Saudi women can participate in the Miss Universe competition
Last Updated on April 27, 2024 2:52 am
This year, a representative of Saudi Arabia can participate in the Miss Universe pageant for the first time. The organizing authority of Miss Universe said this this week. The announcement comes after a Saudi Arabian model claimed to have been selected to compete in the Miss Universe pageant late last month. Although they mentioned the claim of that model as fake.
Recently, Miss Universe Organization International Relations Coordinator Maria Jose Unda said in a statement to AFP, “The organization is now conducting a rigorous screening process to select a potential candidate from Saudi Arabia.”
According to him, Saudi Arabia’s contestant may be decided before the start of the next edition of Miss Universe. The competition is scheduled to be held in Mexico next September.
According to Unda, representatives will be selected through a national level competition in Saudi Arabia before sending contestants to the main pageant of Miss Universe. If Kahtani wants to participate in the main competition, he must first win the national stage competition.
At the end of last March, Saudi model Rumi Al Qahtani claimed in a post on social media Instagram that she had the opportunity to participate in the upcoming Miss Universe pageant and she felt honored.
Qahtani, a 27-year-old resident of Riyadh, also published some pictures of himself with the Instagram post. There, Qahtani, dressed in green, was seen holding the flag of Saudi Arabia. A week later, Miss Universe authorities issued a statement. They claim that Qahtani’s post is fake and misleading. They claimed that no selection process was conducted for the Miss Universe pageant in Saudi Arabia.
An AFP representative spoke with Qahtani at his Riyadh home. Qahtani said that she is in discussions about participating in the Miss Universe pageant. However, he did not elaborate on this.
By sending a Miss Universe contestant from Saudi Arabia, this is another attempt by Saudi Arabia to move away from its ultra-conservative image. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is trying to woo tourists and investors by moving away from an ultra-conservative stance.
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest crude oil exporter. Saudi Arabia has already lifted bans on women driving in several areas, including driving. But human rights activists say a law that came into force in 2022 still discriminates against women. The law is discriminatory in matters of marriage, divorce and child rearing.