Tunisian Miss Arab Beauty, Kholoud Al-Qasimi, was subjected to widespread ridicule on social media after a series of photos of her wearing a golden dress were circulated. Many social media users argued that she does not meet any beauty standards and questioned the criteria used by the judging panel to select Miss Tunisia. They also doubted the integrity of the jury and the organizers of the competition, which is in its 17th edition, with one person commenting on Facebook, “Perhaps she paid a bribe to win.”
On the other hand, a significant number of users defended her beauty, urging others to consider her feelings and not to bully the young Tunisian. In response to the campaign against her, Kholoud stated in an interview with a local radio station that she did not expect such an attack, which she described as "reflecting a lack of taste." She added that the competition was conducted in a transparent atmosphere and that the selection was based on global beauty standards. However, she noted that the issue lay in the photo taken of her by an unprofessional photographer under very poor lighting conditions.
She continued, "The outfit that the organizing committee forced me to wear was not beautiful, and all these circumstances led to a very bad picture, which resulted in a widespread bullying campaign, disregarding my family, my mental well-being, and my future."
### These Are the Standards
For her part, Hanan Nasr, the chairwoman of the Beauty Queens Institutions in the Arab world, confirmed in a statement to "Mosaic FM" that the judging panel established specific criteria for selecting the titleholder based on the following standards: general culture, university education level, passion for social developmental work, ethics, and beauty.
She stated that Kholoud Al-Qasimi, the winner of the Miss Arab Beauty Tunisia 2024 contest, is 28 years old and a graduate of the Higher Institute of Medical Technology specializing in genetic analysis. It is noted that Kholoud holds a university degree in biological sciences, is also a model and fashion designer, and an expert in fashion providing her advice on local channels.
