- Capacity for up to 1,000 skaters on ice rink; seating for 350 spectators
- Refrigerator-style technology to create and maintain ice
- 1.5 inches (38 mm) thick; 3 times greater than specialty ice rinks
Dubai, UAE;Dubai Ice Rink at The Dubai Mall is developing 1.5 inches (38 mm) of ice - nearly three times the thickness of an NHL ice rink - for the highly anticipated Olympic-sized attraction. Using refrigeration plant technology, preparation of the ice rink involves a complex layering process, involving thin layers of water frozen directly into the concrete platform, or the eventual ice rink.
Dubai Ice Rink employs the latest technology to create, and maintain the 'frozen ice' consistency in an indoor venue. Similar to a giant refrigerator, glycol (refrigerant liquid) is pushed through a network of pipes or coils embedded into the concrete platform.
The concrete pad is initially cooled for a period of five or six days to prevent cracking. During the layering process which happens over the course of a 10-day period, water is laid and frozen in thin layers until the ideal thickness is reached. Dubai Ice Rink will feature a 1.5 inch (38 mm) ice bed, required to withstand the multi-activity skating and daily usage with a built-in thermostat to automatically adjust the underlying cooling system to keep the ice frozen. Overall, Dubai Ice Rink's ice-making process takes up to two weeks given its Olympic-sized proportions.
Dubai Ice Rink at The Dubai Mall will be a key attraction for not only mall visitors, but to the city as a whole. Two-hour public skating sessions will be on offer throughout the day, every day in addition to specialised 'Learn to Skate' programs and a year-round calendar of events.
Ice Marshals will be at hand at all times during public skating hours to ensure customer safety and a Zamboni - a special ice cleaning and resurfacing device - will be deployed across the rink every couple of hours to ensure top quality ice at all times. It takes approximately 15 minutes for the highly technical Zamboni to clean the Olympic-sized rink.
A multi-purpose venue, Dubai Ice Rink will feature a year-round events calendar both on and off the ice including themed skating events, figure skating shows, sporting matches and concerts. For non-ice events, Dubai Ice Rink is designed to convert into a multi-functional hall supported by a world-class multimedia system including a 20m x 10m LED screen. To do this, the ice rink would be covered with insulating floor panels to prevent melting, and a temporary seating and a stage would be installed. In this format, Dubai Ice Rink could host a capacity of up to 2,000 guests.
Mr Yousif Al Ali, General Manager, The Dubai Mall said: "As the city's ultimate 'chillout venue', Dubai Ice Rink is a key leisure and entertainment attraction at The Dubai Mall, offering the novelty of a winterland escape throughout the year. With its Olympic-size proportions, Dubai Ice Rink meets international competition standards and is capable of hosting world-class ice skating and international hockey matches. Dubai Ice Rink will be a mainstay attraction for the city of Dubai on the whole, offering a brand new family entertainment venue for residents and visitors."
He added: "The constant buzz of activity at Dubai Ice Rink will add to the mall's overall vibrant and energetic atmosphere. Dubai Ice Rink can be viewed from three levels of the mall, with high ceilings giving it an open-air feel. Whether on the ice, or 'people watching' from the mall, Dubai Ice Rink will resound with energy and attract the attention of shoppers thus adding to the lifestyle experience at The Dubai Mall."
The Operations Manager of Dubai Ice Rink, Mr Richard Rowlands, was a Welsh figure skating champion for seven years and during the same time was also a figure skating pairs champion. He was also a British senior championship medalist in 2000 and 2001, and has since coached students competing in the British championships. He has competed in international competitions including the world junior figure skating championships and was a member of the British Olympic team between 1998 and 2001.
Mr Rowlands said: "Dubai Ice Rink in itself is an exciting facility, bringing the first-ever Olympic-sized ice rink to Dubai. A top-class facility offering the best of equipment including over 1,800 pairs of skates imported from a leading manufacturer in Italy to fit children and adults of all ages and sizes, the Dubai Ice Rink will host themed nights, Learn-to-Skate programmes, figure skating lessons and hockey matches."
