Neither Melania nor Ivanka Trump covered their heads, despite Donald Trump saying Michelle Obama “insulted” Saudis with the same sartorial choice.
When Michelle Obama travelled to Saudi Arabia in 2015 with then-President Barack Obama, Donald Trump scolded the First Lady for not covering up.
“Many people are saying it was wonderful that Mrs. Obama refused to wear a scarf in Saudi Arabia, but they were insulted. We have enuf enemies [sic],” Trump tweeted at the time.
However, the current US President appears not to have passed on the same advice to his wife and daughter on his own visit to the conservative kingdom.
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The Trumps travelled to Riyadh on Saturday, the first stop on a nine-day, five-country tour.
Landing in the capital, Melania Trump adhered to the Muslim-majority nation’s modest dress code in a black Stella McCartney jumpsuit, accesorized with an oversized gold belt and Christian Louboutin stilettos.
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One thing notably absent from the First Lady’s stylish outfit was a headscarf. Trump’s daughter Ivanka, who is a senior White House adviser, also left her head uncovered.
The First Lady’s choice of dress is consistent with the example set by previous female foreign dignitaries to have visited the kingdom.
Other leaders to have shunned the scarf include German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Theresa May, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
The dress code in Saudi Arabia is governed by Sharia law, which requires women to dress modestly, however, non-Muslim women are not required to wear the headscarf.
Images: Getty
