JEDDAH: The 2025 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters kicked off on Friday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with the participation of the game’s elite stars, including world No. 1 Judd Trump, Kyren Wilson, Mark Williams, John Higgins, and Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The event is organized by the Saudi Billiards and Snooker Federation, in strategic partnership with Matchroom, in cooperation with the World Snooker Tour, and under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Sports, at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Hall.

The event featured an official opening ceremony attended by officials from the organizing bodies. The official competitions then kicked off with an intense match, featuring a number of Arab players, including Egyptian Hisham Shawky, the 2025 Arab champion, who secured victory and advanced to the next round of the tournament.

Eleven Saudi players are participating in the preliminary round: Abdullah Al-Shammari, Ahmed Asiri, Abdulraouf Al-Sayegh, Omar Al-Ajlani, Musab Al-Sayegh, Musaed Al-Masfar, Ziad Al-Qabbani, Fahad Al-Ghamdi, Saud Al-Bakr, Ayman Al-Omari, and Abdullah Al-Attiyan, in a move that confirms the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting and developing Saudi talent.

The preliminary qualifying round will continue until next Monday, Aug. 11.