From Japan to Yas Mall: The Dr.stretch UAE Story

This month Dr.stretch opened its sixth studio in the UAE, at Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi. Three years ago the brand had no studio in the region at all. This is how a stretching method born in Japan came to the UAE, and why it keeps growing.

Where It Began: Japan, 2010

Masahiro Kurokawa founded Dr.stretch in Japan in 2010. The idea was simple: stretching done for you, one-on-one, by a trained professional, rather than a class you follow on your own. You can read the full background on our history page.

At the heart of every session is Core Balance Stretch, a method developed for elite professional athletes with over 200 techniques. Your trainer stabilises the joints around a tight area before stretching it, so the stretch lands where the restriction is.

Growing Across Asia

The method spread fast. Dr.stretch opened in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and China. By 2023 it had around 230 studios. By April 2025 it had passed 270. Today Dr.stretch has more than 300 studios in eight countries, over 3,000 trainers, and has served more than 1,000,000 clients.

How Dr.stretch Came to the UAE

The UAE chapter started with a sore back. In 2020, Venelin Tsonev, an Abu Dhabi-based finance professional, was dealing with chronic muscular pain. On a visit to Singapore he tried Dr.stretch, and it worked where other treatments hadn't.

"After my first session in Singapore I felt looser and more flexible, and I moved with less pain and less restriction than I had in years. I knew the UAE needed this – people here sit for hours in offices and cars, and they train hard. I also wanted to support the UAE leadership's ambition to build a fitter, more active society." – Venelin Tsonev, founder, Dr.stretch UAE

In 2023 he signed the franchise agreement for the UAE, making it Dr.stretch's first franchised location outside Japan. In September 2023 the first studio opened at Shams Boutik on Reem Island – Dr.stretch's first studio outside East Asia.

Growing Studio by Studio

Demand came from office workers, athletes, parents and people simply tired of feeling stiff. The studios followed:

• Dubai Hills Mall, our first studio in Dubai – April 2024
• Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi – September 2024
• Golden Mile, Palm Jumeirah – July 2025
• Nad Al Sheba Mall, Dubai – April 2026
• Reem Mall, Abu Dhabi – June 2026, the new home for our Reem Island clients

Each studio has a private, ladies-only room. Every trainer is certified by Dr.stretch headquarters in Japan before their first session – here's what that training involves. The UAE team now has more than 80 trainers and is growing towards 100 by the end of 2026.

Yas Mall: Studio Number Six

Yas Mall opened in October 2026 and gives Abu Dhabi its third Dr.stretch studio. You'll find it on the lower ground floor, opposite Carrefour. Next comes Al Khail Avenue Mall in Dubai, planned for early 2027.

The brand keeps growing outside the UAE too, most recently in Indonesia, with five studios in Jakarta, and the Philippines, at One Ayala in Makati.

Try It for Yourself

New to assisted stretching? Start with what to expect in your first session, look at our pricing and packages, or claim the first-visit discount. Follow the UAE team on Instagram @drstretch.ae and TikTok @drstretch.ae.