Maroua Kharbouch (born 20 September 1990) is a

Gibraltarian The Gibraltarians (Spanish: ''gibraltareños'', colloquially: '' llanitos'') are an ethnic group native to Gibraltar, a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance to the Mediterran ...

model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned

Miss Gibraltar Miss Gibraltar is a national beauty pageant in Gibraltar. History The first Miss Gibraltar pageant was held in 1959, however, it did not resume until 1964. The winner represents her nation at Miss World annually. Miss Universe The winners o ...

2013 and was named as the people's choice at

Miss World 2013 Miss World 2013, the 63rd edition of the Miss World pageant, was held on 28 September 2013 at Bali International Convention Center, South Kuta, Bali, Indonesia. It was the first time in Southeast Asia and it also was the first time in the page ...

in Bali,

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

where

Megan Young Megan Lynne Young (born February 27, 1990) is a Filipino-American actress, model, television presenter and beauty queen who won the Miss World Philippines 2013 title and was later crowned as Miss World 2013. She is the first Filipina to win t ...

the Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

won the pageant, earning her a place in the Top 6 finalists. She was the first

of Moroccan descent to be crowned

and the second

finalist at a Miss World beauty pageant.

Personal life

Maroua Kharbouch is a client relationship manager assistant. Her hobbies and interests include modelling, fitness and

volunteering Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serv ...

. She is of Moroccan descent with both her parents being from

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

and is

trilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. More than half of all E ...

, speaking

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

and

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

Miss Gibraltar 2013

Seven contestants signed up to compete at the 2013

beauty pageant. Maroua Kharbouch was

BetVictor BetVictor is an online gambling company headquartered in Gibraltar. Founded in 1946, it offers products such as sports betting and online casino. The company is currently owned by Michael Tabor. History The company was founded by William Ch ...

's favourite to win

with the bookie offering odds of 8/13. As all seven contestants chose their order of appearance for the upcoming pageant at random, in the presence of

Mayor of Gibraltar The Mayor of Gibraltar is the ceremonial official of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The mayor is appointed by the elected Members of ParliamentAnthony Lima at the City Hall, Kharbouch selected number one. At 22 years of age, Maroua Kharbouch was crowned

2013 at the 51st edition of the pageant held at the

John Mackintosh Hall The John Mackintosh Hall, known as the John Mac Hall to locals, is the main cultural centre in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It consists of a public library, a theatre, conference hall, and several multi-purpose spaces. History T ...

on 8 June 2013. She received part of her prize in the form of a cheque and clothing allowance from the Minister for Culture Steven Linares, at a ceremony held at the City Hall on 25 June 2013.

Miss World 2013

Having been crowned

2013, Maroua Kharbouch would automatically represent

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

at the 2013 Miss World pageant in Bali,

. By 12 September 2013, Kharbouch was ranked third in Miss World's People's Choice Award, which would gain the award holder automatic entry into the Miss World final. Votes were cast by the general public via the official Miss World

mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on d ...

which was available for

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

and Android with proceeds going to charity. Kharbouch was leading the voting by 18 September 2013, a position which she maintained by 26 September 2013. She eventually won the award at the Miss World final two days later which saw her fast-tracked to the Top 6 finalists but fell short of the Top 3 positions. She became only the second

to make the semifinal cut at Miss World ever, and the second to make the Top 6. Kharbouch held hands with her Spanish counterpart Elena Ibarbia, who also made it to the Top 6, as they anticipated the final results. This was seen as an important gesture which contrasted with the political tensions between both countries. Chief Minister of Gibraltar

Fabian Picardo Fabian Raymond Picardo (born 18 February 1972) is a Gibraltarian politician and barrister serving as Chief Minister of Gibraltar and Leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party since 2011. At the 2015 and 2019 Gibraltar general elections, P ...

described the image as "moving", stating that they were an example of

"the reality of the symbiotic relationship between the people of
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
and the Spanish people of La Linea and the towns around us. Friendship. Respect. Understanding."

Maroua Kharbouch returned to

on 30 September 2013 when she was greeted by Minister Steven Linares and Mayor Anthony Lima at

Gibraltar International Airport Gibraltar International Airport or North Front Airport is the civilian airport that serves the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The runway is owned by the Ministry of Defence for use by the Royal Air Force as RAF Gibraltar. Civilian op ...

References

External links

Official Miss Gibraltar pageant website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kharbouch, Maroua Living people Miss World 2013 delegates Miss Gibraltar winners 1990 births Gibraltarian people of Moroccan descent