Michelle Obama is not impressed

The First Lady bowed and beamed as she boarded Air Force One in New Dehli on Tuesday, but by the time she landed in Saudi Arabia a few hours later, she had traded her floral dress for a more conservative long-sleeved jacket and slacks - as well as a new scorned expression.

In pictures at the airport and Egra Palace, Mrs Obama pursed her lips and glared as she stood her husband who cancelled their trip to the Taj Mahal in order to pay respects to the Saudi royal family on the death of King Abdullah.

While the oil-rich Saudis are America's biggest Arab ally, the relationship has come under increased scrutiny over the conservative Muslim country's questionable human rights record - including their treatment of women.

In addition to not being able to drive, Saudi women must always have a male chaperone when going out in public, they can't try on clothes while shopping or open a bank account without their husband's permission.

And despite most Saudi women being educated, they make up just a sliver of the work force. 

Mrs Obama got a taste of the patriarchy when she stepped out of Air Force One in Riyadh on Tuesday and was greeted by the new King Salman and an all-male group of delegates.

When the group lined up to greet the president and his wife, some of the Saudis shook the First Lady's hand while others just nodded their head. 

Reporters who were travelling with the president and First Lady told ABC News that Mrs Obama bowed to cultural differences and stood slightly behind her husband during the greeting line.

If one of the men would offer to shake her hand, the First Lady would oblige but mostly stood back and smiled while they passed.

She was also criticized by Saudis and the Muslim world at large on Twitter for not covering her hair.  

According to tweets gathered by Al-Ahram, Egypt's largest daily newspaper, many Saudis expressed outrage that Mrs Obama wore a veil to visit a mosque in Indonesia, but went without one on this condolence trip to their country. Mrs Obama also donned a sheer black veil when she met the Catholic Pope in Vatican City.

(dailymail.co.uk)