As the war in the Middle East heats up by the day, many event organizers must decide whether they can safely move forward with plans for exhibitions in the region. Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative, also known as “Davos in the Desert”, was recently launched postpone until next year, and there is increasing pressure for the Canelo Alvarez boxing match in Riyadh on Halloween weekend.
One company not considering a delay or moving the venue is TKO, the parent company of the UFC and WWE. UFC 333 just went down over the weekend in Abu Dhabi, UAE. WWE’s crown jewel will take place in Riyadh on November 7. November 21st is UFC Qatar and December 5th is UFC Saudi Arabia. According to UFC CEO Dana White, all of these events are moving forward.
After UFC 333, White was asked about the security situation in the Middle East and if he had any messages to share with other sports organizations that may be hosting events in the region.
“I can tell you, I’ve never been here where I felt unsafe and I felt my staff was unsafe,” White said. “Everything is done so professionally here. During COVID, we had the only real bubble that existed in the world, not only here, but in the world. You know, when you watch the news, the news is so shitty. Every time I’ve come here, anywhere in the Middle East, I’ve only had a good experience.”
“Look, I can’t tell other sports what to do,” White continued. “It’s up to them. We’re going. We’re going. If we have a deal, we’ve got a contract, we’ve got a date, we’ll be there.”
White’s resolve may be tested in this regard as the Houthis continue to attack Saudi positions with missiles, bombs and drone strikes. King Khalid International Airport has been hit several times and has been identified as a legitimate target by the Houthi military.
As if that wasn’t serious enough, reports from major news organizations Let the Trump administration prepare to “escalate” its war with Iran after the November 3rd US midterm elections. Iran has previously attacked Saudi Arabia and Qatar for supporting the US during this ongoing conflict.
The first big reality check comes when Canelo Alvarez fights Christian Mbilli on October 31st in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Aalshikh said Alvarez is not afraid of anything and the fight goes on as planned. We’ll see how things change as the attacks continue throughout the week.
