Miss Universe 2025: Nadine Ayoub Represents Palestine for the First Time

Despite the ongoing war and destruction in the Gaza Strip for more than 23 months, Palestinians still carry the torch of hope and continue to strive to achieve their dreams, especially those living outside the strip.

In an unprecedented step, the young Palestinian Nadine Ayoub is preparing to participate in the Miss Universe competition representing Palestine , thus becoming the first Palestinian in the history of the competition to wear the "Miss Palestine" sash.

Nadine, who is 27 years old, confirmed that her participation is not just for beauty or fame, but carries a deeper and broader message: "We are not just our struggles and sufferings; we are also a people who love life, we have children who dream, and women who aspire, and an identity we hold onto with pride," she stated in her conversation with the "French Press" agency.

Nadine Ayoub grew up between the West Bank, the United States, and Canada, and currently resides between Ramallah, Amman, and Dubai.

Her father and mother were academics and encouraged her from a young age to focus on her studies, leading her to later obtain a degree in English literature and psychology.

Ayoub worked in education and humanitarian organizations within the Palestinian territories before fate took her to the world of fashion, where she was discovered by a designer during a fashion show in Italy.

From there, she began her journey in the world of beauty, later establishing a national branch of the "Miss Palestine" competition called "Lady Palestine".

Due to the distribution of Palestinians around the world, the competition was held for the first time online in 2022 to ensure broad and fair representation.

Nadine won the national title and participated in charitable events, as well as representing Palestine in the "Miss Earth" competition in 2022.

However, she decided to withdraw from the "Miss Universe" competition the following year due to the outbreak of war in Gaza on October 7, 2023.

But with the war continuing, Nadine feels it is her duty today to use this global platform to shed light on her cause, saying:

"Our people need a voice.. we do not want our identity to be erased. We represent a country that stands on its own, recognized by about 145 countries out of 193 member states of the United Nations."

Nadine adds: "I participate to convey the true image of Palestine; a beautiful land, with a rich heritage, and a people who possess humanity and dreams just like the rest of the world's nations."

Nadine's participation coincides with the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of the "New York Declaration", which aims to revive the two-state solution and calls for the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine.

142 countries voted in favor of the declaration, compared to only 10 that opposed it.

Nadine Ayoub's participation in Miss Universe, scheduled for November next in Thailand, is not just a beauty or personal event, but represents a story of Palestinian determination for life, identity, and hope, in the face of a bloody reality that still besieges the Palestinian people, especially in Gaza.

With these words, Nadine summarizes her vision:

"We are not a faceless people.. we love, we dream, we aspire, and we deserve to be seen as we are."