A rendering of Snow Abu Dhabi, which opens in Reem Mall in June
A rendering of Snow Abu Dhabi, which opens in Reem Mall in June
A rendering of Snow Abu Dhabi, which opens in Reem Mall in June
A rendering of Snow Abu Dhabi, which opens in Reem Mall in June

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Snow Abu Dhabi at Reem Mall reveals opening date

The attraction spans almost 1,000 square metres and includes rides and restaurants

Evelyn Lau
Evelyn Lau

May 12, 2023

  • English
  • Arabic

Snow Abu Dhabi at Reem Mall will open on June 8.

The attraction on Reem Island is a sub-zero snow and ice park which, like Ski Dubai in Mall of the Emirates, is operated by Majid Al Futtaim.

The indoor park features 12 rides and 17 attractions spread across nearly 1,000 square metres. It maintains a temperature of minus 2ºC.

The attractions include two huge slides called Ice and Floes Toboggan Race and Grauppel’s Summit Escape.

Snow Abu Dhabi's creatively named rides include The Entry Plaza, the Flight of the Snowy Owl, the Magic Carpet, the Polar Express Train and the Crystal Carousel.

There will also be restaurants inside the park, including The Lodge Restaurant, Ice Cafe and Grotto Amphitheatre.

What is open at Reem Mall?

The shopping destination had its soft opening on February 16, with dozens of shops already open for business. Vox Cinemas is also open and screening films.

The mall will eventually house about 400 shops, including Timberland, The North Face, Max, Vans and Carrefour hypermarket.

Some of the fast-food restaurants and cafes that are currently welcoming diners include McDonald's, Papa Johns, Subway, plus Tim Hortons and Caribou Coffee kiosks.

There is also a car park with 6,800 spaces.

  • Reem Mall partially opened in February. All photos: Leslie Pableo for The National
    Reem Mall partially opened in February. All photos: Leslie Pableo for The National
  • A total of 36 shops are already open
    A total of 36 shops are already open
  • Reem Mall has 6,800 parking spaces
    Reem Mall has 6,800 parking spaces
  • One of its much-awaited features is Snow Abu Dhabi, which shares similarities with Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates
    One of its much-awaited features is Snow Abu Dhabi, which shares similarities with Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates
  • Construction of the mall started in late 2017
    Construction of the mall started in late 2017
  • Some of the open stores include Timberland, The North Face, Max and Vans
    Some of the open stores include Timberland, The North Face, Max and Vans
  • Fast food restaurants that are already open include McDonald's, Papa Johns and Subway
    Fast food restaurants that are already open include McDonald's, Papa Johns and Subway
  • Reem Mall is open Sunday to Thursday, from 10am to 10pm, and Friday to Saturday, from 10am to midnight
    Reem Mall is open Sunday to Thursday, from 10am to 10pm, and Friday to Saturday, from 10am to midnight
  • The mall will eventually house about 400 brands
    The mall will eventually house about 400 brands
  • The mall covers an area of nearly 260,000 square metres
    The mall covers an area of nearly 260,000 square metres
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Plastic tipping point
Tomorrow 2021
While you're here
Trump v Khan

2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US

2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks

2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit

2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”

2022:  Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency

July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”

Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.

Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”

Retail gloom

Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.

It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.

The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.

The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz S 450

Price, base / as tested Dh525,000 / Dh559,000

Engine: 3.0L V6 biturbo

Transmission: Nine-speed automatic

Power: 369hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 500Nm at 1,800rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 8.0L / 100km

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

Updated: May 12, 2023, 4:37 AM
Abu DhabiReem Island