Despite Public Outcry, Egypt to Transfer Islands to Saudi Arabia

Despite Public Outcry, Egypt to Transfer Islands to Saudi Arabia Despite Public Outcry, Egypt to Transfer Islands to Saudi Arabia CAIRO — The fate of Tiran and Sanafir, a pair of small, barren islands in the Red Sea, is one of the most politically sensitive issues facing Egypt’s president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Since Mr. Sisi announced a plan to hand the islands to Saudi Arabia last year, he has faced an unusually virulent backlash. A top court ruled against the transfer, there were rare public protests, and an opinion poll found that a large majority of Egyptians bitterly opposed the idea. Yet Mr. Sisi may be about to get his way.