Saudi Arabia to send first-ever Miss Universe bet in upcoming pageant
Saudi Arabia is finally going to send a representative to compete in the upcoming Miss Universe pageant, 72 years after the competition was founded in 1952.
The news came after beauty queen Rumy Alqahtani took to her Instagram account to announce that she will be the country's first-ever bet for the 73rd leg of the prestigious competition. She accompanied her post with a picture of herself wearing her pageant crown and a shimmering sequin dress while holding the flag of her country.
"I am honored to participate in the Miss Universe International 2024 competition," Alqahtani's translated caption read.
"This is the first participation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Miss Universe competition," she added.
According to a report by Arab News, Alqahtani is a fashion model who is no stranger to beauty pageants, having competed in the Miss Planet International pageant in Cambodia, the Miss Woman International Beauty Contest in Rome, the Miss Global Asian in Malaysia, and many more.
The 27-year-old model opened up about how her biggest challenge in being a beauty queen is properly sharing her culture with the world.
"The biggest challenge is my personal representation of the (typical) Saudi girl and her appearance, (as well as the appearance) that befits her as a Saudi," Alqahtani told the news outlet.
She shared that she sees her role as something similar to a cultural ambassador for her country, saying, "My contributions are to learn about world cultures and to transfer our authentic Saudi culture and heritage to the world."
The global stage of the upcoming Miss Universe pageant is set to be held in Mexico. Meanwhile, the Miss Universe Philippines organization is currently preparing to hold its competition to select a new queen to take over the reign of Michelle Dee.