Many people took to Twitter (where else?) to claim that appearing in the country without wearing a headscarf was a sign of disrespect to her hosts, while several others praised the US First Lady for her actions.
Some even thought she was deliberately making a statement on the harsh restrictions placed on Saudi women, who are not allowed to drive, appear outside of the house without man, show their hair, or even vote (however voting regulations in the country are to be changed in 2015).
It should be noted that Michelle Obama is far from the first female dignitary to visit Saudi Arabia without covering her hair – both Hilary Clinton and Laura Bush have appeared unveiled in the country before.
Many other women from Western countries could be seen during the late ruler’s funeral without wearing headscarfs, however most wore long outfits covering their arms and legs, as did Mrs Obama.
Other media outlets have claimed that Michelle Obama was blurred out by Saudi TV stations, however these claims have been disputed.
President Obama and his wife attended the funeral of King Abdullah who died last week in an effort ot maintain the strong relations between Saudi Arabia and the USA.
