Saudi Arabia postpones 2029 Asian Winter Games
(VOVWORLD) - Saudi Arabia’s Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia have agreed to indefinitely postpone the 2029 Asian Winter Games, scheduled to be held at a mountain resort near the futuristic NEOM project.
In a statement released Saturday, the Olympic Council of Asia said the two bodies had agreed to “an updated framework for future hosting” of the games, which will be postponed until “a later date to be announced in due course.” The statement did not provide a reason.
Instead, Saudi will host a series of standalone winter sports events in the coming years, the statement said, adding that the decision came after “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.”
The 2029 Asian Winter Games were originally scheduled to be held at the Trojena ski resort, which is currently under construction in the mountains near NEOM. The NEOM mega-project covers more than 26,000 square kilometers in the Red Sea region comprising multiple industrial and logistics zones. Construction is expected to be completed in 2026. Valued at 500 billion USD, the project is part of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “Vision 2030” program, aimed at diversifying Saudi Arabia’s economy and reducing its dependence on the oil sector.