ONE of Bahrain’s most popular female-only fitness facilities is set to move premises after its high-profile Budaiya Highway base suddenly became partly obscured by newly-constructed civil defence towers.

Curves Bahrain, part of the world’s largest fitness franchise companies, has been successfully operating at its base for almost five years and has attracted hundreds of local and expat women looking to keep in shape.

The fitness centre was clearly visible to motorists on the busy road and its position helped attract clientele, says its owner Pamela Korbely. But that all changed a few weeks ago when the facility started to vanish behind a new giant construction, part of a ‘civil defence’ building, the authorities confirmed to GulfWeekly on Monday.

Mrs Korbely said: “Curves has been doing very well and we, of course, like everyone else on Budaiya Highway, have been hit by the unrest.

“When the building started going up next door with the two watch towers, or look-out towers, it was clearly evident that it was not going to be a mall! In fact, a lot of people at first thought that the new construction might become a shopping centre or a hotel but then those towers went up and people thought … hmmm.

“We have been swallowed up by it, and if potential clients do not know where we are then we are completely lost.”
Mrs Korbely added: “We have no clear signage visible now. The watch tower is so far out on Budaiya Highway that it’s pretty much obstructing our entrance as well.

“I have had to allay some fears from the ladies because they were afraid that it might become a prison. It’s not a prison, to my best knowledge, but it doesn’t make people very comfortable.

“I recognise the need for something like this in the area, however, whether or not this was the wisest place to put it, is debatable.

“If you don’t know where we are, it now makes it tough to find us. We have a very loyal following in the area from Saar, Janabiya, Budaiya, Manama and further afield and still have plenty of people who make it but it has just come to a point in time when we have to look for somewhere else.

“We are not leaving the area totally but we are looking for something preferably not too close to a village. There are many other alternatives besides Budaiya Highway, let’s put it that way.”

There have been several disturbances in villages close to Budaiya Highway in recent months and many expats have looked to relocate to calmer areas on the island.

But Mrs Korbely is not letting the unrest deter her plans of expanding the Curves franchise and opening more facilities in the kingdom. She added: “There are some big changes coming. Those will be implemented in the new Curves so we are looking forward to a lot of things.

“Everything that has happened in recent months has been a setback. I think it has been for most businesses, and any business that tells you otherwise is not facing the reality of the situation.

“However, that being said, people do try to make it here, come heck or high water. They have a definite interest in what’s going on, not only in Curves but also in Budaiya and in keeping the area and its businesses going.

“It is full-steam ahead and I am not going to be deterred. I am not going to close my doors and a moving date will be announced in time.”

After the new location for Curves is formalised Mrs Korbely has her sights set on opening a second facility on the island.