Saudi Gazette report

NEOM — Snowmaking technicians in the ski village of TROJENA have successfully managed to produce artificial snow in the Sarawat Mountains.

Jack Lawrie, a snowmaking technician of TROJENA, which is the NEOM’s global destination for mountain tourism, explained that the solid weather in TROJENA has helped him to make snow, as the temperature during the cold season was around -8°C.

Lawrie has expressed his happiness at being one of the first people to come and ski in Saudi Arabia.

Among the people who had the exciting opportunity to be the first skaters who make their mark on the snow-capped mountains of TROJENA in the Kingdom, is student Haya Al-Rashed. She noted that she never imagined she would be able to ski in her own country.

Al-Rashed, who loves to ski for fun, has expressed her pride and honor for being part of the TROJENA project.

Mechanical engineer Faisal Al-Rasheed, who is also a captain in the Royal Guard, stressed that he is honored and excited on being the first Saudi snowboarder who snowboarded in the Kingdom. "This is the start, you can just imagine when everything is set and ready," he said.

Saudi Arabia has won a bid to host the 10th Asian Winter Games (AWG) for 2029 in TROJENA.

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

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

Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, chairman of the NEOM Company Board of Directors, announced the establishment of TROJENA in March of this year.

The Crown Prince stressed that TROJENA would be an important addition to tourism in the region, a unique example of how Saudi Arabia is creating destinations based on its geographical and environmental diversity.

This forward-looking vision will ensure that mountain tourism will be another revenue stream to support the Kingdom’s economic diversification while still preserving its natural resources for future generations.

Outdoor skiing is a unique feature of TROJENA that will provide a unique experience never before witnessed in the region, especially in Gulf countries known for their desert climates.