For the first time in recorded history it's snowing in Dubai this winter. But there is no cause for alarm.
The Alpine chill in this tiny desert emirate that is normally among the hottest places on earth is not a worrying effect of climate change, but an indoor ski resort complete with ski slopes and chairlifts.
Skiers enjoy real snow and Swiss style chalets where they can snuggle before a crackling fire, sipping hot chocolate or dipping into cheese fondue at the resort's St. Moritz Cafe.
PHOTO: AFP
Ski Dubai, as the mega project that opened to the public this week is called, boasts the world's first indoor black run -- a color-coded system used in the French Alps where black signifies the most difficult run and is recommended for experienced skiers only.
The resort features five slopes of varying difficulty and length, with the longest run of 400m, together with a snowboard area, the world's largest interactive snow park, and fake fir trees.
The cavernous facility that styles itself on a Swiss mountain resort covers 22,500m2 -- the size of 3 football fields -- and will be covered with 6,000 tonnes of real snow all year round.
Outside the Mall of the Emirates where Ski Dubai is located, the sun is out and winter temperatures hover around 30?C.
Motorists still turn on their car air conditioners, construction workers at any one of the many building sites surrounding the mall wipe sweat off their brows as they labor, and shoppers at the air conditioned mall stroll around in T-shirts.
Inside the ski dome it's another world of powdery snow, a sky-blue ceiling and red-nosed enthusiasts in snug thermal jackets rented at the facility.
With three-fourths of Dubai's population made up of expatriates, most visitors to the resort on any typical day are foreigners. But among them are native Arabs with black jackets worn over their long white robes, and winter boots replacing the flip-flops that are normally worn with the traditional costume.
Arctic weather takes over at night, after the resort is closed to the public. Temperatures drop to minus 8?C, and state-of-the-art snow makers are turned on, creating a white out. The system can make around 120 tonnes of fresh snow every 24 hours.
"This is real wild snow we are creating," said Francois de Montaudouin, Chief Executive of MAF Investments, owned by local billionaire Majid Al Futtaim, the mall's developer.
"It feels like rain but it is actually snow. It means visiting Ski Dubai will be like having a beautiful day in the mountains, except that conditions will be perfect all the time," said Montaudouin.
The ski dome, one of only 15 such indoor facilities around the world, can accommodate about 1,500 enthusiasts at a time, and expects 50,000 visitors a year, according to the company.
Building the massive project was a feat of modern engineering and its construction was filmed for a documentary by the US-based Discovery Channel. The resort's tubular ski run towers over Dubai's Sheikh Zayed road at 85m high, the size of a 25 storey building.
Dubai, one of the seven city states of the United Arab Emirates, has made a habit of making the outrageous mundane.
It already boasts the world's most luxurious hotel, a unique desert resort, the world's tallest tower and largest theme park, all still under construction.
The emirate, the commercial and trade hub of the Middle East, has emerged as a major tourist destination, attracting visitors from around the world.
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