Aspiring beauty queens swarmed the Miss Universe UAE website on Thursday, just hours after the historic contest was announced.

According to Josh Yugen, president and national director of Miss Universe UAE, the organization has received over 12,000 applications for the competition. The auditions are scheduled for Friday.

"In the first hour, we got hundreds of applications, and our website couldn't handle it," he tells The National. "I knew we were doing something significant, but I wasn't expecting such a reaction."

Yugen, whose business Yugen Events has been chosen to choose the first UAE representative for the worldwide beauty contest, said the quality of submissions, which includes a number of Emiratis, has also encouraged him.

"It simply shows how many people have been yearning for such a worldwide platform to come here," he adds. "The pageant has been running for 70 years, and we will have a representative from the UAE for the first time."

"I could not be more happy to welcome the first-ever representative from the UAE to our internationally broadcast event in December," said Paula M Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, last week.

"From the signing of the Abraham Accords to hosting Expo 2020 Dubai, the UAE is at a crossroads in its history, and there has never been a better moment to put a spotlight on the women who live here."

The Miss Universe contest will not be confined to UAE nationals alone. Anyone between the ages of 18 and 28, who has resided in the nation for at least three years and possesses a valid Emirates ID and passport, is eligible to join.

Yugen claims that the Miss Universe Organization has tailored the regulations specifically for the UAE in order "to give everyone a chance."

"So many of us call this nation home, and it will be an honor to represent it on a worldwide scale." "It's simply reasonable," he adds.

He also states that there would be no registration cost.

There will be no swimsuit competition.

Yugen claims he and his team opted to eliminate the swimsuit round "out of respect" for the UAE's culture while negotiating the contest's framework.

"We just want to exhibit a new sort of pageantry and focus on their personality rather than making it just a parade of beauty." "It's about compassion, generosity, and purpose," he explains.

The UAE contender would be able to "wear any outfit she likes" at the worldwide Miss Universe competition, according to Yugen.

"Miss Universe is a very friendly and open-minded organization, and no contender will be compelled to wear costumes in which they are not comfortable," he says.

What occurs at the initial casting?

At the time of writing, there were over 12,000 applications, which will be reduced to 300 by Friday.

The 300 chosen will be interviewed by a panel of ten specialists, including Yugen, designer Furne One of Amato, who will serve as the head of creatives, fashion and design, and former beauty queen Maggie Wilson, who will serve as the creative consultant.

Thirty applicants will be chosen from this group for the live event, which will take place on Sunday, November 7.

When is the inaugural Miss Universe UAE going to be crowned?

The names of the 30 individuals who have been selected will be announced on Wednesday, October 20, with preliminary rounds beginning the following day, Thursday, October 21.

Before the major coronation night, there will be two shows: a charity dinner on Thursday, November 4, and a preparatory show on Friday, November 5.

Yugen describes the final concert, which will take place at La Perle on Sunday, November 7, as "very Dubai."

"It's going to be spectacular, with La Perle performers adding to the drama." We will instantly announce the Top 15 from the 30 competitors, who will subsequently be reduced to five. There will be a question and answer round for the Top 5, and then the Top 3 will be declared, followed by the coronation."

Where will the Miss Universe 2021 pageant be held?

The UAE's Miss Universe will only have a few weeks to prepare for the global competition, which will be held in December in the Israeli resort city of Eilat. While no date has been announced, TV star Steve Harvey is expected to return as host.

The current Miss Universe, Andrea Meza of Mexico, will crown her successor during the event, which will also commemorate the pageant's 70th anniversary.