I think spontaneity is one of the best character traits to possess. In my life it usually leads to exciting, usually awkward, but always memorable experiences.
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Case in point: Sean and I somehow ended up at Saudi’s first ever professional boxing match – a landmark in sports and entertainment for the kingdom. Had I ever seen a boxing match before? No. Do I care about boxing in any shape or form? No. Would I miss this once in a lifetime opportunity? No. 😆
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The event, the World Boxing Super Series, took place in a 10,000-seat stadium in Jeddah’s massive sports complex, King Abdullah Sports City (opened in 2014, opened to women in 2018 😐). Callum Smith was the winner, taking home $10 million (what?!) after a knockout in round 7 (that’s right, I know boxing terms now).
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The best part for me was taking in the excitement of the crowd. The hazy spotlights panned over young and old, men and women, all cheering and fist-pumping to the pulsing music and announcer’s booming voice. It was beautiful to absorb the raw energy of the people clearly having a blast and to think that this was one of the first events of its kind in the kingdom.
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Saudi wants to host more events as they seek to enter the tourist industry and distinguish themselves as a destination for adventure and entertainment. This comes after years of prohibition of such fanfare by religion authorities.
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There doesn’t seem to be good infrastructure set up for marketing events yet (at least in English). We often hear about things as they’re happening, or after the fact. Sadly we missed the Mariah Carey concert, and 50 Cent had to perform without us. But we’re looking forward to spontaneously saying yes to more interesting firsts in the kingdom.
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