Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters
{{Short description|Snooker ranking tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox Snooker tournament
|tournament_name = Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters
|image =
|venue =Green Halls
|location = Jeddah
|country = Saudi Arabia
|establishment = 2024
|organisation = World Snooker Tour
|format = Ranking event
|prizefund = £2,302,000
|final year =
|Current Champion = {{flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}}
|Final Champion =
}}
The Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters is a professional snooker ranking tournament held in Green Halls, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Organised by the World Snooker Tour in collaboration with the Saudi Arabian Billiard & Snooker Federation (SABSF), the inaugural event was held for the first time in 2024 with Judd Trump as the winner. Branded as one of snooker's four major tournaments, it featured a total prize fund of £2,302,000, the second-highest after the World Championship.{{cite web |date=13 February 2024 |title=Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters: New ranking event announced! |url=https://www.wst.tv/news/2024/february/13/saudi-arabia-snooker-masters--new-ranking-event-announced-/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240302230619/https://www.wst.tv/news/2024/february/13/saudi-arabia-snooker-masters--new-ranking-event-announced-/ |archive-date=2 March 2024 |access-date=2 March 2024 |work=World Snooker Tour}}
The tournament marks the return of ranking snooker events in the Middle East since the Bahrain Championship in 2008, and the first annual event since Dubai Classic in the 1980s.
History
In February 2024, World Snooker Tour (WST) announced the addition of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters to the calendar, beginning from the 2024–25 season, as part of a ten-year deal. The 2024 edition was the first ranking tournament to be held in Saudi Arabia, following the non-ranking 2024 World Masters of Snooker event in March which was also held in Riyadh. It was dubbed by WST as snooker's "fourth major" alongside the Triple Crown events, the World Championship, the UK Championship and the Masters.{{cite news |date=13 February 2024 |title=Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters: New tournament to offer £2m prize fund and become 'fourth major' |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/68284600 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222154915/https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/68284600 |archive-date=22 February 2024 |access-date=2 March 2024 |work=BBC Sport}} Announcement of the snooker events holding in Saudi Arabia was met with criticism from journalists accusing the country of sportswashing.{{cite news |last=Meredith |first=Sam |title=Saudi Arabia's lavish sports push will now embrace snooker — and introduce a new golden ball |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/22/saudi-arabia-sports-push-embraces-snooker-with-a-golden-ball.html |work=CNBC |date=22 January 2024 |access-date=27 January 2024 |archive-date=26 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240126043616/https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/22/saudi-arabia-sports-push-embraces-snooker-with-a-golden-ball.html |url-status=live}}{{cite news |title=A maximum break of 167? Saudi snooker plans unveil 20-point gold ball |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/jan/19/saudi-snooker-golden-ball-20-points-maximum-break-167 |work=The Guardian |date=19 January 2024 |access-date=27 January 2024 |archive-date=27 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127033457/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/jan/19/saudi-snooker-golden-ball-20-points-maximum-break-167 |url-status=live}} However, players welcomed the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters ranking event, lauding its "astronomical" prize fund and the opportunity to promote the sport in the Middle East.{{cite web |title=Players welcome Saudi announcement and 'Astronomical' prize pot |url=https://www.wst.tv/news/2024/february/14/players-welcome-saudi-announcement-and--astronomical--prize-pot/ |work=World Snooker Tour |date=14 February 2024 |access-date=2 March 2024 |archive-date=2 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240302230745/https://www.wst.tv/news/2024/february/14/players-welcome-saudi-announcement-and--astronomical--prize-pot/ |url-status=live}}{{cite news |title=Mark Allen: Northern Irishman 'not getting involved in politics' of Saudi tournament |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/68284600 |work=BBC Sport |date=28 February 2024 |access-date=2 March 2024 |archive-date=1 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240301040232/https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/68426437 |url-status=live}}
In May 2025, it is announced that the tournament will be moving from Riyadh to Jeddah starting from the 2025 event.{{Cite web |last=World Snooker Tour |first= |title=Jeddah to host 2025 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters |url=https://www.wst.tv/news/2025/may/11/jeddah-to-host-2025-saudi-arabia-snooker-masters/ |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=World Snooker Tour |language=en}}
Winners
| class="wikitable" |
| style="text-align: center; background-color: #90EE90" | Year
! style="text-align: center; background-color: #90EE90" | Winner ! style="text-align: center; background-color: #90EE90" | Runner-up ! style="text-align: center; background-color: #90EE90" | Final score ! style="text-align: center; background-color: #90EE90" | Venue ! style="text-align: center; background-color: #90EE90" | Season |
|---|
| 2024{{cite web |title=Trump crowned with classic clearance |url=https://www.wst.tv/news/2024/september/07/trump-crowned-with-classic-clearance/ |work=World Snooker Tour |date=7 September 2024 |access-date=8 September 2024 |archive-date=8 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240908060723/https://www.wst.tv/news/2024/september/07/trump-crowned-with-classic-clearance/ |url-status=live}}
| {{flagathlete|Judd Trump|ENG}} | {{flagathlete|Mark Williams|WAL}} | style="text-align: center" | 10{{ndash}}9 | Green Halls, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | 2024/25 |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters}}
{{Snooker tournaments}}
Category:Recurring sporting events established in 2024
Category:2024 establishments in Saudi Arabia