Miss Nederland 2018 (Miss Universe Netherlands 2018) coronation night concluded on Monday, 9th July, 2018 at 19:00 hrs after a grand ceremony at the AFAS Circustheater, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. At the conclusion of the finale Miss Nederland 2017 Nicky Opheij crowned her successor, Miss Nederland 2018, Rahima Dirkse who will now represent Netherlands at the Miss Universe 2018 pageant where Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters will crown her successor.
Rahima’s victory followed the intense moment when she was selected as the winner from the Top 2, and Nina van den Broek was adjudged the first runner-up.
Rahima wrote on the official page of Miss Nederland, on Facebook:
My first hours as the new miss Holland are already on it. After one for our finalists exciting final, I, rahima dirkse, was crowned new miss Holland. What a dream! From a little demure girl to a real miss. I hope you liked it in the hall or from home with the live stream.
First of all, I have to thank everyone very much, I also think on behalf of the other finalists, for your support Everyone who came and screamed our names. There were even banners! Also all our partners who came to see pride.
Still a little unknown as I am you can read a nice article about me by the ad. And this year you will hear a lot from me!
Nicky Opheij a super miss that I can learn a lot from. Thank you for all the help last period with all the finalists activities and we hope to see you again soon.
A student of bio-pharmaceutical sciences, Rahima works at her aunt's in the clothing store during the week. Her entry into the Miss Nederland pageant was truly a tale that stands testament that she was made for the titlte. “I was at work in a bar in Amsterdam when Nikkie van Ee, the daughter of the main sponsor, came to me and asked if I ever thought about it. I have always liked it, it is an honorable title. But taking part myself had never occurred to me. Nikkie complimented me on my character, not my appearance. That was the deciding factor,” she recalls.
The finale of the pageant was hosted by Kim Kötter and Viktor Brand, and the jury was presided by Albert Verlinde, photographer William Rutten and Zoey Ivory, who in 2016 was crowned Miss Netherlands.