Veiled Saudi named ‘Queen of Beautiful Morals’

RIYADH: Saudi beauty queen Aya Ali Al-Mulla trounced 274 rivals to win a crown, jewellery, cash and a trip to Malaysia, and all without showing her face, Saudi media reported on Friday. With her face and body completely covered by the black head-to-toe abaya mandatory in the conservative Muslim kingdom, 18-year-old Aya was named “Queen of Beautiful Morals” late on Thursday, newspapers said. There was none of the swimsuit and evening gown competitions and heavy media coverage of beauty pageants elsewhere when the contest was decided in the eastern city of Safwa. Instead, the winner and the two runner-up princesses had to undergo a three-month test of their dutifulness to their parents and family, and their service to society. This included a battery of personal, cultural, social and psychological tests, Al-Watan reported. It was unclear exactly what Aya did to pip her rivals in the huge field, but Al-Watan reported that the high school graduate had good grades and hopes to go into medicine. She raked in a $1,333 prize, a pearl necklace, diamond watch, diamond necklace, and a free ticket to Malaysia. afp