2024-01-11 13:49:20
“When they want something, they do it quickly. Blocks appear and then a building appears. The process is similar to what was carried out in Dubai.” This summarizes for Iberian Press the mentality of Saudi Arabia David Cabildo, coach of the Easter Flames, the pioneer of women’s soccer in the country. A reflection of the unstoppable progress of the state that is hosting the Super Cup these days to be a world sports leader. There they are, beyond their investments in the country’s undisputed favorite sport, their commitment to golf, boxing, paddle tennis and any sport that comes your way. The last barrier, which seemed insurmountable in a nation where 95%, is the organization of the 2029 Asian Winter Games.
Saudi takes advantage of climate change
The event will take place in Neom, the futuristic megacity that the state will build next to the Red Sea and for which an investment of 455.5 billion euros is projected. Saudi Arabia is going to save an event that has not been held since 2017, when Sapporo hosted the Winter Games. The return of the event will take place in 2025 in the Chinese city of Harbin, nicknamed the ‘ice city’. The East Asian giant has more tradition in this type of appointments. In 2022, Beijing hosted the Winter Olympics, although in many of the events there was not exactly a winter environment.
But according to a study by the University of Waterloo (Canada), only one of the venues that have hosted the winter Olympics, precisely Sapporo, could repeat. In 2050, in the most favorable scenario, only three of the 12 European cities would again host ski tests. In this context of artificial snow and plastic mats for training, Saudi Arabia positions itself with a groundbreaking project, framed within the Vision 2030 plan for the diversification of the economy.
“With the unlimited support of the Saudi authorities and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, we are proud to announce that We have won the bid for the Asian Winter Games, something that no other country in West Asia had achieved. “Trojena will be a sustainable infrastructure that will create the winter atmosphere in the heart of the desert,” stated the official statement of the Saudi Arabian candidacy.
Project justification and criticism
Trojena is part of Neom, the futuristic megacity located 50 kilometers from the coast of the Arabian Gulf that aspires to be the center of tourism and economic development of the country. “Trojena experiences low and It has a moderate climate year-round that is, on average, cooler than the rest of the region. With its fresh air and panoramic views, Trojena will be a fascinating place to work and live,” the developers aim.
Although Neom says the enclave will have “unique solar and wind advantages for 100% clean energy generation” and will be “an icon of plant nature”, the award of the Asian Winter Games was controversial. So much so that the International Olympic Committee regretted not having been informed of this decision. For his part, Kilian Jornet, a specialist in alpine sports, accused the Asian Olympic Committee of “They only care about money or they are geniuses and know that in 2029 there will be no snow anywhere, so you can only practice on sand”.
Despite the criticism, Trojena is already up and running and aims to be operational in 2026 to offer skiing and outdoor adventure sports, both in summer and winter. The promoters behind Neom attach images such as those of Mount Gebel al Lawz, 2,580 meters high, where there is usually snow in some months. However, the 2029 Asian Games will require significant amounts of water to be brought from the nearby Red Sea to later be desalinated.
“We will continue doing sportswashing”
Related news
When Trojena is completed, 30 kilometers of slopes will be available and a valley with an artificial pitch will be built. The ski complex will have a nearby airport and 2,200 residential homes and hotels with 3,600 rooms will be built in Trojena. “People say, wait a minute… Is there snow in Saudi Arabia? And the truth is that we only need -3 degrees to create snow. We can do it for three months a year,” said Clark Williams, marketing and communications director at Neom in an assessment of the 2029 Asian Games.
Because, as Mohamed bin Salmán said in one of the few interviews granted to Western media – specifically ‘Fox News’ -, “I don’t care if they say that we do ‘sportswashing’, if ‘sportswashing’ causes us to increase our Gross Domestic Product by 1%, then we will continue doing ‘sportswashing’.
#Saudi #Arabia #demolishes #frontier #sustainable #Winter #Games #middle #desert