Egypt's government approves deal to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia

CAIRO, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Egypt's government has approved a deal to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia and has sent it to parliament for ratification on Thursday, according to state television. Earlier this month, an Egyptian state advisory body recommended that a Cairo court uphold a ruling that annulled an agreement giving Saudi Arabia control of two islands. The Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir continue to be a source of public debate amid the Administrative Court’s decision to annul the demarcation agreement, deeming that the islands are Egyptian land that cannot be ceded. Subsequently, the court had annulled the deal in June, and asserted Egyptian sovereignty of the islands, but the government appealed the decision.
The Egyptian government approves a deal granting two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.