The 2029 Asian Winter Games, which were to have been held in a mountain resort in Saudi Arabia’s futuristic city project Neom, have been postponed indefinitely.
AP said that the Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia had agreed to an ‘updated framework’ for future hosting of the games. They did not provide a reason.
The games were to have been held in Trojena, planned as a year-round ski resort in the mountains of Neom, a $500 billion project to build a new city in Saudi Arabia’s western desert on the Red Sea.
Instead, Saudi Arabia will host a series of standalone winter sports events in coming years, the statement said.
The 2029 Asian Winter Games, officially known as the 10th Asian Winter Games and commonly known as Neom 2029, were to have been the tenth edition of the Asian Winter Games, a pan-Asian winter multi-sport event.
The Olympic Council of Asia said in a statement, “The decision follows extensive consultations between the two organizations and reflects a shared strategic commitment to the long-term and sustainable development of winter sports in Saudi Arabia and across the West Asia region.
“Under the revised framework, Saudi Arabia will host a series of standalone winter sports events in the coming years.
“These competitions are designed to promote winter sports, broaden participation, and develop a stronger pipeline of athletes, technical officials, and practitioners, while providing additional preparation time to support wider regional representation at future Asian winter events.”
In August last year, it was reported that Trojena was suffering from construction delays and increasing budget deficits, and may potentially not be complete in time for the Games. Saudi officials have considered holding back hosting until 2033, once construction is complete.
The Olympic Council added that it commended Saudi Arabia’s ongoing efforts to establish comprehensive and sustainable winter sports programs, noting that the agreed direction supports a structured, phased development of the disciplines in West Asia and aligns with the Council’s broader continental objectives.
It said, “Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its commitment to advancing sport across all disciplines, including winter sports, through continued investment in athlete development pathways, infrastructure enhancement, and the hosting of international-standard ice-based competitions, as part of its wider national development agenda.”
AP further stated that the kingdom is slated to host a series of major events in coming years which require tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure investments, including the 2030 World Expo in Saudi’s capital, Riyadh, and the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
The events are part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s sweeping Vision 2030 project that aims to modernize Saudi society and its economy, build a sports hosting portfolio and help diversify the economy from its reliance on oil.
At its core is spending on sports by the $900 billion sovereign wealth operation, the Public Investment Fund.
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