Mark Shapiro Says TKO May Announce More Events In Middle East In 2026, ‘Demand Is Outstripping Supply’

TKO has been working with Saudi Arabia since the WWE-UFC merger three years ago, and despite the conflict going on in the Middle East, they aren’t slowing down.

WWE will return to Saudi in November with Crown Jewel, and WrestleMania 43 will be held in Saudi next year. UFC has upcoming events in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Conference, TKO COO Mark Shapiro discussed the TKO partnership with Saudi.

“Obviously nothing bigger next year than WrestleMania being in Saudi Arabia, which will be one to remember and one not to miss. Of course, our partners in Saudi bring the UFC and WWE to their region because they’re trying to draw attendance from not just around the globe, but certainly in the Middle East. All I would tell you is when it comes to the Middle East, despite what’s going on, despite how much longer that may go on, they’re open for business. In fact, I would tell you they’re more hungry to bring live events, not just sports, but concerts to the Middle East to show the world and tourism and fans that they’re open for business and they’re not slowing down. We’ve stayed on track with our events for this year. We still have two more events this year.

We may actually announce a couple more this year. 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.”

WWE’s relationship with Saudi dates back to 2014, but expanded in 2018 with a 10-year strategic multi-platform partnership.