Skiing Amidst the Pyramids of Egypt

When one thinks of Egypt, images of the scorching hot deserts and breathtaking pyramids come to mind. Caravans of camels and nomadic tents that are scattered on the horizon are what we picture in Egypt. Who would think of the country as a destination for skiing? Sandboarding down the dunes maybe, but definitely not snow skiing. However, it seems that there might be an indoor ski facility coming to Egypt in the near future, allowing visitors to enjoy the magic of Egypt and its history, combined it with a magnificent skiing vacation.

When one thinks of Egypt, images of the scorching hot deserts and breathtaking pyramids come to mind. Caravans of camels and nomadic tents that are scattered on the horizon are what we picture in Egypt. Who would think of the country as a destination for skiing? Sandboarding down the dunes maybe, but definitely not snow skiing. However, it seems that there might be an indoor ski facility coming to Egypt in the near future, allowing visitors to enjoy the magic of Egypt and its history, combined it with a magnificent skiing vacation.

After Dubai unveiled its indoor skiing facility, which proved to be a massive success; it seems that it is now time for Egypt to follow the same route. Majid Al Futtaim, who has been the driving force behind the biggest shopping malls in Egypt, is promoting the construction of the indoor skiing facility and hopes that plans will be approved so that they will be able to open the doors to their snow park by the year 2014. Arnaud Palu, the Chief Executive Officer of Majid Al Futtaim Leisure, explained that their plans were to create a snow park that will have a slope but will not be as big as the facility located in Dubai. It will have all the features of an indoor ski resort, including equipment hire facilities and refreshment stores. It is estimated that the indoor snow park will cost in the region of 4.4 billion Egyptian pounds, and the designers are still working on the final product, so the exact design of the snow park has not been finalized.

Numerous countries have turned to indoor skiing facilities, and it is now Egypt’s turn to establish their own snow park. It will be a wonderful addition to their attractions and for tourism purposes, as visitors can enjoy the warmth of the Egyptian sun and its historical sites, and also enjoy skiing activities, experiencing the best of both worlds. Futtaim hopes that Egypt’s snow resort will also be a roaring success as it has been proven that indoor ski facilities attract approximately eight hundred thousand visitors a year. If Egypt is able to tap into that market, their tourism industry will also benefit from the added attraction.