Angela Merkel arrives in Saudi for G20, cooperation talks

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is on a visit to Saudi Arabia, has arrived in the Kingdom without a headscarf for talks with the King Salman.

Merkel was greeted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, and other officials upon her arrival at the western city of Jeddah on Sunday, The Independent reported.

British Prime Minister Theresa May avoided the dress code for women when she visited the country.

Foreign visitors have not always followed the protocol, and Merkel also followed the footsteps of May, President Donald Trump's Democrat rival Hillary Clinton and former First Lady of the US Michelle Obama.

Merkel has called for the burqa to be banned in Germany, saying it was "not acceptable in our county".

"It should be banned, wherever it is legally possible."

The German parliament last week voted for a draft law banning women working in the civil service, judiciary and military from wearing full-face veils.

Burqas and niqabs will be prohibited in select professions as part of the legislation, once approved by the Bundesrat state parliament.

The German leader is expected to press Gulf leaders to do more to take in refugees and provide humanitarian relief for those fleeing conflict in Muslim-majority countries.

According to The Independent, Germany has provided refuge to hundreds of thousands of people from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years.

She is scheduled to travel to the United Arab Emirates after visiting the Saudi Kingdom.