CAIRO, Jan 16 (Aswat Masriya) - An Egyptian court rejected on Monday a government appeal against the invalidation of Tiran and Sanafir ruling, confirming that the two Red Sea islands fall under Egyptian sovereignty.

The Supreme Administrative Court upheld a previous ruling that annulled the Egyptian-Saudi Arabian maritime border agreement transferring the two islands to Saudi Arabia. 

The Administrative Court had annulled last June an agreement that would transfer Egypt’s sovereignty over Tiran and Sanafir islands to Saudi Arabia, ruling that Egypt’s prime minister violated the constitution by signing the agreement.

The State Lawsuits Authority then challenged the decision before the Supreme Administrative Court.

Despite being contested in court, Egypt’s cabinet approved late in December the border demarcation agreement and referred it to the parliament for ratification; a move that was criticised by the defense team who filed the lawsuit against the deal. 

The agreement, signed during Saudi King Salman bin Abdel Aziz’s first official visit to Cairo in April, stirred controversy, with critics accusing President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of "selling Egypt" to Saudi Arabia in return for aid.