The names of the seven finalists for Miss Universe Bahrain 2023 have been revealed.
The winner of the annual pageant will be crowned in September and will go on to represent the country at the Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador later in the year.
Bahrain is the only Gulf country to participate in the long-running beauty contest, one of the most-watched events of its kind in the world. Manar Nadeem Deyani and Evlin Khalifa represented the country at the 2021 and 2022 pageants respectively, making waves on the global stage.
The finalists for 2023 were selected from hundreds of entrants, Josh Yugen, national director of Miss Universe Bahrain, tells The National.
Yugen, whose Dubai-headquartered company Yugen Group also owns the Miss Universe Egypt and Miss Universe Pakistan franchises, earlier said he was “looking for someone who is beyond a beautiful face or a beautiful body.”
“She must be an inspirational representative of the Miss Universe Bahrain organisation. Someone who will understand that compassion for the earth, nature, animals and humanity is the core of her purpose. Someone who would use her voice for the voiceless and will share her talent as a gift to inspire thousands or even millions of young kids to be their best and reach their dreams.”
Applications for Miss Universe Bahrain 2023 opened in March to women between 18 and 28 years of age. And for the first time in 71 years, their marital status did not matter – applicants could be single, married, divorced or mothers.
The Miss Universe Organisation made the historic decision to no longer limit the contest to single women last year, saying it was a move to evolve with the times.
This year, Miss Universe Bahrain has partnered with voting app Choicely to give pageant fans the chance to help advance their favourite candidates.
The contestant with the most votes on mubahrain.choicely.com will be awarded a People’s Choice Award at the finals and the votes will also help boost her candidacy and influence the judges' final decision, says Yugen.
Voting is now open until August 5 and the winner of Miss Universe Bahrain 2023 is scheduled to be crowned in September. A date for the Miss Universe 2023 pageant has not yet been announced.
Here are the seven finalists for Miss Universe Bahrain 2023:
- Advaita Shetty, 28, is a clinical audiology student who also has a bachelor's degree in animal welfare and environmental health.
- Lujane Yacoub, 19, is a former Miss Universe Bahrain contestant. An actress, dancer and model, she plans to pursue her passion and study creative arts in London.
- Mariam Naji, 26, is a school principal, a social media influencer and a member of Bahrain’s national fencing team.
- Mary Mohamed, 28, is a Bahraini-Filipina who is certified in cognitive behavioural counselling specialising in eating disorder. She says she was inspired to take up the certification after dealing with the disorder herself.
- Menatalla Husein, 20, says she wants to use her voice to advocate for orphans and open more discussions about mental health within her community.
- Nivine Abouzeid, 24, is a marketing and PR professional who loves to travel and enjoys being in front of the camera.
- Tuhina Carrol, 28, is a flight attendant and believes in always dreaming big and being fearless.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
More from our neighbourhood series:
Scoreline
Saudi Arabia 1-0 Japan
Saudi Arabia Al Muwallad 63’
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
