the competition looks to attract 3,500 participants, with entry starting from AED 399
• The competition will award AED 1 million in prize money, the third-largest prize pool in the category worldwide.
• BEYOND Developments joins as Title Partner, alongside adidas as Performance Partner
Dubai, UAE, 21 October 2026: HYBRDX, a new homegrown hybrid fitness competition created in Dubai by XDubai will make its debut at Kite Beach from 15–17 January 2027. With Dubai Sports Council as strategic partner, the event will bring Dubai’s wider fitness community together for three days of strength, endurance and competition.
With an AED 1 million prize pool*, the third largest in the category worldwide, HYBRDX is also being shaped by eight founding athletes from Dubai’s fitness community, who are helping define the competition and its format.
The inaugural edition is targeting 3,500 participants, who will take on eight 800-metre runs, each followed by a workout station, across three categories. A total prize pool of AED 1 million will be split across the Invitational and Elite fields.
Built in Dubai, HYBRDX is designed to establish a distinctive new competition for the city, reflecting the way people increasingly approach fitness, by setting goals, testing themselves and sharing the experience with others. As a homegrown sporting property, it will bring together local and international talent, gyms, coaches and partners, while adding a new challenge to Dubai’s growing sporting calendar.
Mohammad Javad, Executive Vice President, Leisure & Entertainment at Shamal Holding, said: “Dubai has become a global stage for sport, with the sector’s economic contribution targeted to reach AED 18.3 billion by 2033 under the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. HYBRDX is XDubai’s contribution to that momentum, a homegrown competition created to add to the city’s growing culture of active living. Having two renowned partners, BEYOND Developments and adidas, believe in HYBRDX from its first edition gives it the credibility to get there. Our ambition is for HYBRDX to become part of how Dubai competes and connects, giving people here a new challenge while welcoming the world’s leading competitors. We want it to raise the standard of hybrid competition while staying rooted in the community that inspired it.”
Designed for different levels and training backgrounds, the format combines strength, endurance and functional fitness, challenging experienced competitors while remaining accessible to those taking on their first event.
BEYOND Developments joins HYBRDX as Title Partner.
Adil Taqi, CEO of BEYOND Developments, said: “At BEYOND, we believe the environments and experiences around us can positively shape how people live, and wellbeing has always been central to that thinking. HYBRDX allows us to extend that belief beyond the places we create and into a platform built around movement, personal motivation and community. As a company born in Dubai, we are proud to support a homegrown initiative from its first edition and contribute to the city’s growing culture of active living. What resonates most with us is the question at its heart, ‘What’s Your X?’ because behind every challenge is something deeply personal: a reason to begin, to keep going or to discover something new about yourself.”
Built around the athlete
At its heart is the belief that there is no single route into sport. Under the platform “What’s your X?”, the individual sits at the centre of the experience, recognising that everyone arrives with a different background, motivation and goal.
Eight founding athletes from Dubai’s fitness community have also been involved in shaping the competition and its format, bringing their own training and competition experience into its development. Among them are Jake Hendry, an established competitor on the international fitness circuit; Jamie Greene, balancing motherhood and training as she prepares to take on a new competitive challenge; Yousef Al Gurg, focused on strength, endurance and longevity; and Amal Murad, whose story is rooted in resilience, community and challenging perceptions of what an athlete can be.
Bilal Fares, SVP & General Manager, adidas EMC, said: “Hybrid training is changing the way athletes approach performance, bringing together speed, strength and endurance in a way that challenges them to be more versatile than ever. At adidas, we’re focused on supporting athletes through every part of that journey, with performance innovation designed for the demands of hybrid training and competition. As Performance Partner of HYBRDX, we’re excited to work alongside XDubai to help bring a new homegrown competition to Dubai and give athletes across all levels a platform to test themselves, compete and push what they’re capable of.”
Registration is now open at hybrdx.ae. The Elite and Everyday categories are open to adults in Solo format at AED 399 and Doubles formats at AED 798. The Juniors category is open to 14–16-year-olds in Doubles format, with entry at AED 500. No qualification is required for these three categories. A fourth category, Invitational, is reserved for invited athletes.
* The AED 1 million prize pool is allocated to the Invitational and Elite categories, subject to the competition’s official terms and conditions.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Event Categories:
• An invite-only Invitational category looks to attract top international hybrid athletes
• Elite and Everyday categories are open in Solo and Doubles formats.
• Juniors Doubles is open to 14–16-year-olds, with separate categories for boys and girls.
Prize Pool:
• A total prize pool of AED 1 million will be split across the Invitational and Elite fields.
Dates:
• 15 January 2027 – 17 January 2027
Location: Kite Beach
Ticket Price:
Adults
• Solo categories – starting from AED 399
• Doubles categories – AED 798
Juniors
• Doubles categories – AED 500
*All excluding VAT and processing fees.
About HYBRDX
HYBRDX is Dubai’s three-day hybrid fitness competition, taking place on the sand at Kite Beach, within a purpose-built sport infrastructure. Combining strength, endurance and functional fitness, it is designed for seasoned athletes and everyday competitors from Dubai and around the world, across three categories – Invitational, Elite and Everyday for adults and a junior category in boys and girls.
Created by XDubai with BEYOND Developments as Title Partner and adidas as Performance Partner, HYBRDX reflects XDubai’s ethos of pushing limits and creating bold experiences that inspire people to discover what they are capable of. It builds on XDubai’s track record of distinctive sporting and fitness experiences, including XLine Dubai, Jetman Dubai, XYoga Dubai, and EXIT139.
The first edition takes place from 15–17 January 2027.
For more information:
HYBRDX Website: www.hybrdx.ae
HYBRDX Instagram: @hybrd.x
About XDubai
Part of Shamal Holding’s portfolio, XDubai is Dubai’s action lifestyle experience brand, built to raise limits constantly and set new standards, inspiring people of all ages and abilities to explore life from a different perspective.
For over a decade, XDubai has shaped the city’s fitness and active lifestyle scene, delivering and participating in Spartan race, XYoga Dubai, the Dubai Mallathon, Dubai Games, Hood to Coast Dubai and headline Dubai Fitness Challenge activations, alongside destinations like XPark and XLine that have made movement part of the city’s identity.
HYBRDX is the next expression of that mission: a home-grown hybrid fitness racing event bringing XDubai’s event pedigree, community reach, and relentless standards to the world’s fastest-growing fitness discipline.
Built in Dubai, open to everyone.
For more information, visit www.xdubai.com
About Shamal Holding
Born in Dubai, built for the extraordinary.
Shamal is a diversified investment firm that shapes exceptional opportunities through a distinctive portfolio of investments, experiences, and assets. Every venture we pursue reflects Dubai’s bold ambition, dynamic spirit, and relentless energy.
Our real estate portfolio spans master-planned communities, vibrant districts, iconic residences, retail destinations, and commercial spaces. As owner and developer, we bring visionary developments to life, including Naïa Island, Dubai Harbour and Nad Al Sheba Gardens, unlocking potential and creating places with purpose.
In hospitality, we invest across the spectrum from luxury to lifestyle to accessible experiences partnering with world-class brands including Jumeirah, Baccarat, Hilton, EDITION, SUSHISAMBA, and Five Guys, across assets such as Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Baccarat Hotel & Residences Dubai, Hart Shoreditch Hotel London, and The Dubai Beach EDITION.
We are also behind some of Dubai’s most iconic leisure and adventure destinations, including Skydive Dubai, Deep Dive Dubai, XDubai, and Inflight Dubai. Through these, we curate unforgettable experiences that place Dubai at the forefront of global adventure tourism.
