Riyadh: Jamie Meconi, a 10-year-old from the UK, recently made a milestone visit to Saudi Arabia, which became the 100th country visited by the young Briton in his lifetime.
When Meconi was eight, he became the youngest Brit to visit all seven continents. And his family’s decision to make the journey to Saudi Arabia to mark his century of countries is indicative of the Kingdom’s growing reputation as an attractive tourist destination.
Jamie and his mother Hayley spoke to Arab News about their decision to visit Saudi Arabia. Jamie praised the boxing scene in the Kingdom — his visit overlapped with Anthony Joshua and Kristian Prenga’s fight in July.
“Watching the fight from so close to the ring and seeing AJ knock out Prenga in round two,” Jamie explained, was one of the most exciting moments of his visit.
“Saudi offered something for the whole family, and as we all love boxing and AJ, it seemed like the perfect place to celebrate Jamie’s 100th country together,” Hayley told Arab News. “The boxing was on another level. What we do in the UK, Saudi seems to do bigger and more luxuriously. From the food, to the hospitality, and the whole experience surrounding the boxing, it was on another level.”
Hayley elaborated on how his wide range of travel experiences has affected Jamie, saying: “He has grown up meeting people from different cultures, backgrounds and communities, and I think that has made him very open-minded and curious. Rather than just learning about a country from a book or online, he gets to experience it for himself, meet the local people, try the food and see how people live.”
The Kingdom fulfilled those goals for Jamie and his family.
“I would say go with an open mind,” Hayley said of the Kingdom. “Saudi really surprised us. We felt safe and welcomed as a family, the hospitality was fantastic, and there was so much to experience. Whether you want luxury, adventure, sport, or to get out and explore somewhere completely different, there is something for everyone.”
