Miss Palestine Will Make History at Miss Universe This Year
For the first time, Miss Palestine will be competing in Miss Universe. Nadeen Ayoub, a 27-year-old Palestinian activist and model, will be representing her country on-site in Thailand on November 21 in the 74th Miss Universe pageant.
“This is for every Palestinian who rises despite the odds,” Ayoub said in her Instagram video announcing the decision, dressed in a flowing red and white traditional dress designed by Hiba Abdelkarim. “For every child who deserves a life of peace, dignity, and possibility. I walk with you. I speak for you. I carry Palestine in my heart and across every stage I step onto.”
All About Miss Palestine
Nadeen Ayoub has always been a trailblazer. She was first crowned Miss Palestine in 2022 at just 24 years old — and that same year, as the first Palestinian woman to enter into the competition, she was crowned to the Miss Earth pageant’s elemental court as Miss Earth-Water, placing in the top five.
Alongside her work in advocacy and her success in the beauty sphere, Ayoub graduated with college degrees and certifications in psychology, literature, health, and nutrition. After growing up between Canada, the U.S., and Palestine, the model now splits her time between Dubai and Ramallah in Gaza’s West Bank, working as a fitness coach and health instructor. She has also founded an AI startup.
A Significant Choice
Ayoub’s entry into Miss Universe as the first Palestinian woman to compete in the program was welcomed by the Miss Universe Organization, who stated that they were “pleased to confirm” her participation.
Miguel Ángel Martínez, head of communications for the Miss Universe Organization, shared with CNN that Ayoub “embodies the resilience and determination that defines our platform,” and that “the Miss Universe Organization proudly welcomes delegates from across the globe, celebrating diversity, cultural exchange, and the empowerment of women.”
On Ayoub’s part, she views the chance to compete as both a personal honor and a way to both honor and represent her people.
“As Palestine endures heartbreak — especially in Gaza — I carry the voice of a people who refuse to be silenced,” Ayoub wrote in the caption of her Instagram announcement post. “I represent every Palestinian woman and child whose strength the world needs to see. We are more than our suffering — we are resilience, hope, and the heartbeat of a homeland that lives on through us.”
You can follow Nadeen Ayoub’s journey on both her personal and the Miss Palestine Instagram accounts. Watch the Miss Universe pageant November 21st.
Interested in learning more about Palestinian culture? Check out EnVi’s piece on the Palestinian-owned Interlink Publishing house here.
