Asian Winter Games looks for alternative to NEOM’s Trojena

First came news stories earlier this week about construction delays and concerns about snowmaking capacity at NEOM’s planned Trojena desert ski resort.

Now, the Financial Times reports that organizers of the 2029 Asian Winter Games are shopping for alternative countries in which to hold the competition because they fear the Saudi site won’t be ready.

One part of the project requires blasting out huge amounts of rock and installing some 3,000 tension cables, a process that could take eight years, according to the FT.

Trojena, which is 2,600 meters above sea level, is planned to have 30 kilometers of ski runs available between December and March each year.

While there is some natural snow in the area, it is rare, and so the resort will rely completely on artificial snow. 

NEOM ski resort faces challenge in meeting Asian games deadline

It isn’t easy to produce snow in the desert.

That basic problem surrounding Saudi Arabia’s planned Trojena ski resort is emerging as a major test of the kingdom’s $1.5 trillion NEOM development as it races to fulfill its commitment to hosting the 2029 Asian Winter Games.

Introduced in 2022 as one of NEOM’s eye-popping, futuristic projects, Trojena is building ski slopes atop luxury hotel roofs, a lake hanging over a mountain cliff and a crystal skyscraper the size of the Eiffel Tower.

Trojena, which is estimated to cost $19 billion, is already likely to miss its target completion date of 2026, Bloomberg reports.

That worries officials at the Asian Games, who generally expect key infrastructure to be in place well in advance of major events

Among concerns being raised are the challenges of pumping enough water up a mountain for a planned lake at Trojena, creating sufficient artificial snow and the difficulties of building at high altitudes in an area with complex topography.

NEOM, which is owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, maintains the project will meet its deadlines.

“The development of NEOM, including Trojena, is progressing according to a phased plan that emphasizes international standards, long-term sustainability and legacy outcomes,” the company said in a statement to Bloomberg. “Work on Trojena, Neom’s year-round mountain destination, continues.”