The UAE is home to the world’s tallest building. Now it’s home to the world’s heaviest permanent billboard.

GymNation, the biggest gym chain in the Middle East, has turned heads this week, after claiming its new billboard in Dubai has broken all known weight records for an OOH advert. The billboard weighs 1 tonne and was created using forty weight plates joined together.

Rory McEntee, chief marketing officer at GymNation, the company had to “hire in” a team of strong muscle-bound men and women to install the billboard. The advert is the first time a UAE gym has built their own billboard. Health & Safety reps at the company concluded that the ad was “so heavy” that perimeter tape had to be used to seal off the advert, in the event of a wall collapse.

The heavyweight advert was unveiled to launch GymNation’s new Strongman class, which takes place every Saturday, 10am, at the Mirdif club. The class, for fitness lovers who love to lift big, is inspired by The World’s Strongest Man international competition and includes exercises like Deadlifts, Tyre Flips, Log Press and Farmer’s Walk.

McEntee commented, “Advertising in the UAE needed a lift so we took that literally. The result is the world’s heaviest billboard, built to celebrate strength in every form. It was a massive job, spotters were required to put it up, but thankfully no hernias were reported during the installation. 

“The Strongman class has been formulated in collaboration with our expert Fitness Instructors, and members can expect to shift some serious heavy loads – designed to bring out the inner strong man and woman in all of us. We strongly advise observers to remain outside the perimeter tape if they’re heading past the billboard, or just want to take a photograph of this heavyweight marketing feat.”