TKO President Mark Shapiro addressed employee safety concerns surrounding WWE Crown Jewel during a company town hall on Wednesday, with the event still scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, November 7. The meeting came after an attack on the Riyadh airport earlier in the month left 13 people dead, raising questions internally about the risks of sending staff and talent into the region.
According to meeting audio obtained by POST Wrestling, Shapiro told employees that TKO would cancel its events in Saudi Arabia if the security situation worsens, telling staff “damned be our budget” in explaining that financial considerations would not override safety decisions. His comments reflect an effort to reassure employees that the company is monitoring the situation closely rather than proceeding with Crown Jewel regardless of risk.
Fightful reported that the town hall covered both the safety and business sides of the Crown Jewel event, indicating that Shapiro’s remarks to staff were not limited to reassurances but also touched on the broader rationale for TKO’s continued presence in Saudi Arabia. WWE has held multiple events in the country in recent years as part of a long-term partnership, and Crown Jewel has become one of the promotion’s recurring international supershows.
The airport attack referenced in the reporting occurred earlier in October 2026, though the specific date and additional details of the incident were not outlined in the available reporting beyond the death toll of 13. Neither Fightful nor POST Wrestling’s reporting indicated that WWE or TKO had made any decision to postpone or relocate Crown Jewel as of the town hall meeting, and Shapiro’s comments suggest the event remains on track for its scheduled date barring a change in the security outlook.
The town hall format, addressing employees directly rather than through a public statement, suggests TKO was treating the matter as an internal concern requiring direct communication with staff who may be traveling to or working the event. Neither report indicated whether any WWE talent had raised similar concerns or whether changes to travel plans, security protocols, or event logistics were being considered beyond Shapiro’s general assurance about cancellation as a last resort.
As of the reporting, Crown Jewel remains scheduled for November 7, 2026, in Riyadh, with TKO leadership indicating that further developments regarding safety in the region would factor into whether the event proceeds as planned.
