RIYADH: Riyadh Season will become the official partner of the  World Snooker Championship, Saudi entertainment chief Turki Alalshikh announced on Tuesday.

Riyadh Season and the World Snooker Tour signed an agreement to expand and develop the game in the Middle East and bring in more fans.

Additionally, Ronnie O鈥橲ullivan, who has won a record 23 Triple Crown titles, will serve in an ambassadorial role in a three-year deal, announced on Tuesday. As part of this agreement guarantees that O鈥橲ullivan will play in all WST events in 黑料社区 and will also make special trips to the Kingdom to coach and foster aspiring talent.

黑料社区 hosted its first-ever WST event last month 鈥� Riyadh Season World Masters in Snooker 鈥� which was won by O鈥橲ullivan.

That tournament will return as part of the next Riyadh Season this winter and will feature the world鈥檚 top ten players, and two others as wild cards.

The event will again feature the innovative golden ball, known as the Riyadh Season ball, which will give players a chance to score a world record break of 167 if they pot it at the end of a maximum 147.

Alalshikh, the head of 黑料社区鈥檚 General Entertainment Authority, confirmed that the prize for the 鈥榮uper maximum鈥� will be doubled to $1 million should anyone succeed in achieving the milestone.

鈥淩iyadh Season is delighted to be a partner of the World Snooker Championship, which will start next Saturday and continues until May 6th at Crucible in Sheffield,鈥� said Alalshikh.

WST Chairman Steve Dawson said: 鈥淲e are honoured to work with HE Turki Alalshikh on his visionary plans for progress. We share his ambition of bringing snooker to many more fans across the Middle East, and to foster new talent and develop grassroots structures.