Surrounded by a haze of sparkles and sashes, a new Miss Universe began her reign on Saturday. The scene was a familiar one: a line-up of beautiful women in floor-length gowns, finalists nervously clutching hands, plenty of tears, bouquets of flowers and the passing of the crown.
On the face of it, it was the same Miss Universe. However, underneath its glitzy surface, times are changing. Or at least trying to.
Starting this year, the organisation behind the competition — which also owns Miss USA and Miss Teen USA — is implementing a new set of entry rules, perhaps the biggest shake-up in the event’s 72-year history.
For the first time, married women, pregnant women and mothers will be allowed to enter.
"We all believe that women should have agency over their lives and that a human's personal decisions should not be a barrier to their success," an internal memo by the Miss Universe Organisation, seen by The National, read in August.
Historically, the pageant has only been open to single women, aged between 18 and 28, who have never been married or had children.
And that’s not the only change. In October, the organisation was sold to Thai media company JKN Global, owned by billionaire television personality and entrepreneur Anne Jakrajutatip, for $20 million.
Upon the deal being signed, Jakrajutatip became the first woman to own the franchise, and she’s already made her presence felt.
As well as now being female-owned, the 2022 competition’s judging panel was made up solely of women, as were its hosting team and commentators.
“If you are a man, you are not allowed to go on the stage my dear,” Jakrajutatip recently said on The Journal podcast. “That is the evolution of Miss Universe.”
For an organisation once owned by Donald Trump and plagued with claims of sexism, it feels like something of a turning point. But is it enough to turn Miss Universe’s fortunes around?
The buyout comes amid diminishing ratings and public opinion surrounding the world’s most prestigious pageant in recent years. In 2021, the 70th competition, held in Israel, was broadcast on Fox in the US and drew 2.7 million viewers. Five years earlier, it was regularly drawing more than double that.
But Jakrajutatip has a solution. She plans to turn the competition into a 13-episode reality show, which will fall somewhere between Project Runway and American Idol.
According to Time, the show will follow contestants in the run-up to the competition, through the pageant itself, and throughout the victor's reign.
A reality show may be enough to lure new audiences into the world of pageantry, and Miss Universe may be making steps in the right direction when it comes to diversifying its long-critiqued entry criteria, but will they be enough to silence the question that grows louder as each pageant season passes — should they still exist at all?
Beauty pageants, in one form or another, have been around since the late 1800s, when newspapers would judge reader-submitted pictures. In the early 1920s, the first Mrs North Carolina State pageant was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, marking the earliest form of pageantry as we know it today.
The competition evolved to become Miss America and, by the 1960s, pageants had spread across the US — and the world. But even all those decades ago, the same questions were being asked.
In fact, across the Atlantic, in the UK, the 1970 Miss World competition was at the centre of one of the most dramatic feminist events of the 20th century, when activists stormed the stage with flour bombs during the competition’s televised final. Watched by 100 million people around the world, they shouted: “We're not ugly! We're not beautiful! We're angry!"
The incident was the subject of the 2020 film, Misbehaviour, starring Keira Knightly.
That year’s Miss World winner, Grenada's Jennifer Hosten, became the first black woman to claim the title. Recounting her experience to the Observer in 2020, she said: “I didn't realise it fully at the time but we were all using that contest as a way to get a message across. For me it was about race and inclusion — for them, it was about female exploitation."
There’s no doubt that strides have been made when it comes to race and inclusion. In 2019, the five major pageant titles — Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA and Miss America — were simultaneously held by black women.
But the question of female exploitation remains. Participants and winners, as well as the organisations behind pageantry, work hard to raise awareness of issues and causes around the world, while raising billions of dollars for charities and non-profit organisations. This year, for example, Miss Universe shone a spotlight on mental health when April Simpkins, the mother of former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, who had been diagnosed with depression and died by suicide in January last year, paid tribute to her daughter. Simpkins praised the pageant community for the support it showed Kryst and announced a partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness in her name.
But the appearance of the women competing remains the main appeal of these pageants, which still champion unrealistic beauty standards, and — in the case of Miss Universe — require contestants to take part in a controversial swimsuit round. Although contestants are not required to bare skin, as showcased by the previous two Miss Bahrain entrants who have worn activewear and a burkini during this segment, many women still do.
And it's clear a certain standard of body shape is still expected. Take Harnaaz Sandhu, Miss Universe 2021 winner. She became the third Indian contestant to triumph, bringing the crown home to the country for the first time in 21 years. During her reign, she worked hard to raise awareness of menstrual equity, visiting 25 cities in nine countries and giving dozens of speeches on the subject. In December, Sandhu launched a coalition for menstrual equity comprising of 11 non-profit organisations, which aims to reach five million women in 200 locations by 2025.
And yet, some of the biggest headlines she made during her reign came when she spoke out against online trolls who had called her “fat” following an appearance at a fashion show, months after winning the crown.
