Mark Shapiro Teases Announcement Of More TKO Events In The Middle East

WWE parent company, TKO Group Holdings, teased via the latter's president and COO, Mark Shapiro, at the Goldman Sachs conference on Tuesday, that the company is looking to host more events in the Middle East. WWE WrestleMania 43 is already set for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia next year, though the exact date, or dates, for the event have not been revealed.

Shapiro said, via Investing.com, that "despite what's going on" in the Middle East, and "how much longer" it may go on, presumably referring to ongoing tensions within multiple countries, the Middle East is "open for business." He said the region wants to bring more live events to the area to show the world that tourism remains open.

"We may actually announce a couple more [events] this year," Shapiro said. "That's how much demand we're seeing, and I think that's ultimately the headline among the headlines when it comes to TKO and where we sit in the sports entertainment ecosystem. Demand is outstripping supply."

In addition to WrestleMania next year, WWE Crown Jewel is scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia in November. Two UFC events will take place in Abu Dhabi, in October, and in Qater, set for November.

WWE announced its initial partnership with the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Sports in 2014. In 2019, the company revealed it had expanded its partnership with the General Entertainment Authority through 2027. The updated agreement called for multiple large-scale events in the kingdom every year. The 2026 Royal Rumble took place from the King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh.