Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia has won a bid to host 10th Asian Winter Games (AWG) for 2029 in Trojena, NEOM’s global destination for mountain tourism.

The decision was announced at the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) General Assembly on Tuesday in Cambodia. The General Assembly unanimously approved the Saudi proposal.

Trojena will offer a unique experience including the GCC region’s first outdoor skiing.

The Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee (SOPC) President Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said Saudi Arabia will host the Asian Winter Games as the first country in West Asia.

“We will continue to place the Kingdom as one of the leading countries in sport,” he added.

Trojena was the only candidate for the 2029 Asian Winter Games, which have not been held since 2017 as the OCA has struggled to find hosts.

Two young Saudi winter sport athletes – alpine skier Fayik Abdi and ice hockey player Sadeem Al Tuhami who were part of the bid team – encapsulated the remarkable and wondrous nature of the bid leaving delegates from 44 Asian NOCs enthralled by the prospect of Winter Games in hot and arid Saudi Arabia.

The Asian Winter Games is an international multi-sport event held every four years for members of the Olympic Council of Asia, which features winter events. The 8th AWG was held in Sapporo, Japan, in 2017, while the 9th edition is scheduled to be held in Gangwon in South Korea in 2025.

The key aspects of the 2029 Asian Winter Games at the iconic mountain destination of Trojena are two competition clusters. A snow cluster that includes alpine skiing,snowboard, and slalom; and an ice cluster for ice hockey, figure skating, and curling.

Trojena is part of NEOM’s strategy to contribute to supporting and developing the tourism sector in the region. Currently taking shape in the mountains of northwest Saudi Arabia, Trojena will feature unique and innovative architecture in a place where the captivating landscapes will coexist in harmony with the tourist sites.

The Kingdom has already been awarded next year's World Combat Games, the 2025 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games and the 2034 Asian Games. It has hosted numerous professional boxing fights and Formula One Grand Prix.