Riyadh: In a historic first, Saudi Arabia is set to be represented by 27-year-old Rumy Alqahtani at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant, signaling a significant milestone in a country considered conservative throughout its history.
Alqahtani, a and content creator hailing from Riyadh, took to Instagram to express excitement at the opportunity while also highlighting the significance of the country’s landmark debut at the beauty pageant.
With this announcement, Alqahtani follows in the footsteps of Lujane Yacoub, who represented Bahrain in the previous year’s Miss Universe pageant, marking the first appearance of a contestant from the Gulf region.
The upcoming Miss Universe competition will take place in Mexico on September 18 and will also witness Iran’s debut.
Alqahtani holds a Bachelor’s degree in dentistry and is proficient in multiple languages, including English, French, and Arabic, The Independent reported. She has been crowned Miss Saudi Arabia, Miss Middle East (Saudi Arabia), Miss Arab World Peace 2021 and Miss Woman (Saudi Arabia). She has also participated in numerous global pageants, with the most recent one being Miss and Mrs Global Asian in Malaysia in February.
The Miss Universe pageant 2023 featured a few notable inclusions, including two transgender contestants and the first plus-size contestant to reach the semi-finals. Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua made history by winning the title of Miss Universe 2023, marking Nicaragua’s inaugural victory in the pageant.
