Egypt’s parliament on Wednesday approved a controversial maritime accord with Saudi Arabia that transfers two strategic Red Sea islands to the kingdom, state television and a lawmaker said. The deal, which is still being challenged in an Egyptian court, sparked rare protests last year, with the opposition accusing the government of selling Egyptian territory to its Saudi benefactors. The accord had sparked rare protests in Egypt, with Sisi accused of having traded the islands of Tiran and Sanafir for Saudi largesse. The government has said the islands were Saudi to begin with, but were leased to Egypt in the 1950s. The government first announced the deal during a visit by Saudi King Salman in April 2016 during which Riyadh showered Egypt with aid.

Source: Hindustan Times June 14, 2017 14:52 UTC