WWE President Nick Khan says the company is not concerned about potential logistical issues that may arise from holding WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia in 2027. It was confirmed last month that the company’s biggest event of the year will take place in Riyadh, marking the first time WrestleMania will be held outside of the United States or Canada.
A Natural Next Step
Speaking on a panel at Joy Forum 2025 in Saudi Arabia, Khan described the move as a logical progression for the company’s global strategy. “It was a natural next step for us,” Khan said. “I think at WWE, we realized a number of years ago — you can’t simply pipe American product out globally and hope to be a global product. You actually have to have boots on the ground. So if you look at what we’ve done with our Premium Live Events — formerly known as pay-per-views — over the last few years, about half of those now take place outside of the United States.”
Confidence in Viewership and Travel
Khan pointed to the company’s long-standing business relationship with the Kingdom as a key factor. “We’re in the eighth year of a long-term partnership with Turki Alalshikh and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia… We’re bringing Royal Rumble here at the end of January [2026]. It’s the first time Royal Rumble, which is our second or third biggest event, will take place outside of the United States or Canada,” Khan stated.
He expressed strong confidence in the appeal of holding their flagship event in Riyadh. “And WrestleMania 2027, as you just mentioned, will be here in April of that year, first time ever WrestleMania, as you also said, outside of the US or Canada. We’re excited. We think viewership is going to be strong. We think people will come to the Kingdom to see our show, and we’re going to put on a spectacle.”
Why Saudi Arabia Was Chosen
When asked why Saudi Arabia was specifically selected to host the historic event, Khan reiterated that the established partnership was the primary reason. He noted that hosting WrestleMania was a goal Saudi officials first mentioned seven years ago.
“So when Turki expressed interest in having it here, we got together for a couple of different meetings, worked out the deal in short order and then had the good fortune of announcing it the day before Canelo vs. Crawford, our first [boxing] fight together in Las Vegas,” Khan said.
The partnership between WWE and Saudi Arabia, which began in 2018, continues to expand with the addition of major Premium Live Events. Before WrestleMania 43 in 2027, the Kingdom will host the Royal Rumble in January 2026.