He added: "The advanced technology used at the Dubai Ice Rink ensures that the consistency of the ice-bed is maintained at all times. By incorporating the refrigerator technology of pushing in glycol through a network of pipes, and monitoring the cooling over a period of five to six days, the 38 mm ice-bed is tailored to withstand multiple activities in a safe environment."
The Dubai Mall will have over 1,200 retail stores and over 160 F&B outlets. One of the key components of the mall is Fashion Avenue, the 440,000 sq ft dedicated fashion precinct with 70 signature stores dedicated to haute couture. Other attractions at The Dubai Mall include the world-class Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre; the world's largest indoor Gold Souk with 220 retailers; the Middle East's first Galeries Lafayette department store; KidZania, a 80,000 sq ft children's 'edu-tainment' centre; SEGA Republic, a high adrenaline indoor theme park; The Grove, an indoor-outdoor streetscape with fully retractable roof; and a 22-screen Cineplex.
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About Emaar Malls Group LLC
Emaar Malls Group LLC, is the retail and shopping mall subsidiary of Emaar Properties PJSC, a leading property developer based in Dubai, and drives its diversification into shopping malls. This is in line with Emaar's Vision 2010 to become one of the most valuable companies in the world. Emaar has announced investments in shopping malls of over US$4 billion (AED 15 billion) with 10 million sq ft of retail property in operation or under development in the emerging markets of the Middle East, North Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and South Asia and is on target to become one of the largest developers of shopping malls in the world.
At the forefront of these developments is the flagship The Dubai Mall, one of the world's largest malls in the heart of the Downtown Burj Dubai. Opening in late 2008, The Dubai Mall will be a premier lifestyle and entertainment destination. Emaar Malls Group is also developing two other malls in Dubai; Souk Al Bahar, an Arabesque shopping and entertainment development on The Old Town Island which is now open, and the Dubai Marina Mall, a lifestyle shopping mall for residents of the Dubai Marina community opening in late 2008. Recently, Emaar Malls Group unveiled Cairo Gate, Egypt's largest shopping mall and leisure destination at the Cairo-Alexandria Project site, a mixed-use development spread over 160 acres.
About Emaar Retail
Emaar Retail is a wholly owned subsidiary of Emaar Malls Group LLC and is the vehicle for all retail operations. Emaar Retail is developing a portfolio of brands in key growth markets and is strategically building new alliances, joint ventures, franchises and licenses for all mall developments under the Emaar Malls Group umbrella. Emaar Retail also manages the business operations for The Dubai mall's leisure and entertainment brands including KidZania, SEGA Republic, the Olympic-sized 'Dubai Ice Rink' and Dubai Aquarium & Discovery Centre. Emaar Retail has also entered into a joint-venture with Cathay Organisation in Singapore, to form Reel Entertainment to develop cinemas across the region including flagship 22-screen Cineplex at The Dubai Mall. Emaar Retail was established to drive Emaar Malls Group's developments in key emerging markets across the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian Sub-Continent through creating the right retail mix for the various markets.
About Emaar Properties PJSC
Emaar Properties PJSC is one of the world's largest property development companies and is rapidly evolving to become a global provider of premier lifestyles. Emaar Properties, which has a strong presence in 36 global markets, has expanded into shopping malls in line with its Vision 2010 to become one of the most valuable companies in the world through a two-pronged approach of geographic expansion and business segmentation. For more information visit www.emaar.com.
For further information, please contact:
Kelly Home
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
Tel: (+971 4) 334 4550
E-mail: k.home@asdaa.com
Roisin Lillis
ASDA'A Burson-Marsteller
Tel: (+971 4) 334 4550
E-mail: r.lillis@asdaa.com
Press Release 2008
