What’s Happening With Saudi Arabia’s Snow Scene?

Surprisingly perhaps, Saudi Arabia is becoming a developing nation for snow sports. Despite the lack of reliable natural snowfall, its government recently announced the creation of an outdoor snow ski area, Trojena, which has been awarded the 2029 Asian Winter Games even before construction of the ski area has begun.

The Saudi government has also advertised seeking to find snow-savvy citizens who would consider joining a new national ski and snowboarding team with a plan to ultimately enter international competitions.

But plans for one of the world’s largest new indoor snow slopes to be built in the capital Riyadh, by the group that already runs Ski Dubai, Ski Egypt, Snow Oman and the recently open Snow Abu Dhabi are reported to have been cancelled.

According to publication Middle East Business Intelligence the decision may have been in part down to rival ventures planning their own indoor snow centres.

“In November 2022, Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN) awarded Lebanon’s Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) an estimated $650m contract to build the Exit 15 entertainment complex, which includes entertainment, retail, an indoor water park, a snow park and a ski slope,” the publication noted.

Riyadh has already had two indoor snow facilities. American all-weather snowmakers SnowMagic helped create a small facility with a 50-metre slope way back in 2006 complete with tubing, learn-to-ski and snowboard, and a snow play area.

Then a decade later in 2016 Snow City Riyadh opened spread over 5,000 square metres with a dozen  12 indoor snow themed attractions, including bumper cars on ice and a short ski and snowboarding slope.

The company has broken ground on its first location, the flagship development in the Al Hamra district of Riyadh, but there are mixed reports as to whether this is intended to include an indoor snow facility or not, some reports saying it will, others not mentioning one.  SEVEN themselves talk of s wide range of leisure developments across Saudi Arabia, most still on the drawing board, but including indoor snow facilities.

One promotional web page talks of an indoor gondola leading through an indoor snow centre to reach dining facilities, and of snow fun attractions including a ski slope and ski lessons.