Miss Universe Bahrain 2023 finalists revealed as public voting opens

Pageant fans can now vote for their favourite candidates using Choicely app

Miss Universe Bahrain 2022, Evlin Khalifa. Photo: Miss Universe Bahrain

The names of the seven finalists for Miss Universe Bahrain 2023 have been revealed.

The winner of the annual pageant will be crowned in September and will go on to represent the country at the Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador later in the year.

Bahrain is the only Gulf country to participate in the long-running beauty contest, one of the most-watched events of its kind in the world. Manar Nadeem Deyani and Evlin Khalifa represented the country at the 2021 and 2022 pageants respectively, making waves on the global stage.

The finalists for 2023 were selected from hundreds of entrants, Josh Yugen, national director of Miss Universe Bahrain, tells The National.

Yugen, whose Dubai-headquartered company Yugen Group also owns the Miss Universe Egypt and Miss Universe Pakistan franchises, earlier said he was “looking for someone who is beyond a beautiful face or a beautiful body.”

“She must be an inspirational representative of the Miss Universe Bahrain organisation. Someone who will understand that compassion for the earth, nature, animals and humanity is the core of her purpose. Someone who would use her voice for the voiceless and will share her talent as a gift to inspire thousands or even millions of young kids to be their best and reach their dreams.”

Applications for Miss Universe Bahrain 2023 opened in March to women between 18 and 28 years of age. And for the first time in 71 years, their marital status did not matter – applicants could be single, married, divorced or mothers.

The Miss Universe Organisation made the historic decision to no longer limit the contest to single women last year, saying it was a move to evolve with the times.

This year, Miss Universe Bahrain has partnered with voting app Choicely to give pageant fans the chance to help advance their favourite candidates.

The contestant with the most votes on mubahrain.choicely.com will be awarded a People’s Choice Award at the finals and the votes will also help boost her candidacy and influence the judges' final decision, says Yugen.

Voting is now open until August 5 and the winner of Miss Universe Bahrain 2023 is scheduled to be crowned in September. A date for the Miss Universe 2023 pageant has not yet been announced.

Here are the seven finalists for Miss Universe Bahrain 2023:

• Advaita Shetty, 28, is a clinical audiology student who also has a bachelor's degree in animal welfare and environmental health.
• Lujane Yacoub, 19, is a former Miss Universe Bahrain contestant. An actress, dancer and model, she plans to pursue her passion and study creative arts in London.
• Mariam Naji, 26, is a school principal, a social media influencer and a member of Bahrain’s national fencing team.
• Mary Mohamed, 28, is a Bahraini-Filipina who is certified in cognitive behavioural counselling specialising in eating disorder. She says she was inspired to take up the certification after dealing with the disorder herself.
• Menatalla Husein, 20, says she wants to use her voice to advocate for orphans and open more discussions about mental health within her community.
• Nivine Abouzeid, 24, is a marketing and PR professional who loves to travel and enjoys being in front of the camera.
• Tuhina Carrol, 28, is a flight attendant and believes in always dreaming big and being fearless.