WWE’s Greatest Royal Rumble Will Include A Prayer Break

On Friday, WWE will bring the Greatest Royal Rumble to Saudi Arabia. The six-hour event is jam-packed with incredible matchups, and you can find our full preview and predictions for the show here.

There has been much written and speculated on about the show, which is the first event in a 10-year deal that WWE signed with the country of Saudi Arabia to bring annual events to the region. The local laws and customs of Saudi Arabia do not allow for any of the women on the WWE roster to wrestle on the show, or even be present for the event, and Triple H eventually had to comment on that policy and what it means for a company that has prided itself so much on the advancement of women of the past couple of years.

There are also conflicting reports about whether women can attend the Greatest Royal Rumble on their own. The latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter says that there have been reports both indicating that women can only attend in the company of a man, and that single women can freely attend.

Now it looks like there will be another local custom observed at the Greatest Royal Rumble — at least for the fans in attendance at King Abdullah International Stadium in Jeddah. WWE has confirmed to CBS Sports that the live event will feature a 15-minute prayer break, which is of utmost importance for a six-hour event in a Muslim country.

The phrasing “it will not impact the home viewing audience” leads me to believe that during those 15 minutes or so, WWE Network will cut to pre-taped segments or interviews, video packages, or throw to the pre-show panel. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out, but that’s been true of pretty much everything having to do with the Greatest Royal Rumble thus far.