White House adviser Ivanka Trump donned a hijab — a traditional head covering to show modesty — during a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday.
In the past, both Ivanka Trump and First Lady Melania Trump had declined to cover their heads while visiting Muslim countries — as in President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia in May 2017.
And for much of her visit this weekend to the United Arab Emirates, where she was the keynote speaker at the Global Women’s Forum, Ivanka Trump did not cover her head.
But in a visit to a mosque, a holy site, diplomatic protocol typically requires adherence to custom and decorum — as is the case for the holy sites of other faiths, such as the Western Wall in Jerusalem, where men of all faiths are expected to wear kippot or yarmulkes in accordance with Jewish tradition. At the Vatican, both Melania and Ivanka Trump covered their heads when meeting with Pope Francis.
Senator John Kennedy introduces America to ‘Margaret,’ his elliptical trainer named after Thatcher
Waymo driverless cars overrun Atlanta neighborhood, circling cul-de-sacs and alarming families with kids
Lithuania and Poland forecast ‘military aid’ to help open Strait of Hormuz amid denials of US troop reductions in region
From Revival to Reformation: Why I’m Running for Governor of California
Here’s Where the Redistricting Wars Stand as the 2026 Midterms Approach
Trump Urged to Address Plight of Persecuted Chinese Minorities During Beijing Visit
In the Battle for School Choice, Families Get Stuck in the Middle
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Detransitioner drama, sex toy giveaways, shocking bathroom find
Colorado governor commutes Tina Peters’ sentence as Trump posts ‘FREE TINA!’
Supreme Court deals blow to Virginia Democrats in fight over state court ruling
Eric Trump Announces Lawsuit Against Jen Psaki, MS NOW for ‘Blatant Lies’ About China Business Ties
Navy veteran Rocky Rochford seeks to turn Tampa Bay red, unseat 20-year House incumbent
Trump Reveals Waterfront Site for Long-Planned National Garden of American Heroes
Minnesota Medicaid operator’s bankruptcy-to-riches rise crashes into fraud probe
Trump hits dramatic milestone in massive departure from Biden border plan: ‘What a difference’
In the Jewish faith, which Ivanka Trump shares, many married religious women also cover their heads out of modesty, especially in religious settings, though there is no Jewish equivalent of the Islamic veil.
In that context, Ivanka Trump’s visit to the mosque was also significant, as she is among the first Jewish people to be an honored guest of a kingdom that has been, until recently, cold toward Israel and Jews.
#إيفانكا_ترامب تزور #مسجد_الشيخ_زايد الكبير في #أبوظبي وتؤكد أن الجامع تحفة معمارية إسلامية رائعة من حيث الحداثة والتصميم #IvankaTrump#GWFD2020#البيان_القارئ_دائما pic.twitter.com/JA0ePP1atU
— صحيفة البيان (@AlBayanNews) February 16, 2020
The United Arab Emirates has, until recently, barred Israelis from entering the country, in a policy that has been described as antisemitic. However, relations are warming and those restrictions are being eased.
Ivanka Trump praised the United Arab Emirates for recent reforms that granted more freedom to women in the country, the AP reported.
Story cited here.









