Mall of the Emirates is the winter mall of Dubai. Behind the glass wall at the far end of the ground floor lies Ski Dubai, 22,500 square metres of real snow at -4°C, and in December two separate Santas take up residence here – one in the snow, one in the theatre. Add 630 shops, a cinema with 24 screens, Magic Planet for the children and a metro station at the door, and you have the one mall where a rainy-day plan is never needed, because it is never rainy and you can go skiing anyway.

Ski Dubai: snow, slopes and penguins

The reason most winter visitors come here. Ski Dubai has five runs on an 85-metre indoor mountain, a chairlift, a Snow Park with bobsleds, zorb balls and a zipline, and a colony of king and gentoo penguins. Tickets start at AED 250 for two hours on the slope and AED 265 for a full day in the Snow Park, all winter clothing included. We compare every option on our Ski Dubai tickets page; the short version is: Snow Fun for families, a slope pass for skiers, Snow Plus if you want both. Book below – free cancellation until the day before.

Christmas at Mall of the Emirates: two Santas

From early December the mall runs two festive events side by side. Winter Wonderland at Ski Dubai (expected 1–25 December 2026) puts Santa’s grotto on real snow, with breakfast with Santa at North 28 and a forest of Christmas trees in the snow hall; tickets from about AED 160 at Ski Dubai. The Grotto at Mall of the Emirates (expected 6–25 December) is a walk-through Candyland and Enchanted Forest in the New Covent Garden Theatre ending in ten unhurried minutes with Santa, AED 120 for adults and AED 165 for children including a gift. Families with small children often do The Grotto in the morning and the Snow Park in the afternoon.

Beyond the snow: what else is inside

Magic Planet on the second floor is the mall’s indoor amusement park – rides, arcades, a soft-play area – and the usual rescue when a toddler has had enough of shops. VOX Cinemas has 24 screens including an IMAX and a ThEATre by Rhodes with in-seat dining. Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre hosts the Christmas shows. The shopping itself leans upmarket: Harvey Nichols, Bloomingdale’s Home, the Fashion Dome with the international designer names, and a large Carrefour hypermarket in the basement for anyone self-catering. The food court and the restaurants along the ski-slope windows – including the après-ski café where non-skiers watch the slope for free – are the best-placed tables in the building.

Opening hours and getting there

The mall is open daily from 10:00 to midnight, an hour later on Thursdays to Saturdays and around public holidays (check the mall website for your date). Ski Dubai keeps its own hours, from 10:00 until 22:00–midnight depending on the day. Take the red metro line to Mall of the Emirates station: exit towards the mall, and a covered, air-conditioned walkway brings you into the second floor in about five minutes. From Downtown that is a 15-minute ride, from Dubai Marina ten. Parking is free at weekends and public holidays and validated for four hours on weekdays. Taxis drop at the Sheikh Zayed Road entrance.

Sleep above the shops

Three hotels are part of, or connected to, the mall. The Kempinski Mall of the Emirates has ski chalet rooms with windows straight onto the slope – the most Dubai-in-winter hotel room there is. The Sheraton Mall of the Emirates sits directly above the shops with its own entrance into the mall. Across the road, Citymax Al Barsha is the budget pick. More options in our Al Barsha hotel guide, or compare all hotels around Mall of the Emirates on Booking.com.

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