Top 4 messages of Bin Salman’s interview with Saudi TV

CAIRO – 3 May 2017: Deputy Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad Bin Salman Al-Saud, refuted any claims of dispute with Egypt regarding the Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir.

The alleged dispute is traced back to a border demarcation agreement signed in April 2016 between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which ordered the two islands be included within Saudi territorial waters, taking into account claims that the islands are Saudi.

The Egyptian government contended that it never had absolute sovereignty over the two islands and that it was merely administrating them; recalling an Egyptian-Saudi agreement that allowed Egypt in 1949 to administer the two islands for defensive purposes.

The Saudi Deputy Crown Prince stressed that his country has signed a maritime demarcation treaty with Egypt to maximize the economic benefits of the Red Sea islands, through launching mega projects between the two countries.

Four key messages that Mohammad Bin Salman’s interview with the Saudi TV indicated:

- Muslim Brotherhood affiliated media incites disagreements between Egypt and the Saudi Kingdom, it is the same kind of media that criticizes President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.

- The Egyptian-Saudi relations are deeply rooted within the two countries.

- Egypt never gave up on Saudi Arabia, and neither Saudi Arabia will give up on Egypt.

- Enemies of Egypt and Saudi Arabia will keep on trying to destabilize mutual relations.