WWE begins construction of Crown Jewel 2026 stage at Riyadh Season Hall
WWE has started building the stage for Crown Jewel 2026 at Riyadh Season Hall (CAFVD) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with regional footage and promotional activity reported on October 23, 2026.
The work comes amid reported regional security concerns that prompted the company to consider alternative venues for Crown Jewel 2026. Multiple reports cited travel disruptions and attacks affecting Saudi infrastructure and said some supporting staff were reluctant to travel to the Kingdom, while WWE was unhappy after some non-wrestling employees expressed concerns about travelling to the venue. TKO executive chairman Ari Emanuel provided an update on preparations and promotional activity for the event has appeared in Riyadh.
A fan video circulating from the region showed ongoing work at the Riyadh venue, including a poster for Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan and large sections of covered or closed stands, suggesting local set-up and marketing are under way. Social posts accompanying the footage noted: "WWE Crown Jewel 2026 Update!!!Work has begun at Riyadh Season Hall (CAFVD)A poster for World Champion Liv Morgan and a large part of the stands has been covered as shown in video.#WWE #CrownJewelCredits: X/Ryan pic.twitter.com/APddS8N2E9"
In an interview with Fox Sports, TKO chief Ari Emanuel addressed the status of the company’s events in the region and said preparations were continuing while developments were monitored. He said: "Right now, everything’s still set for this weekend coming up in Abu Dhabi. We have a UFC fight. We have in the middle of November, a freeze art show, so, so far so good, nothing’s been canceled," and added: "Yeah, we have a whole team kind of working on this and kind of when and if it doesn’t happen where we can move it, it’s a daily monitoring."
Promotional material featuring Liv Morgan and Crown Jewel branding has been reported in Riyadh, and two matches have been announced for the November 7 show: Roman Reigns vs Sami Zayn in a champion-versus-champion contest, and Liv Morgan vs Chelsea Green. The reports state that both matches will determine the respective Crown Jewel Champions rather than put the competitors’ regular championships on the line.
Reports noted the financial incentives for staging the event in Saudi Arabia while cautioning that the final decision would depend on travel and operational viability. The coverage also reiterated that WrestleMania 43 is scheduled to take place in Riyadh in 2027 as part of the existing partnership with Saudi Arabia, and reporter Blake Avignon wrote that WWE and TKO "are not engaged in meaningful discussions to extend their Riyadh Season relationship beyond the current commitments," adding on social media: "#WWECrownJewel is happening because @TKOGrp and @WWE still have money to collect on prior site-fee commitments and need to secure the deposit tied to #WrestleMania43.I’m told there haven’t been meaningful talks about renewing or extending the Riyadh Season relationship beyond… https://t.co/obKcYALW09"
As of October 22, reports said WWE was proceeding with plans to host Crown Jewel in Riyadh on November 7 and there has been no confirmed statement cancelling the PLE; preparations were reported to be taking place for the event at the scheduled venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.