Nadeen Ayoub To Make History As First Palestinian Contestant At Miss Universe

When the Miss Universe stage lights up in Bangkok this November, Nadeen Ayoub will walk into history. The 27-year-old model and advocate has been officially confirmed as the first-ever contestant to represent Palestine at the international pageant. The Miss Universe Organisation announced her participation in a statement, calling Ayoub “an accomplished advocate and model” who “embodies the resilience and determination that define our platform.”

For Ayoub, the decision to compete is deeply personal. In a post shared on Instagram, she wrote, “ As Palestine endures heartbreak, especially in Gaza, I carry the voice of a people who refuse to be silenced. I represent every Palestinian woman and child whose strength the world needs to see.

Ayoub added, "This is for every Palestinian who rises despite the odds. For every child who deserves a life of peace, dignity, and possibility. I walk with you. I speak for you. I carry Palestine in my heart and across every stage I step onto."

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Nadeen Ayoub Background

Ayoub is no stranger to the pageant world. Crowned Miss Palestine in 2022, she went on to compete at Miss Earth later that year, where she reached the Top 5 and earned the title of Miss Water 2022. Outside of pageantry, she has built a career as a certified fitness coach and nutrition consultant. She also holds a degree in literature and psychology from the University of Western Ontario in Canada.

Ayoub's work stretches beyond beauty and health. Ayoub is the founder of Olive Green Academy in Dubai, a program dedicated to teaching women about sustainability and artificial intelligence, with a focus on entrepreneurship. She is also involved in Sayidat Falasteen, a media initiative under the Miss Palestine Organisation that aims to empower and educate Palestinian women.

While her Miss Universe debut has been long-awaited, Ayoub had previously delayed competing. She explained that it did not feel right to step onto an international stage of glamour while the humanitarian crisis in her homeland was worsening. This year, she says, is about more than herself; it’s about visibility.

The 74th Miss Universe Pageant will take place on November 21, 2025, in Bangkok, Thailand, with contestants from more than 130 countries and territories. Whether or not Ayoub takes home the crown, her appearance marks a symbolic milestone for Palestinians on a global stage.

For her, the message is clear: Palestine is more than conflict. It is talent, strength, resilience and now, for the first time, a part of the Miss Universe story.