WWE has contingency plans for Crown Jewel, WrestlingInc reported, after a missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people on October 10. The show is still scheduled for November 7 at Riyadh Seasonal Stadium, and WWE has not announced a change of city or date. The company has not disclosed where a backup event would be held.
Saudi authorities put the toll from the October 10 strike at 12 dead and 309 injured, according to Khaleej Times. The Houthis, the Iran-aligned group in Yemen, claimed responsibility. Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said the attack also caused property damage whose extent was still being assessed, and airport operations were suspended. Coverage of a second strike on the airport on October 11 reported one more death and 11 injuries. WrestlingInc also reported that the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh advised American citizens to avoid the airport and the surrounding areas.
WWE did not promote Crown Jewel during Saturday's Money in the Bank broadcast, WrestlingInc reported. Bryan Alvarez of Figure Four Weekly and the Wrestling Observer said the event has been a significant subject inside the company. "There were a number of conversations had within WWE about whether the company should actually travel to Saudi Arabia next month," Alvarez said, according to WrestlingInc. He called it "a big topic of conversation" and said WWE would not lose money if the show had to be relocated.
WrestlingInc added that WWE remains committed to holding WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia in April 2027, with no official date announced for that event, and that construction on the Riyadh stadium is continuing on schedule.
Not yet known is whether WWE will keep Crown Jewel in Riyadh, and no outlet has named a backup location. A confirmed reopening date for the airport has also not been announced. As of Wednesday, Crown Jewel remains scheduled for November 7 in Riyadh, and WWE has announced no move.
