Could Saudi Arabia Ever See a WWE WrestleMania?
The WWE has confirmed that the 2026 Royal Rumble will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This has led to fan speculation and concern that a future WrestleMania may also take place in Saudi. Fans have been upset about WWE’s relationship with Saudi Arabia since its start in 2018, mostly due to political and human rights standpoints. If a WrestleMania were to be held in the country, it would likely be one of WWE’s worst decisions in history.
In 2018, WWE announced that they had signed a 10-year relationship with Saudi Arabia, which would see two Premium Live Events there every year. They have lived up to that agreement for every year since 2020 and 2021 due to travel restrictions. The concern about a potential WrestleMania in Saudi mainly comes from the fact that they went from having exclusive PLEs to non-exclusive ones. Super Showdown and Crown Jewel were the two Saudi-exclusive events that were held twice a year, though with the ending of Super Showdown, other shows have seen their way into Saudi as well.
Elimination Chamber, Night of Champions, and King and Queen of the Ring have all been PLEs that have made their way to Saudi Arabia over the past few years. Although none of those events scream WrestleMania, the Royal Rumble certainly does. The Rumble is one of WWE’s big four PLEs, alongside Survivor Series, Summerslam, and WrestleMania. It is certainly one of the WWE’s marquee events, and if it has found its way into Saudi Arabia, there’s a chance that more of them could as well.
In May 2024 on the MMA Hour, the Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s GEA, Turki Alalshikh, made two bold claims. The first of those was that he believed the Royal Rumble would be coming to Saudi in 2026 or 2027. The second was that he said the same exact thing for WrestleMania. Given that it’s already been announced that the 2026 Royal Rumble will be hosted in Riyadh, it won’t be surprising if the same news is revealed for a future WrestleMania. WrestleMania 42 does not have a location currently confirmed for it, and since the chances of a WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia are now more than ever, it’s something that could very well be seen in 2026.
