Some 25 miles outside Jeddah, the second largest city in Saudi Arabia, a world title fight took placed between two Britons, George Groves and Callum Smith.

An Arabian night - and fight - to remember.

Bizarrely, after the "Rumble in the Jungle" and the "Thrilla in Manila", we had the "Dust-Up in the Desert".

What was so remarkable about it was not so much that it was the first professional boxing promotion to be held in Saudi Arabia but the fact that the 10,000 crowd at the King Abdullah Stadium comprised both men and women, with no traditional segregation of the sexes and females not compelled to wear a veil or even headscarves.

Of course, there were still a few hijabs in evidence but none adorned the features of Rasheda Ali, a Muslim herself and daughter of Muhammad Ali as she he presented the huge eponymous trophy named after her illustrious dad to Liverpudlian Smith after he had dethroned Londoner Groves in the inaugural World Boxing Super Series super-middleweight final.

It was as she said, an historic moment for sport in Saudi Arabia. And for its feudal society too.

As one observer remarked, it was just like attending a big fight Las Vegas or London - minus the booze and the gambling.

And the transportation parked outside was Cadillacs, not camels.

The Red Sea resort of Jeddah may be marginally more liberal than the rest of the Middle Eastern nation but few expected the cultural taboos rules and ultra-conservative traditions would be quite as relaxed. Hopefully, it was a sign of things to come.

Saudi Arabia’s new drive to hold world-class sporting events is part of its young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 plan to diversify its economy beyond oil through sport and tourism.

As Rasheda Ali said: "My dad shook up the world by not only becoming heavyweight champion of the world three times, but he also showed  that if you believe in something, true conviction can create change and make this world a better place."

She added that her trip had been "a wonderful experience, just beautiful," and even attended her first football match, Al-Ittihad’s 2-2 draw with Al-Wehda, and was "thrilled to see many women in attendance".

This followed the lifting of the ban on Saudi women entering stadiums in January, which was followed by their being allowed to drive in June.

Rasheda said: "It’s very empowering and I’m so happy for Saudi women. I’m sure they’re very excited about the opportunity to finally be able to get their independence by being able to drive.

"I think this is just the beginning and it’s only going to get better for Saudi women. The future is bright for Saudi women moving forward."

Global ambition, the falling price of oil,  a country's freshened image and, of course money, were all parts of the puzzle that led to the King Abdullah Sports City Arena and the $10 million ($13 million/€11 million) event staged with the Government’s blessing - and financial backing - by German promoter Kalle Sauerland

The country where cinemas were banned until this year, where alcohol is outlawed, hands chopped off for theft, women  stoned for adultery and, where gender segregation is still in place in some public areas, wants to re-invent its conservative image.

Women are still asked to wear an abaya to cover themselves in public but even this law appears to be easing.

The country's future aspiration becomes clear. Last week, the creation of a new easier to obtain and less expensive visa was announced aimed at tourists looking to simply attend music, sport or entertainment events, including a huge Formula E race in December.

So how long will it be, one wonders, before stone-rich Saudi Arabia is bidding for an Olympic Games or FIFA World Cup?

Within two decades is my guess.

Saudi has the resources and could hold either, plus a World Championships in athletics or any other sport  at the drop of a burqa, so to speak.

Saudia Arabia now even has its first female football reporter, some 47 years after the redoubtable Julie Welch made the breakthrough for British women in sports journalism. Now a female presence is virtually omnipresent in our sport - including the boxing ring.

Hooray for that!

Of course no-one should be naive enough to think that all taboos have been removed or human rights issues resolved in a country which remains at least half a century or more behind the west. But with a new young guard apparently re-invigorating the country and winning the religious war with clerics on many issues, there are welcome signs of a more liberal attitude.

What happened in Jeddah could be a virtual Games-changer.

Jeddah is the principal gateway to Mecca, and it is 13 years since I visited the holiest city in Islam to cover the inaugural men-only Islamic Solidarity Games.

A total of 7,000 athletes from 54 Islamic countries competing in 13 sports during the fortnight at venues spread over four Saudi Arabian cities: Jeddah, Taif and the holy locations of Mecca and Medina.

Other than the Olympic Games themselves, no bigger multi-sports extravaganza had ever been staged. The total organisational cost, over 100 million riyals - around £14 million (£18 million/€16 million) - had been underwritten by the Saudi Government.

They promised us "something unique, something different". Well, it was certainly that. No alcohol, no women competitors and no Saudi women allowed to watch. Here was the closest a sports event has been to the days of the original Olympics in Ancient Greece, where females were also forbidden from playing and peeping. Upon pain of death.

It was around this time that the then International Olympic Committee President, Jacques Rogge, wrote to the Saudis on behalf of world sports governing bodies again warning them that by 2012 all nations in international sport must have female participation. The implication was clear. If they did not comply, one of the world's wealthiest sporting nations could face expulsion, just as South Africa did over their own form of discrimination.

At the time Saudi Arabia was nation still excluding women from sport. Rather than receive an Olympic red card, the Saudis sent two token female competitors, Wojdan Shaherkani in judo and 800 metres runner Sara Attar to London 2012.

That number was doubled for Rio 2016 but women were still barred from playing sport in public or even watching it back home on the burning sands of Saudi.

Thankfully the evidence in Jeddah was that those sands are shifting. Fast.

Last Friday night the King Abdullah Stadium seemed a veritable oasis of common sense. Let’s hope it was not just a mirage.