Saudi Arabia will host the prestigious World Pool Championship from 2024 in a ten-year deal that will see the tournament boast a lucrative prize fund of $1million.
Often alluded to as the crown jewel of nineball pool, the World Championship returns to the Middle East following a lengthy stint in Qatar, despite now being under the stewardship of Matchroom and the World Nineball Tour.
The tournament will take place at Green Hall in Jeddah from June 3-8, located within a stone’s throw of the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium, with the Ministry of Sport for Saudi Arabia set to heavily invest with the intentions of transforming snooker and pool in the country.
Francisco Sanchez Ruiz will defend his crown on Saudi soil following his victory over Mohammad Soufi in last year’s final, with the world’s biggest names set to star in the sport’s richest tournament.
Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has forged a reputation for growth and creating new opportunities for sports to grow in a new market to new fans.
“The country has hosted some of the world’s premier sporting events in recent years, welcoming visitors from all over to experience its passion for sport and unique culture.
“The addition of both the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters and World Pool Championship over the next decade further enhances that as it heralds an exciting chapter for snooker and nineball pool.
“We have seen the incredible impact boxing has had in this region. Now, I believe we will see billiards cement its legacy here too, creating incredible opportunities and competition for the finest players on the planet.”
Further details regarding the 2024 World Pool Championship will be released in due course, although the qualifying criteria is expected to remain the same.
The world’s top 100 on the world nineball rankings will receive automatic invitations, while the additional 28 players will be wildcards decided by either Matchroom, the World Pool Association or regional federations.
Sky Sports will be the host broadcaster and show live coverage in the UK and Ireland, while DAZN will show the tournament in the USA and Spain amongst others and those in Vietnam can watch via Vietcontent.
