Miss Universe Bahrain 2022 to be crowned on August 26

Organisers of Miss Universe Bahrain have confirmed the next beauty queen will be crowned on August 26, with the winner's name to be revealed to the public during the show's broadcast on September 11.

Current title holder, Manar Nadeem Deyani, who made history last year by being the first woman from her country to participate in the global pageant, will pass on her crown at a glittering gala, the location for which has not been revealed.

In June, Miss Universe Bahrain announced it was accepting applications for this year's competition, inviting aspiring beauty queens aged between 18 and 28, who are single and who hold a Bahraini passport.

"Last year, we made history as after 70 years we sent the first candidate from the GCC to the Miss Universe pageant," Josh Yugen, chief executive of Yugen Group and the national director of Miss Universe Bahrain tells The National.

"Miss Universe Bahrain also made history as the first-ever woman to wear a burkini during the swimwear competition. She was also the shortest candidate, as we want to break the stereotypes of what a beauty queen should be.

"And this year, we want to continue making history by continuing the legacy of defying the stigma of the pageant industry. With Yugen Group team, The Council, our esteemed celebrity and VVIP judges, we want to crown a winner with an unparalleled purpose, with a strong character and a glowing beauty that exudes from within. She is an empowering soul that can summon the universe."

Segments at the coming Miss Universe Bahrain will include an activewear round, an evening gown round and a Q&A round for the finalists.

Deyani, a fashion designer who lives in Dubai, earlier said she wants aspiring contestants to know it's not their appearances that will set them apart, but their "power within".

"Miss Universe has never been about physical beauty," she said. "If you are an aspiring Miss Universe, you have to find your purpose. Develop your confidence and identify the key messages you want to advocate for. It is also important to take care of your mental health because it can sometimes be hard with everyone watching but you need to embrace your power within and find your voice."

Last week, the global Miss Universe pageant made history by implementing one of the biggest rule changes in its 70-year history, by accepting married women and mothers.

In an internal memo seen by The National, the organisation said the new changes will come into effect from the 72nd pageant, to be held next year.

Preliminary rounds for the 71st Miss Universe have already taken place. More than 35 countries, from the UK to Ukraine and Guatemala to Ghana, have named their representatives, with plenty more to be unveiled over the summer months.

India’s Harnaaz Sandhu beat 79 other contestants to win the Miss Universe crown last year in a glitzy final hosted in Israel in December. The date and location for this year's pageant are expected to be revealed in a few weeks.

Scroll through the gallery for Miss Universe 2022 contestants who have been crowned so far

UAE%20v%20West%20Indies

%3Cp%3EFirst%20ODI%20-%20Sunday%2C%20June%204%20%0D%3Cbr%3ESecond%20ODI%20-%20Tuesday%2C%20June%206%20%0D%3Cbr%3EThird%20ODI%20-%20Friday%2C%20June%209%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMatches%20at%20Sharjah%20Cricket%20Stadium.%20All%20games%20start%20at%204.30pm%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20squad%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMuhammad%20Waseem%20(captain)%2C%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20Adithya%20Shetty%2C%20Ali%20Naseer%2C%20Ansh%20Tandon%2C%20Aryansh%20Sharma%2C%20Asif%20Khan%2C%20Basil%20Hameed%2C%20Ethan%20D%E2%80%99Souza%2C%20Fahad%20Nawaz%2C%20Jonathan%20Figy%2C%20Junaid%20Siddique%2C%20Karthik%20Meiyappan%2C%20Lovepreet%20Singh%2C%20Matiullah%2C%20Mohammed%20Faraazuddin%2C%20Muhammad%20Jawadullah%2C%20Rameez%20Shahzad%2C%20Rohan%20Mustafa%2C%20Sanchit%20Sharma%2C%20Vriitya%20Aravind%2C%20Zahoor%20Khan%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

MATCH INFO

World Cup 2022 qualifier

UAE v Indonesia, Thursday, 8pm

Venue: Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai

Miss Universe Bahrain 2022 to be crowned on August 26

Last year's winner made history as the shortest candidate at Miss Universe and the first to wear a burkini in the swimwear round

More on Quran memorisation:

While you're here

While you're here

UAE%20v%20West%20Indies

MATCH INFO