Ski Dubai — the region’s first snow resort, being built in the Mall of the Emirates — has made headlines world over. Media around the world has reported on the construction of the world's third largest indoor snow dome.
Discovery Channel is currently filming the construction of the project at the Mall, coming up next to Interchange Four on Shaikh Zayed Road. “The documentary forms part of an upcoming series on major construction challenges to be shown exclusively on the Showtime network in the Middle East later this year. The film attempts to dissect the challenges that have been overcome to create a man made ski resort, amidst the burning heat of the Arabian desert,” a statement from Discovery said.
The channel said that its documentary will reveal “the secrets of new insulation technology which will keep the inside of the ski resort between a frigid -1 to -2C, whereas the outside temperature could exceed 50C.” When complete, Ski Dubai will hold over 6,000 tonnes of snow at any given time. Visitors will be immersed in an authentic winter environment of an alpine village where children can build snowmen, experience the chilly interior of an ice cavern, go tobogganing and play with snowballs. Thanks to a new lighting system, the snow in Ski Dubai will retain its true white colour instead of the greenish cast associated with manufactured snow.
The third largest indoor snow dome in the world will also have feature ski run, a permanent 3.5 metre radius quarter pipe for stunts, a snowboarding park, five multi-directional slopes with varying slope gradients, including a black run, and the world’s largest indoor snow play area.
The resort will feature five ski runs, from a beginner run to a 62 metre vertical drop. The longest run is of 400 metres. According to a Mall of Emirates factsheet, Ski Dubai will be “the first indoor ski dome that captures mountain spirit through changing terrain.” The changing terrain throughout the slopes will deliver the thrills and challenges of the world’s top ski mountains, and offer an ideal environment for amateur and professional competitions to be hosted by the resort.
Once operational, 30,000kg of fresh snow will be added every night, which will cover 22,500 square metre of total snow area.
Enclosed only with tall glass partitions, the resort’s winter environment and exciting activities will be in open view to shoppers in the Mall, diners in the nearby restaurant area and guests from the overlooking rooms in the adjoining hotel. The height of the structure of the ski resort is 85 metre — as high as a 25-storey building — and 80 metre wide — twice the width of Shaikh Zayed Road. The Mall of the Emirates project is scheduled to open on September 3, 2005.