The European Tour heads to Saudi Arabia for the first time in its 47 year history as a star-studded field tees up at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club.
The Saudi International powered by SBIA will start a three-season partnership with the European Tour and conclude a strong start to the calendar year in the Middle East following the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA and last week's Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
The landmark event within King Abdullah Economic City, taking place between January 31 and February 3, will have a strength of field projected at 327 - the strongest on the European Tour since last season's finale at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
Four of the world's top five players will be in attendance - Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Omega Dubai Desert Classic winner Bryson DeChambeau - with former Major Champions, former World Number Ones and various members of last year's Ryder Cup sides also among the illustrious field.
It will be the first time that number one, two and three in the Official World Golf Ranking will play in a European Tour event outside of a Major Championship or World Golf Championship since the BMW PGA Championship in 2012, when Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood held the respective standings.
Members of the victorious 2018 Ryder Cup side at Le Golf National; Rose, Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter and Thorbjørn Olesen will tee off in Saudi Arabia, while Captain Thomas Bjørn and vice captains Lee Westwood and Robert Karlsson will also be in attendance.
Ernie Els heads the list of former Major Championship winners at the event alongside fellow South African Trevor Immelman, who won the 2008 Masters Tournament, in addition to Rose, Koepka, Johnson, Garcia and Stenson.
European Tour member and 2018 Masters Tournament winner Patrick Reed will also play in Saudi Arabia.
Royal Greens Golf and Country Club boasts a state-of-the-art clubhouse, a world-class practice facility and a par-70 championship course, designed by London-based European Golf Design, which will see the world's best play by a stunning Red Sea coastline.
The maiden tournament in King Abdullah Economic City will also see the first Saudi Arabians participate in a European Tour event, as amateurs Abdulrahman Al Mansour and Saud Al Sharif join home favourite Othman Almulla.
Sweden's Marcus Kinhult will have the honour of hitting the first ever tee shot in the Kingdom as Saudi Arabia aims to makes the country more accessible by expanding business, leisure and tourism industries, while the Saudi Golf Federation hopes to grow the sport by inspiring younger generations when they host the world's leading golfers.
The tournament offers €3.5million in prize money and 50 points to the winner towards their Official World Golf Ranking, and will also increase the number of countries in the Race to Dubai to 31 among their 48 tournaments.
