Doha named 2030 Asian Games host, Riyadh gets 2034
Gulf rivals Qatar and Saudi Arabia were both vying for 2030 hosting rights.
The Qatari capital of Doha will host the 2030 Asian Games, the Olympic Council of Asia announced Wednesday, naming the Saudi capital of Riyadh as host in 2034 and bringing an end to the intense bidding war between the two Gulf Arab states over one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
"I can now announce ... that the city who had the highest vote and will host 2030 is Doha," said council President Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah of Kuwait. "The second hosting city, for 2034, is Riyadh."
Held every four years, the multisport competition brings together athletes from across Asia for what is the second-biggest sporting event after the Olympics. The Indonesian capital, Jakarta, staged the Asian Games in 2018, the Chinese city of Hangzhou is the venue for the 2022 edition and Japan will host the 2026 competition.
Qatar has hosted the Asian Games once before, holding the event in Doha in 2006. The 2034 competition will mark Saudi Arabia’s first time as host country.
