The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh has urged Americans to avoid King Khalid International Airport following reported attacks on Saturday, October 10, just four weeks before WWE Crown Jewel is scheduled to take place in the city.

WWE’s November 7 event remains scheduled for Riyadh Season Stadium in the King Abdullah Financial District. At the time of the original report, the company had not announced any changes to the venue or date.

In an alert shared on its website and X, the U.S. Mission in Saudi Arabia stated:

“The U.S. Mission is aware of attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on October 10 and strongly recommends all U.S. citizens avoid this airport and surrounding areas.”

The embassy also said U.S. government employees now require special authorisation to use the airport. It warned of “potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions.” The report noted that Saudi Arabia’s State Department travel advisory stood at Level 3, “Reconsider Travel.”

According to the Associated Press, which cited two regional officials, a missile hit a passenger terminal on Saturday and prompted an evacuation. A hospital source told Euronews that “dozens of people were injured, most of them Saudi nationals.”

Euronews also reported, citing Flightradar24, that all flights heading to Riyadh had been diverted or cancelled.

The incident followed attacks claimed by the Houthis two days earlier. Those attacks killed three Saudi citizens, including Saudia pilot Captain Hamoud Ali Alkalthami, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Al Jazeera.

The Houthis said the strikes were retaliation for Saudi attacks on airports in Sanaa and Hodeidah. They also warned airlines against entering Saudi airspace.

With Crown Jewel approaching, reports suggest the situation has already been discussed within WWE.

Bryan Alvarez of Figure Four Weekly reported on Thursday that the question of whether Crown Jewel would go ahead in Riyadh was a “big topic of conversation in WWE.” In September, WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select reported that regular travellers to WWE’s Saudi events had been asking whether the show might be changed or rescheduled.

WWE President Nick Khan previously addressed safety concerns during a company town hall in April, ahead of Night of Champions in Riyadh.

“We’re only going if it’s safe or if we’re allowed there,” Khan said in audio obtained by POST Wrestling. “If U.S. citizens are allowed in at this moment in time, it is declared and deemed safe, we’ll all be going there.”

Crown Jewel tickets went on sale on October 2, with the announcement made by General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh.

The two matches listed in the original report were World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns against Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn for the men’s Crown Jewel Championship, and Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer against WWE Women’s Champion Chelsea Green for the women’s Crown Jewel Championship.

WWE’s relationship with Saudi Arabia began in 2018 under a 10-year agreement. In November 2019, the company announced that the partnership had been expanded through 2027 to include a second annual major event. Saudi Arabia is scheduled to host three WWE events in 2026.

Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston has estimated that WWE receives around $50 million per Saudi event, based on regulatory filings and a sworn declaration from WWE’s chief accounting officer. WWE and TKO do not publicly disclose the fee.

POST Wrestling’s analysis of TKO’s first-quarter 2026 figures put the payment for the Royal Rumble in Riyadh at approximately $50 million. Wrestlenomics previously estimated that WWE had earned around $600 million from Saudi events by June 2025.

When the pandemic prevented Saudi shows from taking place in 2020 and 2021, WWE said the missed events would be added to the end of its agreement. Neither WWE nor the General Entertainment Authority has publicly explained how a missed event would be handled under the present circumstances.

The situation also brings attention to WWE’s longer-term plans for Riyadh, which was announced as the host of WrestleMania 43 in 2027. It will be the first WrestleMania held outside North America.

An official date has yet to be announced, although the event is expected in April 2027. Khan said last month that WWE had already worked out its creative plans for the show. Jeff Jarrett separately suggested in September that he believed WWE would have had a backup plan from the moment the Riyadh agreement was reached.

WNS wishes everyone injured a full recovery and extends its sympathies to those who have lost loved ones.

What would you like WWE to clarify about its plans for Crown Jewel? Share your thoughts in the comments.