The Games had originally been due to be held in Neom, a still under-construction mega-city. Saudi Arabia has had to scale back several ambitious development projects due to rising costs and falling oil prices.

Kazakhstan will host the 2029 Asian Winter Games after Saudi Arabia's withdrawal. Almaty has been named as the new venue by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The decision was announced at the Winter Olympic Games in Italy, where OCA President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani thanked Kazakhstan for its commitment to developing winter sports.

Feb 5 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan will host the 2029 Asian Winter Games after the Olympic Council of Asia on Thursday named Almaty as the new venue, replacing Saudi Arabia. The decision was announced on the sidelines of the Winter Olympic Games in Italy,

The decision to move the 2029 Asian Winter Games was necessitated by the realisation that Trojena, a project requiring a vertical ski village and a massive man-made lake to be carved into the Sarawat Mountains,

Kazakhstan has officially been designated as the host for the 2029 Asian Winter Games, following Saudi Arabia's withdrawal from the event. This announcement, made by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) during the Winter Olympic Games in Italy, marks a significant moment for the Central Asian nation, particularly in its quest to promote winter sports.

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia will be represented at the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics after the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee officially confirmed the Kingdom’s participation in the Games, which will be hosted by Italy from Feb.

Despite Trojena’s cooler high-altitude climate at NEOM, limited snowfall and challenging terrain pose significant engineering and logistical hurdles