Pamala Serena will head to Las Vegas this month as the second official Mrs UAE World contestant.
She follows in the footsteps of Debanjali Kamstra, the UAE's first Mrs World contestant, who last year made it to the top three in the global pageant.
Serena, who has also been named Mrs Universe Dubai 2021, will represent the country at the pageant, which “celebrates the uniqueness of married women”, on December 16 and 17 at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino in Nevada.
The beauty queen, who is of Indian descent, was born and raised in the UK, but has been living in Dubai for more than 10 years.
Scroll through the gallery below to see photos of Debanjali Kamstra, the first Mrs UAE world
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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 -
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 -
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 is the first beauty queen to represent the UAE. -
Kamstra has no previous modelling or beauty pageant experience. -
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. -
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 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.
Serena is a psychology graduate who is also an ambassador of peace for the UN.
"Honored, humble & grateful to be the Reigning Mrs UAE World 2022," Serena wrote on Instagram after her title was made official.
"If you can dream it, then you can achieve it. You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want. What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality. Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly."
The UAE had never appeared on the Mrs World stage before last year, when Kamstra, an Indian businesswoman who’s called the UAE home for the past 14 years, applied to participate.
“It was a friend who encouraged me to apply,” she told The National. "I immediately got a call back from Mrs World saying they were surprised because no one from the UAE had ever applied before. We then did a couple of rounds of interviews before I was told I'd been selected as Mrs UAE World.
“They understand the UAE and that so many expatriates call it home. So, me not being a citizen was not an issue for them,” she says. “Also, our UAE leaders have made it very clear that everyone living here should consider this as their country and their home. So that encouraged me.”
Kamstra, who had consistently been one of the top contenders in the public vote, narrowly missed out on securing the crown at the pageant in January.
She made it to the top three, finishing as second runner-up. Mrs American Shaylyn Ford won the contest, followed by Mrs Jordan Jaclyn Stapp as first runner-up.
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From left, Catherine Muldoon, Miss Teen USA New York, Melania Knauss, Donald Trump and Jaclyn Nesheiwat (Stapp), Miss USA New York, in June 2004. Getty Images -
Musician Scott Stapp, centre, then Miss USA Shandi Finnessey and Miss New York Jaclyn Nesheiwat at the 8th annual Muscular Dystrophy Association's Muscle Team 2005 Gala at Chelsea Pier's in New York City. Getty Images -
From left, Dr Janette Nesheiwat, Hayat Nesheiwat and founder of Children Are Magical, Jaclyn Stapp, attend the 2018 Charm Back To School Bash in August 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. Getty Images -
Husband and wife Scott and Jaclyn Stapp attend MusiCares Person of the Year at the Los Angeles Convention Center in February 2019. AFP -
Dr Janette Nesheiwat, left, and Jaclyn Stapp attend the 10th Annual NAMIWalks NYC at South Street Seaport in May 2016 in New York City. Getty Images -
Charm founder Jaclyn Stapp speaks at an event for the charity foundation. Getty Images -
Scott and Jaclyn Stapp with their children Daniel Issam and Milan Hayat at the Nickelodeon's 2016 Kids' Choice Awards at The Forum in California. AFP
Kamstra has been working ever since to promote Mrs World within the UAE and encourage fellow beauty queens.
The Mrs World contest has been held since 1984. Cancelled last year due to the pandemic, the pageant made global news last April when title holder Caroline Jurie resigned amid controversy surrounding a crown-snatching incident at a Sri Lankan beauty contest. Kate Schneider from Ireland, the first runner-up, was named the new Mrs World 2020.
To enter, contestants must be married at the date of entry, be at least 18 years old and be a resident of the country for which they compete, with organisers looking for “poised, articulate and stunning” women.
Miss Universe Bahrain Evlin Khalifa unveils official photos as online voting opens — in pictures
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The official photos of Miss Universe Bahrain Evlin Khalifa have been unveiled. All photos: Miss Universe Bahrain -
Khalifa is the only contestant from the Gulf to compete in the Miss Universe pageant -
For her official Miss Universe photo, Khalifa wears a dress by Filipino designer Furne One and his label Amato -
The photoshoot is themed The Power of Modesty, with gold-heavy look encompassing a ruffled cape and head cover, featuring heavy gold beadwork -
Khalifa was crowned Miss Universe Bahrain 2022 in September -
Khalifa is only the second beauty queen from Bahrain to take part in Miss Universe
