Angela Merkel’s defence minister refused to wear traditional Muslim attire during her official visit in Saudi Arabia.

Ursula von der Leyen shunned the abaya, the black full length dress that covers the entire body but not the face, during her diplomatic engagement in Riyadh.

The Christian Democratic Union politician, the first woman in German history to hold the defence portfolio, was meeting Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman al Saud.

“Of course, I respect the customs and customs of a country,” said Ms Leyen, as quoted in German tabloid Bild.

“I strive to comply with such rules. But for me there are limits to the way I adapt to the country.

“I do not put on a headscarf and I wear trousers.

“No woman in my delegation has to wear the abaya. Being able to choose your own clothes is a right for both men and women alike.

“It annoys me, when women travelling with women are pressured into wearing the abaya.”

Ms Leyen is seen in pictures wearing a dark blue suit and her bright blonde hair combed back.

The German embassy in Riyadh reportedly distributed abayas after the 58-year-old and her entourage arrived on Wednesday last week.

Her move immediately followed Angela Merkel calling for a burqa ban.

Iraq pharmacist Hussam al-Mosawi tweeted that Ms Leyen’s decision was “an insult to Saudi Arabia".

But her decision has caused very little controversy. Female politicians are often excused from covering their hair.

10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Show all 10 1 /10 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In October 2014, three lawyers, Dr Abdulrahman al-Subaihi, Bander al-Nogaithan and Abdulrahman al-Rumaih , were sentenced to up to eight years in prison for using Twitter to criticize the Ministry of Justice. AFP/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2015, Yemen’s Sunni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi was forced into exile after a Shia-led insurgency. A Saudi Arabia-led coalition has responded with air strikes in order to reinstate Mr Hadi. It has since been accused of committing war crimes in the country. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Women who supported the Women2Drive campaign, launched in 2011 to challenge the ban on women driving vehicles, faced harassment and intimidation by the authorities. The government warned that women drivers would face arrest. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Members of the Kingdom’s Shia minority, most of whom live in the oil-rich Eastern Province, continue to face discrimination that limits their access to government services and employment. Activists have received death sentences or long prison terms for their alleged participation in protests in 2011 and 2012. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses All public gatherings are prohibited under an order issued by the Interior Ministry in 2011. Those defy the ban face arrest, prosecution and imprisonment on charges such as “inciting people against the authorities”. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses In March 2014, the Interior Ministry stated that authorities had deported over 370,000 foreign migrants and that 18,000 others were in detention. Thousands of workers were returned to Somalia and other states where they were at risk of human rights abuses, with large numbers also returned to Yemen, in order to open more jobs to Saudi Arabians. Many migrants reported that prior to their deportation they had been packed into overcrowded makeshift detention facilities where they received little food and water and were abused by guards. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses The Saudi Arabian authorities continue to deny access to independent human rights organisations like Amnesty International, and they have been known to take punitive action, including through the courts, against activists and family members of victims who contact Amnesty. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Raif Badawi was sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years in prison for using his liberal blog to criticise Saudi Arabia’s clerics. He has already received 50 lashes, which have reportedly left him in poor health. Carsten Koall/Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Dawood al-Marhoon was arrested aged 17 for participating in an anti-government protest. After refusing to spy on his fellow protestors, he was tortured and forced to sign a blank document that would later contain his ‘confession’. At Dawood’s trial, the prosecution requested death by crucifixion while refusing him a lawyer. Getty Images 10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses Ali Mohammed al-Nimr was arrested in 2012 aged either 16 or 17 for participating in protests during the Arab spring. His sentence includes beheading and crucifixion. The international community has spoken out against the punishment and has called on Saudi Arabia to stop. He is the nephew of a prominent government dissident. Getty

Ms Leyen and her 31-year-old Saudi counterpart, who has hit headlines worldwide for his extravagant personal spending and his austerity measures, discussed the training of Saudi officers in the European Union.

At a security conference on Saturday, the medicine graduate Ms Leyen said “we have to dominate the internet” and create economic opportunity to defeat Isis.

Under Saudi law, women cannot travel without permission from their male guardians and cannot swim in public pools.

The oil-rich country is frequently criticised for its human rights record, having executed more than 150 people last year according to Amnesty International.

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