After a remarkable 29-year career with Emirates Airline, I hung up my wings and pursued a new passion – fitness and wellness!

For as long as I can remember, fitness and athleticism have always been a part of my life. Growing up in Syria, my father was a military man who encouraged us to pursue academic and physical excellence. I quickly discovered my talent as a volleyball player, and -played at a national level all throughout my youth, honing in on the discipline, determination, and resilience that is needed to play and win at a national level.

A New Chapter Unfolds

Unfortunately, life dealt me an unexpected punch with the sudden loss of my father when I was only 18 years old. What started off as a senior year filled with hopes and dreams of travelling to the United States to pursue my dreams of becoming a pilot, turned into having to a heartbreaking reality where I had to abandon those dreams and instead grow up faster than I had anticipated by becoming the breadwinner for my siblings.

The first few years in Dubai were very difficult; I struggled with mourning for my father and the future that I lost, while also missing the life that I had left back home. I struggled to learn the language, to acclimate to my new work environment, and long hours alone.

But throughout all these trials and tribulations, exercise and working out were my escape from reality; I used to wake up before work and run for at least an hour a day, pounding away my sadness, anger and frustration. Lifting weights helped alleviate my loneliness and shattered dreams and eventually helped me build and actualize new dreams. offers a haven for individuals seeking fitness, confidence, and community.

The Power of Martial Arts

After a couple of years, I was able to join Emirates Airlines as a Cabin Crew- and while I was not a pilot, I made my dreams come true of living in the skies and seeing the whole world.

A few years ago, I started feeling lethargic, bloated and dizzy. I thought it was due to my body getting older and having difficulty acclimating to different time zones. But when the symptoms didn’t approve for a few weeks, I finally got myself to the doctor. Shocker! Even though I still exercised- albeit not as much as I had in my youth- my doctor revealed that I had developed high cholesterol and a fatty liver. I didn’t want to spend my life taking daily medicine to control something that can be remedied with a change of diet and a new higher intensity fitness regime.

I decided right them and there to join a group boxing class. Over a period of several months, I went to three classes a week, saw a nutritionist to help manage my diet, and became conscious of the food that entered my body. Not only did I lose weight and build muscle, but I felt better and younger than I had in years- I was able to sleep better and run after my toddler without getting winded.
As my retirement quickly approached, I decided that I wanted to provide this same sense of wellbeing, strength, confidence and success to my community by founding GloveFit Boxing Club.

Join the Movement

At GloveFit, our aspiration is to be your fitness home, where our community can help you achieve your fitness, wellness and personal goals. As many of us already know, a wellness journey involves the whole family, and unlike any other gym around, GloveFit has classes for families of all shapes and sizes. What better way to prepare your kids for the future than by instilling wellness and fitness into their lives from an early age?

So come join me and my family, along with our expert trainers and state of the art facilities on your journey to fitness, wellness, and self-discovery

Mr Tarif