Saudi to host WWE's Royal Rumble in 2026

Being held outside the US for the first time, event is expected to boost inbound tourism to the kingdom

Saudi Arabia has been chosen as the first location outside of the US to host professional wrestling’s WWE Royal Rumble spectacle, further adding to the kingdom’s credentials as a destination for sports fans.

The announcement was made by WWE in partnership with The General Entertainment Authority (GEA) on behalf of HE Turki Alalshikh, with the event planned for January 2026.

The kingdom is fast positioning itself as the new Las Vegas when it comes to hosting combat sports such as boxing, wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA), with a number of high-profile events in recent years drawing elite athletes and crowds from around the world.

The country is betting on sports tourism to reach its target of attracting 150 million visitors by 2030. Over the past four years, 80 international sporting events have attracted 2.5 million tourists, with Formula 1 in Jeddah alone welcoming some 160 nationalities and generating US$240 million economic impact on the city.

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In 2024, the Royal Rumble held in Florida was watched by 48,000 spectators.

Royal Rumble is an annual event that includes both a men’s and women’s knockout match with the winners securing a spot at WrestleMania – a signature event that regularly attracts a crowd of more than 100,000 spectators.

“Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the Royal Rumble for the first time outside North America reflects the General Entertainment Authority’s ongoing commitment to bringing the world’s largest and most important entertainment events to the Kingdom,” said HE Turki Alalshikh.

“We are excited to see this historic event as part of Riyadh Season’s activities and look forward to providing an exceptional experience for wrestling fans from around the world, whom we welcome to all events hosted in Saudi Arabia.”

WWE has been hosting events in Saudi since 2014. Speaking about the choice of Saudi as hosts, WWE President Nick Khan said that it “made sense to expand our relationship with the kingdom by bringing one of our biggest annual events to Riyadh”. 

This latest announcement comes after other recent sporting ‘wins’ for Saudi, most notably the confirmation that the country will host the FIFA World Cup in 2034. 

Adding to its sporting agenda, Saudi will host the 2025 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Riyadh, the 19th AFC Asian Cup in 2027, and the 2029 Asian Winter Games – scheduled to take place in the upcoming Trojena resort in NEOM, a project expected to be completed by 2026.

For more information, visit wwe.com

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