Cohen, Adam Nicholas. "WWE and Saudi Vision 2030: Professional Wrestling as Cultural Diplomacy." Professional Wrestling Studies Journal, vol. 1, no. 1, 2020, pp. 57-72In 2018, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) produced and aired two live pay-per-view wrestling events in Saudi Arabia. This article looks at the political economy behind the production of these two wrestling events. What is not widely known is that these pay-per-views are part of a state-sponsored, ten-year agreement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and WWE, under the umbrella of a large economic development plan known as Saudi Vision 2030, launched on April 25, 2016, with the aims of reducing the country’s reliance on oil while liberalizing its economy through the developments in infrastructure construction, recreation and tourism. By focusing on the role of sport mega-events in the context of generating a “nation branding legacy,” this article investigates the limitations of WWE’s presence in Saudi Arabia as an effort to promote economic growth and social change.Keywords: cultural diplomacy; nation branding; sports spectatorship; consumerism