The legislative and constitutional affairs committee of Egypt's parliament will begin discussing a controversial Egyptian-Saudi Arabian maritime border demarcation agreement on Sunday, the committee announced on Thursday.

In press statements reported by Al-Ahram’s Arabic website, the committee said it would start its discussions on Sunday at 12pm Cairo local time, and conclude on Tuesday.

The deal, inked in April 2016, would transfer sovereignty of the islands of Tiran and Sanafir, located at the southern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, to Saudi Arabia.

The agreement has been the subject of a lengthy court battle between the government and those opposed to the deal.

In December, the Egyptian cabinet approved the deal and sent it to parliament for a vote.