In Saudi Arabia with Trump, Melania and Ivanka give the headscarf a miss

United States First Lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump eschewed the strict Saudi Arabia dress code while attending different events in the country.

Melania and Ivanka, who are accompanying Trump on his first international trip as President, were seen without headscarves during Trump's key speech in front of heads of state in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Melania on Sunday visited the American International School in Riyadh and an all-women General Electric service center without a headscarf.

"Enjoyed talking to the incredible women working hard @GE_Saudi service center. Great strides being made towards the empowerment of women," Melania tweeted.

"Had the honor of visiting 1st all-women process service center in #Riyadh, #SaudiArabia. Thanks to @GE_Saudi for the invite!" she said in another tweet.

Similarly, Ivanka Trump was also seen without a headscarf while attending a women's empowerment roundtable at Tuwaiq Palace with civil society leaders, prominent businesswomen and female Saudi elected government officials, CNN reported.

"Today I met with Saudi Arabian women leaders and learned directly of their accomplishments, challenges & vision for the future. #POTUSAbroad," Ivanka tweeted.

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Get terrorists out of your mosques & communities, Donald Trump tells Saudis

US President Donald Trump called on Middle Eastern leaders to combat a "crisis of Islamic extremism" emanating from the region, casting the fight against terrorism as a "battle between good and evil," not a clash between the West and Islam.

Trump's address today was the centrepiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first stop overseas as president.

During a meeting of more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders, he sought to chart a new course for America's role in the region, one aimed squarely on rooting out terrorism, with less focus on promoting human rights and democratic reforms.

"We are not here to lecture - we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be, or how to worship," Trump said, speaking in an ornate, multi- chandeliered room. "Instead, we are here to offer partnership - based on shared interests and values - to pursue a better future for us all."

Even as the president pledged to work alongside Middle Eastern nations, he put the onus for combating terrorism on the region. Bellowing into the microphone, he implored Muslim leaders to aggressively fight extremists: "Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities."

The president has been enthusiastically embraced in Riyadh, where the ruling royal family has welcomed his tougher stance on Iran, its regional foe.

Trump slammed Iran for spreading "destruction and chaos" throughout the region. His comments were echoed by Saudi King Salman, who declared, "The Iranian regime has been the spearhead of global terrorism."

For Trump, the visit has been a welcome escape from the crush of controversies that have consumed his administration in recent weeks. He's been besieged by a series of revelations about the ongoing federal investigation into his campaign's possible ties to Russia and his decision to fire FBI Director James Comey, who had been overseeing the Russia probe.

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