Saudi Arabia to join Miss Universe for the first time

[Editor's Note: Claims made by the subject of this article has been refuted by Miss Universe Organization. Read the statement and the story here.]

A 27-year-old model will be taking the Saudi flag to the Miss Universe stage — for the first time in history.

Rumy Alqahtani, a beauty pageant veteran and an influencer with one million followers on Instagram, announced on Monday that she will be representing the kingdom in one of the most popular pageants in the world.

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"I am honoured to participate in the Miss Universe 2024 competition. This is the debut of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the competition," she wrote in Arabic on Instagram.

With the announcement, the model shared photos of her in full beauty queen mode: Wearing a strapless, sequined gown, a tiara, and a sash — while holding the flag of Saudi Arabia.

Here's the post:

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