HEARN TEASES DARTS IN SAUDI ARABIA WITH AN UNEXPECTED TWIST
01/10/2025 By Aaron Nijjar
BARRY HEARN has promised the arrival of darts in Saudi Arabia will come with dramatic twists and warned fans to expect the unexpected.
The Matchroom chief revealed he’s been blown away by Saudi Arabian politician Turki Al-Sheikh’s imagination, insisting the Kingdom could take the sport in bold new directions.
Al-Sheikh previously created the 20-point “Gold Ball” in snooker, introduced during a Riyadh tournament staged in March 2024.
That innovation made a 167-break possible and offered a staggering $1MILLION (£733,000) bonus for anyone able to sink it.
Hearn insists Saudi darts will be built on a “clean sheet of paper” with no limits.
He told the Love the Darts podcast: “We are not going to be restricted. Obviously, we want to make sure it is credible.
“But we are not going to be tied up of with oh we cannot do that.
“We will look at everything, and it will all be money orientated. The one thing about Turki Al-Sheikh, his excellency, is he does not walk away.”
PDC Chairman Hearn stressed that Saudi’s traditions will be respected and says the opportunity is too big to ignore.
He added: “If you can’t drink in a country, we must respect their traditions and laws we don’t drink.
“Or we don’t go. If you don’t want to go don’t go.
“But watch this space – very soon you will hear something about Saudi that will make you go oh my god where is this journey going to end.
“The beautiful answer is I have no idea, but I know it’s got a long journey ahead of it.”
The 76-year-old admitted even he doubted Al-Sheikh’s much-talked-about golden ball idea – but it proved a masterstroke.
He continued: “You can bet your bottom dollar if and when we do something in Saudi there will be a few twists on it.
“I have no idea what he is going to say. But I do know what I am going to say, yes thank you.
“He’s a crazy guy. You know with the purists out there, I almost put myself in the purists when I heard about the golden ball from Turki Al-Sheikh.
“I thought oh no don’t start messing with it. It’s had more publicity than the rest of the tournament had together.
“He is a smart man and sometimes we get restricted by the lack of our own imagination.”
Al Sheikh, one of the most powerful men in world sport, has transformed boxing by bringing mega fights to the Kingdom.
He is chairman of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), a Saudi government department, and an adviser at the Royal Court under the rank of Minister.
