Evlin Khalifa was crowned Miss Universe Bahrain 2022 in September this year and ever since, she has been busy preparing for her upcoming stint at Miss Universe 2022. Giving interviews, doing photo shoots and perfecting her walk and talk are the new normal things on her itinerary.

Being in Dubai briefly this week, Evlin talked about the whirlwind couple of months she has had. Last year, at the swimwear round, Khalifa’s predecessor Manar Nadeem Deyani made history when she took to the stage wearing a modest activewear look instead of a bikini. For this year’s swimsuit competition as well, Khalifa will be modestly dressed and her decision is fully supported by the pageant.

Despite being only the second Bahraini woman to compete in Miss Universe, Khalifa hopes to use it as a platform to shift perceptions on how Arab women are viewed. She said, “This is my main purpose for competing in this competition. I think it's time to bring the crown to a Gulf country, to show the world how beautiful, smart and intelligent Middle Eastern women are.”

“Bringing our culture to this competition is something new of course, but I am sure we will be supported by pageant fans. As Bahrainis, we honour our traditions and culture, and that is amazing in the modern world. That we can mix and combine modern values with old traditions, I think that’s the Arab modern woman, and that’s what I want to show”, she added.

Miss Universe 2022, the 71st Miss Universe pageant, will be held at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States on 14th January 2023. Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu of India will crown her successor at the end of the event finale.