Timeframe: When snowy ski slopes opened in the middle of the desert in Dubai

Twenty years ago, Ski Dubai opened at Mall of the Emirates, bringing with it the first indoor ski slope to the Middle East.

Before Ski Dubai launched on November 1, 2005, Dubai was already in the midst of a transformation. The marina was flourishing as the hub of “New Dubai”, and the city also had two new malls, Ibn Battuta and Mall of the Emirates itself – which had just opened a few days earlier.

In addition to a sprawling complex of shops, restaurants and entertainment, Mall of the Emirates was home to engineers and construction crew who were working on something that sounded impossible at the time: a ski resort in a desert city.

Cooling systems, snow machines and a five-run indoor mountain were installed, designed to maintain sub-zero temperatures year round even when the thermostat read 40°C outdoors.

Ski Dubai opened with 22,500 square metres of skiable slopes, including runs of varying difficulty. The longest stretched to about 400 metres, built into a structure 85 metres tall (or the height of a 25-storey building).

Next to the slopes, a 3,000-square-metre Snow Park play area had sledding hills, toboggan tracks, an icy body slide, climbing towers, giant snowballs and an ice cave. This allowed mall-goers to step out of a shop or cafe and straight into a wintry wonderland with temperatures of between – 1°C and 2°C no matter the season.

In 2012, Ski Dubai made headlines once again when it welcomed a colony of 10 gentoo and 10 king penguins, which arrived from SeaWorld San Antonio.

A custom-built environment mirroring Antarctica was created to house them, complete with rock formations and chilled pools. A team of experts was brought in to ensure their care, adding an unexpected wildlife experience to the slopes.

Ski Dubai’s reputation has grown well beyond the region, too. Since 2016, it has regularly been named World’s Best Indoor Ski Resort at the World Ski Awards, winning for nine consecutive years and earning another nomination in 2025.

Its role has expanded further into sport. The venue is used as a training base for skiing and snowboarding practice by some of the UAE’s aspiring Winter Olympians. It also hosts fitness events such as the Ice Warrior Challenge and short-distance races such as Snow Run.