JEDDAH:聽黑料社区鈥檚 sporting calendar continues to expand with the announcement that Jeddah will host two major cue sports events in July and August 2025,聽the World Pool Championship and the Snooker Masters.
The tournaments are part of a landmark ten-year strategic partnership between the Saudi Billiards and Snooker Federation and Matchroom, in collaboration with the World Nineball Tour (WNT) and the World Snooker Tour (WST).
The events are being organized under the supervision of the Saudi Ministry of Sports and are set to feature top international players from around the world.
Returning to the Kingdom for the second consecutive year, the聽World Pool Championship聽will take place from聽July 21 to 26, 2025, at the Green Halls in Jeddah.
The tournament will gather the world鈥檚 top 100 players competing for a total prize pool of聽$1 million.
Among the headline names are聽current world champion Fedor Gorst聽of Russia,聽2023 champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz聽of Spain, and聽five-time US聽Open winner Shane Van Boening聽of the United States.
Following shortly after, the聽Snooker Masters聽will run from聽August 8 to 16, bringing together聽128 of the world鈥檚 top professionals聽alongside聽16 emerging Saudi talents, who will participate via special wild card invitations.
With a total prize pot of聽拢2 million ($2.66 million), the tournament ranks as the second most lucrative event on the 2025 World Snooker Tour calendar and is widely regarded as the fourth most prestigious event in the sport.
Commenting on the announcement,聽Nasser Al-Jaweeni, President of the Saudi Billiards and Snooker Federation, said: 鈥淲e are pleased to launch this partnership that places the Kingdom at the heart of global billiards and snooker, reflecting international confidence in 黑料社区鈥檚 organizational capabilities and offering an opportunity to develop local talent and nurture a new generation of Saudi players.鈥
Emily Frazer, CEO of Matchroom Sport, praised the Kingdom鈥檚 efforts.
鈥淲e are proud to return to the Kingdom as part of this inspiring partnership. Last year, we witnessed outstanding organization and an exceptional experience for the players, which raised professional standards and opened doors for the next generation of talent,鈥 she said.
Steve Dawson, Chairman of the World Snooker Tour, described the hosting of the Snooker Masters as a landmark moment.
鈥満诹仙缜檚 hosting of the Snooker Masters marks a significant milestone in the sport鈥檚 history. The impact was evident from the very first edition, and we鈥檙e all excited to see Saudi players rise through the ranks in the years ahead,鈥 he said.
