Even a decade ago, it was unthinkable. Slowly, but surely, the improbable seemed inevitable as WWE's partnership with Saudi Arabia grew stronger. It became a matter of when, not if.
That day finally came on Friday when WWE announced it would hold WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia in 2027, a historic and an unprecedented move to take its flagship event out of the United States and Canada for the first time in what could be a seismic shift that can unlock its vast potential.
The news was announced by WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "HHH" Levesque in the presence of World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, Logan Paul, Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Stephanie Vaquer and Charlotte Flair, as well as hall of famers Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker.
"In 2027, we are proud to announce that WrestleMania 43 will take place in Saudi Arabia as part of Riyadh Season," HHH said. "History will undoubtedly be made again."
Since the launch of Riyadh Season in 2019, the festival has welcomed visitors from all over the world to experience thousands of concerts, sporting activities, and other unique cultural events.
#WrestleMania 43 ➡️ Saudi Arabia#WrestleManiaRiyadh @RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/jaqvh3NbFG
September 12, 2025The huge development came in a year that has been marked by some all-time-great events in WWE that broke the internet, including the heel turn of superstar John Cena, return of Brock Lesnar despite controversies and the much-awaited comeback of AJ Lee after a decade.
The announcement comes months before WWE is scheduled to host the 39th annual Royal Rumble in Riyadh in January 2026 in partnership with the General Entertainment Authority. This will also be the first time that Royal Rumble will be hosted outside of North America. Notably, WWE had hosted a special 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 2018.
WWE, which is now part of TKO Group Holdings, started to have non-televised house shows in Saudi Arabia in 2014. Since 2018, WWE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia entered into a partnership that continued to expand.
In 2019, it hosted its first women's wrestling match. The country has seen live events like Crown Jewel, Elimination Chamber, King & Queen of the Ring, Night of Champions, SmackDown and Monday Night Raw.
Even superstars like CM Punk, who had made controversial comments earlier against holding such events in the country, had participated in a match against John Cena at Night of Champions this year.
WWE's collaboration with Saudi Arabia has also drawn criticism from several quarters as the country faced accusations of "sportswashing".
WrestleMania
WrestleMania is a week-long celebration comprising fan events, Friday Night SmackDown, Monday Night Raw, NXT and multiple community outreach initiatives, according to a press release.
Fans from many countries attend WWE's biggest event, which has generated more than $1.5 billion in cumulative economic impact for the cities that have hosted the event over the last decade, the release stated.
The announcement follows a historic WrestleMania 41 in April 2025 in Las Vegas, which became the most successful and highest-grossing event in WWE history. Las Vegas will also hold WrestleMania 42 in 2026.
Netflix is the exclusive home for WWE programming around the world, other than select international markets.
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