Asian Winter Games planned for Saudi desert in jeopardy

However, freefall is not on the list of events. Four years before the Asian Winter Games planned in the middle of the Saudi Arabian desert, the Financial Times revealed on Thursday, August 21, significant delays in infrastructure construction. To the point that Saudi officials are considering abandoning the project in favor of China or South Korea.

In October 2022, Trojena, the mountainous part of the futuristic megalopolis under construction, Neom, was chosen by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to become the venue, in 2029, for the 47 snow and ice events of the Asian countries. A godsend for the country's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman , whose project for an ultra-modern city worth 500 billion dollars (nearly 430 billion euros) is presented as a vector of " what is possible, but also what is impossible ."

On the agenda: year-round ski slopes, manufactured snow, an artificial freshwater lake, chalets, mansions and luxury hotels galore. Except that the colossal project would face major technical and logistical setbacks, reports the British media. Without " a substantial increase in its budget" , it would be impossible to transform this place where it rarely snows in a giant ski resort, so hoped for by the OCA. At least, within the contract deadline. A Western diplomat and people who previously worked for Neom, who have not been identified, specify that the Saudis are considering relocating the events to South Korea or China.

These options are possible, as South Korea and China hosted the Winter Olympics in 2018 and 2022 respectively, while the last Asian Winter Games took place last February in the northern Chinese city of Harbin. South Korea's Yonhap news agency confirmed to AFP that the OCA has reportedly asked South Korean Olympic Committee President Ryu Seung-min if his country could replace Saudi Arabia.

For its part, the Kuwait-based Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) assured that preparations for the Asian Winter Games are continuing according to schedule. " We appreciate the bold ambition of the venue and the opportunities it will create as a new winter sports destination serving the future of sport in Asia, " the organization added in a statement.

Often criticized for its lack of respect for human rights, Saudi Arabia has in recent years been increasing its investments in football, Formula 1, golf, horse riding, and boxing to improve its image. For its part, Greenpeace has described the decision to build a ski resort in the middle of the desert as dangerous and likely to "alter ecosystems."