The subject of WWE hosting PPVs in Saudi Arabia is controversial in itself, especially with the women wrestlers’ in-ring attire. It turns out that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has a strict dress code and believes in women dressing ‘modestly’ in the country. As per the Saudi Arabia Immigration and e-Visa Portal, women, both locals and foreigners, have to follow some dress code regulations.
Previously, it was obligatory for women to wear an abaya (long, flowy garment) and a headscarf to cover their entire bodies. The rules were revised so that the abaya is not needed anymore, as long as one wears a dress that covers the entire body. Likewise, the headscarf is no longer mandatory for the women wrestlers. However, they are still forbidden to wear tight-fitting clothes or anyth ing that reveals their skin.
Due to this obligation, the female wrestlers appear in covered bodysuits. In the previous PPVs and WWE’s most recent Night of Champions 2025, this change was witnessed, featuring Rhea Ripley, Raquel Rodriguez, and other talents to make a change in their attire.
Why Did WWE Decide to Host Crown Jewel 2025 in Australia?
When WWE signed the historic deal with Saudi Arabia in 2018, the wrestling promotion brand hosted two annual PPVs in the Middle Eastern country. Crown Jewel is one of the Saudi-exclusive PLEs that has been taking place there since the deal took place. Hence, it was surprising when WWE announced that the 2025 Crown Jewel would be hosted in Perth, Australia.
At first, it was believed that WWE was focusing on making the PLE more relevant and adding to its mainstream popularity, featuring its Australian stars, Rhea Ripley and Bronson Reed, in major matches. Turns out that was not the case. According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter (via Ringside News), the wrestling promotion brand has decided to follow the same match schedule that was done in Saudi Arabia. He said,
On the Crown Jewel PPV on 10/11, they will have the annual Crown Jewel title matches previously scheduled as an annual thing in Saudi Arabia.
The report further mentioned that the Middle Eastern country will be hosting the Royal Rumble in January 2026, making the wrestling promotion brand shift the live event to a different country. It was mentioned that the PLE will return to Saudi Arabia in 2026.
WWE’s Role in Women’s Evolution in Saudi Arabia
The idea of WWE hosting more events in Saudi Arabia is detested by the wrestling fans. However, they can’t deny how they have been the pioneers in evolving the landscape of women around the country. This was evident when the event first took place in 2018; women were refrained from competing in front of the crowd, and barely any women could be seen in the male-dominated crowd. Triple H stated his views to Independent, saying,
You can’t dictate to a country or a religion about how they handle things but, having said that, WWE is at the forefront of a women’s evolution in the world and what you can’t do is affect change anywhere by staying away from it.
With the wrestling promotion brand hosting the two annual events per year, the country is accepting the changes and adapting to the different cultural landscape, and forsaking the idea of being extremely conservative.
Watching the female wrestlers competing in their usual in-ring attire in the country is still a far-fetched notion, but the country is slowly changing the situation around its women, providing them relief from the cultural and political tension.
Do you think WWE made the right call to host live events in Saudi Arabia? Let us know in the comments below!
