First Palestinian to Compete in Miss Universe: “We Also Have Dreams”

Nadine Ayoub, the first Palestinian contestant in the Miss Universe pageant, aims to show the world that Palestinians are not only a people who suffer but also a community with dreams, ambitions, and a strong sense of identity.اضافة اعلان



Amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza for over 23 months, the 27-year-old is preparing to wear the “Miss Palestine” sash for the first time in the competition, scheduled this November in Thailand.

“We are not just our struggles and suffering. Palestinians are also children who want life, and women with dreams and ambitions,” Ayoub told AFP in Dubai.

She hopes her participation will highlight the beauty of Palestinian land, its rich heritage, and most importantly, the human side of her people.




Ayoub, with fair skin and long brown hair, did not grow up in a beauty pageant environment. She was raised between the West Bank, the United States, and Canada, and currently divides her time between Ramallah, Amman, and Dubai.

In the UAE, she founded an organization training content creators in sustainability and artificial intelligence. Her academic background includes a degree in English literature and psychology. She also taught in Palestine and worked with humanitarian organizations before being invited to a fashion show in Italy, which brought her recognition.

Professionals later encouraged her to compete internationally, starting with establishing a national pageant branch called “Miss Palestine”.

“Even something as simple as starting an organization is difficult for us. For other countries, it’s natural. For us, it took decades,” she explained.

The Miss Palestine pageant was held online in 2022 to ensure broad representation, given that half of Palestinians live in various countries worldwide while the other half reside in Gaza, the West Bank, and Israel.

After winning the first title, Ayoub engaged in charitable activities through her organization and competed in Miss Earth 2022. She skipped Miss Universe the following year due to the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023.

With the conflict ongoing, she sees this year’s participation as an opportunity to speak for Palestine and raise its profile internationally.

“Our people need a voice. We don’t want our identity erased,” she said.

Ayoub emphasizes that she represents a recognized country, acknowledged by approximately 145 out of 193 UN member states.

Coinciding with her preparation, the UN General Assembly recently adopted the “New York Declaration”, supporting a two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with 142 countries voting in favor and 10 against.

After the Miss Universe competition, Ayoub plans to pass on the Miss Palestine title to a new representative and continue her work supporting Palestinian women, children, and communities.