From Lebanese Basketball Legend to Dubai's Next Lifestyle Destination: Fadi El Khatib Introduces Club 15

If you grew up in Lebanon in the 2000s, chances are Fadi El Khatib needs little introduction. Nicknamed “The Lebanese Tiger,” he was the kind of basketball player who could make an entire country stop what it was doing to watch a game.

Three FIBA World Cups, three Asian Championship silver medals and, of course, that unforgettable victory against France at the 2006 World Cup. For a generation of Lebanese sports fans, El Khatib was practically a household name.

These days, however, he's making moves of a different kind. The former professional basketball player turned entrepreneur is preparing to open Club 15, an ambitious new sports and lifestyle destination in Dubai's Al Quoz neighbourhood. Spanning an impressive 15,000 square metres, the project is expected to open in October 2026, bringing together everything from basketball and padel to Pilates, recovery treatments, cafés and family activities.

And while Dubai certainly isn't short of impressive fitness facilities, El Khatib has something slightly different in mind. It's more than just a gym: “I didn't want to build another gym. I wanted to build a home for sport,” El Khatib explains. Somewhere people can train, compete, recover, bring their children, meet friends or simply enjoy a coffee.

It's a concept that feels particularly relevant in a city where fitness has increasingly become part of a wider lifestyle. After all, for many people, the gym is already somewhere to socialise, work remotely or spend a few hours between meetings.

Club 15 takes that idea considerably further. At its centre is a 5,700-square-metre gym spread across two floors, with dedicated areas for strength training, cardio, boxing, HIIT and functional fitness. There's also Reformer Pilates, yoga and an open-air rooftop training space overlooking Al Quoz. For those who prefer a little competition, the club will feature seven professional indoor padel courts and three basketball courts, with facilities designed to accommodate everything from casual games to youth academies and organised leagues.

And because even the most enthusiastic gym-goers need a break, there's an extensive wellness offering too. Think a heated 25-metre swimming pool, ice baths, infrared saunas, hydrotherapy facilities and a dedicated physiotherapy clinic. The idea is to make recovery just as much a part of the experience as the workout itself.

And it's a place for the whole family: One of the more interesting aspects of Club 15 is its approach to family life.

Rather than designing a space exclusively for adults, El Khatib has imagined somewhere different generations can spend time together without necessarily doing the same thing. While parents attend a Pilates class or play padel, younger visitors can explore dedicated children's facilities, gymnastics, parkour or basketball academies.

The club will also include lounges, a gaming area, a podcast studio and spaces where members can work, meet friends or simply hang out. Adidas, Red Bull and Joe & The Juice are among the brands involved in the project. It's an approach that reflects how our relationship with fitness is changing. Increasingly, people want destinations that fit into their everyday routines, rather than requiring them to organise their lives around a single workout.

Why 15?

For anyone familiar with El Khatib's basketball career, the name is hardly a mystery. Fifteen was his jersey number throughout his professional life, becoming almost synonymous with his identity on the court. Today, his sons, who are also professional basketball players, carry the same number.

It's a personal detail that gives the project an emotional dimension beyond its impressive square footage.

After more than 25 years in professional basketball, El Khatib has spent much of his life surrounded by training facilities, athletes and sporting communities. That experience has shaped his understanding of what makes people return to a place, whether it's the quality of the equipment, the people they meet or simply the feeling of belonging. Club 15 is, in many ways, an attempt to translate that experience into something accessible to a much wider audience.

The former athlete is already familiar with the business side of fitness, having founded Champs Sports & Fitness Club and developed a network of sporting destinations in the UAE. But Club 15 represents a considerably larger vision.

And perhaps that's what makes the project worth watching. Beyond the courts, pools and impressive facilities, there's an idea about the role sport can play in bringing people together.

For someone whose career once brought thousands of Lebanese fans together around a basketball game, it feels like a rather fitting next chapter.

Club 15 is scheduled to open in October 2026 in Al Quoz, Dubai.

Website: club15.ae
Instagram: @club15.ae

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