Fadi El Khatib opens Club 15 in Dubai’s Al Quoz

Fadi El Khatib has opened a new chapter in Dubai with Club 15, a 15,000-square-metre sports and lifestyle destination in Al Quoz designed around movement, family life and community.

The former Lebanese basketball star’s latest venture brings courts, training facilities, recovery spaces and places to work together under one roof. Its name carries a personal history: 15 was his professional jersey number, and it has become a shared connection across his family.

The club began its soft launch on October 19, turning an idea conceived in March into a substantial new project within months.

From professional basketball to entrepreneurship

Known throughout his playing career as the Lebanese Tiger, El Khatib spent more than 25 years in professional basketball, representing clubs in Lebanon, Syria, Ukraine and China.

His move into business followed the same sporting interests. He founded Champs Sports Club and expanded the brand across the UAE, developing experience in creating spaces where people could train and participate in sport.

Club 15 takes that ambition further, combining several activities within a destination intended to become part of members’ daily routines.

El Khatib sees the determination he developed through basketball as essential to entrepreneurship: the ability to work through obstacles and remain committed when progress becomes difficult.

The family story behind the number

The name emerged from conversations with his children after the family moved to the UAE earlier this year following unrest in Lebanon.

For El Khatib, the number connects his own career with the sporting lives of his sons Jihad, Hadi and Joud, and his daughter Joury, who also wear number 15.

His eldest son, Jihad El Khatib, plays for Club Centrale Al Markaziyyah in the Lebanese Basketball League and represents Lebanon’s national team.

What began as a player’s number has become a family tradition. Giving it a permanent place in Dubai makes Club 15 part of that continuing story.

Courts, training and recovery in one destination

The club’s facilities include seven professional padel courts, three full-sized basketball courts and a two-storey gym covering 5,700 square metres.

There are also Reformer Pilates and studio spaces, a 25-metre swimming pool, rooftop training space and an on-site physiotherapy clinic.

Ice baths and infrared sauna facilities form part of the recovery offering.

The variety reflects El Khatib’s own sporting life. Gym training, swimming and yoga were important throughout his career, while padel has become a more recent enthusiasm.

His approach remains grounded in consistency. He encourages people to understand their own needs and avoid taking on every new wellness trend simply because it appears on social media.

Making room for parents and children

Family convenience is central to El Khatib’s vision.

He wants parents to be able to exercise without the practical difficulty of finding somewhere for their children to spend that time.

The wider concept includes children’s facilities, gymnastics, parkour and youth academies, alongside social areas and workspaces. A gaming lounge and podcast studio add further reasons to use the destination beyond a training session.

The intention is to create a place where different family members can pursue their interests while spending more of the day in the same location.

A personal commitment to Dubai

Club 15 is still developing through its opening phase. At launch, membership packages and prices were being finalised, while some areas and the on-site Joe & The Juice café were not yet ready.

Planned additions include a cycling and running track, red-light panels in the Pilates studio and equipment for heated yoga classes.

For El Khatib, continuing to build during a challenging year is an expression of confidence in the city that has become his family’s home.

“I don’t call Dubai a hotel,” he said. “When things happen, you don’t pack your things and move out.”