Dubai International Airport is hosting the Dubai Mallathon for the first time, bringing the city’s summer fitness initiative into an airport environment. Terminal 3 Departures was converted into an indoor walking track for the opening session, which brought together Dubai Airports employees, members of the oneDXB community and People of Determination for two morning walks.
The Dubai Mallathon was launched by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. The initiative uses Dubai’s air-conditioned malls as walking and running venues during the summer months. The 2025 edition drew over 40,000 participants, recorded more than 120 million steps and earned a Guinness World Record for the most runners in a mall run event. The 2026 edition runs citywide until 15 September, with DXB marking the first time the initiative has expanded beyond a mall venue.
“We’re proud to host The Dubai Mallathon in its second edition here at DXB. This is an initiative we can all get behind because it encourages people to be part of something that’s more than just exercise. This is a community-driven movement that fits around shifts, work locations, and daily routines and where small steps make a big impact. DXB is the perfect location for indoor walks because airports are places of movement by nature, and this initiative gives our employees and oneDXB community another way to come together, stay active and support Dubai’s wider wellbeing ambitions,” Majed Al Joker, Chief Operating Officer at Dubai Airports said in a statement.
Demaithan Al Qamzi, General Coordinator of Dubai Mallathon, said bringing the initiative to DXB reflects how the programme has evolved from a sporting event into a community movement that embeds physical activity into workplaces and daily routines.
Weekly sessions will take place at key locations across Terminal 3 every Friday through August. The final session, on 28 August, will mark Emirati Women’s Day, with Dubai Airports inviting community members to join the walk in recognition of Emirati women across the organisation and the aviation sector.
