Gigi Hadid Fronts First Vogue Arabia

Supermodel Gigi Hadid has made history by becoming the cover girl of Vogue Arabia's first issue.

The cover is the beauty's 17th for Vogue's international titles.

Vogue Arabia's Editor-in-Chief Deena Aljuhani Abdulaziz personally chose the half-Palestinian model to front the first issue, and she's thrilled with Inez and Vinoodh's cover shot.

"In one poised photograph, she communicates a thousand words to a region that's been waiting far too long for its Vogue voice to speak," she writes. "The collage of countries across the Arab world are long-deserving of a place in fashion history and there's no better first 'face' to lead the charge for Vogue Arabia than Gigi, a model who defines tomorrow's entrepreneurial and dynamic generation."

Gigi, who is dating former One Direction star Zayn Malik, has taken to Instagram to celebrate her new cover shot, stating: "I think the beautiful thing about there being international Vogue's is that, as a fashion community, we are able to celebrate, and share with the world, different cultures."

The model, whose father is real estate developer Mohamed Hadid, notes the honor of fronting the first Vogue Arabia "means the world to me", adding, "I hope that this magazine will show another layer of the fashion industry's desire to continue to accept, celebrate, and incorporate all people & customs and make everyone feel like they have fashion images and moments they can relate to."

The full issue hits newsstands on 5 March (17).