The Snooker Masters opened in Jeddah on Friday afternoon at Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Hall, featuring 144 leading players from 49 countries. Competition continues until 16 August.
The event is organized by the Saudi Billiards and Snooker Federation through a strategic partnership with Matchroom, in cooperation with the World Snooker Tour and under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Sport.
The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Minister for Sports Events Mr. Khalid Al-Muawwad and Federation President Mr. Naif Al-Jawini. It featured performances and presentations of leading international participants. Al-Jawini welcomed the players, noting that the event follows the Kingdom's successes in hosting global competitions across sports, supported by the unlimited backing given to the sports sector. He highlighted the Kingdom's regional and global standing and its ability to host major international events.
The opening day featured 32 competitive first-round matches. Eleven Saudi players took part: Abdullah Al-Shammari, Ahmed Asiri, Abdulraouf Al-Sayegh, Omar Al-Ajlani, Musab Al-Sayegh, Musaed Al-Musfer, Ziyad Al-Qabbani, Fahad Al-Ghamdi, Saud Al-Bakr, Ayman Al-Omari and Abdullah Al-Otaian, reflecting the Kingdom's commitment to developing national talent.
Egypt's Hesham Abdulaziz Shawki, the 2025 Arab champion, earned a valuable 4–2 victory over his Chinese opponent to reach the second stage. His performance underlined his standing among the leading Arab wildcard entrants.
Competition continues over the coming days with leading snooker stars, headed by defending champion Judd Trump, world champion Zhao Xintong and legend Ronnie O'Sullivan, alongside John Higgins, Kyren Wilson, Mark Williams, Shaun Murphy, Mark Allen, Ding Junhui and Neil Robertson.
The championship offers fans in Saudi Arabia and the region top-level competition, while giving local players direct experience against the sport's biggest stars. It reflects Saudi sport's growing international presence.
