German Minister visits Saudi Arabia without abaya or hijab

German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen paid a visit to Riyadh last week ... and decided not to wear the hijab. 

Leyen said that while she respects the customs and traditions of the country, one is free to choose his or her attire accordingly. Females in her delegation also chose not to wear the abaya or hijab. 

"No woman in my delegation will be required to wear the abaya, as the [right] to choose one’s attire is a right shared by men and women equally," Leyen said, according to Sputnik News. 

The news comes days after German Chancellor Angela Merkel >called for a ban on the full face veil (burqa) in Germany. Merkel said it should be "prohibited wherever legally possible."

The German minister's visit has sparked a Saudi outcry. 

Translation: German Defense Minister: Refusing to wear hijab in Saudi Arabia was "deliberate." This is an insult to Saudi Arabia. 

Leyen is definitely not the first female politician to visit the kingdom without wearing traditional attire however. 

Michelle Obama drew social attention when she visited Saudi Arabia in 2015 without a headscarf to pay her last respects to the late King Abdullah. People at the time took to Twitter to express outrage with the hashtag #Michelle_Obama_Immodest. 

Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton and Denmark's Australian-born Princess Mary also didn't cover their hair when they visited the kingdom. 

But, when it comes to non-international political figures the situation is quite different. 

Yesterday, a Saudi woman >was arrested after tweeting a photo of herself in public without hijab or abaya. 

Just over two weeks ago, Malak Al Shehri tweeted a photo of herself wearing a colorful dress under a long dark coat. The tweet caused an intense debate on the Internet. Several Twitter users sent her death threats. 

Soon after, Al Shehri deleted her account. Saudi authorities later investigated the incident, and have arrested her.