The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) has belied reports that Saudi Arabia is set to participate in the upcoming Miss Universe 2024.
This comes weeks after beauty queen Rumy Alqahtani made a revelation on Instagram that she is joining the Miss Universe pageant as Saudi Arabia's official representative.
In a statement, the MUO clarified that there is no truth to the news about Rumy's participation just yet. "We would like to categorically state that no selection process has been conducted in Saudi Arabia, and any such claims are false and misleading," according to the organization's statement, which was first reported by New York Times journalist, Vivian Nereim.
Moreover, it emphasized that any candidate vying for the Miss Universe competition must strictly adhere to the organization's policies and guidelines. "Each country's selection is carried out in accordance with established criteria and regulations, ensuring fairness and transparency in the selection of participants," they stated.
They furthered, "We are committed to showcasing diversity and inclusivity on our global stage, celebrating the beauty and talents of women from all walks of life."The Miss Universe Organization also noted that while Saudi Arabia is not yet included in the final list of countries participating in the pageant, the organization continues its vetting process for the country.
"While Saudi Arabia is not yet among those countries fully confirmed participating this year, we are currently undergoing a rigorous vetting process qualifying a potential candidate to be awarded the franchise and assigned a national director to represent. Saudi Arabia will not have this opportunity to join our pageant until this is final and confirmed by our approval committee," the statement explained.
On March 25, 2024, Saudi Arabian beauty queen Rumy Alqahtani posted on Instagram about her presumed journey to the Miss Universe stage. "Honored to participate in Miss Universe 2024," Rumy wrote in Arabic.
The 73rd Miss Universe pageant will be held in Mexico in September 2024. It is supposed to be the first time that Saudi Arabia will participate in the global competition.
Why Saudi Arabia has not yet joined the Miss Universe before?
Saudi Arabia is long known to be a country "conservative," compared to Western norms. The kingdom has set strict protocols as to what women should wear in their country. The Human Rights Watch organization reported that women in Saudi Arabia are required to wear a loose black garment called an abaya and headscarf whenever they are in public.
In 2017, the Human Rights Watch reported on existing other women's rights-related issues in the country namely its male guardianship system and sex-segregation, arguing that the country has a long way to go back when it comes to gender equality.
When Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman assumed his post in June 2017, he was immediately acknowledged for his "aggressive and ambitious" reforms in the country's foreign and economic policies, and most importantly in their social norms.
The Crown Prince relaxed a lot of strict protocols with the aim to boost tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As published in Britannica, "A ban on cinemas was reversed, and women were allowed to attend sporting events."
The Crown Prince implemented a lot of changes to the protocols surrounding women by the year 2018. He was the one who loosened the public dress code for women. Changes included were that women are no longer required to wear an abaya in public. Women can also get their own driver's licenses, and to also do errands alone!
However, Britannica noted that while women have new rights, it is not to be translated as total freedom.
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Who is Rumy Alqahtani?
As we await to witness Saudi Arabia's Miss Universe debut, let's get to know Rumy Alqahtani.
1. She is born to be a beauty queen.
Rumy has been participating in pageants. She became Miss Middle East (Saudi Arabia), Miss Arab World Peace 2021, and Miss Woman (Saudi Arabia).
2. Rumy is an influencer.
The 27-year-old stunner is a huge social media success. She has 1 million followers on Instagram alone!
3. Rumy admits the challenges of being a beauty queen from Saudi Arabia.
Although pageants have long been accepted in many countries, there's something about her experience that challenges Rumy to be a beauty queen.
"The biggest challenge is my personal representation of the [typical] Saudi girl, as well as the appearance, that befits her as a Saudi," she said in a 2023 interview, as translated by Cosmopolitan Middle East.
She added, "My contributions are to learn about world cultures and to transfer our authentic Saudi culture and heritage to the world."
4. She is a Goodwill Ambassador.
In February 2024, Rumy announced that she was also appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador by the International Committee of the Red Cross or ICRC. She forwards the fight to end violence against women. She wrote on Instagram, "I have also been invited as a keynote speaker at the 7th World Summit on Human Rights 2024 in Geneva."
