Summary

Nick Khan said WrestleMania 43 is still scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2027, which would make it the first WrestleMania held outside the United States or Canada.

Speaking at the SBJ CAA World Congress of Sports in Los Angeles, Khan pointed to WWE's existing relationship with Saudi Arabia and said the company's audience will follow its biggest event regardless of location. During the same appearance, Khan also addressed WrestleMania 42 demand in separate comments about ticket pricing.

Quote from Nick Khan

"We’re doing WrestleMania next year in Saudi. First time ever, WrestleMania will be outside the United States or Canada, and we’ve had a big, fruitful partnership with them…"

Khan later went on to say:

"When we go, it doesn’t have to be only here. Our fans will tune in… no matter where we go."

Nick Khan's Saudi Arabia comments and WWE's approach

Khan also downplayed criticism of WWE running major events in Saudi Arabia, describing the pushback as coming from a vocal minority and saying company decisions are driven by ratings, revenue, and relevancy.

That lines up with WWE's recent event strategy. The company has taken more Premium Live Events outside North America in recent years, and the 2026 Royal Rumble was held in Saudi Arabia in January.

What WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia means for WWE

If WrestleMania 43 stays in Riyadh, WWE will be treating its biggest annual show as a truly global destination event rather than something tied to North America. That is a major business signal, especially with Khan framing the decision around audience strength and revenue.

It also suggests WWE believes any backlash will be outweighed by the scale of the event itself. WrestleMania has traditionally defined the company's calendar, so moving that show to Saudi Arabia would be one of the clearest statements yet about how far WWE is willing to push its international premium event model.

Sources

As reported by Fightful