Sanafir Island ( ar, جزيرة صنافر, Geziret Ṣanafir, ) is a
Saudi island in the
Straits of Tiran east of
Tiran Island
Tiran ( ar, جزيرة تيران ''Jezîret Tīrān'', ''Jazīrat Tīrān''), and ''Yotvat Island'', is a Saudi Arabian island that was formerly administered by Egypt. Sovereignty of the two Red Sea islands, Tiran and Sanafir, was ceded of ...
. It is about
it is located at the entrance to the
Straits of Tiran, which separates the
Gulf of Aqaba
The Gulf of Aqaba ( ar, خَلِيجُ ٱلْعَقَبَةِ, Khalīj al-ʿAqabah) or Gulf of Eilat ( he, מפרץ אילת, Mifrátz Eilát) is a large gulf at the northern tip of the Red Sea, east of the Sinai Peninsula and west of the Arabian ...
from the
Red Sea
The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...
. The island is about 2.5 km from
Tiran Island
Tiran ( ar, جزيرة تيران ''Jezîret Tīrān'', ''Jazīrat Tīrān''), and ''Yotvat Island'', is a Saudi Arabian island that was formerly administered by Egypt. Sovereignty of the two Red Sea islands, Tiran and Sanafir, was ceded of ...
. The island are characterized by floating coral reefs.
The island was under
Egyptian control in the past but now it is returned back under
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
sovereignty since the 8 April 2016, after the completion of transfer procedures. On 17 June 2017, Egyptian President
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi; (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian politician and retired military officer who has served as the sixth and current president of Egypt since 2014. Before retiring as a general in the Egyptian mil ...
ratified the maritime demarcation agreement between the two countries.
It was adopted on maps and official documents on 17 August 2017 and approved by the
Egyptian House of Representatives on 14 June 2017, which approved the transfer of the island and its neighbor to Saudi Arabia. The
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
was notified in accordance with the Charter of Article 102 of the provisions of subsidiarity and sovereignty relating to islands and maritime territory.
Etymology
The name comes from
Coptic ⲥⲉⲛⲛⲟⲩϥⲣⲓ ''Sanufri'' which itself comes from
Egyptian
Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...
''s.t-n-nfr.t'', "place of good profit".
Transfer to Saudi Arabia
On 9 April 2016, the Egyptian government declared that Sanafir and
Tiran Island
Tiran ( ar, جزيرة تيران ''Jezîret Tīrān'', ''Jazīrat Tīrān''), and ''Yotvat Island'', is a Saudi Arabian island that was formerly administered by Egypt. Sovereignty of the two Red Sea islands, Tiran and Sanafir, was ceded of ...
fall within the territorial waters of
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
, as codified in the maritime border agreement signed with the government of Saudi Arabia on the previous day. However, the agreement had to be ratified by the
Parliament of Egypt
The Parliament of Egypt is the bicameral legislature of the Arab Republic of Egypt. It is composed of an upper house (the Senate) and a lower house (the House of Representatives).
The Parliament is located in Cairo, Egypt's capital. Under t ...
.
The proposed deal was quashed by an Egyptian judge,
and an Egyptian court gave its final ruling in January 2017, rejecting the deal and affirming Egyptian sovereignty on both the islands, supported by much of the Egyptian public.
The proposed deal caused turmoil in Egyptian politics and across the country, erupting mass protests that accused
President Sisi of "selling" Egyptian land.
On 14 June 2017, Egypt's House Committee on Defence and National Security unanimously approved the transfer of Tiran and Sanafir islands to Saudi Arabia, and the plan was passed by the Egyptian Parliament later the same day. The deal moves forward the idea of building the
Saudi–Egypt Causeway
The Saudi–Egypt Causeway is a proposal to link Egypt and Saudi Arabia with a causeway and bridge.
Profile
The Egyptian president suggested to name the proposed structure " King Salman bin Abdulaziz Bridge". The entire project is expected to c ...
.
History
In World War II, the Egyptian forces on Tiran and Sanafir islands were part of the Egyptian troops protecting
Suez canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
, according to Egypt's representative at the 659th UN security council meeting on 15 February 1954:
In the same meeting, Egypt's representative considered Tiran and Sanafir islands an integral part of the territory of Egypt, since they have been under Egypt's administration since 1906:
[https://www.un.org/es/comun/docs/index.asp?symbol=S/PV.659&Lang=E Security council 659th meeting records p. 25]
See also
*
Tiran Island
Tiran ( ar, جزيرة تيران ''Jezîret Tīrān'', ''Jazīrat Tīrān''), and ''Yotvat Island'', is a Saudi Arabian island that was formerly administered by Egypt. Sovereignty of the two Red Sea islands, Tiran and Sanafir, was ceded of ...
*
Straits of Tiran
References
{{Use dmy dates, date=January 2021
Islands of the Red Sea
Uninhabited islands of Saudi Arabia