Majority Says Neom Would Be Ideal To Host Winter Games

Saudi Arabia will host the Asian Winter Games in 2029 at the future megacity of Neom. Saudi Arabia has won the bid to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games at its Trojena resort. It will be the first Middle Eastern country to host the tournament, including skiing, skating, ice hockey, snowboarding, and other winter sports. Trojena, a yet-to-be-built Neom area, will be a new tourist destination for winter sports, where 45 Asian National Olympic countries will compete in the tournament.

As it is a topic that has generated some concern in society, Real Research, an online survey application, launched a survey on Saudi Arabia hosting Asian Winter Games in Neom. Some concern is that Saudi Arabia cannot sustain a massive sports event in a yet-to-be-built city or resort. This was said in light of the gradual climate change, their futuristic goals, and the temperature in the Gulf. The survey aims to seek public opinion on Saudi Arabia’s move towards modernization. It also seeks views on hosting winter sports in the desert. Here are the results.

Highlights:

• 44.04% say a resort within a desert was an ideal spot to host the winter games/sports.
• 6 out of 10 (62.6%) seemed excited about the futuristic city of Neom.
• 7 out of 10 respondents (73%) are willing to attend the Asian Winter Games in 2029.

Over 61% are aware of Saudi Arabia Hosting Asian Winter Games in Neom, Trojena

Saudi Arabia Hosting Asian Winter Games asked if a resort within a desert was an ideal spot to host the winter games and sports. 44.04% strongly agreed, and 25% were also in favor of the resort spot. Moreover, 23% were neutral about it, but only 5.98% disagreed, and 1.98% strongly opposed it.

The survey on Asian winter games 2029 reveals that 61.41% are well aware of it, and 22.68% are aware but not in detail. Whereas 7.83% didn’t know about the event but thought it was ambitious, 8% were unaware.

Our survey also reports that 51.94% are aware of Saudi Arabia’s city of Neom and 30.76% know few details, whereas 17.31% said otherwise.

Here’s Why Over 62% Are Excited About the Futuristic City of Neom

The kingdom hopes for Trojena to be completed by 2026, three years before hosting the games. Trojena is set to be a year-round mountain destination offering a 2,400-metre-high ski village, among other entertainment and tourist sectors.

Our survey asked respondents to report their feelings about it. 6 out of 10 (62.6%) seemed excited to hear about the futuristic city, and 20% were optimistic about Saudi Arabia’s technological advancements.

On the contrary, 8.1% were confused about its execution, and 6% said, ‘I will believe it when I see it’,

The survey then reveals what respondents look forward to experiencing the most for the Asian Winter Games in Neom. Mainly, 46.35% anticipate experiencing winter with snow in a desert, whereas 19.41% are eager to try year-round outdoor skiing. Also, 15.51% look forward to seeing a man-made freshwater lake.

Following that, 6.21% want to witness man-made marvels in a traditionally backward nation. 4.29% anticipate seeing Saudi Arabia pushing boundaries and evolving. 3.88% are eager to see Saudi Arabia’s growth and opportunities. In general, 3.5% are excited about Neom, the first-of-its-kind project.

“I cannot find the right and common sense in building something where the snow doesn’t come,” said 2018 Olympic downhill champion Sofia Goggia.

Some people have begun questioning Saudi Arabia’s capability to host the Asian Winter Games in Trojena.

Respondents shared their views, and the majority strongly agreed (43.78%) with the abovementioned statement.

Similarly, 25% of respondents shared a mutual opinion. Whereas 25.84% remained neutral on the matter, 3.88% disagreed, and a further 1.49% highly disagreed with it.

Read Also: 83.04% Have Watched Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022

The Biggest Challenges Saudi Arabia Could Face in the Asian Winter Games

Considering that the city is yet-to-be-built, there could be some hurdles in the way of Saudi Arabia hosting Asian Winter Games. The results mainly show that 45.39% of respondents are concerned about global warming and rising temperatures. 15.9% feel the project would heavily impact energy sources.

12.92% of respondents worry about constructing completely artificial ski slopes, and 11.46% feel it would cause a detour in local water resources. Generally, 6.74% consider the environment unfriendly to conduct winter games.

According to the Neom chief executive Nadhmi al-Nasr, Trojena’s infrastructure will create a winter atmosphere in the heart of the desert, to make the Asian winter games an unprecedented global event.

The survey asks how likely Saudi Arabia is to achieve this plan. The report highlights respondents’ opinions as follows: 43.21% believe Saudi Arabia will likely achieve this plan, and 26.73% are neutral about it.

Similarly, 25% of respondents consider it likely to happen.

On the contrary, 3.57% report that it will be unlikely, whereas only 1.48% think it will be highly unlikely.

Lastly, the survey results on Saudi Arabia hosting Asian Winter Games reveal that 7 out of 10 respondents (73%) are willing to attend the Asian Winter Games in 2029 held in Saudi Arabia. And nearly 3 out of 10 (27%) said no.