Six invited players including Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), former FIDE World Champion Rustam Kasimdzhanov (Uzbekistan), Pentala Harikrishna (India), Jeffery Xiong (USA), Amin Bassem (Egypt) and Salem Saleh (UAE) represent the four biggest Continents (Europe, Americas, Asia & Africa). The World Stars event is considered to be one of the strongest ever tournaments held in the Arab world, with an Average FIDE Rating Standard of 2703 (FIDE Category 19).