The World Pool Championship has suffered a seismic blow as the government of Saudi Arabia have pulled the plug on their funding of the prestigious tournament.
The World Nineball Tour announced a ten-year contract with the Saudi Billiard and Snooker Federation two years ago, which involved transforming the crown jewel of nineball pool and hosting the event in Jeddah through to 2033.
Both Fedor Gorst and Carlo Biado scooped lucrative $250,000 champion’s cheques in recent years, although the agreement between Matchroom and the Ministry of Sport for Saudi Arabia has broken down and a new home for the event will now be sought.
A statement read: “Following constructive discussions between the Saudi Billiard and Snooker Federation and Matchroom following the conclusion of the 2025 editions, it has been mutually agreed not to proceed with future editions of the World Pool Championship and the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
“Across 2024 and 2025, the Kingdom successfully staged two major events in Riyadh and Jeddah, welcoming world champions and providing 18 Saudi players with the opportunity to compete on the same stage. Thousands of spectators attended from nearly 40 countries, many experiencing elite live snooker and pool for the first time.
“During this period, Saudi juniors also progressed through international events, including World Nineball Tour competitions, Q Tour Middle East and Asian junior championships – important early steps onto the global stage. We extend our sincere thanks to all players, officials, and participants for their contribution to the success of these events.”
The World Nineball Tour clarified their stance on the statement afterwards and confirmed that the World Championship will return this year in a new location, with the prize fund remaining at the previous $1million.
