Report: Saudi Arabia To Host WWE Royal Rumble 2026

WWE reportedly is planning to take the Royal Rumble, its fourth-longest-running PPV/PLE, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2026,

PWInsider.com reports that it has confirmed "with multiple sources in the company" that the Rumble will emanate from Saudi Arabia next year, the first time the event has gone international as a PPV/PLE (the initial Rumble event in 1988 took place in Ontario, Canada, but it was a television special). PWInsider reports that the deal is "locked in" and that an official announcement could come as early as the Raw on Netflix premiere on Monday.

An annual winter PPV/PLE tradition since 1989, the Royal Rumble has always signaled the start of WrestleMania season, with the winners of eponymous matches earning a title match against the world champion of their choosing.

WWE is in the midst of a 10-year strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia, holding two PLEs each year in the kingdom that nets the company about $50 million for each event. That deal, which has been rife with controversy and questionable promotional tactics, runs through 2028.

Until this point, WWE has not held any of its "Big Four" PLEs (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Survivor Series) in Saudi Arabia. If this report holds, Royal Rumble 2026 would be the first, and it certainly would open the door for other major, established WWE PLEs to emanate from the kingdom. To date, the only annual established show to take place in Saudi Arabia was Elimination Chamber in 2022.

Fightful Select reported that the Rumble to Saudi Arabia is "the working plan," with Riyadh slated to be the host. The venue is still to be determined. Fightful said they've been told that site layouts have been worked on for the possibility of a Saudi Rumble "in recent months."

This year's Royal Rumble event is slated for 1 February in Indianapolis.