NEWS: Ski Dubai to snowball into other countries

[jedimaster1227]

http://www.constructionweekonline.com/article-26212-ski-dubai-to-snowball-into-other-countries/#.Uuwa6nn5Eas

 

Ski Dubai is to hit the slopes across the Middle East, as developer Majid Al Futtaim Group (MAF) reveals plans for several new facilities.

 

Ski Dubai, at MAF’s Mall of the Emirates, has become a must-do tourist attraction since it opened in 2005.

 

A unique concept given its location in a hot, Arabian city, it includes an 85m-high man-made mountain with five runs. It has 22,500m2 of snow, according to its website, with temperatures kept at between -1C and -20C.

 

George Kostas, Majid Al Futtaim CEO of Properties, said as part of MAF’s expansion plans, which was estimated by MAF chief Iyad Malas at $5bn over the next five years, it aimed to replicate the Ski Dubai concept around the region.

 

MAF is already building a version, known as Ski Egypt, as part of the under-construction Mall of Egypt in Cairo, due to open in 2016.

 

“We’re looking where else we can take it,” he said. “I think it would work wonderfully in Saudi Arabia. We’re looking for our first site and once we’ve got it, I’m sure, hopefully we’ll be able to open a Ski Dubai facility there as well.”

 

Kostas said the company’s rebranding, in which all of its diverse group of companies will unify under one umbrella corporate brand with the symbol “M”, was also a “promise” to customers on the standard of service they would receive from a MAF product.

 

“One of the things that we now need to do with this public pledge to the market is make sure that we are looking across every single asset, every single business and deliver on those promises,” he said.

 

“That will mean in places like Egypt where we’re expanding the Ski Dubai concept… we’re going to look now beyond just Egypt.

 

“Can it apply to Saudi Arabia? Can it apply to Oman? Can it apply to Bahrain? But, it’s more than just that – it’s all the other experiences around food and beverage, around retail, around lifestyle and around entertainment.”

 

Malas said despite 20 years of history, the rebranding would make clear that Majid Al Futtaim was behind brands and experiences provided to 250mn customers across the Middle East each year.

 

Its assets included City Centre Malls, VOX Cinemas, Carrefour, Magic Planet, Najm Credit Cards, Ski Dubai and Mall of the Emirates.

Edited January 31, 2014 by jedimaster1227

[SharkTums]

I really hope to see more of these. There are quite a few in Europe and Asia I don't understand why this hasn't taken off more here. It worked great and was very reasonably priced. If we had one in Orlando I would go all the time!