WWE has confirmed in their third-quarter earnings report that Crown Jewel will take place as originally planned. WWE presents the Crown Jewel pay-per-view event on November 2nd, 2018 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia at the King Saud University Stadium and will air on the WWE Network.
WWE was waiting on Turkey to announce details from its investigation on the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and then decided whether they should still hold this event. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came out on Tuesday by stating that the killing of Khashoggi was planned and he called it a “brutal” murder.
It’s well known that WWE has come under some heat because of their relationship with the Saudi Arabian government after it was reported that the government ordered the murder of Khashoggi.
WWE wrote the following statement about running the event:
“WWE has operated in the Middle East for nearly 20 years and has developed a sizable and dedicated fan base. Considering the heinous crime committed at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the Company faced a very difficult decision as it relates to its event scheduled for November 2 in Riyadh. Similar to other U.S.-based companies who plan to continue operations in Saudi Arabia, the Company has decided to uphold its contractual obligations to the General Sports Authority and stage the event. Full year 2018 guidance is predicated on the staging of the Riyadh event as scheduled.”
