From the desert sands to the pristine snow of the French Alps, two Emirati skiers will join the world’s elite to compete in the FIS Alpine Ski World Championships this weekend. Abdulla Albelooshi and Hassan Al Fardan will take the next step towards Emirati participation in the winter Olympics when they join 600 competitors from 75 nations at the International Ski Federation event in Courchevel and Meribel in France. After months of training at Ski Dubai, the athletes will take to the slopes to compete in downhill and slalom ski races under the banner of the UAE national team. “We are thrilled to see such a significant Emirati participation in international forums,” said Hamel Al Qubaisi, Vice President of the UAE Winter Sports Federation. “We will continue to work closely with our athletes to achieve more progress and success in this sport.” The World Championships at the Savoyard resorts will see athletes compete in the downhill, Super G, giant slalom, slalom, combined and parallel slalom ski races. The Emirates Winter Sports Federation and Ski Dubai enjoy a long-standing partnership, collaborating regularly to achieve their shared vision of promoting winter sports in the Middle East and North Africa region. The UAE was in 2021 ratified as a full member of the International Ski Federation after a five-year campaign by Ski Dubai and the UAE Winter Sports Federation. It opened up International competition for UAE-based alpine athletes with hopes of one day competing in the Winter Olympic Games, held every four years. It also allowed the UAE to host FIS-accredited international snow sports competitions. Both skiers will surely have one eye on the Asian Winter Games in 2029, due to be held in the Middle East for the first time. The Trojana resort in Saudi Arabia, part of the $500 billion Neom project, will host the event. It will provide the perfect opportunity to showcase their talents, set against an unlikely backdrop offering outdoor skiing amenities, a man-made freshwater lake and a nature reserve. The kingdom will become the first nation in western Asia to host the games, at which more than 32 countries are expected to participate.