WWE announce Saudi Arabia will play host to next year’s Royal Rumble – as nation are awarded ‘big four’ premium live event on eve of Netflix debut

WWE have confirmed that the Royal Rumble will head to Saudi Arabia for 2026.

The news broke on Monday afternoon, just weeks out from the 2025 edition of the premium live event which will take place on February 1 in Indianapolis.

It was also just a matter of hours until WWE made its live debut on Netflix after agreeing a 10-year deal worth £3.8bn to stream exclusively with the streaming service.

A number of top stars are expected to be in action for Monday night’s launch, including Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Logan Paul and The Rock.

And now, it has been confirmed that a number of those names will also be heading to the Middle East next year for the Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia – the first time a ‘big four’ PLE has been held in the country.

The big four are WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series and the Royal Rumble.

The event will feature a number of top stars, with Saudi Arabia awarded a ‘big four’ event

Cody Rhodes, the Current WWE champion, has won the last two men’s Rumble matches

The announcement comes on the back of various other events being held in Saudi Arabia – many often created for the sake of taking place in the country.

The first premium live event show in Saudi Arabia took place in 2018 at the Greatest Royal Rumble, which was an additional event to the usual Royal Rumble and took place in April.

Crown Jewel first took place there in 2018, and has been held in the country six times in total.

Other events including Elimination Chamber and King and Queen of the Ring have also headed there.

It comes on the back of Saudi Arabia’s growing involvement in sport, including the introduction of LIV Golf, the hosting of major boxing events and the growth of the Saudi Pro League in football.

As an event, the Royal Rumble is headlined by two Royal Rumble matches – one men’s and one women’s – featuring 30 performers in each match.

Participants are eliminated by being thrown over the top rope and both feet touching the floor.

The winners traditionally take part in a title match at WrestleMania. Cody Rhodes won the men’s event last year before beating Roman Reigns at ‘Mania, while Bayley won the women’s match. 

Triple H (pictured) is now the man in control of WWE following the exit of Vince McMahon

In a statement, HE Turki Alalshikh said, ‘Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the Royal Rumble for the first time outside North America 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.’

‘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 is a global enterprise and 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,’ said Nick Khan, WWE President.