Ski Dubai is an indoor ski slope inside Mall of the Emirates, a real snow slope with a chairlift, held at around minus four degrees, in a country where the summer air outside reaches the high forties. It is the most obviously absurd attraction in the city and one of the most enjoyable.
Snow Park against slope pass
These are two different products and the distinction matters before you buy.
The Snow Park is the play area: tobogganing, snow tubing, a climbing tower, zorbing balls, snow play for small children and the penguin encounter. It needs no ability at all and it is what most families actually want. Entry starts around AED 240.
The slope pass gives you the runs and the chairlift, and costs more. It requires either demonstrable competence or a lesson first. There is a ski school with group and private instruction, and beginner runs to use afterwards.
What is included, and what is not
Every ticket includes a jacket, trousers, boots and socks. Skis, boards and helmets come with a slope pass. What is not included is gloves and a hat, and you want gloves, the supplied kit keeps your body warm and leaves your hands out in it.
The commonest mistake is arriving in shorts and sandals, because you have walked in from a mall in a hot country, and then buying gloves at the door at door prices. Long trousers and proper socks under the kit make the session considerably better.
Timing
Sessions are timed rather than open-ended. Weekday mornings can usually be walked into; weekend afternoons and school holidays book out, so reserve ahead. Two hours in the Snow Park is enough for most families; a slope session runs longer.
Getting there
Mall of the Emirates has its own Red Line station with a direct covered link into the mall, which makes this one of the easier attractions in the city to reach without a car. From Downtown it is about fifteen minutes on the metro.
Being fully indoors, it is a reliable option in the summer months when the outdoor list closes down in the middle of the day, see things to do in Dubai for how a summer day is usually built around anchors like this one.
The penguins, and what that encounter actually is
Ski Dubai keeps a colony of gentoo and king penguins, and the encounter is sold as an add-on rather than included in either the Snow Park or the slope pass. It is a short, supervised session in a cold enclosure with a handler, and the animals are brought out on a schedule instead of being on permanent display.
Opinions on it divide, and the fair summary is that it is well run and closely supervised but that it is an animal encounter in a shopping mall, which some visitors are comfortable with and some are not. The March of the Penguins walk-past, which happens on a timetable, is visible without the paid encounter.
Who it suits
Families with children between about four and fourteen get the most from it, and the Snow Park is the part they come for. Adults travelling without children generally enjoy it as a novelty for an hour, not as a half day, unless they actually ski, in which case the slope is short but real and the lesson standard is good.
It is also one of the few attractions in the city that works for someone who has already seen everything else. The absurdity is the point, and it does not wear off.
What else is in the building
Mall of the Emirates is the second of the two large malls and is calmer than The Dubai Mall, with a cinema, a substantial food court and a theatre. If the slope session is timed for the afternoon, the morning fits comfortably around it without leaving the building, which in a Dubai summer is the whole point of a day like this.
The other quiet argument for it is the contrast. Walking out of a snow park into forty degrees is a particular kind of ridiculous that stays with people longer than most things they paid more for.
Opening hours and the best time to go
Ski Dubai, common questions
How much is Ski Dubai?
Snow Park entry starts around AED 240 and a full slope pass with lift access costs more again. Prices rise at weekends, and the sessions are timed rather than open-ended.
What is the difference between the Snow Park and the slope?
The Snow Park is the play area (tobogganing, snowballs, the penguin encounter, zorbing) and needs no skiing ability. The slope pass gives you the actual runs and the chairlift, and requires either competence or a lesson.
Is equipment included at Ski Dubai?
Yes. Jacket, trousers, boots and socks come with every ticket, and skis, boards and helmets are included with a slope pass. Gloves and hats are sold separately, and you want gloves.
How cold is it inside Ski Dubai?
Around minus four degrees, held constant. The supplied jacket and trousers are adequate, but the extremities are not covered: bring or buy gloves, and wear proper socks.
Do you need to book Ski Dubai in advance?
For a weekend afternoon, yes. Sessions are timed and the popular slots fill, particularly in the school holidays. Weekday mornings can usually be walked into.
Can beginners ski at Ski Dubai?
Yes. There are beginner runs and a ski school with group and private lessons, and the slope pass requires a basic competence check or a lesson before the lift.
Is Ski Dubai good for young children?
The Snow Park is, and it is the reason most families come, tobogganing and snow play with no skill needed, from a low minimum age. The slope itself has age and competence limits.
What should you wear to Ski Dubai?
Long trousers and proper socks under the supplied kit, and bring gloves. People arrive in shorts and sandals because they have come from a mall in a hot country, and then buy gloves at the door.
