WWE’s plans to stage Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, remain unchanged despite reported unhappiness among some staff and talent, and a U.S. intelligence memo indicating an increase in danger in the country, according to multiple outlets.
Fightful Select, as relayed by WrestleZone and reported on by Heel by Nature, stated that the event’s location has not shifted and that WWE intends to proceed with the show in the Saudi capital as scheduled. The same report noted that “a number of staff and talent” within the company are not happy with the decision to go ahead with Crown Jewel in Riyadh, though the company’s stance has not changed as a result of that internal discomfort.
WrestleTalk, citing the Fightful Select report, further detailed the backstage reaction, framing it around ongoing safety and security warnings tied to travel to Saudi Arabia. The outlet’s coverage centered on the fact that concerns among those within WWE have not been enough to prompt any reconsideration of the event’s location.
Separately, Wrestling Inc reported that a United States intelligence memo indicates an increase in danger in Saudi Arabia, a development that comes as WWE continues preparations to hold Crown Jewel in Riyadh. The existence of that memo adds an external, government-level data point to the internal concerns already being voiced by staff and talent, though Wrestling Inc’s report does not detail specific threats tied to the event itself.
Taken together, the three reports paint a picture of a company moving forward with a major international event even as both its own workforce and outside intelligence assessments raise red flags about the security climate in the region. None of the sources indicate that WWE has issued any public statement addressing these concerns directly, nor do they specify any changes to travel arrangements, security protocols, or event logistics in response to the reported unease.
Crown Jewel has been a fixture of WWE’s partnership with Saudi Arabia in recent years, and the promotion has continued to hold marquee events in the country as part of that arrangement. The current reporting does not include confirmation from WWE itself regarding the specific nature of the staff and talent concerns, nor does it detail what, if any, mitigation steps the company has taken. As it stands, the available reporting confirms only that the event remains planned for Riyadh despite the reported internal and external warning signs.
