The 2026 WWE Royal Rumble event will emanate from Saudi Arabia, PWInsider.com has confirmed with multiple sources in the company.
This will be the first time the event, which officially kicks off WWE's Wrestlemania season, will be held outside of the United States since the Rumble graduated into a PPV back in January 1989. The initial Rumble event, then a USA Network special, was held in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in January 1988.
We are told the deal to take the event to Saudi is locked in and that an official announcement could come as soon as this Monday's Raw Netflix premiere.
WWE bringing one of their most important events of the year to Saudi Arabia would be their largest scale undertaking in that country to date and certainly opens the door for other "top five" events, including Wrestlemania, to one day emanate from The Middle East. It will also likely spark a lot of discussion, given the scrutiny the company has received over the relationship in some circles.
WWE is in the midst of a ten year agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that currently runs through 2028. WWE has produced 12 PPVs (including a "Greatest Royal Rumble" event that is unconnected to the traditional Rumble event that kicks off Wrestlemania storiylines) and two television tapings over the course of the deal thus far, which has also included the construction and launch of the WWE Experience themed attraction, which includes the first-ever WWE dark ride, an Undertaker themed-escape room, memorabilia displays and more.
The 2025 edition of The Rumble is slated for 2/1 in Indianapolis