Ski Dubai has revealed its 2022 / 2023 team of Sponsored Athletes, which identifies the region’s most talented skiers and snowboarders, at a special event hosted last night. This year’s diverse cohort is made up of 34 high calibre male and female athletes from seven different nationalities, including 18 Emiratis, who range in age from 10-20 years old.

As part of its commitment to nurture young talent, Ski Dubai will provide the skiers and snowboarders with a range of benefits including unlimited slope access and more than 90 hours of coaching with its expert instructors who have trained numerous elite athletes. The Sponsored Athletes were chosen following a rigorous selection process which took into consideration a number of factors including technical skill performance, fitness levels, and coach reports and recommendations.

Mohammad El Etri, Vice President – Global Snow, Majid Al Futtaim Leisure, Entertainment & Cinemas, said, “At Ski Dubai, our commitment to nurture young local talent is matched by our vision to be a global hub for snow sports and build a national team who can fly the UAE flag at the world’s most prestigious sporting events. With our state-of-the-art facilities and industry expertise, we’re positioned to initiate sustainable grassroots development programmes such as this to inspire the next generation of snow sports athletes and fuel the winter sports culture in the UAE. We’re especially excited to see a significant growth in snow sports athletes over the last few years since this program was established. On behalf of Ski Dubai, I would like to congratulate the Sponsored Athletes for exceeding this year’s exceptionally high standards. We look forward to seeing each of them on the global stage in the near future and bringing pride to our great nation.”

Over the last decade, Ski Dubai has fostered a winter sports culture in the MENA region and introduces more than 80,000 people to skiing and snow sports each year. In 2017, it established the Sponsored Athletes programme, underpinning its commitment to nurture young talent and provide a platform for athletes to learn, develop and hone their skills. This year, UAE was ratified as a Full Member of the International Ski Federation (FIS) at the International Ski Congress following a five-year campaign spearheaded by Ski Dubai in collaboration with the UAE Winter Sports Federation, which will pave the way for Emirati snow sports athletes to compete internationally for the first time and for the UAE to host FIS-accredited international snow sports competitions.