President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama participate in a delegation receiving line with the new Saudi Arabian King, Salman bin Abdul Aziz, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015. The president and first lady have come to express their condolences on the death of the late Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

And the real reason the photo is poignant: Michelle Obama refused to wear a headscarf..

The ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS THIS:

Under the kingdom’s strict dress code for women, Saudi females are required to wear a headscarf and loose, black robes in public. Most women in Saudi Arabia cover their hair and face with a veil known as the niqab. But covering one’s head is not required for foreigners, and some Western women choose to forego the headscarf while in Saudi Arabia.

As a delegation of dozens of Saudi officials — all men — greeted the Obamas in Riyadh, some shook hands with Mrs. Obama. Others avoided a handshake but acknowledged the first lady with a nod as they passed by.