Rumor: WWE Set to Return to Saudi Arabia in November
WWE just concluded their massively promoted return to Saudi Arabia, and rumors are already [...]
WWE just concluded their massively promoted return to Saudi Arabia, and rumors are already surfacing that the company could be headed back for another big show in November.
According to a Saudi Arabian news organization called Riyadh Report, WWE will be holding a big show this fall in the country's capital city of Riyadh. While the news account has a fairly big following on Twitter, we are unable to verify the accuracy of the report.
Exclusive:
— Riyadh Report (@RiyadhReport) April 27, 2018
Turki Al-Sheikh announces another major show for #WWE to be held in November and will be in the capital Of #Saudi Arabia #Riyadh
#اعظم_رويال_رامبل #WWEGRR #WWE pic.twitter.com/J1kTQBCfl4
That said, this is also the account that broke a story on Thursday that showed Brock Lesnar, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Roman Reigns, and Vince McMahon out to eat together the night before Greatest Royal Rumble.
Turki Al-Sheikh holds dinner table with World Stars in Wrestling #WWE in #Jeddah@VinceMcMahon#SaudiArabia #WWEGRR #RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/87wTp0jP6v
— Riyadh Report (@RiyadhReport) April 26, 2018
Vince McMahon and WWE recently signed an agreement with the Saudi Arabian government to promote shows in the country for the next ten years. This was not without a fair bit of controversy, as Saudi Arabia is a country with its fair share of human rights issues. Women are often treated as second class citizens and homosexuals face the death penalty.
Absolutely no members of the women's roster were allowed to work Greatest Royal Rumble due to the policies of the Saudi Arabian regime; this while WWE continues to promote itself as an entity that empowers women and is changing the sports landscape for women.
WWE has held consistent that while they can't change the policies and customs in Saudi Arabia on their own, they want to be part of a changing landscape where they believe the country will eventually allow women to compete at their events.
That notion might be a bit starry-eyed, as the Saudi Arabian government issued an apology to their citizens the day after Greatest Royal Rumble because WWE aired a commercial during the show (for WWE Backlash) that featured women. To many, that was validation of their claims that nothing is actually changing for the better in Saudi Arabia as it pertains to their attitudes toward women.