A full year before it will happen, WWE has already announced next year’s Royal Rumble will take place in Saudi Arabia, it being the first Big 4 Premium Live Event to leave North America since 1992!
WWE announced the first Royal Rumble to happen outside of North America as in January 2026, they’ll head to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the 2026 Royal Rumble. This is the first time a big 4 PLE will emanate from outside of North America since SummerSlam 1992 in London, England. Saudi Arabia has hosted two PLE’s a year since 2018 (barring a gap period in 2020/2021 due to the covid pandemic) and as of 2024 started to host tapings of Raw and SmackDown as well despite criticism of a record of human rights violations the country of Saudi Arabia has. Below is a quote of the announcement from WWE.com:
WWE, in partnership with The General Entertainment Authority (GEA), on behalf of HE Turki Alalshikh, announced that the 39th annual Royal Rumble will be held in January 2026 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This landmark event marks the first time the Royal Rumble will be hosted outside of North America.
Royal Rumble is an annual WWE Premium Live Event that includes both a men’s and women’s match with the winners eliminating all opponents and securing a Championship opportunity at WrestleMania.
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.”
He added, “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.
The announcement of Royal Rumble being held in Riyadh in 2026 marks a continued expansion to the successful partnership between WWE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which has already seen record-breaking events including Crown Jewel, Elimination Chamber, King & Queen of the Ring, Night of Champions, SmackDown and Monday Night RAW.
There’s no information about a precise date, venue, start time or matches outside of the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches. It is reasonable to estimate a January 31st date with a 1 PM EST/6 PM GMT start time, but we’ll keep you posted on those start times whenever we get closer to the event.
What are your thoughts? Are you glad to have the Royal Rumble air at a better timeslot or aren’t you thrilled about Saudi Arabia getting a big PLE? Sound off in the comments down below.
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