Skiing in the middle of the desert?
Located in the deserts of the United Arab Emirates, smack dab in the center of the Middle East, south of Iran, and round the bend from Saudi Arabia and Iraq – Dubai is as hot as it gets. Flat, barren coast plains, rolling sand dunes, desert wastelands with mountains plains in the east – where in the world is there a place to ski?
Introducing: Ski Dubai
In a city filled with the biggest, tallest, first-evers, and other record breaking ambitions – Ski Dubai is no exception – as the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East.
Regarded as the largest indoor ski resort in the world with the first-ever indoor black diamond run, Ski Dubai provides an innovative and fun recreational solution to Dubai’s lack of snow and mountains.
Opened in 2005, the indoor ski area includes 22,500 square metres of indoor ski area, attached to the Mall of the Emirates in the city of Dubai. The complex which is about 85 metres or 25 stories high and 80 metres wide, includes 5 runs of various difficulties with the longest run being 400 metres with a fall of over 60 metres. It also includes a freestyle zone, a snow park for tobogganing or playing in the snow, various chair lifts, flying carpets, and a state of the art ticketing system.
Real snow is produced all throughout the year at night when the complex is closed. The complex sits at a comfortable -1 or -2 degrees Celsius during the day and rests at -8 during snow making. The complex is insulated as a refrigerator or cooler and any melted snow is reused for more snow the next day. The roof of the ski centre is insulated and far below the actual building to ensure maximum efficiency in its energy usage.
Winter clothing (jackets, pants, hats, gloves) as well as ski or snowboard equipment rental is available and come packaged. The indoor ski centre also provides professional instructors, lessons, a retail shop and various cozy Swiss mountain resort-themed restaurants and cafes.
Peru? Madrid? Beijing? Netherlands?
Outdoor boarding in Peru? That’s right – find out about Sandboarding in Huacachina, Peru.
Other indoor skiing areas can also be found at the Snow Zone in Madrid, Qiaobo Ice & Snow World near Beijing, and SnowWorld Landgraaf in the Netherlands.
