Some Twitter users read Melania's decision as a political statement, counterpointing an image of the First Lady with her hair uncovered against photographs of two of her predecessors – Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton - apparently wearing scarves while visiting the country.
However, the photos of Clinton and Obama were actually taken in Pakistan and Indonesia respectively. Like Melania, both opted not to wear headscarves when they visited Saudi.
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Indeed, in 2015, Melania's husband Donald Trump criticised Michelle Obama for refusing to cover her head when visiting the oil-rich country.
Saudi women are forced to cover their heads when they are in public, but foreign dignitaries tend to refrain from the practice. Neither Prime Minister Theresa May nor German Chancellor Angela Merkel wore headscarves when they visited Riyadh.
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