Miss Universe contestants from more than 130 countries have landed in Thailand ahead of the November 21 finale, where the 2025 winner will be crowned.
Now in its 74th year, the long-running pageant is one of the most popular annual competitions in the world, watched by an estimated global audience of 500 million.
In historic firsts, an Emirati will represent the UAE at the competition, while Palestine is making its debut. Miss Universe UAE Mariam Mohamed and Miss Universe Palestine, Nadeen Ayoub, were seen posing together for photographs in Bangkok on Tuesday.
Other regional representatives include contestants from Iraq, Lebanon and the winner of Miss Universe Persia, a contest open globally to the Iranian diaspora. Miss Universe Bahrain and Miss Universe Egypt pageants have not been held this year.
Contestants will be taking part in several preliminary events and interviews, ahead of the grand finale on November 21, to be held at the Impact Challenger exhibition centre in the city of Pak Kret, about 30 minutes' drive from Bangkok.
Here's a list of the contestants from the Middle East who have been announced so far.
Miss Universe UAE: Mariam Mohamed
Mariam Mohamed, 26, will make history by becoming the first Emirati to take part in the long-running pageant. A fashion student in Dubai, she is a keen falconer and camel riding enthusiast who "loves traveling around the world and meeting different cultures".
“The UAE has given me the confidence to dream big. I want to be a voice for women who are ambitious, curious and driven," she said. "Miss Universe UAE is not just about beauty, it is about impact."
Read The National's interview with Mohamed here.
Miss Universe Palestine: Nadeen Ayoub
Crowned Miss Palestine in 2022, Ayoub will make history by being the first from her country to walk the Miss Universe stage.
A certified wellness and nutrition coach with a degree in literature and psychology, the 27-year-old was raised between Palestine, the US and Canada by her father, who's a lawyer, and her mother, an educator.
She told The National she's going to the competition to “carry the voice of a people who refuse to be silenced”.
“When you have that power, you have a responsibility to speak out. And I feel a huge responsibility,” she said. “Miss Universe is a huge platform, and there's a big responsibility in speaking out about what's happening in Gaza. No one should be silent about the injustice that's happening. This is the time when Palestine needs to be represented on all platforms everywhere.”
Miss Universe Iraq: Hanin Al Qoreishy
An American citizen who immigrated from Iraq at the age of 12, Al Qoreishy was named Miss Universe Iraq in June. A resident of Houston, Texas, the 27-year-old is a self-made entrepreneur and, inspired by her own past, an advocate for child refugees.
She has pageant experience, having been crowned Miss Grand Nevada in 2024.
“Hanin Al Qoreishy will carry our flag, our voice, and our legacy to the Miss Universe stage as Miss Universe Iraq 2025. The universe is about to witness the power, beauty, and brilliance of our homeland,” Miss Universe Iraq posted on Instagram, announcing her participation.
Miss Universe Lebanon: Sarah Boujaoude
The second-place winner at Miss Lebanon 2024, Boujaoude, 20, was named her country's representative at Miss Universe 2025 in June. She is a fashion model and a finance student at the American University of Beirut.
“My cause is to empower women by promoting self-acceptance and inner beauty,” she said, following her announcement. “In an age where unrealistic beauty standards are imposed, I urge every woman, especially young women, to appreciate themselves as they are and to believe that true beauty starts from within – from confidence, strength, and uniqueness that cannot be measured by appearances.”
Miss Universe Persia: Sahar Biniaz
Biniaz, who is Canadian, has unfinished business with the Miss Universe competition. Now 40, she was crowned Miss Universe Canada in 2012, but a foot injury prevented her from taking part in the international competition.
“I stand for the woman who has endured restrictions but never surrendered. The woman who has wept but still smiled,” she said after she was named Miss Universe Persia 2025. “Persian women are not only beautiful, we are powerful. We are unbreakable. We are still here.”
