The WWE has a self-created Saudi Arabia problem on its hands.
Crown Jewel, a pay-per-view event scheduled to take place on November 2nd in Riyadh, is under heavy scrutiny as we learn more about the Saudi government's role in the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. And now, members of Congress are calling for the event to be canceled.
On April 25th, 2016, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman unveiled Saudi Vision 2030 – a plan to diversify Saudi Arabia's economy and expand public service sectors, including entertainment.
Remember when country singer Toby Keith headlined a concert in Riyadh and everyone was like, WTF? That was part of Saudi Vision 2030. Another central part of the expanded entertainment sector was announced on March 5th of this year, when WWE entered into a 10-year strategic partnership with the Saudi government through the General Sports Authority.
The first event in this new partnership, the Greatest Royal Rumble, took place on April 27th in front of 60,000 fans at King Abdullah International Stadium in Jeddah. If you watched any of the pay-per-view, you know that it was essentially a five-hour infomercial for the House of Saud with some wrestling matches tossed in.
None of those matches featured any of the WWE's women wrestlers because Saudi Arabia is still emerging from the Dark Ages. Women were allowed to attend the event, but only if they were accompanied by a man. Again, Dark Ages.
The second event in this partnership, Crown Jewel, is scheduled for November 2nd at King Saud University in Riyadh. Read the rest
