The UAE, specifically Dubai, is one of the busiest corporate hubs in the world. However, along with the glitz and glamour, comes stress. According to several surveys, stress is the number one workplace issue in Dubai. Stress affects numerous areas such as performance, productivity and above all – teamwork.

Employees under pressure are less likely to communicate effectively with one another and relations inevitably become strained.

Thankfully, there are several innovative team-building activities through which your employees can bond AND de-stress. The result? A productive and happy workplace.

Here are some examples of innovative workplace activities that can be arranged in the UAE:

1  – Theatre

Corporate theatre workshops have been offered locally for years and have recently come into the limelight. These workshops, often conducted by theatre veterans, are not only exciting, but also tremendously engaging. Participants harness the power of creativity and empathy through simple exercises.  For example, role-playing is an effective theatrical technique for employees to put themselves in another person’s shoes.

Similarly, improvisation exercises are highly beneficial as well. Employees are made to improvise a play within a few minutes in a team. These time-bound improve plays require effective communication, delegation and imagination. It is a known fact that participating in creative activities greatly reduces stress.

Moreover, you can combine these exercises with an office event. You could hold quarterly celebrations at your office, during which, your employees can showcase their improvised plays. This doesn’t need to be restricted to plays, and can also include dance performances (choreographed by employees themselves) or music performances (musically inclined employees can come together to create a musical masterpiece).

2  – Yoga and Trust Exercises

Yoga, as a trend, is picking up in the region, and is steadily crawling into the workplace! As you may know, yoga is a well-known wellness activity that promotes fitness and promotes a clear mind. Several offices are now opening up “recreational” rooms for yoga, meditation and other activities.

But wait. You must be wondering what Yoga has to do with teamwork.

Yoga is not necessarily an individual activity. There are several experts that teach partner Yoga – an activity that requires two people to complete a pose. This helps in building trust and harmony among colleagues.

There are also amazing trust processes and activities that can easily be conducted by the HR.  One such activity is a “trust fall” – employees are made to stand in a circle, with one person in the middle who is blindfolded. That person is required to fall in any direction and will need to trust their colleagues to catch them.

3  – Group Paintings

Dubai has been gearing up for Expo 2020 and one of the main visions of the city is to promote the arts. Moreover, painting has constantly been deemed as a healthy activity that promotes overall wellness. Several studies show that painting reduces stress, boosts positivity, improves concentration and also allows the painter to see life from another perspective. Adding to this, group painting activities provide a marvelous space for employees to transparently share their thoughts and ideas. You could allot a space for different departments in your office wherein employees can sketch an artistic piece from scratch and work on completing it together.

4 – Indoor activities

The UAE is famous for long summers and short winters. Therefore, there are certain group activities that cannot be conducted outside, especially in the afternoon!  Thankfully, we have exciting indoor activity ideas that can promote fitness and wellness.

Laser Tag is one such activity where two teams shoot at each other with a laser gun. The team with the most points wins and there are several physical obstacles to overcome!  Another option is an indoor trampoline park. Employees can undergo several team building activities such as dodgeball and volleyball trampoline tournaments.  Finally, escape rooms are abundant in the city. These rooms require employees to rack their brains together to solve a puzzle. Thinking out of the box is a great way to get the brain active and working.