Rihanna asked to leave a mosque in Abu Dhabi

Rihanna's recent visit to United Arab Emirates has apparently caused a bit of a stir.

The R&B pop star stopped by the courtyard of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, where she took a series of photographs in front of the landmark mosque. Wearing a black jumpsuit and headscarf, Rihanna posed for pictures taken by photographers Gomillion and Leupold.

But according to CNN, the mosque asked her to leave, noting in a statement: "She was asked to leave before entering the actual mosque, (she was in the courtyard taking pictures) after taking some photos that did not fit within the rules and regulations set out to preserve the sacredness of the center."

The Associated Press reports that the mosque statement, published Monday in local newspapers, said Rihanna was in an area normally off limits for visitors. It says the photo session violated rules on the "status and sanctity of the mosque."

See the photos below:

This is the third social media controversy that has surrounded Rihanna in recent weeks. Last week, authorities in Thailand arrested a bar ownerin connection with a lewd sex show mentioned in some of the singer's racy tweets. And two weeks earlier, an Instagram photo of Rihanna with a protected primateled to the arrest of two other men.

Rihanna, who has been globe-trotting on her "Diamonds" world tour, will next head to Tel Aviv, Israel for a concert on Tuesday.