Saudi organizers have moved WWE’s November 7 Crown Jewel event to a substantially smaller venue in Riyadh, apparently catching some WWE headquarters employees by surprise, as security concerns continue to mount across Saudi Arabia.
The event was originally scheduled for Riyadh Season Stadium at King Abdullah Financial District, an outdoor venue. It will now take place at The Venue, also known as ANB Arena, an indoor facility that accommodates approximately 8,000 spectators.
Riyadh Season announced the move October 28, saying all previously purchased tickets would be refunded and new tickets issued for sale.
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, many employees at WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, learned about the relocation when Riyadh Season posted the announcement on social media. The report raises questions about how much advance notice WWE received from its Saudi partners.
Fightful Select subsequently reported that the move was made for security reasons, not poor ticket sales. WWE also reportedly plans to bring a significantly smaller production crew than usual.
The decision to abandon a large outdoor stadium for a smaller indoor arena comes after weeks of questions about whether WWE should hold the event in Saudi Arabia at all.
As DMV Wrestling News reported October 26, several major airlines have suspended flights to Riyadh, while other international sporting and business events have been postponed or canceled.
Sapp has also reported that multiple WWE wrestlers, including prominent performers, have asked not to be booked for Crown Jewel because of safety concerns. Others scheduled to appear have expressed reservations about traveling to Saudi Arabia, despite assurances from WWE about security precautions.
The concerns extend beyond professional wrestling.
Saudi authorities issued a hostile aerial threat warning for Riyadh on October 29 after Houthi missiles were launched toward the capital. The warning was subsequently lifted after the missiles were intercepted.
A major boxing event featuring Canelo Álvarez and Christian Mbilli proceeded at Kingdom Arena on October 31 without reported security disruptions. However, boxer Lindolfo Delgado withdrew from a scheduled championship fight on the card after his team raised safety concerns about traveling to Saudi Arabia.
American forces struck targets on Iran’s Qeshm Island late Monday, November 2, adding another complication to an already volatile regional security situation. The strikes followed weeks of military activity in the region as the Trump administration continued discussing a possible negotiated settlement with Iran.
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department continues to advise Americans to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia. Its October 23 advisory ordered nonemergency U.S. government employees and their families to leave the country because of security risks.
The British government advises against all but essential travel to most of Saudi Arabia. Its October 27 update warns that King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, struck by a missile October 10, remains at risk and that further attacks and flight disruptions are very likely. British authorities have also suggested that citizens seeking to leave Saudi Arabia consider traveling overland to neighboring countries.
The growing security concerns have also reached TKO Group Holdings management.
According to POST Wrestling, TKO President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Shapiro told employees during an October 28 company meeting that the company would cancel its Middle East events if conditions became too dangerous.
“If there is danger or further escalation of any of these conflicts that are going on, we will not hesitate to cancel those events, damned be our budget,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro also acknowledged that cancellations would have a significant financial impact on TKO’s 2026 results. WWE’s Saudi Arabian events generate approximately $55 million each, and the company is scheduled to bring WrestleMania to Riyadh in 2027.
POST Wrestling reported that WWE and TKO did not respond to questions about what conditions would trigger a cancellation or whether wrestlers and other employees could decline to travel without consequences.
TKO CEO and Executive Chair Ari Emanuel previously said the company was monitoring conditions daily and examining possible alternative venues.
For now, Saudi organizers have moved Crown Jewel indoors, WWE is reportedly reducing the number of employees making the trip, and some wrestlers have asked to stay home.
But the event remains scheduled for Riyadh, even as the United States warns its citizens to reconsider traveling there and American military operations against Iran add to the uncertainty.
The question of whether WWE should be sending its wrestlers, production crews, and other personnel to Saudi Arabia at all remains unanswered.