WWE Moves ‘Crown Jewel’ Saudi Arabia Show to Smaller Venue

WWE officially announced the AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan match for the WWE Championship on Saturday via a press release, but in that press release was another interesting tidbit.

The match will take place in Saudi Arabia at Crown Jewel, the second show this year that WWE has held in the country. However, it appears WWE has no moved the event to a smaller venue. The press release mentions the match will take place at King Saud University Stadium, which is a change of venue from the earlier announced location (King Fahd International Stadium).

The full press release is below.

WWE® CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH SET FOR CROWN JEWEL

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA and STAMFORD, Conn., October 6, 2018 – The WWE Championship match featuring AJ Styles vs. Daniel Bryan will take place at Crown Jewel at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday, November 2.

Additionally, Crown Jewel will also include a Universal Championship Triple Threat match featuring Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman, and the first-ever WWE World Cup tournament to determine the best in the world.

General Sports Authority of Saudi Arabia Chairman His Excellency Turki Al Sheikh, WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, invite the world to celebrate this signature event. Following the sold-out Greatest Royal Rumble in April, this is the second event as part of a long-term partnership between WWE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Crown Jewel will stream live on WWE Network and be available on pay-per-view outside of the Middle East. Ticket availability will be announced in the coming weeks.

This is not just a small change. The previously announced venue, King Fahd International Stadium, had a capacity for over 65,000 fans. The new venue, King Saud University Stadium, seats approximately 25,000.

This is also a stark difference in comparison to WWE‘s event earlier this year in Saudi Arabia, Greatest Royal Rumble, which was held at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah. That show drew over 60,000 fans.

We don’t have any official word yet on why the location for Crown Jewel was changed. As the press release above says, tickets have not yet gone on sale, so it isn’t due to slow ticket sales. The event takes place on November 2nd. In addition to the Styles vs. Bryan WWE championship match, Shawn Michaels is expected to make his return to the ring for the first time in over eight years.