Saudi Arabia abandons $38 billion desert ski resort project
Saudi Arabia has halted the ambitious plan to build the Trojena ski resort — the world's first outdoor desert ski destination — as part of the NEOM megaproject, cancelling two major contracts and effectively ending construction efforts.
The cancelled contracts included a $5 billion dam intended to create an artificial mountain lake and steel structures for expansive above-ground ski slopes. Despite years of construction and frame structures already rising over the mountains, the grand project has now been shelved.
The concept of snowy slopes in a desert environment, inspired by a ‘Star Wars’ aesthetic, attracted global attention by combining desert nature with extreme winter sports, but this vision remains unrealised.
NEOM is a vast futuristic project in Saudi Arabia aimed at building a smart city focused on innovation, tourism, and sustainable development; however, the withdrawal from Trojena marks a significant setback for the ambitious plans.
This cancellation may signal a strategic shift within the Saudi government’s priorities and could reshape NEOM's development trajectory and the region’s tourism outlook in the coming years.
It remains to be seen whether Saudi Arabia will revive its grand ambitions or pivot towards other projects better aligned with new economic and environmental realities.
