Saudi Arabia could host its first Miss Universe pageant this year, organizers said this week after the fashion model and influencer announced she had been selected. The Miss Universe organization “is currently undergoing a rigorous screening process to select candidates who will be awarded the Saudi Arabian franchise,” said Maria Jose Unda, the organization’s international relations coordinator.
“We will decide the national director of Saudi Arabia soon,” he said, adding that Saudi Arabia could compete in Saudi Arabia before the next edition of the competition in September. Mexico. The announcement sparked a frenzy online when Saudi model Rumi al-Qahtani tweeted to her hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers in late March that she was “honored” to represent Saudi Arabia at the upcoming event. The article featured a photo of Kahta, 27, who lives in Riyadh, in a plain T-shirt with the green flag of Saudi Arabia.
Less than a week later, Unilem called Miss Kahta’s post “false and misleading” and said there would be no elections in the Gulf kingdom. Nominating a Miss Universe candidate, if successful, would be another step in the efforts of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to soften his image as he tries to attract tourists and investors.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, lags behind in women’s rights due to past rules such as bans on driving and wearing the abaya. Although this ban has been lifted, human rights activists say that the personal status law, which comes into effect in 2022, still discriminates against women.
