The Miss Universe Organization is disputing a flurry of what it calls “false and misleading” reports of Saudi Arabia’s participation in its 2024 pageant — news that, were it true, would have marked the Middle Eastern country’s debut.

“No selection process has been conducted in Saudi Arabia, and any such claims are false and misleading,” the pageant said in a statement provided to CNN and released on its official website.

“While Saudi Arabia is not yet among those countries fully confirmed (as) participating this year, we are currently undergoing a rigorous vetting process qualifying a potential candidate to be awarded the franchise and assigned national director,” the statement continued. “Saudi Arabia will not have this opportunity to join our prestigious pageant until this is final and confirmed by our approval committee.”