Ski Season opens in Dubai Desert's Mall of the Emirates

?x=380&y=253&sig=5IAcrnpc1qUQ41vVRKWknA--
AFP/File Photo: Emiratis test the snow at Ski Dubai, inside the brand-new, gigantic Mall of the Emirates,..

Ski season starts in Dubai desert
Fri Dec 2, 7:22 AM ET

DUBAI (AFP) - Skiing has officially started at Dubai's new indoor Alpine ski resort, offering the world's first indoor black-run just minutes away from the Arabian desert emirate's sun-baked beaches.


Snowboarders can also test their skills on a 90-meter-long (300 feet) quarter pipe, as well as jumps and rails at the ski dome nestled inside the brand-new, gigantic Mall of the Emirates.

"I am now rushing to take a skiing lesson before heading back to a business meeting," said one Emirati national, who will have to swap his Arab traditional robe for warm ski gear before hitting the slopes.

<snip>

The 272-million-dollar resort is but the latest extravagant project in the Gulf emirate seeking to become a major tourism hub, following on from the world's tallest tower and only undersea hotel.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20051202/lf_afp/afplifestyleuaedubaiski;_ylt=Aq0cxIGr3KN7g06iaA9ALxWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3ODdxdHBhBHNlYwM5NjQ-

on this planet. Good thing our scientists discovered a way to create endless amounts of cheap, clean energy so we can have indulgences like this...

Oh. Wait...

Yeah, nothing like skiing in a desert..indoors. woohoo NOT

Bear with the history lesson...

Spain, due to it's conquests in the Americas, was incredibly wealthy... the gold of the Aztecs, the Silver from the Incas, plus other wealth, managed to drive the Spainish government into bankruptcy... (Huh?). The sheer amount of money flowing in reduced the value of the money (inflation), they were spending more than they were taking in, and a series of events (Hurricanes, pirates, revolts, wars) prevented a big chunk of the income from reaching Spain.
Spain had more gold than any nation in Europe... and was bankrupt.