By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE issued the following press release on Monday to announce that the 2026 Royal Rumble will be held in Saudi Arabia.
January 6, 2025 – WWE®️, part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), in partnership with The General Entertainment Authority (GEA), on behalf of HE Turki Alalshikh, announced that the 39th annual Royal Rumble will be held in January 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This landmark event marks the first time the Royal Rumble will be hosted outside of North America.
Royal Rumble is an annual WWE Premium Live Event that includes both a men’s and women’s match with the winners eliminating all opponents and securing a Championship opportunity at WrestleMania®.
In a statement, HE Turki Alalshikh said, “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. Through this partnership with WWE, we aim to enhance the entertainment sector and deliver a transformative experience that attracts a wide audience.”
He added, “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 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,” said Nick Khan, WWE President.
The announcement of Royal Rumble being held in Riyadh in 2026 marks a continued expansion to the successful partnership between WWE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which has already seen record-breaking events including Crown Jewel, Elimination Chamber, King & Queen of the Ring, Night of Champions, SmackDown and Monday Night RAW.
Powell’s POV: It’s a banner day for WWE. The company announced their partnership with Hulk Hogan’s beer and now followed up with the Saudi announcement. At the rate they are going, it wouldn’t shock me if they announce the alleged sex pest’s return to the company two hours from now. Yes, I’m kidding (kinda). But I’m not joking when I say that I suspect that the latest announcement means it’s only a matter of time before WrestleMania is held in Saudi Arabia.
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