Sandhu told the world she had coeliac disease, which affects the sufferer's diet, meaning they must avoid foods containing gluten, such as bread.
"I'm one of those individuals who was first bullied that 'she's too skinny' and now they bully me saying 'she's fat'," she said. "I am one of the courageous and confident girls who believes even if I'm fat, even if I'm thin, it's my body, I love myself."
The online bullying also prompted former Miss Universe Catriona Gray to speak up in support of Sandhu.
"Imagine being a 21-year-old girl who reached her dream of being a Miss Universe, and experiencing that,” Gray, who is from the Philippines and who won the crown in 2018, said. “If I were 21 years old and in that position, I can just imagine how it would affect me.
"We should continue to talk against body shaming. Weight is not even a fraction of who we are," she said. "I really want to send the message that that sort of negativity does not deserve a space."
While the pair were addressing issues that arose following their time in the competition, the bullying highlights the pressures and expectations placed on these women.
Several contestants involved with major pageants over the years have spoken out against them directly. In November, when, for the first time in seven decades, Israel decided not to send a delegate to the Miss Universe pageant, it was reported to be the result of opinion in the country being divided on whether or not beauty pageants remain relevant. The decision was particularly monumental as the country had hosted the 2021 competition. It was held in the southern resort city of Eilat.
Following the decision, Miss Israel 2003 Sivan Klein, described pageants as “shallow” in an online video.
“Queen Elizabeth has died, and now the beauty queen contest is buried,” she said. “It asks smart questions of smart women, in a bikini. It places a crown on the head and, at the same time, a ceiling.”
Lawyer and actress Linor Abargil, who was crowned Miss Israel in 1998, also spoke out against pageantry. "A woman is not a body or a face and no one in the world has the right to criticise us, or to assess our weight to see if it matches what is going on in the market!” she wrote on Instagram. “People change, the world changes, it is permissible to say we were wrong and move on to a world where women will continue to run the world but only because of who they are, and not because of anything else.”
For many involved though, pageants remain a platform for good. Among a new wave of contestants trying to challenge the conventional pageant format is Melisa Raouf, who made headlines around the world last year when she became the first contestant in Miss England’s 94-year history to compete without make-up.
Raouf tells The National that her agenda was all about the idea of choice, and competing has only served to empower her, and the community around her.
“Competing in a pageant has definitely impacted my life in a positive way,” she says. “I’ve become so confident and I’ve learned to love myself. Beauty pageants aren’t about looking ‘pretty’ or ‘attractive’ anymore, they are about being yourself and taking pride in yourself.
“The feedback I’ve received is incredible,” she adds. “The fact so many young girls and women have felt empowered by what I’ve done means the world to me. It definitely was a life-changing experience that I’ll always cherish.”
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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More on Palestine-Israeli relations
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
Torbal Rayeh Wa Jayeh
Starring: Ali El Ghoureir, Khalil El Roumeithy, Mostafa Abo Seria
Stars: 3
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
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.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Leaderboard
63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)
64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)
66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)
67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
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Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
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Day 5, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Given the problems Sri Lanka have had in recent times, it was apt the winning catch was taken by Dinesh Chandimal. He is one of seven different captains Sri Lanka have had in just the past two years. He leads in understated fashion, but by example. His century in the first innings of this series set the shock win in motion.
Stat of the day This was the ninth Test Pakistan have lost in their past 11 matches, a run that started when they lost the final match of their three-Test series against West Indies in Sharjah last year. They have not drawn a match in almost two years and 19 matches, since they were held by England at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi in 2015.
The verdict Mickey Arthur basically acknowledged he had erred by basing Pakistan’s gameplan around three seam bowlers and asking for pitches with plenty of grass in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Why would Pakistan want to change the method that has treated them so well on these grounds in the past 10 years? It is unlikely Misbah-ul-Haq would have made the same mistake.
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Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
SCHEDULE FOR SHOW COURTS
Centre Court - from 4pm (UAE time)
Angelique Kerber (1) v Irina Falconi
Martin Klizan v Novak Djokovic (2)
Alexandr Dolgopolov v Roger Federer (3)
Court One - from 4pm
Milos Raonic (6) v Jan-Lennard Struff
Karolina Pliskova (3) v Evgeniya Rodina
Dominic Thiem (8) v Vasek Pospisil
Court Two - from 2.30pm
Juan Martin Del Potro (29) v Thanasi Kokkinakis
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Jelena Jankovic
Jeremy Chardy v Tomas Berdych (11)
Ons Jabeur v Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)
BeIN Sports currently has the rights to show
- Champions League
- English Premier League
- Spanish Primera Liga
- Italian, French and Scottish leagues
- Wimbledon and other tennis majors
- Formula One
- Rugby Union - Six Nations and European Cups
MORE ON CORONAVIRUS & THE ECONOMY
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
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Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
