“I'm very excited. I think this event is going to be really, really big. I think it's going to be great for us,” Allen said of Riyadh Season's World Masters of Snooker to be held at Boulevard City. .
“I think we'll be looked after really well. There's going to be a lot of razzmatazz, it's probably going to be a little different to what you're used to seeing in snooker and it's an exciting time to try something new.”
“If Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region want to spend big money on this sport, I'm all for it.
“There are a lot of countries around the world that are doing strange things in their decision-making about how they run their countries, but we still go there, we still participate in sports, and even closer to home we still go there and still participate in sports. There's probably a lot of things that people are wondering about.'' Even though we don't support them, they're still getting paid, and we're no exception.
“What I’m saying is, if you were given that opportunity, would you say yes or no, and I’m sure everyone would say yes.
“I'm a snooker player, not a politician. Even if I turn around and say, 'I'm not going to play in Saudi Arabia,' it doesn't change what they do or don't do in their own country.”
Allen will be joined by world No. 1 Ronnie O'Sullivan, current world champion Luca Bressel, Judd Trump, Sean Murphy, Mark Selby, Ali Carter and Mark Williams, as well as Saudi Arabia's Omar Alajani and Qatari 's Ali Alobaidri will participate in the tournament.
All matches will be played with a new 20-point golden ball known as the Riyadh Season Ball, giving players the chance to reach a unique 167 points.