 Poster: A snowHead
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Ski Dubai - or to give it its grand name 'Dubai Ski at the Mall of the Emirates' - the major snowdome which forms part of a huge shopping and leisure mall - opens in September.
With snowmaking based on the British system invented by Acer Snowmec (originally developed from 1989 in Telford) there will be much interest in this mid-desert installation.
According to the developers the 25-storey high (90 metres) ski slope is 400 metres long from start to finish, occupying an area equal to three football stadiums, is 85 metres wide, and will allow over 1,500 skiers to enjoy the sport simultaneously.
This report from Khaleej Times.
Could someone please cut a few turns in this extavaganza for snowHeads, please? !
Incidentally, this is the first of two snowdomes for Dubai. The second - Dubai Sunny Mountain Ski Dome - is due for 2006.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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A ski trip to Dubai. I wonder if it would it be the most expensive skiing in the world?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| Incidentally, this is the first of two snowdomes for Dubai. The second - Dubai Sunny Mountain Ski Dome - is due for 2006. |
An article on the "Sunny Mountain" back in June...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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spyderjon, anyone passing through Dubai en route to India, the Far East or the Antipodes can blag a 2/3 day stopover at almost zero cost. If the airlines charge for the hotel it's a nominal figure only. Food & Bev is not cheap, I grant you. Great way to break the journey and to see Dubai which is becoming a quite amazing city state. October - April the climate is like a Mediterranean summer. Rest of the year impossibly humid to enjoy any outdoor sports that don't involve swimming costumes.
There is another massive indoor snowsports arena planned for Ras al Khaimah (a little Emirate about an hour's drive from Dubai). Smacks of overkill. There is very little United about the UAE. They tend to compete rather stupidly at times. Sharjah International Airport is almost within sight of Dubai's for example.
I'll be in Dubai next week - about a month too early to give it a try  and probably under Doctor's orders not to do anything too risky anyway.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I'm going to India via Dubai in September!!!!!
I've got a free stopover and will be in Dubai on 23rd and 24th Sept - might check it out if its open then!
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mountain mad, other things to do - the Dubai Museum (very near the Creek in Bur Dubai. Cheap, mostly cool as it's partly underground and conditioned and a good overview of the place since the '50s when it all started. 1 hour is enough for a walk through), Wild Wadi (one of the biggest adventure water parks in the world. Next to Jumeirah Beach Hotel), cross the Creek on the water taxis (abrahs), the Gold Souk & The Spices Souk (in Deira - ), a local mag called What's On for the concerts, shows, nightlife and other events.
Enjoy - but get used to sunglasses steaming up every time you exit airconditioned areas. It's even worse after dark. I'm pretty sure the new snow dome will be open on time - Dubai's like that. Whizz bang sort of place these days. Looking forward to a snow report
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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mountain mad, bummer. Ridiculous - there has never yet been a terrorist incident in Dubai. Why the hell have we got 175,000 US Forces in Iraq if they won't let people visit a perfectly safe area. Certainly safer than India and hasn't Mumbai just had major floods?? Stupid septics. Well done for telling them to stick the trip.
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mountain mad, The UK class it as a Class 3, which is basically no restiction on travel.
Places like Saudi is a Class 2, where you need to be trained/briefed + keep aware of the daily/weekly brief.
Cat one is for those lovely tourist place such as
Afghanistan
Bolivia
Burundi
Central African Republic
Chechnya
Cote D'Ivoire
Haiti
Iraq
Israel (inc. Gaza/ West Bank)
Liberia
North Korea
Pakistan
Somalia
Tajikistan
Uzbekistan
Yemen
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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An update on the scheduled opening of Ski Dubai: this report (and photo) from Gulf News explains that the first day's skiing has been put back to around 28 September.
Susan Mikloska, head of marketing, said "The building will be finished but the opening depends on the amount of snow. If we have enough the day before, we open that day, if not the next day."
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I was in Dubai last week (though tied to an I/V drip most of the time). The Mall of the Emirates where the new slope is located is not in the main part of the city. It is about 25/30 kms south off the Sheikh Zayed Highway somewhere towards Jumairah. So if your main reasons for visiting Dubai are beaches and sliding, stay in a beach hotel in the Jumeirah area (loads to choose from) and minimise your journey time to the snow.
Off topic - has anyone heard a wonderfully funny monologue by a black American comic (?remember who?) explaining to God why the Arc is a bit late. Shades of Ski Dubai with their late delivery of special glass.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Wed 28-09-05 11:16; edited 1 time in total
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Well ... see two postings above ... 28 September has arrived.
Today sees the opening of 'The Mall of the Emirates' (claimed to be the second biggest shopping mall in the word), according to this report in Khaleej Times, but what about Ski Dubai?
Ski Dubai's website remains non-committal: "Opening soon" is what is says, and still no confirmed date. Dubai's population, and camels, must be getting very itchy feet - having done all their pre-ski exercises.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Still no sign that it has opened but they are recruiting many different grades of staff.............
http://www.anyworkanywhere.com/skidubai.html
~ $ 600 p.m. for a ski instructor / ski patrol plus shared free accom and transport. One flight home after 2 years!! Hardly expat salary levels or conditions. And most importantly no mention of any instructional qualifications. Same rate for a Call Centre Op or Ticket Seller. Oh Dear.
Top jobs are only ~ $1600 p.m. Not a good sign. Do we know any suitably hardy T.C.N.s we could tip off ??  I've yet to meet a Filipino ski instructor but I'm sure they'd be good at it.
You might get the odd itinerant gap year Caucasian backpacker or out of season Eastern blok liftie taking work on at these rates but IMO no one is going to stay long given these rates of pay and the cost of living in the area. A person's got to eat !!
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Poster: A snowHead
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tax free pay of course.
sent them an application many months ago (to get more info about the place), to no proper contact from them.
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