Cairo approves handover of strategic islands to Saudi Arabia

Egypt's government on Thursday gave the green light for the transfer of sovereignty over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. Cairo and Riyadh had reached an agreement in April for the handover of Tiran and Sanafir, located in the Tiran Strait at the southern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. However, the transfer was delayed for more than half a year due to an appeal to Egypt's High Court of Justice. The Egyptian parliament will now vote on whether to ratify the agreement.