The run-up to last year’s event was marred by the controversy surrounding the absence of five leading players who had opted to take part in an exhibition in Macau instead.
Ultimately, that event was moved to December to avoid a clash of dates with the NI Open, but having not entered, John Higgins, Luca Brecel, Mark Selby, Ali Carter and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh all missed the Belfast tournament.
All five return to participate in 2024 as part of a stellar field which also includes former winner and Saudi Arabia Masters runner-up Williams, this season’s English Open winner Neil Robertson and last week’s Wuhan Open victor Xiao Guodong.
Selby is another who has been in the winner’s enclosure this season, defeating Higgins in the British Open final in September.
Robertson meanwhile is bidding to clinch a complete set of Home Nations titles, having previously won the Scottish Open in 2017, the Welsh Open in 2019 and the English Open in 2021 and 2024.
World champion Kyren Wilson, a winner this year in the Xi’an Grand Prix, is also in the line-up, along with losing Shanghai Masters finalist Shaun Murphy.
Luca Brecel, the 2023 world champion, is back in action after failing to qualify for the Wuhan Open, the Belgian much in need of some victories to help retain his professional tour card.