The Phase One of Meydan One development in Dubai, UAE, comprising Meydan One Mall, the world’s largest indoor ski slope and the largest dancing fountain, is set for completion ahead of Expo 2020, said a report.

The total cost of the mammoth project is likely to be in the range of Dh25 to Dh30 billion ($6.8 to $8.1 billion), reported the Emirates24/7 citing a senior official.

"We are focusing not only on the retail component, but also on various attractions such as the dancing fountain, indoor ski slope, an indoor sports arena of almost 250,000 sq ft, an entertainment zone and a water theme park, which will be equivalent in size to Wild Wadi,” stated Mohammad Al Khayat, the vice-president (commercial and free zone) Meydan Group.

Though Dubai already has an indoor ski slope, the world’s longest indoor ski slope at 1.2 km at Meydan One is being built to attract professional skiers and offer new attractions for snow lovers, stated Al Khayat.

“Our feasibility study found that the 400-m stretch allows only a certain category of skiers. With approximately 800 m or more, we will have steep slopes to attract professional skiers,” he explained.

At the base of the ski slope will be Meydan Arena, which will have a seating capacity of 8,000 and play host to sporting events, live concerts and theatrical shows.

According to Al Khayat, Meydan One Mall could be as “big” as either the Mall of the Emirates, or Dubai Mall.

The mall is likely to have a gross floor area of four to five million sq ft, driven by the growing demand from today’s main anchor tenants, he revealed.

“Besides, we estimate the footfalls to our mall will come from not just Meydan One (which will house 78,000 residents), but even from surrounding areas such as Meydan Avenue, Horizon, Sobha Hartland and the Burj Khalifa district,” he added.