A first permanent indoor snow centre has opened in Qatar in the Persian Gulf.

Snow Dunes is located within the Doha Festival City Mall and has an indoor snow area of 9,500 square metres.  The centre is themed on an Arabian City and a legend about snow there.

Images of the park’s opening show queues forming as excited locals get their chance to play in the snow where outdoor daytime temperatures are currently in the range of +38 to +42 degrees Celsius.  Indoor temperatures are set at -4C

Snow Dunes offers a wide variety of fun snow and ice activities including a tubing hill, a tube roundabout for small children and an ice slide where it’s possible to reach 50kph.

The centre’s website says there are 17 snow guns in the facility.

Skiing and snowboarding are not thought to be offered as a regular activity but it appears from images that they could be possible on the tubing hill if permitted.

In terms of world position Qatar is believed to be the 33^rd country to get an indoor snow centre and Snow Dunes is the 98^th to be currently operational across six continents.  It’s size makes it the 25^th biggest and the largest indoor snow area on earth not to offer skiing and snowboarding – all the larger centres do.  

Qatar also becomes the 83^rd country to offer lift-assisted snowsports, indoors or out. The facility’s completion has been delayed, having been originally slated to open in 2016.

Visitors are provided with warm weather clothing and can purchase Silver, Gold and Platinum admission packages priced from QR 190 (€45) to 490 €121.  The Platinum packages gives a private access line to the centre, access to a VIP lounge and unlimited playtime.

Snow Dunes is open Weekdays from 10am – 10pm and weekends 1pm to midnight.

A small temporary indoor snow sledging centre, Snow X-Treme, operated in Doha between around  2002 – 2005.