The WWE announced on Monday that the Royal Rumble, one of its marquee premium live events, will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2026. This marks a significant step in the company’s expansion, as it will be the first time the event is held outside North America, following its inaugural event in 1988 in Ontario, Canada.
The event will be held at the Mohammed Abd Arena in Riyadh, and WWE President Nick Khan attributed the decision to the company’s global reach and its desire to expand its relationship with the Kingdom. He stated, “WWE is a global enterprise and it only made sense to expand our relationship with the Kingdom by bringing one of our biggest annual events to Riyadh in January of 2026.”
Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority chairman, Turki Alalshikh, expressed the country’s commitment to bringing the world’s largest and most important entertainment events to the kingdom, and the goal to deliver a transformative experience that attracts a wide audience. Additionally, the WWE highlighted the success of November’s Crown Jewel, which set a record for the most-watched WWE event from Saudi Arabia, with a 28% viewership increase from the previous year’s event.
The company has hosted a handful of premium live events in Saudi Arabia in the past, including Crown Jewel, The Greatest Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber Night of Champions, and the King and Queen of the Ring. The Royal Rumble event will be part of Riyadh Season’s activities, with the company welcoming wrestling fans from around the world to all events hosted in Saudi Arabia.
