Saudi Arabia wins bid to host 2029 Asian Winter Games in NEOM megacity

The area of Trojena, which will form a part of the Saudi megacity of NEOM and where the Winter Games are set to take place, is set to be a year-round ski resort by 2026.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab Staff & Agencies

04 October, 2022

Saudi Arabia 'unanimously' won the bid to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games, with NEOM set to be the first west Asian city to stage the competition [Getty]

Saudi Arabia will host the Asian Winter Games in 2029 in mountains near the $500 billion futuristic city project Neom.

The Olympic Council of Asia on Tuesday picked the Saudi candidacy that centres on Trojena that is planned to be a year-round ski resort by 2026.

"The deserts & mountains of Saudi Arabia will soon be a playground for Winter sports!" the OCA said in a statement announcing its decision.

Saudi sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said the kingdom's winter sports project "challenges perception" in a presentation of the plan to OCA members.

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"Trojena is the future of mountain living," the minister said of a region described as an area of about 60 square kilometers at altitude ranging from 1,500 to 2,600 meters.

The Neom megaproject is being fund by the Saudi sovereign wealth vehicle, the Public Investment Fund.

Saudi Arabia also will host the Asian Games in 2034 in Riyadh as part of aggressive moves to build a sports hosting portfolio and help diversify the economy from reliance on oil.

A campaign to host soccer’s 2030 World Cup is expected with an unprecedented three-continent bid including Egypt and Greece.