WWE’s Crown Jewel plans in Saudi Arabia are facing even more questions after another major international event in Riyadh was postponed and a ballistic missile targeting the city was intercepted Friday morning.
On October 23, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics announced that the United Nations World Data Forum and Second Saudi Statistical Forum, scheduled for November 9 through November 12 in Riyadh, have been pushed back to 2027. That’s just two days after WWE is supposed to hold Crown Jewel at Riyadh Season Stadium on November 7.
According to Reuters, Saudi officials said the decision was made to ensure international participation and deliver a successful event. They did not specifically blame security concerns for the postponement.
This is now the second major international event in Riyadh to get pushed back. Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative conference, originally scheduled for October 26 through October 29, was also postponed until 2027.
And the security situation isn’t getting any better. Early Friday morning, Saudi air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile heading toward Riyadh shortly after 4 a.m. local time. Officials also confirmed another missile was intercepted near Khamis Mushait, along with two drones targeting southern Saudi Arabia. No casualties or damage were reported from the latest interceptions.
The developments come just one day after the U.S. Embassy warned Americans to use extreme caution at Saudi airports. The October 22 alert stated that operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh remained suspended following attacks on airports and other infrastructure. That creates another problem for WWE, which still has to get its wrestlers, production crew and equipment into Riyadh for Crown Jewel.
TKO executive Ari Emanuel addressed the situation during an interview with Fox News earlier this week. Despite the security concerns, he maintained that the company’s upcoming events were still moving forward.
“Right now, everything’s still set. This weekend coming up in Abu Dhabi, we have a UFC fight. We have in the middle of November a Frieze art show. So far, so good. Nothing’s been canceled.”
Emanuel also confirmed that TKO has people evaluating the situation and looking at possible alternatives in case events can’t take place as scheduled.
“Yeah, we have a whole team kind of working on this, and kind of when—and if that doesn’t happen, where we can move it. It’s a daily monitoring.”
That’s especially important now that two major events in Riyadh have already been postponed. WWE hasn’t announced any changes to Crown Jewel, but TKO is clearly preparing for the possibility that plans may need to change.
As Ringside News previously covered, the U.S. government also ordered non-emergency diplomatic personnel and family members to leave Saudi Arabia earlier this week.
For now, Crown Jewel remains scheduled for November 7 at Riyadh Season Stadium. WWE hasn’t announced a postponement or relocation, and there’s no confirmation that the company has decided to move the show.
Still, with another major event postponed, missiles being intercepted over Riyadh and airport operations disrupted, WWE has some serious decisions to make before November 7.
Do you think WWE should move Crown Jewel out of Saudi Arabia given the latest developments, or should the company continue with its current plans? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
