Snow is forecast for Dubai in two years time, turning the city into a winter sports resort in the middle of the desert. In late 2003, the Majid Al-Futtaim group will be opening Souk Al-Nakheel, the Middle East’s first winter amusement park with real snow in Dubai. Construction is scheduled to start by the middle of 2002.
The park will have a Moroccan theme, recreating the exotic atmosphere of Marrakesh and Casablanca during the golden period of Moorish architecture. It will include 60,000 square meters of retail stores, a 20,000 square meter Carrefour hypermarket and parking for 5000 cars.
The entertainment and leisure facilities will cover 45,000 square meters including a 2000 seat cinema complex; a food court, coffee shops and theme restaurants totaling 126,000 square feet; a multi-lane bowling alley; a roller blading and skateboarding area; and the largest rock climbing wall in the Middle East.
The snow playground will include a 320-meter long ski slope with a 70 meter fall. Served by a state-of-the-art ski lift, the slope will offer downhill runs graded for skiers and snowboarders from beginners to experts. The complex will be enclosed under a huge high tech snow dome where fresh snow will fall every night in a temperature-controlled environment.
Currently 500,000 people are within a 15-minute drive of the Souk Al Nakheel site, rising to 630,000 by 2008. The official prediction is that by 2010, 40 per cent of Dubai’s population will live in the southern corridor. In addition, the number of foreign visitors is predicted to climb to 5.5 million by 2004, growing to six million by 2008. — (menareport.com)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
