The coolest thing to do in Dubai

From the outside Ski Dubai looks like a gigantic bag made of frosted aluminium foil. Inside await amazing 22,500 square metres covered with 6,000 tons of snowflakes cooled down to perfect powder.

Heat and coldness
Ski Dubai is situated in the desert state of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Outside the temperature is often close to30 degrees Celsius before noon in the winter. However, inside Ski Dubai, which is situated in the gigantic shopping centre “Mall of the Emirates”, the temperature is always minus eight degrees Celsius.

The huge structure is cooled by the same principle as a refrigerator, and to build a perfect cooler an additional cooling system has been installed under the snow to ice up the base and create perfect snow conditions. Grundfos Dubai has supplied pumps and pump systems for Ski Dubai as well as the Mall of the Emirates and in addition special shaft seals to maintain the extreme requirements of -25% degree coolant temperature.

High pressure
In order to supply the perfect surface for skiing the Ski Dubai facility is fitted with snow canons that sprinkle a cloud of ice crystals at a steady pace. Snow is made of water and chemicals that are crushed under high pressure. This is precisely where Grundfos lends a hand. It is mainly NK and NB pumps that supply the water for the snow canons, whereas CR and AP pumps take care of, for instance, air conditioning in the gigantic mall.

Ski Dubai has a full capacity of 1500 guests. The centre has slopes of varying difficulty and lengths, longest run of 400 metres, the longest run being 400 metres with a fall of over 60 metres. If the inhabitants of Dubai want to try real snow, the nearest natural ski resorts are situated in Iran or Lebanon.