• Abdulla Al Rasheed, Meera Al Marri, and Amenah Al Muhairi become the first Emirati national athletes to ski in Laax Snow Park
• The three snowsport athletes have been training at Ski Dubai’s Ski Academy Head Coach, Freestyle, James Machon
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 31 March 2023: Ski Dubai is excited to announce that three Emirati snowsport athletes who train at its Ski Academy will be attending the prestigious FIS Development Programme: Park & Pipe Free Ski & Snowboard Training Camp in Laax Snow Park, Switzerland (02- 07 April). Together with Ski Dubai’s Ski Academy Head Coach, Freestyle, James Machon, the young skiers will join 14 other athletes and 10 coaches from 10 nations at the prestigious camp, which is aimed at emerging talent, to learn new skills and train physically.
Amenah Al Muhairi (15), Meera Al Marri (15), and Abdulla Al Rasheed (17) will be the first Emirati nationals to attend the six-day programme in the Slopestyle and Big Air disciplines organised by the International Ski Federation (FIS). They will soon undergo an intensive on-snow training combined with dry land sessions focused on acrobatic skills and fitness in Laax Snow Park, Switzerland, one of the world’s best freestyle skiing and snowboarding resorts which hosts the U.S. Open annually.
Last year, Amenah Al Muhairi became the first female athlete to represent the UAE at an international Freestyle Snowboard competition, winning a total of 11 medals in Bosnia and Croatia. This year, she won eight medals in competitions held in Bosnia. Commenting on her upcoming trip, Amenah said, “I’m so excited to travel to Switzerland for the FIS Development Programme. Representing my nation, particularly as an Emirati female, is an honour and a dream come true. Taking part in training programmes such as this is important as part of our continuous development.”
Mohammad El Etri, Vice President Global Snow, Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment said, “We are extremely delighted to have one of our expert trainers and some of our talented young athletes represent the Emirates at this prestigious camp, which Ski Dubai hosted last year. The FIS Development Programme: Park & Pipe Free Ski & Snowboard Training Camp is aimed at improving developing ski and snowboard nations’ own knowledge and competencies in order to advance the sports in these nations. This aligns with our ambition at Ski Dubai to become a global snowsport destination in the heart of the desert.”
Through expert coaching and video analysis, the three snowsport athletes will be equipped with the skills and techniques required to compete in international competitions, including the FIS Junior World Championship, which is taking place in New Zealand from 22 August to 22 September 2023.
Following a five-year campaign spearheaded by Ski Dubai and the UAE Winter Sports Federation, the UAE was ratified as a Full Member of FIS in 2022, paving 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. In October 2022, Ski Dubai hosted the FIS Development Programme: Park & Pipe Free Ski & Snowboard Training Camp.
Ski Dubai has been recognised as the ‘World’s Best Indoor Ski Resort’ by the World Ski Awards, a title which it has retained for seven consecutive years. It was also recently awarded the ‘Best Sport/Adventure-Based Entertainment’ at the Middle East and North Africa Leisure, Entertainment & Attractions Council (MENALAC) Awards 2023, the only awarding body that recognises excellence and achievements in the region’s leisure and attractions industry. For more information, visit skidxb.com.
