The fitness wearable landscape in the Gulf is undergoing a rapid transformation, as evidenced by a staggering 85% surge in WHOOP memberships over the past year. During the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit, founder and CEO Will Ahmed revealed that the company’s regional presence has expanded fifteenfold in just three years. This growth aligns with the UAE’s strategic push to pivot from reactive medicine to a proactive health model, a vision supported by significant investments from Mubadala and 2PointZero Group. With a valuation now reaching $10.1 billion, the company is solidifying its footprint in the region through full Arabic platform integration and the establishment of a dedicated local office.

Central to this expansion is the WHOOP–Mubadala Health Research Initiative, which aims to advance longevity science through deep clinical studies on sleep, recovery, and cardiovascular health. Beyond data collection, the technology is already proving its life-saving potential; Ahmed shared the story of a healthy user whose device detected an anomaly during sleep, eventually leading to the discovery of a blocked coronary artery. By combining continuous physiological monitoring—including new features like AFib detection and biological aging tracking—with clinical research, WHOOP is positioning itself as a vital tool in modern healthcare. As the company continues to scale, Ahmed signaled that these regional successes are foundational steps toward its long-term ambition of becoming a standalone public entity.