The Ronnie O'Sullivan Snooker Academy opens in Saudi Arabia

Top-level snooker has made a big splash in Saudi Arabia this year with the country hosting its first two professional events. Along with the World 9-Ball Pool Championship that was held in Jeddah for the first time, cuesports has been added to Saudi’s expanding portfolio of big sporting showcases.

Last month, in one of the most thrilling climaxes to a snooker final we’ve ever witnessed, Judd Trump produced an historic counter-clearance to oust Mark Williams on the final black in the deciding frame in the inaugural final of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.

Labelled as snooker’s ‘fourth major’ by the sport’s authorities - sitting alongside the long-running UK Championship, Masters and World Championship spectacles - the 2024 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters carried a first prize of £500,000, the same amount that Kyren Wilson collected when he won snooker’s blue riband event at the Crucible a few months earlier.

Prior to that tournament, though, the Kingdom’s first taste of premier tier snooker came in March at the Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker. O’Sullivan - who compiled six century breaks within the 13 frames he won during the event - defeated then reigning World Champion Luca Brecel 5-2 in the final to pocket the £250,000 winner’s purse.

The lucrative 12-player invitational also wrote headlines for featuring a unique gold ball, that if potted at the end of a 147 break would count for 20 additional points to make a ‘golden maximum’ of 167.

This unheard-of-before feat carried a $500,000 bonus prize; this was not claimed, though, with John Higgins going the closest to it before missing the yellow whilst on 120.

During the trophies presentation at the end of the final, Turki Alalshikh - the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment authority - announced that the 167 golden maximum bonus prize would be doubled to $1,000,000 for the next staging of the World Masters of Snooker.

Alalshikh also stated during the ceremony that the process of opening a snooker academy in Ronnie O’Sullivan’s name was underway. On Monday in Boulevard City, that vision became a reality as seven-time World Champion O’Sullivan was present to help open it.

Along with O’Sullivan in Riyadh was Jason Ferguson - Chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) - and former British Open champion and Crucible finalist Nigel Bond who has been reported on social media to become the head of coaching for the new facility.

A press release posted on Alalshikh’s X account read:

The CEO of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), Engineer Faisal Bafarat, officially opened the Ronnie O'Sullivan Snooker Academy today (Monday) in Boulevard City, one of Riyadh Season's key zones. This academy is the first of its kind in the world. The launch was attended by world snooker champion Ronnie O'Sullivan and president of the Saudi Snooker Federation, Dr. Nasser Al-Shammari.

The opening of the academy strengthens the presence of snooker in Saudi Arabia, providing a major platform for fans of the sport to develop their skills and talents and participate in local and international tournaments.

The ceremony was attended by world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, who performed the inaugural shot on the academy's main table, in the presence of VIPs and invited guests.

The establishment of this academy supports the development of snooker enthusiasts in the Kingdom, offering a significant opportunity for young people to learn the sport and hone their skills in a professional environment that prepares them for local and international competitions.

Through this academy, Riyadh Season aims to create a new generation of players capable of competing globally and raising the Kingdom's profile in various sporting arenas.

In collaboration with a prominent name like Ronnie O'Sullivan, the academy will offer a comprehensive environment for training and developing Saudi players according to the highest international standards, further promoting the spread of snooker in the region.

The ceremony featured an interactive presentation showcasing Saudi Vision 2030 and its future aspirations in supporting various sports, alongside the academy's vision to become a leading centre for nurturing young snooker talents. The academy's logo was also unveiled during the event, with celebratory footage highlighting the Kingdom's ambitions in this field.

‘The Rocket’ had already been in the Middle East, having shared a post on his social media over the weekend whilst he watched live the undisputed light-heavyweight world championship boxing match between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol in a near front row seat.

There is significant snooker heritage and history within the Gulf/West Asian region; the Dubai Classic was held there for several years in the late 80s/early 90s, and Bahrain also hosted a ranking event in 2008.

It appears there is a desire to educate and improve snooker standards within Saudi, and a long-term commitment for grassroots cuesports alongside the 10-year contracts that both the World 9-Ball Pool Championship and Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters hold.