Hadis Sattari prepares for Miss Global 2026 in Thailand

Hadis Sattari is not chasing a crown. She is building a life.

Some people already know what they want when the question is finally asked. They have simply been waiting for the courage to say it aloud.

Hadis, 25, is one of them. The Dubai-based model is also a second-year dental student and published author. Later this month, she will travel to Thailand to compete in Miss Global 2026, where she hopes to celebrate her cultural heritage on an international stage.

Her pursuits may appear unrelated. Hadis sees them as different branches of the same life, each shaped by discipline, curiosity and a determination to keep moving forward.

The decision to begin

Hadis began modelling at 19, working initially as a makeup artist and bridal model. Her career grew after she moved to Dubai three years ago, bringing opportunities across runway, haute couture, bridal wear, jewellery campaigns and editorial fashion.

Her first Dubai runway appearance came after she attended an open casting for Fashion Factor. She was selected and has since appeared in several editions of the event, including Fashion Factor 12.

Her most important decision in Dubai, however, was made far from the runway.

When someone asked what she really wanted to do, Hadis knew she wanted to study. Dentistry appealed to her because of her genuine interest in the subject. One fear had held her back: she believed her English was not good enough for university.

That belief had gradually become a ceiling she had placed over her own ambitions. Once she recognised it, she enrolled in English classes. A few months later, she entered university.

“It wasn’t a brave decision,” she recalls. “It was simply the moment I decided to begin.”

Three times over

Hadis is now in the second year of her Bachelor of Dentistry at City University Ajman and expects to graduate in 2030.

The language barrier did not disappear when she began her degree. She found a practical way to work through it. Hadis translates every subject into her mother tongue to ensure she fully understands the material. In effect, she studies each topic three times. “I am in my second year and I still do it,” she says, without apology.

Routine holds her busy life together. Her degree comes first, followed by language study and the gym. Exercise gives her mind a break from lectures, translations and revision. “I am not naturally a confident person,” she says. “What I have is a routine that I don’t break.”

Her days involve university classes, the commute between Ajman and Dubai, long hours of study and preparations for Miss Global. There are fittings to attend, outfits to organise and designers to coordinate with, alongside the many commitments that come with an international competition.

It is the demanding, largely unseen side of a life that can appear glamorous from the outside.

Beyond the competition

Hadis did not spend years planning to enter a pageant. She applied for Miss Global, progressed through its selection process and now approaches the competition with the same focus she brings to her studies.

The result will not alter her long-term plan. She still has several years of dental school ahead of her and remains committed to completing her degree.

Miss Global gives her an international platform to celebrate culture, promote the arts and share a message she deeply values: the world becomes richer when people meet one another with peace, respect and a sense of shared humanity.

She also speaks warmly about the UAE, which she credits with giving her the space and opportunities to grow. For Hadis, the country’s multicultural society has created an environment where people from many backgrounds can study, work and pursue their ambitions.

“The UAE gave me the space to become who I am becoming,” she says. “I am grateful every day for that.”

Her appearance at Miss Global will draw on a cultural legacy of art, poetry and ancient symbolism. Her national costume is inspired by the Simurgh, the great bird of classical literature. It represents the idea that the strength and fulfilment people seek may already exist within them.

Through pageantry, Hadis hopes to present this heritage through its beauty, imagination and artistic traditions.

Earning her voice

Hadis does not speak as though she has everything figured out. She is still working towards her degree, strengthening her English and discovering the kind of dentist and woman she wants to become.

Her plans for the future are clear. She wants to practise dentistry, contribute meaningfully to healthcare and use the platforms available to her to encourage women who are still waiting for permission to begin.

Those platforms may be a runway, an international stage or the pages of a book. For Hadis, their value lies in what she can do with them.

“Competence first. Then contribution,” she says. “I want to earn the right to inspire.”

Long before the spotlight and the possibility of a crown, Hadis had already found her direction. Her story is grounded in purpose, sustained by routine and shaped by a young woman’s decision to take herself seriously.

Hadis Sattari competes at Miss Global 2026 in Thailand later this month.