Saudi Arabia Seeking Royal Rumble, WrestleMania in Next WWE Agreement

WWE has never brought either event outside of North America.

By Liam Crowley

WWE is in the back half of its decade-long contract with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Beginning in 2018, WWE inked a deal to bring two premium live events to Saudi Arabia every year, beginning with WWE Greatest Royal Rumble that spring. While WWE would create shows specifically for the Middle East location, namely WWE Crown Jewel and WWE Super ShowDown, it also brought established B-tier events like WWE Night of Champions and WWE Elimination Chamber overseas. All of WWE's Saudi shows have drawn packed stadiums, but the kingdom is looking to up the ante in the future.

Saudi Arabia Seeks WrestleMania, Royal Rumble

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(Photo: WWE)

Will WWE's first overseas Showcase of the Immortals go down in Saudi Arabia?

In quotes shared by ESPN's Mike Coppinger, Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority Chairman Turki Alalshikh noted that an "enhancement" to WWE's current contract with Saudi Arabia will be announced later this month. While specifics within the updated agreement are not finalized, Alalshikh is said to be eyeing either a future WWE Royal Rumble or WWE WrestleMania to take place in Saudi.

WWE Royal Rumble and WWE WrestleMania are considered pillars of WWE's "big five" annual events alongside WWE Money in the Bank, WWE SummerSlam and WWE Survivor Series. All five have been essentially exclusive to North America barring WWF SummerSlam 1992 and WWE Money in the Bank 2023, both of which took place in England.

WWE did hold a Royal Rumble-inspired event in Saudi Arabia in 2018 in the form of WWE Greatest Royal Rumble, a traditional premium live event centered around the largest Royal Rumble Match ever, placing 50 superstars in the battle royal. Unlike the traditional Royal Rumble Match, a WWE WrestleMania title shot was not on the line, as winner Braun Strowman simply received a commemorative championship belt.

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WWE WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia would also be multiple years away. Next year's event is already locked for Las Vegas, and locations for 2026, 2027, and 2028 are reportedly tied to New Orleans, Orlando, and London.

Beyond that, hosting either of those events in Saudi Arabia has added complications that most other host countries and cities do not. It wasn't until the fourth WWE premium live event in Saudi Arabia that female superstars were allowed to compete. The event that hosted that first women's match, WWE Crown Jewel 2019, was also shrouded in controversy after WWE had its return flight grounded, resulting in dozens of talent missing a scheduled live WWE SmackDown.

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