Hi – Sunil here to talk about Ski Dubai

How ironic as I am actually sitting in my hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah staring outside at the snow capped mountains.

So who said you can’t ski in desert?

Typically you can’t but if you are in the Dubai desert you can certainly ski all year long anytime you want.

If you are looking for an activity in Dubai that is not only a lot of fun, but very unique then you should take your family over to Ski Dubai located in the Mall of Emirates.

It is the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East and is quite the thrill for people who think that Dubai is just a bunch of sand and hot weather.

With over 22,500 square meters covered with snow year round, you can ski, snowboard, or even take the family tobogganing. This place has something for everyone no matter whether you are a beginner or an experienced skier.

Ski Dubai has five ski runs that vary in difficulty and height with the longest run at 400 meters. From the “bunny” slope to the indoor black run you can ski or snowboard year round. There is also a Freestyle Zone that allows you to practice your snowboarding stunts nearby as well.

After finishing the slopes for the day you can take the family and head over to the snow park which is approximately 3,000 square meters of snowball heaven. Here you can make snow angels, throw snowballs, or just walk around in the snow living it up.

The best thing about Ski Dubai is that everything you need is included in one price. You get a jacket for use, helmets, all ski equipment, as well as socks and boots.

So you can show up in your shorts and be fully equipped in minutes. It will cost you approximately $75 as a couple for a full day pass. That is less than $40 for all day of fun!

You can pay for either the Slope aspect of Ski Dubai or the Snow Park. The Snow Park is very clean and well maintained with many different games to play or you can bobsled or toboggan.

The Winter Polar Bear :)

You pay one price for the Snow Park and once you are in there you have unlimited time, but once you leave you can’t get back in. With the Slopes you pay for two hours of time and each hour after that is charged separately.

If you are a beginner there are lessons available to teach you have to ski. The beginner’s level is slightly higher than what you would find at a regular ski slope so it is important that if you do not know how to ski well you do take the lessons offered to you. They have both snowboarding and skiing lessons.

At the entrance to Ski Dubai you can find the St. Moritz Café which has wonderful food at a nominal fee. Mid way through Ski Dubai you can find the Avalanche Café which views of the slope and excellent food.

There is also a retail shop that can guide you through what you need to use to ski and that is also where you can find the snow school instructors.

This is how it looks like from the outside as it was being built.

A big warning though. Since you count on us to provide you with an honest first hand perspective, let me tell you that this place is every bit as good as I have told you it is. However, it does have its share of issues.

First, it is located in Dubai, not USA. The culture is just very different. People are not as nice and genuinely caring. Instead of taking into consideration fellow skiers, people there will run you over and yell at you if you don’t get out of their way.

Accidents are quite common. In fact, it does not seem like management cares at all. It will take a serious accident (which I can see coming) before anything is done about the safety and patrolling of the place.

The problem there is that there are no beginner’s slopes like you would expect to see in ski resorts here in the states or in the Switz. At Ski Dubai you will find three sections, the top, middle and bottom section of the slope.

Here is how it looks like from the outside

This is what it looks like from the outside.

A bigger problem is the lack of ski patrol officers. There are not many to monitor the safety and security of the place. And those that are there don’t care. I could not believe these guys were getting paid to stand there.

It is not the US where people mostly give way. Moreover in the US we can file legal complaints (lawsuits) for mishaps experienced due to the venue’s ignorance or lack of safety. In any case, I am not saying don’t go. But go and just be careful. You can have a lot of fun there.

Located on Sheikh Zayed Road, it is very easy to locate, especially considering it is in the mall. You can easily take a cab from the beach and get a little relief from the sun and warmth of Dubai. Ski Dubai really is fun for the entire family and offers you a lot of fun that is just a little bit out of the norm.

Go from Ski Dubai back to Dubai Entertainment

Go from Ski Dubai back to Dubai Holidays and Dubai Information