Egypt's Parliament Approves Transfer of Two Islands in the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia

On Wednesday, June 14, Egypt's parliament approved the transfer of uninhabited islands in the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia. This action has faced widespread criticism in Egypt. According to Reuters, Ali Abdel Aal, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Egypt, stated that the required majority of representatives voted positively for this plan, which the government signed last year but was annulled by judicial authorities. Before the session ended on Wednesday, he said: "Thus, I announce the approval of the proposal to revise the maritime boundary with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which was signed by the government on April 8, 2016." This treaty now needs to be ratified by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, which is largely ceremonial. The voting and approval of this treaty were conducted very quickly. The National Defense and Security Committee of the parliament unanimously approved it on Wednesday morning and referred it to the general session for final voting. Four hours later, the majority of the parliament voted in favor of it. Representatives opposing the plan stood up and chanted "Egyptian, Egyptian," pointing to the ownership of these islands. The government of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced a new agreement regarding the shared maritime boundary with Saudi Arabia last year, under which ownership of the islands of Tiran and Sanafir would be transferred to Riyadh. These islands are located at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba. This government decision has faced criticism and protests from many Egyptians who believe these islands have been under Egyptian ownership since 1906, before the establishment of a country called Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday evening, dozens of demonstrators gathered in downtown Cairo. The journalists' union, which hosted this gathering, reports that three members of this organization are still in detention. In total, eight people have been arrested on charges of illegal assembly and insulting the president, and police are interrogating them. The governments of Egypt and Saudi Arabia claim that ownership of these islands belongs to Riyadh, but since 1950, the protection of them had been entrusted to the Egyptian government at Saudi Arabia's request. Reuters recalls that this new treaty was referred to judicial authorities, which caused displeasure in Saudi Arabia and led to tensions in the relations between the two countries. The Supreme Administrative Court of Egypt blocked the implementation of this treaty, but the parliament insisted that according to the constitution, decision-making in this regard is within the parliament's powers. Parliamentary officials say that the House of Representatives of Egypt is the only authority in decision-making regarding territorial integrity and national independence, but the Supreme Administrative Court of Egypt insists that the annulment of the treaty is within its powers. The Constitutional Court of Egypt is set to decide on the powers of each of these two decision-making bodies, but no date has been announced for the review of the issue. It is still unclear what the legal status of this treaty will be after the parliament's positive vote on Wednesday. A government report submitted to parliament to clarify this issue states that Egypt will still manage the affairs of these islands and that Egyptian citizens will not need a visa to travel there. Opposition groups accuse Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of ceding ownership of these islands to Riyadh to appease Saudi Arabia and continue receiving financial aid. During the military coup in Egypt against the elected government of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013, Saudi Arabia was the largest foreign supporter of Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, then the commander of the Egyptian armed forces.