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2026 WWE Royal Rumble Officially Heading to Saudi Arabia

WWE Royal Rumble will be held outside of North America for the first time in it's nearly 40 year history.

Rick Ucchino

Jan 27, 2024; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Bayley celebrates after winning the women s Royal Rumble match during the Royal Rumble at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Jan 27, 2024; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Bayley celebrates after winning the women s Royal Rumble match during the Royal Rumble at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, announced Monday afternoon that the 39th annual Royal Rumble will be held in January 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

It's the first time that the Royal Rumble will be hosted outside of North America in the marquee event's nearly four decade long history.

Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, expressed his excitement as part of the statement released by WWE, “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.”

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The announcement of the Royal Rumble being held in Riyadh in 2026 marks a continued expansion of the partnership between WWE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has already included a number of record-breaking events including Crown Jewel, Elimination Chamber, King & Queen of the Ring, Night of Champions, SmackDown and Monday Night Raw.

“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 WWE President Nick Khan.

The 38th annual Royal Rumble is just weeks away from taking place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino has been covering professional wrestling since 2019, but his broadcast career has spanned over 15 years. He can be heard every weekday morning on 700WLW radio in Cincinnati, OH. You can also read his work over on SI's Cincinnati Reds Talk. Follow Rick on X and Instagram: @RickUcchino

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