The 2029 Asian Winter Games will take place at Trojena, NEOM’s mountain resort, marking the first time the Asian Winter Games will be hosted in West Asia. The hosting was awarded by the Olympic Council of Asia in October 2022, and Trojena’s infrastructure is being delivered against the Games as a fixed external deadline.
Background
The Asian Winter Games are a multi-sport event held every four years under the Olympic Council of Asia. Previous editions have been hosted in Sapporo, Almaty, Aomori, Changchun, Astana, and Sapporo again. The 2029 edition will be the first held outside East and Central Asia and the first to use snow on a Gulf country.
The decision to host the games on a mountain in Saudi Arabia surprised much of the global winter sports community on announcement. It also added external pressure to the Trojena delivery schedule and gave NEOM a globally visible sporting milestone.
At a glance
- Host: Trojena, NEOM, Saudi Arabia.
- Year: 2029.
- Awarded by: Olympic Council of Asia, October 2022.
- Disciplines: alpine skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, biathlon, cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing, curling, ice hockey, and figure skating.
- Athletes expected: around 3,000 from 45 OCA member nations.
Venue plan
The Trojena master plan locates the principal Games venues in the Discover and adjacent districts of the resort.
- Alpine and snowboard events will run on the south-facing slopes of the resort, with terrain ranging from beginner to competition grade.
- Ski jumping and freestyle facilities will use dedicated hills.
- Cross-country and biathlon will use looped courses in the wider canyon and slope network.
- Ice events including hockey, figure skating, and curling will be held in indoor arenas built into the resort.
The 1,500 to 2,600 metre elevation range across the resort gives organisers different climate conditions to work with depending on the discipline.
Snow strategy
Trojena will use a combination of natural and machine-made snow to ensure consistent surface conditions for competition. The resort has invested in snow-making infrastructure capable of producing competition-grade conditions across the venue. The Sarawat mountains also receive natural snowfall in winter, and the elevation maintains a usable temperature range for snow making.
Accommodation
Athletes, officials, and spectators will be housed in a combination of dedicated Games villages and the Trojena hotel inventory. The phased opening of Trojena hotels in the years before 2029 will provide accommodation capacity for the event.
How visitors can attend
Ticketing and travel arrangements for the 2029 Asian Winter Games will be announced closer to the event by the Trojena Organising Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia. Accommodation for spectators will be available across NEOM destinations, with shuttle and connection options to Trojena.
Wider significance
The 2029 Asian Winter Games is significant beyond Trojena itself.
- For NEOM, the Games are a hard external deadline that drives mountain delivery. Hitting the deadline establishes credibility for the wider NEOM portfolio.
- For Saudi Arabia, hosting a major international winter sports event aligns with Vision 2030 goals for sport, tourism, and international engagement.
- For the Olympic Council of Asia, the Games expand the geographic footprint of winter sport into a region not historically associated with the discipline.
Related reading
For Trojena as a destination, see Trojena: NEOM’s mountain resort. For the wider NEOM region, see the main NEOM overview. For project delivery, see completion date and progress.
Sources
This article draws on Olympic Council of Asia announcements, NEOM Company publications, Trojena organising committee disclosures, Public Investment Fund publications, and reporting from Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Reuters, and trade press in winter sport. Corrections welcome.