Ski Dubai

Ski Dubai is an indoor ski resort located within the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is renowned as the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East.

Officially opened in November 2005, it covers an area of approximately 22,500 square meters and maintains a consistently cold temperature of around -1 to 2 degrees Celsius, enabling year-round skiing and snowboarding despite Dubai's desert climate.

The resort features an 85-meter high indoor mountain with five ski slopes of varying difficulty levels, including a 400-meter-long run and the world's first indoor black diamond run. Ski Dubai also includes a 3,000-square-meter Snow Park, offering family-friendly activities such as toboggan runs, an icy body slide, climbing towers, giant snowballs, and an ice cave.

Developed by the Majid Al Futtaim Group, which also operates the Mall of the Emirates, Ski Dubai was designed by Acer Snowmec, specialists in indoor ski centers.

The resort provides ski and snowboard equipment rentals, including jackets, and features chairlift and tow lift systems to transport skiers up the slopes. Aside from skiing and snowboarding, Ski Dubai has become known for its interactive penguin encounters, giving visitors the rare opportunity to interact with live penguins in a desert city.

The resort received the Thea Outstanding Achievement Award from the Themed Entertainment Association in 2007 and has been repeatedly recognized as one of the world’s best indoor ski venues.

Architecturally, Ski Dubai combines Alpine style with modern Middle Eastern design elements, incorporating chalets and cafés overlooking the slopes to enhance the ambiance.

The creation of this indoor winter wonderland involved innovative insulation, snowmaking technology, and energy-efficient climate control systems to maintain cold temperatures within a large desert shopping complex.

Since its opening, Ski Dubai has become a famous landmark and a major attraction in Dubai’s tourism mix, symbolizing the city's penchant for bold, innovative leisure projects that defy environmental constraints, attracting millions of visitors annually from around the world.