Saudi organizers reportedly moved WWE Crown Jewel from the outdoor stadium originally planned for the show to Kingdom Arena in Riyadh for security reasons.
Dave Meltzer reported on Thursday’s Wrestling Observer Radio that the decision came from Saudi Arabia, not WWE. He said those behind the move believe an indoor arena makes it easier to control who gets into the venue.
“The claim is that it’s safer to run the show indoors than outdoors, which makes all the sense in the world…,” Meltzer said. “You can bomb any building, but they think it’s safer because it’s easier to keep people out if it’s indoors.”
Riyadh Season announced the change on Wednesday and said everyone who bought tickets will receive a full refund. It added that new tickets will be available within 48 hours.
Kingdom Arena holds roughly 30,000 people and has hosted WWE shows, most recently Night of Champions in June.
PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that Mark Shapiro took part in a staff meeting on Wednesday. During the meeting, Shapiro reportedly said everyone’s safety was the top priority for upcoming events in the Middle East.
But Meltzer’s explanation differs from some earlier reports. Sources in Saudi Arabia pointed to lower-than-expected ticket sales, not the recent attacks on Riyadh, as the reason for the change.
The U.S. State Department has Saudi Arabia under a Level 3 travel advisory. On Friday, the U.S. government ordered non-emergency employees and their families to leave the country. The order cited the risk of drone and missile attacks.
Crown Jewel is still set for November 7 at noon ET and will stream on the ESPN app in the U.S.