SQUATWOLF, the homegrown gymwear label born in a Dubai apartment, now ships to more than 120 countries and runs a flagship store inside The Dubai Mall. The brand was founded a decade ago by husband-and-wife team Wajdan Gul and Anam Khalid, who moved from Pakistan to the UAE and could not find performance wear built for training in the region's heat. So they made their own.
What began as a single AED 800 order has grown into one of the emirate's most recognisable fitness exports. The couple transformed their Business Bay flat into a warehouse and office, designing fabrics and cuts around durability and the demands of working out in a hot climate.
From a Dubai apartment to 120 countries
The founders built an organic following across the UAE before opening their e-commerce platform to international shoppers. Demand accelerated as orders arrived from across Europe, North America and Asia, and the label is now stocked in well over a hundred markets.
SQUATWOLF has been cited as a growth case study by Meta, Google and DHL, a reflection of how a regional startup scaled into a global direct-to-consumer player. Gul serves as chief executive and Khalid as chief operating officer, with a company philosophy they describe as "one pack."
The Dubai Mall flagship and global retail push
The brand opened its first physical flagship on the second floor of The Dubai Mall, near Reel Cinema, giving fans who had only shopped online a place to try products in person. To mark the launch, SQUATWOLF ran a "Beat Yesterday's Squat Record" challenge, inviting the community to perform as many squats as possible in 60 seconds, with top finishers helping open the store alongside the co-founders.
Early backing came from venture builder Disrupt, followed by a minority investment from ASCA Capital Limited that could grow to $30 million. That capital is fuelling an omnichannel expansion plan, with the company aiming for 30 retail stores worldwide by 2030.
A homegrown UAE success story
The label is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2026, reuniting early customers and supporters with a community workout event that echoes its grassroots beginnings. For a brand that started with one small order, the milestone underscores how far a Dubai-rooted idea can travel.
As SQUATWOLF builds out its store network across new markets, its trajectory points to a wider pattern: UAE founders turning local ambition into globally competitive consumer brands, with Dubai as the launchpad.