France, Singapore or the United Arab Emirates may be the host country of Miss World 2022. It will be the 71st edition of the international beauty pageant based in London, England.

The UAE has yet to debut in Miss World. France won the crown via Denise Perrier in 1953 and bagged the first runner-up spot via Claudine Auger in 1958, Patricia Barzyk in 1980, Véronique Caloc in 1998, Marine Lorphelin in 2013 and Ophély Mézino in 2019 while Singapore’s Pauline Poh and Vanessa Peh finished in the Top 15 in 1976 and in the Top 30 in 2018, respectively.

Karolina Bielawska, 23, of Łódź, Poland was crowned Miss World 2021 by Miss World 2019 Toni Ann Singh, 26, of Morant Bay, Jamaica at the Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 16, 2022. The reigning queen will crown her successor in May 2023.

While reigning as Miss World 2021, Bielawska is pursuing a master’s degree. She scored the highest ever mark of any student in Poland the year she earned her honors degree in business management.

Bielawska visited several countries while fulfilling her duties as Miss World 2021 including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. She also graced the coronation ceremonies of Miss Northern Ireland 2022, Miss World Vietnam 2022 and Miss Botswana 2022.

More than 80 women are expected to compete for the Miss World 2022 crown. Among them are former Miss Universe candidates including Xaria Penn, 19, of the British Virgin Islands, Clémence Botino of France, Yasmina Zaytoun, 20, of Lebanon, Anna Linnikova, 23, of Russia and Ndavi Nokeri, 23, of South Africa.

Botino finished in the Top 10 at Miss Universe 2021 while Penn was unplaced in the same competition. Nokeri finished in the Top 16 at Miss Universe 2022 while Zaytoun and Linnikova were unplaced in the same competition.