- The Asian Winter Games will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2029.
- The alpine resort city of Trojena, Neom is scheduled to be finished in 2026.
- A man-made freshwater lake and the first outdoor ski resort in the Gulf.
The Asian Winter Games will be held in Saudi Arabia in 2029. Games will be held in the alpine resort city of Trojena, Neom.
Which is scheduled to be finished in 2026.
The Sarawat mountains surround the area, keeping temperatures lower, and it wants to be a year-round winter sports destination.
The venue “shall have a necessary infrastructure to produce the winter ambiance in the centre of the desert,” according to Neom Chief Executive Nadhmi Al-Nasr.
A man-made freshwater lake, the first outdoor ski resort in the Gulf, and renewable energy are all planned for the tourist destination.
The mountains will receive natural snowfall, but some artificial snow will also be employed.
It is the most recent event Saudi Arabia has hosted, which has prompted claims the nation is exploiting sport to boost its brand in response to criticism of its record on human rights.
In August, Oleksandr Usyk and British boxer Anthony Joshua squared off in Jeddah, and the contentious LIV Golf league is supported by Saudi Arabia.
A £305 million Saudi-backed takeover of Newcastle United was finished in October 2021.
Additionally controversial is the choice to have a winter sports competition in Saudi Arabia. The Sport Ecology Group at Loughborough University’s Madeleine Orr told BBC Sport that expanding winter sport into new markets makes perfect commercial sense.
“These growth aspirations are antagonistic to environmental principles,” she continued, “since there is no form of a winter sport event that can be viable in Saudi Arabia because it will require vast water and energy resources, indoor sport facilities, and an absurd amount of travel.”
