Photos of Ski Dubai, winter sports in the desert, United Arab Emirates

The Mall of the Emirates is a huge shopping mall in the Al Barsha district, with 223,000 m² of shops, a fourteen-screen movie theatre, a gaming arena and, most famously, Ski Dubai, the Middle East's first indoor ski slope.

Its ski area is one of the largest in the world: an 85 metres high indoor mountain with 5 slopes of varying steepness and difficulty, its longest run being 400 metres with a fall of over 60 metres and a 90 metre long quarter pipe for snowboarders. A quad lift and a tow lift carry skiers and snowboarders up the mountain. There is also a 3000 m² Snow Park play area, sled and toboggan runs, an ice cave and a 3D theatre. It was officially inaugurated in late November 2005.

Ski Dubai is also home to a number of penguins who come out to play several times a day; these penguin encounters allow the public to interact directly with the penguins. An extremely efficient insulation system helps the facility maintain a temperature of -1 °C during the day and -6 °C at night when the snow is produced. Winter clothing, ski and snowboard equipment are included in the price of admission.