During the roundtable meeting in Jeddah preceding the Middle East Snooker World Championship, the “Snooker Stars” tournament roundtable was held on Thursday at the Green Halls of Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City, attended by prominent figures in the snooker world, including Naif Al-Jaouini, President of the Saudi Billiards and Snooker Federation, Simon Brownell, CEO of the World Snooker Tour, Irish player Ken Doherty, and Saudi player Ziyad Al-Qabbani.

The “Snooker Stars” tournament starts on Friday and is one of the strongest tournaments on the world tour, with 144 players from more than 40 countries participating.

Al-Jaouini confirmed during the meeting that the “Snooker Stars” tournament is one of the most important ranking tournaments globally, featuring 144 players from various countries. He noted that this is the second edition of this scale in the Middle East and represents a significant step in developing the sport in Saudi Arabia.

He added that the federation is undergoing a major transformation through seasonal plans and continuous changes, highlighting financial prizes exceeding $200,000 and organizing tournaments across various Saudi cities for men and women, aiming to prepare a Saudi generation capable of competing internationally in the future.

He also explained that snooker requires high skill and time to develop, adding: “We believe in the capabilities of Saudi players and are working to prepare a generation capable of competing globally within the coming years.”

During his speech, Al-Jaouini announced the launch of the new identity for the Saudi Billiards and Snooker Federation, explaining that the new logo design reflects the map of the Kingdom and includes symbols representing billiards and snooker sports.

Al-Jaouini said: “The new logo embodies our vision to develop both games strategically and reflects our ambition to bring Saudi players to the highest global levels within an integrated work system including expansion, training, and competition.”

Irish player Ken Doherty expressed his happiness participating in the second edition of the tournament held in Saudi Arabia, noting that his return to Jeddah after a successful experience in the previous edition was a motivation for him and many players to participate again.

Doherty said: “I love this place. The hospitality, organization, and facilities in Saudi Arabia are amazing. The tournament offers an exceptional experience like no other. Last year’s tournament was special, and its final was among the most exciting. I believe this season will be better. These tournaments mean a lot to us as players, and I am sure we will see you here in the coming years.”

Saudi player Ziyad Al-Qabbani also expressed his pride in participating in such a large-scale tournament, confirming that this step represents an important opportunity to gain international experience and refine his level.

Al-Qabbani said: “I aspire to win a world championship title one day, and I am honored to represent the Kingdom in international forums. Being in a tournament that includes top stars from various countries gives me great motivation to perform my best.”