5 WWE Superstars of Middle Eastern descent

Over the years, WWE has transformed into a company that has been providing equal opportunities to many talented individuals, regardless of their background. This has opened up the doors for more international Superstars and those with diverse backgrounds to enter the ring and make a name for themselves.

Currently, the roster is filled with a mix of Superstars from different nationalities, and even different descents. A quick look at the WWE roster will reveal Superstars come from countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and even from the Netherlands.

Similarly, many Superstars who have signed with the company this decade are either born and bred from the Middle East or are of Middle Eastern descent. This has encouraged many youngsters from from the Middle East and South Asia to try out for a spot on the main roster in recent times.

In this article, we will look at the 5 current WWE Superstars who are of Middle Eastern descent.

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#5 Noam Dar

Dar is one of the hottest future prospects in the industry!

Born in Israel, Noam Dar moved to Scotland at the age of 5 along with his family. He fell in love with wrestling at a young age and started competing at the Independent Circuit of the UK at the age of 15. This provided him with a lot of time and experience, and he went on to become one of the most wanted Superstars in the independent circuit.

After working with several promotions, including Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) and Progress Wrestling, Dar competed in the 2016 Cruiserweight Classic in WWE, thus becoming the first Israeli wrestler to perform for the company. This opened the doors for the Superstar who then continued to work with the company and become a constant.

He has not only worked in the Cruiserweight division of WWE 205 Live but has also become an interesting addition to NXT UK where he has had a good feud with Mark Andrews. He also competed with Pete Dunne for the NXT UK Championship on the inaugural episode of the NXT UK series.

Even though Dar has suffered his fair share of injuries during his time in the company, it seems like he is a huge talent that can serve the company for years to come and bring a major change in the action that takes place inside the ring.

#4 Mojo Rawley

Rawley is still looking for his big break

Mojo Rawley’s biggest accomplishment in WWE came in 2017 when he won the Andrade The Giant Trophy. Born Dean Muhtadi, Mojo Rawley tried his hands at a career in football before turning his attention to wrestling.

Rawley’s father is of Palestinian descent, while his mother is half-Syrian. This makes him another unique Superstar in WWE, and he is known to have family Saudi Arabia and all around the Middle East.

After sustaining an injury while playing football, Rawley decided to sign with the WWE as a wrestler in 2012 and was assigned to its developmental territories. After some years of performing in NXT, Rawley made his main roster debut and it seemed like he would become a major mid-card player in the years to come, similar to Baron Corbin.

However, Rawley hasn’t had as much success as many of his fellow-NXT exports and has remained in the undercard for most of his time on the main roster.

At a time when WWE is trying to cater to a larger audience around the globe, especially in the Middle East, we could see Rawley get his big break after a change in character.

#3 Aliyah

The youngster has broken the norms

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Nhooph Al-Areebi grew up in a conservative family. She has revealed that she is half-Syrian and half-Iraqi, making her one of the most unique Superstars in the company today.

Yes half Syrian half Iraqi https://t.co/QwklpLuedB

— BOUJEÉ Aliyah (@WWE_Aliyah) July 15, 2017

Aliyah followed the path her family had laid down for her and studied nursing at George Brown College. However, her love for wrestling couldn’t keep her away from the sport and she started competing on the independent circuit as Jasmin Areebi in 2013. She is a two-time IPW Women's Champion.

She sites Beth Phoenix and Mickie James as her true inspirations for becoming a wrestler and has also named Jeff Hardy and Edge in her list of favorites.

After competing in several promotions throughout Canada and the United States, Aliyah struck gold when she signed a contract with WWE in March 2015. Aliyah became a part of Tyler Breeze’s entrance initially and made her in-ring debut a few months later.

While Aliyah has been a part of the company for some time now, she still hasn’t risen up the ranks much and has a few areas to improve on before WWE can give her the big push to become a true international Superstar.

Aliyah’s most recent work has seen her pair up with Vanessa Borne to form a heel team that has attacked a few Superstars on the Black and Gold brand.

#2 Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn is destined for greatness

Arguably the most famous of the lot, Sami Zayn has made a niche for himself in the WWE. Rami Sebei was born on July 12, 1984, in Canada to Syrian parents.

He is one of the biggest stars to have come out of NXT for the company and was well known for his work even before his arrival to WWE. On the Independent circuit, Sami performed wearing a mask for most of his career under the ring name El Generico. He gave up the mask upon signing with WWE in 2013.

Not only is Sami and extraordinary performer in the ring, he also well-known for his mic skills and his friendship with Kevin Owens. During his time in NXT, the Superstar won the NXT Championship once before moving to the main roster.

Zayn is the most popular wrestler on this list, who has performed in high profile matches on all three brands of WWE. Even though Sami likes to keep his personal life as private as possible, he has revealed on several occasions that he is a Muslim Syrian who supports his home country. In mid-2017, Sami took one step further in showing his love for Syria and set up the Sami for Syria fund which supports the Syrian American Medical Society.

#1 Mansoor

Mansoor is the first ever WWE Superstar from Saudi Arabia

Mansoor was one of the men introduced to the WWE Universe during the company's first pay-per-view in Saudi Arabia. This opened the door to the young Superstar’s career as a professional sports entertainer, and he became the first Saudi Arabian to ever compete inside the WWE ring.

What makes him more unique than the rest of Superstars in the list is the fact that he’s based in Saudi Arabia, unlike the others. Mansoor signed a developmental contract with the company and made history at WWE Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia by winning the largest Battle Royal in WWE history.

The young Superstar claims that watching Daniel Bryan and John Cena compete at SummerSlam 2013 inspired him to become a wrestler, and he began competing at the age of 18.

While Mansoor still has a long way to go, he is currently signed to NXT where he has managed to get a couple of matches even though they’ve ended in losses. At a time when WWE is trying to create a bigger base in Saudi Arabia, we could well see Mansoor become a top star for the company in the coming years and become an ambassador of the company in the Kingdom.