This Saudi woman entrepreneur is a fitness freak as well

Abu Dhabi - Fatima Batook says the awareness among Arab women towards fitness is growing.

Fatima Batook is a fighter. She is the founder of Saudi Arabia's first female Activewear brand - Tima and also runs Studio55 fitness centre, through which she seeks to 'empower' Saudi women. She says there are 'few restrictions' for women in Saudi Arabia but it's her drive to succeed that has taken her this far.
The entrepreneur cum fitness freak was part of the Fun Nation clinic held recently at the du Forum in Yas Island. She says the awareness among Arab women towards fitness is growing.
Excerpts from an interview:
When and how did fitness bug bit you? Your passion for fitness is praiseworthy. 
My passion for fitness didn't start until I encountered it as a personal goal. It amazed me how it's not only about how your body and muscles function but also its liberating as a human being. It's a gateway for self-expression. I never thought that fitness would turn into a career for me. I only did it on the side and never took it seriously, but I loved doing it.
You are on a mission to encourage Saudi women to get fit. What's your motivation to do something like this?
I realised that people are reacting to what I believe and what I am doing. I do not work for the job title or position and money, what I do today is for a higher purpose to empower women and making a change in the world and starting around me in Saudi and the Arab world to be healthier and fitter. I saw people's response to my vision and mission and their response is what pushed me to take the decision to follow my passion. 
What was the response from Saudi and Arab women towards your idea of finding ways to be fit?
It all seemed easy at the beginning but not everyone accepted a Saudi brand for activewear, they wanted international brands but today I can proudly say we have cracked the stereotype. We won a best sport brand of the year award in March 2015.
What led to creation of Tima?
The idea came from a dream my friend had. We once joked about the idea of me putting together my own workout DVD, and the next day she called me saying that she dreamt that I had my own sportswear line called Tima. Tima is a nickname my mom and close friends call me. When I started the brand in 2012, it was more of a mission to encourage fitness among Saudi women. I thought it would be a cool idea to have a Saudi sport brand made by a Saudi female. I wanted people to be intrigued, and to hear my story and be inspired.
What's the story behind Studio 55?
Studio55 is a product of my passion to fitness and well-being. Studio55, based in Khobar, is a new concept of women health club in Saudi where we focus on small group training with two studios under one roof. We have a spinning studio and another functional training studio.
How was the support from your family and society at large?
I used to work in the corporate world before and used to do fitness on the side. When I decided to leave the cooperate world, most people thought it was the wrong decision. People pushed me to keep both worlds. I planned to be financially independent so I can take my own decision. Now I find support from the people around me that believe in my mission and passion and share it too. 
Saudi is seen a Kingdom with lot of restrictions on women. How easy or difficult was it for you to turn entrepreneur?
It is not easy to be an entrepreneur whether you were in Saudi or not. It is the drive that I have within me that keeps me going through the difficulties. If you want to do something don't just sit and wait, you will need to start and be determined. A lot of great entrepreneurs are in Saudi and I can say a good portion of them are women. We do have few restrictions that would come in our way but the will keep us going.
What are your thoughts on fitness regime being followed by women in the UAE?
In general Arab women are not very much into fitness and do not make it part of their lives but I can say that now it is changing. The awareness of being healthy and fit have grown in past years, women nowadays are working out and have a better understanding of training and different trends. Women have different interests; you can find some women are interested in yoga and Pilates and then you can find others who are into intense workouts such as bootcamp.

• UAE
• Abu Dhabi