Israeli officials have given the go-ahead for an indoor ski resort to be built on the Gilboa Mountain.
The 375-acre venue will feature night skiing, a ski school and a dining and entertainment center.
Gilboa regional council head, Danny Atar, remarks that the indoor resort would be part of a wider tourism drive in the region.
"It will be a unique and leading attraction in Israel," Council Head Danny Atar said. "We believe that it will give a big push to tourism in the area."
The resort will be located within easy reach of Tel Aviv, which means that inexpensive
ski accommodation will not be hard to find.
It is hoped that construction of the resort will be completed by 2009 when it will be opened to the public.
The announcement follows the success of another ski resort in the Middle East, which has been opened in the luxury tourist destination of Dubai.
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