Like some kind of melodramatic Ramadan mosalsal, the custody battle for the islands of Tiran and Sanafir has taken another dramatic twist, with Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court rejecting a government appeal, declaring the transfer of the islands to Saudi Arabia void.

What's more is that the decision is final and can't be appealed again.

The appeal had come after an administrative court annulled the transfer last year, despite an agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The decision to hand over the islands, which was announce during a visit by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, drew criticism from across the country and even led to pockets of protests - as well as some typically hilarious social media reactions.

Sitting 4km apart, it’s the location of of the two islands the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba that make them significant. Considered a strategically important area, the Saudi’s ‘let’ Egypt guard the islands in 1950, which have only been inhabited by Egyptian troops and international peacekeepers.

It's yet unclear what comes next in this epic tale, but as this is an administrative ruling and not a constitutional one, the government's next move could be to propose a new deal with its Saudi counterparts.
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By Kalam EL