From September 9, 2024, to January 12, 2025, Core Direction and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) partnered to create the Health & Happiness Challenge, an initiative designed to inspire Dubai residents to prioritize their health. This groundbreaking challenge saw over 73,207 participants register, reinforcing a citywide commitment to wellness and fitness.

Core Direction's Role in the Health & Happiness Challenge

At Core Direction, we powered the challenge through our community-driven wellness technology, ensuring seamless registration, activity tracking, and leaderboard engagement. Our app made it simple for participants to track their steps, earn active heart rate points, and engage with fitness content while fostering a culture of movement.

Beyond technology, our team played a key role in event curation, from launch activations to the grand finale at Danube Sports World, Dubai, where over 1,000 participants came together to celebrate their progress. Our data-driven insights provided DHA with real-time analytics, shaping future wellness initiatives in the region.

A City United in Movement

The challenge encouraged participants to engage in daily physical activity, with a gamified leaderboard rewarding consistency. From solo workouts to community-driven fitness sessions, participants pushed their limits while competing for a share of the AED 205,000 prize pool and 50 iPhone 13s awarded to Schools Challenge winners.

Key Engagement & Achievements

The numbers tell an inspiring story of transformation:

• 27,331 active users earned points in the last 30 days.
• 2,600 participants achieved 500 points, qualifying for the prize draw.
• The top 10 participants collectively contributed 12,727 Core Points, demonstrating outstanding dedication.

Steps Towards a Healthier Future

Every step counted, and the data speaks volumes:

• Over 5.40 billion steps were logged during the challenge.
• Each active user completed an average of 197,671 steps.
• More than 3.2 million active heart rate minutes were recorded.

Fitness Activities & On-Demand Engagement

Participants engaged with various fitness and wellness activities:

• 253,712 activities were created, averaging 9.28 activities per active user.
• 20,835 on-demand videos were watched, totaling 93,215 minutes of wellness content.
• 1,713 event bookings brought the community together for in-person experiences.

A Spotlight on Schools

The Schools Challenge encouraged students and staff to embrace wellness early on:

• 155 schools registered, engaging 7,410 students and staff.
• 122 schools actively participated, contributing 867,692 points.

The Power of Community Events

Community engagement played a major role in the challenge's success:

• 608 attendees at the Health & Happiness Launch Event.
• 1,081 attendees at the Closing Event.
• 18 public wellness events and 10 school-focused activations expanded the challenge’s reach.

A Lasting Impact

The true success of the Health & Happiness Challenge lies in its impact on individuals, families, and communities. Beyond the numbers, the challenge has fostered a long-lasting commitment to fitness and well-being across Dubai.

With Core Direction’s technology and DHA’s vision, we’ve set a new benchmark for citywide wellness initiatives—and this is just the beginning.

Join the Movement

As we move forward, Core Direction and DHA will continue to inspire movement and champion well-being. Stay tuned for future challenges and join us in creating a healthier, happier Dubai!