A study showed that employee burnout reached a two-year high in 2020. Various factors brought about this problem, including changes in work structure and market uncertainty and instability.

With things getting a bit better this year, employers can take more proactive efforts to minimize employee burnout in their organizations. You can start by reducing your team workload, relaxing some rules, and promoting better work-life balance.

Investing in well-chosen team-building activities is another excellent way to keep your staff motivated and productive and reduce employee burnout. When you get your employees out of the office for a day or two, you give them a break from their daily routine and usual stressors.

Corporate team-building activities also give your employees the chance to interact with their coworkers outside of their usual work environment. This, in turn, can improve communication, collaboration, and overall productivity in the workplace when they go back to work.

Must-Try Team-Building Activities in Dubai

Planning a great team building activity in Dubai can be challenging since there are many to choose from.

You can narrow down your options from among the various local activities and domestic tour offers from Dubai for your first team-building event this year by checking the suggestions below:

Day trip to Abu Dhabi

All employees love going on out-of-office trips. If you are looking for a team-building activity that your workers can also consider a reward, plan a day trip to a nearby city.

Going on a day trip to Abu Dhabi will definitely excite your employees, especially if they have not been to the capital city before. The emirate also has numerous attractions to visit and must-try activities.

Additionally, Abu Dhabi has several places that are perfect for team-building activities. These include Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Al Ain Raceway, where you and your employees can go-kart racing. You and your workers can race individually or by teams.

Bounce Abu Dhabi, CLYMB Abu Dhabi, Via Ferrata, and Captain Tony’s also offer fun and exciting activities that work well as team-building exercises.

Abu Dhabi is only around 170 kilometers or 105 miles from Dubai. The total journey takes about 75 minutes by road. If you want to give your employees a treat and travel faster, consider hiring a seaplane.

Aside from the fast and safe journey, consider going on a flight tour to get the most out of your group’s visit to Abu Dhabi.

Dragon boat racing

If you are looking for an activity that takes place on water, you won’t go wrong with choosing dragon boat racing.

A dragon boat can carry 20 passengers who must sit alongside and paddle. Additionally, there is a Cox who steers the vessel from the rear and a drummer in front.

A dragon boat team can consist of all men or women or a mixed crew, with equal numbers of both males and females.

A typical race consists of four to six boats.

Dragon boat racing is an excellent team-building exercise since your employees have to come up with and discuss strategies to win a race. Moreover, they also need to work together to achieve their objectives.

The whole activity can boost camaraderie and collaboration, which they can carry over to their workplace.

You can rent dragon boats at the Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort.

Paddleboarding

Another group activity you can try at one of Dubai’s beautiful beaches is paddleboarding. You can turn this sport into a team exercise with the help of tour operators at Kite Beach.

A paddleboard rental shop that also provides tours and lessons at Kite Beach can prepare team-building activities for your group.

These activities include paddleboard racing.

Aside from individual races, your employees can compete in duos and groups. There are giant paddleboards you can rent that can carry up to 10 persons.

Group paddleboard races allow your staff to engage in strategic planning and collaboration before and during the competition. Moreover, they get to practice sportsmanship.

While at Kite Beach, you and your team can also try other activities, such as kayaking and beach volleyball.

Bubble Soccer

If you and your employees are huge football fans, you will love playing a unique spin on this sport.

Sharjah Paintball Park is the venue for Bubble Soccer, a game where players play football while inside giant inflatable bubbles.

You and your team will have fun rolling, bumping, and ramming into each other as they try to score and defend their goals.

As a team-building activity, it helps everyone practice and boost their communication, strategic planning, and collaboration skills.

Moreover, this fun activity can strengthen the bonds of your employees and allow them to let their hair down.

Beach Olympics

Many companies in Dubai specialize in providing unique and tailor-made corporate team-building activities. If you don’t have the time to plan one or want your employees to experience only the best exercises, look for and work with such service providers.

DragonFire is a well-known team building company in Dubai. One of their most popular programs is the Beach Olympics.

Beach Olympics is a recreation of the official Olympic Games. It takes place on the beach, so expect some fun and wet spins on all the games.

Some activities you and your employees can expect to play are water balloon volleyball, wring the towel, tug of war and taking on an obstacle course.

At the end of the tournament, points are tallied to determine the champions. All winners are given medals, too.

The whole activity is an excellent motivational program that also provides employees plenty of physical and mental exercises.

Spend a day at Adventure Park.

TEPfactor Dubai is another company that specializes in providing group activities. They have a team-building program designed for organizations that will challenge employees.

A typical package will take your team through 21 challenges that will try their patience, logic, problem-solving skills, and physical capabilities.

All challenges have three levels of difficulty: bronze, silver, and gold. They also come with strict time limits.

These challenges range from completing complex puzzles, balancing items, and rescue-type of activities.

If you choose this-team building activity, ensure you allocate one day for the event since the whole program can run for hours.

With these team building ideas, you can motivate your employees and reduce the likelihood that they will experience burnout.