Bumper cars on ice, along with an indoor snowmobile track, tubing slope and snowball fight area are among the attractions at the world’s latest indoor snow centre which opens in Saudi Arabia today.
Spread over 5,000 square metres and built at a cost of SAR100m [€24m], Snow City, Riyadh will have 12 indoor snow themed attractions, including a short ski and snowboarding slope.
Snow City has been built within the city’s Ar Rabwa mall by Al Othaim Leisure and Tourism and is being officially opened by Saudi Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud who is also the city’s governor.
“A touristic attraction of this magnitude coincides with the kingdom’s 2030 vision and renders it an attractive and lucrative industry that contributes to the kingdom’s economic diversification plans, in order to propel the national economy and create new jobs for Saudi nationals,” Chief executive Fahad Al Othaim told local media.
The centre will operate below three degrees celsius all year round and have an hourly capacity of 350 people. Other indoor attractions include a panoramic suspension bridge, sledge and ski zone, rope courses and climbing wall.
Al Othaim Leisure and Tourism say they have two other Snow City developments in different stages of planning and construction.
“Snow City is not only about play, educational activities for families, schools and community groups are also available: build up an igloo with snow, learn how to ski on our beginner slope,” a company spokesperson commented.
More than 100 indoor snow centres have now been built worldwide.
