Snow fall changing Saudi economic landscape

Riyadh : At a shopping mall in southern Riyadh, a woman shrouded in black robes and bulgy black coat throws snowballs at her young son, giggling underneath a face covering. The boy gleefully lobs snowy projectiles back in her direction.

Nearby, children in neon snow suits stand squealing under a spray of ice droplets. Others trudge up a snowy hill with parents, before cascading down ice slides in inflatable tubes.

“It’s freezing,” one little girl exclaims, teeth chattering, even as temperatures outside exceed 45 Celsius (113 Fahrenheit).

There is no music to drown out the drone of air conditioners inside the Snow City theme park in the Saudi Arabian capital, in keeping with the kingdom’s strict interpretation of Islam.

“It’s awesome that this is allowed for us,” said Bedour, a bubbly 19-year-old, who kept her face covered but traded her black robes for a colourful snowsuit.

“Women in Saudi Arabia are required to wear abayas” -- loose-fitting, full-length robes -- “whenever they’re outside. In here, it’s different.”

HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

The Vision 2030 plan, announced in April, pledged new cultural venues, entertainment partnerships, tourist attractions and athletic clubs, hoping they will invigorate the private sector and inspire Saudis to lead healthier lifestyles.

It wants culture and entertainment to absorb 6 per cent of Saudi household spending by 2030, up from 2.9pc now.

Theme parks exist, but unlike Snow City are mostly subject to gender-based timings to prevent mixing of unrelated men and women. Many Saudis descend on nearby Gulf states, where water parks and indoor skiing have been available for years.

“We used to have to go to Dubai in order to play in the snow. Once this snow city started up, people started coming here ... It’s attracting tourists. Thank God,” said Nawal, 20.

The Snow City is a private venture by Al-Othaim Leisure & Tourism Company, but it has the clear blessing of the government, which sent the governor of Riyadh province, Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud, to inaugurate the facility.

Some 1,500 people visit daily, said a manager. “People are having fun,” he said. “So let’s do it, let’s try it.”