Mall of the Emirates

Mall of the Emirates stands on Sheikh Zayed Road at Interchange Four in the Al Barsha district of Dubai. It was developed and is owned by Majid Al Futtaim and opened to the public on 28 September 2005, with its official opening and the launch of Ski Dubai following on 30 November 2005.

The mall holds hundreds of shops, from high street brands to luxury fashion houses in the Fashion Dome, along with a large Carrefour hypermarket, many restaurants and cafes, a multi-screen VOX cinema and the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre.

Its best known feature is Ski Dubai, an indoor ski resort with real snow, several slopes, a chairlift and a snow park where visitors can meet penguins. It was the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East. The mall is connected to the Kempinski Hotel and Sheraton hotel.

Entry to the mall is free, while Ski Dubai and the cinema charge separately. Mall of the Emirates station on the Dubai Metro Red Line is linked to the mall by a covered walkway. Weekday mornings are the quietest time.

Five indoor runs at Ski Dubai

Ski Dubai covers 22,500 square metres and opened on 1 November 2005, the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East. It has five runs, the longest 400 metres, inside a building 85 metres high. The temperature stays between -1°C and 2°C all year, so dress warmly and bring gloves and a hat.

Penguins live in the resort and are let out several times a day, and the snow park gives non-skiers a place to play in real snow.

630 shops, a 24-screen VOX and Magic Planet

The mall has more than 630 shops on about 255,000 square metres of leasable space, and about 7,900 parking spaces. The VOX cinema has 24 screens after its expansion, including an IMAX with Laser theatre and 4DX. Magic Planet, the family entertainment centre, has a 12-lane bowling alley, around 180 amusement machines and rides that include a RoboCoaster.