Almaty, Kazakhstan – The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has officially confirmed that Almaty will host the 2029 Asian Winter Games, marking a major shift from the event’s original plan to stage the competition in Saudi Arabia. The host city contract was signed in Milan, Italy, as part of the formal agreement between the OCA and the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan.
The 10th edition of the Asian Winter Games was initially awarded to Trojena, a ski and mountain resort project within the NEOM megacity in Saudi Arabia, at an Olympic Council of Asia session in 2022. However, the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the OCA jointly announced earlier this year that preparations at the Saudi site could not meet the timeline originally set for 2029. As a result, the plans were postponed, and the hosting rights were reallocated to Almaty.
Almaty is no stranger to major winter sports events. The city previously hosted the Asian Winter Games in 2011 and has world-class winter sports facilities such as the Shymbulak Alpine Resort and the Medeu Ice Arena. These venues, together with established infrastructure, gave Almaty a strong foundation to prepare for another large-scale continental event with minimal new construction.
At the signing ceremony in Milan, OCA officials and representatives from Kazakhstan highlighted the importance of staging the Games in a location with a proven track record for winter sports. Almaty’s experience hosting international matches, including the 2017 Winter Universiade, was cited as a key factor in the decision.
The move to Almaty ensures that the 2029 Asian Winter Games will remain on schedule and be held in a city with established facilities ready to support athletes, officials, and visitors from across Asia. Preparations are expected to begin soon, with Kazakhstan gearing up to welcome teams and spectators for one of the continent’s premier winter sporting events.
