WWE’s Saudi Arabia Chapter: What Comes After WrestleMania 43?

Next year, the world’s biggest pro‑wrestling spectacle, WrestleMania 43, will finally leave North America and land in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It’s a headline‑grabbing move, no doubt, and it also marks the climax of a ten‑year agreement that the Stamford‑based promotion signed with the Kingdom’s General Sports Authority.

That deal has already given us a few historic moments – remember the Royal Rumble that broke tradition by being staged outside the United States? It was a bold step, and now the Showcase of the Immortals will be the biggest show the partnership has produced so far.

But as the excitement builds, a different kind of chatter is bubbling up behind the scenes. Veteran wrestling journalist Sean Ross Sapp, speaking on Fightful Select Answers, said he doesn’t really expect WWE to keep sending premium live events to Saudi Arabia once the current contract expires in 2028. He hinted that the Kingdom’s appetite for big‑ticket WWE shows might be waning, especially after they secured the coveted WrestleMania slot for 2027.

Adding another layer, Sapp mentioned that the General Sports Authority has been reallocating funds, pulling back from a slew of other sports projects to double‑down on the WWE deal. If that’s true, the ten‑year push could be winding down, and the partnership might simply run its natural course.

There’s also a more personal, almost cinematic backstory about the deal’s inception. In his memoir, "Sometimes Wrong but Never in Doubt," former WWE co‑president George Barrios recounts heated debates between Vince McMahon, himself, and executive Michelle Wilson. The controversy over journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder in a Saudi consulate in Turkey reportedly made McMahon uneasy. Barrios wrote that Vince kept shaking his head, saying the deal could be the biggest risk WWE ever took.

Whether those concerns will echo into the future remains to be seen. The contract is set to lapse, and while no official word has been spoken about a renewal, both parties seem to be playing their cards close to the chest. Fans will have to wait and see if the next chapter of WWE’s Saudi adventure is written, or if this will be the final curtain call for the partnership.

One thing’s for sure: WrestleMania 43 will go down in history not just for the matches inside the ring, but also as the potential swan song of a decade‑long gamble that changed where and how WWE does business.