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Puma brought its world-leading running innovation to the Middle East for the first time with the Nitro Lab Testing experience in Dubai, hosted at the SIRO One Za’abeel hotel. The exclusive activation allowed select athletes, both global and regional, to put the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3, Puma’s fastest race-day shoe yet, through a live, data-driven trial. 

The three-day experience transformed the venue into a state-of-the-art biomechanics lab, complete with 3D motion capture, force-instrumented treadmills, metabolic testing, and pressure-sensing insoles. Each athlete arrived fasted, warmed up, and then completed repeated five-minute running intervals in the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 and a competitor race shoe of their choice, with equal rest periods in between. Oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide output were tracked to calculate running economy — essentially how efficiently the body used energy at a fixed pace. Within 15 minutes of finishing, participants were shown real-time data comparing both shoes, offering measurable proof of efficiency gains.

led by biomechanics expert Wouter Hoogkamer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has demonstrated that the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 improves running economy by 3.15 percent. For a three-hour marathon runner, this translates to a time saving of more than four and a half minutes — a game-changing edge on race day. 

The shoe achieves these results through deliberate engineering: it is 95 grams lighter than its predecessor, built with Puma’s NitroFoam Elite midsole for enhanced cushioning and responsiveness, a PWRPlate carbon plate for propulsion, and an Ultraweave upper with Pumagrip outsole for lightweight comfort and multi-surface traction. 

Maximilian Grüttner, team head of performance concepts — innovation for footwear and apparel at Puma headquarters in Herzo, described running economy as the foundation of performance testing. He said: “Just as a car becomes more efficient when it consumes less fuel, runners benefit when they require less oxygen to maintain speed.” That, he said, is what makes the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 stand out — “its ability to help athletes run the same pace with less effort, ultimately translating into faster times.” 

Laura Healey, senior manager of research and insights at Puma Running in Boston, said the development process was guided by both science and athlete data. “We combined computer simulations with feedback from over 75 runners to refine every detail of the shoe.” The result, she added, is a foam midsole that “stays responsive from the first stride to the last, maintaining energy return across the full marathon distance.” 

“Creating a good shoe is straightforward, but crafting a truly great one meant balancing weight, propulsion, and durability — and the testing proves we achieved that,” Healey said.

Among the regional athletes who tested the shoe was the Saudi athlete Aziz Ibrahim. Reflecting on his results, he said: “At first, I was unsure how stable the shoe would feel, but once I started running it felt incredibly light and fast. Each stride gave me an extra push forward, and I finished the session feeling fresher and stronger. The data showed that the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 improved my running economy by 3.08 percent — which could mean cutting nearly six minutes from a marathon, two minutes from a half marathon, or close to a minute from a 10K. With its cushioning, carbon plate, and proven efficiency gains, this is a race shoe I can rely on.” 

Johan Kuhlo, managing director Puma Middle East, said: “The Nitro Lab’s debut in the Middle East was a key moment to bring our innovation closer to athletes in the region. Runners here are part of one of the world’s most exciting and fastest-growing communities, and it was important for us to showcase the science behind the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3. The experience allowed them not just to try the shoe but to understand the performance data driving it. Unveiling the new colorway here first reflects both our focus on innovation and our long-term investment in the region.”

The Dubai Nitro Lab marked the platform’s first appearance in the Middle East after activations in four other global locations. Its arrival highlights the region’s growing appetite for performance sport and marathon running. “Dubai is a hub for running communities from around the world,” added Grüttner. “It’s the perfect place to prove, with hard data, that our innovation performs better than competitors.” 

The Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 are available now at Puma UAE retail stores, online in �������� and the UAE, and selected GO Sport retail stores. 

The seventh edition of the Future Projects Forum 2025, organized by the Saudi Contractors Authority under the theme “Future of the Future,” concluded in Riyadh after three days of activities, workshops, and on-ground events. The forum showcased more than 21,000 projects with an estimated total value exceeding SR3 trillion ($800 billion), covering housing, energy, water, industry, and infrastructure.

The forum was inaugurated In the presence of Deputy Minister of Municipalities and Housing Ihab Al-Hashani, along with senior officials and representatives from government entities and the private sector.

In his opening remarks, Mohammed Al-Ajlan, chairman of the Saudi Contractors Authority, said: “In this tunnel, there is a bright light for Saudi youth in this sector.”

The opening also featured the launch of two new digital platforms:

• Ertiqa, an integrated system to assess contractors’ readiness, improve project quality, and enhance compliance across five major sectors through more than 20 readiness certificates.
• Memar, a unified platform enabling homeowners to digitally manage their housing projects with clear steps covering contractor selection, electronic contracting, financing, insurance, and project monitoring until delivery.

Key activities

The forum hosted over 60 workshops and panel sessions spotlighting digital transformation, sustainability, modern construction technologies, and project management.

It also featured the Contractors Financing Conference, bringing together banks and financial institutions to explore financing solutions that support SMEs’ participation in major projects.

A highlight was the National Construction Festival, where Saudi students competed live in plumbing, welding, and reinforced concrete works, under the supervision of local and international judges. The event showcased the capabilities of the new generation of Saudi talent.

The forum recognized Saudi Aramco as the official partner, and the Saudi Electricity Company and Fal Arabia as strategic partners, alongside other sponsors who contributed to the success of the event.

Participants said that the forum has become a national platform that enhances transparency and connects project owners with contractors and investors, supporting the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.