LONDON, Dec 12: The world’s leading squash players head for Saudi Arabia this weekend where the Saudi International will offer the biggest prize in the sport’s history.

The winner of the $250,000 PSA Tour Super Series Platinum event, scheduled to be held from December 14-19 in the Saudi city of Al-Khobar, will receive an unprecedented $37,400.

According to a World Squash Federation announcement, Egypt’s world number one Amr Shabana is top-seeded in the event for the third successive year.

The 29-year-old from Giza heads a star-studded field which includes three former world number ones, and his two compatriots Karim Darwish and World Open champion Ramy Ashour who this month combined to establish the first ever all-Egyptian world top three.

Pakistan’s Aamir Atlas Khan, the world number 16, will face Nick Matthew of England in the first round.

The Saudi International also completes the year’s Super Series calendar, the leading event on the PSA Tour, from which the eight players earning the most points qualify for the ATCO Super Series Finals championship.The PSA’s flagship event will take place for the first time at the prestigious Queen’s Club in London next March.

Shabana tops the latest Dunlop Super Series rankings following his victory in last month’s Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open, the eighth and penultimate event of the year.

Runner-up Gregory Gaultier, the world No.4 from France, moves up to equal fourth place - with England’s James Willstrop - behind Qatar Classic champion Karim Darwish and World Open winner Ramy Ashour.

The remaining players who will be keen to consolidate their top eight positions in Al-Khobar are Australian David Palmer, the 2002 Super Series Finals champion; Egyptian Wael El Hindi, the world No.8; and Frenchman Thierry Lincou, three times a finalist and winner of the title in 2004.

1st round draw: [1] Amr Shabana (EGY) v Shahier Razik (CAN) [15] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) v Borja Golan (ESP) [7] Karim Darwish (EGY) v [Q] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) [14] Adrian Grant (ENG) v [Q] Alister Walker (ENG) [4] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v Omar Mosaad (EGY) [10] Ong Beng Hee (MAS) v [Q] Joey Barrington (ENG) [8] Nick Matthew (ENG) v [Q] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK) [12] Peter Barker (ENG) v [Q] Davide Bianchetti (ITA) [9] Wael El Hindi (EGY) v Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) [5] David Palmer (AUS) v Naif Abureqah (KSA) [11] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) v [Q] Daryl Selby (ENG) [3] James Willstrop (ENG) v [Q] Jonathan Kemp (ENG) [13] Lee Beachill (ENG) v [Q] Amr Swelim (EGY) [6] Thierry Lincou (FRA) v Mohammed Abbas (EGY) [16] Olli Tuominen (FIN) v Cameron Pilley (AUS) [2] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Stewart Boswell (AUS).—APP