Egypt's Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Magdi El-Agati told reporters Tuesday that a Cairo administrative court's rejection of a government appeal against a previous court ruling voiding Egypt’s agreement to give Saudi Arabia two Red Sea islands does not invalidate the deal.

“This ruling does not mean that the deal with Egypt and Saudi Arabia on the two Red Sea islands – Tiran and Sanafir – has become invalidated or that this is the end of the road for this deal,” said El-Agati.

El-Agati added that an appeal by the government before the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) is still being deliberated.

“Today's ruling does not affect in any way the government's appeal before the Supreme Administrative Court, which is expected to be decided on 5 December," said El-Agati.

El-Agati explained that the administrative court's rejection of the appeal was based on “technical matters.”

Before he was appointed minister of parliamentary affairs, El-Agati was a judge with the State Council and administrative courts.

El-Agati has previously said that parliament has the final say on the Tiran and Sanafir agreement.

“[Parliament] will not discuss the matter as long as it is being deliberated by the judiciary,” said El-Agati.

In April, Egypt and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement that placed the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir into the territorial waters of Saudi Arabia. The agreement was reached during a visit by Saudi King Salman to Cairo on 8 April.