Khadija Omar is the first Miss World Somalia and the first hijabi contestant to take part in the beauty pageant. Photo: Khadija Omar
Khadija Omar is the first Miss World Somalia and the first hijabi contestant to take part in the beauty pageant. Photo: Khadija Omar
Khadija Omar is the first Miss World Somalia and the first hijabi contestant to take part in the beauty pageant. Photo: Khadija Omar
Khadija Omar is the first Miss World Somalia and the first hijabi contestant to take part in the beauty pageant. Photo: Khadija Omar

Lifestyle

Fashion

First hijabi Miss World contestant makes top 40, alongside Philippines, India and US

Khadija Omar, from Somalia, is the first beauty queen to represent her country and wear a hijab in the pageant

Katy Gillett
Katy Gillett

January 23, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

Khadija Omar, the first hijab-wearing Miss World contestant and the first to represent her home country, Somalia, has made it to the top 40.

The world-renowned beauty pageant, which was postponed in December after an outbreak of Covid-19 among contestants and staff, recently announced its fast-track 15 winners and 25 judges' choices.

Miss Somalia was chosen by the judges, alongside participants from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Malaysia, China and Iceland, to name a few.

Miss Philippines and Miss India were both announced in the top 15, alongside women from England, the US and Nepal.

See photos of Miss World 2021 contestants in Puerto Rico:

  • Miss World 2021 contestants arrive at their hotel in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. A total of 98 participants competed for the crown. All photos: EPA
    Miss World 2021 contestants arrive at their hotel in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. A total of 98 participants competed for the crown. All photos: EPA
  • From left, Miss France, April Benayoum; Miss Japan, Tamaki Hoshi; Miss Venezuela, Alejandra Conde; and Miss Somalia, Khadija Omar, at the welcoming ceremony.
    From left, Miss France, April Benayoum; Miss Japan, Tamaki Hoshi; Miss Venezuela, Alejandra Conde; and Miss Somalia, Khadija Omar, at the welcoming ceremony.
  • Miss World 2021 was to be crowned on December 16, 2021, but was finally crowned on March 16, 2022.
    Miss World 2021 was to be crowned on December 16, 2021, but was finally crowned on March 16, 2022.
  • Toni-Ann Singh from Jamaica is the longest-reigning Miss World, having held the title since 2019 owing to the pageant being cancelled in 2020.
    Toni-Ann Singh from Jamaica is the longest-reigning Miss World, having held the title since 2019 owing to the pageant being cancelled in 2020.
  • Miss World Colombia, Andrea Aguilera.
    Miss World Colombia, Andrea Aguilera.
  • Miss World Bahamas, Sienna Evans, speaks with her companions Miss France, April Benayoum, Miss Japan, Tamaki Hoshi, Miss Venezuela, Alejandra Conde, Miss Somalia, Khadija Omar and Miss Cameroon, Audrey Nabila.
    Miss World Bahamas, Sienna Evans, speaks with her companions Miss France, April Benayoum, Miss Japan, Tamaki Hoshi, Miss Venezuela, Alejandra Conde, Miss Somalia, Khadija Omar and Miss Cameroon, Audrey Nabila.
  • Miss World Puerto Rico, Aryam Diaz.
    Miss World Puerto Rico, Aryam Diaz.
  • Miss World 2021 contestants wave the Puerto Rican flag at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico.
    Miss World 2021 contestants wave the Puerto Rican flag at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico.

"Words cannot express how proud I am of the milestones we’ve crossed this year and last," Omar wrote on Instagram as the top 40 names were announced. "Somalia has made so much history and continues to do so.

"Making the top 40 has shown me just how much hard work really pays off and how dreams really do come true. To everyone who supported me through this journey, I will forever be grateful. To my country and my team, thank you for giving me this opportunity, I will do my best to continue making you proud."

The reigning Miss World is Toni-Ann Singh. She is the longest title-holder in history following the delay of the annual beauty pageant for the second year.

Singh, who is Miss Jamaica World 2019, was crowned Miss World in 2019 but held on to her title after the event was cancelled in 2020 owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2021 finals will now take place in Puerto Rico on March 16.

"Congratulations to our Top 40 who are invited to return to San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 12th to continue their quest to be crowned the 70th Miss World," read a post on Facebook from the Miss World Organisation.

"Julia Morley and her Miss World team would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the contestants from the 97 countries that have contributed so much to this year's event. We are sad that you cannot all return for the finale, but we really hope that every country will join with us online on March 16th."

While these 40 will be moving ahead in the competition, all 97 Miss World contestants in 2021 will be featured in the 70th Miss World final, which will be broadcast live from the Coliseo De Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot.

