A new security alert was issued over the weekend in Saudi Arabia, as WWE prepares to head overseas for the company's annual Crown Jewel Premium Live Event on Saturday, November 7.
The U.S. State Department has ordered all non-emergency government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia due to ongoing safety risks, brought on by numerous military conflicts in the region.
"Iranian-supported Houthis have engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions. The hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly beyond that immediate area," the new order said.
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh did announce a partial reopening on Sunday for domestic flights and some international flights, but the State Department says that citizens should "be aware of potential attacks on airports, airspace closures, flight cancellations, and travel disruptions. Please take extreme caution if you choose to use airports in Saudi Arabia."
The CEO of WWE parent company TKO, Ari Emanuel, told Fox News last week that they are continuously monitoring the situation and that contingency plans are being ironed out, but despite this latest safety warning, Saudi Arabia still appears to be the Crown Jewel destination with less than two weeks to go before the event goes live on ESPN Unlimited.
WWE is still heading to Saudi Arabia for Crown Jewel... as of now
Six of WWE's biggest stars are currently scheduled to appear at next month's Premium Live Event. World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns, WWE Champion Sami Zayn, Women's World Champion Liv Morgan, WWE Women's Champion Chelsea Green, Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton have all been booked for the show, although, the card is always subject to change.
Both Zayn and Green will defend their respective titles this coming Friday night on WWE SmackDown, with Trick Williams and Nikki Bella potentially sneaking into the Crown Jewel Championship picture. Regardless of what the final card looks like, however, Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select says that the plan as of Sunday night was still to head to Saudi Arabia.
"The plan is still for WWE Crown Jewel to take place in Saudi Arabia. We've heard from a number of staff and talent that aren't happy about it at this point. We're told naturally that WWE is in constant communication with their hosts regarding the matter."
TKO could lose anywhere from $70 million to $90 million should the event be cancelled, or moved elsewhere, according to The Wrestling Observer.
The Takedown on SI will continue to monitor the situation in the Middle East and bring you the latest on Crown Jewel as the event draws closer.
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