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The event was initially planned to take place in Neom, a massive city that is still being built. Saudi Arabia has had to reduce several large-scale development initiatives because of increasing expenses and declining oil revenues.

Kazakhstan will take over from Saudi Arabia as the organizer of the 2029 Asian Winter Games.

The Asian Olympic Committee (OCA) announced on Thursday that Almaty, Kazakhstan’s biggest city, will serve as the new location for the event.

The 2029 Asian Winter Games were initially scheduled to take place in Neom, a futuristic city and large-scale development project located on the Red Sea in northern Saudi Arabia.

Making the announcement on the sidelines of the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, OCA President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamas Al Thani expressed appreciation for Kazakhstan’s dedication and progress in winter sports.

“Almaty is a city closely linked with winter sports, and we have cherished memories from when we previously hosted the Asian Winter Games in 2011,” he mentioned during a press conference.

“We are confident that we will carry forward this legacy and present an unforgettable Games in 2029,” Al Thani added.

Why is the 2029 Asian Winter Games being relocated from Saudi Arabia?

The relocation to Kazakhstan follows an agreement in January between Saudi Arabia and the OCA to postpone the kingdom’s hosting of the Asian Winter Games at Trojena, a developing mountain tourism destination and a key element of the Neom megaproject.

The delay was verified following Riyadh’s attempt to postpone the opening of the ski resort.

A representative from the Saudi Olympic Committee informed Reuters that the country remains committed to hosting the event in the future, noting that the postponement would provide an opportunity to foster a winter sports culture.

Although the delay has not been clarified, it represents another setback for the large-scale project, which is a key component of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious “Vision 2030” initiative supported by the Crown Prince.Mohammed Bin Salman, the country’s actual leader.

The initiative, which also involves building two parallel skyscrapers enclosed in mirrors that stretch over 170 kilometers (105 miles) across desert and mountainous areas, has encountered ongoing delays and questions about its viability.

Riyadh is now required to reevaluate multiple major development initiatives due to increasing expenses and stagnant oil revenues.

Edited by: Zac Crellin

Writer: Karl Sexton (with AFP, Reuters)