NEOM’s Trojena Ski Resort races against time for completion before 2029 Asian Winter Games

Will Trojena be ready for 2029 Asian Winter Games?

While recent satellite imagery confirms activity at Trojena, where access roads, ski slope infrastructure, and tunnel construction are underway, it also suggest parts of the masterplan may be shifting. According to Bloomberg, Saudi Arabia could prioritise essential facilities to meet the 2029 deadline, even if some ambitious elements are scaled back.

Though officials have not confirmed delays, Philip Gullett, the Executive Director of Trojena, said the “absolute priority” remains readiness for the 2029 Winter Games.

Ski resort in the desert

Trojena, which is located in Tabuk Province of Saudi Arabia, was promised as a year-round ski resort in the middle of a desert. While Trojena benefits from cooler high-altitude conditions compared to the surrounding areas, its location, not known for snowfall, had raised many questions.

Where will Trojena get snow from

The lack of natural snowfall meant that the Trojena Ski Resort will have to depend entirely on artificial snow to host the Asian Winter Games in 2029.

According to Trojena, the artificial snow is created through advanced snowmaking systems that mimic natural snowfall, using compressed air and ultra-filtered water, which is then cooled and sprayed through snow cannons to form fine crystals.

More troubles for NEOM

Trojena is one of the various announced regions of NEOM, the Saudi mega project, which is part of Crown Prince MBS’s Vision 2030. A recent report by Newsweek said that NEOM could soon lay off thousands of workers as it struggles with rising costs and delays.

In July, the Public Investment Fund, which manages all Vision 2030 projects, had engaged external consulting firms to assess the feasibility of the project and reportedly was considering cutting its workforce and relocating more than 1,000 employees to Riyadh to control costs.