Meet Debanjali Kamstra, the UAE's first Mrs World:

  • Kamstra, 35, an Indian businesswoman and mother-of-two, has called the UAE home for the past 14 years. All photos by Mahmoud Marei, Syed Kamran Ali unless stated otherwise
    Kamstra, 35, an Indian businesswoman and mother-of-two, has called the UAE home for the past 14 years. All photos by Mahmoud Marei, Syed Kamran Ali unless stated otherwise
  • Held since 1984, the Mrs World contest was cancelled in 2021 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
    Held since 1984, the Mrs World contest was cancelled in 2021 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • From left: Mrs UAE World Debanjali Kamstra, Mrs World Shaylyn Ford and Mrs Jordan World Jaclyn Stapp. Ford won the Mrs World 2021 contest, while Mrs Jordan and Mrs UAE came in second and third, respectively. Photos: Mahmoud Marei, Instagram
    From left: Mrs UAE World Debanjali Kamstra, Mrs World Shaylyn Ford and Mrs Jordan World Jaclyn Stapp. Ford won the Mrs World 2021 contest, while Mrs Jordan and Mrs UAE came in second and third, respectively. Photos: Mahmoud Marei, Instagram
  • Debanjali Kamstra in her national costume, designed by Filipino talent Cary Santiago, in the preliminary rounds of Mrs World 2022. Photo: Debanjali Kamstra
    Debanjali Kamstra in her national costume, designed by Filipino talent Cary Santiago, in the preliminary rounds of Mrs World 2022. Photo: Debanjali Kamstra
  • Debanjali Kamstra, the first Mrs UAE World, waves the UAE flag in the middle of Times Square in New York City, as she begins her journey to the US for the pageant. Photo: Debanjali Kamstra
    Debanjali Kamstra, the first Mrs UAE World, waves the UAE flag in the middle of Times Square in New York City, as she begins her journey to the US for the pageant. Photo: Debanjali Kamstra
  • Debanjali Kamstra is the first beauty queen to represent the UAE.
    Debanjali Kamstra is the first beauty queen to represent the UAE.
  • Kamstra has no previous modelling or beauty pageant experience.
    Kamstra has no previous modelling or beauty pageant experience.
  • Kamstra came in third at Mrs World, which 'celebrates the uniqueness of married women'.
    Kamstra came in third at Mrs World, which 'celebrates the uniqueness of married women'.
  • Former cabin crew with Emirates airline, Kamstra is also an architect and opened the interior design company Veloche in Dubai a decade ago.
    Former cabin crew with Emirates airline, Kamstra is also an architect and opened the interior design company Veloche in Dubai a decade ago.
  • As there has never been a Mrs UAE World before, Kamstra says her preparations for the contest were entirely self-funded.
    As there has never been a Mrs UAE World before, Kamstra says her preparations for the contest were entirely self-funded.
  • Kamstra married her husband, Christiaan, in 2012 and the couple live in Dubai with their two daughters, Victoria, 6, and Tiffany, 5.
    Kamstra married her husband, Christiaan, in 2012 and the couple live in Dubai with their two daughters, Victoria, 6, and Tiffany, 5.
  • Kamstra says she now hopes to bring Mrs World to the UAE.
    Kamstra says she now hopes to bring Mrs World to the UAE.
  • Kamstra says she would like to be a part of setting up an organisation that works to send participants to the Mrs World competition in the future.
    Kamstra says she would like to be a part of setting up an organisation that works to send participants to the Mrs World competition in the future.
The more serious side of specialty coffee

While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.

The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.

Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”

One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.

Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms. 

While you're here
Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

While you're here
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
  • The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
  • The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
  • The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
  • The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
  • The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
On Women's Day
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Tell Me Who I Am

Director: Ed Perkins

Stars: Alex and Marcus Lewis

Four stars

Stage results

1. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep  4:39:05

2. Michael Matthews (AUS) Team BikeExchange 0:00:08

3. Primoz Roglic (SLV) Jumbo-Visma same time 

4. Jack Haig (AUS) Bahrain Victorious s.t  

5. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Bora-Hansgrohe s.t  

6. Tadej Pogacar (SLV) UAE Team Emirates s.t 

7. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ s.t

8. Sergio Higuita Garcia (COL) EF Education-Nippo s.t     

9. Bauke Mollema (NED) Trek-Segafredo  s.t

10. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers s.t

Results
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EElite%20men%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Amare%20Hailemichael%20Samson%20(ERI)%202%3A07%3A10%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Leornard%20Barsoton%20(KEN)%202%3A09%3A37%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Ilham%20Ozbilan%20(TUR)%202%3A10%3A16%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Gideon%20Chepkonga%20(KEN)%202%3A11%3A17%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Isaac%20Timoi%20(KEN)%202%3A11%3A34%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EElite%20women%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Brigid%20Kosgei%20(KEN)%202%3A19%3A15%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Hawi%20Feysa%20Gejia%20(ETH)%202%3A24%3A03%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Sintayehu%20Dessi%20(ETH)%202%3A25%3A36%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Aurelia%20Kiptui%20(KEN)%202%3A28%3A59%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Emily%20Kipchumba%20(KEN)%202%3A29%3A52%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20Iron%20Claw
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sean%20Durkin%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zac%20Efron%2C%20Jeremy%20Allen%20White%2C%20Harris%20Dickinson%2C%20Maura%20Tierney%2C%20Holt%20McCallany%2C%20Lily%20James%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Brief scoreline

Switzerland 0

England 0

Result: England win 6-5 on penalties

Man of the Match: Trent Alexander-Arnold (England)

What's in the deal?

Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024

India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.

India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.

Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments

India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery

Pari

Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment

Director: Prosit Roy

Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani

Three stars

Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
​​​​​​​Bloomsbury Academic

The details

Heard It in a Past Life

Maggie Rogers

(Capital Records)

3/5

ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY

Starting at 10am:

Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang

Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)

Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)

Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera 

Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas

While you're here
Updated: February 01, 2022, 8:50 AM
SomaliaPhilippinesIndiaMiss World 2021