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
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Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
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.”
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Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
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