Apart from the drama overshadowing the upcoming Miss Universe 2025 contest, beauty pageants from around the world are gearing up to give their best on a night that blends national pride with the true essence of beauty and woman power.

From a young fashion Emirati student to a first time representation of Palestine, spotlights will definitely be put on the women who hold the Miss Universe titles in the region.

The finals of Miss Universe 2025 will be held in Thailand on Friday, November 21 as more than 120 women from across the world will compete to be crowned Miss Universe in a contest considered one of the "big four" of global beauty pageants.

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Here's a look at the young ladies who were carefully picked to represent some countries in the region:

Mariam Mohamed, a 26-year-old student of fashion, made history by being the first Emirati woman to take to the stage at Miss Universe 2025 after being selected from hundreds of applicants following a rigorous selection process.

With a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Sydney and currently studying fashion design at ESMOD Dubai, Mariam bridges academia, art, and advocacy.

Her mission is to fight poverty, empower women, and foster communities of love and peace. She has designed sustainable fashion, participated in charitable initiatives such as Ramadan Aman and The Giving Family Initiative, and represented the UAE in international women's entrepreneurship programs.

Nadeen Ayoub (Palestine)

For the first time this year, Palestine will be represented in the Miss Universe contest and Nadeen Ayoub was chosen for that honour.

At 27, Nadeen takes pride in her heritage and promotes empowering Palestinian women. Nadeen who grew up between Palestine, the US and Canada، is now based between Dubai and Ramallah in the West Bank, according to media reports.

“I am not defined by my suffering. I am defined by my courage, my dreams, and my determination to build a future for my people," she was quoted as saying.

Sabrina Erian (Egypt)

Sabrina Erian is a 23-year-old professional model who is also known as Sabrina Erian Gore, according to CV stardom. She is half-Moldovan.

In November 2024, Sabrina travelled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She is 5'8′′ tall. Her win of the title Miss Universe Egypt was seen as a powerful statement of inclusion, resilience, and the representation of minority voices in the Middle East.

When asked during one interview about the core values she would highlight to become Miss Universe, Sabrina's answer was "respect" and "equality" for all women, in all countries.

Melanie Shiraz Asor (Israel)

Engineer, advocate

Ceren Arsllan (Turkey)

Ceren Arsllan is a 26-year-old model, dancer, multilingual communicator, translator-in-training and social media creator who was born in Istanbul.

She advocates against cyberbullying and hopes to help her community through creativity and cultural pride.

Sarah Boujaoude (Lebanon)

Sarah Boujauode is a finance student at the American University in Beirut.

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