Why Sami Zayn Is Able To Compete At Night Of Champions In Saudi Arabia
Mia Walsh
Published Mar 28, 2026
Roman Reigns will hit 1,000 days as Universal Champion on the same day Night of Champions falls in Saudi Arabia. It seemed likely Reigns would therefore defend his titles on that show and perhaps even lose one of them, but unless The Tribal Chief is going to pull double duty, that's not going to happen.
Sami Zayn In Saudi Arabia
In fact, Reigns will have a chance to add not one, but two more titles to his already impressive haul. Reigns is so sick of The Usos failing to win back the Tag Titles from Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, he's going to take matters into his own hands. He and Solo Sikoa will challenge Zayn and KO for the championships, marking an important milestone for the champions.
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Neither KO nor Zayn has competed on WWE's Saudi shows since the company started holding premium live events in the Middle East a few years ago. Zayn is part Syrian, and since Syria and Saudi Arabia have a broken relationship, Zayn hasn't traveled for the shows. It might have even been unsafe for Zayn to travel to and compete in Saudi Arabia.
Repaired Relations Between Syria And Saudi Arabia
Many fans assumed that would mean he and KO might lose the titles before Night of Champions, but that's not going to happen. As for why Zayn can now appear on a WWE show in Saudi Arabia, it seems likely the change is connected to the renewed relationship between the country and Syria. Reported by TJR Wrestling, Syria has been readmitted to the Arab League and ties between it and Saudi Arabia have been repaired.
“The Syrian Arab Republic decided to resume the work of its diplomatic mission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” a statement issued by the Saudi Press Agency earlier this week reads. There has been no confirmation that's why Zayn can now travel to Saudi Arabia with WWE, but the timing makes it seem likely. It's also likely KO's unwillingness to wrestle on prior Saudi shows was connected to his friendship with Zayn, hence why he is also okay to travel for Night of Champions.
