The WWE, which has an event scheduled Nov. 2 in Saudi Arabia, said it is monitoring developments as pressure increases on the country over its alleged role in the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The WWE's "Crown Jewel" event is scheduled to be held at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh.
Khashoggi entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2 and disappeared under suspicious circumstances. As the situation has unfolded, a number of major corporations and individuals have distanced themselves from events and business relationships in Saudi Arabia.
In a statement, a representative from WWE said, "We are currently monitoring the situation."
Representatives of Ford, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Uber, Viacom, AOL, CNN, the New York Times and the Financial Times have all pulled out of the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh. Richard Branson has temporarily suspended his partnership with Saudi Arabia in a potential space tourism venture via Virgin Galactic that included a promised $1 billion investment from the Saudi government.
In March, WWE announced a 10-year strategic multiplatform partnership in support of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia's social and economic reform program. That partnership was part of an effort by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who also moved to bring boxing, Cirque du Soleil, a movie theater and other Western-style entertainment to the region.
Several U.S. government officials, including Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal (from Connecticut, where WWE is based), Bob Menendez (New Jersey), Lindsay Graham (South Carolina) and Chris Coons (Delaware) have encouraged WWE to postpone their event or reconsider their relationship with Saudi Arabia.
On Monday night's broadcast of WWE's flagship show, "Monday Night Raw," promotion for Crown Jewel and its Nov. 2 broadcast on the WWE Network continued, but no mention was made of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh or King Saud University Stadium.
The WWE's first major show in the region, Greatest Royal Rumble, took place at the King Abdullah International Sports Stadium in Jeddah on April 27 and drew an announced crowd of 60,000. More recently, in late September, the World Boxing Super Series held its super-middleweight final at the adjacent Indoor Sports Hall, drawing an announced crowd of 10,000.