Saudi Arabia to Host WWE’s Royal Rumble 2026
The WWE announced in partnership with The General Entertainment Authority (GEA) that the 39th annual Royale Rumble will take place in Saudi Arabia next January, marking the first time the event will be hosted outside North America.
During Royal Rumble, both men and women will compete. Each winner of the men’s and women’s match will eliminate components to secure a championship opportunity at WrestleMania.
HE Turki Alalshikh said that hosting royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia “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,” Alalshikh said. “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 President Nick Khan said since WWE is a global enterprise, “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.”
The match represents WWE’s continued expansion to the partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Already, the country has hosted record-breaking events like Crown Jewel, Elimination Chamber, King & Queen of the Ring, Night of Champions, SmackDown, and Monday Night Raw.
This follows news of WWE’s newly-announced seven upcoming live shows on the Road to WrestleMania, including a NXT show in Atlanta, SmackDown at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena and the Allstate Arena in Chicago, and RAW events in Cincinnati, New York City, Buffalo, and Sacramento.
