NEOM's winter sports moment is coming - just not in 2029
Sure, the 2029 Asian Winter Games in NEOM have been postponed, but the fun is getting started. Saudi Arabia is bringing winter sports to life with a series of smaller, cool-weather events
When news was announced that the 2029 Asian Winter Games at NEOM were being postponed, we’ll admit – our initial reaction was disappointment. Who wouldn’t be excited about snowy competitions at the Trojena ski resort, Saudi Arabia’s futuristic mountain playground?
Earlier this week, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee jointly announced that the 2029 Asian Winter Games will be postponed for an unspecified period of time.
As reported by Arab News, an updated framework has been agreed on for the future hosting of the Asian Winter Games, confirming the postponement of the 2029 edition to a later date to be announced in due course.
Although no official reason has been given for the delay – and it remains uncertain whether the Games will still be held at Trojena or awarded to a different host – Saudi Arabia is shifting its focus to a series of standalone, cool-weather events in the coming years.
Hosting smaller competitions means athletes, fans, and newcomers can ease into winter sports, while local interest grows, training hubs develop, and winter sports become part of everyday life, alongside football, motorsports, and more.
Sure, NEOM’s snowy peaks have a pretty epic ring to them – and maybe someday we’ll see international crowds there for a full-blown winter Olympic-style festival. But today’s news feels like a reminder that great things take time, especially when we’re talking about building new sporting traditions.
For now, we’re all about the upcoming cool-season competitions already in the pipeline. Each one has the potential to shape the Kingdom’s sporting culture and spark new passions among young Saudi athletes.
Whether it’s skiing, skating, snowboarding, or simply being part of those first cheering crowds, this feels like the start of something really cool (no pun intended).
And the excitement doesn’t stop there. With the 2030 World Expo in Riyadh and the 2034 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, Saudi Arabia is proving that it’s ready to host world-class events across the board.
So here’s to the road ahead, one winter sport event at a time.
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