What Really Happened With WWE SmackDown’s Low Crowd Turnout In Saudi Arabia

The January 30, 2026 episode of SmackDown—held at a brand-new stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia ahead of the Royal Rumble—may have looked big on paper, but the reality inside the venue told a different story.

During the broadcast, Michael Cole announced that 18,000 fans were expected to attend, calling it a “late-arriving” crowd. However, numerous wide shots throughout the show revealed large sections of empty seats, sparking immediate speculation about attendance issues.

According to fans in Saudi Arabia, the blame falls squarely on ticketing mismanagement and a booming secondary market. Social media posts claim that tickets meant to be sold on the official platform ended up on third-party resale sites, making them unaffordable for many fans.

One Twitter user, @ali_a_marafi, revealed a detailed breakdown of what went wrong, praising the event’s production while criticizing the resale chaos. His original Arabic post was translated to English. He then explained how the resale system hurt turnout:

“Everything was great yesterday at the #SmackDown show – the crowd, the organization, the fun, the stadium, the stage. Regardless of the level of the show and the matches. But… the black market and the way tickets are being resold completely destroyed the final look of the crowd attendance. A large number of seats were empty. Not because the show failed and not because there is a lack of wrestling fans but because of an unfair system that has greatly wronged a huge number of people who want to attend the shows.”

According to @ali_a_marafi, ticket prices originally set at 80 Riyals (around $21 USD) were being resold on secondary sites for up to 1,012 Riyals (about $270 USD)—a markup that made it impossible for many local fans to attend. He urged the local ticketing platform to step in before the Royal Rumble. And finally, he issued a plea on behalf of wrestling fans across the region:

“I hope they find a quick solution, @webook website today and release tickets at reasonable prices so that everyone can attend and fill the stands. Don’t destroy the dream of a large number of people who want to attend, watch, and enjoy the first #RoyalRumble show ever held in the Arab world.”

With the Royal Rumble just hours away, this ticketing controversy casts a shadow over WWE’s historic first Rumble event in the Middle East.

Should WWE step in and take more control over international ticket distribution? What can be done to make sure real fans get seats, not scalpers? Share your thoughts below.