Entertainment Desk

Saudi Arabia could have its first Miss Universe contestant this year, organisers said this week, after a fashion model and influencer claimed she had been selected.

The Miss Universe Organization "is currently undergoing a rigorous vetting process qualifying a potential candidate to be awarded the Saudi Arabia franchise", Maria Jose Unda, the organisation's coordinator of international relations, said in a statement to AFP.

"We'll have a decision on the National Director for Saudi Arabia very, very soon," she said, noting it was "possible" for Saudi Arabia to have a contestant in place before the next edition of the competition, scheduled for September in Mexico.

The statement came after Saudi model Rumy al-Qahtani created a buzz online in late March when she posted to her hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers that she was "honoured" to represent Saudi Arabia at Miss Universe at the upcoming event.

The post included pictures of Qahtani, a 27-year-old native of Riyadh, in a sequined dress holding the green Saudi flag inscribed with the shahada, or Islamic creed.

Less than a week later, Miss Universe issued a statement referring to Qahtani's post as "false and misleading" and saying no selection process had been carried out in the Gulf kingdom.

Fielding a Miss Universe candidate, if it happens, would mark another step in Saudi Arabia's effort to soften its ultra-conservative image as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler, tries to lure tourists and investors.

Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest crude oil exporter, has long been associated with the repression of women because of former rules such as a ban on driving and a requirement to wear abaya robes.

While those restrictions have been lifted, human rights activists say a personal status law that took effect in 2022 still discriminates against women when it comes to matters concerning marriage, divorce and child-rearing.

And women, including prominent activists, have been rounded up in a wide-reaching campaign against dissent.

Among them are two women who in 2022 received decades-long prison sentencesfor social media posts critical of the government.