Doha wins right to host Asian Games in 2030; Riyadh to host in 2034


The right to host the 2030 Asian Games was given to Doha in Qatar while the right to host the Games in 2034 was awarded to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. Both cities were in the reckoning to host the Games in 2030 and 2034 but a deal was struck between them after a vote at the Olympic Council of Asia meeting led to Doha emerging victorious.
It is noteworthy that Qatar will also host the much-publicized FIFA World Cup in 2022. Another noteworthy point is that Qatar and Saudi Arabia are bitter rivals in the political sphere with the latter even going to extreme lengths to impose a complete trade and travel boycott on the former since 2017. In the last few months however, the situation has cooled down a bit and there are signs that the dispute might be resolved soon.
‘No winner, no loser’ – OCA President

Following the vote, the President of the Olympic Council of Asia, Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Sabah from Kuwait thanked all foreign ministers and attendees of the conference and said, “That means no winner, no loser. Thank you, Asia, for solidarity and coordination.”
The voting reportedly took place through a combination of paper ballots and remote voting. Out of the 45 delegates, 26 voted through paper ballots while 19 chose to vote remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There were also some problems with the electronic voting system which led to delays in the voting process but eventually the same was rectified.
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Nevin Clinton
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