UAE candidate Debanjali Kamstra crowned Mrs Earth 2023

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Championing the UAE's message of sustainability at a global pageant, expat Debanjali Kamstra took home the Mrs Earth 2023 crown for the Emirates on Thursday night.

Debanjali — who was the first-ever candidate to represent the UAE at Mrs Earth — dazzled in a yellow bejewelled gown as she took her first walk as queen during the pageant held at the Philippines' Okada Manila hotel.

It was a dream come true for Debanjali, who also represented the UAE in Mrs World 2021 and narrowly missed the title as she placed second runner-up.

Standing on the stage as a candidate for the Emirates meant a lot to the mother-of-two who has been living in the country for over 13 years now. It was a perfect competition, she said, as "this is the year of sustainability for the UAE and Mrs Earth (seeks) to promote sustainability in our life, fashion, and other areas of living", she told Khaleej Times just before she flew to Manila for the event.

At the pageant — which sought to combine beauty and nature in celebrating women — Debanjali bested 45 other candidates representing their countries.

Besides being a mum, and now a queen, Debanjali is an entrepreneur managing three organisations. She started her career as a cabin crew for Emirates airlines in 2008.

"Can you believe that a dream also comes true?" she asked in a post celebrating her win. This moment, she said, was the fruit of "2 years of manifestation and immense hard work with a lot of support".

Among her greatest fans is her husband, who still couldn't believe that her wife finally got the crown she deserved.

"A night I will never forget," he wrote in a post