WWE Crown Jewel status after latest Riyadh attack, internal ‘big topic of conversation’

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WWE Crown Jewel takes place on November 7 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a recent attack leading to behind-the-scenes conversation.

At the time of writing, a US Department of State travel advisory is in place for Saudi Arabia, at “Level 3 – Reconsider travel” with the statement noting that it “includes areas at level 4” (do not travel).

WWE Crown Jewel is still scheduled to take place in Riyadh, despite the current situation in the region, but that doesn’t mean that there are not concerns over the event:

Threat to airspace

On October 8, Reuters reported that an attack had taken place on Riyadh airport as part of an escalated “campaign of strikes against Saudi Arabia on Thursday”. The report goes on to not that the attacks are designed to “shut down the kingdom’s ​airspace and oil facilities”.

With the strike targeting Riyadh airport, this would no doubt put WWE personnel at risk for Crown Jewel.

The US Embassy & Consulates in Saudi Arabia also issued updated advice, reminding “all U.S. citizens to exercise heightened vigilance”.

WWE Crown Jewel plans a ‘big topic of conversation’

According to Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE Crown Jewel has been a talking point behind-the-scenes, stating:

“Whether or not WWE runs Saudi in November was a big topic of conversation in WWE today.”

It has previously been suggested that, regardless of location, November 7 will see a WWE PLE take place due to its broadcasting commitment.

Further to this, it has also been noted that WWE would not lose money if Crown Jewel doesn’t run in Saudi Arabia, with it being likely that another event would be added to the long-term deal.

The logistics of an international WWE event

For international WWE events, the mode of transport is very much air travel, with stars, backstage personnel of all levels and all the equipment needed for the show on planes, whether private or commercial.

While it may be possible to disperse travellers across multiple airports, there are a limited number in Saudi Arabia, and the US State Department advisory is for the whole region, as opposed to Riyadh specifically.

Saudi Arabia has a total of 29 commercial airports, with King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh being one of 16 international and a major hub.

Any such dispersal strategy doesn’t necessarily negate the human aspect of the situation for travellers, with the concern to their safety very much real.

The challenge of keeping the show going

Assuming WWE wants to deliver Crown Jewel on November 7 and chooses to not go to Saudi Arabia, it does leave very little time to secure a new location, assuming one hasn’t already been tagged as a ‘plan B’ solution, let alone advertise it, sell tickets and fill it with fans who fancy seeing a PLE at such short notice.

It isn’t to say that it could not happen; WWE  is, after all, a hugely popular form of entertain, where it chooses to run its events. It’s more that, with just a touch over a month to the PLE date, time is short.

The future of the Saudi Arabia partnership

WWE WrestleMania 43 is still scheduled to take place in 2027, with the show set for April, although an official date has yet to be confirmed.

The deal with Saudi Arabia has grown from its own schedule of PLEs, including Crown Jewel and Night Champions, to bringing Royal Rumble to the fans in January of this year, and WrestleMania next year.

A ten-year deal was struck in 2018, with the addition of two “large-scale events” under an expansion of the partnership, leading to major PLEs running in the region.

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• wwe
• saudi arabia
• Crown Jewel
• riyadh
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