According to DW, the Games were initially planned to be held in Neom, which is located on the Red Sea coast. However, due to rising costs and falling oil prices, the authorities in Saudi Arabia decided to scale back some of their ambitious projects.
The President of the Olympic Council of Asia, Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, expressed confidence that the Games in 2029 will be successful. He noted that Almaty has a rich history in winter sports and previously hosted the Asian Winter Games in 2011. The agreement to relocate the venue was signed during the Winter Olympics in Milan.
It was previously reported that the year-round ski resort Trojena, which was envisioned for the Games, had an estimated cost of around $500 billion. However, some estimates suggest that its actual cost could reach $8 trillion. This resort was planned to include ski slopes, an artificial freshwater lake, hotels, and residential areas covering approximately 60 square kilometers. It is located in the mountains at an altitude of 1,500 to 2,600 meters above sea level, where winter temperatures drop below zero, allowing for the use of natural snow.
