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- Games were due to be held in purpose-built mountain resort in Trojena area of Neom
- South Korea and China had emerged as potential replacements
- Saudi Arabia has ordered a review into the construction of Neom
The 2029 Asian Winter Games in Saudi Arabia have been postponed, though organisers have insisted the event will take place at a later date.
Saudi Arabia was announced as the shock host of the Games in 2022, with plans to stage the event at a purpose-built mountain resort in Trojena, part of the US$500 billion Neom smart city project, which remains under construction.
Doubts had emerged over whether Neom would be ready in time, with South Korea and China reportedly identified as potential replacement hosts. However, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), which elected Qatar’s Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani as its president on Monday, insisted last year that preparations were on schedule.
The Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) and the OCA have now confirmed that the tenth edition of the Winter Games has been pushed back, but will still be held in the kingdom.
“The Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the OCA have agreed on an updated framework for future hosting of the Asian Winter Games, confirming the postponement of the 2029 edition to a later date to be announced in due course,” they said.
The statement added: “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.
“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.”
No official reason has been given for the delay, but The Straits Times has reported that construction of a ski resort has been delayed and there had been discussions about staging the event four years later than planned.
Neom, which is situated in the north west of Saudi Arabia, is one of the planned venues for when the country hosts the 2034 Fifa World Cup. Delays to the city have prompted a review of its construction, which could reportedly shift Neom’s focus towards more modest goals, such as artificial intelligence (AI) data centres.
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