The second edition of Miss Universe Bahrain Pageant is set to begin today, kicking off five days of back-to-back episodes, the finale of which will divulge the winner being crowned on September 11.
The first episode will be aired at 5pm Riyadh Time on the Miss Universe Bahrain official youtube channel, introducing the candidates before they are launched into a series of “exciting and interesting activities” in future episodes. The seven finalists of Miss Universe Bahrain have been selected from over 300 online applicants since the opening of applications in June 2022, and will now compete against one another for the coveted title of ‘Miss Bahrain’.
Some might be wondering what the purpose of this competition is, or what the true significance of the title ‘Miss Bahrain’ may be. Josh Yugen, President and Director of the organization explains, “We are here to find a… confident woman to best represent modern Bahraini women,” and that the purpose of the competition is “to redefine the standards of beauty and the stereotypes around it.”
The seven finalists are:
EVLIN KHALIFA
Age: 24
City: Riffa
Evlin graduated from five (5) schools: music, dancing, modeling, taekwondo and
comprehension. Evlin is passionate about education in different ways. She believes
It’s never too late to study or learn something new in this life. For her, life is a
continuous learning process. After graduation from the university with a Bachelor’s
Degree in Finance and Banking, she continues her education through online classes
by consistently mastering her Arabic and English skills as well as learning
psychology through books. Evlin strongly believes in the power of education and she
thinks that it should be provided and available for everyone.
GHADEER ‘GEE’ ALSHAYEB
Age: 23
City: Arad
Ghadeer is a passionate student studying web media while juggling different jobs at the same time. She works as a fitness coach, a paddle board instructor, a model and trains kids about martial arts. One of her main advocacies is to create an educated community towards a healthy lifestyle. Ghadeer wants to empower every girl, in any age demographic, to be the best, because for her, women are fighters. She wants all girls to have the opportunity to experience everything that they want to do without any restrictions.
LUJANE YACOUB
Age: 18
City: Hamala
Lujane is the youngest participant of Miss Universe Bahrain 2022, currently enrolled in Bahrain High School as a Senior, where she has been serving as President of the Student Council. She is a long-standing member of the National Honors Society, has earned a gold medal and other accolades for her theater work, been invited to
represent Bahrain at Creative Connections in Germany, and has been voted by her peers as Prom Court Princess for the past two years.
Lujane is an ambassador and the current cover model of Cosplay Arabia Magazine and has seen firsthand the joy cosplay brings to people, particularly children. From
this experience, she founded ‘Project Hero’, with plans to visit many children in special needs schools and hospitals. She is also working on recruiting and training a
full team of fellow cosplayers, in order to customize the experience for each child her team has the honor to meet. Lujane’s ballet teacher, Ms. Claire Carney, with her autistic daughter ‘Lily’, is also a huge inspiration for ‘Project Hero’. She says, “Ms
Claire always included Lily in dance classes & performances. It was my first chance to meet someone with Autism. Lily is pure positivity and although she struggles with things most of us take for granted, she never gives up, nor does her
mother, Ms. Claire”.
MARIA MALALLA
Age: 20
City: Manama
Maria is a professional fashion and beauty model based in Bahrain. She is a local social media influencer in Bahrain and has been a role model to young girls in her community by propagating kindness and modesty to the young audiences. For her sisterhood is one of the most valuable things that she has learned throughout the journey of Miss Universe Bahrain.
MAYA MALALLA
Age: 18
City: Manama
Maya is an energetic woman who likes to challenge herself in everything. She
is a young model, although she’s only 18, but she made a lot of achievements in her life. Maya participated in many activities such as beauty campaigns and fashion shoots. She also has experience in dealing with special needs of people, especially kids with autism. She likes to volunteer and to help others. She has worked with Alsroor company, Michael salon, CB cafe, Aroma restaurant, Khenna Perfumes. She’s independent who’s seeking to gain more experience and get the better version of herself. Her advocacy is to empower the Bahraini culture, especially the women.”
SHEREEN AHMED
Age: 27
City: Manama
Shereen is a half Filipina, half Bahraini multifaceted professional in the world of media, working as a presenter for a weekly show called Emirates Draw. She has been writing for digital publications and local brands, as well as modeling since she was 15 years old. Her greatest accomplishment was sharing her personal story in a photo project called ‘Rock Your Ugly’, which resonated with people who dealt with or were still dealing with inner child traumas. Shereen is an advocate for single mothers, and works closely with Hope-Amel UAE to assist in spreading awareness about the platform that provides essential needs for single mothers in the country.
MARYAM NAJI
Age: 25
City: Riffa
Maryam is a former player in the Bahrain National Fencing team. She is a published
writer and a well-known author of horror novels. She was diagnosed with depression, and then started looking for the meaning of self-love and getting rid of sadness, and she started living under the slogan “You will only live once, live it right.” She has become beyond our fears and is trying everything she is afraid of, and she is still searching for herself to overcome depression.
Current Miss Bahrain, Manar Nadeen Deyani, who is a fashion designer living in Dubai, has been mentoring the seven finalists along with a team of experts. She will soon be passing her crown on to her successor. The message portrayed by the Miss Universe Pageant is one to be heard by all women, coaxing the confidence and empowerment from within us and encouraging us to be the best versions of ourselves.
With that, may the best Queen win!
To watch episodes of Miss Universe Bahrain, click here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqqwqb-5smOGhwu88Cn4eHQ
For Miss Universe Official Instagram, click here: https://www.instagram.com/missuniversebahrain/
