The Miss Palestine Organisation has opened applications for a new national competition, inviting Palestinian women living in Palestine and across the diaspora to take part in Miss Palestine 2026.The competition, being held under the theme “Beauty Beyond Borders”, is open to Palestinian women aged 18 to 35. Organisers say it will combine elements of a traditional beauty pageant with a wider focus on culture, leadership, talent and representation.It will be hosted by Nadeen Ayoub, who held the Miss Palestine title from 2022 to 2025 and became the first Palestinian woman to compete at Miss Universe.Organisers say the competition is intended to provide Palestinian women with an opportunity to represent their heritage and communities, while developing skills and pursuing opportunities beyond the pageant itself.“Miss Palestine is more than a title. It is a platform for Palestinian women to be seen, heard and supported, to represent our identity with confidence, share their talents with the world and create impact beyond the stage,” said Ayoub.Applications openPalestinian women aged 18 to 35 living either in Palestine or elsewhere in the diaspora are eligible to apply.Participants will take part in a programme that includes mentorship, leadership development and cultural representation, according to the organisers.The organisation is also seeking partnerships with businesses, non-governmental organisations, cultural institutions and media organisations to support the competition.Final casting is expected to take place in Palestine and Jordan, with the grand final scheduled for October 2026 in Jordan.The organisers say the wider aim is to create opportunities for Palestinian women to represent their culture and identity while developing their voices in areas including leadership, advocacy and the creative industries.‘We are more than our headlines’In an earlier interview with Gulf News, Ayoub said the competition is also rooted in a desire to challenge the way Palestinians are often represented internationally.“We are more than our suffering. We are more than our headlines,” she says. “We are people with dreams and talents and a powerful voice to offer the world.”Ayoub, who is based in Dubai and also spends time in Ramallah and Amman, describes herself as part of the Palestinian diaspora. She says living outside Palestine does not diminish her connection to it.“Whether you’re inside or outside, whether you’re in Gaza, the West Bank, or abroad, we all share that same identity,” she says. “We’re very diverse, but we’re one people.”Her experience at international pageants has also shaped the organisation's ambitions. Ayoub says Palestinian women have historically had limited opportunities to participate in major beauty competitions, and hopes Miss Palestine can help change that.“Maybe I had the courage to go first, but so many other Palestinian women have the courage, talent, beauty, and dreams to be here too,” she says. “I’m more than a beauty queen; I’m paving the way for many Miss Palestines to come.”For Ayoub, pageantry is ultimately a vehicle rather than an end in itself. She says she initially imagined a very different future, having considered careers including writing, law and academia, but came to see beauty competitions as a possible platform for advocacy and representation.“Pageantry isn’t just about outer beauty,” she says. “It’s about what you stand for, your purpose, the impact you can make.”That approach is reflected in the organisation's stated ambitions for Miss Palestine 2026, which places leadership and representation alongside the traditional elements of a beauty competition.Ayoub also rejects the idea that advocacy can be reduced to familiar pageant calls for “world peace”.“The question is, how can we actually create world peace?” she says. “What are the steps we can take?”For her, that begins with individuals and communities, particularly women, having the confidence and opportunity to create change.“Women are so powerful,” she says. “We can manifest anything if we believe in ourselves — world peace, positivity, change.”For details, log onto misspalestine.comManjusha Radhakrishnan has been slaying entertainment news and celebrity interviews in Dubai for 18 years—and she’s just getting started. As Entertainment Editor, she covers Bollywood movie reviews, Hollywood scoops, Pakistani dramas, and world cinema.