{
  "id": 3472662,
  "title": "‘I promised Abu Dhabi I’d return with the crown’: UAE-raised Kaziah Liz Mejo on the journey to Miss Universe India 2026",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/i-promised-abu-dhabi-id-return-with-the-crown-uae-raised-kaziah-liz",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-26T08:46:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/entertainment/i-promised-abu-dhabi-id-return-with-the-crown-uae-raised-kaziah-liz-mejo-on-the-journey-to-miss-universe-india-2026-1.500652638"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mumbai: Miss Universe India 2026 Kaziah Liz Mejo, raised in Abu Dhabi, shared her journey to the global stage in an exclusive interview with Gulf News. The 19-year-old law student, hailing from Kerala, expressed her gratitude for the multicultural upbringing in the UAE that prepared her for the role. Growing up in Abu Dhabi allowed her to interact with diverse communities and understand different cultures, which she believes will be a significant asset during the Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico.\n\nMejo's connection with her roots in India and her global perspective gained through her UAE experience are the two identities she carries. She made a promise to Abu Dhabi that she would return with the crown, and now she aims to fulfill that promise, thanking her teachers for their unwavering support throughout her journey. Her dream of representing India internationally took flight after watching the 2021 Miss Universe pageant, where India's Harnaaz Sandhu won. Kaziah Liz Mejo believes that the stars truly aligned on the night she was crowned as Miss Universe India 2026.",
  "summary": "Mumbai: When Gulf News tracked down Miss Universe India 2026 Kaziah Liz Mejo, the Abu Dhabi-bred law student was in Jaipur, caught in a whirlwind of pageant rehearsals, photo shoots and media requests. The 19-year-old's life had changed almost overnight and, by her own admission, it was yet to fully sink in. “Even now I’m having a little bit of difficulty digesting the fact that I’m now the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Meet Misbah Arshad, Miss Universe Pakistan 2026 who congratulated India’s Kaziah Liz Mejo",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/meet-misbah-arshad-miss-universe-pakistan-2026-who-congratulated",
        "published": "2026-08-26T07:00:10.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}