Saudi Arabia Darts Masters 2026

19 January – 20 January 2026 · Global Theatre, Riad, Saudi-Arabien

Part of: World Series of Darts

The 2026 Saudi Arabia Darts Masters took place from 19 to 20 January 2026 at the Global Theatre in Riyadh and was the second event of the 2026 World Series of Darts. Luke Littler won the inaugural edition with an 8–5 victory over Michael van Gerwen in the final.

The 2026 Saudi Arabia Darts Masters was a professional darts tournament held from 19 to 20 January 2026 at the Global Theatre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. For sponsorship reasons the event ran under the name Riyadh Season Saudi Arabia Darts Masters. It was the second event of the 2026 World Series of Darts and also the first PDC tournament ever to be staged in Saudi Arabia, after PDC president Barry Hearn and Turki Al-Sheikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, had expressed interest in bringing darts to the country. The tournament was organised by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) as part of Riyadh Season. The field comprised 16 players: eight PDC representatives and the top eight players from the 2025 PDC Asian Tour Order of Merit. The field was announced on 7 January 2026; no player from Saudi Arabia took part. Paolo Nebrida was originally invited as an Asian representative but withdrew through illness and was replaced by Nitin Kumar. The total prize fund was £100,000, of which £30,000 went to the winner. In addition, a bonus of 0,000 (£74,700) was on offer for a nine-dart finish, which could be doubled to 0,000 (£149,400) via an extra dart at the Bullseye – the so-called Riyadh Season Bullseye. No nine-darter was thrown. In the first round on 19 January, seven of the eight PDC representatives came through. The only exception was Danny Noppert, who lost the opening match 3–6 to Man Lok Leung; Leung thereby became the third Asian player to win a match in the history of the World Series. Gerwyn Price won 6–0 against Alexis Toylo, hitting a 170 checkout along the way, the highest checkout of the tournament. Luke Littler beat Paul Lim 6–1, a week after the pair had met at the Bahrain Darts Masters. In the quarter-finals Littler defeated Gian van Veen 6–4 – after trailing 0–3 and with a 124 finish on the Bullseye as well as a three-dart average of 111.58. Gerwyn Price won 6–5 in the deciding leg against Luke Humphries, Nathan Aspinall came through 6–4 against Man Lok Leung and Michael van Gerwen won 6–4 against Stephen Bunting. In the semi-finals Littler beat Price and Van Gerwen beat Aspinall, both 7–5. Van Gerwen was playing in the final for his 18th World Series title, which would have extended his record further. Littler went 4–0 ahead, including a 132 finish on the Bullseye, then conceded three legs in a row and eventually won 8–5 with a 50 checkout. Littler posted an average of 104.84 in the final, threw six maximums and achieved a checkout rate of 61.5 per cent. One day before his 19th birthday he thus became the first winner of the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters and claimed his fifth World Series title.

At a glance

  • Winner: Luke Littler (ENG)
  • Final: Luke Littler – Michael van Gerwen 8–5
  • Venue: Global Theatre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Date: 19–20 January 2026
  • Organiser: Professional Darts Corporation (PDC)
  • Classification: Second event of the 2026 World Series of Darts
  • Premiere: First PDC tournament in Saudi Arabia, part of the Riyadh Season
  • Total prize money: £100,000 (winner's prize £30,000)
  • Nine-darter bonus: 0,000, doubled to 0,000 via the Riyadh Season Bullseye – not hit
  • Highest checkout: 170 by Gerwyn Price
  • Highest average: 111.58 by Luke Littler
  • 180s thrown: 69 in the entire tournament
  • Withdrawal: Paolo Nebrida out due to illness, replaced by Nitin Kumar
  • Caller: Kirk Bevins, Russ Bray, Lewis Jones
  • Ranking points: Points for the World Series of Darts Order of Merit (12/8/5/3/1); prize money does not count towards the PDC Order of Merit
  • Contract term: Contract with Saudi Arabia initially signed for one year only; a 2027 edition is still open

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FAQ

When and where did the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters 2026 take place?

The tournament was held from 19 to 20 January 2026 at the Global Theatre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It was the first ever PDC tournament in Saudi Arabia and the second event of the 2026 World Series of Darts.

Who won the darts tournament in Riyadh 2026?

Luke Littler won the inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters with an 8–5 victory over Michael van Gerwen in the final. It was Littler's fifth World Series title, claimed a day before his 19th birthday.

How much was the prize money at the Saudi Masters 2026?

The total prize fund was £100,000. The winner received £30,000, the runner-up £16,000, the semi-finalists £10,000 each, the quarter-finalists £5,000 each and the players knocked out in the first round £1,750 each. The prize money does not count towards the PDC Order of Merit, but there were points for the World Series of Darts Order of Merit.

What was the Riyadh Season Bullseye all about?

The PDC offered a bonus of 0,000 (£74,700) for a nine-dart finish. The player could have doubled that amount to 0,000 (£149,400) with an extra dart at the Bullseye – the Riyadh Season Bullseye. No nine-darter was thrown at the tournament.

What format was played at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters?

16 players competed in a knockout format. The first round and quarter-finals were played over the best of 11 legs, the semi-finals over the best of 13 legs and the final over the best of 15 legs.

How did players qualify for the Saudi Masters in Riyadh?

Eight invited PDC representatives faced the top eight players from the 2025 PDC Asian Tour Order of Merit. The 16-player field was announced on 7 January 2026; Nitin Kumar came in for Paolo Nebrida, who had fallen ill. No player from Saudi Arabia took part.

Where was the Riyadh Season Saudi Arabia Darts Masters shown on TV and stream?

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland DAZN showed the tournament, and it was also available free of charge on the DAZN Darts X Pluto TV channel. In the UK it was broadcast by ITV4 and ITVX, and outside the German-speaking region it was also available via PDCTV; other broadcasters included Viaplay, VTM, Nova, Fox Sports and BeIN Sports.

Will the Darts Masters in Saudi Arabia be held again in 2027?

The contract with Saudi Arabia was initially agreed for one year only. Whether the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters 2027 will again be part of the World Series calendar is currently open.

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