Saudi Arabia wins bid to host 2029 Asian Winter Games in city that isn't built yet

A glimpse of what the planned desert city could look like. Credit: Saudi Press Agency

Saudi Arabia has won its bid to host the Asian Winter Games near the ambitious skyscraper city it plans to build in the desert.

Its proposed year-round ski resort Trojena, which is set to open in 2026, forms part of the £440 billion desert megaproject, named Neom.

“The deserts & mountains of Saudi Arabia will soon be a playground for Winter sports!” the Olympic Council of Asia said in a statement announcing its decision.

Trojena will offer icy mountains alongside a freshwater lake, interactive nature reserve, and a "folded vertical city" called the Vault, Neom said.

Winter temperatures drop below zero celsius in the region, with extreme altitudes of up to 2,600 metres.

Saudi sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal described the resort as "the future of mountain living".

Neom's vertical zero-carbon city, The Line, is set to be just 200 metres wide and 170 kilometres long, with 500 metre-high exterior mirrored walls reflecting its desert landscape.

The city would be home to nine million residents in vertically-stacked neighbourhoods, built over an area of 34 square kilometres – slightly smaller than Ipswich.

The nation will also host the Asian Games in 2034 in Riyadh, as it continues to try and shake its reliance on oil.

It's reportedly joining forces with Egypt and Greece to form an unprecedented three-continent bid to host the 2030 World Cup.

However, it has been accused of staging major sporting events to divert attention from a poor human rights record.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...