Dubai is set to host a beauty pageant early next year. The region aims to find the next Latina beauty thus it is holding its very first Miss Latina Middle East 2016.

The event is produced by LS Productions in partnership with entertainment company Batuta Events. The competition is taking place on Feb. 5, 2015 at the Pyramids Rooftop Gardens in Wafi.

The pageant was formally announced on Dec. 17 through a press release. The finalists for the contest are composed of Latin Americans with ages ranging from 18 to 30. They are currently residing in Middle East regions like Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Oman and Lebanon.

The 11 contestants are: Adriana Ureña (Colombia), Andrea Laura (Argentina), Diana Patricia Mantilla (Colombia), Eliven A. Brown (Colombia), Faten Suleyman (Spain), Karelia Lujan (Peru), Katherine Sarria Tamayo (Colombia), Maria Alvarado (Guatemala), Antonieta Mendoza (Venezuela), Victoria de la Garza (Mexico) and Luana Silveira (Brazil).

On planning the Miss Latina pageant, LS Production's Lorena Serrano, a Venezuelan who has been working in the entertainment field for seven years, stated on Gulf News, "Latina women are extraordinarily beautiful as they have an exotic combination of African, European and American roots. With over 30 International pageant victories, Latin America takes the lead in producing the world's most outstanding candidates."

Serrano added, "The Middle East is home to a sizeable Spanish and Portuguese speaking population. The UAE alone has over 40,000 residents from Spain and Latin America together. Our idea behind Miss Latina Middle East is to create a world-class pageant that celebrates the incredible beauty, talent and passion of Latin American women in the region."

Likewise, the director of Batuta Events, Ana Maria Rey commented that the event is "more than just a beauty pageant." She explained that they would like the Arabs to know about the "the richness and diversity of our culture" through organizing an elite gathering that will also highlight the Latin music, fashion, cuisine, dance and more.

All the finalists will undergo rigid training and will be evaluated under various criteria including etiquette, public speaking, health and fitness, dance, make-up, posing and special personal skills. Professional coaches were assigned to train the contestants.

LS Productions and Batuta Events have lined up an impressive list of pageant judges such as Yousif Naeemat, a known organizer of international beauty competitions. The gala night will also have a host of popular personalities and dignitaries as guests. The event is open to the public as well but tickets are required.