Heavyweight World Champion Andy Ruiz Jr has vowed to “make history again” as he landed in Saudi Arabia for the Clash On The Dunes, bringing his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO title belts with him.
The Mexican-American fighter followed his challenger Anthony Joshua into the Kingdom, touching down at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh in the early hours of today to set up his own training camp to prepare for the epic bout on December 7.
The first-ever Heavyweight World Title fight to take place in the Middle East will be staged in the custom-built 15,000 seat Diriyah Arena which is now ready for action in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage site, known as the home of heroes and kings.
When asked how he felt about boxing in the Kingdom for the first time, Andy Ruiz said: “It feels good. You know I made history in New York and I’ll make history again in Saudi Arabia.”
Joshua will be looking to regain the title belts on the line after losing them to Ruiz – known as ‘The Destroyer’ – at their first meeting in New York earlier this year.
With hundreds of fans from throughout the US travelling for the bout, the collective number of kilometers travelled by Americans is a significantly larger commitment than any other fans from across the world, with tickets sold in 60 different countries. But his fans will have to their work cut out to match the volume of Joshua’s followers with thousands flying in from the UK.
A world-class undercard will support the compelling main draw, but even before they reach the arena fans will be knocked out by what is waiting for them.
Spectators will approach the Diriyah Arena via the Diriyah Oasis, a huge sprawling entertainment hub which includes ice-skating outdoors, sky diving, jetski-ing and ziplining among a host of activities on offer. The Diriyah Oasis is split into the four zones – Nature, Imagination, Reflection, Excitement- giving families a place to come together, and at its heart lies an astonishing grand installation by world-renowned Italian artist, Edoardo Tresoldi.
The Clash On The Dunes forms part of the Diriyah Season, epic month of sports which kicked off with Formula E at the weekend, the Diriyah Tennis Cup featuring eight of the best men’s players on the planet, and the Diriyah Equestrian Festival, an elite competition with Tokyo Olympics 2020 qualifying points on the line.
The Diriyah Season is also supported by the Diriyah Music Festival with huge concerts taking place around the event. On December 6, the night before the Clash On The Dunes, major artists who are yet to be announced will perform. So far artists such as Imagine Dragons, DJ Alan Walker, Clean Bandit and Maluma have performed to 40,000 concert goers.
Tickets for all of the Diriyah Season’s spectacular events, concerts and entertainment will be available at www.diriyahseason.sa. Follow Diriyah Season’s news and announcements on the official social media pages on twitter and Instagram @diriyahseason.
About Diriyah Season
Diriyah Season is an unmissable set of international sports and entertainment events, happening at the historic city of Diriyah, the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Sports fanatics, entertainment seekers, foodies and shoppers, are invited to a month of energy, excitement, elegance, and memorable moments as the world comes to Diriyah!
Watch the world’s top sporting events:
· Diriyah E-Prix 2019: The thrilling electric race returns with a double-header race weekend – 2 Races on Friday and Saturday, November 22 & 23
· A Historic Clash, known to the world as ‘Clash On The Dunes’ where Andy Ruiz Jr defends his title against Anthony Joshua for the World Heavyweight Championship
· A Battle for Glory as 8 of the world’s top Tennis stars compete for the ‘Diriyah Tennis Cup’
· Diriyah Equestrian Festival on December 12th, 13th, 14th, 19th, 20th and 21st , where contestants from all over the world will be one with their horses to qualify for TOKYO 2020
Tourist Visa Entry to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Entry into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has changed for tourists visiting the country and the process is a simple online application.
Available to complete online, visitors can follow four easy steps which take just a few minutes to complete.
- Step One: visit www.visa.visitsaudi.com
- Step Two: Fill the application
- Step Three: Pay the Visa fee
- Step Four: Get your online Visa
Applications are often processed within a 48 hour period, with residents from 49 approved countries worldwide having their visas available through the fast track system.
