The US State Department has ordered diplomats and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia a little more than two weeks after they were kicked out of the WWE Crown Jewel in Riyadh.
Reuters: US officials said the order came after at least one person was killed and eight others injured at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Two people were killed as a result of a drone attack on the Shaybah oil field of the Saudi Aramco company.
According to the report, diplomatic personnel have been withdrawn from the region in recent months as Iran has launched attacks on US facilities following a joint US-Israeli attack on Tehran in February.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a note to X that the department ordered the departure of non-emergency US government employees and their family members from Saudi Arabia following attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on civilian facilities in the kingdom.
This is an inaccuracy. The US State Department issued an order ordering the departure of only US government employees and their family members in non-emergency situations in Saudi Arabia.
The Iran-backed Houthis are increasingly involved in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks… https://t.co/yNrCwDcfIg
— Tommy Piggott (@statedeptspox) October 21, 2026
Four US officials reportedly said US missions in other Gulf countries would order family members to leave. Pigott’s note did not address changes to other missions outside Saudi Arabia.
WWE’s decision to move forward with the Crown Jewel on November 7th came under greater scrutiny as the attacks continued. Programming continued to build towards the event and its planned host, the Crown Jewel Championship, with Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn and Liv Morgan vs. Chelsea Green for the year-long title belts in Riyadh.
Dave Meltzer revealed that WWE should get paid roughly $50-$55 million for the November event, while next year’s WrestleMania 43 is also slated to take place in Riyadh for roughly $150 million.
Saudi Arabia’s minister and chairman of the General Directorate of Entertainment, Turki Alalshikh, announced earlier this month that Canelo Alvarez still plans to fight Christian Mbili in Riyadh on October 31, adding that “tough times reveal true friends.”