Pole dancing is gaining popularity among women who want to get fit through dance and acrobatics. In societies in the Middle East, however, joining a pole dancing class is still not something that is seen as an appropriate form of exercise for females. Nevertheless, some pole fitness studios have been opening in Egypt.
Manar El Mokadem, aka Mint, studied architecture in the United Kingdom, where she took part in various university student activities. She joined a pole dancing class, and so the idea of bringing this form of exercise to her homeland was born. She says she opened Pole Fit Egypt in Cairo in October 2013, and also has introduced aerial arts to Egypt.