Fact Check: Saudi Arabia Reportedly Entered a Miss Universe Contestant for the 1st Time Ever in 2024

Claim:

Saudi Arabia nominated a Miss Universe contestant for the first time in March 2024.

Rating:

Context:

Update: The Miss Universe Organization released a statement on April 1, 2024, denying that any contestant selection process has taken place in Saudi Arabia and it is therefore "not yet among those countries fully confirmed participating [in 2024]."

Saudi Arabia supposedly entered a contestant in the Miss Universe pageant for the first time in March 2024. Social media was awash with claims the Kingdom would be represented by model Rumy Alqahtani at the year's installment of the annual, international beauty contest.

On March 28, 2024, one X (formerly Twitter) account wrote: "Saudi Arabia has entered the Miss Universe competition for the first time ever."

Together, the posts had amassed 3.1 million views at the time of this writing. Examples of the claim also appeared elsewhere on X, Reddit, Facebook and Instagram.

On March 24, 2024, Alqahtani announced on her verified Instagram page she would be participating in the beauty pageant, which is why we have labeled this True.

She wrote: "I am honored to participate in the Miss Universe 2024 competition. This is the first participation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Miss Universe competition."

https://www.instagram.com/p/C46cXXjsoOT/

Numerous international news outlets reported on Alqahtani's nomination for Miss Universe 2024, including Yahoo, Middle East Monitor and BBC News' West African Pidgin service, as did Vogue and the BBC's Arabic-language websites.

Sources:

Helou, Roxana El. 'كل ما عليك معرفته عن ملكة جمال السعودية رومي القحطاني'. Vogue Arabia, 27 Mar. 2024, https://ar.vogue.me/الناس/مشاهير/ملكة-جمال-السعودية-رومي-القحطاني-ومعل/.

'In first, Saudi to take part in Miss Universe contest'. Middle East Monitor, 28. Mar. 2024, https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240328-in-first-saudi-to-take-part-in-miss-universe-contest/.

Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/C46cXXjsoOT/. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

'Saudi Arabia Miss Universe Rumy Alqahtani wan make history to become first woman to represent her kontri'. BBC News Pidgin, 28 Mar. 2024, https://www.bbc.com/pidgin/articles/ce9rpv76z7xo.

'Saudi Arabia to Participate in Miss Universe Pageant for the First Time'. Yahoo News, 27 Mar. 2024, https://uk.news.yahoo.com/saudi-arabia-participate-miss-universe-101321922.html.

'رومي القحطاني.. أول سعودية تشارك بمسابقة ملكة جمال الكون 2024'. BBC News عربي, 27 Mar. 2024, https://www.bbc.com/arabic/articles/c8v3l2m5j03o.

Updates:

On April 3, 2024, the rating of this fact check was revised from True to Unproven, based on a news release from the Miss Universe Organization.