WWE planning a return to Saudi Arabia in 2021

The WWE comes under fire for controversial moments quite frequently. However, very few were covered in such a mainstream way as the organization’s contract to produce multiple events in Saudi Arabia. The COVID-19 global pandemic halted trips overseas for the promotion, but Andrew Zarin commented that the organization is looking to return in October of 2021.

“WWE will be returning to Saudi Arabia in October.” Zarin posted on Twitter on Monday. “If there are no restrictions at the time. Heard October 21 but have not double confirmed.”

Zarin posted this information based on what he’s heard from his sources.

The WWE-Saudi Arabia partnership came under heavy scrutiny for several reasons. What was the initial backlash for dealing with an authoritarian government, the situation worsened with the news of Jamal Khashoggi’s killing in 2018. As more details were released about his assassination, American organizations that were working with the Saudi Arabian government were chastised for those business deals. The WWE continued to work with Saudi Arabia, ignoring the wave of controversy sent their way.

In 2019, the holding of the WWE charter flight brought more criticism to the promotion. Stories about the reason why the situation occurred ranged from mechanical issues to lack of payment, the situation ended with several WWE performers stuck in the country for an extended period.

To date, the promotion has held five events in this multi-million-dollar deal. The first was the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018, and the last was the Super ShowDown that was held in February of 2000 before the world was halted due to COVID-19.

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