Meet Miss World Somalia, the first hijabi contestant in the pageant's history

Khadija Omar will represent her country at the pageant in March

Miss World Somalia, Khadija Omar, was born and raised in Hagadera Refugee Camp in Nairobi, before moving to Canada in 2010.

The psychology student and make-up artist, who is the eldest daughter in a family of five, has come a long way since then.

Today, she is the first hijabi Miss World contestant and the first Miss Somalia.

One of her biggest role models in life is her mother, who is always “herself”, Omar tells The National.

“Another role model for me are the hijabi girls who have become big in the past years, like Halima Aden,” she says. “If she can do it, I can do it, too.”

Somali-American model Aden made history in 2016 when she became the first hijabi woman to enter Miss Minnesota USA.

But Omar, 20, who has 50,000 followers on Instagram and counting, has a huge passion for pageantry and has gone one better than her idol with her title in Miss World.

When she told her family that she will be the first Miss Somalia and would participate in Miss World 2021, she says her mother was so stunned she didn’t believe her.

“My family always knew I loved pageants because I was talking about it for five years,” she says. “I am really happy because it is something I have always been dreaming of doing.”

I know who I am, I know what I represent, so I just have to go there and just be me and it will be amazing

Khadija Omar,
Miss World Somalia

Her enthusiasm couldn’t temper her nerves, however. “I was scared because I thought that I was not prepared as other girls because there are girls who have been training years to do this.

“I said, ‘I know who I am, I know what I represent, so I just have to go there and just be me and it will be amazing.’”

A major motivational factor for Omar is her pride in her country. “I want to make sure I represent my people right and that I make them proud and do my best.”

The Miss World finals have not been without drama, though, as they were postponed to March 16 from December after several Covid-19 infections were detected during the preliminary rounds of the pageant.

See photos of Miss World contestants in Puerto Rico before the pageant was delayed:

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  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

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  From left, Miss France, April Benayoum; Miss Japan, Tamaki Hoshi; Miss Venezuela, Alejandra Conde; and Miss Somalia, Khadija Omar, at the welcoming ceremony.

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  Miss World 2021 was to be crowned on December 16, 2021, but was finally crowned on March 16, 2022.

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  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.

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  Miss World Colombia, Andrea Aguilera.

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  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.

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  Miss World Puerto Rico, Aryam Diaz.

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  Miss World 2021 contestants wave the Puerto Rican flag at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico.

That meant Miss World Toni-Ann Singh’s reign as the longest title-holder in history has been extended even further. Singh, who is Miss Jamaica World 2019, was crowned Miss World that same year, but held on to her title after the event was cancelled in 2020 owing to the pandemic.

Omar says it was hard at the pageant, which is taking place in Puerto Rico, since she couldn’t have her family with her. It remains to be seen whether that will still be the case in March.

Despite the setbacks and the restrictions around the world, Omar says, “If we come together we can do so much.”

Once Miss World is over, she plans to start a make-up brand called K Amani and an organisation to help young girls in Somalia.

“Make-up has been something I have always been into,” she says.

Her brand, which was inspired by the lack of complexion diversity in the make-up industry, will, she says, help her give back to her community.

“It was hard having to find foundations that were pigmented enough for our skin tone.

“Coming from a refugee camp, when I was young I always knew I wanted to go back and help in some way.”

The UAE's first Mrs World, who came in third in the contest:

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  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

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  Held since 1984, the Mrs World contest was cancelled in 2021 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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  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

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  Debanjali Kamstra in her national costume, designed by Filipino talent Cary Santiago, in the preliminary rounds of Mrs World 2022. Photo: Debanjali Kamstra

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  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

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  Debanjali Kamstra is the first beauty queen to represent the UAE.

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  Kamstra has no previous modelling or beauty pageant experience.

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  Kamstra came in third at Mrs World, which 'celebrates the uniqueness of married women'.

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  Former cabin crew with Emirates airline, Kamstra is also an architect and opened the interior design company Veloche in Dubai a decade ago.

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  As there has never been a Mrs UAE World before, Kamstra says her preparations for the contest were entirely self-funded.

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  Kamstra married her husband, Christiaan, in 2012 and the couple live in Dubai with their two daughters, Victoria, 6, and Tiffany, 5.

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  Kamstra says she now hopes to bring Mrs World to the UAE.

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  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.