The court said the two islands, Sanafir and Tiran, are Egyptian - contrary to the government's claim that they were Saudi and only given to Egypt in the 1950s to protect them from a possible attack by Israel. CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian court rejected on Monday a government plan to transfer two uninhabited Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, in a final ruling that prompted cheers in the courtroom but could deepen tensions with the country’s erstwhile financial backer.
A top Egyptian court rules against giving away the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia.