XDubai unveils HYBRDX, Dubai’s new homegrown hybrid fitness competition at Kite Beach

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.