Nadine Ayoub: "Palestine Will Be Represented in the Miss Universe Pageant" Nadine Ayoub: "A Pledge to Carry the Stories of an Unbreakable People"

Palestinian beauty queen Nadine Ayoub has made history by announcing that she will be the first to represent her country in the Miss Universe competition.

In a post on her social media accounts, she wrote:

“I am honored to announce that, for the first time in history, Palestine will be represented in the Miss Universe competition. Wearing this sash is not just an honor… it’s a vow — a vow to carry the stories of an unbreakable people, the dreams of our daughters, the dignity of our mothers, and the voice of a homeland that still lives in every Palestinian heart.”

“I walk in your name.”

She added:

“To every Palestinian man and woman rising from the rubble, creating hope from pain — this journey is for all of us. We walk it together as one heart. I walk in your name, I speak from your pain, and I carry Palestine with me in every look, every word, and every step.”

Who is Nadine Ayoub?

Nadine Ayoub, 27, grew up between Palestine, the United States, and Canada before later moving to Gulf countries such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Her family’s roots stretch from Jaffa to various parts of the West Bank. From her teenage years, she demonstrated a strong spirit, earning fitness and nutrition certifications while still in high school.

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in literature and psychology, she returned to Palestine to work as a women’s fitness coach, nutrition consultant, and psychology teacher in the West Bank.

A humanitarian activist

Ayoub is a humanitarian, feminist, and veteran health and fitness coach. She is also the founder of the multi-disciplinary “Olive Green Academy,” which aims to reshape the influencer landscape through education, innovation, and the use of modern digital technologies to serve sustainability causes. She continues her humanitarian work by launching a fundraising campaign to help children in need of medical care at a hospital in Nablus, and she founded the “Palestinian Women” platform.

Miss Earth

She is the first Palestinian woman to be chosen for a major beauty pageant since 2016, winning the Miss Earth title in 2022. Ayoub said:

“As Palestinians, we have a rich culture, and the Arab world in general has so much to offer. I think it’s wonderful that I have the opportunity to represent that… and I do not take it lightly.”

She explained that her participation in beauty pageants aims to “break stereotypes about Palestinians and Arabs in the media.”

Ayoub did not decide to enter beauty pageants until after graduating from university, despite recruitment officials reaching out to her several times. She competed in Miss Europe, where she placed in the top five, and following her European win, she was invited to apply for Miss Palestine and to compete in Miss Earth 2022 — one of the four major beauty pageants alongside Miss Universe and Miss World.