WWE is planning to hold Crown Jewel 2026 on November 7th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but the recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East, which has affected areas of the country and its airport, has led the U.S. Department of State to issue a level 3 travel warning for most of the region. So far, the company has not made any official statement regarding the future of the event.
In the latest episode of Something to Wrestle, Hall of Famer John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL) stated that WWE will work with the Department of State to understand "what that travel warning really means." For him, the key is simple: if the destination is deemed unsafe, WWE won't go. "Does it mean it's unsafe? And if it's unsafe, they won't go. Period. This is not a big deal. If they go, it's safe," he affirmed.
JBL took the opportunity to question the automatic perception that the Middle East is more dangerous than many U.S. cities. He used Memphis as an example: "There are 2,437 violent acts per 100,000 inhabitants in Memphis. Do you know how many there are in Riyadh? Less than one per 100,000. It's 2,500 times more likely that something will happen to you in Memphis than in Riyadh... I understand that Memphis doesn't have an ongoing war, but people automatically assume that the Middle East is dangerous. I think that assumption could be completely wrong."
The former wrestler insisted that WWE will not put the lives of its employees at risk. "WWE is not going to do anything that puts its performers in danger," he declared. On the other hand, Dave Meltzer, on Wrestling Observer Radio, indicated that the company is still operating under the premise that Crown Jewel will take place on the scheduled date and location, although he acknowledged that this could change as the situation evolves.
For now, WWE is sticking to its plans for Crown Jewel in Riyadh, but the geopolitical uncertainty and the level 3 travel warning mean that any change of location, date, or even cancellation is on the table if security conditions require it.
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