Miss Universe Maldives () is a national beauty pageant to select the representative of the Maldives for the Miss Universe competition.
The country debuted at Miss Universe in 2024, with its first participation drawing public controversy in the Maldives.
History Miss Universe Maldives was officially announced on 12 July 2024, when the official Miss Universe Instagram account revealed that Ernest Hadrian Bőhm had been appointed as the National Director of Miss Universe Maldives, marking the country's debut in the Miss Universe competition. Mariyam Shaina Naseem was subsequently appointed as the first-ever Miss Universe Maldives and was selected to represent the country at Miss Universe 2024. Prior to the competition, Naseem reportedly faced pressure from domestic authorities and segments of the public due to religious concerns surrounding her participation. On 30 October 2024, Diego Pérez, Ambassador of Mexico to India, granted her a visa to travel to Mexico and compete in Miss Universe 2024. Naseem ultimately participated through her management company, He n She Maldives, without official support from the Maldivian government.
Following its debut at Miss Universe in 2024, the Maldives did not participate in the 2025 edition of the competition. In 2026, Buddhika Nirmal Bandara acquired the national franchise for Miss Universe Maldives and subsequently organized the Miss Universe Maldives 2026 and Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2026 pageants, which were held on 23 June 2026 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Titleholders
YearAtollMiss MaldivesPlacement at Miss UniverseSpecial AwardNoteBuddika Nirmal Bandara a franchise holder since 20262026MaléAminath Yuin Mohamedcolspan="2" colspan="6"Ernest Hadrian Bőhm a franchise holder in 20242024 MaléMariyam Shaina NaseemUnplacedPreviously Top Model Maldives 2022
See also
Big Four beauty pageants List of beauty pageants
References