Jebel al-Lawz, Saudi Arabia — In the heart of the Arabian desert, amidst a rugged and barren mountain range, Saudi Arabia is constructing what it claims will be the world’s first vertical ski village. Set atop the 2,500-meter-high Jebel al-Lawz in the country’s northwest, the Trojena resort is the latest and perhaps most audacious component of the Kingdom’s $14 trillion NEOM megaproject.
Trojena is envisioned as a futuristic alpine destination offering 30 kilometers of artificial ski slopes snaking through and above luxury hotels, high-end villas, and shopping malls. Powered by state-of-the-art snowmaking technology, the resort will be fed by a man-made lake holding a staggering 57 billion liters of water—an extraordinary feat in one of the world’s driest regions.
At the core of this development is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (widely known as MBS), who sees NEOM as a bold reimagining of Saudi Arabia’s future—an ultra-modern, environmentally conscious, tech-driven utopia built with the remaining revenues of its vast oil reserves.
“Trojena is integral to the NEOM vision,” said Trojena’s Executive Director, Philip Gullett, in a recent statement. “It showcases the breadth of what NEOM can offer—from coastal developments and our car-free smart city ‘The Line’, to our automated port and airport. From the ski village, you can see the Gulf of Aqaba, Egypt, and the full NEOM expanse.”
However, the dream comes with controversy and mounting challenges.
Since construction began in 2017, human rights organizations have reported that up to 21,000 migrant workers may have died on various NEOM sites—a claim that has drawn international scrutiny. Financially, over $80 billion has already been invested in early-stage infrastructure, including “The Line,” a 170-kilometre-long, 500-meter-tall mirrored skyscraper. Reports suggest that NEOM’s cash reserves have now dropped to around $24 billion, leading to growing concerns about its financial sustainability.
These pressures may have contributed to the unexpected resignation of NEOM’s longtime CEO last year amid allegations of mismanagement and financial irregularities. It reportedly took the Crown Prince seven months to name a successor.
Despite the setbacks, the pressure to deliver is mounting. Saudi Arabia is scheduled to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games, meaning the Trojena resort must be completed and fully operational in less than four years. Gullett compared the current phase of the project to a “military operation,” citing the extreme terrain and remote location as significant logistical hurdles.
While skeptics view NEOM as a costly vanity project fraught with ethical and fiscal red flags, supporters argue that it is a bold leap toward economic diversification and global relevance in a post-oil era.
Whether Trojena becomes a gleaming symbol of innovation or a cautionary tale of overreach remains to be seen. But for now, Saudi Arabia is banking on the impossible: skiing above the clouds—in the middle of the desert.
