WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia: How significant is hosting WWE's biggest event in the kingdom?

Millions around the world watch the annual two-night event that combines sport and spectacle

Hosting WrestleMania will bring Saudi Arabia more tourism, hospitality bookings and global media exposure. AFP

In 2027, Saudi Arabia will become the first country outside North America to host WrestleMania.

For WWE, it marks a bold expansion of its biggest event. For Saudi Arabia, it is a clear demonstration of its ambition to become a global centre for sport and entertainment.

WrestleMania has long been professional wrestling’s most prestigious stage. Since its debut at Madison Square Garden in 1985, when Hulk Hogan and Mr T headlined against Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff, the event has been as much about spectacle as it has been about sport. Celebrity appearances, dramatic storylines and elaborate production values have made it a cultural touchstone.

What began as a risky pay-per-view experiment is now a worldwide phenomenon. Host cities benefit from packed stadiums with tens of thousands of travelling fans and millions watching around the world.

The surrounding activities, from the Hall of Fame ceremony to fan festivals, transform WrestleMania into a week-long celebration that rivals the economic impact of major sporting occasions such as the Super Bowl.

The Gulf’s love for wrestling

The Gulf has its own early chapters in wrestling history. The company, then known as the World Wrestling Federation, staged multi-show tours in the region in the 1990s, which helped to seed local interest.

The Kuwaiti Cup tournament ran in Kuwait City from May 7 to 12, 1996. The Middle East Cup tournament followed in Dubai in November. Both events included headline appearances from stars such as Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Owen Hart and The Undertaker, among others.

These events were held outdoors for large crowds, underscoring that Gulf fans were exposed to top level WWF talent long before the modern Saudi partnership.

Saudi Arabia’s staging of WrestleMania is the culmination of nearly a decade of collaboration with WWE. In 2018, the company signed a 10-year partnership with the kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority, leading to a string of high-profile shows in Riyadh and Jeddah.

The Greatest Royal Rumble, Super ShowDown, Elimination Chamber and the annual Crown Jewel have steadily grown in scale and visibility, drawing capacity crowds and generating international coverage.

The latest WWE show to be held in Saudi Arabia was Night of Champions in Riyadh on June 28 at Kingdom Arena. The biggest names in wrestling, including John Cena, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton, took part in matches in front of a crowd of 25,000 people.

Next big step for Saudi Arabia’s vision

John Cena celebrates with Saudi fans after defeating CM Punk for the undisputed WWE Championship at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. AFP

The economic dimension cannot be overlooked. WWE’s partnership with Saudi Arabia has already produced revenue estimated to rival the earnings of several WrestleMania events combined.

According to Wrestlenomics, following Night of Champions, WWE had generated $600 million from its events in the kingdom. By comparison, the total revenue from every WrestleMania ticket sale since 1985 amounted to $400 million.

Bringing the main event to the kingdom will deliver a further surge in tourism, hospitality bookings and global media exposure, underlining the country’s ability to host spectacles on the largest scale.

Equally important is the symbolic weight. Vision 2030 has placed cultural diversification at the heart of national strategy. Hosting Formula One, world championship boxing and global music concerts has signalled Saudi Arabia’s intent.

WrestleMania now joins that roster, bringing nearly four decades of history and unmatched recognition within the world of sports entertainment.

The announcement that the 2026 Royal Rumble will also take place in Riyadh provides the perfect dress rehearsal. Traditionally one of WWE’s most important annual events, the Rumble sets the stage for WrestleMania by determining its headline matches.

Staging it in the country a year before ensures the operational readiness and storyline integration that will make 2027 a smooth step forward.

In recent years, Saudi events have become deeply entwined with WWE narratives, hosting title changes and pivotal rivalries that ripple through weekly programming.

How big is WrestleMania?

WrestleMania is the biggest event in the wrestling calendar. USA TODAY Sports

WrestleMania is WWE’s single largest platform and a major revenue driver. Its scale is reflected in attendance and gate records. WrestleMania 32 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, registered an attendance of 101,763.

WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles raised that bar further, reporting a combined two-night attendance of 161,892 and total revenue from ticket sales in excess of $21.6 million.

Those figures exemplify just part of the event's financial and cultural reach: merchandise, sponsorship, streaming rights and the surrounding fan economy all contribute to its enormous impact on host cities and on WWE’s bottom line.

For wrestling fans across the Middle East, the announcement is particularly meaningful. Generations have followed WWE on television, yet attending WrestleMania in person has required travel to the US or Canada that can not only be difficult, but costly as well. In 2027, fans will have the opportunity to experience the pyrotechnics, grand entrances and headline matches live and close to home.

WrestleMania’s arrival in Saudi Arabia is more than a one-off event. It will be the culmination of a long regional history with wrestling, the result of years of commercial partnership, and a vivid symbol of the country’s place in the global entertainment market.