The chances are that taking a ski holiday in Saudi Arabia is not top of your bucket list but encouraged by China’s success in hosting a Winter Olympics without any natural snow, the developers of Trojena are determined to give you that opportunity.
The ‘ski resort’ of Trojena will be part of NEOM, a proposed US$500 billion ‘city of the future’, that will apparently house 9 million people across an area the size of Belgium.
Trojena will be located in the Sarawat Mountains, in northwestern province of Tabuk. The site sits at an elevation of around 2600m.
“The only place in Saudi Arabia where snow falls nearly every year”
NEOM claims that it is “probably the only place in Saudi Arabia where snow falls nearly every year”, although it’s anticipated that almost the snow will be manmade.
According to Clark Williams from NEOM, snowmaking will use “as many sustainable resources as possible, whether that’s solar or wind power.”
Water will be pumped from the sea and desalinated, rather than relying on the scarce water available in the region.
Futuristic architecture
The futuristic architecture of the resort looks like it’s come straight from a sci-fi movie, and apparently there are nods to iconic movies in the design of different buildings.
“When Trojena opens it will be one of the few places in the world where you can ski and scuba dive on the same day,” according to Niall Gibbons, Head of Tourism at NEOM.
Saudi Arabia due to host Asian Winter Games
It’s unclear how they will host the various disciplines, but Saudi Arabia have already been confirmed as the hosts of the 2029 Asian Winter Games, which will be based at Trojena.
Trojena is only one of four major parts of NEOM. It will also feature the luxury island of Sindalah in the Red Sea, Oxagon – a futuristic, floating industrial metropolis – and THE LINE, a 170km long city.
Should you be tempted, Trojena is expected to open in late 2026 or early 2027.