New Delhi, 26 March

Saudi Arabia will participate in the Miss Universe pageant for the first time, making it a historic event for the Islamic country.

Rumy Alqahtani, a beauty pageant veteran and an influencer, on Monday announced this news on her Instagram handle that she will be representing the kingdom in one of the most popular pageants in the world. She shared glamourous pictures of herself.

In the picture, the model can be seen wearing a strapless and sequined gown. Along with the photos, she wrote, "I am honoured to participate in the Miss Universe 2024 competition. This is the first participation of Saudi Arabia in the Miss Universe competition," she wrote in Arabic on Instagram.

According to the Khaleej Times, born in Riyadh, Alqahtani is no stranger to the spotlight. She has joined numerous global pageants, with the latest one being Miss and Mrs Global Asian in Malaysia a few weeks ago.

Last year, Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios was crowned Miss Universe 2023. For the first time, a contestant from Nicaragua became the winner of the contest while Antonia Porsild from Thailand and Moraya Wilson from Australia secured the second and third positions respectively. The organizers of the event had announced last year that the next edition will be held in Mexico.