Skiing Malam Jabba

Malam Jabba ski resort is situated in the Hindukush Range of the Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province at a top elevation of 2,804 m (9,199 ft). The resort is located in Malam Jabba village, 40 km east of Saidu Sharif and 314 km northwest of Islamabad. It is the largest and oldest ski resort in Pakistan.

History

The Wali of Swat, who at that time was the historic ruler of Swat, moved his court to Malam Jabba annually during the summer months. In the summer of 1962, the visiting Austrian ambassador to Pakistan and being good friend of the Wali, suggested that a ski resort should be built in Malam Jabba. The Austrian government funded the chairlift and provided skis and boots while the Pakistani government built a hotel with 50 rooms.

Construction of the entire resort finished in 1988, but the resort sat idle for another 10 years because of disputes over whether it should be run by the government or the private sector. In 1999 the government won rights to run the resort. By 2006 more than 20,000 people in Swat were employed indirectly by tourism to the region including the resort. In 2014, the Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa leased Malam Jabba to the Samson Group of Companies for reconstruction of the ski resort and hotel, in a bid to boost tourism in the area again. That same year the Swat Snow Festival was arranged to show rebuilding activities at Malam Jabba.

The Norwegian Embassy in Islamabad initiated the collection of skis, and Pakistani Norwegian businessman and politician Aamir Sheikh helped with this action. Pakistan’s Olympic skier Muhammad Karim, who participated in the recent Sochi Olympics, competed in the giant slalom downhill during the event.

Facilities

Malam Jabba ski resort is currently partially functional. The main hotel resort complex will open in 2019.

2 800 meter ski runs (reopened)

4 chairlifts (rebuilt)

60 room five-star hotel (under construction)

25 room three-star hotel (under construction)

Ice skating rink (under construction)[10]

Ghorband Valley trekking trail (open)

Sabonev Valley trekking trail (open)