprehensive theoretical knowledge of the sport and fitness industry. However, these degrees often lack sufficient evidence of the practical fitness skills required by UAE standards. Consequently, while university graduates are well-qualified and have completed extensive studies, they may initially be granted provisional status with REPs UAE. To achieve full status, graduates will need to provide additional evidence of their practical fitness instruction skills and demonstrate ongoing education related to fitness. This decision is made on a case-by-case basis to ensure fair and accurate assessment.

We assess yoga applications by referencing globally recognised yoga accreditation systems. Specifically, we look for certifications such as Registered Yoga School (RYS) 200 or above from Yoga Alliance, as well as yoga degrees and master’s degrees. To ensure that a certification meets the RYS 200 standard or its equivalent, we consult with a “yoga advisor” who has extensive knowledge of yoga certifications. This advisor helps us determine whether the qualifications align with REPs UAE standards.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is essential for exercise professionals to keep their skills and knowledge current. CPD involves engaging in extra courses, workshops, conferences, or other activities that enhance their expertise. REPs UAE members are expected to complete around 20 hours of CPD activities every two years and to log their CPD "points," where typically one-point equals one hour of learning. This helps ensure that professionals remain up to date with the latest industry developments and standards.

Yes, we have a process for evaluating courses and awarding CPD points. Please contact [email protected] for more details on how to get your course approved.

To be a member of REPs UAE, the following annual fees apply:

Personal trainer:                                       AED 450 plus VAT

Gym instructor:                                         AED 450 plus VAT

Group fitness instructor:                           AED 400 plus VAT

Group fitness instructor freestyle:            AED 400 plus VAT

Yoga Teacher:                                          AED 450 plus VAT

Pilates Instructor:                                     AED 450 plus VAT

Pilates instructor Comprehensive:           AED 450 plus VAT

Aqua fitness instructor:                            AED 400 plus VAT

Children’s fitness instructor:                    AED 400 plus VAT

Advanced exercise specialist:                 AED 450 plus VAT

Yes, employers can submit applications for registration on behalf of their employees and cover the registration costs.

The processing time is typically between 1 to 4 working days. If your qualifications are not obtained from a local provider, the process may take longer—up to 7 working days—depending on the evidence provided and whether an independent panel needs to assess your application.

Yes, an up-to-date CPR certificate is required for REPs registration. This ensures that all members are prepared to handle emergencies and provide a safe environment for their clients.

REPs UAE operates as a not-for-profit organisation, which is a requirement for ICREPs membership. To ensure transparency, the Chair of ICREPs sits on the REPs UAE Board and reviews the accounts annually. Since REPs UAE does not receive government grants, all income is generated from member registrations. This revenue is used to cover various administration costs, consultancy and general expenses, as well as support member events. This structure ensures that all funds are reinvested into the organisation to support and enhance the services provided to our members.

Dubai Sports Council, and more recently the Abu Dhabi Sports Council have issued circulars to all health clubs that registration with REPs UAE for all instructors is mandatory. Checks may be carried out on Clubs through the Sports Councils.

Regardless of the legal situation REPS UAE encourages all instructors to register and calls on all employers to back REPs to increase professionalism in the industry.

Membership signifies that an exercise professional;

• has met nationally agreed occupational standards
• holds recognised and approved qualifications
• is independently verified as being competent in the work place
• is committed to on going professional development

We strongly recommend that members of the public looking to employ the services of an exercise professional check to see if they are registered by searching our member database.

No, not at the moment, we are concentrating on getting trainers qualified as Gym Instructors and Personal Trainers first. Also there is not an agreed advanced (Level 4) criteria around the world so it makes it hard to develop an Advanced category in the UAE when different training companies and instructors use different advanced courses from around the world. For Gym Instructor and Personal Trainer there is more or less a global consensus on the skills needed for these job roles.

The Standards were developed by REPs and checked with training providers and employers, the standards are based on the Global Standards for fitness produced by the International Confederation of Registers for Exercise Professionals (ICREPs) – so we can demonstrate the UAE meets best global practice.

Courses to give entry to REPs are approved through internationally accepted accreditation systems, at present these include accreditation routes through the UK, Australia and South Africa

In order to become a fitness professional and register with REPs you must hold a recognised qualification from an approved training provider. To search for approved training providers go to the Approved Training part of the website.

REPs will accept qualifications gained in another ICREPs country with a fitness register (REPs certificate or letter of portability required), we can only accept qualifications from other countries for full entry where we are sure that the qualification meets all the UAE Fitness Standards. If we are not sure we may give “provisional status”.

REPs UAE requires a competency based assessment to have been part of a members qualification, as this is not always the case with US certifications then normally provisional status will be given and the member will be asked to top up to another certification by completing a practical. If a US certification has a practical included and is accredited globally by ICREPS then it gives full entry to REPs.

Provisional status is given to members of REPs UAE who are currently employed in the fitness industry and hold a fitness qualification but we are not sure that the qualification meets the REPs UAE Fitness Occupational Standards. Further evidence is needed to prove competence against the standards and convert to full status. Provisional status is given for one year and in that time the trainer must “top up” to a locally accredited certification.

REPs look at each application on an individual basis. We would look at the certificates, and also the CV and continuing education taken and decide whether to give full or provisional status.

Degrees in sport (sports science, sports management, sports coaching etc) are recognised as delivering a high level of theoretical learning linked to the sport and fitness industry, however there is normally not much evidence that all of the practical fitness skills, which are in the UAE standards have been taught and assessed adequately. Therefore although university graduates are well qualified and have a high level certification for 3/4/5 years of study, often they can only be given provisional status on REPs and must provide further evidence of their practical fitness instruction skills.

We link to globally recognised yoga accreditation systems, in particular we look for Registered Yoga School (RYS) 200 or above from Yoga Alliance. Yoga degrees and masters degrees are also accepted. To help us look at yoga certificates and decide if the teacher can join REPs we have a “yoga advisor” who has good knowledge of yoga certifications and can advise us if a certification is RYS 200 standard or equivalent.

ICREPs is the International Confederation for Registers of Exercise Professionals, it is the global body for REPs registers around the world. There is now a REPS register and member of ICREPs in UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, UAE, Ireland, Canada and United States. ICREPs applied a strict criteria to REPs UAE to be able to join and provides both a forum to share good practice in registration and allow international portability between registers. REPs UAE is a full member of ICREPs and attends their annual Board meetings.

It is important for exercise professionals to keep their skills and knowledge up to date. Continuing Professional Development – CPD – is about exercise professionals doing extra courses, attending workshops or conferences or taking part in other activities, which increase their skills base. REPs members are expected to do approximately 20 hours of CPD activities over a two year period and to log their CPD “points” where in most cases one point is equal to one hour of learning.

Yes we have a process to evaluate courses and give CPD points, contact the office for details

It costs Dhs420 (VAT incl.) per year to be a member of REPs UAE

Yes. Employers can submit applications for registration on behalf of their employees.

We say it will take 1 to 4 working days for qualifications from our list of published qualifications. Applications sent with ‘other’ or ‘non listed qualifications’ will take longer. These can take up to 1 month depending on the evidence provided and if the application needs to be assessed by an independent panel.

Yes an up to date CPR certificate is required for REPs registration

REPs UAE operates as a not-for-profit organisation. Being not-for-profit is a requirement of ICREPs membership and to ensure this principle is upheld the Chair of ICREPs sits on the REPs UAE Board and scrutinises the accounts once a year. REPs does not receive a grant from the Government so all income is derived from member registrations. The office rent and equipment, four members of staff, external consultant, website, magazine, ID cards etc all have to be paid for from registration income.