It was a fascinating experience and obviously a prelude to the Gulf State's ambition to use sport as a cloak of respectability which now enshrouds a nation mired in the abuse of human rights.

True, things have changed somewhat dramatically in the passing years. Today, Saudi Arabia has become a Middle Eastern mecca in itself for marquee international sporting events, impressively hosting world title fights, tennis and golf tournaments and a Grand Prix. 

You name it, the Saudis will bid for it - and buy it.

When I attended those Islamic Games there wasn't a woman in sight. 

They weren't allowed to watch or even participate in sport, or even dine in the same room as men. 

Now they are welcome to do so, even without the traditional body-covering black burqas.

The Saudi drive for sporting extravaganzas knows no bounds.

During my initial visit I was taken on a tour of burgeoning state of the art sports facilities. 

We drove deep into the Sahara Desert and stopped for what I imagined would be a toilet break. 

Instead my guide beckoned me to step out of the car and pointed to a small mountain range across the vast expanse of sand. 

"There," he said, "is where one day we will stage the Olympic Winter Games." 

For a moment I thought of doing a John McEnroe by uttering "you cannot be serious." Instead, I stayed open mouthed in disbelief.

The Sahara hasn’t seen a snowflake in years - if ever. 

And the only ice you will encounter in Saudi is the cubes clinking in your tumbler of alcohol-free lager.

But sporting wonders never cease. Here we are in 2022 learning that the desert kingdom will indeed be hosting a Winter Games. 

Skiing, skating, ice hockey, bobsleigh and skeleton. The lot.

This will happen in 2029. Not the Winter Olympics, as yet, but the Asian Winter Games which will take place in a yet-to-be built venue within the Sarawat mountain region where a snowfall will literally become fake news - artificially sprayed on to the desert sand by snow-making machines. 

These will also be required for the mountain tops, which only occasionally are covered with thin layers of winter snow. 

There will be a skating rink and other necessary facilities built in the next four years and there will be a freshwater lake and nature reserve.

"The desert and mountains of Saudi Arabia will soon be a Year-Round winter sports playground," the Olympic Council of Asia said when announcing the approval of the bid.

As has already been reported in insidethegames, the Trojena resort will be part of the $500 billion project called Neom, which includes the establishment of a skyscraper city in a 26,500 square kilometres hi tech development in the desert, which is the brainchild of controversial Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 

He is also behind the various other sports projects and the acquisition of Premier League football club Newcastle United. 

As well, one might add, the grisly murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Saudi's lone bid for the Asian Winter Games was unanimously accepted by the Olympic Council of Asia.

This has raised eyebrows at the International Olympic Committee, who were not consulted and were surprised at the choice of a snow-free venue without any winter sports infrastructure.

There is little doubt that if successful, Saudi Arabia will bid for a full-scale Winter Olympics and will not be shy in pressing a claim for the Summer Games too.

The way the world economy is going, it may be one of the few nations rich enough to do so. 

While money does not grow on palm trees, it certainly gushes from the oil wells.

Saudi Arabia will also host the Summer Asian Games in 2034 and are expected to bid for football's World Cup in 2030, a year after the Asian Winter Games.

It is all part of an aggressive campaign by the Saudi Government to build a sports portfolio that will also help diversify the economy from reliance on oil.

The more cynical among us might say they are simply hanging more sportswashing on the line.

For a while we can shake our heads in amazement that in 2029, the world's elite skiers will be slaloming in the Sahara, while a young British-educated mother of two who dared to tweet a mild criticism of the Saudi Government will be serving only her seventh year of a 34-year jail sentence.

Somehow methinks the Saudis are taking the piste.