Tiran, Sanafir have always been Saudi: Bin Salman

CAIRO – 3 May 2017: Deputy Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud refuted any claims of dispute with Egypt in regard to the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir.

“The two islands have always been registered as Saudi territories in Egyptian, Saudi and international bodies,” Bin Salman said in a televised interview on a Saudi TV channel Tuesday.

He stressed that his country has only signed a maritime demarcation treaty with Egypt so as to maximize the economic benefits of the area through launching mega projects between the two countries, such as energy supply and the

King Salman Bridge

.

The deputy crown prince accused the media of the "Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and Iran" of working to destabilize relations between Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

He asserted that Egypt has never taken any negative step towards Saudi Arabia, noting that the neighboring countries share tight historical ties.

In April 2016, Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement transferring Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia. The agreement provoked extensive criticism against the Egyptian government and resulted in street protests against the decision.

The Egyptian government justified its call by stating that the two islands are Saudi territory which have been administered by Egypt since 1950 upon the request of the Saudi Kingdom.