The new winner of Miss Universe Bahrain has been unveiled.
It is second time lucky for Lujane Yacoub, who after placing second in the 2022 pageant to Evlin Khalifa, the actress, dancer and model was officially crowned Miss Universe Bahrain 2023.
Who is LUJANE YACOUB?
Lujane was born to a Bahraini father and American mother. Aged 19, she was the youngest contestant during the finale, eventually being crowned the official Miss Universe Bahrain 2023, against a total of six other contestants.
She wowed the judges with her “beauty, authentic communication skills and a passionate heart towards her advocacies,” the Miss Universe Bahrain organisation said.
Lujane is a dedicated cosplayer, having founded Project Hero. As a result, it introduces fancy dressing as different characters to children in special needs schools and patients healing in hospitals. According to a recent Instagram live, her advocacies consist of empowering children through art and expression as she had a learning disability. Additionally, Lujane interviews people in Bahrain who are doing worthy causes to get their message out there.
ABOUT Miss Universe Bahrain
The search for Miss Universe Bahrain 2023 began earlier this year. All applicants needed to be aged between 18 and 28 and, according to Miss Universe Bahrain’s official Instagram page, needed to have an “inspirational story of empowerment and resilience”. This year also marked the first time in Miss Universe’s history that marital status did not matter. Applicants could be single, married, divorced or mothers.
During the final on Septmeber 2, Lujane was competing against six other contestants:: Advaita Shetty, 28; Mariam Naji, 26; Mary Mohamed, 28; Menatalla Husein, 20; Nivine Abouzeid, 24; and Turina Carrol, 28.
All seven finalists competed in the five competition rounds, including the personal interview, activewear, swimsuit, evening gown and the final question rounds. The panel of judges included Mai Omar, Leila Hadioui, Bailey May, Urvashi Rautela and Evlin Khalifa.
What is next for the winner?
So, now what’s next for Miss Universe Bahrain 2023? Lujane will go on to represent Bahrain at the global Miss Universe pageant in November and she plans to correct some misconceptions about her country in doing so.
During the final Q&A segment, she was asked: “What is the biggest misconception about your country and how do you plan to correct it?”
“The biggest misconception about Bahrain and the Middle East is that it’s a place of oppression [that] women don’t have rights,” she responded. “And this is far from the truth. Women are taught to thrive, to embrace their strengths, and go for their ambitions, and women are the true pearls of the country. And that would be my first goal as Miss Universe, is to clear up this misconception.”
This year, the Miss Universe pageant will take place in El Salvador.
