Historic First: Turki Alalshikh Confirms WrestleMania 43 Coming to Saudi Arabia in 2027

After Royal Rumble coming to The Kingdom in 2026, Turki Alalshikh teases WrestleMania 43's impending debut in Saudi Arabia.

Historic First: Turki Alalshikh Confirms WrestleMania 43 Coming to Saudi Arabia in 2027

Triple H and WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia (via Imagn and Facebook)

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WrestleMania is the crown jewel not just of WWE, but of professional wrestling as a whole. Since its launch in 1985, ‘The Show of Shows’ has served as the ultimate stage where icons like The Undertaker, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, and Stone Cold Steve Austin cemented their legacies.

For nearly four decades, the spectacle has been held exclusively in North America. But that long-standing tradition could finally change in 2027. Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority Chairman, Turki Alalshikh, has long expressed interest in bringing major WWE events like the Royal Rumble or WrestleMania to the Kingdom.

For the uninitiated, the Rumble has already been confirmed to debut in Saudi Arabia in 2026. And in a since-deleted Snapchat post that circulated on September 10, Al-Sheikh revealed that WrestleMania will make history in 2027.

We are announcing that for the first time, WrestleMania will take place outside America. WrestleMania will be coming to Saudi Arabia in 2027.

Turki Alalshikh via a leaked Snapchat video

According to PWInsider’s Mike Johnson, a press release in Arabic about WrestleMania 43 and Al-Sheikh’s announcement briefly went live before being pulled. Johnson later confirmed with WWE sources that the story was 100% legitimate and an announcement would come very soon, bringing WrestleMania to an international location outside of North America for the first time ever.

Apart from Johnson, Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp also confirmed that there was a big announcement set for Friday this week, before the news was leaked. For the unversed, WWE entered into a partnership with Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA) in 2018, announcing a 10-year deal that would run through 2027. 

As part of the agreement, the promotion committed to delivering two large-scale events in the Kingdom each year. This partnership gave birth to shows like The Greatest Royal Rumble, Crown Jewel, and the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments under the Night of Champions banner.

According to Wrestlenomics, WWE has received around $50 million per premium live event under this deal, a staggering figure that highlights Saudi Arabia’s investment in sports entertainment. Earlier this year, rumors even circulated about a Saudi-hosted “Super WrestleMania,” which raised speculation that it might be a special edition rather than the official WrestleMania of the year.

So, it’s still possible that what Alalshikh’s team accidentally revealed could turn out to be something like 2018’s Greatest Royal Rumble, a massive show, but not officially part of the WrestleMania lineage. While markets like France and London continue to capture the imagination of fans worldwide, WWE appears ready to take its biggest show to the place offering the biggest bucks.

Triple H addresses the evolution of women performers in Saudi Arabia since WWE’s partnership in 2018

When WWE first partnered with Saudi Arabia in 2018, women were not allowed to compete at the initial three events. That changed at Crown Jewel 2019, when female talent began performing on the shows, marking a major shift for WWE’s presence in the Kingdom.

From a business standpoint, the partnership has been successful for the Stamford-based company. However, it has also faced heavy criticism due to Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, particularly its treatment of women and LGBTQ+ people.

Triple H and Women's wrestling in Saudi Arabia
Triple H and Women’s wrestling in Saudi Arabia (via Imagn and WWE)

WWE CCO Triple H recently addressed the issue during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. He explained how WWE has gradually helped drive change in Saudi Arabia by showcasing women at their events.

That’s been their goal from the beginning, I think, to change their perception, to change how they are, to open up that umbrella for women and with the country, but it takes time.

Triple H via The Pat McAfee Show

‘The Game’ further emphasised that significant change takes time and that one needs to be at the forefront and lead the charge for new systems and beliefs. 

You can’t just do that stuff all at once, or you alienate all the people that are in front of it, that had an old, long-standing belief, so you’ve got to do it over time. I truly believe that to initiate change, you gotta be part of it.

Triple H via The Pat McAfee Show

Now that WWE is part of TKO, the company’s business philosophy is clear: expand and dominate. After successful ventures in markets like Lyon, Paris, London, and Belgium, it looks like Saudi Arabia is poised to secure an even bigger slice of the entertainment giant’s spotlight.

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