When Emilia Dobreva was crowned Miss Universe UAE in October after a private, closed-door audition, her initial joy quickly gave way to concern. The 27-year-old had to make the difficult choice to leave her six-month-old twins and two-year-old son behind for three weeks to represent the UAE at the international pageant in Mexico. However, this was a dream she had nurtured for two decades, and she was ready to make the sacrifice.

"It was the hardest decision I've ever had to make," she confided in an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times following a homecoming dinner at a Downtown Dubai restaurant on Wednesday. "This is something I've longed for for a very long time, and I was on the verge of making it a reality. Yet, leaving my children was incredibly tough. I'm incredibly fortunate to have the support of my husband, my mother, and my grandmother, who took care of my babies while I was away."

For three weeks, the ballet teacher endured 10-12 hour days in Mexico, representing the UAE for the first time at the Miss Universe pageant. "We had to wake up at 4am every day," she recounted. "Breakfast was at 6:30am and it was mandatory. With media everywhere, our attire and makeup had to be flawless at that hour."

Throughout the day, the contestants underwent rigorous training and preparation on poise, stage presence, and more. "It was intense work, but I learned so much during my three weeks there," she said. "Those lessons are something I'll always carry with me."

She noted that the toughest part for her was finding time to sleep. "When it was night in Mexico, it was morning in Dubai," she explained. "I would spend most of the night on video calls with my children. My twins were too young to understand, but my son missed me dearly. I had a special suction on my phone that I used to stick to the mirror while doing my makeup, so I could stay connected with my family."

Emilia's journey to the crown began in 2003 when, at the age of six, she first participated in a pageant called Little Miss Universe. "I was very young, but I loved every moment of it. The glitz, the glamour, and dressing up were all so exciting," she reminisced. A trained ballet dancer, she spent several years performing on stage, always harboring a dream of participating in the real Miss Universe pageant.

Although originally from Kosovo, Emilia has called the UAE home for three generations of her family. Growing up in Sharjah, she had mostly Emirati friends and quickly learned Khaleeji Arabic. In 2021, she received the news she had been waiting for: UAE would have representation at the Miss Universe competition. However, due to technical reasons, the UAE's participation was canceled that year, forcing Emilia to put her dream on hold and focus on her family.

In 2024, Emilia received an invitation to participate in the Miss Universe UAE competition, which had recently lifted restrictions on age, height, weight, and marital status. "My babies were four months old at the time, and I just wanted to be around adults and talk about normal adult things," she chuckled. "For the previous months, I had only been thinking about diapers, bottles, and spit-up clothes. I just wanted to enjoy the experience without thinking about winning."

Her 21-year dream finally came true when she was crowned Miss Universe. "That moment was everything," she said. "I sometimes pinch myself to see if it's real. I'm living my dream now. I want to tell all women to never give up on their dreams. I'm proof that if you keep the flame alive, it can come true."

Emilia's biggest takeaway from the competition was the remarkable women she met. "Every woman there deserved a crown," she said. "There were so many accomplished women I looked up to. Miss Spain was a refugee who grew up in a camp, Miss USA was a pilot in the US military, and Miss Somalia was the first hijabi contestant in Miss Universe history. They were all incredibly impressive."

She became close friends with many contestants and invited them to visit her in Dubai. "My roommate was Miss Suriname, Pooja, and we became like sisters. She's coming to Dubai at the end of this month to visit me," she said. Emilia also shared a secret weapon for bonding with fellow contestants: Dubai chocolate. "Most of the food in Mexico was salads, so I brought a cabin bag full of Dubai chocolate. Between rehearsals, we would share the chocolate, which was great for energy and bonding," she laughed.

When asked about her exercise routine, she said she combined cardio with strength training by running after her toddler while carrying her twins. "That's my strength and cardio exercise combined," she laughed. "As a mom of young kids, that's the only exercise I have time for. Of course, I also do stretching and other exercises to maintain my flexibility as a ballet teacher."

Some of her most memorable moments in the competition were walking the ramp wearing her abaya and seeing the UAE flag held up by the audience. "It was very emotional for me," she said. "I was proud to wear my abaya that showcased UAE culture. But being far from home and family, seeing the UAE flag in the crowd brought tears to my eyes. I'm grateful for this opportunity to represent the country that has given me everything."

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