 "Egypt court rejects Red Sea islands deal with Saudi Arabia")
An Egyptian court, on Tuesday, quashed a government's border deal with Saudi Arabia to hand over two strategic Red Sea islands to the Gulf nation that had sparked public outrage in the country.
The Egyptian Administrative Court ruled that two islands Tiran and Sanafir, which were under Egypt's control for over 60 years, should remain under the Egyptian sovereignty.
The agreement of transferring the two islands to Saudi Arabia was signed on April 8 as part of a short visit by Saudi King Salman to Cairo.
Egyptian lawyers Khaled Ali and Ali Ayoub had filed a lawsuit in the Egyptian Administrative Court at the State Council against the deal.
Their report included that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Al had wrongfully waived Egyptian sovereignty rights over the two islands.
The court decision is not final and can be appealed.
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The Egyptian government had described the deal as "an important achievement that will make the two countries benefit economically".
The handover sparked an outcry from many Egyptians activists who rallied on April 25 to protest against the government's deal.
The protesters, in different parts of the country, organised marches against the deal and accused the government of selling the islands in return for Saudi investments.
The police used tear gas to disperse the anti-government rallies and many protesters were arrested as street protests are banned without prior permission from police as part of a controversial protest law issued in 2013.
Saudi Arabia has been a major financial backer to Egypt since el-Sisi took power after ousting Mohammad Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president, in a military coup in 2013.