Saudi Arabia is continuing to abandon sports projects that, according to them, are not particularly profitable. This time, billiards could be the one to suffer: one of the major two events hosted by the Kingdom will indeed be moved to Qatar. “We cannot interfere with what is happening at the moment,” said Eddie Hearn, president of Matchroom, the main shareholder of World Snooker (the most prestigious snooker tournament, a variant of billiards very popular in the UK). “This is a terribly difficult time for the Middle East. Saudi Arabia is trying to make cuts. Which is fine, as long as there are other places to go. And we have them.”
The revision of the Saudi economic plan Vision 2030 (a development program launched in 2016 to diversify the economy and reduce the country’s dependence on oil) is already producing its effects: the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has sold a majority stake in Al-Hilal (the team where Simone Inzaghi coaches) and some rumors suggest that it is considering withdrawing its funding from the LIV Gold circuit (established in 2022 at the behest of the Arab fund). Eddie Hearn remains optimistic about the Saudi future in billiards, but does not hide some concerns: “Saudi Arabia is a problem,” he says. “We don’t know where it will take us, but we have a good influence there, particularly thanks to boxing and all the other sports we are involved in. So we will manage. On one hand, we say that ‘snooker will be in Arabia,’ but on the other hand, I cannot say in what form until this situation evolves.” And for the near future, he adds: “What I know is that we will talk about a new event in China and another in the Middle East. So, by the law of large numbers, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but that’s life.”
Saudi Arabia has hosted two of the richest tournaments ever in this sport: the Saudi Arabia Masters and the Riyadh Season Championship, which offered rich prizes – up to 800 thousand euros. As mentioned, the possible cuts from the PIF could change the scenarios for the upcoming season. And to think that until recently, Saudi Arabia was in the running to host the World Snooker Championship. A possibility that never became reality due to an agreement that kept billiards at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, at least until 2045. And now, given how things are going, it has become quite difficult to practice.