Home > Sports > Olympic Sports

National Olympic body signs cooperative deal with Saudi Arabia regarding 2029 Asian Winter Games

Published: 28 Jan. 2026, 19:56

Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) President Ryu Seung-min, left, speaks with Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee Secretary General Abdulaziz Baeshen in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Jan. 26 in this photo provided by the KSOC on Jan. 28. [KOREAN SPORT & OLYMPIC COMMITTEE]

The national Olympic committee announced on Wednesday that it has signed a cooperative pact with its Saudi Arabian counterpart, with Korea potentially replacing the Middle Eastern country as the host of the 2029 Asian Winter Games.

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) said it reached a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Olympic & Paralympic Committee on the sidelines of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) General Assembly in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Monday.

Representatives from the two Olympic bodies agreed to expand their personnel exchange programs for athletes and coaches, exchange of information on the latest trends in international sports and cooperation in sports science and antidoping efforts.

“This MOU will allow us to strengthen our cooperation with a partner in the Middle East that has been active in international sports lately,” KSOC President Ryu Seung-min said. “We will pursue sports exchange programs that lead to mutual development.”

The KSOC's announcement of the deal comes only days after the OCA said it had postponed the 2029 Asian Winter Games set to take place in Neom, a planned city being built in Saudi Arabia. Though no specific reasons were provided, Saudi Arabia has reportedly been dealing with construction delays.

Korea and China, both former hosts of the Asian Winter Games, have emerged as potential replacements, with the OCA having asked the KSOC in August 2025 about its interest in stepping in for the Middle Eastern state.

Yonhap