Crown Jewel Plans in Saudi Arabia Still Intact, TKO Says

WWE Crown Jewel is still scheduled to take place at Riyadh Season Stadium in Saudi Arabia on November 7, with construction at the venue continuing and matches already being rolled out for the card. Social media footage this week showed building work underway at the site, including a promotional poster featuring Liv Morgan already in place.

The update comes amid rising instability in the region. King Fahd International Airport was reportedly attacked recently, with two deaths and eight injuries reported, even as the airport remains operational. That follows an earlier incident this month at King Khalid International Airport, which left eleven injured and one dead a day after a separate attack at the same location killed twelve people and injured more than three hundred. The U.S. State Department issued guidance on October 12 urging travelers to reconsider trips to Saudi Arabia, with some areas classified under its strictest ‘Do not travel’ warning.

Despite that backdrop, TKO executive Ari Emanuel told Fox News that plans for Crown Jewel remain unchanged for now, pointing to other upcoming events in the region as evidence business is continuing as normal. ‘Right now, everything’s still set,’ Emanuel said, noting a UFC card in Abu Dhabi and a Frieze art show planned for the region in mid-November. ‘So far, so good. Nothing’s been cancelled.’

At the same time, Emanuel acknowledged that TKO has contingency plans in place if the situation worsens. Asked whether the company is receiving government briefings, he said the circumstances are under ‘daily monitoring’ and confirmed a team is working on alternative options, though he declined to specify what those might look like or where a relocated show might go. Speculation has circulated about a possible backup venue, but no location has been confirmed.

Adding another layer to the story, Turki Al-Sheikh — co-founder of TKO-owned Zuffa Boxing and chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority — posted on social media that boxer Canelo Alvarez intended to fight in Riyadh in October regardless of the circumstances, framing the ongoing events as a test of loyalty to the region. Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer has suggested that kind of public messaging reflects the pressure TKO leadership is under to deliver the November WWE show as planned.

For PW Exclusive, the situation underscores just how entangled WWE’s business has become with Saudi Arabia’s broader entertainment and sports ambitions since the Crown Jewel partnership began in 2018. These shows have become a fixture of WWE’s premium live event calendar and a significant revenue driver, which is exactly why TKO appears reluctant to pull the plug even as safety concerns mount. But WWE also has contractual obligations to broadcast partners that require a show to air on November 7 one way or another — whether that ends up being Crown Jewel in Riyadh, a relocated version of the event, or something else entirely.

For now, the official line is that Riyadh remains the plan. Whether that holds over the next two weeks will likely depend on factors well outside WWE’s control, and the company’s decision-makers appear to know it.

Work has begun at Riyadh Season Stadium ahead of WWE Crown Jewel

A poster featuring Women's World Champion Liv Morgan is now on display pic.twitter.com/Lgf5zraLXE

— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) October 23, 2026

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…

— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) October 11, 2026