Less than a week before Saturday’s WWE Crown Jewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the U.S. State Department has issued another security alert for Americans in the country.
The alert again cited attacks by the Houthis, a rebel group in Yemen backed by Iran, on civilian airports and other infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, and told Americans to be extremely careful if they need to use airports there.
“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 alert said. “The hostilities have the potential to escalate rapidly beyond that immediate area. U.S. 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 Associated Press reports that big airlines like Lufthansa and Air France have canceled their flights to Riyadh through the middle of November.
Since September 15, Saudi Arabia has been under a Level 3 advisory from the U.S. government, which means Americans should reconsider travel there. Things got even worse on October 23, as the U.S. ordered nonessential government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia.
This has impacted the show itself. On Wednesday, Riyadh Season announced on X that Crown Jewel was moving to a new venue and that ticket holders would get a full refund. The show will no longer take place at Riyadh Season Stadium, a temporary outdoor stadium at KAFD.
Fightful Select reported that WWE headquarters in Stamford only learned of the move after Riyadh Season shared the news. The Venue, also in Riyadh, is now listed on the ticketing page as the show’s new location.
Despite all of this, WWE is going ahead as planned. Dave Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that no wrestler has asked to be pulled from the trip. But Meltzer noted that a top WWE star told him that turning down the trip to Riyadh is something the company hasn’t encouraged and that it could cost them their spot later on.
The main event will see World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns face Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn for the Men’s Crown Jewel Championship.