They are also close to one of the rumoured locations for a bridge linking Saudi and Egypt announced on the second day of King Salman’s visit.
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Analysts said King Salman’s visit puts to rest months of reports in Saudi and Egyptian media of strained ties between the two countries over Cairo’s unwillingness to participate fully in Saudi-led operations against Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen.
King Salman’s visit to Cairo comes amid recent strains in the relationship between the two nations, with Egyptian President el-Sisi taking a less hard-line stance against Syrian President Bashar al Assad. Now that control of the islands is being transferred from Egypt to Saudi Arabia, it remains to be seen whether there will be any effect on the MFO or on Israeli shipping.
What’s worse, Egypt has been facing a shortage in foreign currency inflows after tourists and foreign investors were scared away after the 2011 uprising.
The current Egyptian government came to power following a coup in 2013 orchestrated by Sissi, then the head of the military, against the first-democratically elected president of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi, after the latter was in power for less than a year. The Egyptian cabinet, in its decision, suggested that in handing over the islands, Egypt was simply handing over the territory to its rightful owner.
The agreement provoked an immediate backlash in Egypt, with thousands of Twitter users accusing Sisi of selling the islands.
In the meantime, a renowned rights lawyer and a former presidential candidate, Khaled Ali, has taken legal action against Egyptian-Saudi agreement.
Saudi Arabia is keen on unifying viewpoints and working to confront terrorism and establish a joint Arab force, he added. He filed a case demanding that the move be annulled on the grounds that it violates Egypt’s constitution. The court will hear the case on May 17.
“Who do you think you are Sisi?”
Once-fawning newspaper editors no longer hide their disappointment as the crackdown on dissent has spread and critics say the government has mishandled a series of crises including the killing of a driver by a policeman in a fare dispute.
According to security services, the five persons were arrested in downtown Cairo as they headed to the parliament building, where they planned to hold a protest just as Salman was addressing Egypt’s parliament.
Al-Ahram claimed that parts of the island agreement could require changes to the peace accords with Israel (specifically, changing maritime borders in the region), which would in turn require Knesset approval.
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The coup was supported by several Persian Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, who within weeks of the coup sent more than US$8 billion to the coup regime.
