WWE Still Advertising Crown Jewel 2026 For Saudi Arabia

Despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, WWE are continuing to advertise that Crown Jewel on November 7 will be taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as planned.

WWE heavily promoted Crown Jewel during the October 12 episode of Raw, with it being officially announced that the show will feature matches for the Crown Jewel championships in World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns vs. WWE Champion Sami Zayn and Women's World Champion Liv Morgan vs. WWE Women's Champion Chelsea Green. Raw featured several references to Crown Jewel being held in Saudi Arabia.

There has been opposition within WWE to Crown Jewel taking place in the Middle East due to ongoing hostilities in the region. This includes airstrikes being carried out against Riyadh airport over the past week by the Iran-backed Houthis as part of the Yemen civil war, with Saudi Arabia backing the UN-recognised Yemen government. This escalation has taken place amid the ongoing US-Iran war that began in February 2026.

Following the airstrikes, which have resulted in double-digit deaths so far, Saudi Arabia General Entertainment Authority Chairman Turki Alalshikh noted "hard times reveal true friends" in reference to Canelo Alvarez still planning to have his boxing match against Christian Mbilli in Riyadh on October 31.

"Canelo reached out and told me he’ll still fight in Riyadh this October, no matter what happens. He fears nothing. My country is home to the two Holy Mosques, land of peace, safety, rich civilization, deep history, and kind-hearted people. Thank you to everyone who checked in and showed support. Hard times reveal true friends," Alalshikh tweeted.

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, people in WWE knew the tweet was partly directed at them and the upcoming Crown Jewel pay-per-view.

"In WWE, when that tweet came out, I mean they knew it was a message for them too... This is obviously going to be Ari Emanuel’s decision. This is way over Nick Khan’s head. I’m sure it won’t be without Nick Khan’s input," Meltzer said.

The United States Department of State's travel advisory for Saudi Arabia recommends US citizens reconsider travel to the country.