WWE held its 24th and 25th events in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this past weekend. The lucrative partnership is moving forward into a key period, and new details have been revealed on how things are going between the two sides, along with future PLE plans.
World Wrestling Entertainment held three tours with a total of 8 non-televised live events in Riyadh and Jeddah from April 2014 – November 2016. Greatest Royal Rumble began a massive 10-year strategic partnership in 2018, and later the deal was extended to include two PLEs per year. Since GRR, WWE has held 13 more Premium Live Events in the Kingdom, along with two SmackDown episodes and one for the RAW brand.
Saudi Royal Court adviser Turki Al-Sheikh is becoming an important name in the WWE Universe. The government Minister publicly revealed in May 2024 that there were talks for the Royal Rumble or WrestleMania to be held in the Kingdom in 2026 or 2027.
The Saudi General Entertainment Authority Chairman was not bluffing as the 39th annual Royal Rumble was later confirmed for Riyadh in January 2026. After Triple H and Al-Sheikh solidified the WWE-KSA alliance this weekend, sources have now revealed that this is not WWE’s only massive change related to Saudi Arabia for next year.
WWE Planning Three Trips To Saudi Arabia In 2026
WWE released a new Royal Rumble 2026 promo during Night of Champions Weekend, but the actual date, and venue in Riyadh, have yet to be confirmed. However, Fightful Select reports that a team essential in putting Night of Champions together in Saudi Arabia are set to begin working on Riyadh’s Rumble in just a few weeks, despite being at least six months away.
Several months ago it was confirmed that WWE had plans for just one PLE in Saudi Arabia this year. Now we know why: officials have a busy schedule planned for the Kingdom in 2026.
Triple H and his teams are currently planning to hold three Premium Live Events in Saudi Arabia next year. 2026 will kick off with the Royal Rumble in January, but then the company will return in May and November. These dates are tentative, and the event names were not confirmed, but Crown Jewel, Night of Champions, and Elimination Chamber are all possible.
WWE has traditionally held Survivor Series in the month of November, during the week of Thanksgiving. This year’s version with WarGames has been confirmed for November 29 in San Diego. Regarding November 2026, a backstage source stated that WWE likely isn’t taking Survivor Series to Saudi Arabia, but if they did, the PLE would be moved off Thanksgiving Weekend because it would be hard to imagine the company sending talents on an overseas tour during a holiday weekend like Thanksgiving.
John Cena worked his final match in Saudi Arabia this past weekend, defeating CM Punk at Night of Champions. The Undisputed Champion later received a very special gift to commemorate his career and his time in the Kingdom.