Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, president of the Association of National Olympic Committees, said he had been assured by talks with FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann that the Islamic hijab headscarf and other headgear would soon be allowed on the court.
The basketball body's ban on headgear more than 5 centimetres (2 inches) wide caused controversy at the September-October Asian Games when Qatar's women's team forfeited their matches after being told they could not wear hijabs.
"We have discussed it, they have their opinion, we have our opinion. We found a roadmap, they already announced that some club events will start it, after this they will evaluate it.
"I think will be only a matter of time and (when) the mechanism has been decided," added the sheikh, who is also president of the Olympic Council of Asia, the body behind the Asian Games.
FIBA has denied any "religious connotation" to its rule, which is aimed at improving safety. The approach conflicts with other sports including football, which ended a similar ban earlier this year.
FIBA's stance earlier ran into trouble in July when two Sikh players from India were reportedly forced to remove their turbans at the Asia Cup in China and had to tie their hair with elastic bands.
In August, reports also said that India's Anmol Singh was ordered to take off his patka head-covering at the FIBA Asia U18 Championship in Doha.
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