Egypt - Border Regulation for Strait of Tiran

Update added for April 15 and 24, 2016

These days King Salman of Saudi Arabia is on a state visit to Egypt to discuss items of common interest with president al-Sisi. In the frame of these talks border problems at the Strait of Tiran are being discussed.

The Strait of Tiran is giving access to the Gulf of Aqaba with its main ports of Eilat (Israel) and Aqaba (Jordan). After Israel's invasion during the War of Six Days the whole region had come under Israeli control. Only much later an agreement was reached that granted all nations involved an unlimited access to the Gulf without caring for any 12-nautical miles zone regulation which is impractible for this region marked by short distances.




مصر تفرج عن وثائق تثبت تبعية "تيران" و"صنافير" للسعودية

Egypt parts with documents assuring the possession
of " Tiran " and " Sanafir " [island] to Saudi-Arabia.

كشفت وزارة الخارجية المصرية عن عدة وثائق تم الاستناد إليها خلال المفاوضات على عودة جزيرتي "تيران" و"صنافير" للمملكة العربية السعودية.ـ

The Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs indicated that provision of documents has been finished in the frame of support for the negotiations about returning the islands of "Tiran" and "Sanafir" to the Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia.

[Al-Arabiya العربية on April 12, 2016]





Update for April 15, 2016:

CAIRO – Last week’s visit to Egypt by King Salman of Saudi Arabia resulted in 22 agreements, including a $22 billion oil deal to prop up Egypt’s moribund economy. But the lavish aid came at a price: Egypt had to relinquish two Red Sea islands ceded to it by Saudi Arabia in 1950. The move exposed the Egyptian leadership’s narrative that the country remains a major regional power as a lie. Indeed, Egypt cannot even handle domestic challenges posed by a rapidly growing population dependent on unaffordable subsidies – a situation that jihadists are exploiting with much success. How did the country reach this point?

On the basis of Egypt's history since 1807 when the country freed itself from colonialism, the quoted article shows how Egypt step by step lost its economic and financial independence in a development finally leading to the current situation and which the Gulf Times article describes with its headline [ Egypt for Sale ].

[Gulf Times Online on April 15, 2016]


Update for April 24, 2016:

While Egypt's president Sisy faced much opposition in his own country for giving away Tiran and Sanafir, Saudi Arabia recently began to exploit its own diving sides in the neighbourhood of Tiran Island. The new holiday resort on Ras Sheikh Hamid might then open the Saudi coastline for tourism in competition with Egypt (Sharm al-Sheikh) and Israel/Jordan in the Gulf of Aqaba.



تعرف على "رأس الشيخ حميد" القريبة من تيران وصنافير

Knowledge about "Ras Sheikh Hamid" near Tiran and Sanafir.



تمتاز بمياه فيروزية صافية يعشقها محبو الغوص وجسر الملك سلمان سيجعلها تزدهر

[ Blessed with ] and loved for its turquoise waters, [ the
favoured diving spot ] at King Salman Bridge will flourish.

[Source: Al-Arabiya العربية on April 24, 2016]

...............................